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Steampunk'd
Steampunk can be defined as a subgenre of science fiction that is typically set in an anachronistic Victorian or quasi-Victorian setting, where steam power is prevalent. Consider the slogan: "What the past would look like if the future had come along earlier." The stories in this all-original anthology explore alternate timelines and have been set all over the world, running the gamut from science fiction to mystery to horror to a melding of these genres.
312 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 1, 2010
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498 people want to read
About the author
Jean Rabe
220 books156 followersWhen I am not writing, I toss tennis balls to my cadre of dogs. My house is filled with books and dogs, you can smell both when you walk in the front door. It's a good smell.
I have 36 published novels and am currently writing in the mystery genre. My latest mystery, The Dead of Winter, was a finalist for the Claymore Award and is the first in the Piper Blackwell series.
I live in a tiny town in the middle of Illinois that has a Dollar General, a pizza place with exceedingly slow service, a veterinarian (good thing, eh?), and train tracks...lots of train tracks.
I have 36 published novels and am currently writing in the mystery genre. My latest mystery, The Dead of Winter, was a finalist for the Claymore Award and is the first in the Piper Blackwell series.
I live in a tiny town in the middle of Illinois that has a Dollar General, a pizza place with exceedingly slow service, a veterinarian (good thing, eh?), and train tracks...lots of train tracks.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
January 2, 2011
Steampunk’d
I don’t read steampunk in general, so can’t really say whether or not this anthology has strong ties to the tropes of that subgenre. My guess would be that it takes a nod in that direction, but doesn’t adhere to it precisely, simply because if you’ve “punk’d” something, you’ve given it your own twist. Overall, this anthology is rather good, with some interesting stories and takes on the idea of steam tech taking over the world. I’ve indicated my favorites with bold titles below—stories by Michael A. Stackpole, William c. Dietz, and Paul Genesse. All three had a character story interwoven through the main plot, and all three had interesting alternate worlds. Stackpole’s probably had the more interesting use to steam tech, or what I think of as steampunk. Here are the individual story reviews:
Chance Corrigan and the Tick-tock King of the Nile by Michael A. Stackpole: A fun story with some cool steampunk elements woven into a plot involving building a dam on the Nile to control the flooding. A good mix of science and elements on the edge of being fantasy. And the main character was interesting. I can see this being developed into something bigger.
Foggy Goggles by Donald J. Bingle: Here, the main character is the science/technology and travel writer for the NYT, sent to interview the inventor of a steam-powered blimp which makes travel across the continent easy and practical. The story is heavy on the “technical” aspects of how the blimp works, apropos, since the character is a scientist, but when he meets the inventor the story steers away from the blimp and toward the responsibilities of a scientist regarding inventions and the consequences of their uses. This made the story somewhat unbalanced for me, although it was still enjoyable.
The Battle of Cumberland Gap by William C. Dietz: In this story, George Washington failed and so the British and French are battling over—of all places—Kentucky, because of the coal. The steampunk aspect is that the French have invented a steam-powered land battle cruiser, which wreaks havoc on the British lines as it heads toward Cumberland Gap. What makes this story work for me is that the man who’s been inexplicably left in charge of the defense of Cumberland Gap has his own personal story interwoven into the main attack, so it isn’t all about the cool of the steampunk. There’s a human story here as well.
Portrait of a Lady in a Monocle by Jody Lynn Nye: A story about a scientist whose work is stolen by another scientist and her attempts to get the credit she deserves for her work. Lots of steampunk setting in this one, with the main piece being the lady’s monocle. A good story, overall, with an emphasis on the disparity between how men and women are treated in the scientific community.
Foretold by Bradley P. Beaulieu: An interesting setting for this one, the main character a seer in the mountains of Russia, helping miners locate the landfalls of meteorites so they can be mined for their metals. But it’s more about the character and his apprentice, and accepting change in his own life and seeing others for what they truly are.
The Echoer by Dean Leggett: Another story with an interesting setting, this time Texas, where an adventurer/inventor is searching for the woman he left behind because she didn’t have enough faith in their dreams. He’s come back to prove that what they imagined could come to pass.
