These stories began as bedtime stories for my children. What if we were a family of Edwardian mad scientists, who live in an airship and have amazing adventures? Once we got started, they never wanted to hear anything else. They told the stories to their friends, who wanted to be in the story as well. The world grew and grew, outgrew bedtime and made its way to the aether.
The stories are illustrated by the photos of the Fearless Fabricator himself, P. Phinneas von Hedwig, and by drawings from the fabulously talented von Hedwig children.
Meanwhile, as the world of the Steampunk Family developed, we looked at all things steampunk, and we liked it – the creativity, the dark, lush Victorian aesthetic, the idea that there is already ENOUGH STUFF in the world – if you want something new, build it out of salvage! This ethic was deeply ingrained in us already; we built an addition out of things other people threw away.
As for my darling husband, The Fearless Fabricator, yes, he is an artist, a tinkerer, a mad scientist, and all-round amazing fellow. Without him, this world would just be a pile of words.
As you read this, I am engaged on a mad project of my own – publishing a novel online as it is written. The story is our family astonishing Voyage to Antafrica. It began with On Grandmothers.
