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 |  The Pressure Valve - Closed for now.
The Boiler Room's SteamPunk short story contest. |
  Greetings and felicitations, all writers and readers of the glorious but as yet little-known science fiction sub-genre, SteamPunk. Herein lies a grand adventure into the mysterious world of boilers and clockworks, vacuum tubes and mechanical automata, set in a post-Victorian milieu that bears only the vaguest resemblance to the "real" world of internal combustion engines and solid-state electronics. We bid you welcome to the SteamPunk Sanctum. From the outside, our rambling mansion looks quaint, even charming, with its gingerbread latticework and witch's hat cupolas, but do not judge this book by its cover. Step onto the wrap around porch, wield the brass doorknocker and peer through the beveled glass panes in the massive oak front door. Jenkins, our trusted manservant, will show you in, then leave you to explore the many rooms, with their overstuffed furniture, pressed-tin ceilings and bow windows. Climb the winding staircase and wander through the living spaces of scientists, mercenaries, altruistic philanthropists and black-hearted villains. A word of caution: do not disturb the madman locked in the eastern cupola. His wild ramblings of mystical utopias and limitless treasure have sent other men seeking, only to find their doom. Climb the narrow stairs to the attic; hidden there are secrets deemed too dangerous for humankind to know. Or perhaps you disagree? Your judgment, dear friend, suffices for us. Then down, down to the dark basement, to the Boiler Room, where sooty-faced stokers shovel coal into fireboxes, pipes hiss with steam pressure and all manner of machines clank, tick, and whir. On laboratory benches, strange liquids bubble in beakers and travel through a maze of tubes. What is all this ephemera, and what does it do? Who created these mechanical marvels? They are the stuff of SteamPunk, and in each and every room of this sprawling mansion are stories, waiting to be written... by you, dear friend. THE RULES - FOLLOW THEM, IF YOU PLEASE. 1. This is a short story contest, for stories of 3,000 words or fewer. The word count must be listed at the bottom of the work. 2. All entries must be new static items (written in the month of the prompt), and posted in the forum below in {bitem:#######} format. (The item's number replaces the # signs.) 3. Content rating of entries must be 18+ or lower. The title, however, and the subject line of your post must be "E-rated". 4. PLEASE EDIT YOUR WORK BEFORE POSTING. We are aspiring professionals; the way we present our work to reviewers, agents, and publishers is important. No editing is allowed between posting and announcement of the winners. 5. Entries must follow the prompt for each round, listed below, and remain true to the SteamPunk genre. 6. Entries are due by 11:59pm, WdC time, on the 9th day of the month. 7. Judging will be completed and prizes awarded by the 15th day of the month. THE PRIZES - GLORY AND VAST WEALTH.  1st Prize50k Awardicon and 20k GPs Science Fiction Merit Badge 2nd Prize25k Awardicon and 15k GPs 3rd Prize10k Awardicon 5k GPs If there are fewer than four entries, only first prize will be awarded. If two or fewer, the entrants will receive a Merit Badge, but no other prize will be awarded. THE PROMPT FOR THE DECEMBER ROUND. A clockwork Santa Claus (a "Santa-maton") is soaring in his steam-sleigh over Victorian London or New York. What is its mission on this ever-so-smoggy Christmas Eve? Is it a benevolent stand-in for a sick St. Nick? Or is it something more... malevolent? You decide, dear friend, and spin your tale of Steampunk Yuletide. Should you need inspiration, there are some wonderful links available on our group page, "Invalid Item"  THE JUDGES. Beck ready to write again!   tYpO,Boilerman,Dragon Keeper  CeruleanSon  ... and perhaps a guest judge! THE JUDGING CRITERIA. 1. PLOT. Is it interesting? Does it move along, with the necessary information delivered as the action moves forward? Does it make sense within the confines of its own logic? 2. DESCRIPTION. Are the characters and settings brought to life? Are they consistently portrayed? Is the descriptive language woven successfully into the moving plot progression? 3. VOICE. One of the defining features of the SteamPunk genre is the narrative voice. The somewhat formal feel of Victorian English lends SteamPunk a 19th century flavor that smacks of Jules Verne, H.G. Welles, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. This flavor, or a feel that might have evolved directly from it, will be integral to the best SteamPunk stories. 4. GRAMMAR, PUNCTUATION and SPELLING. As mentioned above, presentation is important, and it will be taken into account, though it will, within reason, be less heavily weighted than the previous criteria. Previous winners may be found here:
DONATIONS ARE GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED. Donations of 30,000 GPs or more will be rewarded with an appropriate Merit Badge. MANY THANKS TO OUR GENEROUS BENEFACTORS. EarlyHours-A Vigilante Ranger  SoCalScribe  LJPC - the tortoise   for the glorious ribbon that festoons our banner! ALSO: These authors, boilermen if you will, run these other competitions as well:
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