Alice's Adventures in Steamland: The Clockwork Goddess

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Alice's Adventures in Steamland: The Clockwork Goddess

by Wol-vriey (Goodreads Author)

3.1 of 5 stars 3.10 · rating details · 77 ratings · 32 reviews

The American Queendoms of New York and Texas square off in this Steampunk Bizarro extravaganza! When war erupts between Victoria Queen of Hearts and Her Majesty Mech-Anna, it sets them down a path of intrigue and violence that threatens to annihilate both dominions. With the help of Lord Busybody and his mechanical assistant Crank, Alice Sin - prostitute/assassin for hire...more

Paperback, 182 pages

Published June 30th 2012 by Bizarro Press (first published June 3rd 2012)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Perdido Street Station by China Miéville

Best Steampunk Books

169th out of 471 books — 2,475 voters

Help! a Bear Is Eating Me! by Mykle Hansen

The Menstruating Mall by Carlton Mellick III

Bizarro

122nd out of 150 books — 127 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 697)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Jun 15, 2012 Jeffrey Keeten rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Jeffrey by: Arthur Graham

I read Alice in Wonderland eons ago. I had no idea what precarious circumstances Alice has gotten herself into since the last time I had spent time with her. Imagine my surprise to find that she has turned to the world's oldest profession. Madame Lola is always on the look out for new talent to keep her bordello fresh and interesting. She plucks Alice out of her menial work and teaches her how to turn tricks. As a bonus she often shares her wisdom with her young protege.

"Physical beauty is the...more

31 likes · like · see review

May 02, 2013 Arthur Graham rated it 4 of 5 stars

Seems to be no shortage of Alice in Wonderland adaptations these days...

THESE days? What am I saying? There's been a nonstop barrage since the story was originally published back in 1865. From the sanitized Disney treatment to the tripped-out Svankmajer version, up through Moore & Gebbie's pornographic Lost Girls, poor Alice has suffered through enough film and lit adaptations to warrant a diagnosis of multiple personality disorder. And yet the adaptations persist, because her story continue...more Seems to be no shortage of Alice in Wonderland adaptations these days...

THESE days? What am I saying? There's been a nonstop barrage since the story was originally published back in 1865. From the sanitized Disney treatment to the tripped-out Svankmajer version, up through Moore & Gebbie's pornographic Lost Girls, poor Alice has suffered through enough film and lit adaptations to warrant a diagnosis of multiple personality disorder. And yet the adaptations persist, because her story continues to resonate with interpretive possibilities 150 years later.

Most of the rehashes have been quite redundant, to be sure, but every so often one manages to put a fresh spin on things, delving into previously unexplored areas and thereby distinguishing itself from the rest. This book clearly falls into the latter category, and I'll tell you why.

Yes, I know -- surely you're thinking "but we've seen PLENTY of Alice in This-or-That-Land already!" Even in steampunk, a genre currently enjoying its renaissance, we've begun to detect hints of young Ms. Liddle. Seeing as how her character was based on a real person from the Victorian era, it's really quite astonishing that we haven't seen more of her adventures transposed with a steampunk setting. However, in filtering this seemingly obvious combo through one of the most demented minds in Bizarro fiction, "Alice's Adventures in Steamland: The Clockwork Goddess" becomes something else altogether.

In Wol-vriey's darkly humorous tale, the United States of America has yet to be born. Instead we have the Queendoms of Texas and New York, respective dominions of Her Majesty Mech-Anna and Victoria Queen of Hearts. The sister monarchs and their subjects enjoy a truce of mutual peace and prosperity -- that is until war breaks out over the coalfields on their borders.

I won't say much else plot-wise about this unique entry into Alice's ongoing saga, but let's just say that it doesn't skimp on the sex and violence -- elements largely glossed over in Carroll's original. This isn't to say that it's a nonstop flesh and gore fest either, but Wol-vriey's irreverent take on Wonderland and steampunk convention is bound to titillate and infuriate readers just the same.

