A look back at 2016

As the year draws to a close, here is a quick summary of Monroe St. Press' activity during 2016: 

— We released 7 new titles: The Wreck of the Titan, or, Futility by Morgan Robertson; The Syren of the Skies by George Griffith; Unto This Last by E.M. Spencer; Floor Games & Little Wars by H.G. Wells; The Steam Man of the Prairies by John Spencer; The Light Princess by George MacDonald; and The Happy Prince and Other Tales by Oscar Wilde.  Our newest offerings include original anthologies of popular Victorian genres (Unto This Last features utopian/dystopian fiction, while The Steam Man of the Prairies is a collection of 3 dime novels) and children's literature. 

— We established our website and this blog. 

— Events in which Monroe St. Press participated this year included the Heroicon gaming convention in Decatur, IL; Cog County Faire III in Montello, WI; two St. Louis Swap Meets on Cherokee Street; the Big River Steampunk Festival in Hannibal, MO; the Spoon River Drive in Lewistown, IL; and Steampunk Flights of Fancy at the World Bird Sanctuary near St. Louis. Look for us again this year at Heroicon (May 19-21), Big River (Sept. 2-4), and at the St. Louis Swap Meet (TBA). 

New events on our 2017 calendar include Winter War 44, Jan. 26-28 in Champaign, IL; Geneva Steam, March 10-12 in Delavan, WI; the Capcon Gaming Convention, July 15 in Springfield, IL; and Archon, Sept. 29-Oct. 1 in Collinsville, IL.  

Our "resolutions" for 2017 include adding more shorter works, including collections of novellas or short stories, to our stable of titles; more titles for children; and perhaps some vintage informational works on topics such as war gaming, aircraft, etc. We're open to any suggestions or recommendations regarding titles or authors you would like to see made available.  

Thanks to everyone who visited our booth or our website this year. We made many new friends for which we are grateful, and we wish you all a happy and prosperous new year! 

Two new books for young readers

Just in time for Christmas, Monroe St. Press has added two classic Victorian children's books by well-known authors to its catalog: 

—The Light Princess by George MacDonald, a tale of a princess with an unusual curse and the young man who strives to help her break it. Includes the original line drawing illustrations by Arthur Hughes. $5.00 at Amazon.com. 

—The Happy Prince and Other Tales by Oscar Wilde, a collection of five short stories of friendship, sacrifice, selfishness, betrayal and pride. Includes "The Happy Prince", "The Nightingale and the Rose", "The Selfish Giant", "The Devoted Friend", and "The Remarkable Rocket". Also includes original illustrations by Walter Crane and Jacomb Hood. $5.00 at Amazon.com.

We plan to add more titles for young readers to our collection in 2017. If you have any suggested titles or authors you would like to see Monroe St. Press offer, contact us by leaving a comment at this blog or by e-mail at emsjas@hotmail.com.

Flights of fancy at the World Bird Sanctuary

Monroe St. Press' last big event of 2016 was a steampunk-themed gathering Nov. 12 at the World Bird Sanctuary in Valley Park, Mo., about 25 miles west of St. Louis. 

This event, organized by Steampunk St. Louis, featured an "All About Owls" program, live entertainment, and about a dozen vendors offering steampunk-oriented items. 

A frosty but clear morning with fall colors still lingering provided a great environment for visitors to hike the site's trails, sample hot drinks and other refreshments, and show off their steampunk attire and other gear. 

Several science fiction titles, our futuristic anthology Unto This Last, and historical novels by the American Winston Churchill (a St. Louis native) attracted the greatest interest. 

Aimee, from Eureka, Mo., picked up a copy of The Great Stone of Sardis by Frank Stockton to read as part of a reading challenge at her school. This tale of an eccentric scientist's expedition to the Earth's core was written in 1897 and set in the far flung future of 1947. 

Gordon and DeAnn from Maryland Heights, Mo. obtained copies of two Churchill novels — Richard Carvel, a sea adventure set in the Colonial era, and The Crossing, which recounts the conquest of the Illinois country — along with Unto This Last, an anthology of Victorian and Edwardian visions of the future. Many of these stories take place in the 21st century and some were surprisingly prescient. 

As 2016 comes to a close, Monroe St. Press thanks everyone who visited our displays, our website and our Facebook page this year. We enjoy providing you with some of the hidden gems of a fascinating literary era and look forward to adding more titles. 

Happy Holidays and a blessed New Year 2017 to all! 

Coming attractions

Monroe St. Press thanks everyone who stopped by our tent at the Big River Steampunk Festival in Hannibal, Mo. on Labor Day weekend. We had some returning visitors from last year's festival and many new visitors expressing interest in our offerings. It was an honor to once again be a part of this festival.

