Victoriana & Assorted Ramblings

[bradygirl_12]

Well, as it’s only a month before my Story Writing Process essay is due for superhero_muses, I figured I’d better start writing some notes, so I got that accomplished today. :)



Also, icarus_chained has inspired me to consider writing my own DC Victorian AU after reading so many of her lovely works! She knows I love the era and it would be a delight to write the manners and charms of the day while delving into the harsh realities under a cultured surface.

I have just a glimmer of an idea and it may come to naught or months down the road, but would people be interested in reading any Victorian hi-jinks from me? ;)

My parents gifted me with books like Little Woman and Five Little Peppers when I was a child, and I fell in love with the era. Most Americans think post-War when thinking of the Victorian era, though of course it stretches throughout Queen Victoria’s reign from 1837-1901. Our mindset divides the 19th century into pre-and-post-Civil War, however, with antebellum America being pre-War.

Even though there was the War of 1812, The Mexican War of the 1840s, and the Spanish-American War of 1898, THE War is the one that raged from 1861-1865. It’s also capitalized in works of the times, from letters to histories to diaries. One needed only to say, "The War" and it was understood which one.

It was an era of incredible grace and unspeakable cruelties, and the excitement and belief that science could bring a better world also sparked progressive movements in politics, the arts, and sociology. There was optimism that the 20th century did its best to crush later on.

Women agitated for the vote, and the abolitionist movement was a driving force in the 1850s. Exploration of the American continent was necessary in the early part of the century, and archeology flowered in Egypt and Greece. There were grand balls and magnificent scientific expositions and grace and charm. ‘Boston marriages’ between women and flowery, poetic letters exchanged between male friends was often the norm.

There was also a thriving pornography industry, just below the surface of Victorian respectability.

I’m feeling restless. I am doing well with finishing prompts and other projects but am not sure if I can keep up the pace, which has been pretty much white-hot all week. I’ve been revising and typing like crazy.

I fear that I’ve lost my ability to write a true drabble! Every time I do fic requests I can’t do quick turn-arounds, but just full-fledged fics!

I really should be trying to decide some future Classic Fics and type them up to have in reserve.

I’m also thinking of doing a poll that isn’t fanfic-related but could be fun. :)

Can you tell I’m rambling? :) But restlessness will do that to a person, I suppose.

Comments

[icarus-chained.livejournal.com]

*grin* Honey, you write Victoriana, you know I'll be there!

Gotta say, the flavour of the era seems to have been slightly different this side of the pond. At least as far as the preoccupation with war goes. That is to say, the British Empire had a LOT of wars throughout the whole era, so it was more of a general thing rather than a focused interest in one particular war.

Have you ever read the Flashman novels? They're fabulous for the British military of the time. Not contemporary, but stunningly researched, and extremely funny to boot! And genuinely moving in some places. THe description of the Indian Mutiny of '57 in 'Flashman in the Great Game' just about rips your heart out. Not even a man who cares for no-one much except himself can help but feel pity and horror there.

Ah. I think I am also rambling. But. If you haven't read the series, you totally, totally should!

[bradygirl_12]

*grin* Honey, you write Victoriana, you know I'll be there!

Glad to know I'll have one reader at least! ;)

Gotta say, the flavour of the era seems to have been slightly different this side of the pond. At least as far as the preoccupation with war goes. That is to say, the British Empire had a LOT of wars throughout the whole era, so it was more of a general thing rather than a focused interest in one particular war.

I'd guess it's because your country was at the height of its Empire and accustomed to wars across the globe. We were isolationist here, and the Civil War literally changed nearly everything about American society, and pushed us into becoming more of a united country after the crucible. The War touched everyone in some way. Entire towns lost their young men as it was the habit of the day to go to war as a unit, so if said unit was wiped out in a particular battle...
The North had some industrial experience before the War, and honed and refined it during the War. Afterwards, the Industrial Revolution really took off here.

The South was destroyed, literally from ruined plantations to towns. They lost incredible numbers of men to the modern technology, disease and medieval treatment of it, and the sheer number of battlefield deaths.

There was so much social upheaval caused by the War that it became the touchstone, neatly dividing the century right in the middle. Tales from the War and the symbolism of losing Lincoln on Good Friday guaranteed the subject would be in generations of novels, movies and art right up to the present day.

Ack! Rambling again! :)

I haven't read those novels. I do find the British Empire's might and power in those days to be endlessly fascinating, almost like the Roman Empire of the ancient world.

[icarus-chained.livejournal.com]

Ramble away!

