Our lead feature for November is Cherie Priest's Boneshaker, a dramatic departure for the author who initially made her name in paranormal fantasy with her critically acclaimed Eden Moore novels (Four and Twenty Blackbirds, Wings to the Kingdom and Not Flesh Nor Feathers). Boneshaker is a steampunk/alt history novel set in Seattle around the time of the Civil War.
The Publishers Weekly review was GREAT – "Maternal love faces formidable challenges in this stellar steampunk tale. In an alternate 1880s America, mad inventor Leviticus Blue is blamed for destroying Civil War–era Seattle. When Zeke Wilkes, Blue’s son, goes into the walled wreck of a city to clear his father’s name, Zeke’s mother, Briar Wilkes, follows him in an airship, determined to rescue her son from the toxic gas that turns people into zombies (called rotters and described in gut-churning detail). When Briar learns that Seattle still has a mad inventor, Dr. Minnericht, who eerily resembles her dead husband, a simple rescue quickly turns into a thrilling race to save Zeke from the man who may be his father. Intelligent, exceptionally well written and showcasing a phenomenal strong female protagonist who embodies the complexities inherent in motherhood, this yarn is a must-read for the discerning steampunk fan."
The bottom line is this – Cherie Priest is the future of SF/fantasy. She, along with other elite writers like Ken Scholes, is using her brilliant writing talent to transform the genre. Her novels are really unclassifiable – her Eden Moore novels are paranormal fantasy, yes, but they also utilize elements of Southern Gothic, mystery, etc. Fathom was another superb and genre transcendent work – equal parts horror, contemporary fantasy and apocalyptic thriller. and now Boneshaker – a steampunk novel.
Singularly brilliant writing style – check
Jaw-dropping originality – check
If you haven't yet read Cherie Priest, Boneshaker is the perfect place to start!
Paul
Okay boys and girls, today is the day that Cherie begins her visit here in the F/SF forums. feel free to post any questions or comments that you may have for Miss Priest.
My first questions for Cherie will be general in nature:
• WHY write a steampunk novel? What was the inspiration behind Boneshaker? Especially after writing a work like Fathom?
• How was steamcon? any cool or funny stories, experiences or sightings? And where do you see steampunk going from here? will it eventually fade back into the woodwork like it did in the '80s or will be a "self-sustaining" niche genre like paranormal fantast?
Hey there folks, and Paul, thanks as always for having me. To answer your questions, hmm. Let's see!
• WHY write a steampunk novel? What was the inspiration behind Boneshaker? Especially after writing a work like Fathom?
I've been a fan of steampunk before I really knew there was a word for it -- that bleak, industrial Victoriana stuff with a retro-futuristic bent has always appealed to me. But really, I came at steampunk (via BONESHAKER) at a slightly different angle. In short, I'd been living in Seattle for a couple of years and I felt like the time had come to write something set here. And the longer I lived here, the more apparent it became that -- in some respects, and to grossly over-generalize -- Seattle is something of a ground zero for steampunks.The two went hand-in-hand like chocolate and peanute butter, and the novel grew out of it almost organically; it felt like the logical result of adventure fiction in the PNW.
• How was steamcon? any cool or funny stories, experiences or sightings? And where do you see steampunk going from here? will it eventually fade back into the woodwork like it did in the '80s or will be a "self-sustaining" niche genre like paranormal fantast?
Steamcon was great! Especially for a first-year convention, the turn-out was outstanding and the organizers were both flexible and enthusiastic. My favorite thing about it was how all the attendees -- guests and audience members alike -- were so excited to be there. Sometimes at the bigger events you hear people moaning about how they "have" to work the convention, like it or not. I didn't get that vibe from anyone at Steamcon.
As for where steampunk goes next, well, the sky's the limit I suppose. I'd be excited to see more stuff with an American setting, rather than gaslamp London -- not because there's anything wrong with gaslamp London (far from it!) but because I'd like to see the genre stretch a little. I think that this kind of growth is necessary to see it really get traction in the marketplace, in order to stick around as more than a flash in the pan.
But it's hard to accuse steampunk of being just a passing fad, either, considering that it's had such an influence (as an aesthetic, at least) in comics, video games, and television off and on for the last sixty years. Things are finally coming to a head now, that's all -- lining up behind a term that can serve as umbrella for this thing. It may be hard to define (God knows people love to argue about it), but as the old judge said about porn, "I know it when I see it!" And now we know what to call it.
Pen21 - thanks tremendously! And I too am very happy with the cover. I even conned my editor into giving me an image of the artwork, so I could have a print made. It's presently framed above my desk.
I am very, very fortunate about the art direction Tor took with this book. It really is the prettiest danged thing.
Hey there Benz1966 - and thanks so much (for starters).
I have great fist-fulls of history books hanging around, but I really got my best -- and most immediate/concrete -- info from taking the Seattle Underground tour about a dozen times. You can learn more about the tour here: http://www.undergroundtour.com/ As for the rest, I did a great deal of consultation with friends who are big Civil War buffs, figuring out where the tech might've gone and how the landscape might've looked. It was a lot of fun.
As I mentioned above in response to Paul, using Seattle as a setting was largely a matter of convenience and general interest, since I live here. But I do have (hypothetical) plans to do more stories in this universe, set in other places. I want to do one set in Florida (which had a very strange and little-known part to play in the Civil War), one set in Texas (so don't count Houston out yet!), and one in Tennessee ... but we'll see. I hope BONESHAKER sells well enough to encourage my publisher to bring me back for more.
Haha! "Bonershake" is a typo I kept making, while writing the manuscript. But the University Book Store here at UW printed several rounds of placards calling it "Bonkshaker" which is also funny... (and sounds rather violent, if you ask me ...)
And I'll answer your other questions either tonight or tomorrow.
Gotta log off now and get some work done.
Okay Paul, here goes:
1. What is your favorite word?
"Perspicuity."
Perfect irony, right there.
2. What is your least favorite word?
"Technically," followed closely by "Actually." Most often and obnoxiously applied by people on the internet who seek to correct me with regards to something that is not actually incorrect. I swear to God, you'd think people have never heard of "alternate history" before.
3. What turns you on in life?
Color. Yes, yes. Am a terrible old goth.
4. What turns you off?
Things that are sticky. I don't mind being dirty, but I hate being sticky.
5. What sound do you love?
The chatter of cats, especially kittens. It charms me silly.
6. What sound do you hate?
The scraping clink of unfinished/unglazed pottery being rubbed together. It sets my teeth on edge and makes me feel like I'm going to throw up. No, I'm not joking.
7. What is your favorite curse word?
Probably, "Fribbityjibbit." I worked with children for years, so I grew into the habit of cursing in a g-rated fashion. But my most frequently deployed curse word is undoubtedly the "f-word." (I don't know what policies on such things are here on the forums, but I'll err on the side of discretion.)
8. What profession, other than yours, would you like to attempt?
I've always been interested in animal rehabilitation and wildlife conservation. It's good work, and important work, and I love critters. Jack Hannah has been my hero since I was six.
9. What profession would you not like to do?
Anything involving numbers. I'm severely discalculic, and can barely recite my own phone number with routine correctness. I even count on my fingers and out loud, because if I don't, I make mistakes. It's something that genuinely embarrasses me.
10. If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates?
"Hello and welcome. Here's your complimentary kitten."
