Hi, everyone! It’s Nico Rosso and Zoë Archer. First, we want to say thanks to Coffee Time for having us on the blog today. We’re married and co-write the steampunk romance series The Ether Chronicles for Avon Impulse. We created the world of the Ether Chronicles together, and now switch off writing the books in the series. Nico writes the steampunk Westerns, and Zoë writes the steampunk everywhere else.
And now, without further ado, our interview!
1. What does Steampunk mean to you?
Zoë: First, thanks so much for having us on the blog! Second, to answer your question, steampunk is the blending of history with the scientifically fantastical. A cocktail that combines historical settings with a future that never was.
Nico: It’s a vision of the late 19th Century, altered as if the scientists and inventors of the time were able to bring to reality their wildest imaginings.
2. What is your favorite thing about steampunk or writing about steampunk?
Z: Usually in historical settings, I have to justify why my heroines operate outside of conventional society. But steampunk allows me to create a world that diverges from unyielding definitions of what women are permitted to do, so they can be spies, inventors, academics…almost anything at all, and there’s nobody to give them grief about it.
N: I really enjoy the opportunities for invention. Because it’s not total sci-fi, where almost anything is possible, I have to think like an inventor of the time and use tools and materials they would have at hand to augment real technology from the time or come up with something completely new. Then, once I have a machine or a weapon, I get to figure out how a character would use it and how it might alter the story.
3. What is your favorite steampunk accessory?
Z: Boots with buckles.
N: I’d love to get my hands on a clockwork Gatling rifle like Tom Knox has in NIGHT OF FIRE. How much fun would that be to wind up and turn loose on some tin cans?
4. What turned you on to steampunk?
Z: I rather fell into it by accident when Nico and I were creating the Blades of the Rose. That series wasn’t technically steampunk, nor did I think of it as such, but he and I wanted to create James Bond-like gadgets using Victorian era technology. The label of “steampunk” was applied to the series after it was written. But then he and I talked about creating an actual steampunk series, one that more fully embraced its elements, and so The Ether Chronicles was born.
N: Like Zoë said, it was accidental. We just happened to be creating fantastical devices in a Victorian setting. Once we learned there was a whole genre built around this kind of invention, the mingling of sci-fi and historical became even more appealing.
5. Do you have any upcoming Steampunk stories you can tell us about?
Z: I’m currently writing my third Ether Chronicles book, which is the fifth in the series. This one’s got a bit of a Gothic feel to it, as opposed to the more adventure-based stories I’d written before. Lots of mystery and atmosphere. But I can’t say more, because I don’t want to give away any spoilers!
N: My second Ether Chronicle NIGHTS OF STEEL is available now. So far, that’s my last Western for the run, but we’ll see what mysterious stranger might come riding out of the east if things go well.
6. Who is your favorite character of all from one of your Steampunk stories?
N: Anna Blue from the second book was a lot of fun to write. She’s one tough bounty hunter, but isn’t so hard that her emotions are completely buried. Because she’s so wary, it was interesting writing her journey to trust Jack, not just in the adventure, but also with her heart.
Z: As much as I said that the Blades of the Rose wasn’t really steampunk, the inventor character, Catullus Graves, remains not only one of my favorite steampunk characters, but one of my all-time favorite characters from any of my books. He’s a shy but kick-ass mechanical genius with a fondness for waistcoats and women with freckles.
7. What’s the hardest thing about creating a Steampunk universe?
Z: Creating the tech. For that, I rely heavily on my mad scientist, Nico.
N: Because I enjoy the technology so much, the hardest thing for me is keeping the humanity of the characters balanced with all the ornate machinery going on around them. If the descriptions of the tech are too extensive, the people become too secondary, so I try to have the inventive devices feed the plot and the character development.
8. What’s the easiest thing about creating a Steampunk universe?
N: Because mine are Westerns, the easiest part is devising the set piece locations, then amping them up with the steampunk elements. The evil mining company is a staple of Westerns, but for the Ether Chronicles, I was able to turn the villain into a rock eating fifty foot machine hell bent on destroying Thornville (as seen in NIGHT OF FIRE).
Z: I wouldn’t call it “easy,” but it’s certainly fun to come up with alternate timelines and histories. I don’t have to do as much research, but that also means Nico and I have to do solid world-building, so that it’s as real a world as the one in which we live.
