A review by cj_jones
Steampunk World by Nisi Shawl, S.J. Chambers, Jay Lake, Lucy A. Snyder, Nayad Monroe, Rochita Loenen-Ruiz, Ken Liu, Benjanun Sriduangkaew, Sarah Hans, Alex Bledsoe
5.0
I don't give out fives lightly, this one earned it. Full disclosure: My name is in this book because I gave them money to make it exist. One of the authors, Lucy Snyder, came to me during the kickstarter. I don't know why she chose me, but she said "We're doing this steampunk anthology--" at which point I reared up on my hind legs and said "Now wait a minute, lady!" Because I have some rather strong opinions on the topic of steampunk. I like my steampunk to have some PUNK in it, much like some drinkers like to have gin in their gin & tonic, or eaters might like to find steak in their steak and potatoes. I do not think this makes me a bad person.
I was reassured on this point, however, that I would find this collection quite to my liking. The basic theme was that steam existed outside of the upper class of Great Britain, and thus could not help but to speak to some basic power differentials; colony and colonizer, powerful and subjugal, and the abrupt introduction of technology to a society wholly unprepared for it. Or perhaps more prepared than they 'ought' to be, as a great leveler. And so I said shut up and take my money.
I have not been the least bit disappointed. There is a meat to these stories, thick, juicy, made for chewing, and all in short story sized bites that satisfy or occasionally leave you wanting maybe just one bite more. Also, they use my word 'steampulp' in the introduction, to showcase the difference between these and those dashing high adventure Victorian fantasies that are still a lot of fun to read and have amazing fashion sense.
Talking about the plot of a short story anthology isn't exactly helpful, but I can point to a slate of talented authors who ensure that each story is well honed--a short story can't mess around. It needs to get in, throw a few punches, get to the point, and wrap itself up. (A painful lesson I am slowly learning in my own work.) And some of these stories may have... more subtle punches, I suppose, than others, but that just means the sucker punch at the end is more effective.
If you're a fan of the genre--especially if you lean more toward the monocles and gears--I recommend you pick this up and devour it. If you don't know yet if you're a fan of the genre, and especially if you have an interest in history or Alternate Universes, I also recommend this as a stepping stone from other worlds you might be familiar with. And as an olive branch, I think I'm going to wear a top hat for the rest of the day.
I was reassured on this point, however, that I would find this collection quite to my liking. The basic theme was that steam existed outside of the upper class of Great Britain, and thus could not help but to speak to some basic power differentials; colony and colonizer, powerful and subjugal, and the abrupt introduction of technology to a society wholly unprepared for it. Or perhaps more prepared than they 'ought' to be, as a great leveler. And so I said shut up and take my money.
I have not been the least bit disappointed. There is a meat to these stories, thick, juicy, made for chewing, and all in short story sized bites that satisfy or occasionally leave you wanting maybe just one bite more. Also, they use my word 'steampulp' in the introduction, to showcase the difference between these and those dashing high adventure Victorian fantasies that are still a lot of fun to read and have amazing fashion sense.
Talking about the plot of a short story anthology isn't exactly helpful, but I can point to a slate of talented authors who ensure that each story is well honed--a short story can't mess around. It needs to get in, throw a few punches, get to the point, and wrap itself up. (A painful lesson I am slowly learning in my own work.) And some of these stories may have... more subtle punches, I suppose, than others, but that just means the sucker punch at the end is more effective.
If you're a fan of the genre--especially if you lean more toward the monocles and gears--I recommend you pick this up and devour it. If you don't know yet if you're a fan of the genre, and especially if you have an interest in history or Alternate Universes, I also recommend this as a stepping stone from other worlds you might be familiar with. And as an olive branch, I think I'm going to wear a top hat for the rest of the day.