Tales of the Urban Adventurer

Book sale update and thanks----

Wed, 26 Dec 2012 21:32:21 GMT

Just giving a brief update about life and how appreciative I am for everyone who has helped me out with the book sale. Because of everyone's generosity and a few significant donations, my rent situation is stable. I'm so deeply appreciative of everyone who came out of the woodwork to signal-boost and spread the word, or just to reach out.

For the curious, I still have books available that will be on sale for the next couple of days. If you're interested, check them out here: BOOK SALE.

But really, having so many friends and supporters has really brought the season's spirit out. Thank you, thank you, thank you. ~hugs all~

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Books For Sale! UPDATED 12/27/2012 - See note

Wed, 12 Dec 2012 20:16:34 GMT

(UPDATED 12/27/2012

All titles in italics have been claimed

All titles with strike-throughs have been bought and paid for.

THE BOOK SALE WILL END ON 12/30/2012.)

In an attempt to make ends meet, I’ve been selling stuff to wazoo on Facebook and elsewhere, including these lovely books.

Prices are as is or best offer. Payment accepted via Paypal only. All prices do not include shipping charges. US and International buyers welcome. All books are in very good or mint condition, unless stated otherwise.

Interested people can contact me via comments on DW or email at attic.hermit at gmail dot com. All replies must include their email and what they’re interested in buying.

I know it’s the holiday season and people’s pockets aren’t as full has they may have been in the past. I’m very self-conscious about mentioning this, but even if you purchase just one item from this list, it will help immensely. Thanks again so much for looking, and please spread the word.

Fiction

( Book list goes here )

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Changes with Tor.com

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 20:58:05 GMT

A spot of bad news that I think is necessary to share, especially for the folks who follow me on Beyond Victoriana.

Last week, I received word that my responsibilities at Tor.com have changed, and I will no longer be responsible for maintaining Tor.com Steampunk Facebook and Twitter feeds. I will remain, however, on-board as Tor.com’s blogger for all things steam-worthy and thensome.

I’m saddened by this news, especially since I highly enjoyed seeing both Facebook & Twitter grow exponentially since I was first given the responsibility last December. But I also know that the publishing industry is going through some belt-tightening times. It’s an understandable and ugly reality in this economy.

Nevertheless, I look forward to continuing my working relationship with Tor.com as I’m involved in the steampunk community. Beyond Victoriana, of course, isn’t going anywhere (and you can follow on Facebook too!). Additionally, I’m working on a new venture with Tor to spotlight steampunk events & announcements and am still interested in press releases for anything steampunk-related for consideration to post on Tor.com, and the steampunk links will still be coming via my personal Twitter at writersyndome. Press releases and publicity outreach can be sent to me at attic.hermit@gmail.com.

Thanks, everyone, for your understanding & support through this transition.

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Steampunk Week Takes Flight on Tor.com

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 14:34:38 GMT

Alongside grad school, conventions, and running this blog, I've had the pleasure of curating this year's steampunk blogging event over at Tor.com. This week, from October 3rd through the 7th, I invite you all to mosey over to Tor and check out the lovely contributions, book reviews & giveaways going on.

Click to start reading on Tor.com

I'll be cross-linking several articles that are relevant to Beyond Victoriana over on the main site, but you can check out the full week's worth of goodies on the Steampunk Week Index Page.

Please show some love to our contributors & say hello in the comments :D

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Puzzle Your Way Out of Nemo’s Submarine in 5 Wits’s “20,000 Leagues” Interactive Adventure

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 00:21:41 GMT

While other people avoided hurricane stormclouds left and right during the last Saturday in August, I celebrated my fiancee’s birthday by heading over to Patriot Place in Foxboro, MA, where my friends and I entered a curious building run by the interactive entertainment group 5 Wits. We bought tickets to what first appeared to be a steampunk art exhibition sponsored bySteamPuffin and walked into a room containing dazzling artwork, including a rotating gearwork table and neo-Victorian mixed media pieces. The only other person there introduced himself as Ryan, the intern at 5 Wits, who was busy with a feather duster cleaning the displays. Nothing much is going on, he explained, except for the unfortunate water damage that happened in the building (with the pre-Hurricane Irene rains pouring outside, it set up an appropriate backdrop). Suddenly, the lights dimmed, the sound of grinding gears were heard, and one of the paintings slid open to reveal a hidden door to a rusted metal room....

