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sarawackadoo's review against another edition
3.0
Some of the stories were so great that I wished they wouldn't end, while others were only mediocre.
Favourite story: Mr. Hartley`s Infernal Device by Charlotte Stein, followed by Heart of Daedalus by Saskia Walker.
Favourite story: Mr. Hartley`s Infernal Device by Charlotte Stein, followed by Heart of Daedalus by Saskia Walker.
erin_oriordan_is_reading_again's review against another edition
5.0
'Steamlust: Steampunk Erotic Romance' (Cleis Press, 2011) is the third anthology of short erotica edited by Kristina Wright that I've had the pleasure to read. I very much enjoyed [b:Fairy Tale Lust: Erotic Fantasies for Women|7877555|Fairy Tale Lust Erotic Fantasies for Women|Kristina Wright|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1276577639s/7877555.jpg|11069107] and [b:Dream Lover: Paranormal Tales of Erotic Romance|9715308|Dream Lover Paranormal Tales of Erotic Romance|Kristina Wright|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41p1vwOabbL._SL75_.jpg|14603848], so I eagerly anticipated Wright's latest anthology.
On the other hand, I was slightly disappointed by Cleis Press' other steampunk title this year,[b:Carnal Machines: Steampunk Erotica|9569273|Carnal Machines Steampunk Erotica|D.L. King|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51KdJpgpXwL._SL75_.jpg|14456066], edited by D.L. King. I liked a few of the stories in that anthology, but others just weren't interesting enough. I believe the key to good steampunk is the same as the key to good erotic romance: the beauty is all in the details.
Fortunately, Wright's editing instincts do not fail her, and Steamlust is full of glorious details. It's the clockwork lovebirds in Sylvia Day's "Iron Hard." In Vida Bailey's time-travel adventure "Undergrounded: Hannah Hawthorne and the Stranded Time Ship," it's the giant copper bathtub with its jets and nozzles. It's Pete's "melted chocolate" eyes in "Green Cheese" by Lisabet Sarai and the contents of the secret room in Andrea Dale's spiritualist tale "Lost Souls."
My personal favorite of the collection was "Sparks" by Anna Meadows. It imagines a Victorian version of Prohibition and a young smuggler who makes illicit intoxicating spirits from delicate flower petals. She's reunited with her lost love, Ezra, possibly the anthology's most drool-worthy male: "The scent of violets and roses mixed with the soft spice of ashes and cloves. Cambric and ash: it identified him as well as a fingerprint." Even Ezra's perpetually dirty fingernails and calloused hands are endearing in this sensual tale. But then there's Ezra's violet lightning, a very neat little trick...
I don't think anyone will be disappointed by 'Steamlust.' It's all that it claims to be. There are plenty of spinning gears, mechanical limbs, automatons, airships and parasols to delight the steampunk fan. There are erotic twosomes and threesomes steamy enough to satisfy the erotica reader.
On a sidenote, Anna Meadows and I both wrote stories published in the Cleis Press anthology [b:Best Lesbian Romance 2010|7456981|Best Lesbian Romance 2010|Radclyffe|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1285078933s/7456981.jpg|9508398]. Hers is called "Coming Out Party," and mine is called "Soaked." Andrea Dale and Sacchi Green also have stories in both anthologies. I have to admit, I've never read the entire anthology, but I think I will soon.
On the other hand, I was slightly disappointed by Cleis Press' other steampunk title this year,[b:Carnal Machines: Steampunk Erotica|9569273|Carnal Machines Steampunk Erotica|D.L. King|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51KdJpgpXwL._SL75_.jpg|14456066], edited by D.L. King. I liked a few of the stories in that anthology, but others just weren't interesting enough. I believe the key to good steampunk is the same as the key to good erotic romance: the beauty is all in the details.
Fortunately, Wright's editing instincts do not fail her, and Steamlust is full of glorious details. It's the clockwork lovebirds in Sylvia Day's "Iron Hard." In Vida Bailey's time-travel adventure "Undergrounded: Hannah Hawthorne and the Stranded Time Ship," it's the giant copper bathtub with its jets and nozzles. It's Pete's "melted chocolate" eyes in "Green Cheese" by Lisabet Sarai and the contents of the secret room in Andrea Dale's spiritualist tale "Lost Souls."
My personal favorite of the collection was "Sparks" by Anna Meadows. It imagines a Victorian version of Prohibition and a young smuggler who makes illicit intoxicating spirits from delicate flower petals. She's reunited with her lost love, Ezra, possibly the anthology's most drool-worthy male: "The scent of violets and roses mixed with the soft spice of ashes and cloves. Cambric and ash: it identified him as well as a fingerprint." Even Ezra's perpetually dirty fingernails and calloused hands are endearing in this sensual tale. But then there's Ezra's violet lightning, a very neat little trick...
I don't think anyone will be disappointed by 'Steamlust.' It's all that it claims to be. There are plenty of spinning gears, mechanical limbs, automatons, airships and parasols to delight the steampunk fan. There are erotic twosomes and threesomes steamy enough to satisfy the erotica reader.
