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IndyFringe Building
Like many people, I read the books of Jules Verne and H.G. Wells in my formative years. Their fiction may have been a little archaic by the time I got to it, but there were pleasures to be had in their genre-creating pages.
And their influence continues. Generations after those authors were at their peaks, Verne and Wells are considered the inspiration for “steampunk,” a term that refers to the style incorporating Victorian-era storytelling and setting with science fiction and fantasy elements (the most popular example, the terrific Alan Moore/Kevin O’Neill graphic novel “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.”)
Steampunk (named for the steam era and the anarchic sensibility) has spread beyond the comics, though, as you’ll see if you catch the Absinthe Minded Professors at the IndyFringe Building. Past performances by the storyteller-and-violinist duo have included a gory prequel to “The Nutcracker” and a robotic take on Jane Austen. Whatever they share this time around, expect it to incorporate period detail with out-of-this-world imagination. Details here.
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