Get ready for a plunge off the deep end of the rabbit hole...(less)

21 likes · like · see review

Sep 05, 2012 Nenia Campbell rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-stands-for-a-readers-xmas, x-2012s, historical-wotsits, twice-upon-a-time, pr0n, are-you-afraid-of-the-dark-yet, reviewed, did-that-animal-just-talk, magic-and-sparkles-and-shit, icky-sex-fantasies, steampunked, cool-idea-poorly-executed

i've read alice in wonderland in many forms. there's the original, obviously, which i loved. then there's the looking glass wars which is targeted towards older young adults with a kind of harry potter-esque touch. there's alice i have been, which focuses on the real alice who inspired the story. then there's king of hearts, a very bizarre erotica loosely based on wonderland mythos. there's even a manga, called alice in the country of hearts.

this was my reaction when i found out i was going to r...more

7 likes · like · see review

Feb 03, 2013 Donald Armfield rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebooks-kindle, giveaways, fantasy, steampunk, bizarro, rooster-republic

The war between New York and Texas is going down. For the coal fields in Kansas. Alice hired to assassinate The Mad Hater by his wife. The Mad Hater a tinker using steam and coal to power his inventions. As well as a 6 foot robot, and to top it all off Alice is a prostitute.

Wol-vriey packs alotta STEAM in one book. Steampunk, Bizarro, Fantasy

If Lewis Carroll ate a "Magic Cake" and had sex with a prostitute. This would be the outcome....GREAT READ!!!

4 likes · like · see review

Jun 30, 2012 Sylvia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, regency, novellas, horror, steampunk, sci-fi, wtf, digital, free-list

I had to create a new shelf for this book, 'WTF?' because it was so bizarre. I love Alice in Wonderland, LOVE it!!! This book, however, really threw me for a loop. First the good... It was extremely fresh and creative! I loved the steampunk aspects, and the twist on the characters was fun and original. There was a lot of action going on here, and these parts were well written. On the down side, the word that comes to mind is GRAPHIC. There is graphic violence, normally I can take a lot, but some...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jun 03, 2012 Edward Keller rated it 5 of 5 stars

Upon finishing the short introductory chapter of The Clockwork Goddess one realizes that there is no turning back.

This short novel (or rather just ‘novel’, if we pretend the post-1970’s bloating epidemic had not swept the publishing world) is not in the bizarro genre as outlined by the pioneers of the field, but is rather an eccentric cousin from the genre defined in the 1990’s by English titan Robert Rankin as ‘Far-fetched fiction’. Only without Mr. Rankin’s self-conscious humor knotting up th...more

4 likes · like · see review

Nov 28, 2012 Bryce rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: did-not-finish

I made it through 30% of this book before deciding that life is too short to fill with trash.

What, specifically, is trashy about this book?

1. The writing itself. Juvenile and choppy, without a sense of flow, language or build. Sentences are inserted seemingly at random. Profanity used in the most base and unimaginative way. I have no problem with so-called curse words and think that profanity can be a thing of beauty at times, but Wol-vriey uses it without grace or panache, simply as a way to...more

like · see review

Aug 29, 2012 Douglas Hackle rated it 4 of 5 stars

In Alice's Adventures in Steamland: The Clockwork Goddess, Alice and a good number of the other characters from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland get reimagined and repurposed into an entertaining story of intrigue, espionage, war, alt history, and sex that takes place in the steampunk/bizarro world of “Victorian America,” where the U.S. finds itself split into two warring countries fighting for control over the neutral state of Kansas and its vast coal reserves. I enjoyed the farfetched, imagina...more In Alice's Adventures in Steamland: The Clockwork Goddess, Alice and a good number of the other characters from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland get reimagined and repurposed into an entertaining story of intrigue, espionage, war, alt history, and sex that takes place in the steampunk/bizarro world of “Victorian America,” where the U.S. finds itself split into two warring countries fighting for control over the neutral state of Kansas and its vast coal reserves. I enjoyed the farfetched, imaginative steampunk gadgetry and weaponry in this book--e.g. giant war-spiders, airships, and “rustling mechs” (i.e. rabbit-manned, giant steam-powered robots that steal cattle). And the Mech-Sioux Indians, who engage in the practice of mechanical body augmentation possibly only as a result of “tribal idiosyncrasy” as opposed to more utilitarian reasons--are way cool too.