Read the rest over on Tor.com!

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New Date for Tea & Revelry; October 8th, 2011 from 5 - 8 PM at the ModVic House

Mon, 05 Sep 2011 21:49:59 GMT

Hope all of you have survived the wrath of Irene & enjoyed your Labor Day weekend. We've cleared the branches from our driveway and now the power is back on, and so we're delighted to give everyone an update about Tea & Revelry!

We had to postpone it because of the hurricane, but now we're back and offering additional tickets to cover the increase in demand.

Purchase here: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/190298

You are graciously invited by owners Bruce and Melanie Rosenbaum for tea! Includes an exclusive tour from top to bottom of steampunk’s most famous house, plus:

- Lovely high tea presented by Miss Kitty!

- Professional Portrait shots inside the home courtesy of Conjure Photography

- Great prizes offered to our guests donated by Dr. Grymm Laboratories, Red Fork Empire, Big Bear Trading Company, Thee-Gartisan Works and more!

- A chance to win weekend passes TeslaCon in November, the premiere immersive convention featuring special guests Gail Carriger & George Mann.

- Various entertainments galore for the evening.

All proceeds from this event will be donated to the Rising Phoenix Fund, sponsored by Beyond Victoriana and Button Me Up on Etsy. Started in March 2011 in response to the Japanese earthquake and tsunami disaster, the fund is in support of Shelterbox, an international aid organization specializing in first responder disaster relief. The Rising Phoenix Fund’s goal is to raise $3000 total by the end of our convention season.

About our Sponsors:

ModVic is a company specializing in Victorian Home restoration and steampunk home interior design, owned by Bruce and Melanie Rosenbaum. ModVic's mission is to authentically restore historic Victorian homes (1850 – 1910) back to their original beauty and richness while completely modernizing the home’s systems, functional layout and conveniences for families of today. The Rosenbaum’s ModVic home in Sharon, Massachusetts has been featured in countless national and international news shows, magazines, and websites for its unbounded steampunk splendor.

Beyond Victoriana is an award-winning multicultural steampunk blog. The focus of the blog is to highlight the cultural intersection non-Western cultures, underrepresented minorities in Western histories (Asian / Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern, First Nation, Hispanic, black / African), and the cultural intersection between the West and the non-West. Beyond Victoriana has been featured on various steampunk, sci-fi, and pop culture websites such as Tor.com, SF Signal, NerdCaliber, Steampunk Magazine, The Steampunk Workshop, COLORLINES, and Racialicious. It has also been featured in the book The Steampunk Bible, edited by Jeff VanderMeer and S.J. Chambers.

Button Me Up on Etsy is an online button specialty store that focuses on Japanese, anime, and fandom buttons, and is run by Morgan Payne, Dillon Payne, and Jess Idres.

Still undecided? Why not check out this clip of the ModVic House on the recent episode of Young, Broke & Beautiful:

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Rising Phoenix - Win Tickets to see Abney Park at The Great New England Steampunk Exhibition!

Fri, 26 Aug 2011 14:07:02 GMT

Another great opportunity for donors to the Rising Phoenix Fund, courtesy of the Great New England Steampunk Exhibition!

Abney Park is making their New England premiere at this event and our donors now have a chance at winning FULL WEEKEND PASSES to this convention.

All you have to do is donate to the Rising Phoenix Fund between now and midnight EST on September 9th.

You can enter in one of two ways: buy any of our three Help Japan buttons (only $2 each) at Button Me Up on Etsy or donate directly to the Rising Phoenix Fund on Shelterbox.

Your information will be automatically entered in our drawing, and the winner will be contacted on September 10th. The winner *must* confirm their acceptance with me within 24-hours, or else another winner will be selected.

In addition for the opportunity to see Abney Park's New England premiere, other guests include:

- Phil & Kaja Foglio of Girl Genius
- Jake von Slatt, maker extraordinaire
- Musical performances by Frenchy & the Punk and Walter Sickert & the Army of Broken Toys and more!
- A full weekend of panels, demonstrations and crafting workshops

Good luck to all of our donors!

