That Which Goes Bump in the Night: Our Paranormal Peculiarities The paranormal and steampunk go together like tea and scones, cogs and gears, mad scientists and giant robots. At least that is what we discovered as we began to build the world of the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences.
Now before you think that the world of any steampunk world is simply the 19th century, take a step back and think about the amazing technology and fanciful fashions of steampunk. You create a Past that Never Was, a speculation of what would happen if certain breakthroughs in industry really took hold and blossomed? This is your process in creating a steampunk world. Add to this a Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences, and now you invite the paranormal into this alternative history.
When you create a Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences you know “peculiar” will cover a wide array of areas. In our first three novels, the peculiar included secret societies plotting against the throne, science gone awry, and a delightful union of the two. In our short stories, we and the writers of our anthologies Tales from the Archives and Ministry Protocol, explored the paranormal — ghosts, dark magic, and creatures spawned from nightmares.
So what is it about steampunk and the supernatural? The 19th century was quite an exciting time with the Industrial Revolution and what seemed to be weekly breakthroughs in science, engineering, and chemistry. The 19th century, particularly in the years closer to the eve of the 20th century, was also a time of mysticism and mystery. Victorians conducted séances, indulged in spirit photography, and entertained great illusionists able to bend the laws of nature to their wills. This documented history of an era’s fascination with the unknown, with stories like Frankenstein (1818) and Dracula (1897) capturing the imagination of readers everywhere, opens paranormal opportunities of all kinds for steampunk writers like us.
Our agents are chasing villains and solving mysteries in late-Victorian England, and this summer we will be offering everyone a chance to play an agent in the Ministry through Galileo Games’ Ministry Initiative role playing game. This begs a question—in our world, what peculiar occurrence would you want to investigate? A seance that serves as a gateway to Hell? Or perhaps the dangers of Spring Heeled Jack? What’s your favourite Victorian paranormal activity?
Buy a print copy of Dawn’s Early Light from Amazon by clicking here. Buy a Kindle copy of Dawn’s Early Light from Amazon by clicking here.
Books in the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences series in the order they should be read:
Phoenix Rising
The Janus Affair
Dawn’s Early Light
About Philippa Ballantine and Tee Morris
Author Bio Philippa Ballantine:
New Zealand born fantasy writer and podcaster Philippa (Pip) Ballantine is the author of the Books of the Order and the Shifted World series. She is also the co-author with her husband Tee Morris of the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences novels. Her awards include an Airship, a Parsec, the Steampunk Chronicle Reader’s Choice, and a Sir Julius Vogel. She currently resides in Manassas, Virginia with her husband, daughter, and a furry clowder of cats.
Author Bio Tee Morris:
Tee Morris has been writing for over a decade from science fiction to fantasy to horror. His first novel, MOREVI: The Chronicles of Rafe & Askana, was a nominee for the 2003 EPPIE for Best Fantasy, but in 2005 the book became the first novel to be podcast in its entirety, ushering in a new age for authors — podcasting. He went on to write several books on social media initiatives and tour around the world with a variety of seminars and workshops covering blogging, podcasting, and social networking.
In 2011, Tee returned to fiction with Phoenix Rising: A Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Novel, written with his wife, Pip Ballantine. The title went on to win the Airship Award for Best Steampunk Literature and become a finalist for Goodreads’ Choice Awards for Best Science Fiction of 2011. 2012 saw the release of the sequel, The Janus Affair, also a finalist for Goodreads’ Choice Awards for Best Science Fiction of 2012. While celebrating the release of Dawn’s Early Light, Tee and Pip continue producing Tales from the Archives, an award-winning podcast anthology featuring short stories set in their steampunk universe.
Connect with Philippa and Tee
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