The Steam Emporium

As one who seeks out the odd and unusual, I hit the jackpot today while attending the  Mount Gretna Outdoor Art Show. One artist's distinctive work categorically rocketed above the rest, and I mean that literally. It impressed me so much that I must share it. The Steam Emporium caters to the speculative fiction genre in outstanding steampunk fashion. Rocket packs, time machines, Edison sound and light components, bells, ray guns, steam sabers, ... I even came across a steampunk rocket ship. Everything I visualized when I read Cherie Priest's novel Boneshaker, or some of China Mieville's novels, was there to see, touch, and activate.

For those of you unfamiliar with the genre, steampunk is a subgenre of speculative fiction set in an alternative Victorian world where steam-powered machinery exists. Think industrial revolution, Jules Verne style. Grit, grease, steel and steam cover the streets.  If you are a lover of speculative fiction, you will lose yourself in The Steam Emporium's imaginative gadgetry. And if you're not a lover of all things scifi/fantasy and the weird? Well, spending time exploring the collection just might convert you.

Ed Kidera is the mastermind behind all the wonderful gadgetry. That's Ed standing next to his steampunk jetpack. In typical steampunk fashion, Ed uses recycled material for the majority of his work. Digital components have been added to introduce light and sound. Because of this, no two pieces are alike. Ed's work can be found online, or at art/craft shows throughout the states.

Visit The Steam Emporium online at www.thesteamemporium.com or experience it live at the Mount Gretna Art Show in Mount Gretna, Pennsylvania, and plan to be amazed!