Steampunk Thursday: Alice Aid

Last Saturday I attended Alice Aid, the fundraiser event held at The Pipeline in East London to raise money to turn Robert Rankin's novella Alice on Mars into a movie, directed by Martin Gooch.

Other guests included Kit Cox (who did a stand-up comedy set), Andrew O'Neill (who was MC for the evening), a couple of Elvis impersonators, Lady Raygun on the steel drums*, various other actors and musicians and even Mr Robert Rankin himself.

Archimedes the Steampunk Parrot was in attendance too and really got into the groove, as you can see here.



You can see some photos of the event here.

If you would like to help make Alice on Mars - The Movie a reality, you can pledge your support for the project here.


* I've never heard 'I Gotta Feeling' played on the steel drums before, or 'Birdhouse in your Soul', but they sounded great!

Steampunk Thursday: Alice Aid - A Night of Alternative Music & Comedy

Just a quick reminder that I shall be attending the Alice Aid night of alternative music and comedy, to help raise funds for the production of Alice on Mars - The Movie, this Saturday 10 May 2014, from 7.00pm until midnight!

To find out more about Alice Aid, click this link. To find out more about Alice on Mars - The Movie, follow this link, and pledge your support today!

Steampunk Thursday: Forthcoming Events

I have a couple of events coming up this month that readers of my Pax Britannia Steampunk novels might be interested in.

Alice Aid
Saturday 10 May 2014 - 7.00pm-12.00am

I shall be attending the Alice Aid night of alternative music and comedy, to help raise funds for the production of Alice on Mars - The Movie! To find out more about Alice Aid, click this link. To find out more about Alice on Mars - The Movie, follow this link.



Frome Steampunk Extravaganza II
Friday 30 May - Sunday 1 June 2014

I shall also be attending the FSE II this year. Last year's event was, by all accounts, a great success, so I'm looking forward to meeting the South-West Steampunks and spreading the word about Pax Britannia. As well as selling my books, I am expecting to be taking parts in panels and readings over the course of the weekend. So, if you live in the vicinity of Frome, maybe I'll see you there. You can find out more about the event, and a link to buy tickets, here.

Steampunk Thursday: Alice on Mars - The Movie!

At the Sci-Fi Weekender 5, last weekend, film-maker Martin Gooch and author of far-fetched fiction Robert Rankin launched the Alice on Mars movie!

For the launch, Martin had prepared a teaser trailer, which you can watch by following this link. He also launched an Indigogo project to help get the film funded. If you would like to contribute (or even be in the film!) then click this link and check it out.

Film-maker Martin Gooch and Steampunk Parrot Wrangler Jonathan Green

at the Sci-Fi Weekender 5.

How do you put the punk into Steampunk?

That is the very question that I shall be attempting to answer on Friday at the SFX Weekender, ably assisted by a number of other luminaries of the UK Steampunk scene. Joining me on the panel will be:

Ms Raven Dane - author of the Cyrus Darian books, Ms Dane is a more recent convert to the cult of Steampunk. As well as writing Steampunk stories she has also published vampire books and comedy fantasy novels.

Ms Karen Grover - also (well-)known as Lady Elise within Steampunk circles, Ms Grover is a Steampunk enabler and a leading light of the Victorian Steampunk Society. She possesses an expert knowledge of historical costumes, a knowledge that she has lent to countless TV shows including Channel 4's 1066: The Battle For Middle Earth.

Mr Stephen Hunt - is a fantasy, science fiction and thriller/crime author, probably best known as the creator of the Jackelian series of books. 2012 sees the publication of Mr Hunt's sixth book in the series, From the Deep of the Dark.

Mr Robert Rankin - The nearest thing we have in this country to Steampunk royalty. Mr Rankin was writing Steampunk before it gained the mass market mainstream appeal it is teetering on the verge of today. Mr Rankin also does a splendid turn as your compere for Saturday night's SFX Awards.