Of a Feather by Stephen D. Sullivan: Continuing the strange setting trend, this story takes place on the Amazon River, with a group of intrepid explorers searching for the prehistoric ranodon creatures. It had the feel Doyle’s Lost World mixed with steampunk elements. Lots of action and adventure in this one.
Scourge of the Spoils by Matthew P. Mayo: Steampunk set in a western setting again here, with mechanical horses, an underground mining machine, and a plot centered around that age-old sin, greed. Everyone in this story wants something, mostly money, but fame and revenge don’t hurt either. And it culminates in a stand-off, although not the kind you’d find in a standard western. A surprise ending as well.
Edison Kinetic Light & Steam Power by C.A. Verstraete: The main character here is Edison’s sister, who’s trying to keep Edison safe without stifling his inventiveness too much . . . until she gets the inventor’s itch as well. The ending kind of comes out of nowhere, and I think the characters forgot to hook up the charging cell they said the machine needed. An interesting story, but it didn’t feel as focused or formed as some of the others.
The Nubian Queen by Paul Genesse: This is steampunk set in an alternate history universe, where a mini ice age has destroyed Europe’s hold on the world and brought about the African Age. This is a full-fledged story (one of the longer ones in the anthology), with a complete beginning, middle, and end. The Nubian Queen is fighting for her people both politically, through marriage and alliances, as well as with her armies. This story isn’t as dependent on the steampunk as some of the others though, it’s more background setting.
Opals from Sydney by Mary Louise Eklund: Two entrepreneurs bargain to join forces to produce multitomatons, machines that can perform more than one simple function, using slivers of a magical opal that brings the inanimate to life. Long set up for a quick finale here, although the end brings in some much-needed action.
The Whisperer by Marc Tassin: The title kind of tells you what this story is about, a man who can whisper to machines (or the world) like some people are said to be able to whisper to dogs or horses, etc. This talent is interwoven through a love story. The story itself takes some very interesting turns that raise some questions that aren’t answered (like exactly what’s up with how he whispers to his love when he finds her), however I felt that perhaps the whispering went a little too far and became TOO powerful.
Imperial Changeling by Skip & Penny Williams: This story takes off on the alternate Europe where the fae have incorporated themselves into the royal lines of royalty in order to survive. However, the new science infringes on the magic of the faery, with someone attempting to use it to wipe out all traces of the fae in the royal lineages. It’s a complicated story in some sense, with lots going on (gates and watches and traitors and . . . well, you get the idea), which made me think that it should be expanded into something longer than the short story it is now. There’s enough here for a novella at least. Because of this, it kind of felt more like an outline of the story. I wanted to know the characters more deeply, although the story was great.
The Transmogrification Ray by Robert E. Vardeman: The final story in the anthology has a scientist attempting that age-old alchemical trick of turning lead into gold . . . using steampunk tech of course. He thinks he’s nearly got it, except for that pesky second-order term in the equation that he can’t explain away. That term ends up causing some rather spectacular effects. I left the story wondering about exactly what the characters were thinking. They abandoned the . . . effect and I have no idea whether it still exists and is doing what it does (trying not to spoil the story here). They don’t seem to be concerned about it at all, focused on the alchemical goal still, but I’d think they’d be more interested in what actually happened instead.
I don’t read steampunk in general, so can’t really say whether or not this anthology has strong ties to the tropes of that subgenre. My guess would be that it takes a nod in that direction, but doesn’t adhere to it precisely, simply because if you’ve “punk’d” something, you’ve given it your own twist. Overall, this anthology is rather good, with some interesting stories and takes on the idea of steam tech taking over the world. I’ve indicated my favorites with bold titles below—stories by Michael A. Stackpole, William c. Dietz, and Paul Genesse. All three had a character story interwoven through the main plot, and all three had interesting alternate worlds. Stackpole’s probably had the more interesting use to steam tech, or what I think of as steampunk. Here are the individual story reviews:
Chance Corrigan and the Tick-tock King of the Nile by Michael A. Stackpole: A fun story with some cool steampunk elements woven into a plot involving building a dam on the Nile to control the flooding. A good mix of science and elements on the edge of being fantasy. And the main character was interesting. I can see this being developed into something bigger.
