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breadsips's review
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
critterbee's review
1.0
This collection is quite admirable for highlighting an overlooked literary category, and for including a varied group of authors.
I have a great regard for all things Steampunk. Having lived in and traveled extensively in Asia, I felt I would be sure to love these stories. Sadly, I could not continue reading them. After reading for a few pages, I would put the book aside for a few days and try again with another story. While the ideas were captivating, the characterizations and writing were generally uninviting.
I can not recommend this strongly as other than an introduction to a new literary area, but I would recommend this to fans of science fiction who are looking for a different taste.
**eARC netgalley**
I have a great regard for all things Steampunk. Having lived in and traveled extensively in Asia, I felt I would be sure to love these stories. Sadly, I could not continue reading them. After reading for a few pages, I would put the book aside for a few days and try again with another story. While the ideas were captivating, the characterizations and writing were generally uninviting.
I can not recommend this strongly as other than an introduction to a new literary area, but I would recommend this to fans of science fiction who are looking for a different taste.
**eARC netgalley**
thesameoldantics's review
adventurous
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
kristamccracken's review
4.0
This was a refreshing take on the steampunk genre from a Southeast Asia perspective. The steampunk genre is so often overwhelming white, British focused, and Euro-centric.
There were some stories in this anthology that I absolutely loved and a few that weren't my cup of tea. I loved Alessa Hinlo's "The Last Aswang" was a beautiful example of discussing colonial appropriation within a steampunk context and Olivia Ho's "Working Woman" focuses on migration and includes killer robots, and a spy style story.
There were some stories in this anthology that I absolutely loved and a few that weren't my cup of tea. I loved Alessa Hinlo's "The Last Aswang" was a beautiful example of discussing colonial appropriation within a steampunk context and Olivia Ho's "Working Woman" focuses on migration and includes killer robots, and a spy style story.
laura_txt's review
4.0
A wonderful, refreshing anthology. As with many anthologies, this is a bit of a mixed bag, with some stories much more engaging than others, but every one was interesting nonetheless. Saying that there is something for every taste sounds like a tired cliché, but it's true. The result is cohesive without being boring, and diversified without being inconsistent. In particular, it was a breath of fresh air to read steampunk stories that aren't rooted in imperialism and colonialism, and further that actually combat it (often literally). I found that the book wasn't impervious to non-South Asian readers (such as me), without attempting to target that readership specifically, which would have made it artificial and stale. Overall, I felt it was masterfully done, and a book that can be read many times over.
fearandtrembling's review
3.0
I find the star system generally quite useless in terms of rating books (sometimes a whole lot happens between "liked it" and "really liked it"); more so for an anthology, where there are definite stand-outs and a few less appealing ones. A mixed-bag, as it usually is, and my three stars don't accurately convey how some writers did really well, while some were so-so. That said the stories here have consistently intriguing ideas and a real attentiveness to details and structures and mechanisms of how things work; where some stories didn't work for me, then, was when this overrode the writing and the characterisation. Some just didn't have emotional depth and/or didn't quite experiment with form or perspective to hold my interest beyond the time it took me to read it; chief among these are the highly-praised central pieces by Kate Osias and Paolo Chikiamco. Both were overwrought and more style than substance. Also, sometimes the rhythm of language in a piece of writing is like individual personality; either you get on with it or you don't. This was pretty much my problem with L.L. Hill's story, as well.
Quieter stories by Nghi Vo, Timothy Dimacali, Pear Nuallak and ZM Quynh worked better for me; these did not announce themselves with much bombast, but were intelligent and subtle and worked a delicate magic. In these stories, the world as seen through the characters' eyes is slightly off-kilter, lovely, menacing, and mysterious. Favourites were Alessa Hinlo's remarkable fusing of Filipino myth with anticolonial politics and Olivia Ho's Singaporean take on Frankenstein's monster via the appropriated labour and bodies of Chinese women under capitalist rule. On the whole, it's really nice to read so many stories that take Southeast Asian history and culture as points of departure to subvert or modify standard steampunk tropes in order to create something wholly distinctive. (Perhaps best to point out that I don't generally read steampunk, or gravitate towards it, and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this. Or maybe what I enjoy is just Asian steampunk by Asian writers minus the orientalist gaze. Or basically just good writing that incorporates steampunk ideas. In any case, this book has set a standard for me.)