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Tea & Revelry: A Charity Fundraiser for the Rising Phoenix Fund

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 15:07:39 GMT

Throughout the summer, I've been doing fundraiser work for Shelterbox and we're rounding off our season of events with a real special one.

Ever wanted to see the inside of the famous ModVic house yourself? You are graciously invited by owners Bruce and Melanie Rosenbaum, who present a rare opportunity to visit their home for tea! Includes an exclusive tour from top to bottom of steampunk’s most famous house, plus:

- Lovely high tea presented by Miss Kitty!

- Professional Portrait shots inside the home courtesy of Conjure Photography

- Great prizes offered to our guests donated by Dr. Grymm Laboratories,Red Fork Empire, Big Bear Trading Company, Thee-Gartisan Works and more!

- A chance to win weekend passes to the Great New England Steampunk Exhibition in September, which includes special guests Abney Park, Phil & Kaja Foglio, the creators of Girl Genius, maker extraordinaire Jake von Slatt, and to TeslaCon in November, the premiere immersive convention featuring special guests Gail Carriger & George Mann.

- Various entertainments galore for the evening.

EVENT DATE:
SUNDAY, AUGUST 28TH, 2011
5 PM - 8 PM

Only 20 tickets are available for this exclusive event. Be sure to book your ticket today.

BUY TICKETS AT BROWN PAPER TICKETS: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/190298

RSVP ON THE STEAMPUNK EMPIRE: http://www.thesteampunkempire.com/events/tea-revelry

RSVP ON FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=227096253994381

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QUAINT #26: He Yufeng from “The Gallant Maid” by “Yanbei Xianren” (a.k.a. Wen K’ang)

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 22:41:15 GMT

From the Chinese film version of "The Gallant Maid" titled "The Heroine"

He Yufeng was created by “Yanbei Xianren” and appeared in Ernü ying xiong zhuan (The Gallant Maid, 1851-1879). “Yanbei Xianren” was the pseudonym of Wen K’ang (1798- 1872), a local official in Anhui who came from a prominent Manchu family and was appointed imperial agent to Lhasa. The Gallant Maid is little-known outside of China but is popular inside it, having inspired sixteen sequels.

The Gallant Maid is about He Yufeng (“Jade Phoenix”) and An Ji. An Ji is the son of the righteous official and Manchu bannerman An Xuehai. An Xuehai is in charge of the repair of a dam, but a flood destroys the dam and An Xuehai is made the scapegoat for its destruction. An Xuehai is imprisoned and ordered to pay a large fine. An Ji travels a long way to help his father, carrying a large load of silver to ransom him, but he repeatedly runs into misfortune, with his donkey drivers and later some evil monks both trying to rob him. Both times he is rescued by He Yufeng, who also frees an old farmer whose wife and daughter, Chinfeng (“Golden Phoenix”), had been captured by the monks. He Yufeng explains herself to the farmer. Years ago her father, General Ho, had been killed by sorcery. General Ho had been a high official of the Solid Yellow Banner, but his superior had ordered him to marry He Yufeng to the official’s son. The son was crude and barbaric and was unworthy of He Yufeng, who is beautiful and educated. General Ho refused to countenance the wedding, so his superior had him jailed on false charges and then killed him via sorcery. He Yufeng, loyal to her father in the proper Confucian way, retreats to a rustic village with her mother and then goes to the underworld and trains herself as a nüxia, or female knight-errant, to avenge her father. While her mother is alive, however, He Yufeng cannot carry our her revenge, and instead makes a good living robbing corrupt and evil government officials. He Yufeng is so strong and such a good fighter that all the other outlaws greatly respect and fear her. In the underworld she is known as Shisan Mei, “the Thirteenth Sister.”

Read more on BeyondVictoriana.com

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Beyond Victoriana #83 Enichari Corps: Slaves in the Ottoman Military — Guest Blog by Harry Markov

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 02:11:55 GMT

When I agreed to write the series about Bulgaria under the Ottoman rule as a suitable stage for the steampunk genre, I underestimated the challenge these articles present. I want to deliver a portrayal of a complicated and cruel span of five centuries in Bulgarian history. At the same time I’m dealing with controversial and sensitive material, given that the Ottoman occupation has hindered Bulgaria’s access to Europe during the time of the Industrial Revolution.1

Even more so, given that this article deals with the cruelest tactic from the Ottoman empire to ensure its armies never lacked man power, while at the same time assured the assimilation of all conquered lands: the ‘enichari’ corps. 2. The word ‘enichar’ means ‘new soldier’ and refers to an Ottoman military class, which consists from non-Muslims. During the 14th century, the Ottoman conquests resulted in a sizeable amount of conquered territories and the aching need to expand the empire’s armies.

