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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.
therealbluestocking's review
5.0
https://www.spdhpod.com/spdhepisodes/2017/10/2/episode-7-beyond-the-south-sea
rivqa's review
4.0
A collection of rich, imaginative stories ranging from action-adventure to quite literary. On the whole, Goh and Chng have chosen stories with thoughtful characterisation and unique settings. The steampunk elements are rarely overdone, and often done brilliantly.
bociansara's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
cecelia_isaac_author's review
5.0
I picked this book up at WisCon 40 after hearing editor Jaymee Goh talk about it on a panel. I've actually never read any steampunk but I love the idea of it, so it was great getting various perspectives in anthology format. This collection is especially valuable since it uplifts viewpoints underrepresented in traditional publishing. I loved the focus on Southeast Asia, from areas I'm familiar with (Singapore, Hong Kong, China) to areas I don't know that much about at all. It was interesting seeing how each author dealt with colonialism, from removing it completely, to creating new relationships between the East and West, to trading one kind of oppressor for another. In between all that the characters make their way through their personal struggles, frequently on flying ships!
Two highlights for me were Kate Osias' The Unmaking of the Cuadro Amoroso (for its beautiful language) and Pear Nullak's The Insects and Women Sing Together (for representations of war).
Two highlights for me were Kate Osias' The Unmaking of the Cuadro Amoroso (for its beautiful language) and Pear Nullak's The Insects and Women Sing Together (for representations of war).
jthern's review
2.0
DNF. The short stories were not bad, but not very good either. Overall I just couldn't keep myself motivated to continue reading it before I had to return it to the library. While I would like to encourage the authors to continue improving their craft, I just couldn't rate this any better.
mburnamfink's review
4.0
Steampunk as a genre is best described by "p-words": privileged, problematic, preposterous. Much of it is about sticking brass gears on a top hat and having rollicking anachronistic adventurers that recapitulate and glorify the worst excesses of Victorian imperialism, when men had mustaches, women wore corsets, and the "lesser races" knew their place. It's fantasy, not science fiction, and mostly set dressing to replace magic with Babbage engines, knights with engineers, and give everybody an excuse for a hot water show. I don't like it much.
But I'm also interested in other visions of how the world could be, and The Sea is Ours asks authors from South East Asia to mash up their own culture and mythology with Steampunk set sressing. In this case it works, as a fantasy of much more successful resistance to colonialism, as a way to honor craftsmanship and natural spirits. I can't say that any of the stories stuck out as me, but this is a richly textured collection that scores above its genre, and is exactly what it says on the tin.
But I'm also interested in other visions of how the world could be, and The Sea is Ours asks authors from South East Asia to mash up their own culture and mythology with Steampunk set sressing. In this case it works, as a fantasy of much more successful resistance to colonialism, as a way to honor craftsmanship and natural spirits. I can't say that any of the stories stuck out as me, but this is a richly textured collection that scores above its genre, and is exactly what it says on the tin.
krisawesome's review
4.0
Someday, I may finish a short story collection without finding the quality uneven. Today is not that day. But I did like or love most of the stories, at least, and I found something to appreciate even in most of the stories I didn't like, so that's something, right?
The Sea is Ours includes alternate histories, resistance and anti-colonialism, diverse casts of characters, and vibrant settings. I really enjoyed the variety of perspectives, even if the execution wasn't consistent across the board (and even if I wouldn't actually classify all of the stories as steampunk).
The Sea is Ours includes alternate histories, resistance and anti-colonialism, diverse casts of characters, and vibrant settings. I really enjoyed the variety of perspectives, even if the execution wasn't consistent across the board (and even if I wouldn't actually classify all of the stories as steampunk).
happentobeshort's review
3.0
I didn't love The SEA is Ours as much as I thought I would. That is not to say that I hated it. There were quite a lot of misses but purely for the reason that I felt that they weren't fleshed out enough for a short SFF story. I know that they are short and as such, can't be as full as a regular novel, but there were also stories in there that did feel fleshed out and still followed the same size restraints. Then again, it might just be my own bias that I'm used to reading a lot of mainstream published SFF that have been through a lot of editing and the like.
It also bugged me a little that even though the Filipinx stories were great, there was a lot of them and it felt like they were swallowing the whole book!! Don't get me wrong, I'm enjoying the stuff that seems to be happening in the Philippines in terms of speculative fiction, but I was expecting more of a selection of SEA in this book. And this was one that felt like it was more about Filipinx's.
OVERALL it was a very strong step in the right direction and definitely worth it if you love this kind of fiction or Scifi, or if you're a fan of Steampunk who like me, has become disenchanted with how white the genre has become.
FULL REVIEW AT: https://hercommonplaceblog.wordpress.com/2015/10/24/the-sea-is-ours-review/
It also bugged me a little that even though the Filipinx stories were great, there was a lot of them and it felt like they were swallowing the whole book!! Don't get me wrong, I'm enjoying the stuff that seems to be happening in the Philippines in terms of speculative fiction, but I was expecting more of a selection of SEA in this book. And this was one that felt like it was more about Filipinx's.
OVERALL it was a very strong step in the right direction and definitely worth it if you love this kind of fiction or Scifi, or if you're a fan of Steampunk who like me, has become disenchanted with how white the genre has become.
FULL REVIEW AT: https://hercommonplaceblog.wordpress.com/2015/10/24/the-sea-is-ours-review/
elentari7's review
5.0
I picked this one up a while ago, in spite of not being super into steampunk or super familiar w/ writing by many SE Asian authors (working on it!); the premise just sounded amazing. The stories DEFINITELY lived up to the premise. They take a genre away from a glorified 19th-century Britain and make their own tropes. Every story handles the idea of steampunk differently, with its own use/interp of landscape, technology, folklore, and power dynamics from individual to colonialist. Some are adventurous, some domestic, some contemplative. And I can't think of a single story in the anthology that I didn't enjoy! I found "On the Consequence of Sound," "Chasing Volcanoes," "The Unmaking of the Cuadro Amoroso," and "Working Woman" particularly memorable. Read these stories whether you like steampunk or not, or are familiar w/ SE Asian lit or not. They're fantastic either way!