Drumroll, please…
Here is the cover for Moonlight and Mechanicals, a Gaslight Chronicles novel, coming October 22 from Carina Press.
Now those readers familiar with the Gaslight Chronicles might wonder why Wink, who hates corsets with a passion, is not only wearing one of the infernal devices, but isn’t wearing anything else over it. While a lady who works with machines for a living might be seen in coveralls, she’s still too much of a lady to ever appear in public in her undergarments.
This, I think illustrates one of the problems with the label steampunk. In an alternate history world, there’s always the question of just HOW alternate everything is. In the Gaslight Chronicles, technology and certain social mores are more advanced than they really were in the 1850s, but fashion and most of society is fairly authentic. However, I believe for marketing purposes, the publisher has decided to use a more contemporary steampunk vision on the recent covers. I’m truly curious to see if this works. So any thoughts on this from the readership? Do you like to see your steampunk characters in Victorian ruffles, or modern daring? Something in between? I’d love to know how people feel about this.
In other news, I’ve sent off the manuscript for the fifth Gaslight story, Cards and Caravans which is scheduled for next March. Now I have to tear my brain out of this steampunk world and into another, to finish a partial manuscript for my agent. It’s always interesting and sometimes awkward to switch gears (pun intended) and remember what version of reality you’re righting. This new project is later than the Gaslight books, although so far the rules of the reality are pretty similar. With everything you tweak in a world, you have to think about what has changed in technology, and how that might have changed the people in the world. It’s a new challenge, and I think those are always exciting. So onward and upward…
I love Victorian costumes, I’m not sure if stories would feel the same if characters were in more modern day dress, especially if it wasn’t elegeant.
I think that they covers should reveal the time period, not the modern world. I would kill for that corset on the cover. Very elegent. I think that its a challenge for publishers when it comes to steampunk covers. They don’t want to scare away readers with a traditional historical cover and then the reader discovers that the book is something completely different than they expected. Its a fine line but I love the cover. Its simple, elegent and doesn’t confuse this reader at all.
Marika
Love the cover! I’ve seen way worse as far as not pertaining to the characters at. all. One of my author friends years ago got a cover that looked like a typical historical heroine in a long, frilly yellow dress. She was a kick-ass contemporary heroine who never wore a dress in the entire book.
If it’s any consolation, I’d click on this book and investigate further based on the cover.
I think those are some very good points. This does at least warn the reader that the book is a steampunk, and I think most readers are savvy enough to know that the clothes on the cover probably don’t match the ones in the book.
Omg! I love the cover & it sounds go good! Can’t wait to read it!
Lovely cover Cindy. XXOO Kat
The cover is beautiful. It actually makes me more curious about the story. Why is Wink dolled up like that? I want to read it now to find out.
I think the cover is gorgeous. It’s clear the story is steampunk, though the details are painted inside the book. Best of luck, Cindy!
Thanks so much, everyone. Jae, I wouldn’t go looking for that particular scene. Pretty sure I didn’t write one where she’s dressed like that.
I love the cover. I think it conveys that it’s a steampunk story. I do think covers should reflect the story.
I find this cover extremely intriguing. The colors, the mixture of modern and historical elements and the interesting type-set of the title all combine to make it a “must check out the story” cover!!
Gorgeous cover!
I agree, I don’t think Wink would parade through a railway station in her corset … but what an effective cover! Great colours and the impression of Wink is independent and sexy.
I love the cover. As far as the clothes, my thought process is multi-layered.
First, corsets worn in the style Wink has on is what most people associate with steampunk. Corsets under clothes is more historical. So the visible corset automatically makes me think steampunk.
As for her not wearing one, much less as a top on its own, I keep thinking about Firefly if it had been written as a series of books instead of a TV show. Kaylee was almost always fully dressed in coveralls or something similarly casual. But if they’d put her on a cover like that as the main (or only) model, I’m not sure that visual would be a draw.
I’m learning (slowly) to trust cover artists to know what works. (That’s *artists*, not just cover makers who toss things together.) Like authors and publishers, they pay attention to the market and what sells and what doesn’t. Wink in a corset is eye-catching in a way that Wink in coveralls might not be.
For myself as a reader my bigger question is does she look like Wink otherwise? I’ve run across several covers recently where the person on the cover is very slender and the heroine in the book is described as being chubby, chunky, curvy, etc. (And these are from NY publishers where there’s a decent chance a photoshoot was involved for said cover.)
And… I’m going to stop now before I start getting ranty. I like the cover. On its own, it would definitely make me take more of a look at the book
Seleste, I think you’ve nailed my opinions pretty well. If the feel of the cover is true to the book, I’m okay with it. But it is nice to see a character who looks like they’re supposed to.