Anbar August - STEAM SPIDERS

So I'm finally getting into the whole "Steampunk" aspect of the Might of the Steelgods books. It's always been a sort of hybrid between traditional fantasy and Steampunk elements, where the Steampunk parts are mostly of my own design (that is, we haven't gotten into the whole "Victorian era" part of it...at least not extensively).

I've always loved Steampunk, even though I know...well, not a lot about it. Perhaps the biggest Steampunk thing I enjoyed was Final Fantasy VI, which was big on the technology part and not on the other aspects (clothing, period society, etc.)

Pictured: STEAMPUNK IN 16 BITS

Which is sort of where my enjoyment of the whole Steampunk thing comes from. I love the idea of goofy, impossible machines powered by steam and clockwork, but get bogged down in the rest of it. However, I'm cut a bit of slack in Gears: It takes place in London, which is the main city of the Gears of Anbar (the steampunk guys) in Tempered (the land that is mostly traditional fantasy). So they have aspects of both society, which basically means: Nathan can cheat and cut out all the parts of steampunk he doesn't like. Suckers!


Unfortunately, when they actually get to the Steel-Imbued Domain in a later book (the entire country that is a massive Gears city) then I'll have to actually....you know, follow the "rules" of steampunk. But we'll worry about that when I get to it.

But my total ruination of Steampunk for my own fiendish devices means I can do CRAZY THINGS. LIKE ADD STEAM SPIDERS. NOBODY HAS EVER...

Oh wait. 

CRAP.

Well...mine is different. Also there's dirigibles, a staple of steampunkness, as well as some other crap. Basically I'm enjoying myself since I haven't been able to put guns in a story for forever, so it's good to have them all back.

At any rate, I'd say we are about in act 3 of Gears, which is good considering there are only five days left in August. If I'm going to finish this thing before "Anbar August" ends, then I'm going to have to pick up the pace. The plan after that is, while I still have Cevan's story fresh on my mind, I'll go back and edit the first Steelgods book. I'm also considering changing the title to The Destroyer of the World, and thinking of something else for the last book. The Destroyer of the World is just so much more attention-grabbing, you know?

Also all that rambling about that job last time and I probably didn't get it. Oh well.

Here's a bit. IS IT ABOUT STEAM SPIDERS? YOU BET IT IS!

“That isn’t even the best of it,” Pitronus elbowed me. “I heard from a little bird that they have Steam Spiders here.”

I blinked, uncertain what to say. Steam mixed with spiders didn’t sound like a good combination, no matter how many options my vivid imagination threw up. Ashe, on the other hand, nearly exploded in excitement.

“Really? Are you serious? They gave Boreous Spiders? As in, more than one? Steelgods, that’s amazing! Where are they?”

“Judging by the sound,” Pitronus grinned at her, clearly enjoying the attention. “I’d say they are next up in our little performance.”

Ashe’s gaze glued on the corner. I don’t think if I’d stripped naked and danced next to her I could have gotten her attention at that moment. So I watched along with her, hair bristling with anticipation on what a “Steam Spider” might be.

When the monstrous machine at last rounded the corner, I saw that – like the Walking Artillery – the Gears were not ones for subtlety when naming their creations.