Ah, “The Inquisitor” – what a stunningly detailed piece of work that defies the styles of today so gleefully!  With an operational iris, and embedded cogs, this half-goggle comes from the Steampunk vision of the creator, Alex (he of Cthulhu-in-a-jar fame).  Bringing to mind a world with zeppelin cities and clockwork men, with mad but prolific scientists requiring just the right eyepiece with which to focus their worldview.

Lovely, and available for bidding on for the next… checks the clock… eleven hours.  My best wishes to the eventual buyer, and congratulations Alex on another beautiful creation.  Thank you Rick!

Ah, the Penny Dreadful was a wonderful idea – cheap and cheerful installments on the worst quality paper bringing adventure and thrilling tales to anyone with a 19th Century penny to spare.  Around about the same time, the dime novel would bring a similar system to the USA.  And now, in a much belated return there is the Dollar Dreadful!

• THRILL!  At the tales of Doctor Octavius Watt and his pneumatic, handcrafted, mechanical wife!
• MARVEL!  At the adventures that befall the owner of the skeleton key in the lands of the dead!
• WONDER!  At the cunning mysteries that the blindingly clever Dressmakers association unravel!

There are previews to download, and I’m informed that the online shop will be open by the turn of the month (they’ve sold out at the moment because of the MoCCA Art Fest of New York).  So if you’ll feel like reading ripping yarns of the subjects above, or the upcoming stories like “A Mighty Fine Swine and the Truffle Hunters!” or a culinary mystery so tasty it’ll have you salting your screen, then this may be just the place for you.  If not, then surely you can admire the Steampunk site design, as I do – it’s really wonderfully tongue-in-Victorian-cheek.  Thank you to Wilhelm and TDR for answering my questions!

The back catalogue of links that have been suggested, but I have yet to post about has been nagging at my conscience recently – there are so many good things that ought to be mentioned! So I’m going to try to catch up a little and bring a few of these to light (or remind you, if you’ve seen them before).

• Victoriania, RPG. A pen and paper RPG set in a Steampunk and sorcery world of 1867. Humans, eldren, ogres, etc. (Thanks to Mr ClymAngus, who has the distinction of being the oldest link in my collection.)
• Artifical Nightingale, Sculpture. Using pumps, valves and electronics, the artist Nina Schedlmayer recreates the song of a nightingale, hanging from a cord in the ceiling. (Mr Greco and Mr Von Slatt sent this my way, back in the day.)
• Wind Powered Walking Sculptures.  Several links for these beautiful, haunting wooden-mechanical ghosts of the sand by Theo Jansen.  They’re powered by the wind and these many legged ‘creatures’ stride and scuttle onwards.  (Thanks to Chris, Matt, Bookishboy and Mr Slavinsky!)
• The Antikythera Mechanism, Ancient Calculator.  Long before our beloved gears were thought to exist, the clever Greeks were doing impossible things with mechanical calenders.  A little mindblowing.  (Dawn, Mr Greco, Naysayer and MikeST – thank you so much for pointing this out!)
• Ornithopters! Link Collection.  So many ornithoptic links from Andy_W – those marvellous attempts and successes at creating winged, flapping artificial flight!  (Thanks Andy, and have a nice holiday.)
• Flying Helmets and Goggles, Accessories.  UK shop selling flying helmets, driving helmets, goggles, flying boots and thick gloves.  Unsure of the prices, but I don’t know the going rate for apparently well made leather helmets.  (Thank you, Mr Beaty.)
• Archimedes Steam Cannon, Mythbusters.  Another pre-Victorian steam creation, this was the irrepressible Mythbusters checking to see whether an ancient design for a steam cannon would be any good.  Results were dissapointing.  (Thank you, Paul.)
• Victorian Science Fiction, Miniatures.  Some painted, and scratchbuilt wargaming miniatures of the Steampunk variety.  Some nice War of the Worlds tripods and splatted martians.  (Many thanks, Mr Hildebrandt.)

Well, that took longer than I expected chuckles.  Still, do people mind if I occasionally post a collection of shorter links?

[edit - Video was removed from Dailymotion, alas.  Hopefully there will be a legitimate place to see it soon.  (Let me know if you find one.)] I hadn’t been planning to post tonight, but for the deeply Steampunk Blur animated short, I will happily make an exception. A Gentleman’s Duel, by Blur, we’ve posted about in the past, and linked to the trailer – and to be honest I don’t know if the above video from Dailymotion is ‘allowed’ so to speak, but it has more than served its purpose because I will buy this given the first chance! I wish there were more from this wonderful Steampunk setting they have. Two gentlemen, one lady – something has to give! An earthshattering battle and a cheeky ending. Highly recommended. Thanks to two gentlemen – M. Christian and Mr Goblyn. I’d watched this at work recently, but couldn’t find a link – thank you both!