• Home
  • LOLITAS
  • READING LISTS
  • STEAMPUNKAPALOOZA
  • WRITING STEAMPUNK

STEAMED!

Writing Steampunk Fiction

Feeds:
Posts
Comments
« Victorian Culture – Three Books I’d Recommend
Banned Books Week 2010 »

The First Ladies of Steam by Philippa Ballantine

September 23, 2010 by suzannelazear

Today we welcome author Philippa Ballantine!

Philippa Ballantine is a fantasy writer hailing from Wellington, New Zealand. In the coming year she will have three books hitting the real and virtual shelves. The first of which a supernatural fantasy (containing the odd airship and feisty heroine), GEIST from Ace Books will available in late October 2010—just in time for Halloween. Find out more at booksoftheorder.com and pjballantine.com

The First Ladies of Steam

By Philippa Ballantine

We often discuss steam, but today I’m taking the chance to talk about some punks to go with them.

This last weekend was the 117th year of woman’s suffrage in New Zealand—and of all the excellent things about my country that’s the one I am most proud of.

Yep, New Zealand women have been accused of being bossy, stroppy and overly independent. (Actually we have been accused of running the country—which we have done a couple of time.) However all of these are excellent attributes for a steampunk woman.

True, there were millions of proper women in Victorian and Edwardian society, drinking tea, and staying in their place—but we also shouldn’t forget that there were plenty of the other kind of women—the kind that risked their position in society, their health and their lives to go against the grain. What’s more punk than that?

When I was at WorldCon in Melbourne, I was on a steampunk panel—one on the future of the movement. It was argued that the genre doesn’t represent the true terribleness that did exist in that time period. While costumers make goggles, and authors write about airships, it was suggested we are largely ignoring the racism, colonialism and sexism that existed in that time. While there are plenty of stories to tell, and issues to explore as the genre continues to grow, there is some truth in that statement.

Now I admit—the kind of steampunk I like is fun. As the Brits would say, I enjoy a jolly good romp—but that doesn’t mean we can’t inject a little education into those very same stories.

The second book of the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences I am writing with Tee Morris, is going to revolve to a large extent around the suffrage movement. While our suffragettes will be a little better equipped than their real life counterparts, their spirit will be drawn from the same place. (Still, it’s interesting to imagine what they could have done with the odd automaton or raygun to further their cause).

I am having great old time using actual suffragettes for the basis of our story—two in particular are loads of fun to give the steampunk treatment to.

Kate Sheppard is so famous in my home country she is on the ten-dollar bill—not bad for a chick that spent her adult life fighting to change the system. This charismatic woman was a powerhouse of energy and the leader of the suffrage movement in New Zealand. Without her the whole thing would have struggled to wrestle the vote from the hands of men. As it was it took three separate petitions and constant work to get the job done. Her determination and energy is something I feel like I am honouring—but then I give her a clock-work eye and ordnance system to go with it. (There is something awfully appealing about the gentile and lovely Kate with her own steampowered weaponry to really ram home the point to menfolk).

One suffragette from Britain is someone I might be afraid to give such devices to.

Lilian Lenton- oh my! If you have an impression that suffragettes were gentile ladies, who sat around drinking tea and painting signs, then you are in for a shock. This girl was born to shake things up. If I could steal anyone’s Wikipedia entry it would be hers.

…dancer, suffragist, arsonist and winner of a French Red Cross…

Quite a set of accomplishments! This lady was known for two things: setting fire to buildings, and making daring escapes from custody. The buildings she burnt were things like gazebos in the public gardens, but her escapes from home detention were nothing short of brilliant. The house where Lilian was under house arrest (recovering from the horrific practice of force feeding) was guarded by two police officers. A whole posse of suffragettes entered the house, then all dressed the same as her rushed out and scattered up the street taking her with them. Pure theatrical brilliance.

I mean what writer wouldn’t grab that as inspiration?