Most of the stories here are from Filipino writers and there was plenty that was new to me and fun to learn about--I really look forward to looking up more of the stuff I took notes on. A really nice and welcome effort by the editors and contributors, with lovely illustrations. If there's another volume planned at some point, I hope we'll see greater representation from other SEA countries.
Longer review is up here.
Quieter stories by Nghi Vo, Timothy Dimacali, Pear Nuallak and ZM Quynh worked better for me; these did not announce themselves with much bombast, but were intelligent and subtle and worked a delicate magic. In these stories, the world as seen through the characters' eyes is slightly off-kilter, lovely, menacing, and mysterious. Favourites were Alessa Hinlo's remarkable fusing of Filipino myth with anticolonial politics and Olivia Ho's Singaporean take on Frankenstein's monster via the appropriated labour and bodies of Chinese women under capitalist rule. On the whole, it's really nice to read so many stories that take Southeast Asian history and culture as points of departure to subvert or modify standard steampunk tropes in order to create something wholly distinctive. (Perhaps best to point out that I don't generally read steampunk, or gravitate towards it, and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this. Or maybe what I enjoy is just Asian steampunk by Asian writers minus the orientalist gaze. Or basically just good writing that incorporates steampunk ideas. In any case, this book has set a standard for me.)
Most of the stories here are from Filipino writers and there was plenty that was new to me and fun to learn about--I really look forward to looking up more of the stuff I took notes on. A really nice and welcome effort by the editors and contributors, with lovely illustrations. If there's another volume planned at some point, I hope we'll see greater representation from other SEA countries.
Longer review is up here.
cyndin's review
3.0
Short stories all with a Steampunk (or similar) twist, set in Southeast Asia (sort of), by Asian authors. Some stories were more successful than others but overall it was a fun read. I loved seeing the genre claimed by the colonized vs the British colonizers. Many of the stories incorporated the politics of that but others did not, focusing instead on just being themselves.
b1llz1lla's review
3.0
I enjoyed this anthology. Some great writing at work here, though as a Steampunk fan, I have to quibble: many of the stories had little or nothing to do with what I consider Steampunk. Mind you, there was not a single bad or poorly-written story in the bunch; all were good stories well told. I lost a bit of enthusiasm to keep reading when, around the half-way point, it became clear that most of the stories were more general spec fic. Most DID have references to colonialism, which was expected (and welcome) but very few dealt with typical Steampunk tropes in anything but a superficial way. The Southeast Asia setting was taken seriously, but my impression is that many of the writers either had little experience with Steampunk as a genre, or perhaps they wanted to push the envelope in defining Steampunk.
I cannot stress enough that this was a very good collection of stories. This anthology was originally funded via Indiegogo; I was not able to back it during the campaign, but ordered a copy through my favorite local bookstore after it was published. It is an enjoyable read once you set aside any preconceived expectations of what Steampunk "should" be.
I cannot stress enough that this was a very good collection of stories. This anthology was originally funded via Indiegogo; I was not able to back it during the campaign, but ordered a copy through my favorite local bookstore after it was published. It is an enjoyable read once you set aside any preconceived expectations of what Steampunk "should" be.
naddie_reads's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Really enjoyed this collection of short stories centering around a steampunk vision of South East Asian countries & community. As with all collections, there were several stand-outs that really spoke to me and the accompanying illustrations were the cherry on top for each.
I guess it's no surprise that my favorite stories are those that center around women, and happy to report that there's a lot of diversity to be had in these short stories. Out of all of them, I really wish there's a full-length novel of the last story, "The Insects and Women Sing Together", because wow was all I could say at the end of it.
I guess it's no surprise that my favorite stories are those that center around women, and happy to report that there's a lot of diversity to be had in these short stories. Out of all of them, I really wish there's a full-length novel of the last story, "The Insects and Women Sing Together", because wow was all I could say at the end of it.