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ghosthermione's review
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
1.0
A few good stories overshadowed by a lot of boring ones and quite a few not so subtly bigoted ones. Steampunk is no reason for thinly veiled antisemitism and racist terms being bandied about, and it doesnt reflect well on the authors or editors of this book...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Minor: Racial slurs and Antisemitism
gossamerchild's review
3.0
Collection of stories in a sub-genre of science fiction/fantasy. I really liked Catherynne M. Valente's story "The anachronist's cookbook" as it was really the only story with a strong dose of feminism. Cherie Priest's "Tanglefoot," about a young boy who creates his own automaton who then basically begins sabotaging things around him, was simply creepy. Samantha Henderson's "Wild Copper," with Titania and Oberon making an appearance, had a more traditionally touch of fantasy that I liked, and William Gibson's "The Germsback Continuum" seemed oddly realistic to me. Really intriguing collection of stories. I do feel like I rushed myself a little bit on it, though, and I didn't actually read everything.
ninjamuse's review
4.0
Steampunk II - Ann and Jeff Vandermeer
In brief: A collection of short steampunk stories and related works.
Thoughts: It’s not often that I find a short story anthology that works the whole way through. I think it’s only happened twice? No dud stories, no questionable narrative choices, stories that flow together, a good breadth of subject matter, and entertaining to boot! And this one came with illustrations. It made me all excited for steampunk again, and sad that both that the movement has fizzled and that few steampunk novels get to the same levels of depth and vibrancy and creativity, at least of the ones I’ve read.
This collection has a little bit of everything: steam-powered robots, fantastical cities, spies, socialist orphans, angry housewives, mad scientists, mad photographers, time travel, mathematical fish, steampunk blogging, horror, whimsy, humour, mysteries, metafiction, and everything in between. I’m not even sure I can name any favourite stories, they were all that good! (Also, it’s been nearly two months. The brain, she forgets things.)
So yeah: if you’re looking for a solid anthology or a lot of fun steampunk, this is a great book to pick up. I’m not sure I’m up for reading another one in the series (there are three total) but I am definitely going to have Vandermeer anthologies on my radar in the future. They’ve served me really well on this one.
To bear in mind: Contains stories that tackle racism, sexism, colonialism, and various other social problems of the 1800s, but in a punching-up sort of way.
9/10
In brief: A collection of short steampunk stories and related works.
Thoughts: It’s not often that I find a short story anthology that works the whole way through. I think it’s only happened twice? No dud stories, no questionable narrative choices, stories that flow together, a good breadth of subject matter, and entertaining to boot! And this one came with illustrations. It made me all excited for steampunk again, and sad that both that the movement has fizzled and that few steampunk novels get to the same levels of depth and vibrancy and creativity, at least of the ones I’ve read.
This collection has a little bit of everything: steam-powered robots, fantastical cities, spies, socialist orphans, angry housewives, mad scientists, mad photographers, time travel, mathematical fish, steampunk blogging, horror, whimsy, humour, mysteries, metafiction, and everything in between. I’m not even sure I can name any favourite stories, they were all that good! (Also, it’s been nearly two months. The brain, she forgets things.)
So yeah: if you’re looking for a solid anthology or a lot of fun steampunk, this is a great book to pick up. I’m not sure I’m up for reading another one in the series (there are three total) but I am definitely going to have Vandermeer anthologies on my radar in the future. They’ve served me really well on this one.
To bear in mind: Contains stories that tackle racism, sexism, colonialism, and various other social problems of the 1800s, but in a punching-up sort of way.
9/10
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