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| An early take on airships - SpikedMcGrath |
It is the anniversary of the Titanic, a time I couldn't pass
up to add another post. Seeing all the reminders of the Titanic puts me in the
mind of another staple of steampunk, which is of course… airships! Just one of
the other cool things about the genre, but let’s step back first. What has the
Titanic got to go with steampunk? The Titanic was steam driven wasn't it? Yes
there were the corsets and top-hats, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, but I
want to go deeper down the mechanical bunny hole. There is so much more
than that and seeing the epic romance of the movie only strengthens my belief.
Steampunk Titanic
Yes I know, Titanic, 1912, a bit late. But the themes captured by the movie are shared by some of the
best steampunk media, the ones that delve deep into the genre and feed the
appetites of avid fans. I can think of at least two, but they are big ones.
First of all there is the clash of social classes in a rigid
society. Titanic draws two worlds from the beginning, the Dickensian underclass
placed right beside the wealthy elite, and what greater, yet simpler, barrier
could there be in this epic Romeo and Juliet styled romance? And so I have just
introduced the second; an epic, fantastical voyage filled with romance. We have
two simultaneous stories, first one of discovery, interestingly with the bored,
affluent Kate like Alice going down the rabbit-hole, with Leonardo her a
magical guide. The second story we have Kate as Juliet and Leonardo reprising
his role in Romeo in a story much like the most famous romance in literary
history.  |
| Japanese airship by Vimark |
Add to this the final, epic element – the entire world (as we know it
in the story) coming to an end.
It’s amazing that this story hasn’t been replicated in
steampunk… or perhaps it has? All I know is that I’m itching for a stylus as
the image of a Titanic Airship soars through the clouds of my imagination.
Which leads me to my next subject
Airships!
Is it possible to talk of Airships! without exclamation
marks? I’d like to see you try! Browsing artwork for airships, I was fascinated
to see the variety of airships. There is something about them, ploughing
through the clouds like waves on an ocean that steals my imagination. I can’t
imagine how they would do lifeboats though… perhaps parachutes? I don’t know if
that is worse of better…
If you have a favourite airship artwork or you are an artist
and have drawn your own… even if you aren’t an artist, I’d love to see your
work!
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| Some sketches by Amarynceus showing the potential range! |
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