Read more on BeyondVictoriana.com

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Portland GEAR Con Rising Phoenix Giveaway

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 12:00:14 GMT

Steampunks in the US Pacific Northwest, we got a special gift for you!

The lovely folks at Portland GEAR Con in Oregon have generously donated two weekend passes and a pledge to the Rising Phoenix Fund.

We will be giving away these tickets FOR FREE to one lucky winner.

Enter giveaway here.

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#82 The Birth of Miss Dorothy Winterman: A Personal Essay– A Guest Blog by Luisa Ana Fuentes

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 11:48:55 GMT

Story Excerpt:

Dorothy Winterman's "African Amazon" outfit

It is day 15 of our arduous journey through the veldts of Nigeria (or are we in Cameroon yet?). Our tracker Adeola has discovered new tracks and scraps of fibers from obviously foreign cloths. She can find a single iguana track amongst a bevy of crocodiles, this one can. We listen intently that these “men” are probably several hours, if not a day away. We find evidence of them through their encampments, their excrement and their litter. Yes, litter. Can you imagine- these foreigners, these soldiers, these baby snatching, people annihilating, genocidal rapists also throw their unwanted refuse upon our beautiful, sacred ground. Well if you can march hordes of innocent groups of human beings to ships waiting to whisk them away to be enslaved, massacred and destroyed in a whole different place on this globe, throwing down unwanted garbage must not mean much. I guess it truly lies in one’s perspective, does it not?

I think to myself, “Did I travel back in time for this?”

Read more on BeyondVictoriana.com

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Raffle for Rising Phoenix: Donate to Win a Signed Copy of Scott Westerfeld's GOLIATH

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 04:02:01 GMT

This summer, I said that I'll be unveiling a couple of additional surprises for people who donate to the Rising Phoenix Fund. The first one came into the mail recently...

What is this you say?

A signed review copy of Scott Westerfeld's GOLIATH!

That's right. Be the coolest steampunk ever & read the thrilling conclusion to the Leviathan trilogy BEFORE it pubs in September! You'll be the envy of all of your friends.

And did I mentioned this is signed? You'll be holding a book that Scott once held. Now that's pretty sweet.

Anyone who donates from July 1st through July 31st can get a chance to win this book.

All you need is to donate directly to Shelterbox or buy a button from Button Me Up. Your info will automatically be entered to win, and the winner will be announced on August 1st.

Summary of GOLIATH for the curious:

Alek and Deryn are on the last leg of their round-the-world quest to end World War I, reclaim Alek’s throne as prince of Austria, and finally fall in love. The first two objectives are complicated by the fact that their ship, the Leviathan, continues to detour farther away from the heart of the war (and crown). And the love thing would be a lot easier if Alek knew Deryn was a girl. (She has to pose as a boy in order to serve in the British Air Service.) And if they weren’t technically enemies.

The tension thickens as the Leviathan steams toward New York City with a homicidal lunatic on board: secrets suddenly unravel, characters reappear, and nothing is at it seems in this thunderous conclusion to Scott Westerfeld’s brilliant trilogy.

Good luck to all of our donors!

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QUAINT #25 Pedro Arbuez d’Espila in "The Torture of Hope" by Villiers de l’Isle Adam

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 03:56:44 GMT

Inquisition Scene by Francisco Goya

Pedro Arbuez d’Espila was created by Villiers de l’Isle Adam and appeared in “The Torture of Hope” (Nouveaux Contes Cruels, 1888). “The Torture of Hope” is in many ways the quintessential conte cruel.

There was a real Pedro Arbuez d’Espila, Don Pedro Arbues de Epilae (1441/2-1485, one of the most notorious and vicious of the Spanish Grand Inquisitors. Arbues engaged in compulsory baptism of Jews and used judicial torture to ensure that the conversions were sincere. Arbues was killed by a group of Jews in 1485; Pope Pius IX canonized Arbues as St. Peter of Arbues in 1867.

Read more on BeyondVictoriana.com

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#81 Ganvié, the “Venice of Africa,” Haven from Slavery–Guest Blog by Eccentric Yoruba

Sun, 26 Jun 2011 15:34:53 GMT

"The Adriatic has its Venice and its gondolas,
The Atlantic has its Ganvié, so much envied.
I will praise you everywhere, Ganvié,
Venice of my country, you will soon be
The center of the world, and men from all horizons
Will be dying to come and dream on your waters,
Around your magic and haughty huts,
Amid your slender and light canoes"
by Eustache Prudencio

Overhead view of Gavnie. Click for source.

Ganvié is a water town situated on the northern edge of the Lake Nokoué in southern Benin. Marketed as the 'Venice of Africa', Ganvié is probably the most well-known and foremost among other lacustrine villages in the same region. Ganvié is a favourite among tourists to Benin with the government policy aimed at transforming the town into a major tourist attraction. As Ganvié is considered a rarity on the African continent, due to the fact that the town was built on a lake, information on socio-economic activities, the physical environment and the modern-day ecological effects of human settlements on the surrounding Lake Nokoué is readily available. Incidentally, I learnt of Ganvié from a magazine article on the impact of climate change on the region. Less information is readily available on Ganvié's fascinating history; Ganvié was founded by people in an effort to escape captivity and enslavement in the Americas.

Read more on BeyondVictoriana.com

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Beyond Victoriana: #80 Shadi Ghadirian & Muslim Women "Time Travelers"

Sun, 19 Jun 2011 02:25:01 GMT

If nineteenth-century Iranian women discovered time travel, where would they go? What would they bring back?

Photographer Shadi Ghadirian did not have these questions in mind, persay, but she is interested in how the Western world perceives Iranian woman like herself. In her photography series "Qajar," she brings out the cognitive dissonance that someone unfamiliar with Iran may experience, as well as comments about the position of women in society today.

Read more on BeyondVictoriana.com

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Signal boosting for L.A. Banks

Fri, 17 Jun 2011 17:58:09 GMT

Tina Wise announced this on her facebook last week, and I'm signal-boosting for folks who are fans of L.A. Bank's work who want to help during this trying time.

***

From Tina:

It is with profound sadness that we have to inform you that our beloved sister and friend, Leslie Esdaile,
(“L.A. Banks”) is most gravely ill. She is facing an uphill battle in her struggle with serious illness. Please
know that as Leslie needs all of her energy in this fight, she is absolutely not able to receive visitors,
answer emails, texts or phone calls, or receive flowers. What she is able to receive is your continued
prayers.

Also, Leslie’s medical expenses are mounting at an astronomical rate. If you wish to assist Leslie, a fund
has been established to help with these ever increasing expenses. If you wish to send donations (please
note that donations are not tax-deductible) to help Leslie, please see the information listed below:

Leslie Esdaile Fund
Account #81538801
Police and Fire Federal Credit Union
Operations Center
901 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107-2404
215-931-0300

If you live in Philadelphia, PA, you may take donations directly to any Police and Fire Federal Credit
Union branch. Please be sure to note the account number. You may also send them to the P.O. Box
listed below*.

Police and Fire Federal Credit Union Branch Locations:
Main Branch:
901 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107

Additional Branches:
Leo Mall, 11705 Bustleton Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19116-2515

Davisville Shopping Center, Street Road, Philadelphia, PA
Andorra Shopping Center, Ridge and Henry Avenues, Philadelphia, PA
City Avenue Shopping Center, 7604 City Avenue, Philadelphia, PA, 19151-2007
Mayfair Branch on Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia, PA
Northeast Branch, 7500 Castor Avenue, Philadelphia, PA
Grant and Academy Shopping Center Branch, Philadelphia, PA

You may send good wishes and cards to*:

Leslie Esdaile
c/o Tina Ryan Wise
P.O. Box 37189
Philadelphia, PA 19148-9998

On behalf of Leslie, her daughter Helena, her sister Liza and all of her family and friends, we sincerely
thank you for all of your continued prayers and support.
Tina Ryan Wise

Tinarwise@gmail.com

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Beyond Victoriana #79 A Word About Eyepatches: A Personal Essay — Guest Blog by Elsa Sjunneson

Sun, 12 Jun 2011 17:07:19 GMT

Elsa's steampunk'd folding walking cane, made in accordance with walking canes for the visually-impaired. Designed and crafted by Michael Salerno.