Ms Sam Stone - Author of the Vampire Gene series, Ms Stone will no doubt be wowing the audience with one of her very fine corsets as well. She is also on a host of other panels and signing for a plethora of publishers over the weekend, so we're very lucky to have her join our Steampunk shenanigans.

Mr Lavie Tidhar - Mr Tidhar is a prolific writer, keeping up a steady stream of highly-regarded novels, novellas and short stories, and has even been described as an “emerging master” by Locus Magazine. He is the author of the Bookman Histories - the third title The Great Game is launching at the Weekender - while his novel Osama is up for not only the coveted Red Tentacle award at the 2011 Kitschies, but has also been shortlisted for the BSFA Award.

Remember, 5.00pm Friday in the Screening Zone.

My signing slot has been moved to 10.00am on the Saturday (crikey!) and I'll also be taking part in the Abaddon/Solaris Fun Hour in the Victoria Bar at 2.00pm on the Friday.

Remember, if you see me, do stop and say hello. Maybe I'll see you there...

SFX Weekender 3 - one week to go!

There's only one week to go until the SFX Weekender 3 beams in to Pontin's Prestatyn. Are you excited yet, 'cos I sure as hell am!

To help get you fired up about the Weekender, head over to the Geek Syndicate and check out their audio interview with SFX Editor-in-Chief David Bradley.

Among the things you'll learn from David are that there are eight actors attending the premier SF/F event, along with some 50 writers and artists (Yours Truly included). 2000AD will be celebrating its 35th birthday there and the Kitschies Awards Ceremony will also be taking place on the Friday night. And on Saturday night Robert Rankin will be hosting the SFX Awards whilst later on Craig Charles will be DJing like last year.

So are you excited now? If you are, I hope you've already got your ticket because the event sold out weeks ago! And if you have got your ticket, maybe I'll see you there.

Jonathan Green at the SFX Weekender 3

In less than two weeks time 4,000 science-fiction and fantasy fans will descend on Pontin's Prestatyn Sands to meet the likes of Sylvester McCoy, Alex Kingston, Brian Blessed and Eve Myles. And I'll be one of them.

But I'm not only going as a fan, I'm also going as a guest. And if all goes according to plan, I'm going to be hosting the 'How do you put the punk into steampunk?' panel on Friday 3 February at 5.00pm, featuring the likes of Robert Rankin, Stephen Hunt and Lavie Tidhar.

Later the same evening, from 7.00 - 8.00pm to be precise, the Kitschies awards ceremony will be taking place, when the year's most intelligent, progressive and entertaining genre literature - a.k.a. the 2011 Red, Inky, Golden and Black Tentacles - will all be revealed.

Then, on the Saturday morning, at the semi-respectable time of 11.00am, I shall be signing at the Rebellion stand, so if you're coming along, drop by and say "Hi" and thrust copies of your favourite Pax Britannia novels or Fighting Fantasy gamebooks in front of me - or even my newest Doctor Who adventure* - and I'll happily deface them for you with a permanent marker. Now I can't say fairer than that, can I?

Now if I can just shift this cold and sore throat before then...

* Which is just out in time for the Weekender!

24 hours in the Asylum

So, a week ago I headed up to Lincoln for Weekend at the Asylum, the UK and Europe's premier steampunk event. This was the third year it had been running and although it was my first visit, Pax Britannia had been there from the start, with guests at the inaugural event receiving either a copy of Unnatural History or Leviathan Rising as a gift.

I arrived at my hotel in good time and so headed off into Lincoln itself. The Asylum is located within the historic part of the town at the top of the hill. Close by are Bailgate, the Cathedral and the Castle. During the course of my walk I discovered that Steep Hill is aptly named and was delighted to see that the city was gearing up for a weekend of steam-themed goodness, with many shops bearing a sign that read...

I also encountered various ladies and gentlemen in elegant dress, looking like they had just stepped out of a Doctor Who Christmas special. By comparison, my 'Powered by Steam!' T-shirt looked like a very poor effort indeed.

