Sneak Preview for Steampunk Week IV on Tor.com

The H.M.S. Stubbington got a good spit & polish, the gears are being oiled, the blog posts are all scheduled in, and Steampunk Week is set to run from October 1– 5 on Tor.com.

I’m really excited about this year. Wanna know why? Because of a question that’s been on my mind for several months now, first posed by James Schafer, co-moderator of the Steampunk on Facebook page: “Why Does Steampunk Still Matter?”

That’s the question I’ve passed onto my contributors, and they’ve responded in a great way. Every post shows why steampunk matters. Because everyone can get involved, no matter what your background is. Because it’s about art and literature and politics (and some sex and rock ‘n’ roll too).

I’ve also been wrestling for a way to express this thought. I think I have a decent reason why: It matters because Steampunk is Verb Now (or, always has been).

And you can see what people are doing with steampunk in every post this coming week. The people that will be featured include both steampunk veterans and innovative newcomers, talking about exciting things:

Kevin J. Anderson about working with the band Rush on their steampunk book Clockwork Angels

Award-winning producer Yomi Ayeni on transmedia storytelling in the non-colonialist world of Clockwork Watch

Julie Brannon, marketing wizard behind Steampunk Holmes, on creating a successful Kickstarter for your steampunk project

Professor Calamity of Combustion Books reveals Victorians’ Secrets (the steamiest post for the Week, hands down)

Executive producer Trevor Crafts and head writer Matt James Daley give the lowdown on Bruce Boxleitner’s Lantern City

Chaphop artist and tea connoisseur Professor Elemental delivers the funniest one-liner about steampunk, ever

Cartoonist Faith Erin Hicks draws a tribute to Fullmetal Alchemist

Dr. Lisa Hager, on why this genre-bender is also a genderbender

Margaret “Magpie” Killjoy of Steampunk Magazine throws a political one-two punch about how steampunks can help save the world

Vaporiste Arthur Morgan introduces the Anglophone world to French steampunk

Tee Morris, author of the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences series, names the three things every steampunk filmmaker needs to know

James Ng’s artistic take on alchemy (and Chinese steampunk zombies)

Balogun Ojetade, author of Moses: The Chronicles of Harriet Tubman, writes about amazing black folks you didn’t know about (but should) from the 19^th century

Cat Rambo gives us the scoop on Nisi Shawl’s highly anticipated book set in the Belgian Congo

Composer Paul Shapera on penning a thrilling steampunk musical

Editor Ann Vandermeer offers an exclusive excerpt from the upcoming Steampunk Revolution anthology

Diana Vick, con chair of SteamCon, dishes about Victorian monsters

Plus tons of swag offered every day (of course, what would Tor.com be without sweepstakes giveaways?)

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Excited? Wanna help? Let’s put our collective social media skills in motion.

Get ready to blog. Tweet. Reddit. Tumble. Pin (terest it).

On Monday morning at approximately 10 AM EST, Steampunk Week goes live. Watch this space for the Tor link, or link to this post right now to signal boost one of Tor.com’s most popular blogging events.

So come Monday, we herald Tor.com’s brass explosion across the aetherwebz.