Before I can begin telling you about eyepatches in the steampunk community, I should probably explain why I'm qualified to discuss the issue. I was born with cataracts. I was fortunate enough to maintain the sight in my left eye, but I can't see anything out of my right. I would wear an eyepatch, but unfortunately since I'm not allowed to wear contact lenses the ability to accessorize with a patch is completely out of reach. Not only that, but I carry a white cane because I have no depth perception. Those of you who have worn an eyepatch probably have experienced this issue. This is what I have to talk to you about today – why on earth would someone choose to impair themselves for fashion purposes, especially given that the disability which you are using is often one that comes with serious emotional attachments. To be clear, I wear corsets, and so do a lot of other people, but rarely is the dialogue associated with a corset one in which the individual wearing it says that they wear the corset because of an injury.

Read more on BeyondVictoriana.com

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Convention Extravaganza: Steampunk World's Fair II

Sun, 12 Jun 2011 16:54:38 GMT

Jake von Slatt's Roadster, featured at the Fair. Image courtesy of Michael Salerno.

Steampunk World's Fair-- the self-proclaimed "largest steampunk festival in the US" had a huge turnout last year and raised expectations for many steampunks for repeat success. Over the course of the year, shifts in management and staff structure sprouted rumors of uncertainty about the success of the con, but this year's Fair still held a strong and diverse showing of panels, workshops, and entertainments. Previous year's favorites, including musicians Professor Elemental, Emperor Norton's Stationary Marching Band, Psyche Corporation, Eli August, This Way to Egress, and Frenchy and the Punk returned, with the addition of several other newcomers such as Murder by Death, Copal, Ego Likeness, and Left Outlet. Events expanded to include book launch parties for Tee Morris and Pip Ballentine's The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences, Leanna Renee Hieber's The Perilous Prophecy of the Goddess and the Guard, and Emilie P. Bush's The Gospel According to Verdu at the Library of Lost Literature, an academic track, a Tweed Ride, a Dandy Stroll, a charity fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and Queen Victoria's Birthday Party. Other notable programming ranged from workshops on bartitsu and kimono-wearing to pro-union rallies and surviving the apocalypse.

Along with my own con report, which is featured on Tor.com, below is just a sampling of experiences offered by our guest reporters, including Daniel Holzman-Tweed, Austin Sirkin, Lucretia Dearfour, Sean Proper, Matt Deblass and Ekaterina Sedia. Fashion designer Kathryn Paterwic of Redfield Designs also presents her runway collection from the "Across the Universe" fashion show told in her narrated photo essay. Photography from Jessica Lilley, Babette Daniels, Michael Salerno, Monique Poirier, Philip Ng, and myself are also included.

Read more on BeyondVictoriana.com

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QUAINT #23: The Hellenes in "Gobi or Shamo: A Story of Three Songs" by G.G.A. Murray

Wed, 08 Jun 2011 22:31:35 GMT

Hellenes. The Hellenes were created by G.G.A. Murray and appeared in Gobi or Shamo: A Story of Three Songs (1889). George Gilbert Aime Murray (1866-1957) was a scholar of the Classics, a Fellow at Oxford, a playwright, a translator and popularizer of Hellenism, and a passionate liberal, campaigning tirelessly for the League of Nations.

Gobi or Shamo is the search for a lost colony of Greeks. Mavrones is a young English scholar who yearns to discover an unknown historical curiosity or treasure. He stumbles upon the possible existence of a lost group of Greeks while perusing a set of manuscripts in a former Byzantine monastery on the Greek island of Arganthus. Mavrones sets out to locate the Greeks, assisted by his friend Quentin Baj, “a man of six feet two, with dark moustaches and a crushing manner, and...further...the possessor of an acer et contemptor animus, with few good-natured weaknesses to spoil the edge of a resolve.” Mavrones, Quentin Baj, and their annoying friend Wibbling set out for Mongolia, and after a series of life-threatening adventures they find the Hellenes.