Foggy Goggles by Donald J. Bingle: Here, the main character is the science/technology and travel writer for the NYT, sent to interview the inventor of a steam-powered blimp which makes travel across the continent easy and practical. The story is heavy on the “technical” aspects of how the blimp works, apropos, since the character is a scientist, but when he meets the inventor the story steers away from the blimp and toward the responsibilities of a scientist regarding inventions and the consequences of their uses. This made the story somewhat unbalanced for me, although it was still enjoyable.
The Battle of Cumberland Gap by William C. Dietz: In this story, George Washington failed and so the British and French are battling over—of all places—Kentucky, because of the coal. The steampunk aspect is that the French have invented a steam-powered land battle cruiser, which wreaks havoc on the British lines as it heads toward Cumberland Gap. What makes this story work for me is that the man who’s been inexplicably left in charge of the defense of Cumberland Gap has his own personal story interwoven into the main attack, so it isn’t all about the cool of the steampunk. There’s a human story here as well.
Portrait of a Lady in a Monocle by Jody Lynn Nye: A story about a scientist whose work is stolen by another scientist and her attempts to get the credit she deserves for her work. Lots of steampunk setting in this one, with the main piece being the lady’s monocle. A good story, overall, with an emphasis on the disparity between how men and women are treated in the scientific community.
Foretold by Bradley P. Beaulieu: An interesting setting for this one, the main character a seer in the mountains of Russia, helping miners locate the landfalls of meteorites so they can be mined for their metals. But it’s more about the character and his apprentice, and accepting change in his own life and seeing others for what they truly are.
The Echoer by Dean Leggett: Another story with an interesting setting, this time Texas, where an adventurer/inventor is searching for the woman he left behind because she didn’t have enough faith in their dreams. He’s come back to prove that what they imagined could come to pass.
Of a Feather by Stephen D. Sullivan: Continuing the strange setting trend, this story takes place on the Amazon River, with a group of intrepid explorers searching for the prehistoric ranodon creatures. It had the feel Doyle’s Lost World mixed with steampunk elements. Lots of action and adventure in this one.
Scourge of the Spoils by Matthew P. Mayo: Steampunk set in a western setting again here, with mechanical horses, an underground mining machine, and a plot centered around that age-old sin, greed. Everyone in this story wants something, mostly money, but fame and revenge don’t hurt either. And it culminates in a stand-off, although not the kind you’d find in a standard western. A surprise ending as well.
Edison Kinetic Light & Steam Power by C.A. Verstraete: The main character here is Edison’s sister, who’s trying to keep Edison safe without stifling his inventiveness too much . . . until she gets the inventor’s itch as well. The ending kind of comes out of nowhere, and I think the characters forgot to hook up the charging cell they said the machine needed. An interesting story, but it didn’t feel as focused or formed as some of the others.
The Nubian Queen by Paul Genesse: This is steampunk set in an alternate history universe, where a mini ice age has destroyed Europe’s hold on the world and brought about the African Age. This is a full-fledged story (one of the longer ones in the anthology), with a complete beginning, middle, and end. The Nubian Queen is fighting for her people both politically, through marriage and alliances, as well as with her armies. This story isn’t as dependent on the steampunk as some of the others though, it’s more background setting.
Opals from Sydney by Mary Louise Eklund: Two entrepreneurs bargain to join forces to produce multitomatons, machines that can perform more than one simple function, using slivers of a magical opal that brings the inanimate to life. Long set up for a quick finale here, although the end brings in some much-needed action.
The Whisperer by Marc Tassin: The title kind of tells you what this story is about, a man who can whisper to machines (or the world) like some people are said to be able to whisper to dogs or horses, etc. This talent is interwoven through a love story. The story itself takes some very interesting turns that raise some questions that aren’t answered (like exactly what’s up with how he whispers to his love when he finds her), however I felt that perhaps the whispering went a little too far and became TOO powerful.
