The Art of Steampunk #5

Let us take a look at steampunk's crazy cousin: clockpunk.  Check out these SF inspired clocks:

A grandfather clock to rule them all.

Give your home that refined Victorian look with this clock and accessories.

Just remember that an imagination can be a wonderful thing...

...until your creation becomes self-aware and tries to destroy humanity!

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Matt Mitrovich is the founder and editor of Alternate History Weekly Update, a volunteer editor for Alt Hist and a contributor to Just Below the Law. His fiction can be found at Echelon Press, Jake's Monthly and his own writing blog. When not writing he works as an attorney and enjoys life with his beautiful wife Alana.

Weekly Update Needs a New Banner

[Editor's Note: In case you haven't noticed, we have a new banner (see above). Thanks again to everyone who participated, but this post no longer applies.]

Sometime ago I tried to create interest among my more artistically inclined fans by offering a contest to create a new banner for Alternate History Weekly Update.  I wanted something in the style of what Sean and Seb have at the top of their sites.  The only response I received was a shockingly misspelled email from a reader who said he was going to design me a "flag".  After explaining to him, over several emails, I did not want a flag, he responded that he would make me a banner and proceeded to never contact me again.

Despite that setback, I have yet to give up hope.  Alternate History Weekly Update still needs a new banner for both the blog itself and our social networking pages, especially for our Facebook page and group.  So if you have some skills and would like me to showcase your work on the top of this blog, send in your designs to ahwupdate at gmail dot com.

Some guidelines to remember:

• You must incorporate the name of the blog "Alternate History Weekly Update" into the design.  Script and look is up to you, but the name of the blog must be clearly visible.
• Colors are up to you, I am actually considering dropping the blue/white scheme so feel free to go nuts.
• Nothing offensive or copyrighted.
• There is no deadline, but the sooner you submit your design the better chance it has of being selected.

As for compensation, I do not have much to offer.  Those who wished to be paid should contact me via email (ahwupdate at gmail dot com) to express their terms.  Anyone wishing to donate their time and creation will get a banner ad to their site on the front page of the blog.

Good luck and hopefully I will not receive another horribly written email.

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Matt Mitrovich is the founder and editor of Alternate History Weekly Update, a volunteer editor for the Alt Hist magazine and a contributor to Just Below the Law. One of his short stories will be published in the upcoming Echelon Press anthology, Once Upon a Clockwork Tale (2013).  When not writing he works as an attorney in the state of Illinois and enjoys life with his beautiful wife Alana.

Weekly Update #36

Editor's Note

Wow got a lot of things to talk about in this Editor's Note.  First we got new readers from Nigeria, Jordan and Albania.  Welcome!

Next, I will be posting an interview this week with Andy Johnson, author of Seelowe Nord.  I also will be posting a review of Boneshaker by Cherie Priest.  Finally, I will be finishing "An Introduction to the Balkanized North American trope" that I promised to write last week.  Sorry about not posting it last week.  Sometimes I find it hard to write articles, especially when new ideas pop up into my head.  That is why I wrote the "Kings of the United States of America" instead, but I will try harder to keep my promises.  Thanks by the way to the Facebook fans who helped promote the article.

The results of the best contributor of 2011 are in.  Korsgaard was voted the best contributor of 2011, followed by myself, Henry Martin, War Blogger and Teramis.  Congrats to Korsgaard and hopefully we will see him post later this week as well.  Meanwhile, we have a new poll.  This time I am asking you whether you think an alternate history publishing company could be successful.  See this thread at AH.com for more details.

By the way, I forgot to mention this last week, but we broke our monthly page view record again!  Our new record is 4,541.  This is the third month in a row that we have broken our record and I plan to do it again this month.  So keep checking for more updates.

And now the news...

Samuel & Alasdair: A Personal History of the Robot War

Found a peculiar radio play called Samuel & Alasdair: A Personal History of the Robot War.  It is retro-futurist, alternate history radio-play comedy put on by The Mad Ones.  The story goes like this:

In an alternate global history, the cold war was decided not by detente, not by nuclear holocaust, but by massive robot invasion. Among the survivors, a team of Russian radio hosts, warmed to a lost culture of 1950s Americana, broadcast a story of brothers’ love drawn straight from the American heartland. “Samuel & Alasdair: A Personal History of the Robot War” combines 1950s radio drama, vintage country music, and Soviet science for a look back in time and forward to what’s next.

Samuel & Alasdair will be playing at the New Ohio Theater, 154 Christopher Street, between Washington and Greenwich streets, West Village, NYC, New York.  It will run from January 5th to the 21st.  Ticket prices range from $15-$18.  If any of our reader get a chance to check it out, please let me know.

Alternate History Prints by Matthew Buchholz

Artist Matthew Buchholz has produced some excellent prints of an alternate history where America is beset by monsters and aliens.  Winextra and Geek System have given them "awesome" reviews, so you should definitely check them out.  Below are a couple of my favorite, but you can purchase your own at Etsy.

Links to the Multiverse

Articles

2011 In Review: The Year That Wasn't by Jeff Miller at Seeking Alpha.

In some alternate universe, this is the iPhone by Mark R at Coolest Gadgets.

Liberation Blues by The Times of India.

Some New Year's resolutions a bit closer to home by Matthew Quinn at Appen Newspapers.

Books

Review of Dies the Fire by S. M. Stirling, done by Elfy at Travels Through lest.

Review of Tears of the Sun by S. M. Stirling, done by Domenico Bettinelli at Bettnet.com.

Films

More Development Art From Tim Burton's Aborted SUPERMAN LIVES!! by Merrick at Ain't It Cool News.

Star Wars: The Alternate History by Marcell Currin at Ministry of Ideas.

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Mitro is founder, editor and contributor of Alternate History Weekly Update. When he is not busy writing about his passion for alternate history, he spends his time working as a licensed attorney in the state of Illinois and dreams of being a published author himself one day.