The book contains a fair amount of over-the-top violence and sex, lending it a sort of pulpy, trashy feel that is in perfect keeping with the bizarro tag. The lighthearted yet deadpan, omniscient, third-person narrative voice employed throughout the novella functions to make these graphic elements more palatable by imbuing everything with an ironic tone and a sort of polite humor. Nevertheless, it’s probably not the kind of book you’d want to give grandma as a gift (unless, of course, your grandma likes blood, guts, and big steel dicks.)

There’s some grammatical issues here and there in the text, but I thought that the abundance of good descriptive writing that is also found in the book, along with the occurrence of more than a few well-turned phrases, offset such issues. I did find the ending of the book to be somewhat abrupt; while I thought the final appearance of Mech-Anna was awesome, I wasn’t all that keen on how the story wrapped up at the conclusion--came off a little anticlimactic to me.

All things considered, Alice's Adventures in Steamland was a fun read, and I'll certainly read Wol-vriey again. I recommend this book to anyone who likes their speculative fiction highly weird, ultra-violent, and raunchy.

Awhile back, Wol-vriey sent me an email in which he claimed to be the recently ousted Prince of Nigeria, that he’d been forced into exile and was in need of a trustworthy individual with a U.S. bank account, someone he would compensate handsomely if said individual agreed to hold onto his US$1.7 million just until he got his affairs in order. Like an idiot, I gave him my account info and he wiped me out clean. I might have given this book 4.5 stars, but as I’m still pissed off, I must deduct half a star.
(less)

7 likes · like · see review

Jun 16, 2012 Etienne DeForest rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: bizarro-press, rooster-republic-press, bizarro, kindle-lendable

I’ve read a lot of Wol’s stuff. He writes very creative Bizarro Fiction, a genre that is almost indescribable due to its weirdness. So I was worried when I picked this book up, because I didn’t know if that creativity was going to be stifled by rules in this Victorian America setting. What was Wol going to do, now that he can’t distort time and physics anyway he feels?

I was stupid to doubt Wol. He took all that creative energy that he normally uses to create a fascinating world, and focused it o...more

3 likes · like · see review

Sep 15, 2012 Jessica rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Awful, awful book. It was VERY hard to finish and the ending was absolutely stupid. The whole story was summed up and over in about 1 page. That one page pretty much went against everything written in the book just so one could say they all lived "happily ever after." If you like half robot women who have "robot vaginas" with teeth in places you can't see (that like to mutilate men), or you have ever fantasized about Alice being a prostitute or a failed assassin, or you like the idea of one of t...more

like · see review

Jul 19, 2012 Elaine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: alice, steampunk, recomened

I loved the storyline of this book and thought it was well thought and well written.
The characters were well written and likable and totally engaging. I found myself really liking alice and her humour and found her a very strong character. The other characters always seemed to be in the background trying to break out but never just managing.
I hated the name Busybody and thought that was a let down for that character.
Been a fan of alice in wonderland i was always on the look out for simalarities...more

3 likes · like · see review

Jul 25, 2012 Cassie-la rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads

REVIEW ALSO ON: http://bibliomantics.com/2012/07/24/b...

I first encountered Wol-vriey in the anthology Tall Tales With Short Cocks, where he wrote a fantastical tale set in a kooky world that was almost a little too strange. Thankfully for Wonderland, there is no such thing as too strange, but there might be such a thing as too much semen. You have been pre-warned.

