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Ganymede!

26 Oct

Normally I don’t like writing full reviews these days, but I just finished reading Ganymede by Cherie Priest and she’s one of my favorite authors.  So…I think I’ll write a bit about my thoughts on her latest steampunk work.

Cover art by Jon Foster. Cover design by Jamie Stafford-Hill.

Ganymede

Ganymede is the fourth addition to the Clockwork Century universe, coming after Boneshaker, Clementine, and Dreadnought (in that order)–all of which are centered around a steampunk alternate history in which the American Civil War has carried on for nearly decades longer than in real life.  The story follows two main characters: Andan Cly, the air pirate fans got to meet first in Boneshaker, and Josephine Early, a biracial prostitute and Union spy who is new to the series.

It all starts with Josephine down in New Orleans.  She’s on a mission to deliver a prototype war machine, the titular Ganymede, into the hands of the Union–a machine which could change the war, possibly end it.  So far, however, no one has been able to navigate the thing safely out of its hiding place in Lake Pontchartrain, down the Mississippi River and past Confederate forces into the Gulf, where a Union airship carrier is due to pick it up.  Many men have already died trying.

Josephine is running out of options fast, and there’s only one other person she can think of who might possibly be able to get the job done.  That’s airship captain Andan Cly, who also happens to be her former lover.  Now, Josephine must convince him to take the job–despite their past and despite the inherent danger.

Their previous relationship adds instant potential for drama to the plot, and folks, we wouldn’t have an adventure if Andan didn’t take the bait on piloting the Ganymede.  So there’s your setup.

Now for the adventure.

What I Liked

How many cool things can you toss into one novel and still make it work?  Airship pirates, New Orleanian prostitutes, Texas Rangers, a submarine, spies, a Voodoo queen, zombis… Ganymede has got them all.  For those who have been following the series all along, we get the treat of seeing some past characters make appearances, though I won’t say who (besides Andan, of course).  We get to meet some new characters, as well.  A particularly interesting one for me–perhaps because of her mystery–was the Voodoo practitioner Marie Laveau, who was based on the real-life figure.  I really wanted to learn more about her, though.  It’s a shame we didn’t get to see more of her in action.

Another thing I liked was the attention to detail that Priest showed when it came to the settings.  You really get the sense that she knows these places: Seattle, New Orleans, the swamps.  Maybe at times we got just a little too much description–how many scents can the human nose really pick up on all at once?–but I did appreciate the details nonetheless.

Also, you get to take a ride in the Ganymede itself, of course.  And what a ride it was!  Priest gives us a lot of great details about how the submarine works, how the crew worked to navigate it, etc.  I found that interesting.

For Cherie Priest, steampunk is all about having fun, and as far as the aforementioned elements go, I believe she delivers plenty of this with Ganymede.

What I Wasn’t So Keen On

Up until Ganymede, one of the things about The Clockwork Century novels is that they didn’t have any romance.  That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but I’ve always found it peculiar because most genre novels these days (of the ones I’ve read) seem like they have it in one form or another, however big or small.  Ganymede, however, features a few potential romances, though I won’t spoil anything.  The obvious one, as far as romantic tensions go anyway, is between Andan and Josephine.

Now, in a situation like theirs I’d expect a few sparks to fly–and they do, but I wonder if it was enough.  There were a few power struggles here and there, but…I felt like it didn’t amount to very much.  I guess I was expecting more.

There was also a certain reveal that popped up with one of the characters, which I was a little confuddled on.  It seems recently there’s been a huge surge with authors wanting to include more characters who are gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered in their stories.  I’ve got nothing against this (I have a bi lady in my WIP myself), but when it is done I feel like it needs to be well-integrated.  If it’s sprung on you at the last minute then is never mentioned again, then why use it in the first place?  Mere shock factor doesn’t cut it for me.  If it’s supposed to shock, shouldn’t it also continue to add more tension throughout the rest of the story?

I won’t spoil who’s who, but I will say the reveal of character which occurred in this light didn’t hold any real significance for me.  I wasn’t shocked (that seemed to be the intent) so much as left scratching my head, wondering what it was supposed to mean in the scope of the larger story.

Anyway, those were the big things I wasn’t so sure about.

