James "Sydeian" Brown who writes under the

pen name A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen na ...

"James Richardson-Brown", is a British

author An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states: "''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...

, best known as the creator of ''The Sydeian Coalition''

steampunk Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction that incorporates retrofuturistic technology and aesthetics inspired by 19th-century industrial steam-powered machinery. Steampunk works are often set in an alternative history of the Victorian ...

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...

series, books, 3-D artworks and RPG. The ''Sydeian'' series has garnered a cult following around the world with fans from the UK, America, South Africa, India, etc. He is also known for his promotion of steampunk in the UK and for coining the term ''Steamgoth'' Chronicles Magazine (2008) Steampunk - what's that all about? 2(9) pp10 a movement that is fast growing in popularity

''The Sydeian Coalition books''

The Sydeian Coalition books garnered a cult following on the web following Brown's decision along with his co-author Paul Taylor to make the first few chapters freely available to readers a tactic repeated with The Shattered Cog. The completed novel was published in early 2009 by YouWriteOn and Lightning Press. The book met with a warm reception from readers but was noted to have suffered due to a lack of proof-reading, editing and mistakes in listing by the publishers (to this day the book is found under the wrong title and author name in many places). The books are set in an alternative history where in 1866 the British had mastered space exploration indadvertantly sparking an interplanetary conflict between previously unknown inhabitants of the solar system. The story follows the lives of Captain Sydeian, a disgraced army veteran and William Percival as they try to figure out how to defeat this new enemy. The Sydeian Coalition is also the name of the fan club for the book.

Work as a 3-D artist

Using a mixture of found, hand crafted and raw materials, Brown creates objects that heavily draw on and in turn influence steampunk, science fiction, dieselpunk, alternative history and neo-Victorian styles. These works include devices, weapons, tools and ornamentation featured in his publications and working examples of modern technology such as mobiles phones, USB sticks, speakers and DVD players re-imagined in the steampunk aesthetic. Many of these works are released under the 'Sydeian Creations' collection with some of the darker work which more closely adheres to the steamgoth aesthetic released as part of the 'Black Laboratory'. His work has appeared in Museum of the History of Science, Oxford,Museum of the History of Scienc
Programme of Exhibitions 2009-2010
/ref> the Hartford Artspace gallery,Artspac
Past Events and Programs 2010

Chepstow castle Chepstow Castle ( cy, Castell Cas-gwent) at Chepstow, Monmouthshire, Wales is the oldest surviving post-Roman stone fortification in Britain. Located above cliffs on the River Wye, construction began in 1067 under the instruction of the Norman ...

Bradford Industrial Museum Bradford Industrial Museum, established 1974 in Moorside Mills, Eccleshill, Bradford, United Kingdom, specializes in relics of local industry, especially printing and textile machinery, kept in working condition for regular demonstrations to the ...

and the

British Library The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and is one of the largest libraries in the world. It is estimated to contain between 170 and 200 million items from many countries. As a legal deposit library, the Briti ...

, as film props and within articles on steampunk both on and off the internet.

Promotion of steampunk in the UK

Richardson-Brown did much to promote steampunk in its early days as a subculture in the UK. He has written articles about the steampunk subculture, given demonstrations of steampunk fashion and sculpture to wider audiences and has given interviews regarding the definition of steampunk and the growing steampunk movement.BBC Technology News
Tech Know: Fast forward to the past
30 November 2009 In 2007 he hosted the UK's first steampunk meet-up, held in a large tearoom during the Whitby Goth Weekend. A tradition that is still ongoing. He also performs on stage as 'Sir Sydeian Strong', a recreation of a traditional Victorian strongman routine.

Publications

# ''The Sydeian Coalition - A Steampunk Adventure'' (2009) # ''The Shattered Cog'' (2010)

Articles

* "Steampunk, An Introduction",

The Chap ''The Chap'' is a British humorous men's lifestyle magazine published quarterly. It was founded in 1999 by Gustav Temple and Vic Darkwood, and is still edited by Temple. The magazine proposes that men everywhere return to a more gentlemanly wa ...

2009 * "Steampunk, What's that all about?" Chronicles Magazine 2008 * "Steampunk" by Amaranth, featuring an interview with Brown Unscene Magazine 2008

External links

Official Website

Official site of The Sydeian Coalition books

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Richardson-Brown, James 1982 births English science fiction writers Living people People from Walthamstow English male novelists English male non-fiction writers