Read more on BeyondVictoriana.com

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Fact or Faked: The Travels of Jacob D'Anacona--Guest Blog by Rachel Landau

Thu, 02 Jun 2011 03:21:09 GMT

The City of Light is the journal of the travels of Jacob D'Ancona, a 13th century pious Jewish merchant. Readers follow Jacob on a three-year journey, starting from his hometown of Ancona in present-day Italy, overland through Damascus and Baghdad, and then by sea, stopping at various ports and places until he reaches the city of Zaitun, modern-day Quanzhou, where he stays to buy goods and talk to the scholars of the city. It consists of equal parts travelogue/memoir and a philosophical discussion of medieval Jewish and Chinese ideas.

This was a time when Jews had restricted access to jobs or freedom to run their own lives. In medieval Europe, Jews often had to wear physical signals of their faith: yellow stripes or stars. Jews had restricted job and social opportunities: they were often forbidden from interaction with Christians. In Muslim lands, the restrictions for Jews were somewhat more relaxed, but Jews still paid higher taxes than Muslims did -- though not as high as those paid by the non-"People of the Book".

Jacob himself is an interesting exception to many of the typical rules. He travels with both Jews and Christians, and frequently mentions his young female Gentile servants' romantic lives. Furthermore, Jacob is a jack-of-all-trades, a Renaissance man in pre-Renaissance times. He's a traveler, a merchant, a scholar, a physician, an authority who is consulted by Jewish and Chinese communities alike. He speaks and writes in fluent Hebrew, Italian, Latin, Greek, and Arabic. Nearly everyone who meets him likes him. He's a bit too good to be true: in modern terms, he's a pretty big Mary Sue.

But the most compelling parts of the book are not Jacob, but the world he's seeing for the first time. The descriptions of Chinese life are vivid and lengthy, and the variety and extensiveness of the Chinese market was stunning and often unbelievable to European eyes. Jacob engages in lengthy discussions (through a translator) with Chinese scholars and even spends several weeks stuck in the sordid underworld, full of gambling, prostitutes, and illicit sex.

There's also political intrigue, and the threat of very real danger: At this time, northern China was under the rule of Kublai Khan and there was a very real threat of invasion by the "Tartars" -- for Europeans and the southern Chinese alike. Meanwhile, the Chinese community of scholars was divided itself between old and new ways of thinking.

Jacob finds many points of contact and connection between himself and several of the Chinese scholars, especially a man named Pitaco, who like Jacob was worried about the lack of respect in the younger generation, the stability of the country's morals, and the justification of trickle-down economics. Perhaps most fittingly for a book about contact and conflict between Western and Eastern cultures, Jacob's habit of pontificating ends up rubbing many Chinese scholars the wrong way. As the inhabitants of the city get upset about the amount of influence the foreign Jew has in the city, Jacob concludes his business and leaves in a hurry, fearing for his life.

There's really just one problem with the narrative: Jacob D'Ancona may have never existed.

Read more on BeyondVictoriana.com

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QUAINT #22: “Les Xipéhuz” (The Shapes) by J.H. Rosny

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 04:11:14 GMT

Close up of Danae Stratou's "Desert Breath", which would be an apt illustration for this novelette. Image courtesy of io9. Click for link.

The Xipéhuz were created by “J. H. Rosny (aîné)” and appeared in “Les Xipéhuz” (“The Shapes,” L’Immolation, 1887). “J. H. Rosny (aîné)” was the pen name of Joseph Henri Honoré Böex (1866-1940), a French author. For many years after his death Böex was forgotten, primarily because the majority of his work was written in disrespected genres like science fiction and the prehistoric romance. But in recent years critics and academics have begun paying him more attention and giving him the credit he deserves. Böex produced some remarkable science fiction and is considered (with Jules Verne) to be one of the most influential figures in the development of science fiction in France. “Les Xipéhuz” is one of his most famous, and best, stories.