The Verdict

All in all, Ganymede may not be my favorite story in the Clockwork Century series, but I did enjoy reading it.  I liked spending time with the characters and thought they were all full of personality and pluck.  Priest excels in writing strong heroines, as well.  Sometimes, though, I wish she would take things a little further–like with Marie Laveau–but in some cases it could be she’s just saving some action for future novels.  In any case, I think I’ll stick around for the next to find out how it all ends. ;)

What I Took Away as a Writer

A couple of things:

  1. If you’re gonna do something and you want it to matter, then really go for it.  Romance, action, drama…it doesn’t matter what.  Just do it.  Take it all the way.  People don’t read genre fiction for the ho-hum and so-so.  They want you to take them to places they’ve never been and could otherwise never visit if it weren’t for fiction, or places they’re afraid to go to and yet hold intrigue for them.  As a writer, you can’t be afraid to take readers there and you have to be willing to.  If you aren’t, then it might be best to leave certain elements out rather than getting hopes up and failing to deliver.
  2. Writing action scenes is tough.  For the most part I actually liked Priest’s action scenes in Ganymede and thought that overall she succeeded, but there were times during the submarine rides where I thought there was a little too much dialogue going on.  I think it’s hard to find the balance between relaying important information and maintaining an appropriate pace for the situation at hand–especially during action scenes.  If you say too much, it can drag things out unnecessarily.  If you say too little, the scene is over before you know it.  Not an easy thing to work out!

Yeah, so that’s what I took away. :)

Have you read this novel yet?

Do you plan to?  How about any of the others in the Clockwork Century series?  If so, which ones were your favorites?  Least favorites?  (Care to share why?)

Personally, Clementine and Dreadnought are my two favorites out of the bunch.  I really enjoyed the pacing and the characters in those two more so than in the others.

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Hugo

16 Jul

(No, I’m not talking about the awards!)

I love visiting the IMDb; they have such a clean way of advertising the latest upcoming films!  So easy to use.

I happened to be on there tonight, looking for info on the World War Z movie adaptation that’s supposed to come out in 2012 (has anyone read the book, btw?), and I came across a new movie due for November called Hugo.  Here’s how the IMDb describes it:

Set in 1930s Paris, an orphan who lives in the walls of a train station is wrapped up in a mystery involving his late father and an automaton.

I find it interesting that though it’s set in the 30s it goes the more steampunk route with the automatons and whatnot, which is cool.  (Not really sure if Paris lends itself to the sleeker dieselpunk aesthetic anyway.)  Directed by Martin Scorsese (Goodfellas, The Aviator, Shutter Island).

Anyway, it looked interesting so I thought I’d share it, along with the trailer:

What do you all think?

Does this look like an adventure film you would watch?  I know I sure would!

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Dieselpunk!

20 Apr "Airship Station Building 2" by Alanise on Deviantart.

There were a few comments on Saturday’s post that mentioned steampunk in relation to the use of leather–which actually triggered some other thoughts that I feel I should cover today.

Though I’m not currently writing a steampunk novel, that style is something that very much appeals to me.  For a while I was on a Cherie Priest run, reading anything and everything that she wrote (and waiting eagerly for the next).  I must say I’m a big fan of her Clockwork Century series (first three in that link); it’s a whole lot of fun and features something that greatly interests me: airships!

Typically, though, steampunk is going to be set in Victorian England or some other place around that era.  I admire Priest in that she brought her steampunk story to America, making for a refreshing change of scenery.  Though, when it came to deciding what route I wanted to take for my first novel, I wanted a setting that was further along, historically, than steampunk but yet not so advance as to be modern-day–somewhere between the 1920s and the 1930s.

I knew what kinds of things I was inspired by in this era, though I had no idea, until the past year or so, that there was even a subgenre which lined up with what I was looking for.  Turned out it’s called dieselpunk.  And even though I know about it now, it’s been difficult for me to identify with and emulate it because there’s so little dieselpunk out there in the literary world!

I’m hoping that will change–and soon. (I know I’m working on doing my part!)

What is Dieselpunk?

Dieselpunk isn’t something I hear a lot about, to be honest, when it comes to popular media.  I guess that’s why I’m drawn to it because I love seeking out the unique, unconventional things in life.  (What is everyone else doing?  I tend to want to do the exact opposite.) 

Logically, one would assume that it simply combines the “punk” element of steampunk with the supplanted “diesel” instead of ”steam”–and I suppose that’s pretty much what it does.  However, the entire aesthetic of dieselpunk is completely different from that of steampunk.  (If the two were metals and I had to compare them, I’d say copper and brass are to steampunk as steel and chrome are to dieselpunk.)

