Among the books I brought with me outer Space, there is Heartless: The Parasol Protectorate: Book 4 by British author Gail Carriger. Lady Alexia Maccon, soulless, is at it again, only this time the trouble is not her fault. When a mad ghost threatens the queen, Alexia is on the case, following a trail that leads her deep into her husband’s past. Top that off with a sister who has joined the suffragette movement (shocking!), Madame Lefoux’s latest mechanical invention, and a plague of zombie porcupines and Alexia barely has time to remember she happens to be eight months pregnant. Will Alexia manage to determine who is trying to kill Queen Victoria before it is too late? Is it the vampires again or is there a traitor lurking about in wolf’s clothing? And what, exactly, has taken up residence in Lord Akeldama’s second best closet? Alexia is witty, she has a strong character. Author Gail Carriger knows how to entertain with this paranormal Steampunk Britain series of sci-fi or vampire books. No wonder why it’s subtitled: ‘A novel of vampires, werewolves and teapots’. The first book of the series, Soulless, won the ALA’s Alex Award and a manga version was even released…

I am a big, a huge fan of Sherlock Holmes. Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce as Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson in the late 30s were my favorites for a long time until I watched Sherlock, with the incredible (who has a near unpronounceable name but I read somewhere he chose it on purpose) Benedict Cumberbatch and the impressive Martin Freeman (aka Bilbo Baggins) as Dr John Watson. So yes, I am a huge fan of Sherlock Holmes so I was very excited when I learnt there was Sherlock Holmes Week (30th July – 5th August 2012). They explain on the website: The first week is designed to co-incide with the Olympics in London so that the many fans that will be in the UK will have a chance to join in with London based events. It’s also in the summer as most of the time new series and movies happen in the autumn and the spring – and to be honest, we need a Sherlock fix to keep us going through a long summer. Great Sherlock Holmes Debates There have been two Great Sherlock Holmes Debates so far. November 2011 made history as the first time Holmes fans from 23 countries came together…

A few days ago, Airship Ambassador tweeted about a shoot by Chemistry Photography. The post published on Rock n Roll Bride tells it all: “Time travel. Steampunk. Victoriana. Turn of the century industrialism. If you love any of these things then you’re going to die over this shoot, sent over from Ireland by the fabulous Chemistry Photography.” Photographer Kait told Kat Williams, aka the Rock n Roll Bride: “I had been OBSESSING about steampunking out my iMac, my iPhone, and just about every electronic device I own for a few months. So when Kathryn contacted me and said she was dying to do a creative shoot together… it was the first idea that popped into my head. I had been waiting for a good excuse to buy steampunk goggles and a discombulating ray gun. If I were to get married again, I would definitely have a Steampunk wedding. All the elegant goodness of a vintage, Victorian wedding without sacrificing sass and quirk.” This obsession is amazing! You can visit Chemistry Photography website, check the many photos of the shoot on Rock n Roll Bride and below, watch this exquisite video!

I love playing video games and the least I can say is that Steampunk is not a common genre. But it will change soon with Dishonored, developed by Arkane Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. Dishonored is a Neo-Victorian/steampunk stealth, action game that will be launched on October 9th 2012 for the PC, PS3, and XBox 360. Shaun McInnis, Editor at Gamespot had the opportunity to try the game at the E3 and he posted his hands-on impressions: Playing Dishonored for the first time, you can’t help but feel sorry for Sam Fisher. The hero of the Splinter Cell franchise has probably spent half his life lurking in the shadows, going from one stealth operation to the next desperately trying to avoid being seen. Poor Sam. He probably could have gotten out into the sunlight once in a while if only he had supernatural powers. Then again, not everyone can be like Corvo, the stealthy assassin you navigate through Dishonored’s dystopian world of eerie technologies and royal corruption. Corvo is an assassin with access to exotic weaponry and even more exotic supernatural abilities. Using these tools, you realize that actively deceiving your enemies is every bit as important as hiding…

On my first day, I posted about The Chap Mag. Among the many books I took with me, there is The Steampunk Bible by Jeff VanderMeer and S. J. Chambers. If you ever wondered what is Steampunk about, this is the book you need to buy. For everyone else, this book lives up to its name. The photography and art are great, and the book is an excellent overview of Steampunk filled with interesting information introducing different aspects of the Steampunk culture like music, movies and books. The presentation on Amazon: Steampunk—a grafting of Victorian aesthetic and punk rock attitude onto various forms of science-fiction culture—is a phenomenon that has come to influence film, literature, art, music, fashion, and more. The Steampunk Bible is the first compendium about the movement, tracing its roots in the works of Jules Verne and H. G. Wells through its most recent expression in movies such as Sherlock Holmes. Its adherents celebrate the inventor as an artist and hero, re-envisioning and crafting retro technologies including antiquated airships and robots. A burgeoning DIY community has brought a distinctive Victorian-fantasy style to their crafts and art. Steampunk evokes a sense of adventure and discovery, and embraces extinct technologies as…

Corsets are sexy, and classy. You can choose your style: Burlesque, Victorian or Steampunk, you are sure to catch everyone’s attention. While I was browsing Etsy, I saw La Belle Fairy’s store: she has been creating corsets for over 9 years. Her real name is Jenny (but her clients like to call her ‘Labelle‘) and she is a corset maker living in the rural BC Rocky mountains in Canada. Jenny is inspired by Coco Chanel (who died the same day she was born) and she loves Jean-Paul Gaultier. The corset pictured below is a classic underbust corset in red satin with black overlay. You can find more of her handmade corsets and gowns here.  

My first post far from the Earth! I took with me many books and magazines I will mention them once in a while, and I wanted to start with the April/May 2012 edition of The Chap Mag. About The Chap: The Chap takes a wry look at the modern world through the steamed-up monocle of a more refined age, occasionally getting its sock suspenders into a twist at the unspeakable vulgarity of the twenty-first century. Since 1999, the Chap has been championing the rights of that increasingly marginalised and discredited species of Englishman – the gentleman. The Chap believes that a society without courteous behaviour and proper headwear is a society on the brink of moral and sartorial collapse, and it seeks to reinstate such outmoded but indispensable gestures as hat doffing, giving up one’s seat to a lady and regularly using a trouser press. They organize many events such like the Chap Olympiad and they participate to many events. When I will back on Earth, I have to go to London and meet with them! Anyway. Here is what you will read about in The Chap’s April/May 2012 edition – Issue #62. • Cover story: we sent two time…