Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
69th out of 470 books
—
2,472 voters
Steampunk II: Steampunk Reloaded (The Clockwork Century #2.5)
by
Ann VanderMeer ,
Jeff VanderMeer (Goodreads Author) , G.D. Falksen (Goodreads Author) , Gail Carriger (Goodreads Author) , Cherie Priest (Goodreads Author) , Daniel Abraham , Caitlín R. Kiernan , Stephen Baxter
,
more…
Blending the romantic elegance of the Victorian era with modern scientific advances, the popular Steampunk genre spotlighted in this collection is innovative andstimulates the imagination. This artfully assembled anthology of original fiction, nonfiction, and art can serve as an introduction to the Steampunk cultureor provide dedicated fans with more fuel. Stories of outla...more
Paperback, 426 pages
Published
November 15th 2010
by Tachyon Publications
(first published October 1st 2010)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
1,400)
I admit I am fairly new to Steampunk but I was under the impression that it was a genre of adventure, science, romance and mystery. What I got from this book was a mix of those elements but generally in a very boring package. The ideas behind the stories were imaginative enough but the execution of most of them was dull and lifeless. Some of the stories had no clear link to Steampunk at all. They were more in line with fantasy and not particularly interesting fantasy. I was also under the impres...more
Steampunk II: Steampunk Reloaded is a good anthology as far as anthologies go, but not all its stories are equal. The inequalities are evident both in entertainment value and even in meeting the very definition of being an actual steampunk story. A rather surprising inclusion is a recently translated piece written in 1870 by Danish author Vilhelm Bergsoe. "The Flying Fish Prometheus" is by far the best of the group. It truly has every element in it that a steampunk story should have--including t...more
I requested this Steampunk II at the library in order to read one story within it, "The Strange Case of Mr. Salad Monday" by G. D. Falksen, and ended up reading beyond Mr. Falksen. Steampunk is a difficult genre to define (is it even a "genre"?) and this book only confirmed how difficult it really is. Science fiction meets Victoriana, with Egyptology, alternate history, and many other odd bits stirred in here and there. The writing that captured me the most included whimsy or a touch of The Twil...more
This is the best steampunk collection that I have read. Time portals, a persecution machine, a mechanical mummy, a robotic romance, a steampunk flying fish: it has it all! I especially liked Ramsey Shehadeh (fantastic stylized time maelstrom with an ending that will move you); Shweta Narayan (whose mechanical birds are vividly real); G.D. Falksen (who combines weird with hilarious); Tanith Lee (whose hero gets to ride a steamroller to the rescue, something I've always wanted to do); and I could...more
Collection of stories in a sub-genre of science fiction/fantasy. I really liked Catherynne M. Valente's story "The anachronist's cookbook" as it was really the only story with a strong dose of feminism. Cherie Priest's "Tanglefoot," about a young boy who creates his own automaton who then basically begins sabotaging things around him, was simply creepy. Samantha Henderson's "Wild Copper," with Titania and Oberon making an appearance, had a more traditionally touch of fantasy that I liked, and Wi...more
I have a shelf of books that I've finally completed, but I was inclined to remember to do this book because I was just thinking about it today. I enjoyed the short stories, but moreso, the author's take on steampunk and its 'movement' and longevity. If you like anything Victoriana/Steampunk, and especially creative storytelling, I highly recommend this book. There are three tales that stood out from the rest: Serpent in the Gears, Balfour and Meriwether in the Adventure of the Emperor’s Vengeanc...more
Steampunk Reloaded is a rather good collection of steampunk tales. It has it's ups and downs, but overall the stories are enjoyable. Along with the stories, there are a couple of interesting non-fiction pieces and a round-table interview about the future of steampunk.
Here are a few of the stories that I especially enjoyed:
-- In "The Unblinking Eye" by Stephen Baxter, Europe has advanced steam technology, but has never ventured toward the new world. Rather it is the Incas, who have developed thei...more
Here are a few of the stories that I especially enjoyed:
-- In "The Unblinking Eye" by Stephen Baxter, Europe has advanced steam technology, but has never ventured toward the new world. Rather it is the Incas, who have developed thei...more
Nov 04, 2010
Suzanne Lazear
added it
I don't give stars or ratings, that's just the way my reviews are, but that doesn't mean the book isn't great.
The award-winning editorial team Ann & Jeff Vandermeer does it again with their sequel to their original Steampunk anthology. “Steampunk II: Steampunk Reloaded” brings together a triumvirate of Steampunk spectacularness — original fiction, reprinted short stories, and non-fiction.
The twenty-seven stories and articles represent a broad cross-section of Steampunk by some of the best in...more
The award-winning editorial team Ann & Jeff Vandermeer does it again with their sequel to their original Steampunk anthology. “Steampunk II: Steampunk Reloaded” brings together a triumvirate of Steampunk spectacularness — original fiction, reprinted short stories, and non-fiction.
The twenty-seven stories and articles represent a broad cross-section of Steampunk by some of the best in...more
Steampunk II: Steampunk Reloaded is the second steampunk anthology edited by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer, following 2008’s first installment. It contains about twice as many stories as its predecessor, but unlike the first collection the quality is more uneven here, resulting in a less impressive but still fascinating anthology that should please fans of the genre.
