News & Features

Features and major news stories.

Commentary
Commentary by Stephen Beale | May 20, 2026
Some folks seem to assume that hotel conventions are the alpha and omega of steampunk, as if the community doesn’t exist elsewhere. But while conventions are important, there are many other ways to participate.
Photo Gallery
Photos by Craig Jenkins | May 19, 2026
Vampires are supposedly creatures of the night, but someone apparently forgot to inform the fanged characters who showed up April 30-May 3 at Whitby Goth Weekend in North Yorkshire, U.K.
Steampunk Community
Commentary by Stephen Beale | May 13, 2026
It might be time for steampunk fans to think about life after Facebook. But what could replace it? The answer may lie in a new “open social” approach that frees users from the walled gardens of proprietary platforms.
Events
Staff Report | May 10, 2026
Robots may be tropes of science fiction, but they have roots in mechanical devices known as automata that date as far back as ancient and medieval times. Next weekend, enthusiasts will celebrate these contraptions as AutomataCon returns to the Morris Museum in Morristown, New Jersey.
Photo Gallery
Staff Report | May 7, 2026
Spring has sprung, as they say, but for some folks, that just means it’s six months until Halloween. With this in mind, our friends at The Menagerie presented the Spirit Alley Halfway to Halloween market at the famed Winchester Mystery House in San Jose.
Crowdfunding
Staff Report | May 7, 2026
Our latest crowdfunding roundup includes a graphic novel inspired by classic steampunk films, plus an anti-colonial comic book saga and more.
Artificial Intelligence
By Stephen Beale | May 6, 2026
If steampunk fans want to have a constructive conversation about generative AI, we should all be aware of how it works. Here’s a short guide to AI models and how they are trained, as well as the legal and ethical issues surrounding them.
Events
Staff Report | May 5, 2026
It’s another big weekend for steampunk fans, but this time the action tilts toward the U.S. with the Watch City Steampunk Festival and Bourbon City Steam plus happenings in Arkansas and Upstate New York.
Entertainment
Staff Report | May 4, 2026
It’s a banner month with the arrivals of two modern classics — The Prestige and Hugo — along with Good Omens, Spider-Noir, and for the first time ever on a streaming service, Tales from the Crypt.
Events
Staff Report | Apr 27, 2026
With the start of May comes a jam-packed weekend for steampunk events, especially in England and Wales due to a bank holiday. Here’s a rundown.
Events
Commentary by Stephen Beale | Apr 23, 2026
A prominent convention posted a compelling plea for steampunks to participate in events. Unfortunately, its use of AI-generated imagery undermines the message and sets a bad example.
Crowdfunding
Staff Report | Apr 23, 2026
Whitby Goth Weekend in North Yorkshire, U.K., is a major happening not just for goths, but for steampunk fans as well. Now it’s the setting for a new installment of Ask for Mercy, a dark fantasy comic book series from writer Richard Starkings and illustrator Abigail Jill Harding.
Music
Staff Report | Apr 21, 2026
Sad news from our friends at Frenchy and the Punk, as the band revealed that Samantha Stephenson (“Frenchy”) has been diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer.
Events
Staff Report | Apr 21, 2026
Eureka Springs, a historic resort town in Northwest Arkansas, will once again host Goggles, Gears and Springs, while the Port Townsend Victorian Heritage Festival returns to Washington’s Olympic Peninsula.
Books
By Stephen Beale | Apr 15, 2026
Online booksellers are already flooded with AI-generated titles, but we could be near a tipping point as marketers sell the idea that virtually anyone can prompt their way to literary stardom. A recent Facebook ad is a case in point.
Photo Gallery
Photos by William Cardwell | Apr 15, 2026
Steampunk fans will steer their airships to the Bluegrass State as the third Bourbon City Steam convention takes place May 8-10 in Louisville. Here’s a preview, plus a look back at last year’s gathering.
Events
Staff Report | Apr 13, 2026
Steampunk fans will celebrate the works of Lewis Carroll as the fourth Tell-Tale Steampunk Festival takes place April 17-19 in York, Pennsylvania. The calendar also includes happenings in Boston, Phoenix, and the U.K.
Steampunk Art
By Stephen Beale | Apr 9, 2026
AI tools make it easy to produce imagery for books, albums, social media posts, and the like. But many folks in the steampunk community (us included) have strong objections to the technology. Here’s our guide to the alternatives.
Events
Staff Report | Apr 7, 2026
Fans of Sherlock Holmes will gather April 10-12 at the Atlanta Airport Marriott for 221B Con, a convention dedicated to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famed detective, including recent incarnations in film, TV, comics, and other media.
Music
Staff Report | Apr 2, 2026
The band released We’re All Like, YEAH!, their latest full-length album. Themes range from “Dad jokes and time travel to robots and psychotic monkeys,” they said.
Photo Gallery
Staff Report | Apr 2, 2026
One of the most prominent gatherings in the steampunk world came to an emotional end as the 14th Wild Wild West Steampunk Convention (WWWC) took place March 19-22 in Tucson, Arizona.
Crowdfunding
Staff Report | Apr 2, 2026
Our latest roundup includes a story collection from Richard C. White, a “Frankenstein steampunk tragedy graphic novel,” and new hardcover editions of previously released books.
Parody
Staff Report | Apr 1, 2026
Well, folks, it was just a matter of time. In an era of books, movies, music, and artwork produced by artificial intelligence, a Silicon Valley events company announced plans to launch the world’s first AI-generated science fiction convention. (April Fools’ Parody)
Entertainment
By Stephen Beale | Mar 31, 2026
Notable arrivals include a new animated Star Wars series, an animated spinoff of Stranger Things, and the fifth and final season of The Boys, the Prime Video superhero satire. Several old favorites are also returning to streamers this month.
Comics
By Stephen Beale | Mar 26, 2026
Manga adaptations of Gail Carriger’s Soulless, Changeless, and Blameless have been long out of print, but now Yen Press is out with a 676-page omnibus that collects all three. The author will celebrate with a launch party.