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blairconrad's review
5.0
A really nice teen-oriented anthology. Of course there's some variation in story quality and appeal, but I enjoyed nearly every one of them, with a few really standing out. (If you're pressed for time, I'd recommend hitting "The Last Ride of the Glory Girls", "Clockwork Fagin", "Seven Days Beset by Demons", "The Summer People", "The Oracle Engine", and "Steam Girl" in no particular order.)
The settings for the stories range far from Victorian England, hitting ancient Rome, present day pick-your-country, far off planets, and points in between. It was nice seeing the genre adapted to unusual settings. One thing detracted from the collection - a couple stories were only tangentially steampunky, but by and large they were good stories, and there's nothing wrong with refraining from smothering what could be a new genre reader.
A great book for teens that are curious about steampunk, or anyone looking for a collection of entertaining stories.
The settings for the stories range far from Victorian England, hitting ancient Rome, present day pick-your-country, far off planets, and points in between. It was nice seeing the genre adapted to unusual settings. One thing detracted from the collection - a couple stories were only tangentially steampunky, but by and large they were good stories, and there's nothing wrong with refraining from smothering what could be a new genre reader.
A great book for teens that are curious about steampunk, or anyone looking for a collection of entertaining stories.
mwgerard's review
3.0
I made some great discoveries of interesting writers. Read my review here: http://cineastesbookshelf.blogspot.com/2011/10/great-reads-for-halloween.html
blodeuedd's review against another edition
3.0
"Some Unfortunate Future Day" by Cassandra Clare
I liked this one, in a way it felt kind of horror-ish cos the girl turns a creepy in the end.
"The Last Ride of the Glory Girls" by Libba Bray
This one was good too, but for me it did not really work as a short story, I had too many questions about the world. Where were they?
"Clockwork Fagin" by Cory Doctorow
Oliver Twist and steampunk..eh, no this was kind of boring.
"Seven Days Beset by Demons" by Shawn Cheng
A graphic short, was not that fun either but it was over fast.
"Hand in Glove" by Ysabeau S. Wilce
I was not that into this story, it just did not pull me in.
"Ghost of Cwmlech Manor" by Delia Sherman
This one was kind of nice
"Gethsemane" by Elizabeth Knox
I got all confused by this one, it had potential but it just ost me along the way
"The Summer People" by Kelly Link
I liked this one but at the same time I was disappointed cos it certainly was not steampunk
"Peace in Our Time" by Garth Nix
I was a bit what? It had promise...but needed more
"Nowhere Fast" by Christopher Rowe
Post-apocalyptic...what does that has to do with steampunk?
"Finishing School" by Kathleen Jennings
Graphic short, did not like it
"Steam Girl" by Dylan Horrocks
Ok the only steamunk here was in a story a girl told, does not work for me either.
"Everything Amiable and Obliging" by Holly Black
This one was the best one of the bunch.
"The Oracle Engine" by M.T. Anderson.
....I skimmed and skimmed. Boring
I liked this one, in a way it felt kind of horror-ish cos the girl turns a creepy in the end.
"The Last Ride of the Glory Girls" by Libba Bray
This one was good too, but for me it did not really work as a short story, I had too many questions about the world. Where were they?
"Clockwork Fagin" by Cory Doctorow
Oliver Twist and steampunk..eh, no this was kind of boring.
"Seven Days Beset by Demons" by Shawn Cheng
A graphic short, was not that fun either but it was over fast.
"Hand in Glove" by Ysabeau S. Wilce
I was not that into this story, it just did not pull me in.
"Ghost of Cwmlech Manor" by Delia Sherman
This one was kind of nice
"Gethsemane" by Elizabeth Knox
I got all confused by this one, it had potential but it just ost me along the way
"The Summer People" by Kelly Link
I liked this one but at the same time I was disappointed cos it certainly was not steampunk
"Peace in Our Time" by Garth Nix
I was a bit what? It had promise...but needed more
"Nowhere Fast" by Christopher Rowe
Post-apocalyptic...what does that has to do with steampunk?
