~Questions and Answers with Gail Carriger~
Gail Carriger has the dubious honor of being the first author to be subjected to my "Steampunk Twenty Questions" (which turned out to be fifteen, because I wanted to make sure they where quality, funny and easy to answer, authors have busy lives, Gail more than most right now.) Gail holds the honor of being the first author to not only interest me in Steampunk, but to draw me fully into the world and search out more authors. Witty, tea-driven and corset wearing, Gail is not just a great satirical writer in her Parasol Protectorate books, she is an amazing world-builder, plot weaver and storyteller, not to mention fun to have tea with. Please join me as Gail answers fifteen mainly silly, but all Steampunky, questions.
Question: What is the definitive Steampunk book for you?
Answer: The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen comic book series written by Alan Moore, illustrated by Kevin O'Neill.
*Which, in honor of Gail, a copy of this comic has been added to my Steampunk Summer Giveaway, so be sure to enter!
Question: What drew you to this genre?
Answer: I came to Steampunk first as an aesthetic movement. I’m a longtime fan of vintage clothing and Goth style; Steampunk drew me in as a cheerful melding of the two. I also love seeing recycled technology used as jewelry, and other examples of how creative the maker community has become over the past few years.
Question: How do you take your tea?
Answer: Milky but strong with no sweetener. And I have a whole blog post on how to make the perfect cuppa.
*Gail dutifully doctoring her tea at Teslacon. That's George Mann next to her, Steampunk sqwee.
Question: Must have sartorial accessory?
Answer: Cup and saucer holster.
Question: Sartorial leaning: Street Urchin, Tinker, Explorer or Aesthete?
Answer: Carriger Pigeon as defined by the Steampunk Scholar for an article in Exhibition Hall on steampunk tribes:
"Like Gail Carriger, these steampunks make their own steampunk clothing, or at the very least do their own mods to it. They are up to date on the latest fashions, and despite the TruePunk value on being counter-consumerism, find themselves in apoplectic fits before a sale at Dark Garden corsets. Speaking of corsets, Carriger Pigeons can tell you when you aren't wearing yours properly, because many of you aren't (A BT Carriger Pigeon will do this with grace. A Jeterist of TruePunk Carriger Pigeon will simply mock you from afar.)"
~ Steampunk Scholar
Of course what I want as a result of this article is little pigeons that fly around and critique people's fashion choices. And, I really need a pigeon on a hat.
*Pigeon in a Top Hat by Alice Tams
Question: Top hat or bowler hat?
Answer: Teeny tiny topper.
Question: Subgenre you most identify with: Boilerpunk, Clockpunk, Dieselpunk, Gaslight Romance, Mannerspunk, Raygun Gothic or Stitchpunk?
Answer: Teapunk!
Question: If there was one thing that could truly exist from the world of Steampunk what would it be?
Answer: A kettle that is mounted on a moving transport and utilizes the wind to boil water. Tea anywhere on the go. Closely followed by Alexia's parasol dejour ~ kind of like a swiss army knife in parasol form.
Question: If there was one element in the Steampunk genre you could remove forever what would it be?
Answer: Petty commentary and "true steampunk" snobbery.
Question: Favorite movie or television series with Steampunk elements?
Answer: The Extraordinary Adventured of Adele Blanc Sec.
Question: Preferred mode of transport: celestial, aether, terra firma or aquatic?
Answer: Aquatic. I adore the ocean.
Question: Favorite Queen to have had a diamond jubilee, Victoria or Elizabeth?
Answer: Victoria.
Question: Victorian or Wild West?
Answer: Victorian.
Question: Would you like an automaton butler or ladies maid, considering that it might be the first step in the robotic apocalypse?
Answer: Ladies maid. But I do have a Roomba so I might be already on that downward spiral. His name is Beebo and I am very very nice to him.
Question: If The Doctor showed up at your door, where would you go?
Answer: Ancient Etruria.*
*Was a region of Central Italy, located in an area that covered part of what now are Tuscany, Latium, Emilia-Romagna, and Umbria. Where the Etruscans are from.
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