The novella is set in Victorian America, AKA a steampunk version of America ultimately divided into two territories. Half of America...more REVIEW ALSO ON: http://bibliomantics.com/2012/07/24/b...

I first encountered Wol-vriey in the anthology Tall Tales With Short Cocks, where he wrote a fantastical tale set in a kooky world that was almost a little too strange. Thankfully for Wonderland, there is no such thing as too strange, but there might be such a thing as too much semen. You have been pre-warned.

The novella is set in Victorian America, AKA a steampunk version of America ultimately divided into two territories. Half of America is run by Queen Victoria Busybody, dubbed the Queen of Hearts because of her choice of heart embroidered wardrobe. She runs the queendom of New York, while her sister Queen Anna runs the queendom of Texas- where everything is bigger. Anna goes by the moniker Mech-Anna or “the Clockwork Goddess”. Both sisters have torn the country apart, all over the state of Kansas, which is a hotbed of coalfields. Enjoy it Kansas, this will be the only instance where people actually fight over control of you, fictional or otherwise.

Also in the Busybody monarchy is the sisters’ brother, Lord Dudley Busybody, a mad scientist people refer to as the Mad Hatter, so called because of his enormous hat. Inside the hat are various drawers he keeps a never ending supply of objects in, including teacups, but sadly no drunk mice. Think Mary Poppins’ bag. At one point he even locates what appears to be a rubber caterpillar inside its depths. He found the object, which fell from space and placed it inside his hat to study later. Because it’s logical to put things that fall from the sky like a meteor in your wardrobe. Later, when the caterpillar inexplicably comes to life/reanimates and we get some “Who are you?” jokes, we learn his name is Baker and he makes exploding cakes. Rounding off the royal family is Prince Jackson, who may or may not be a homosexual incestuous Mama’s boy with homicidal tendencies.

The heroine of our story, Alice Sin (originally Alice Cinnamon) is hired by the Hatter’s wife to assassinate the Hatter for all the reasons women kill off their husbands. Possibly also to become a Queen. Alice looks like a young Lady Marie Busybody and uses this to her advantage when seducing Lord Busybody, pretending to be a reporter with a weak constitution. A word of caution to anyone planning to read this tale. At times, it reads like a soft core porn. If you read it I hope you like penises (peni?) as major plot points.

As expected, the story is laden with references to the original tale, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, the talking animals in particular. In New York, the streets are patrolled by March hares, whose species as their names indicate are prone to professions containing marching. I.e. the military, marching bands, the Einsatzgruppen, you get the picture. These rabbits also have a propensity for checking the time, which is strange because the same can be said of the few White Rabbits we see. Cheshire Cats are equally present and also seem to be drawn to one profession: particularly butlers. They use their strange powers to pop in and out where needed, sending messages and ignoring social mores such as knocking before entering rooms. This also helps with population control. The Cheshire Cats all look the same and are all named Cheshire, leading Alice to postulate that all Cheshire Cats are just the same cat masquerading as a species. Racism against the Cheshires is pretty rampant.

As if all this plot wasn’t enough, there is also a serial killer on the loose known as the Ripper who targets prostitutes. Unfortunately for them, unlike the British counterpart who doesn’t seem to exist in this alternate history, there is no medical precision and instead the victims are eviscerated with a scythe and their entrails are strewn everywhere. Lovely. As explained by the Hatter, he is named the Ripper because of his resemblance to a reaper… What? Then why isn’t he called the Reaper!?!

To heighten the ties to Wonderland, Wol-vriey has tables set with tortoises that stand in as serving trays and birds with fused wings that are used as cups. Too bad for the diners, they seem to work better as croquet mallets and this use of fowl is merely foul. Yes, I just went there. There are also magical cakes which give the eaters super powers (x-ray vision, astral projection, teleportation), affect the size of the eater’s characteristics, their location, etc, etc, etc. This second half of the novella feels more Wild Wild West than Alice, complete with Mech-Indians who are partly mechanical Native Americans. There are even walking robot spiders. Wiki wiki wild!

