Tag Archives: steampunk

Case Study in Steampunk: Jekyll and Hyde

Posted on October 24, 2013 by nathanielwms

So, when contemporary writers appropriate 19th-century fictional characters, what can we learn?  Here’s how we tackled that question in my UC Davis first-year seminar class on steampunk… Last week, students read Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. … Continue reading →

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Worldcon Update – San Antonio Appearances

Posted on August 28, 2013 by nathanielwms

I’ve updated my schedule under Appearances for Worldcon.  I have two confirmed appearances, but may have more “fill-in” gigs at the last minute. I’m particularly looking forward to attending panels on rock journalism and science fiction, Doc Savage, Mark Twain, … Continue reading →

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UC Davis Steampunk Seminar–Full Steam Ahead!

Posted on July 18, 2013 by nathanielwms

Quick note: my First-Year Seminar on Steampunk was approved by University of California, Davis.  I’m looking forward to it.  I tried to pick texts/media that are appropriate for a 2 hr, once-a-week class designed for small-group, interpersonal work and creative … Continue reading →

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Not Pictured: My Nostalgic Favorite SF/Fantasy Books

Posted on July 15, 2013 by nathanielwms

Last post, I showed a picture of some books from my early reading days that I found in my parents’ basement.  They’re only a smattering–the ones that never were lost/loaned/stolen like many others.  They represent the tip of my sci-fi/fantasy … Continue reading →

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A Steampunk Class at UC Davis?

Posted on June 26, 2013 by nathanielwms

This week, I’m proposing a section of UC Davis’s First-Year Seminar program focused on steampunk.  I’ve really wanted to teach it from a perspective that goes beyond just the literature, so this course will incorporate design, costuming, retro-fitting, and gaming … Continue reading →

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Final Exam Questions: Steampunk, Nostalgia, SF Novels

Posted on June 12, 2013 by nathanielwms

Because it’s finals week at UC Davis, I thought I’d go ahead and publicly post the final exam questions from last quarter’s novels class on nostalgia and desiderium.  Here’s a taste of the questions I asked.  Students could write about … Continue reading →

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ConQuesT Aftermath: My Notes from Kansas City’s Science Fiction Convention

Posted on May 27, 2013 by nathanielwms

High points: The Charity Auction had the coolest thing I’ve seen in a while: a fanzine/comic book made by Buddy Saunders featuring the second story George R.R. Martin ever published!  I couldn’t swing the  $200+ price, but it’s nice to … Continue reading →

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Steampunk Dogs – ConQuesT and ASLE

Posted on May 24, 2013 by nathanielwms

Dogs in Old-Time Science Fiction.  That’s what my next two weeks will be about. On Sunday the 26th, I’m giving a fiction reading at ConQuesT (the Kansas City Science Fiction Convention) that will include my “steampunk dog” tale.  It’s a … Continue reading →

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Appearances at ConQuesT

Posted on May 11, 2013 by nathanielwms

I have some final scheduling for ConQuest, the Kansas City Science Fiction Convention.  I’ll be on panels for Hadley Rille Books and AboutSF.  My fiction reading is at 4:00-4:30 p.m. EST on Sunday the 26th.  (That’s right after the Charity … Continue reading →

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On Teaching Boneshaker; or, Steampunk’s Gritty Nostalgia

Posted on April 1, 2013 by nathanielwms

What makes steampunk tick?  Is it nostalgia or something else?  I understand nostalgia for the ’50s or the ’80s.  A lot of people are still alive who lived through that.  But why set stories a hundred-plus years in the past? … Continue reading →

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Intro to Steampunk Exhibit

Posted on March 22, 2013 by nathanielwms

Earlier this school year, I contributed an introductory essay for “Worlds of Steampunk: Fiction, Art, Fashion, and Culture,” a multimedia exhibit at UC Davis’s Shields Library.  Research librarians Roberto C. Delgadillo and Marcia Meister have created an invaluable resource for … Continue reading →

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Ragtime

Posted on January 23, 2013 by nathanielwms

Fredric Jameson’s famous essay “Postmodernism, or the Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism” singles out E. L. Doctorow’s Ragtime as a text that touches postmodern nostalgia, yet retains its allegiance to some cultural norm and progressive political agenda.  As such, it … Continue reading →

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You Sell Wonderment?

Posted on December 25, 2012 by nathanielwms

I write (mostly) speculative fiction, and I’ve taught science fiction classes at University of California, Davis, including a “Nostalgia and Desiderium” novels class covering pop music and science fiction tropes.  I will intermittently post material that encompasses those endeavors. Posts usually cover one or more … Continue reading →

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