Imperial Changeling by Skip & Penny Williams: This story takes off on the alternate Europe where the fae have incorporated themselves into the royal lines of royalty in order to survive. However, the new science infringes on the magic of the faery, with someone attempting to use it to wipe out all traces of the fae in the royal lineages. It’s a complicated story in some sense, with lots going on (gates and watches and traitors and . . . well, you get the idea), which made me think that it should be expanded into something longer than the short story it is now. There’s enough here for a novella at least. Because of this, it kind of felt more like an outline of the story. I wanted to know the characters more deeply, although the story was great.
The Transmogrification Ray by Robert E. Vardeman: The final story in the anthology has a scientist attempting that age-old alchemical trick of turning lead into gold . . . using steampunk tech of course. He thinks he’s nearly got it, except for that pesky second-order term in the equation that he can’t explain away. That term ends up causing some rather spectacular effects. I left the story wondering about exactly what the characters were thinking. They abandoned the . . . effect and I have no idea whether it still exists and is doing what it does (trying not to spoil the story here). They don’t seem to be concerned about it at all, focused on the alchemical goal still, but I’d think they’d be more interested in what actually happened instead.
February 3, 2011
Rabe and Greenburg compile an anthology filled with imagination and creativity with "Steampunk'd." Steampunk is set in the industrial age; approximately between 1830-1900. The one constant concept is that electricity has not been invented yet so everything runs on steam. Imagine grey colors, soot, brass and you've got steampunk.
The anthology has fourteen stories that take place in various setting ranging from the Americas to Africa. In "Chance Corrigan and the Tick-Tock King of the Nile," Chance pits wits against his foe Gavrilis. Who will win? In "Foggy Goggles," Gavin is a reporter who visits a famous inventor who has made snow in Arizona - but how bad will it ruin the environment? In "The Battle of Cumberland Gap," French forces threaten to make a stronghold in America by going through the Cumberland Gap. Can LT Landry stop them?
"Portrait of a Lady in a Monocle" is about a female inventor who is not highly regarded by her peers because she's a woman, but will she have the last laugh? In "Foretold" Maks is a seer who hunts down meteorites, but when he stops "seeing" will the competition get ahead?
"Echoer" is about an inventor, Brandon, who is building an airship. Can he convince the women he's in love with to help? In "Of a Feather," Kit and her crew find a prehistoric bird in South America, but will the competition steal the bird for themselves? In "Scourge of the Spoils," Constance has a chance to capture the elusive Dr. Ocularious, but can she haul him in?
"Edison Kinetic Light and Steam power" is a story about Thomas Edison. Will he blow himself up to find electricity? In "The Nubian Queen," Sahdi finds herself in the midst of international conflict on an African continent that flourished when Cleopatra and Mark Antony defeated Rome. "Opals from Sydney" is about a widow who owns an opal that animates objects. Will the opal fall into the wrong hands?
In "the Whisperer," Avery's whispers are like hypnotic suggestions. Can he save Lilly from death? "Imperial Changeling" is about the royal houses of Europe. Elisabeth and Ludwina are fey. Can they stop the evil Col. Ames from carrying out his plan? In "The Transmogification Ray," will Francis actually change lead to gold and stop the spies from stealing his discovery?
This anthology is fiction and will give the reader a nice flavor of the Steampunk genre. My favorite stories include "The Nubian Queen" and "Imperial Changeling" for their creative takes on history. "Steampunk'd" will take you on a heart-pounding airship ride around the world.
The anthology has fourteen stories that take place in various setting ranging from the Americas to Africa. In "Chance Corrigan and the Tick-Tock King of the Nile," Chance pits wits against his foe Gavrilis. Who will win? In "Foggy Goggles," Gavin is a reporter who visits a famous inventor who has made snow in Arizona - but how bad will it ruin the environment? In "The Battle of Cumberland Gap," French forces threaten to make a stronghold in America by going through the Cumberland Gap. Can LT Landry stop them?
"Portrait of a Lady in a Monocle" is about a female inventor who is not highly regarded by her peers because she's a woman, but will she have the last laugh? In "Foretold" Maks is a seer who hunts down meteorites, but when he stops "seeing" will the competition get ahead?