And what better basis for our female steampunk aviators, inventors and adventurers than the suffragettes? If we teach a little, or add a remembrance of how things actually were for women in the nineteenth century then all the better. If steampunk is a history that never was, then such people and such stories deserve a place in it.

Sure I am giving the suffragettes a little update, but their spirit and adventures remain the same. I like to think at least some of them (Hey Lilian!) would have approved—and I for one am dying to discover just what they would have accomplished with the right steampunk gadgets!


Advertisements

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Tumblr
  • Email
  • Pinterest
  • Google
  • Reddit

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related

Posted in Authors, Guest Thursday, Steampunk, Victorian Life, Visiting Lolitas, women | Tagged Guest Thursday, Philippa Balantine, role of women in steampunk, Sufragge, victorian women, visiting lolita | 3 Comments

3 Responses

  1. on September 23, 2010 at 6:27 am Jana Oliver

    Great blog! You just have to love a woman who sets fires to gazebos. Hot beds of sin, those things. At least during that era (wink).

    Steampunk will go where it wants to go. It has a live force of its own. We can try to steer it, but it’ll do what it wants to of its own accord. We just have to hold on for the ride!


  2. on September 23, 2010 at 3:26 pm amcatoir

    Love this post. Both the suffragettes above were new to me. I am going to look them up. August marked the 90th anniversary of Women’s Right to Vote in the USA. I believe my Women’s Book Salon is going to make Suffragettes a topic.


  3. on September 24, 2010 at 7:31 pm Deborah Schneider

    Phillipa, my studies in college dwelled heavily on the women’s rights movement in the US. It wasn’t just suffrage, at first they simply wanted property rights, (to inherit their husband’s property and have custody of their own children), then the ideas grew… and while Elizabeth Cady Stanton thought it was overreaching the possible, Susan B. Anthony was never satisfied, she knew women needed to have the vote. Unfortunately, she’s only a coin no one ever uses…
    Probably some man’s idea!
    Great post and I look forward to the books.



Comments are closed.

  • Welcome to Steamed!

    We hope you enjoy Steamed. We're no longer adding new content, but we have lots of great stuff. so please enjoy!

  • Pages

    • LOLITAS
    • READING LISTS
      • Reviews
      • Steam Classics
    • STEAMPUNKAPALOOZA
      • Steampunkapalooza 2010
      • Steampunkapalooza 2011
      • Steampunkapalooza 2012
    • WRITING STEAMPUNK
  • Recent Posts

    • Lit-Con at Write Space
    • Tea Time
    • Gail Carriger – Book Signing for Prudence
    • Quest for the Lost City of Z
    • The Great Airship Scare of 1896 – 1897
  • Archives

    • March 2015
    • February 2015
    • January 2015
    • December 2014
    • November 2014
    • October 2014
    • September 2014
    • August 2014
    • July 2014
    • June 2014
    • May 2014
    • April 2014
    • March 2014
    • February 2014
    • January 2014
    • December 2013
    • November 2013
    • October 2013
    • September 2013
    • August 2013
    • July 2013
    • June 2013
    • May 2013
    • April 2013
    • March 2013
    • February 2013
    • January 2013
    • December 2012
    • November 2012
    • October 2012
    • September 2012
    • August 2012
    • July 2012
    • June 2012
    • May 2012
    • April 2012
    • March 2012
    • February 2012
    • January 2012
    • December 2011
    • November 2011
    • October 2011
    • September 2011
    • August 2011
    • July 2011
    • June 2011
    • May 2011
    • April 2011
    • March 2011
    • February 2011
    • January 2011
    • December 2010
    • November 2010
    • October 2010
    • September 2010
    • August 2010
    • July 2010
    • June 2010
    • May 2010
    • April 2010
    • March 2010
    • February 2010
    • January 2010
    • December 2009
    • November 2009
    • October 2009
    • September 2009
    • August 2009
    • July 2009
    • June 2009
    • May 2009
    • April 2009
  • Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

    Join 1,816 other followers

    • RSS - Posts
    • RSS - Comments
  • Advertisements

WPThemes.


Cancel
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
%d bloggers like this: