Steampunk II: Steampunk Reloaded by Ann VanderMeerMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Steampunk II: Steampunk Reloaded is a good anthology as far as anthologies go, but not all its stories are equal. The inequalities are evident both in entertainment value and even in meeting the very definition of being an actual steampunk story. A rather surprising inclusion is a recently translated piece written in 1870 by Danish author Vilhelm Bergsoe. "The Flying Fish Prometheus" is by far the best of the group. It truly has every element in it that a steampunk story should have--including the Victorian values and social structure along with the wildly creative steam tech. Stories by Cherie Priest of Boneshaker fame, G.D. Falksen and Tanith Lee are also outstanding. Artwork that includes "Lovelace and Babbage" and essays on what exactly is the steampunk movement are also strong offerings. A good intro into the genre for those who have stumbled into steampunk through fashion or other creative endeavor.
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2 comments :
I have a copy of this. It's not bad, but as you say, the contents are rather inconsistent in terms of steampunkery.
Yes, I was hoping for a few more stories in the more traditional "Jules Verne" vein, but a lot of Steampunk authors like to write horror it seems... I'm not that much of a horror fan, I guess. Overall, it was a good read and offered a wide variety of stories within the steampunk genre.
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