Before I knew it, it was time to check in at the Asylum itself, ready to join the merriment surrounding the launch of Robert Rankin's latest novel The Mechanical Messiah and Other Marvels of the Modern Age. It was here that I bumped into old steampunk friends Willoughby Chase and Herr Doktor*, and met a number of other first-timers, Esther, Vincent and James. My new friends had really entered into the spirit of the event, with Esther basing her look on the entirety of Alice in Wonderland, and it was several hours later that we parted company before we drank the bar at the Victoria Inn dry.

Fellow first-timers - James, Esther and Vincent.

Next morning I was up bright and early** ready to bring Pax Britannia to the masses when Weekend at the Asylum really got going in earnest. Major Tinker welcomed everybody in the Exhibition Hall and then proceeded to introduce all of us visiting authors to the indulgent throng. This was totally unexpected (at least on my part) but also totally brilliant because it really helped to break the ice. I was particularly pleased because Tinker referred to me as 'a Geek's Geek' which is probably the nicest thing anyone's said about me in a long while.

With introductions over, people started to visit my table - attracted no doubt by Pye Parr's fabulous banner - but before I knew it I was being author-wrangled upstairs to the Little Theatre to give a talk about my writing and the world of Pax Britannia, concluding with a reading from the forthcoming Time's Arrow and a Q&A session. The audience*** were most appreciative and included Wilf Lunn - yes, the Wilf Lunn from my TV childhood!

Wilf Lunn, the man himself - living TV legend and the original steampunk!

It was then back downstairs to flog my wares, with The Ulysses Quicksilver Omnibus selling particularly well. The rest of the day passed in a blur of fantastic costumes, appreciative fans, new converts, Penny Farthing races, chats with other steampunk authors****, and River Song look-a-likes. My new friends stopped by to provide a bit of moral support and also looked after my stall for a while so that I might take a look at the art exhibition***** which featured pieces by Herr Doktor and Arfon Jones' stuffed Womble.

Mr Vincent Shaw-Morton and Miss R R Hood.

'Womblus Wimbledon Vulgaris', discovered by Professor Arfon Jones.

As the day's events drew to a close - which included a costume competition, won by a young lady in jodphurs wearing something akin to Spring-Heeled Jack's jet-pack - the steampunks departed to take part in a sanctioned Guinness World Record attempt****** and the hall was emptied in preparation for that evening's Empire Ball. I was released from the Asylum******* as, unfortunately, my twenty-four hours were up. It was time to head back down south, my mind a-whirl with fresh ideas and my heart lifted by a host of new friendships made.

This bottle of toffee vodka and absinthe lolly were both gifts - so my thanks go to Professor T Bottom and Miss Emilly Ladybird.

Oh, and having met Ulysses Quicksilver himself at the steampunk event at Kew Bridge Steam Museum, this time I think I met my Steampunk Muse!

I've enjoyed steampunk, in books and comics and on film, for the best part of twenty years or more, before I even realised what steampunk was. I've been writing steampunk for the last five, but I've never actually 'done' the whole steampunk scene.

But since returning from Lincoln I've noticed a change coming over me. I've started checking out Victorian frock coats online and have even bid on a pair of goggles on eBay. That's right - steampunk, like a Bengal tiger, has well and truly got my claws into me now. And I don't think it's going to be letting go any time soon...

PS - If you've not seen it already, my vlog about Weekend at the Asylum is available here for your viewing pleasure.

* 'Old' meaning I'd met them once before.

** One of these statements might not be entirely true.

*** Who made up for what they lacked in numbers with their attentiveness and the quality of their many questions.

**** Amongst those I met were Raven Dane, Sam Stone, David J Howe and Toby Frost of Space Captain Smith fame.

***** Which included Vincent's steampunk rendition of Miss R R Hood - which went on to win the Ruskin!

****** Greatest number of steampunks gathered in one place at the same time, I believe.

******* For good behaviour I believe, although I really rather wish I hadn't been.