The concept of a
clockwork soldier is equal parts fascinating and frustrating.
Fascinating because the two elements are wildly incongruous;
clockwork is often associated with children's toys, not the stuff of
warfare, and frustrating because steampunk, the genre most closely
associated with clockwork, has been touched upon so often as to
become a cliché in and of itself. Now would probably be a useful
time to mention that, of all the -punk genres, steampunk is my least
favourite for two reasons. One, most of it seems to be Victoriana +
cogs + airships = steampunk. Two, it's not actually a -punk genre;
-punk implies deconstruction of a concept, while steampunk seems to
romanticise the Victorian and Edwardian eras. I am sure there is deep
and challenging steampunk fiction out there, but I have yet to find
it.
As a result, I am
deciding not to reference the steampunk genre at all for this
project, unless I should find myself in dire circumstances regarding
ideas and need something Right Now.
Either that, or I will take steampunk and make
it -punk.
The
element I am particularly interested in is the soldier. The term
'soldier' has very different implications than, say, 'warrior', or
even 'fighter'. 'Soldier' suggests a degree of discipline and
organisation, of being part of a bigger unit or army. The concept of
a soldier is also quite broad. They could be a mercenary, a military
guard, a front line fighter, a guerilla, a combat engineer, a medic,
a pilot (either of land or air vehicles), a paratrooper, a marine, a
cavalry soldier (I can almost hear Phil shouting at his monitor), a
special forces soldier, a militia soldier, a drafted soldier, a
supersoldier...
There is also the
question of rank, which will be critical in determining the nature of
their space. Are they a commander, with a huge war room at their
disposal, or a private with a dinky little billet not much better
than a cell? Is the space shared? How does military discipline (or
perhaps lack thereof) affect the layout of the room?
The other element,
clockwork, is tantalisingly tricky. To me the most important thing is
the time period in which the soldier exists. Are they in the far
future, reaching back to simpler times through old technology, or are
they in the past where clockwork is on the cutting edge? How does the
clockwork integrate with the character? Are they a toymaker drafted
into the military, are they partly or wholly clockwork themselves,
are they a zany engineer with a fondness for clockwork gadgetry? Is
the clockwork a metaphor for a strictly regimented military life? Are
little clockwork gubbins stress relief or mementos? Do they have a
suit of clockwork power armour? Does the clockwork replace a steam or
internal combustion engine for convenience, having no fuel needs
other than a pair of strong arms to wind it, like a knight without a
squire might paint their armour black for easier cleaning?
I've probably typed way
too much. My apologies if you sat and read all of that.