"Finishing School" by Kathleen Jennings
Graphic short, did not like it
"Steam Girl" by Dylan Horrocks
Ok the only steamunk here was in a story a girl told, does not work for me either.
"Everything Amiable and Obliging" by Holly Black
This one was the best one of the bunch.
"The Oracle Engine" by M.T. Anderson.
....I skimmed and skimmed. Boring
bookhoarding's review
3.0
A collection of short stories by talented writers, Steampunk! really shows the depth and breadth of the genre. The settings are not limited to the sooty streets of Victorian London, which allows readers familiar with that setting to get a fresh perspective on what constitutes a steampunk story. From rough-riding women of the futuristic West to a modern day duo of teens, looking for an escape from bullies, each story takes on a different aspect of steampunk culture and weaves it in to a science-fiction tale worthy of a mini-series. Luckily, the authors are gifted enough that readers don't have to see the tales on screen in order to get an idea of the fantastical worlds created within a few pages.
Check it out if you're ready to venture beyond the standard setting and aren't one of those people who has a narrow definition of steampunk.
Check it out if you're ready to venture beyond the standard setting and aren't one of those people who has a narrow definition of steampunk.
simkern's review
4.0
The Kelly Link and Cory Doctorow stories get 5 stars, really transcendent genre-busting stuff. The rest are all solid. Great collection if you're a fan of this aesthetic.
ericbuscemi's review
4.0
I only read the Cory Doctorow story 'Clockwork Fagin', as I picked up a free preview copy of the story on my Kindle. Doctorow proves with his story that he does steampunk just as well as he does cyberpunk. It was definitely good enough to make me consider buying the entire anthology.
harleybasswood's review
3.0
Bray and Doctorow's contributions were my favorite. Couldn't get in to some of the others, but that's to be expected with any compilation. This one is pretty solid.
tmleblanc's review against another edition
3.0
1. Some Fortunate Future Day: ***
2. The Last Ride of the Glory Girls: ****
3. Clockwork Fagin: ****
4. Seven Days Beset by Demons: *
5. Hand in Glove: ***
6. The Ghost of Cwmlech Manor: ***
7. Gethsemane: **
8. The Summer People: ***
9. Peace in Our Time: ****
10. Nowhere Fast: ***
11. Finishing School: *
12. Steam Girl: *****
13. Everything Amiable and Obliging: ***
14. The Oracle Engine: ***
2. The Last Ride of the Glory Girls: ****
3. Clockwork Fagin: ****
4. Seven Days Beset by Demons: *
5. Hand in Glove: ***
6. The Ghost of Cwmlech Manor: ***
7. Gethsemane: **
8. The Summer People: ***
9. Peace in Our Time: ****
10. Nowhere Fast: ***
11. Finishing School: *
12. Steam Girl: *****
13. Everything Amiable and Obliging: ***
14. The Oracle Engine: ***
snowwolf75's review
4.0
Many gems in this collection of stories. My favorites were "The Last Ride of the Glory Girls" (all female band of outlaws and the toy they use for their raids) and "Steam Girl" (teenage romance with a heavy steampunk influence). The book even included two short comics, but due to reading it in a digital format on a small screen, I wasn't able to enjoy those as much as I'd like.
qkjgrubb's review against another edition
3.0
My introduction to steampunk!
I borrowed this from my library's digital catalog not knowing what to expect. I am pleased and excited about reading more in this genre. This collection was uneven, as far as my interest went, but I'm intrigued enough to wind the gears, put on goggles & pick up my next steampunk read.
I borrowed this from my library's digital catalog not knowing what to expect. I am pleased and excited about reading more in this genre. This collection was uneven, as far as my interest went, but I'm intrigued enough to wind the gears, put on goggles & pick up my next steampunk read.