Steampunk Sleuths will be released on the 30th of August (but the Kindle version is available for pre-order today at just $1.99 instead of $3.99). You can also add it today to your Goodreads bookshelf. To celebrate this anthology that perfectly aligns the gears that drive the genres of steampunk and mystery, we’re interviewing the contributing authors. Don your aviator goggles, but keep your magnifying glass close at hand, because these steamy puzzles won’t solve themselves!
Hi S. B.,
Q : There’s nothing quite as captivating as a great detective story, but what specifically is it about mystery in a steampunk world that gets your gears turning?
A: Steampunk is a genre that offers nearly limitless possibilities. The only real qualifier is the energy-systems in use, and the feel. Pulp adventure, historical, romance, horror, mystery, fantasy, or a blend of all these things and more can easily fit into a satisfying steampunk story. I really enjoy that wide-open flexibility.
Of course, on the non-technical side, steampunk is just flat out cool. I am the sort of guy who still, even in my adulthood, has dreams about monstrous industrial machinery and huge commercial buildings that go on and on, woven with pipes and gears and weird motors… Nightmare-fuel liminal stuff. When I was younger, these dreams used to terrify me, but now that I’m older I’ve started to enjoy them. Basically, they’re steampunk. Having the opportunity to write a story set in a world like that was a special treat.
Q : Tell us about your protagonist. Is this the first puzzle your main character has solved?
A: The protagonist in “Tears of the Dragon” is a geisha living in a very alternate history Edo Japan, named Aoyama Ohatsu. Though young herself, she already has a younger geisha-in-training that looks up to her. Living in a strict feudal society, Ohatsu must balance her sense of place and self against her duties as a professional entertainer. Of course, when her house-sister goes missing, Ohatsu’s loyalties to that very caste system are the first things that are tested.
I really enjoyed writing Ohatsu. To me, she was clever, emotionally intelligent, and generous. That being said, because of her place in society, I think it’s unlikely she’ll find herself in the middle of another mystery anytime soon… But then again, who knows?
Q : It’s time for Show and Tell! What’s the most steampunk antique, item of clothing, book, game, or household item you have?
A: That would probably be this weird clamp-magnifying-glass thing I was gifted years ago. It serves no real functional purpose, just looks cool on my shelf. I’ve only ever used it rarely… but, now that I mention it, I have an idea…
Q: Where can we find you online?
A: You can find me online at SBWatson.com, on X at SBWatsonMystery, Facebook as S. B. Watson, Instagram at sbwatsonmysteries, and on Goodreads as Theodore Berkawitz Meshak Sibelius the Fourth… Just kidding. On Goodreads I’m—you guessed it—S.B. Watson.
Q : Thanks for playing along!
A : Thanks for having me!
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