Three Steampunk Short Stories - 1 star each (Steeplechase)

[Joy D]

I am not sure what I just read but all three of these "steampunk" stories are not for me.

The Airship Captain's Tale: A Steampunk Short Story by N. Jacob Wright

A captain tells a tall tale to a private, who is fourteen years old and also his bartender. They both drink. While having beers together the captain tells the private that he killed a wyvern who was eating a child's arm. The ship's mast contains a large clock put there by the captain's brother. The story ends with a punch line. I did not laugh.

Meat Cute by Gail Carriger
This story tells of how the two main protagonists of the Parasol Protectorate, Alexia and Connell, met. Apparently, it explains the "hedgehog incident," which is mentioned in the other books in the series. It isn't for anyone who isn't already familiar with "Parasolverse." I was not. Werewolf stories are not my cup of tea. My favorite part of this is finding out it is set in a "Parasolverse" - I laughed at that.

A Dead Djinn in Cairo by P. Djéli Clark
This starts off with a naked man (who turns out to be the titular dead djinn) and a description of his genitals. It goes downhill from there with a hunt for what happened to his blood and why he is in possession of a feather. I'm not big on mysteries or supernatural beings, and this has both. It gets pretty gruesome. This is another book that is definitely not for me. Luckily, it was short.

I read these for the Raven's Roost Hurdle in the Steeplechase challenge. I would have never gone near them otherwise, so take my ratings with a grain of salt.