“Les Xipéhuz” is set in the Middle East, circa 5000 B.C.E. A nomad tribe, the Pjehu, discover a group of “translucent bluish cones, point uppermost, each nearly half the bulk of a man...each one had a dazzling star near its base,” clustered around a spring. When the Pjehu draw close to the cones, or “the Shapes” as the narrator calls them, the Shapes attack them, killing many, although they only target warriors and avoid killing women, children, the sick and the aged. But the Shapes do not pursue the Pjehu beyond a certain distance and ignore them if they leave the Shapes alone. The Pjehu, shaken, consult a group of local priests who decide that the Shapes are gods and that they must be sacrificed to. But the Shapes kill those priests who approach them.

The priests experiment with slaves and determine the distance beyond which the Shapes will not pursue humans, and then the priests set that boundary with stakes and decree that the Shapes are to be left alone. But other tribes are not told about the priests’ decree or ignore it, and members of those tribes cross the boundary and are massacred. Then the Shapes begin expanding their territory. When the tribes try to resist, hundreds of their warriors are killed by the Shapes. All the tribes of Mesopotamia begin fearing for the existence of Man, and some men turn to dark cults.

The tribes’ wise men at last consult the hermit Bakhun. Long ago he had abandoned a nomadic life for a pastoral one, and in so doing flourished. Bakhun believes in odd and unusual things, like the sun, moon, and stars being “luminous masses” rather than gods, and that “men should really believe only in those things tested by measurement.” Bakhun tells the wise men that he will dedicate his life to studying the Shapes. He does so, and draws a number of significant conclusions, most important of which is that the Shapes are living beings rather than spirits or gods.

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Burning High-Action Brilliance: Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 04:08:23 GMT

Note: While enjoying Wiscon this weekend (con report forthcoming), check out my latest review over at Tor.com. Delayed updates to Con Extravaganza & Asian Identities, Crossing Borders will be posted later this week.

During the Tribeca Film Festival, I managed to catch a showing of Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame. Watching the preview, this film promised big set pieces, lots of fiery explosions, and awesome martial arts action. A film that has Chinese alternate history and features a detective worthy of Sherlock, a black market underground beneath the Forbidden City, and a plot involving the mechanics of building a 800-foot tall Buddha—it all sounds pretty steampunk-esque. When a post about it went up on Tor.com Steampunk, people scratched their heads about whether it would qualify, or if, yet again, a fad word had been plopped in by marketing.

I think it’s steampunk in the way James Ng’s art is, the way Shweta Narayan’s “Eyes of the Craven Emerald” is, the way that Yakoub Islam plans to write a Muslim steampunk story set in the twelfth century, and the way that Aether Age plays with the concept of highly industrialized ancient civilizations. So for any nay-sayers who are not calling this steampunk, then I suppose these don’t qualify either. But examining how technology can—and has—developed independently from Western influence is an idea that shouldn’t mark something as not being steampunk.

But enough squabbling about labels, because in the end, this is one kick-ass entertaining film in its own right.

Read the rest over at Tor.com.

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QUAINT #21 The Lost Race Story

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 04:06:11 GMT

Image courtesy of Wikipedia

The Lost Race Story. Stories in which unknown lands and races are discovered have been written for centuries, but in the last two decades of the 19th century a new type of story involving their discovery was created. The genre began with the 1885 publication of H. Rider Haggard’s King Solomon’s Mines and the 1887 publication of Haggard’s Allan Quatermain. These stories created the blueprint for dozens of writers to follow and established the Lost Race story. Lost Race stories can be defined as stories in which travelers from the modern world discover lost, forgotten, or hidden races, cities, cultures and civilizations in hidden or remote valleys or undersea or underground areas on or beneath the Earth.

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“The Sikh Pioneers of North America”: The Punjabi-Mexican Americans of California

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 04:02:58 GMT

ca. 1909. Sikhs from India at the Calapooia Lumber Company, Crawfordsville, Linn County, Oregon, 1905-1915. (Crawfordsville is about 30 miles north of Eugene, Oregon). (Photo courtesy of Stephen Williamson www.efn.org/~opal/indiamen.htm)

In California at the turn of the 20th century, a community grew in southern California with an interesting history: Punjabi-Mexican families of the Imperial Valley. This unique community stemmed from the effects of British colonialism, transnational labor immigration & American economic opportunity (and American anti-Asian discrimination laws). Many multi-generational families in the area today can trace their multicultural and multiethnic histories back over a hundred years, and refer to themselves as "Mexican Hindus", "Hindu" or "East Indian" today.

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