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33rd out of 313 books
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1,375 voters
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Steampunk
by
Ann VanderMeer ,
Jeff VanderMeer (Goodreads Author)
Replete with whimsical mechanical wonders and charmingly anachronistic settings, this pioneering anthology gathers a brilliant blend of fantastical stories. Steampunk originates in the romantic elegance of the Victorian era and blends in modern scientific advancesThe elegant allure of this popular new genre is represented in this rich collection by distinctively talented a...more
Paperback, 373 pages
Published
May 1st 2008
by Tachyon Publications
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I like Steampunk. Unfortunately, if I didn't know that already, and had to base my judgement on this collection of short stories, then I would probably conclude that I really don't like Steampunk. I mean, I like the concepts of most of these stories, at least those I could figure out after getting past all of the "look how smart I am as a writer" entries. But the execution of those concepts was lacking in fine story-telling technique. This is something I'm finding with way too many...more
This anthology was just what I wanted for summer reading!
Now I probably should preface this by saying I have never read any Verne or Wells, so perhaps there were references to past stories and characters of which I was/am unaware.
I found "The Selene Gardening Society" by Molly Brown delightful. "The Giving Mouth" by Ian R. MacLeod was riveting but the end was a thrown-together disapppointment. "Victoria" by Paul Di Filippo was probably my...more
Now I probably should preface this by saying I have never read any Verne or Wells, so perhaps there were references to past stories and characters of which I was/am unaware.
I found "The Selene Gardening Society" by Molly Brown delightful. "The Giving Mouth" by Ian R. MacLeod was riveting but the end was a thrown-together disapppointment. "Victoria" by Paul Di Filippo was probably my...more
Review of the World Fantasy Award Nominated Anthology, Steampunk (Tachyon Publications, 2008) edited by Ann & Jeff Vandermeer
What is steampunk? Well, it’s a sub-genre of science-fiction and fantasy that is totally awesome. Imagine Victorian era elegance and modern technology with a dash of rebellion, mashed together into crazy tales about steam-driven robots, dirigibles, insane inventors, and lots of well-mannered chaps in waistcoats living in an alternate history Earth—or maybe not ...more
What is steampunk? Well, it’s a sub-genre of science-fiction and fantasy that is totally awesome. Imagine Victorian era elegance and modern technology with a dash of rebellion, mashed together into crazy tales about steam-driven robots, dirigibles, insane inventors, and lots of well-mannered chaps in waistcoats living in an alternate history Earth—or maybe not ...more
Joyce
rated it
Recommends it for:
sci fi fans
Recommended to Joyce by:
my son & a couple of fb friends
Shelves:
sci-fi
Unbeknownst to myself, I am a longtime steampunk fan. The Wild, Wild West and The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. were favorite TV shows of mine and my son Peter introduced me to anime and Miyazaki's Castle in the Sky and Spirited Away which, according to an essay by Rick Klaw in Steampunk a short story anthology edited by Ann & Jeff Vandermeer, are all variations of the steampunk genre.
If readers have never heard the term "steampunk," as I hadn't until recently...more
If readers have never heard the term "steampunk," as I hadn't until recently...more
Ok, I just checked this out of the library, mostly so I could say I'm reading something with Moorcock in it. But if you see me wearing a trenchcoat, goggles, and an iPhone covered in brass gears and typewriter keys, please shoot me in the face. Preferably with a derringer shaped like a ray gun.
And it was about as good as I expected, a couple of good stories, some nonstarters, and some unreadable pap. I liked the one about Russia.
And it was about as good as I expected, a couple of good stories, some nonstarters, and some unreadable pap. I liked the one about Russia.
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Ketan Shah
added it
A good Steampunk compilation.Standout stories include those from veteran writers Joe R Lansdale,Paul DeFilippo,Michael Chabon and Ted Chiang. Stepan Chapman's Minutes of the last Meeting was also very well done ,with it's multiple viewpoints and Russian setting.Some of the other's were passable,but not extraordinary.I would have preferred the surveys of Steampunk in popular culture and comics to be a bit more comprehensive,but all in all ,a good introduction to the Steampunk genre. If you enjoy...more
This was my first foray into both steampunk and anthologies.
I've always loved the idea and execution of steampunk, and wanted a good gateway drug into the literary form of it, and this anthology seemed like the way to go. Turns out I was more or less right.
Like any collection of works, there were some that were better than others, but overall, this was a great introduction into the world of dirigibles, steam powered technology, greatcoats, and general Victorian-era goodne...more
I've always loved the idea and execution of steampunk, and wanted a good gateway drug into the literary form of it, and this anthology seemed like the way to go. Turns out I was more or less right.