"Echoer" is about an inventor, Brandon, who is building an airship. Can he convince the women he's in love with to help? In "Of a Feather," Kit and her crew find a prehistoric bird in South America, but will the competition steal the bird for themselves? In "Scourge of the Spoils," Constance has a chance to capture the elusive Dr. Ocularious, but can she haul him in?
"Edison Kinetic Light and Steam power" is a story about Thomas Edison. Will he blow himself up to find electricity? In "The Nubian Queen," Sahdi finds herself in the midst of international conflict on an African continent that flourished when Cleopatra and Mark Antony defeated Rome. "Opals from Sydney" is about a widow who owns an opal that animates objects. Will the opal fall into the wrong hands?
In "the Whisperer," Avery's whispers are like hypnotic suggestions. Can he save Lilly from death? "Imperial Changeling" is about the royal houses of Europe. Elisabeth and Ludwina are fey. Can they stop the evil Col. Ames from carrying out his plan? In "The Transmogification Ray," will Francis actually change lead to gold and stop the spies from stealing his discovery?
This anthology is fiction and will give the reader a nice flavor of the Steampunk genre. My favorite stories include "The Nubian Queen" and "Imperial Changeling" for their creative takes on history. "Steampunk'd" will take you on a heart-pounding airship ride around the world.
June 21, 2011
Two words: Mixed Bag.
Being a fan of the Victorians, I've found the 'steampunk' side of science fiction to be very interesting--if I can find a good book or story. So, I shall start with the downside of this book:
A number of the stories are a little too short, sweet, and to the point. I'm well aware a short story sort of shoves a writer into shoes a couple sizes too small, but the characters' motives can sometimes be confusing and, frankly, eye-rolling. The not-so-quality pieces tends to vary from downright confusing to brain-meltingly boring. However, there are a number of stories in between that aren't so bad, actually.
Though, as mentioned before, many of these stories are hit-and-miss (I expected more out of the genre, really), a number of them were incredibly quirky and had characters that were generally likeable and interesting. And, of course, there was even social commentary in the form of "Foggy Goggles." This was something I enjoyed immensely!
That being said, reader be warned; it's a book worth looking at for readers new to the subgenre, but I feel it was a bit lacking overall.
Being a fan of the Victorians, I've found the 'steampunk' side of science fiction to be very interesting--if I can find a good book or story. So, I shall start with the downside of this book:
A number of the stories are a little too short, sweet, and to the point. I'm well aware a short story sort of shoves a writer into shoes a couple sizes too small, but the characters' motives can sometimes be confusing and, frankly, eye-rolling. The not-so-quality pieces tends to vary from downright confusing to brain-meltingly boring. However, there are a number of stories in between that aren't so bad, actually.
Though, as mentioned before, many of these stories are hit-and-miss (I expected more out of the genre, really), a number of them were incredibly quirky and had characters that were generally likeable and interesting. And, of course, there was even social commentary in the form of "Foggy Goggles." This was something I enjoyed immensely!
That being said, reader be warned; it's a book worth looking at for readers new to the subgenre, but I feel it was a bit lacking overall.
September 26, 2011
I picked up 'Hot & Steamy', the romantically-driven steampunk anthology, on a whim and finished it ravenously. I noticed a few of the stories referred back to another collection, one I had intended to read but had unfortunately let slip by. And I'm already glad I went back and special-ordered it.
There's something oddly compelling about steampunk in general; not sure if it's the shared background ALL steampunk has and the familiarity it brings, or if it's the way alternate technology is so tightly woven into not only the basic plot but the very drive behind every single character. But I couldn't wait until I finished my other current reads to begin this one. I absolutely needed a touch of steam this month.
Three stories in and it hasn't disappointed so far. Editors rarely get mention, so let me give some well-deserved credit right now: Martin H Greenberg has got to be one of the finest editors on this planet. Easily 75% of the anthologies I've read or have to read are assembled by him, and not a single one has let me down. He's the only editor whose name I actively seek on any anthology.
There's something oddly compelling about steampunk in general; not sure if it's the shared background ALL steampunk has and the familiarity it brings, or if it's the way alternate technology is so tightly woven into not only the basic plot but the very drive behind every single character. But I couldn't wait until I finished my other current reads to begin this one. I absolutely needed a touch of steam this month.
