I really shouldn’t end my day as guest blogger without saying a bit about Airships. They have featured strongly in my Steampunk. Whether it is the Pearl in The Marvelous Mechanical Man, The Lady Jean featured on Pirates Vs. Dragons, Hook’s ship in my Avast, Ye Airships! story or my newest entry to the field, the flying elven pirate ship The Moonbeam in Mutiny on the Moonbeam, airships are prominent in my fiction. There is even an airship in “Seven-Year Itch” in Terra Mechanica, though it is only used to go from here to there…
What is it about airships that makes them so compelling?
I think, for one thing, it’s their versatility. Among those I mentioned above, some are basically blimps–like the Pearl (by the amazing Brad Fraunfelter):
while others are three-masted sailing ships held aloft by pixie-dust and spider-silk–like the Moonbeam.
It’s a wide-open field.
Airships have captured the imaginations of Steampunk enthusiasts from the very beginning–just do a search for “Airship” on Facebook and see how many pages you get! For one thing, it is a way for a group of friends to structure their Steampunk cosplay.
I think the attraction is rooted in the primal urge of Man to want to fly. After all, as early as the 1400’s Leonardo da Vinci was designing helicopters. And airships are the perfect vehicles for Steampunk–the technology existed in the time period to create them, and gears and gadgets can be used to enhance what did exist to great effect.
Airships are fun to play with too. I always enjoy creating them. 🙂
What is your favorite airship? First person to let me know in the comments will get a copy of the Pirates Vs. Dragons CD. 😉
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