Like any collection of works, there were some that were better than others, but overall, this was a great introduction into the world of dirigibles, steam powered technology, greatcoats, and general Victorian-era goodne...more
I admit that I didn't really like all the stories in this anthology, because by their standards a lot of steampunk is really dirty (setting-wise) and kind of gross, which is probably true. (I think I'm mostly thinking of one story in particular, but still.) However, this was totally made up for by how much the editors, through the foreward and the intros to each story, managed to make me feel like I understood something about the development of the sub-genre. I also liked the way they bridged th...more
This was an informative read. Most of the stories were just ok. The introduction was fascinating. The excerpt from Warlord of the Air was short but well done and will encourage me to check out the book. Lord Kelvin's Machine was fair. The Giving Mouth was completely bizarre with beautiful imagery but ultimately no explanation and left me a little disappointed. A Sun in the Attic, eh. The God-Clown is Near was another bizarre story that was enjoyable as well. The Steam Man of the Prairie and the ...more
Stefan
rated it
Steampunk is an anthology of, well, steampunk stories, edited by Ann and Jeff Vandermeer. If you hurry, you can still get to this first anthology before the second one, Steampunk II: Steampunk Reloaded, appears in mid November. Based on the quality of the stories in this collection, I heartily recommend checking it out, especially if you’ve been a bit bemused (or possibly amused) by all the people wearing odd Victorian costumes at SFF conventions nowadays, or if you have at best a vague idea of ...more
If it wasn't obvious from the outset, this is a collection of short stories and excerpts (and, in my humble opinion, a few vignettes) from the "steampunk" genre of fiction, across several variations. Some of the stories fit neatly into the clockwork-machines-with-Victorian-manners archetype, but many stray from that, expanding what "steampunk" defines itself as. In any case, it's good stuff.
Warlord Of The Air - forgettable. I hear that the full novel is pretty goo...more
Warlord Of The Air - forgettable. I hear that the full novel is pretty goo...more
Awesome, awesome, awesome. A good introduction for people who don't really know what steampunk's all about, a tasty buffet for those who do. The "further reading" lists at the end is a goldmine.
A fun look at this sub-genre of science fiction. Like any anthology it was uneven, some great reads, some okay a couple clunkers.
Very disappointed to discover that Joe Lansdale's story was one of the clunkers.
Victoria was fun and walked a fine line between amusing adventure and satire, the 'Selene Gardening society' was a great mini-sequel to the Jules Verne novel, the first story had a decent adventerous feel to it and the one featuring the woman with two husbands created an interes...more
Very disappointed to discover that Joe Lansdale's story was one of the clunkers.
Victoria was fun and walked a fine line between amusing adventure and satire, the 'Selene Gardening society' was a great mini-sequel to the Jules Verne novel, the first story had a decent adventerous feel to it and the one featuring the woman with two husbands created an interes...more
"Steampunk," edited by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer, is a collection of short stories. There are 14 selections, plus a preface, an introduction, a benediction, and a sort of bibliography/reading list.
Contributors include some big names, such Michael Chabon, Neal Stephenson, Rachel E. Pollock, and Michael Moorcock. Some of the stories are actually excerpts from longer works, including the excerpt from the "Third and Last Volume of Tribes of the Pacific Coast," by Step...more
Contributors include some big names, such Michael Chabon, Neal Stephenson, Rachel E. Pollock, and Michael Moorcock. Some of the stories are actually excerpts from longer works, including the excerpt from the "Third and Last Volume of Tribes of the Pacific Coast," by Step...more
Misha
marked it as will-come-back-to-later-no-really
Jess Nevins' introductory essay has introduced (ha!) me to the 19th century Edisonade genre, which apparently required authors to include "and His Steam Man of the Plains" in every title. I find myself intrigued by this genre and wanting to seek out some examples. I'm betting they still exist out there somewhere. In fact, I'd be surprised if someone hasn't collected these proto-steampunk tales into a book given the popularity of the genre they inspired. The introduction also offered a ...more
Anthologies are great stuff. Many of these stories, when I finished them, left me wanting much more. A great selection of authors and styles. I will say, some of the authors didn't hit the mark w/ the subgenre in question here, but if they did miss it, it wasn't by much and the stories were still entertaining. It did make me wonder if the editors didn't have enough material to pick and choose from, or if they just felt the need to go with established authors for sales (please don't think I'm...more
I didn't really like this collection of stories much. I actually quite enjoy the Steampunk genre, but this book just wasn't enjoyable. First off, none of the stories were really able to grab my attention in the way I expect short stories to do. Also, in just about every story, the characters were as flat as the pages they were printed upon. I know that it can be challenging to have both character and story depth in a 20 or so page story. But I have read a plethora of short stories that meet this...more
Some of you may have read my rant about SteamPunk. According to my definitions, some of the stories in this volume are SteamPunk. Some are not. I'm not sure I can call the Neal Stephenson story even 'Steam'. Setting that sort of literary purity aside, I still found many of them to be good reading, with clever ideas and fun characters. I began this book in November and finished it in June. This is not because it's difficult reading, but because I grabbed bits and pieces of it when I could. I tell...more
I think for me two and a half stars would be more accurate, but that option is not available. A couple of the stories were good, but others were only so-so. A good thing in this anthology is the opening essay which provides a nice introduction to the genre. That was informational and useful. Compared to Extraordinary Engines, which I also read and which is often compared to this book, this one did not seem as good; the pacing seemed a bit slow for me. However, the stories are pretty rich in term...more
This was a very entertaining and informing anthology. I have to agree that the editors' contributions gave the book its highest value, especially the afterword about Steampunk in movies and tv and comics, which was unexpected. I didn't love all the selections, but they did show the diversity of Steampunk, and they were all refreshingly different from writing I would have chosen to read on my own. Weird, sometimes too dystopian or explicit or even repulsive, but I enjoyed them for what they were....more
Steampunk is a great collection of tales. Ranging for the wierdest and wickest to the more "normal" and easygoing, this is a good book to have in the shelve and read now and then. A big variety of tales, of authors, of worlds, sometimes made me wish it wasn't a tale book but a actual entire book. Some tales were amazing, others not so, but that is what makes the book so good. That and a good background introductory and ending note, giving us a range of places to search more info, makes...more
In spite of the hoopla associated with this anthology, and in spite of some of the big names who wrote stories for it, I found this anthology rather mediocre. Some good stories yes (eg - Joe Lansdale's Steam Man) but others that I couldn't even muddle my way through. And like most groupings of steampunk literature, the definition of steampunk is stretched to the breaking point. I'm not a 'gotta be in the UK' zealot when it comes to steampunk but geez... throwing a corset on a girl does not ma...more
Peter
rated it
Recommends it for:
As a whole, nobody, but I can recommend a story here and there.