9. What does steampunk allow you to do as a writer that no other genres can?
Z: Blend my love of history with my love of adventure and science fiction.
N: Bring my nearly impossible but somehow possible inventions into a Western setting.
10. What are the challenges and advantages to writing a steampunk story?
Z: Again, it’s a matter of integrating the technology so that it’s natural to the characters and the narrative. It shouldn’t feel slapped on, and ought to be crucial not just to the plot, but to who the characters are.
N: I think one of the biggest challenges is after it’s written. There are still many readers who aren’t familiar with the genre and might get intimidated diving into a new world. But then again, that’s also one of the advantages, because once they learn what steampunk has to offer, they find there’s a lot to like for all kinds of readers.
11. How much research does it take and how much imagination?
Z: There’s a lot of imagination. As I mentioned, Nico’s really the mechanical genius for the series, so he’s got the heavy lifting when it comes to designing the technology and making it seem reasonably realistic. Sometimes there’s a steampunk device we want to use and need to find a scenario in which to use it, and sometimes a situation arises in the plot that requires the “invention” of a new technology. But my Ether Chronicle books are usually set in exotic locations (the Carpathian Mountains, Arabia, the Outer Hebrides), so I need to research the settings and also elements of characters’ backstories. Just because the history is somewhat different from ours, there’s a lot that remains the same, and I don’t want to make mistakes.
N: Zoë’s answer pretty much covered it. Our alternate history makes researching many elements impossible, so we had to invent a world that was consistent and real enough that it seemed as if we did detailed archival work. A lot of the actual research for me was regarding the flora and fauna of my Western settings so the world is as real as possible, despite the steampunk tech.
For more info on these books and all the others,
Zoë can be found here: http://www.zoearcherbooks.com
Nico can be found here: http://www.nicorosso.com
Prize alert! We’re giving away one e-copy of SKIES OF FIRE and one e-copy of NIGHT OF FIRE to a commenter. Because we write stories set in different parts of the world, our question for you is this: what unique location or country would you like to see in a steampunk story?
- About the Author
- Posts in the Past
I have enjoyed The Ether Chronicles immensely. Your interview was insightful. How about a setting in Africa? Thanks for the contest. Your stories are wonderful.
Africa would be wonderful! I’d love to see steampunk in Kenya or Zaire. Thanks so much for stopping by and reading the Ether Chronicles!
I’m familiar with your space opera romance but I’ve missed out on the steampunk. I’ll make it one of my upcoming purchases.
How about Antarctica? The race to the South Pole could have been a little earlier with some of the neat steampunk gadgets.
The minute you mentioned that, Nico started thinking up all kinds of cool steampunk devices that could travel across glaciers. Glad you’ve enjoyed our sci-fi romances, too. Thanks for visiting today!
My first steampunk romance was set in Australia. Never been there, but I was fascinated with some of the myths and legends. It was fun exploring where I could send the characters. I eventually re-set in in America, but there are references to Australia in the first, second, and third book in the series.
Great interview and I wish I could get my husband interested in my writing!
Ooh, steampunk in the Outback would be so much fun!
Nico and I have been very lucky. We were writers when we met, and now we get the chance to work together on our books. Thanks for dropping by!
Wow! Your steampunk universe sounds exceptionally detailed! I love steampunk myself, and I also love the freedom involved in writing it.
I think steampunk is one of those genres where you have to go all in, or it doesn’t quite work. So Nico and I try to create as much of the world as possible in order to make it real both for the characters and the readers.
Is the freedom awesome? There’s so much room for invention, location, and variety of characters.
Thanks for visiting the blog today!
Great interview Zoe and Nico 🙂
I’d be curious to see a steampunk take off of Around the World in 80 days (female balloon pilot/inventor?) or maybe an around world race. LOVE your Ether Chronicles series!
Mindy 🙂
Birdsooong@comcast.net
Thanks, Mindy! The around the world race is a great idea, that way we’d get to see all kinds of locations and cultures and how they’re affected by steampunk, all in one book.
Sorry about the name typo, Mina! Either too much caffeine or not enough.
York, I have always wanted to read a story set it York, and it is such an amazing city i think Steampunk would work well there
If you were looking for a location a little outside of the city in the moors of north York, I can give a little spoiler that Zoë’s next Ether Chronicle has a very similar feel. Thanks for coming by and good luck with the contest!
