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26th out of 469 books
—
2,466 voters
Steampunk
by
Jeff VanderMeer (Goodreads Author) ,
Ann VanderMeer , Joe R. Lansdale, Molly Brown, Ted Chiang, Paul Di Filippo, Rachel E. Pollock, Stepan Chapman
,
more…
Replete with whimsical mechanical wonders and charmingly anachronistic settings, this pioneering anthology gathers a brilliant blend offantastical stories.Steampunk originates in the romantic elegance of the Victorian era and blends in modern scientific advances—synthesizing imaginative technologies such as steam-driven robots, analog supercomputers, and ultramodern dirigi...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 of these scie...more
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 themselves are at...more
Why don't I want to finish it? It's pretty simple: the writing style. The stories themselves are at...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 favourite. "Reflected Light" (Rachel E Pollack) was intr...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 favourite. "Reflected Light" (Rachel E Pollack) was intr...more
Steampunk: a subgenre of science fiction and fantasy featuring advanced machines and other technology based on steam power of the 19th century and taking place in a recognizable historical period or a fantasy world. (definition provided by dictionary.com)
Steampunk an anthology of Fantastically rich and strange stories…14 top story tellers weave tales of History, Science Fiction, Romance, and Technology. There is something for everyone including 2 stories in Graphic Novel form. Modern day writers...more
Steampunk an anthology of Fantastically rich and strange stories…14 top story tellers weave tales of History, Science Fiction, Romance, and Technology. There is something for everyone including 2 stories in Graphic Novel form. Modern day writers...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 Earth ....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 Earth ....more
Jan 03, 2010
Joyce
rated it
4 of 5 stars
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, steampunk is a sub-genre...more
If readers have never heard the term "steampunk," as I hadn't until recently, steampunk is a sub-genre...more
I am glad I encountered this book. It wasn't what I was looking for, but I can see it's value for others. It was a bit too academic for where I am at right now. It was an excellent introduction to the genre, and the story line-up was well thought out and representative. That is if you wanted to know a lot about steampunk. If you don't want to know a great deal about steampunk, and aren't looking to lay an excellent foundation in the greats of this (no longer active - according to the intro) genr...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.
Aug 11, 2011
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 enjoye...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 goodness.
One of the highlights...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 goodness.
One of the highlights...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
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
Lo mejor del libro es, sin dudas, la historia del género Steampunk, que viene justo después de la introducción.
Todo lo demás, me decepcionó horriblemente. Clichés y más clichés unos sobre otros, anteojos polarizados, globos dirigibles y cultura victoriana. Tal vez mi idea del steampunk quedó demasiado inflada después de leer The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack. Y entiendo que esos elementos clichés son parte del canon, pero en estas historias son insertados sin sutileza, en algunos casos co...more
Todo lo demás, me decepcionó horriblemente. Clichés y más clichés unos sobre otros, anteojos polarizados, globos dirigibles y cultura victoriana. Tal vez mi idea del steampunk quedó demasiado inflada después de leer The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack. Y entiendo que esos elementos clichés son parte del canon, pero en estas historias son insertados sin sutileza, en algunos casos co...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 good?
Lord Kelvin's Machine - The co...more
Warlord Of The Air - forgettable. I hear that the full novel is pretty good?
Lord Kelvin's Machine - The co...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.
Excerto de Warlord of the Air: um texto clássico de Michael Moorcock, que antecede o surgimento do steampunk enquanto estilo literário assumido. Parte de um romance maior, deslumbra pela visão retro-tecnológica onde a estética mecanicista da primeira revolução industrial se alia ao utopismo tecnológico numa narrativa que, como muitas neste género, vive do conflito militar enquanto fio condutor.
Lord Kelvin's Machine: é dada a palavra a James Blaylock, um dos fundadores assumidos do género (ou, pe...more
Lord Kelvin's Machine: é dada a palavra a James Blaylock, um dos fundadores assumidos do género (ou, pe...more
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 interesting alterna...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 interesting alterna...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 Stephenson, and the excerpt from " Th...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 Stephenson, and the excerpt from " Th...more
Nov 01, 2010
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 nice littl...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 bei...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 the book...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 make...more
Oct 31, 2011
Peter
rated it
2 of 5 stars
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 was excel...more
When I see the word ‘steampunk’ in the title of a work, I do expect it to be a representative of the genre. Now, I was let down by the Steampunk’d anthology (very badly so), and I find myself disappointed in Steampunk as well.
Where to start? I suppose I should say that not every one of these stories made me further disappointed in the literary form of the genre. “Seventy-Two Letters” is a personal favorite of mine from this bunch. “Lord Kelvin’s Machine” was a bit dull, but representative of mos...more
Where to start? I suppose I should say that not every one of these stories made me further disappointed in the literary form of the genre. “Seventy-Two Letters” is a personal favorite of mine from this bunch. “Lord Kelvin’s Machine” was a bit dull, but representative of mos...more
Apr 04, 2012
Mouldy Squid
rated it
3 of 5 stars
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 new names. No...more
There is nothing really new here; bog standard steampunk from the usual suspects and some new names. No...more
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Jeffrey Scott VanderMeer is an American writer, editor and publisher. He was born in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, but spent much of his childhood in the Fiji Islands, where his parents worked for the Peace Corps. This experience, and the resulting trip back to the United States through Asia, Africa, and Europe, deeply influenced him.
In 2003, VanderMeer married Ann Kennedy, then editor for the small B...more
More about Jeff VanderMeer...
In 2003, VanderMeer married Ann Kennedy, then editor for the small B...more
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Aug 11, 2012 06:14pm