Three stories in and it hasn't disappointed so far. Editors rarely get mention, so let me give some well-deserved credit right now: Martin H Greenberg has got to be one of the finest editors on this planet. Easily 75% of the anthologies I've read or have to read are assembled by him, and not a single one has let me down. He's the only editor whose name I actively seek on any anthology.
July 7, 2011
A good mix of stories, showing just how much can be done in this genre.
It was a worthwhile read, although I'm not sure I'll remember any of the stories; maybe the western with the steam horses and the interesting ending.
They seem to have skipped using a copy editor or proofreader. But in Dean Leggett's story he calls a character "Sheila" 12 times and "Shelia" 11 times, including "Sheila was Shelia." Dyslexic? Doing it on purpose for some reason I missed? There are no other transpositions in the story.
It was a worthwhile read, although I'm not sure I'll remember any of the stories; maybe the western with the steam horses and the interesting ending.
They seem to have skipped using a copy editor or proofreader. But in Dean Leggett's story he calls a character "Sheila" 12 times and "Shelia" 11 times, including "Sheila was Shelia." Dyslexic? Doing it on purpose for some reason I missed? There are no other transpositions in the story.
January 17, 2011
Leah at Creatures N Crooks Bookshop (which is sorely missed) suggested this as an intro for me into the world of Steampunk. How these stories compare with the entire genre I can't say, but what I CAN say is that I truly enjoyed every one. The whole Steampunk genre fascinates me and I plan to explore further.
November 15, 2022
I liked 1 or 2 stories, but the rest were poor quality.
July 11, 2013
I don't read steampunk in general, so can't really say whether or not this anthology has strong ties to the tropes of that subgenre. My guess would be that it takes a nod in that direction, but doesn't adhere to it precisely, simply because if you've "punk'd" something, you've given it your own twist. Overall, this anthology is rather good, with some interesting stories and takes on the idea of steam tech taking over the world. I've indicated my favorites with bold titles below-stories by Michael A. Stackpole, William c. Dietz, and Paul Genesse. All three had a character story interwoven through the main plot, and all three had interesting alternate worlds. Stackpole's probably had the more interesting use to steam tech, or what I think of as steampunk. Here are the individual story reviews:
Steampunk'd Anthology review at SFReader.com
Steampunk'd Anthology review at SFReader.com
July 28, 2011
I bought this on impulse. I like steampunk as a genre, I like how it is becoming more popular. Here is a collection of short stories, so it aught to be really good. I was both surprised and let down at the same time. Some of the stories in this book are masterly crafted, the action flows well, the imagry is amazing, but there are also stories that fall short. Really short. One even seems to use the ultimate weak author tool of 'Deus Ex Machina' to bring their story to a close. Out of all the stories in this book, there are maybe two to three that I would say I truely enjoyed and made me continue to turn pages as I read. The rest...well...at least they are SHORT stories. If you love the steampunk genre, pick this book up. Perhaps you will enjoy it more than I did. I mean, I gave this better than a half rating, so I did enjoy it more than average. Take it as you will.
March 26, 2015
Steampunk’d is an anthology edited by Jean Rabe and Martin H. Greenberg. The most common premise of steampunk is an idea that technology — steam-driven technology — went in a different direction during the Victorian era. The best steampunk stories create a sense of otherness, a truly different world, while some tales just dangle steampunk tropes like jewelry or fashion accessories.
I’m a cautious consumer of themed anthologies because the work can be uneven, and that certainly is the case with Steampunk’d.
“Foretold,” by Bradley Beaulieu, does create a different world. In Russia, Maks, a seer, uses his ... Read More: http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
I’m a cautious consumer of themed anthologies because the work can be uneven, and that certainly is the case with Steampunk’d.
“Foretold,” by Bradley Beaulieu, does create a different world. In Russia, Maks, a seer, uses his ... Read More: http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
June 29, 2011
Nice collection of short stories. The collection is well written, but I stretch to refer to it as "steampunk". That's probably just my perspective. The stories focus on good and proper story telling in a Victorian time-setting with enhanced technology...at least most of them do. (I'm not sure how the faeire or the whisperer story fir into the steam genre.) But they don't focus so much on the steam technology and how it affects people, societies, and civilizations. Maybe the overriding statement is that steam tech or solid tech, people stay the same?