The main problem, sans the reliance on sex, is that Alice in Steamland often suffers from too much explanation. Where the original is so wonderful because nothing is explained, Wol-vriey seems to want to explain almost every little joke and pun. Alice is so fun because it doesn’t require or supply answers. It doesn’t need to! A little less tell and a little more show next time would be nice.(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Jul 06, 2012 Ashley E rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

I entered for this book because a grown-up Alice in a steampunk American sounded pretty darn interesting. Unfortunately, it wasn't really my cup of tea. Actually, it was more like a glass of very high-proof alcohol. And I'm not much one for drinking.

The only was I can really describe this book as is strange. Very strange. And a bit crude. Alice was only a very slightly sympathetic character to me. And Dudley was, well, strange. His hat kinda freaked me out. I couldn't get into the story, the plo...more

2 likes · like · see review

Nov 27, 2012 Adam Smith rated it 4 of 5 stars

A strangely unique take on the Alice tale. Loaded with copious amounts of sex and violence this story keeps flowing right from the start.

Interesting characters appear constantly, keeping the action alive; unfortunately, often the characters would be finished well before they'd rightly began. I don't know if this is to do with the original tale or not, as I still have not had a chance to read it yet.

The ending was a bit of a letdown though, arriving to quickly and striving to tie everything up...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 07, 2013 Meg rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: steam-and-cyber-punk

Deepest apologies to all for the length of time this sat on my list, sadly life events got in the way of goodreads for awhile.

I found Alice's Adventure in Steamland to be an interesting take of the Wonderland story, a mix of steam, wonder, and the Victorian penny dreadful. Alice, while cultivating an innocent and naive front, is, in fact, an experience prostitute looking for a way out before the pitfalls of that life catch up with her. Enter Marie Busybody, wife of Dudley Busybody, younger broth...more

2 likes · like · see review

Oct 09, 2012 Beetle rated it 5 of 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this book front to back! A great take on the Alice in Wonderland story. Anyone into the SteamPunk subculture, or Alice in Wonderland would really enjoy this. Not one for the kiddies though! The writing is very well done, and keeps you intrigued throughout the story. The characters are great! From Alice, to the White Rabbit, to the Mad Hatter. All have familiar yet completely new takes on them. I highly recommend this book!

like · see review

Aug 05, 2012 Amanda rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

This definitely isnt a book for everyone. Lots of sex and gore. I like reading that stuff to an extent but it seems this book went overboard with it. I understand she is a prostitute and there is going to be sex scenes in it but they were disturbing. Also, there is a civil war going on so there will be gore but it could have been toned down. Honestly, if it wasnt for that this would be a good book. I liked how and where it was going, I just dont like the way it was doing it. This is not a child'...more

1 like · like · see review

Jul 06, 2012 Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars

Victorian America, Alice in Wonderland and a Civil War . . . quite the package in one book. I really enjoyed this book . . . honestly I thought I would lose interest after 20 or so pages, but I got caught up in the story and couldn't put it down. Funny, cynical and a little serious.

2 likes · like · see review

Sep 29, 2012 Krissy rated it 4 of 5 stars

What could possibly make a book about a Victorian-era America engaged in civiil war, full of psychotic royals, mechanical natives, bizarre war machines, and vagina dentata any better..... Why Alice and the White Rabbit and hallucinogenic cakes of course! Laughed out loud on the subway more than once reading this during my commute. You know its going to be a good day when you read about mechanical penises on the way to work.

3 likes · like · see review

Jul 30, 2012 Shannon rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: no one

Not my cup of tea, so to speak. But, the ending was good. Unexpected.

The story was gory, pornographic, fast paced with long stretches of boring. It took a strong will to finnish reading the book. yeah me.

like · see review

Jul 22, 2012 J.M. rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-books, historical, sex-and-erotica, speculative-fiction

What a fun read! I'm not a fan of the original Alice story, but this was a great steampunk diversion. Not for kids, as there's lots of sex and gore, but quite a romp nonetheless. If you want a fun story, pick this up.