Shelves:
multiple-attempts,
collected-volume,
fiction,
overrated,
read-in-2011,
read-in-idaho,
steampunk
A lackluster compilation with a few gems here and there. Some examples of terrible stories, some examples of terrible writing, and a few shining moments here and there. Frankly, I didn't find most of it to be very steampunk at all. The story that was the most impressive (and the one that got me to buy the book) was Neal Stephenson's "Excerpt from the Third and Last Volume of Tribes of the Pacific Coast. I freely admit it was a neo-Victorian, nanotech-infused future piece, but the story ...more
Paige
rated it
Even though I'm marking this book as finished, I really haven't finished it. I plan to one day, but I'm bored out of my mind while reading it and I've already moved on to another book that I've gotten halfway through in two days (compared to Steampunk, which took me over a week to get halfway through). I will probably pick this up again one day and try to finish it, but I don't want to do this now.
Why don't I want to finish it? It's pretty simple: the writing style. The stories thems...more
Why don't I want to finish it? It's pretty simple: the writing style. The stories thems...more
Mouldy Squid
rated it
Recommends it for:
Anyone who is interested in steampunk.
Shelves:
fiction,
science-fiction
The VanderMeers have done excellent work with Weird Tales over the past several years. Jeff, himself, has written some excellent, and weird, steampunk-like fiction. Who better to put together an anthology of one of the hot new trends, Steampunk? While I can appreciate the editorial decisions Anne has made I cannot but seem disappointed in some vague way with the quality of the work as a whole.
There is nothing really new here; bog standard steampunk from the usual suspects and some n...more
There is nothing really new here; bog standard steampunk from the usual suspects and some n...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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Some of the other reviewers complain that this book isn't completely steampunk, which is true, but I believe the editors were attempting to show steampunk on a spectrum and a timeline. They spoke about its roots in dime novels and "Edisonades" in their introduction by Jess Nevins up through Japanese anime with steampunk flavor in Rick Klaw's afterward. Even within the anthology, people have different perspectives. This is good. Some are opinionated. This is fine.
I like...more
I like...more
This book was a very tasty selection of bizarre inventive steampunk and beyond short stories. It took me months longer to read this book than I usually do because I only read one story at a time and gave it time to absorb and settle. Each story was such a ride that reading them back to back would have made my brain explode. Lord Kelvins Machine, classic elements all there...dashing intelligent scientists, a Verne-ian mission, and the lovely language of the age. The Giving Mouth barely seemed...more
I like to read an anthology of short stories around a theme, just every now and again. It has it's ups and downs. Of course one such downer is that you get just a taste of a set of characters or a place and time before you have to leave and carry on with a new story, a new set of characters, and a place and time. That's always a drawback for short stories to me. It's also just kind of a fact to accept that there will be at least one or two unsuccessful, less enjoyable stories, another drawback. ...more
Moonglum
rated it
Recommends it for:
Those that love the machine, but hate the factory
Shelves:
steam-punk
When I was at Armadillo con this year, someone asked a space opera panel what they thought about steampunk. They answered that they thought it was so popular because it had an upbeat romantic view of technological progress and so the world through rose colored glasses.
I was confounded. These guys (some of whom really did know a lot about space opera), obviously had not actually read any steam punk. Had they read so much as 'The Difference Engine' (not my favorite steampunk tale, tho...more
I was confounded. These guys (some of whom really did know a lot about space opera), obviously had not actually read any steam punk. Had they read so much as 'The Difference Engine' (not my favorite steampunk tale, tho...more
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