[Steam-Scholars] Collection of Academic Essays on Steampunk

[Austin Sirkin]

I was recently chatting with Catherine Siemann over on Diana Pho's Facebook when she raised the idea of some sort of collection of academic essays on Steampunk. This struck me as a rather good idea, but A) I'm not sure whether this has already been done or is in the works and B) I lack the connections to make something like that happen (in print, at least).

So my questions for the group are two-fold. Has this already been done, or is someone in the process of doing it? And if not, is that a project that you folks would be interested in working on?

Let me know what you think!

Austin Sirkin

[Amy Montz]

Austin,
I personally do not know of any collection (which of course doesn't mean there isn't one!).  Neo-Victorian Studies did a Steampunk issue recently, which was really nicely done, but not the same thing as a book collection.
I would be very interested in something like this.
Best,
Amy

---

From: Austin Sirkin <austin...@gmail.com>
To: steam-s...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Wed, April 6, 2011 12:05:28 PM
Subject: [Steam-Scholars] Collection of Academic Essays on Steampunk

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[Catherine Siemann]

I'd be very interested in making something like this happen;  please count me in.  (Although that may have been obvious from my raising the idea over on Facebook.  ;-)  )

Catherine

[Claire Nally]

I too would be very interested in this! I don't know of anything in process or press!

Claire.

Dr Claire Nally
Lecturer in Twentieth Century English Literature
Department of Humanities
School of Arts and Social Sciences
Lipman Building, Room 401A
University of Northumbria
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 8ST

Tel: 0191 227 4701
Email: claire...@northumbria.ac.uk

-----Original Message-----
From: steam-s...@googlegroups.com on behalf of Catherine Siemann
Sent: Wed 4/6/2011 7:19 PM
To: steam-s...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [Steam-Scholars] Collection of Academic Essays on Steampunk

I'd be very interested in making something like this happen; please count
me in. (Although that may have been obvious from my raising the idea over
on Facebook. ;-) )

Catherine

On Wed, Apr 6, 2011 at 2:14 PM, Amy Montz <amym...@yahoo.com> wrote:

> Austin,
> I personally do not know of any collection (which of course doesn't mean
> there isn't one!). Neo-Victorian Studies did a Steampunk issue recently,
> which was really nicely done, but not the same thing as a book collection.
> I would be very interested in something like this.
> Best,
> Amy
>

> ------------------------------
> *From:* Austin Sirkin <austin...@gmail.com>
> *To:* steam-s...@googlegroups.com
> *Sent:* Wed, April 6, 2011 12:05:28 PM
> *Subject:* [Steam-Scholars] Collection of Academic Essays on Steampunk

[Lisa Hager]

I would interested as well and haven't heard of anything in press/process either.

Best,
Lisa

P.S. Austin, I'm definitely going to be at Dragon*Con this year, so let me know if there's a panel you need organized or a spot for me on a existing panel

[Marc DiPaolo]

I'm not sure if you want to try for a more prestigious publisher, but I'd bet McFarland and Company would be interested. I just published a superhero book with them and they have just commissioned me to edit an anthology on controversial Christian theology in literature and popular culture.  I have contacts there if you want to write an editor with a pitch. The whole process is easy, just time-consuming.

McFarland likes to publish pop culture collections, but they don't mind literature discussions that are accessible. This may make them an ideal press for Steampunk, especially if the Oxford U Presses of the world have any resistance to the idea that Steampunk is worth studying. (I've heard rumors that the traditional Victorianists can get snooty about it, but haven't seen this firsthand - so apologies if I'm wrong.) McFarland's collections are not rigorously peer-reviewed on the publisher's end, so some tenure-granting boards don't give a McFarland book a lot of weight. However, they are not a vanity press and they don't charge subvention feed for publication. They are bona fide as far as I'm concerned, and they keep their books in print a long time. Their published books run $45 instead of $75 - $200, so your relatives can get copies, too, in theory. And a book is a book - and if you are part of a faculty that doesn't publish much, I am sure it will impress.  

The main thing is we would want mostly contributions by folks with PhDs and university affiliations, but some graduate work can be included if it is first-rate. 

Also, if anybody want to write an essay for me on theology in Hellboy, or Kevin Smith's Dogma, or Last Temptation of Christ, or on the Catholic Decadents, let me know...

Hope this helps. 

- Marc DiPaolo

[Jess Nevins]

I'd second McFarland, who I've found very easy to work with. Also, the tenure
thing really varies depending on the book--my tenure review board thought highly
of my book with McFarland. I'm sure the right collection of steampunk essays wouldn't
be a problem for tenure.

Jess Nevins
Lone Star College

[Catherine Siemann]

Thanks for the suggestion, Marc and Jess.  This will definitely go on the list of possibilities.

Any further suggestions of presses that are open to this kind of cultural studies/popular culture work would be much appreciated.

Catherine Siemann

--

[Claire Nally]

Just to add to the debate - I'm working with I. B. Tauris who currently have my monograph on Steampunk and Gender. They are very keen on a lot of 'modern' subcultural material, and do good work in studies on TV, film, popular culture etc. - http://www.ibtauris.com/ - they seem quite well rated among media/cultural studies types I've come across in the UK.

They also have one of my edited collections on gender and exhibitionism, and I've found them very solid to work with. They also have a very keen eye on the international market, and seem happy enough to provide images... We haven't been charged a subvention, but I think they do on occasion, which is the downside...

Worth a thought, perhaps!
All the best