Title

I'm not announcing my title yet, but I think I have a good one, something that sounds both Steampunk and Old West, but I think not in a heavy handed way.

I also have a list of media that has elements of what I want to do. This is a class assignment. In fact, it's not uncommon to create a reel of clips from movies to give an idea of what one wants to do with a movie or thesis.

Here's my list.

Firefly / Serenity - Joss Whedon's space western does a great job of creating a science fiction setting with old west cultural and stylistic elements.

Wild Wild West - This movie was silly, but the concept is similar to mine. I want my Old West Steampunk setting to be more serious. Still, some of the gadgets used in this movie may provide inspiration.

Back to the Future III - I believe they actually did a good job of capturing the Old West in this movie, but with the science fiction ovferlay of the time travelers. The serious bits here are closer to the feel I want.

The Dark Tower (Novels & Comics) - The feel here is even closer to what I'm going for. Stephen King's "Dark Tower" cycle, seven novels in all, is fantastic. It's a blend of Old West style--though the Old West type setting is actually in another world--horror, fantasy, and science fiction. Some of the technology that shows up is similar to what I want in mine. For instance, there are giant robots that look like animals, a psychotic supersonic train, and remnants of a company that, eons ago, nearly destroyed the world.

Doctor Who Series 2 episode, The Girl in the Fireplace - This episode of Doctor Who had some very interesting clockwork robots. These could be inspiring for some of the technology in my setting.

The Golden Compass - I still need to see this movie! But I understand it has some Steampunk elements, which could give me some ideas.

The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne - This is very much about knowing what's been done before in the Steampunk genre. This program had one season on SciFi, back before it was SyFy. I don't expect any Old West influence here, but rather, inspiration from the Steampunk side.

On a side note, I've set up my Lulu storefront to be a sort of Internet hub to my other sites. Please bookmark it! Currently it has links to this blog and to my deviantArt gallery. I'll update it with new links as they become available.

Also, if you'd like to check out my novels and anthology, you can find them there, in paperback and as ebooks.