A review by quietjenn
The Steampunk Bible: An Illustrated Guide to the World of Imaginary Airships, Corsets and Goggles, Mad Scientists, and Strange Literature by Jeff VanderMeer
2.0
I like reading about subcultures; probably more than I actually enjoy participating in any one subculture. And books like this are helpful because they give you a good grounding and keep you informed enough that you know what people are talking about and don't sound like an idiot in conversation. So, bully for that. At the same time, they tend to contain a lot of stuff that makes me sort of roll my eyes.
The best bits were the chapters on the history of steampunk and the primer on significant books and how lots of them are rooted in the classic literature, but maybe that's just my English major roots showing? It did give me a reading list - both of these classic authors and some more contemporary sci-fi writers. The less successful bits at least had pretty pictures, although maybe too many? I actually really disliked the structure of the book - too many side panels and whatnot badly integrated with the main text. It's a pet peeve, I admit.
The best bits were the chapters on the history of steampunk and the primer on significant books and how lots of them are rooted in the classic literature, but maybe that's just my English major roots showing? It did give me a reading list - both of these classic authors and some more contemporary sci-fi writers. The less successful bits at least had pretty pictures, although maybe too many? I actually really disliked the structure of the book - too many side panels and whatnot badly integrated with the main text. It's a pet peeve, I admit.