May 12, 2012
Plenty of fun stories. I haven't read very much steampunk sci-fi (a little after my time) but it's interesting. I'm not sure I could be a hardcore fan since although the concepts of an alternate scientific timeline is rife with possibilities, what I've seen so far is a bit of a stretch. It's all so down-to-earth science so it's hard to suspend disbelief as we do with truly exotic science fiction like time or space travel. Some of my favourite stories in the collection are: "The Whisperer", "Foretold", and "The Nubian Queen". Recommended for science fiction fans.
May 1, 2011
Sometimes it's hard to rate a collection of short stories. Some of these are great reads, others it was all I could do to slog through them. Queen Sahdi's story was a great romance and I've always liked Paul Genesse's shorts. I want to find more of Chance Corrigan, he's an angry mad genius. It's not surprising that Jody Lynn Nye's story is one of a woman giving a man his comeuppance for stealing her ideas. All in all some great stories with a few dogs thrown in.
July 4, 2012
Chance Corrigan and the Tick Tock King- had a minimal plot that was hard to follow.
Foggy Goggles- was simply a soapbox speech about excessive energy consumption thinly veiled as a short story.
The Battle of Cumberland Gap was much better.
Unfortunately, it was time to return it to the library and 2 out of 3 stories were not so good, so I gave up.
Foggy Goggles- was simply a soapbox speech about excessive energy consumption thinly veiled as a short story.
The Battle of Cumberland Gap was much better.
Unfortunately, it was time to return it to the library and 2 out of 3 stories were not so good, so I gave up.
May 10, 2017
I really wanted to like this book so I made myself finish it. I am not impressed overall. Maybe this is just not my genre. I enjoy steampunk aesthetic and the concept itself, but the fiction I have encountered so far is just not that entertaining. Maybe those more into the genre would enjoy this book better than I did.
August 14, 2011
The stories in this book were a bit uneven, with some great, and others looking a little contrived to get all the Steampunk references in there, and lacking on actual story. Overall, I liked it, but I have read better ones.
July 1, 2012
I4 different snapshots on how the world could of been. Put on your goggles and enjoy Steampunk at its best. Great book to pick up when you have time to kill but dont want to be committed to a long drawn out story. Introduction to somer others to make note of. 4 stars
December 13, 2012
It's a book of short stories, so I have mixed feelings. None of them were earth-shattering, but the Vardeman was pretty good, as was the one with pterodactyl-type creatures. One of them was so poorly proofread, I was in shock.
November 10, 2013
Initially I was unsure of the anthology but once I understood that these stories belonged to the pulpier, pacier short of genre, I began to enjoy the anthology for what it was rather than having expectations for something more.
A mixed selection but generally entertaining.
A mixed selection but generally entertaining.
Read
August 28, 2012See my story, "Foggy Goggles."
January 29, 2011
meh. That is all.
February 8, 2011
New Review, rating 9 of 10 at Flamingnet.com
See http://www.flamingnet.com/bookreviews...
See http://www.flamingnet.com/bookreviews...
October 21, 2013
Was alright. As with most short story collections, some are good, some are poor and some are just okay. I enjoyed enough to be okay with the book in the end.
June 6, 2011
A collection of stories of the steampunk variety. I enjoyed this collection but nothing really impressed me.
March 23, 2012
Typical anthology, some good,some okay, a couple of what on earth ones. For the most part, fun. I especially like the one where Cleopatra and Mark Antony one - an interesting alternate world.
July 19, 2012
Great anthology. One or two stories that I had already read before; but very enjoyable. My favorite was the one about the baby pterodactyls.
June 3, 2013
A really great collection of steampunk stories! I really enjoyed it.
September 29, 2012
I love steampunk and there were several stories I liked, but while entertaining it failed to meet my needs for good sci-fi as an overall book.
October 6, 2012
Some of the novellas were very good, and some not so much. I have a pretty good idea of what steam punk is now and I can go forth and find some good books.
August 10, 2013
Some good, some bad. Nothing special.
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