Good Day steampunks! It is time for another report from the “darker, dirtier side” of the alternate history genres we hold so dear.

First things first: there is lots of snow out in these parts of the world and if, like your correspondent, you rather not venture outdoors, know that there is plenty to read online. Issue #10 of the Gatehouse Gazette and issue #5 of Exhibition Hall are both available for download now—entirely free of charge.

Both online magazines feature excellent cover artwork this winter. For the aviation issue of the Gazette, Mr Myke Amend delivered an exciting painting while Molly Porkshanks Friedrich (also on flickr) did an outstanding job for the latest edition of Exhibition Hall. Be sure to check out all of their work—Amend and Friedrich are without a doubt among the finest of steampunk artists out there.

Regular visitors of The Gatehouse might be familiar already with Sjón Refur’s Cinema is Cinema hosted blog. Those particularly interested in Golden Era motion picture will want to follow the companion edition to this fine feature also!

Over at Wings of Steam, you can read Steampunk 2009 Year in Review, listing all the highlights of steampunk during the past year. “Early in the year there was discussion throughout the community over whether or not steampunk was dead,” notes the blog. Not only has that prediction been proven wrong; steampunk has entered the mainstream in fashion and decor and continues to attract interest.

Dieselpunks is crashing into the New Year with a bang. 2010 has them taking a look back at the technology of yesterday and the engineering wonders of today. The future has given us the tools we need to communicate and the tools we need to build our dreams. “All we need is the spirit, and for that we look to the diesel era for the zeitgeist needed to use these tools properly,” according to Dieselpunks.

Artwork by Myke Amend.