I'd guess it's because your country was at the height of its Empire and accustomed to wars across the globe.
Well, not my country exactly, but since we were a suspect colony at the time, and it was our men they sent off to fight in those wars, I guess it might as well have been. The Victorian era came right between the two big Irish rebellions, the failed one in 1798 and the successful one during WWI (and my gods are we selfcentered about that! Everyone else was concerned with the Great War. We Irish were busy moaning about the Easter Rising). I actually think Queen Vic was the reason we didn't try our hand at a 19th century rebellion. With the White Queen at the height of her power, sensible colonies stayed cooperative, or they went the way of India in '57. Gods, but they were ruthless. Like the Romans, really. A military run with sheer engineering efficiency.

I understand the preoccupation with the Civil War for Americans, though. I never meant to suggest otherwise. Same as we looked to our own freedom and ignored mostly the horror of WWI. Not out of pettiness, but because it turned our world upside down and made us something new. A free state, for the first time. In your case, it was a war that shook your nation to the foundation, ravaged huge portions, and forced a move towards true unification.

It was a big deal for those envolved, and that includes all the generations that have had to live with the consequences.

[bradygirl_12]

Ramble away!

I'd guess it's because your country was at the height of its Empire and accustomed to wars across the globe.
Well, not my country exactly, but since we were a suspect colony at the time, and it was our men they sent off to fight in those wars, I guess it might as well have been. The Victorian era came right between the two big Irish rebellions, the failed one in 1798 and the successful one during WWI (and my gods are we selfcentered about that! Everyone else was concerned with the Great War. We Irish were busy moaning about the Easter Rising).

So we share some ethnic history! *takes out her shamrock*

I actually think Queen Vic was the reason we didn't try our hand at a 19th century rebellion. With the White Queen at the height of her power, sensible colonies stayed cooperative, or they went the way of India in '57. Gods, but they were ruthless. Like the Romans, really. A military run with sheer engineering efficiency.

*nods*

Empire requires ruthless efficiency. Glory, pomp, and circumstance built on war and conquest.

I understand the preoccupation with the Civil War for Americans, though. I never meant to suggest otherwise.

I didn't think you did. :)

Same as we looked to our own freedom and ignored mostly the horror of WWI. Not out of pettiness, but because it turned our world upside down and made us something new. A free state, for the first time. In your case, it was a war that shook your nation to the foundation, ravaged huge portions, and forced a move towards true unification.

It was a big deal for those envolved, and that includes all the generations that have had to live with the consequences.

Some say the South is still fighting the War. :)

But the consequences do reverberate to us today, especially in race relations. And it was eerie how that in the 1960s, exactly a hundred years later, that the civil rights movement really began to gather steam from the late '50s and exploded with the Freedom Rides of '61, the Federal troops escorting James Meredith into Ole Miss in '62, and George Wallace, Governor of Alabama, blocking the schoolhouse door in order to keep black children out.

[bat-angelwings.livejournal.com]

*grin* Honey, you write Victoriana, you know I'll be there!

Glad to know I'll have one reader at least! ;)

Make that two. I'd love to read your take on DC Victorian AU.

My parents also gifted me with Little Woman and Five Little Peppers when I was a kid and I also fell in love with the era.
*sigh*

Since my Dad's family is originally from the UK he made sure we kids learn as much as possible about the history of Britain especially the Victorian era, and the Tudor era, and the beginnings of the Winsor era.......ect.
:)

[bradygirl_12]

*grin* Honey, you write Victoriana, you know I'll be there!

Glad to know I'll have one reader at least! ;)

Make that two. I'd love to read your take on DC Victorian AU.

Excellent! Now there are two! ;)

My parents also gifted me with Little Woman and Five Little Peppers when I was a kid and I also fell in love with the era.
*sigh*

Since my Dad's family is originally from the UK he made sure we kids learn as much as possible about the history of Britain especially the Victorian era, and the Tudor era, and the beginnings of the Winsor era.......ect.
:)

They're all so fascinating! :)

[mithen.livejournal.com]

Depending on what the character focus was, I think your take on a Victorian AU would be really fascinating! Well, actually I'm sure it would be fascinating no matter who the characters were, I'd just be more likely to read it with some permutations than others. :)

[bradygirl_12]

Depending on what the character focus was, I think your take on a Victorian AU would be really fascinating! Well, actually I'm sure it would be fascinating no matter who the characters were, I'd just be more likely to read it with some permutations than others. :)

*grins*

Right now some of my characters are Clark/Bruce and Steve/Diana (and knowing me, I'm sure I'll get Dick in there somewhere!). ;)

It's going to take me awhile to get it together. I may combine it with a prompt I was thinking of for my dcu_freeforall Diana/Steve Table, but I was really thinking about that in modern times, so I'm not sure. I want to make a definite decision one way or the other before I start writing. :)