I picked up this paperback steampunk anthology for an upcoming Weird West bookbox. (Most of the stories here don't have Western settings, but the ones that do are very nice.) In general, steampunk has to do with ornate, brass-and-copper-fitted, steam-and-clockwork-driven things; zeppelins are popular, as are goggles. [I read an amusing line to the effect that "steampunk is what happened when Goths discovered brown". Hee!]

Anyway, there's quite a variety here, starting with "Chance Corrigan and the Tick-Tock King of the Nile", an adventure story in which the hero winds up helping to dam the Nile, until he finds out what the true goal of the project is.

Among the other stories I liked: "Foggy Goggles" is an amusing account of a hapless journalist's attempts to buttonhole a mad scientist about his plans. "Portrait of a Lady in a Monocle" features a woman whose inventions have been stolen by her ex-lover, and who finds an interesting way to achieve justice. [This one could have been a more mundane story, but adding steampunk elements to the inventions themselves and to the methods used to deal with the miscreant is a nice touch.]

"Foretold" is almost mystical by contrast to the stories I've just mentioned; it deals with gangs of Siberian miners hunting down meteorites to mine for raw material, but also with the seers who are trained to use instruments - and the stars, and some inner gift - to determine in advance where the meteors will fall. Elements of mentor and student, rivalry, fear of failure - rather sweet, and un-"punk"-ish despite the orrerys and digging machines...

"The Echoer" is one of the weird-West stories here - well, technically, anyway, as it's set in Texas and opens with our hero crossing half of Texas on horseback. But the main story doesn't really depend on the setting - there's a plan to build "the greatest airship of all time", with complications both personal and practical, and the whole story's more of a clever way of romancing one's beloved than anything else. Nice, but not all that "weird"!

"Of a Feather" is set in the wilds of the Amazon, with lots of shout-outs to Doyle's "The Lost World", as the characters vie with mysterious rivals over the prehistoric plateau.

"Scourge of the Spoils" - now, this is a weird-Western steampunk story, and a really good one! It opens with a grizzled guide escorting a young woman across the desert on a mechanical, steam-powered horse, but he soon goes on ahead to scout, the young woman has a mishap in the river and winds up alone, and then a con artist appears from underground in his mining-locomotive... and from there things get complicated {grin}. This one took me by surprise, in a good way!

"The Nubian Queen" is an alternate-history look at African politics, with arranged marriages, planned betrayals, unexpected romance, and (of course) airships worked in.

"The Whisperer" features young people with unusual powers, which cause them to be feared and persecuted - but one young man finds a workaround.

"Imperial Changeling" is something of a genre-blender, melding the world of Faerie with a steampunk not-that-alternate history. What if Rudolph, Crown Prince of Austria, was a changeling?

Those aren't the only stories in the collection, but I didn't find the others quite as memorable. Definitely an entertaining and varied anthology.

I'm adding this to the Weird Western bookbox, which will be on its way back to emmejo in NY on Monday. Hope you enjoy it!

This book came to me in the Weird Western bookbox. I've heard of this collection and am eager to give it a read.

This collection of steampunk short stories was nice in that there was a definite attempt to go beyond the commonplace upper-class European setting, and that the authors didn't cling to the technological tropes of steampunk, and instead found their own versions of what might have been.

However, the qualities of the writings vary heavily and many of the stories lacked the compactness of plot needed in short stories. There were great ideas and inspiration, but a lack of skill in execution. Many seem unsure of what, exactly, the point of the story was and wandered around blindly before making an abrupt attempt to end the tale. "The Battle of Cumberland Gap" by William C. Dietz was the most extreme case of this. The idea of the American Revolution having failed and England and France squabbling over the Americas even in the Victorian Era was an interesting one, but the story became so bogged down in pointless details not relevant to the main plot and became so contorted by quick changes of POV and too many characters for too few pages that this interesting concept became a difficult read.

There were a few tales I really enjoyed.

"The Nubian Queen" by Paul Genesse is quite different than the typical flashy, tech-heavy stories we associate with steampunk, instead this feels more like alt-history. Genesse has the careful, light touch for information needed in short stories. He worldbuilds expertly, without distracting the reader from the building tensions of the tale.

"Of A Feather" by Stephen D. Sullivan is a fast-paced adventure that lightly uses pulpy adventure tropes (such as the beautiful Russian government agent who is trying to undercut our heros' plans) without trying too hard to convince the reader that they are unique. The result is a fun romp that feels familiar. Sullivan does a great job with character interaction and creating likable larger-than-life heros.

"Opals from Sydney" by Mary Louise Eklund is in many ways a classic steampunk story, but the author gives it a slightly gothic feel and doesn't overdo the philosophical elements, letting the reader draw their own ideas.

"Scourge of the Spoils" by Matthew P. Mayo is part Western, part sci-fi with a dash of horror. What the story lacks in engaging characters, it makes up in worldbuilding. This situation and land may make the reader feel as uneasy and unsure as our simple heroine.

This book is on its way to quietorchid in the Steampunk Bookbox.

Selecting from the Steampunk Bookbox.

I enjoyed reading some of the stories in this book. It was perfect for those evenings when I just wanted to read for a few minutes before bed.

Sending to Tribefan for release on Halloween at OddMall in downtown Akron at the John S. Knight Center.

Thank you for sending! This book will be released at OddMall by the Rubber City Book Posse which takes place Oct. 31 and Nov 1, 2015 in downtown Akron at the John S. Knight Center.

Going to try and read this one before releasing it on Halloween!

I enjoyed reading this one. Thank you for sharing!

This book will be wild released at OddMall at the John S. Knight Center in downtown Akron, OH, on April 30 - May 1!

Look for the Rubber City Book Posse!!!

Bookcrossing: n. the practice of leaving a book in a public place to be picked up and read by others, who then do likewise.
- from the Concise Oxford English Dictionary

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