Dieselpunk covers a good span of time, so think back first to what you learned about the world’s state during the 1920s and 30s.  What kind of stuff was happening back then?

Well, in America you had swing and jazz music, Prohibition as a major issue, skyscrapers like the Chrysler Building popping up, those fabulous flappers and swanky sheiks all about, the rise of noir films (which actually came later, though I mention it because it’s an influence of dieselpunk), and the publishing and rapid consumption of pulp magazines.  Literary classics such as The Great Gatsby and The Grapes of Wrath were written during this time, as well.  Also, Zeppelins were roaming the skies for a while and there were archaeological discoveries such as King Tut’s tomb, followed closely by the phenomenon of Art Deco…oh, and don’t forget the Great Depression.  Then later WWII came, and finally the advent of the mid-century modern era.

Initially, it was the best of times, followed by the worst of times–from glitz and glam to shacks and shambles (or Hoovervilles) for many.  Thankfully, however, it didn’t stay that way!

Of course, any time you try to summarize an era you run into generalizations and clichés, but this is basically the essence from whence dieselpunk was derived.  (There also seems to be a more bizarre, esoteric side to dieselpunk, as well–if not in the form of weird technology then the unearthing of unusual artifacts with divine, magical or supernatural powers.  Think of all the superstition that has been associated with grave robbing the mummies!)

Some Key Elements: Change, Progress & Technology

One of the things that sticks out the most to me when it comes to dieselpunk is that between those years considered canon (1920-1945, according to Wikipedia, and up until the 50s, according to TV Tropes and this site) there were periods of both great celebration and great suffering.  As such, dieselpunk works can reflect heavily on either one of these things, or both.  Overall, it can be optimistic and forward-looking like in the movie Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, or it can be fairly grim (or noir) like in the video game BioShock.  Strangely enough, though, dieselpunk mostly seems to have happily dismissed the Great Depression altogether and looks to other events for its grimness–like WWII, for example, or the abuse of some advanced, unusual form of technology or an artifact.

Speaking of technology, new or experimental technology is typically going to be a key element in dieselpunk stories.  You’ll see a lot of streamlined vehicles of transportation and even weaponry–vehicles which run off, you guessed it, diesel fuel.  Whether the technology is ultimately used for good or evil, though, is up to the storyteller.

Examples of Dieselpunk Works

This would best be done in a list.  I’ll keep mine brief:

Fiction

Movies & TV Shows

  • Batman (you can’t say Gotham City wasn’t Art Deco-inspired)
  • Hellboy (movies and comics)
  • Indiana Jones (though the last one may be classified as Atompunk)
  • Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
  • The Mummy series
  • The Rocketeer (lots of fun!)
  • Captain America (2011)

Video Games

  • Bioshock
  • Crimson Skies
  • LA Noire (maybe; it’s kinda pulp-ish)

Further Readings

If you weren’t familiar with dieselpunk and all that it entails or have become further interested in it after reading my take on the matter (yay!), then you might be interested in browsing some of the links below.  I think they are some of the best dieselpunk sites available on the web.  I will also put them under my “Links” page for future reference. :)

  • The Gatehouse takes a pretty detailed look into the subgenre of dieselpunk; very interesting.
  • TV Tropes makes a run through dieselpunk, listing all sorts of works which fall into this category and even breaking them down into sub-categories.
  • io9 has an article originally from dieselpunks.org (the hub for all things dieselpunk, as I see it) that details what is entitled “the tenets of dieselpunk culture” (though, funnily enough, the photo they use is totally steampunk, not diesel, imo).

Final Thoughts

All I can say is that though dieselpunk may exist (marginally, it seems), it isn’t really getting noticed.

I don’t know about you people, but I’ve been craving more and more movies, games, TV shows, and novels which take us back in time–not so far as to be ancient or obsolete but far enough that a modern sensibility may be brought to it to reflect on the possibility of the future as we don’tknow it.  A tasteful intertwining of the past and the future.  Like in Sky Captain, where there is a focus on “the world of tomorrow”.  I think that is, essentially, the heart of the dieselpunk aesthetic.

I think it’s certainly an area which speculative fiction might potentially thrive in, if only some were willing to go there.

Have you ever heard of dieselpunk before?  Is it something that interests you?  Also, do you think it has a future in the literary world, or is it obscure for a reason?

And if you know of other works that might qualify as dieselpunk, feel free to share!

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