Aeroparts Factory

by Paul Kater

A short steampunk novel about the happenings around a factory where parts for airships are made...

Genres: Steampunk, Fantasy, Fiction

Nook

First published December 17, 2010

About the author

Paul Kater was born in the Netherlands in 1960. He quickly developed a feel for languages but did not pursue a career in those as his native language, Dutch, did not offer many options in that time.

After learning far too much about computers he started to make a living with them. During all that time he always wrote short stories, little things to entertain family and friends and also himself with.

Since 2003 he's been writing more seriously, first posting his scribblings on an amateur writer's mailing list, and then publishing shorter and longer stories on the internet. Due to the international character of the Internet, all Paul's stories so far are written in English. The best known books he wrote are the Hilda the Wicked Witch series.

Paul currently lives in Cuijk, in the Netherlands, with his books and the many characters he's developed in the past years, who claim he is a figment of their imagination.

Reviews

[Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like Paul Kater's Hilda the Wicked Witch series very much, but this story was a miss for me.

[Jennifer Booth · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not good enough

I did not think the 'f' bomb on the first page in the first chapter should have been used. Sorry!

[Hex · Rating 2 out of 5]

This short story or novella was free on my Nook, and being someone who enjoys a good steampunk story and likes to find good authors who don't necessarily end up in bookstores, it was an easy choice. The story is set in a small industrial town populated by lower-class workers and the homeless. The only real industries are the eponymous Aeroparts Factory, a bar, and a brothel. When it opens, people are buzzing about an industrial accident, which leads to suspicion of the automatons.

The premise is sound, and the twist surprised me, but I'll admit, it was a bit tough to get beyond the strange grammar and somewhat clunky sentence structure. It also felt as though the author was trying a bit too hard to be brief while desperately wanting to set the scene in this world, had it just been two chapters longer, had the suspense and the plot been drawn out longer, or even introduced just a tad bit sooner, it could have improved. I think this would have worked better as an actual novel-length story, with more chance to develop characters and build the world. If he ever gives it a go, I'd definitely reread it.

[Whitebeard Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this title is listed as being of the Steampunk genre, there is little if any Steampunkishness to it. It may be set in a historical period or perhaps in a post apocalyptic time. And there are automatons and mentions of airships, but the story itself is a more contemporary one of corporate greed. I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed.

[Lee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this story somewhat hard to follow, it seems as though the author gave up on detail in order to achieve brevity.

[Jennifer MacDonald · Rating 1 out of 5]

I would love for somebody to explain the purpose of the brothel owner, Lena, in this story. The premise is interesting, but the odd composition just blew the whole thing for me.

[Bill Tillman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A 21 page steampunk tale, about industrial espionage. Four factory painters, get involved with an dark figure and the results are even darker.

[Gary · Rating 1 out of 5]

Mercifully short. Absolute waste of my time.

[Luke · Rating 1 out of 5]

Salacious with bad language and a bit cliche. I didn't bother to finish. Not really my cup of tea.