On a sidenote, Anna Meadows and I both wrote stories published in the Cleis Press anthology [b:Best Lesbian Romance 2010|7456981|Best Lesbian Romance 2010|Radclyffe|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1285078933s/7456981.jpg|9508398]. Hers is called "Coming Out Party," and mine is called "Soaked." Andrea Dale and Sacchi Green also have stories in both anthologies. I have to admit, I've never read the entire anthology, but I think I will soon.
sunflowerjess's review against another edition
3.0
It’s hard to rate this book because I adored some of the stories, but thought the writing of others left a lot to be desired (haha see what I did there). My favorite hands down was the last one - “Rescue My Heart” by Anya Richards. Overall, I was hoping for more diverse stories; the vast majority were very heteronormative.
smashattackash's review against another edition
The Steampunk era is really fantastic setting for sex. I loved the mix of machinery and flesh. Holla!
*Iron Hard by Sylvia Day: Vibrating Copper Fingers FTW! Seriously. You need know nothing else about this one but vibrating copper fingers.
*Heart of the Deadalus by Saskia Walker in Steamlust: Nothing like a good sword fight to get those juices flowin! And the Deadalus creation was wicked cool. I want one! The author's use of puss had me giggle like an immature idiot. That word cracks me up.
*Fog, Flight & Moonlight by Sacchi Green in Steamlust: Sex in a hot air balloon FTW! But not very good sex. Lost potential. I did love Maddy though. What a spunky gem of a whore she was.
There are more stories, but these are the first three...
*Iron Hard by Sylvia Day: Vibrating Copper Fingers FTW! Seriously. You need know nothing else about this one but vibrating copper fingers.
*Heart of the Deadalus by Saskia Walker in Steamlust: Nothing like a good sword fight to get those juices flowin! And the Deadalus creation was wicked cool. I want one! The author's use of puss had me giggle like an immature idiot. That word cracks me up.
*Fog, Flight & Moonlight by Sacchi Green in Steamlust: Sex in a hot air balloon FTW! But not very good sex. Lost potential. I did love Maddy though. What a spunky gem of a whore she was.
There are more stories, but these are the first three...
petudc's review against another edition
3.0
El Steampunk es un género con el que tuve desencuentros en el pasado y ya lo consideraba un asunto cerrado. O sea, ¿yo? ¿Leer Steampunk? No, gracias. Ya pasé por esto, ¿no? No. Porque cuando a "Steampunk" le agregas el adjetivo "erótico" aparentemente se transforma en algo que puedo leer sin querer llorar del aburrimiento.
"Steamlust" es una antología de Steampunk erótico, una combinación tan inesperada que funciona.
Está lleno de dirigibles, automatas, máquinas a vapor, engranajes, y ropa victorianamente hermosa. Y también está lleno de erotismo y escenas sexuales muy explícitas y muy... Muy mucho, básicamente. De verdad, algunas son UN MONTÓN. Pero eso es algo que me gusta, no una queja, ustedes entienden
"Steamlust" es una antología de Steampunk erótico, una combinación tan inesperada que funciona.
Está lleno de dirigibles, automatas, máquinas a vapor, engranajes, y ropa victorianamente hermosa. Y también está lleno de erotismo y escenas sexuales muy explícitas y muy... Muy mucho, básicamente. De verdad, algunas son UN MONTÓN. Pero eso es algo que me gusta, no una queja, ustedes entienden
lora_dolly's review against another edition
2.0
Meh. Only like 3 stories had me considering looking up the author. There were a few that were so terrible I considered DNF'ing the rest of the book.
jazzmyth's review
1.0
this book? it was bad.
i'm a huge sylvia day fan and love steampunk so i was ECSTATIC to find out about this book and then see a copy of it at my library.
my theory is that there was a very strict word/page count for each story. every one tried to cram in too much information; all aspired to have significant worldbuilding, likeable characters, and hot sex. it's a pick two situation, with most really not even managing that.
one of the stories, "green cheese," was also super racist. i will never understand how people can put in steam-powered flying aircrafts in an alternate reality but still stick to colonialist history. it's boring, do better.
i kept reading this because each story was so short, i kept thinking the next one has to be better, just finish this one, and i was so fucking wrong. i finished reading this today solely so i do not have to get up and open this book again tomorrow.
there is nothing good here. sylvia day's story is the first one, and she suffers from the same pacing issues as the rest of the authors.
do not read this.
i'm a huge sylvia day fan and love steampunk so i was ECSTATIC to find out about this book and then see a copy of it at my library.
my theory is that there was a very strict word/page count for each story. every one tried to cram in too much information; all aspired to have significant worldbuilding, likeable characters, and hot sex. it's a pick two situation, with most really not even managing that.
one of the stories, "green cheese," was also super racist. i will never understand how people can put in steam-powered flying aircrafts in an alternate reality but still stick to colonialist history. it's boring, do better.
i kept reading this because each story was so short, i kept thinking the next one has to be better, just finish this one, and i was so fucking wrong. i finished reading this today solely so i do not have to get up and open this book again tomorrow.
there is nothing good here. sylvia day's story is the first one, and she suffers from the same pacing issues as the rest of the authors.
do not read this.
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