We are also preparing to release a new title, The Light Princess by George MacDonald, a Scottish author and clergyman who was among the most influential fantasy authors of the Victorian era. This whimsical tale of a princess cursed by lack of "gravity" -- in every sense of the word -- has inspired numerous writers and illustrators, and recently was adapted into a British stage musical by singer Tori Amos. Like MacDonald's other works, it appeals to both the young and the young at heart. Watch our website and Facebook page for more information.

Ready for the Big River Steampunk Festival!

It's almost time for the third annual Big River Steampunk Festival in Hannibal, Mo., and Monroe St. Press will be among the merchants at the Festival's "Great Midway" in Kiwanis Park Saturday, Sunday, and Monday (Labor Day). 

Since its debut in 2014, the Festival has quickly grown into one of the premier Steampunk-themed events in the Midwest. Created and organized by Ken and Lisa Marks, directors of the Hannibal History Museum, Big River takes full advantage of the 19th-century ambiance that still pervades Mark Twain's hometown. 

Festival participants in Victorian, Edwardian, Steampunk and other costumes will be strolling along the historic Main Street throughout the weekend. Many events are free and open to the public, including the opening parade and ceremonies; open-air concerts and performances; demonstrations of Nerf Dueling, Tea Dueling, and Splendid Teapot Racing; the Cake Walk Promenade on Main; costume, facial hair, gadget and gizmo contests; and various seminars and workshops on Steampunk crafts. 

Premium events for which tickets were still available as of Thursday night include an 1870s Vintage Base Ball tournament at Clemens Field; an architectural tour of 5 beautiful 19th-century buildings; Sophie Tucker's Clockwork Cabaret show; an open air SteamaPalooza concert featuring internationally-known bands Marquis of Vaudeville and Frenchy and the Punk (limited lawn seating still available); and the Time Traveler's Ball aboard the Mark Twain Riverboat. 

With near-perfect weather forecast all weekend, a big turnout is anticipated, and tickets to premium events have been selling fast. 

Come visit us at Kiwanis Park from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday. We will have all our current titles available and we look forward to meeting anyone interested!  

Monroe St. Press given a shout-out at missouricomicbooks.com

The third annual Big River Steampunk Festival in Hannibal, Mo., is less than 10 days away, and while looking for the latest news online regarding this event, we discovered a new online publication that may be of interest. 

Launched in July, Missouri Comic Books features a preview of the Sept. 3-5 Steampunk Festival in its August issue. In addition to describing new and returning events, contests and attractions at this year's festival, the article mentions, among the authors and Steampunk creators who will be participating, "Monroe St. Press from Springfield, Illinois, which offers high quality reprints of 19th and early 20th century fiction, including historical novels and speculative fiction." 

The site describes itself as a monthly digital newsletter for "fans, collectors, retailers and comic book enthusiasts from across the Show Me State." The inaugural issues also include interviews with comic book creators, dealers and fans, news regarding comic book outlets in Missouri, and other items of interest.  Subscriptions are $2 per month and the first issue is free.  

Latest releases

So far 2016 has been quite a busy year for Monroe St. Press! We started in 2015 with 8 titles; this year we have put together 3 new titles:

-- The Wreck of the Titan, or Futility, by Morgan Robertson. A collection of 4 sea tales that includes Robertson's most famous work -- an 1898 short story about an "unsinkable" ocean liner named the Titan that collides with an iceberg. Available at Amazon, $10.00.

-- The Syren of the Skies by George Griffith. An action-packed sequel to Griffith's The Angel of the Revolution, set in the year 2030, as the Brotherhood of Freedom from Angel prepares to let the nations of the world rule themselves once more. But a vengeful descendant of the last Czar has other plans. Available at Amazon, $16.95.


-- Floor Games and Little Wars by H.G. Wells. The master of turn-of-the-century science fiction shows his whimsical side in these two works that literally wrote the book on miniature gaming and inspired generations of role playing and tabletop gamers. Wells describes in detail the games he created for his two young sons and also played with his adult friends. Available at Amazon, $5.00.

Welcome!

We are Monroe St. Press, a small publisher based in Springfield, IL.

We specialize in reprints of Victorian and Edwardian era fiction that has gone out of print, or been forgotten or overlooked in recent decades. We produce NEW, quality paperback editions of these works for your reading pleasure.

Look for more posts to highlight upcoming and recent events, announce new titles, or share information that could be of interest to our readers. If you have any ideas for works you would like to see us publish in paperback, let us know.

Don't forget to check out our website and/or our Facebook page as well.

Thank you for your interest!