3 likes · like · see review

Jan 02, 2013 Dalla rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was an okay book. I liked the story line in and of it's self but some of the characters and aspects were off. Even with those it is a good read.

like · see review

Jun 25, 2012 Heather rated it 1 of 5 stars

Sorry...so much filthy language in the second chapter I couldn't continue. Very disappointed...Alice in Wonderland plus steampunk sounded great!

1 like · like · see review

Aug 06, 2012 Mary rated it 2 of 5 stars

A very odd but entertaining story. It had potential to be really interesting and fresh but it was so childishly written it fell way short of its mark.

like · see review

Sep 30, 2012 Catherine rated it 3 of 5 stars

Whew - this is a fairly fast pasted book with a ton of mechanics (people, animals, things) and some random sex thrown in to boot. The book definitely relies on components of Wonderland - mostly the characters (Mad Hatter, Queen of Hearts, March Hare, Alice, Cheshire Cat, and a strange caterpillar), but with some twists. The ending comes quickly and the resolution is easy - almost disappointingly so. But, because everything has been such a whirlwind, I was somewhat relieved reach the end of the b...more

1 like · like · see review

Jul 17, 2012 Jose Velasquez rated it 2 of 5 stars

Alice's Adventures in Steamland had an interesting adult spin on the classic Alice in Wonderland theme. By no means can this book be considered serious reading, but it's interesting enough to get you to the end, where the real problem is. The end was so anti-climactic that it made the whole book not worth reading.

like · see review

Jul 11, 2012 Ioku Howard rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: steampunk, w

i NEEEDS!!!!!! this book. combination of my two favorite things in life: steampunk and wonderland. AMAZING!!!!

like · see review

Nov 10, 2012 Shanno-louisa Beardsmore rated it 5 of 5 stars

amazing twist on aices adventures in wonderland

like · see review

Jul 07, 2012 Joshua Sampson rated it 2 of 5 stars

Ug. My first foray into steampunk was a disappointing one. Ug.

like · see review

Apr 30, 2013 Jasmyn9 rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, ebook, steam-punk, fairy-tale

My first impressions of this story was being a little overwhelmed. The author did a great job of twisting the classic Alice in Wonderland character into a slightly demented steam punk version. Not for the faint of heart, there is a little bit of gross-ness throughout, so be warned. I loved the mad hatter and his hat full of random drawers with even more random things inside. He and his robot, Clank, were probably my favorite characters.

1 like · like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 23 24 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (1)

Genres

Science Fiction > Steampunk

32 users

Fantasy

8 users

Horror > Bizarro Fiction

6 users

Horror

5 users

Science Fiction Fantasy

2 users

Science Fiction

2 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Wol-vriey

Wol-vriey is Nigerian and quite tall.

He currently resides in a state of uneasy stalemate with his threatening-to-thin-beyond-redemption hair, and believes there actually are things that go bump in the night.
Wol-vriey recycles the ridiculous into reasonable reality for the reader.

His WEIRRRD philosophy? WEIRRRD = Warp/Write Everything into Realistic Ridiculous Readable Distorted Dream Dimension De...more

More about Wol-vriey...

Books by Wol-vriey

Alice's Adventure In Steamland: The Clockwork Goddess

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Alice's Adventure...

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

title link	preview: Alice's Adventures in Steamland: The Clockwork Goddess
avg rating	preview: Alice's Adventures in Steamland: The Clockwork Goddess Goodreads rating: 3.10 (77 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14743234-alice-s-adventures-in-steamland?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1338492355l/14743234.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14743234-alice-s-adventures-in-steamland?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Alice's Adventures in Steamland: The Clockwork Goddess by Wol-vriey[/url]

Alice's Adventures in Steamland: The Clockwork Goddess

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website