I’m just beginning to delve into this steampunk genre I’ve heard so much about! It sounds like such fun and just the type of thing I’d like to read. I’m glad to have found more books to add to my growing TBR list! Thanks! As for location, I’m always fond of London (for just about any time period or genre!), but what about a story set in Germany? I’d love to see that!
Glad you’re getting in to steampunk, Tricia. I think you’ll find that there’s a lot of variety and really inventive storytelling in the genre. Germany would be a cool setting. It would be interesting to add steampunk to the really rich and ancient fairy tales that came from there.
I thoroughly enjoyed your interview, Zoe and Nico. Some years ago I picked up a book at a steam rally (I love steam engines!) I can’t recall the title and sadly the book got lost in several house moves, but it was termed ‘alternative history’ and was, in effect, what today is termed ‘steampunk’, and I was totally intrigued and smitten by the book, with its delightful combination of SF elements combined with ‘steam technology’ and Victorian settings, so I am looking forward to reading more steampunk and eventually writing my own. As for a unique location, how about steampunk set in rural Wales, where I come from. Wales is a land full of myth and magic – and also some of the most picturesque narrow gauge steam railway lines in the world!
A steam rally sounds really cool. We’ll have to hunt one of those down some time. We did go to Wales once, but it was because I was driving a rental and we got very lost. It was beautiful country, though, and we wished we’d put it on the itinerary. A steampunk railway through that landscape would be an incredible setting.
I loved Blades of the Rose, especially Catullus Graves, so I’ll definitely have to check out this series! I think Japan would make a for a great location for steampunk, especially since it was so associated with cyberpunk at one time.
So glad you love my kick-ass nerd, Sonya. Catullus has always been one of my favorite characters. And I’d set a steampunk story in Japan in a heartbeat. It’s definitely on my radar.
So enjoyed reading your blog, sadly have to wait for 4 more books to add you to my approved buying list. The things we do to make our spouses happy.
Sorry you have to wait to keep the peace, Anna. But the books will be there when you’re ready. Thanks for coming by to check out the blog today!
My first two thoughts, Africa and Antarctica, have already been mentioned, so how about the rainforests of South America, especially in the canopy?
That jungle setting would be awesome, Mary. I can already see clockwork insects scurrying through the trees and collecting information through special lenses and tiny chemically treated metal plates.
Interesting interview! I’d love to see steampunk meet India. Or someplace with volcanoes or geysers.
As a matter of fact, Meljean Brook’s Riveted is set in Iceland, and not to give away too many spoilers, but the hero is a vulcanologist, and where’s there’s a vulcanologist, there are volcanoes that may or may not erupt. 😉
I have thought mixing Old World sites with ancient ruins like a mini-tour idea again of the Mediterranean isles (Greco-Roman sites) mixed with steampunk would be really interesting!
Actually, Ann, the Blades of the Rose book Scoundrel is set in Greece, and ruins and islands feature prominently in it, along with some fun steampunk devices and action scenes. Thanks for stopping by today!
I’d love to see steampunk in Japan and China as well as more unknown countries like Iceland or Austria. I’ll have to check out Riveted. Thank you!
All of those locals would be so cool, Tina. One of the fun parts of steampunk is figuring out how different cultures put their own stamp on the technology, and these places would offer up tons of those opportunities.
How about the Amazon?
bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com
Considering we’re still learning things about that area of the world, putting steampunk adventures there would be fantastic.
I thought the Blades of the Rose had some awesome locations, especially Mongolia and Canada. I think China or Peru might be interesting settings for a steampunk story.
Hey, Barbara! I’m so glad you enjoyed the Blades of the Rose, and I agree that the Andes or the varied landscape and cultures of China would be great for steampunk. I’d love to see how different cultures besides Western ones would interpret steampunk technology—which I showed a bit of in SKIES OF STEEL, since that was set mostly in Arabia.
Loved your Blades of the Rose series…they were my first taste of steampunk 🙂
How about Norway?
Had to show my son the cover of one of your covers. The one with the guy with a mohawk (since he has one.)
Mmm I would love to see steampunk travel to Ireland, Scotland. Perhaps even Japan or China! That would be neat!!
I would love to see a story in Africa- Egypt or Tangiers
There are so many good locations that were suggested. I think I would like Alaska – for some cool fun. 🙂
I am enjoying learning of all these Steampunk authors who are new to me. I need to start getting some of these into my review lists! Thanks for sharing.