While the first anthology only contained one story I was less than happy with, there are at least four or five in Steampunk II: Steampunk...more
While the first anthology only contained one story I was less than happy with, there are at least four or five in Steampunk II: Steampunk...more
This was a pretty stellar collection. Not only were the individual stories consistently interesting (and varied, which, given that they were all collected under the "steampunk" banner, I did not dare to hope for) but there were authors from all over the world, which is a lovely treat.
I didn't care as much for the long absurdist piece at the end or the non-fiction essays (which seemed rather slight) but all the traditional-format short stories were lovely.
I didn't care as much for the long absurdist piece at the end or the non-fiction essays (which seemed rather slight) but all the traditional-format short stories were lovely.
I'm torn between 3 & 4 stars. It's a solid 3.5 stars. What do you expect with a collection of stories though? Some are excellent, some bored me to tears and others were just your typical middle of the road stories.
Overall, it's a good book - nice that you aren't tied into an overarching storyline and you can read it in smaller snippets... but somehow missing the overarching storyline (if you know what I mean).
I did enjoy the shorts by authors that I've read recently - they tied in with the v...more
Overall, it's a good book - nice that you aren't tied into an overarching storyline and you can read it in smaller snippets... but somehow missing the overarching storyline (if you know what I mean).
I did enjoy the shorts by authors that I've read recently - they tied in with the v...more
Aug 21, 2011
Victoria Pond
added it
No rating given.
I've been working on my steampunk cred since I'm currently writing a steampunk erotica short story collection. Some of the stories in this antho were brilliant, others just weren't my thing. I loved the nonfiction essay at the end, and the random character sketches of properly steampunk goodness.
Very interesting that this recent literary movement can be interpreted in so many different ways!
I've been working on my steampunk cred since I'm currently writing a steampunk erotica short story collection. Some of the stories in this antho were brilliant, others just weren't my thing. I loved the nonfiction essay at the end, and the random character sketches of properly steampunk goodness.
Very interesting that this recent literary movement can be interpreted in so many different ways!
This collection had numerous good stories. My personal favorite was "Professor Incognito Apologizes" by Austin Grossman. There were, however, two problems with the book: 1) The bad stories, inevitable in a large collection, were really bad; and 2) The collection itself was so large that the reader just wants to finish it or give it up or hand it to someone with no life well before the end. Still Gail Carriger's commentary on parasols and pens was definitely worth reading. I suppose I do recommen...more
Some good stories, some not so good. I trust the editors--that this is a good selection of the sub-genre, so maybe it's not my favorite type of sf.
Another fantastic anthology by the VanderMeers, delivered in a superbly designed paperback. A thoroughly enjoyable reading experience.
A fantastic collection of stories and essays ranging from a newly translated short story from a contemporary of Jules Verne ("Flying Fish Prometheus" by Vilhelm Bergsoe) to stories that really push the bounds of Steampunk. (especially "The Gernsback Continuum" by William Gibson and "Wild Copper" by Samantha Henderson). There is a little something for everyone in this collection whether you want a look at the gritty reality and politics of Victorian life, a Steamy Wild West showdown, or a frank t...more
There are some really good stories in this edition, and some o.k. stories. Worth getting a hold of, if for no other reason than as an introduction to a new set of authors.
A nice introduction to Steampunk.
What a find. Here is a steampunk collection worth reading. Editor has chosen a broad base of stories to highlight progress of genre. Fans will enjoy some old favorites.
Anthologies! At best a 50/50 shot.
My review of this book will appear soon at Tangent Online. I will link it here when it is available.
Solid steampunk fiction--even better than the first one, in my opinion! My faves are: "Machine Maid" by Margo Lanagan; "The mechanical aviary of Emperor Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar" by Shweta Narayan; "A serpent in the gears" by Margaret Ronald; and "The strange case of Mr. Salad Monday" by G. D. Falksen. But it's all solid! A MUST read for any steampunk fan.
I'm giving this collection three stars because I had mixed reaction to the stories. Some pieces I loved, while others felt bogged down by the prose. My particular favorites were "The Anachronist's Cookbook" by Catherynne Valente, "The Unbecoming of Virgil Smythe" by Ramsey Shehadeh, and Sydney Padua's comic about Ada Lovelace and Lord Byron (which is also online: http://sydneypadua.com/2dgoggles/love...).
The stories in this collection were superior to those in the first volume; however, the articles on the genre, while interesting, were not as horizon expanding.
There are stories I loved and stories I hated, unfortunately. I gave it the rating I did because in addition to having stories I disliked only half of the stories I would actually put in the steampunk category.
Gathering of some old stories into one book. Most were interesting and relevant. Editor gave a good sampling of genre.
I enjoyed the first collection better, but there were a couple of stunner stories in this group, esp. Margo Lanagan's Machine Maid. I do recommend this!
This was definitely worth checking out a second time to finish: there are so many different tales of alternate histories and inventions that you can't help but feel a bit giddy about the concept of the steampunk genre. There are plenty of short story bronze-colored gems in this anthology!
Several good stories in this anthology.
Excellent anthology, but the last part of incoherent stuff I could have done without. However, I have to respect the editors for gathering not just short stories, but also comics and artwork. I prefer their first anthology, though.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
