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Extraordinary Engines: The Definitive Steampunk Anthology
Extraordinary Engines: The Definitive Steampunk Anthology assembles original stories by some of the genre's foremost writers. Edited by Nick Gevers, this collection includes brand new stories from some of science fiction and fantasy's foremost writers.
441 pages, Paperback
First published September 30, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
July 9, 2009
For those new to this sub-genre of speculative fiction, Steampunk basically refers to stories generally set during Victorian-era England that focus on steampowered devices that may or may not be examples of modern technology (steampowered cars, robots, ships, etc.) It's a bugeoning sub-genre that has finally started to get a lot of attention even though it's been around since the days of H.G. Wells.
This anthology touts itself as the "definitive Steampunk" anthology." However, I think that tag does this subgenre a huge disservice since the majority of short fiction work here is frankly not very good and therfore far from essential.I'm a huge Steampunk fan and I wouldn't even recommend this to hardcore fans let alone new readers looking to see what this genre is all about. What's worse is that this anthology contains many stories that don't even feature Steampunk but rather just the Victorian setting, so to call itself "definitive" is like calling the tv show Jackass the "definitve view of modern day American life" (although that description concerning that show may be more apt than we would like to believe).
While I did enjoy some of the stories here, sadly the ones that stand out are the least Steampunk of them all and that's why I'm giving this anthology 1-star. It's average, maybe 2-3 stars but since it's touting itself as definitive and since this is supposed to be a collection of Steampunk stories even though 20% of them aren't, this book deserves no more than 1-star. Steampunk stories is supposed to be exciting, imaginative, wondrous, but these here sad waste of time that I can't even recommend to those that love the Steampunk genre like I do.
This anthology touts itself as the "definitive Steampunk" anthology." However, I think that tag does this subgenre a huge disservice since the majority of short fiction work here is frankly not very good and therfore far from essential.I'm a huge Steampunk fan and I wouldn't even recommend this to hardcore fans let alone new readers looking to see what this genre is all about. What's worse is that this anthology contains many stories that don't even feature Steampunk but rather just the Victorian setting, so to call itself "definitive" is like calling the tv show Jackass the "definitve view of modern day American life" (although that description concerning that show may be more apt than we would like to believe).
While I did enjoy some of the stories here, sadly the ones that stand out are the least Steampunk of them all and that's why I'm giving this anthology 1-star. It's average, maybe 2-3 stars but since it's touting itself as definitive and since this is supposed to be a collection of Steampunk stories even though 20% of them aren't, this book deserves no more than 1-star. Steampunk stories is supposed to be exciting, imaginative, wondrous, but these here sad waste of time that I can't even recommend to those that love the Steampunk genre like I do.
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October 21, 2009I picked this book up based on the subtitle touting it as "The Definitive Steampunk Anthology", which will teach me to believe cover blurbs instead of checking reviews! I am not terribly familiar with steampunk, but I think that this collection, while interesting, is highly unlikely to be definitive. Then again, I didn't even read all of it, so perhaps I missed a shining gem.
What I did read was a mixed bag. The good:
"Static" by Marly Youmans combined fantastic world-building with fairy-tale retelling and did it well. I really liked this story and intend to track down more of this author's work immediately.
"Machine Maid" by Margo Lanagan was very, very creepy, mostly in a good way, and the use of the Australian frontier caught my attention, accustomed as I am to American frontier stories.
"Speed, Speed the Cable" by Kage Baker suffered from an ending that lacked all punch, at least for someone like me not well-versed in Victorian historical personages. The body of the story was quite interesting, though.
"Hannah" by Keith Brooke packed a good punch into the end, but the story was only just barely interesting enough to carry me to it.
The bad:
"Elementals" by Ian R. MacLeod was pointless, and I loathed the main character and his attitude toward all of the other characters. Also, this grammatical construction bothered me immensely: "As I've already said, I have no precise recollection of this first mention of his theory of elementals. Mostly likely, it would have swirled up with many other thoughts and suppositions. Equally likely, it would have been at our club, and probably at that time in the evening when things had started to become enjoyable blurred."
The ugly:
"Steampunch" by James Lovegrove was the opening story in this collection, and it begins like this: "Hoi! Hoi, you! Yes, you, kid. Over here. I want a word. No, don't look like that. I'm not some poncey mandrake, though there's a fair few of them around here, I warn you. I won't be trying to stick my Nebuchadnezzar up your jacksie. Strictly a Lady Laycock fellow, me, always have been." So...that would be a no, then.
The unknown:
There were six more stories left, but -- okay, I can't actually type "I ran out of steam" with a straight face. Sorry!
What I did read was a mixed bag. The good:
"Static" by Marly Youmans combined fantastic world-building with fairy-tale retelling and did it well. I really liked this story and intend to track down more of this author's work immediately.
"Machine Maid" by Margo Lanagan was very, very creepy, mostly in a good way, and the use of the Australian frontier caught my attention, accustomed as I am to American frontier stories.
"Speed, Speed the Cable" by Kage Baker suffered from an ending that lacked all punch, at least for someone like me not well-versed in Victorian historical personages. The body of the story was quite interesting, though.
"Hannah" by Keith Brooke packed a good punch into the end, but the story was only just barely interesting enough to carry me to it.
The bad:
"Elementals" by Ian R. MacLeod was pointless, and I loathed the main character and his attitude toward all of the other characters. Also, this grammatical construction bothered me immensely: "As I've already said, I have no precise recollection of this first mention of his theory of elementals. Mostly likely, it would have swirled up with many other thoughts and suppositions. Equally likely, it would have been at our club, and probably at that time in the evening when things had started to become enjoyable blurred."
The ugly:
"Steampunch" by James Lovegrove was the opening story in this collection, and it begins like this: "Hoi! Hoi, you! Yes, you, kid. Over here. I want a word. No, don't look like that. I'm not some poncey mandrake, though there's a fair few of them around here, I warn you. I won't be trying to stick my Nebuchadnezzar up your jacksie. Strictly a Lady Laycock fellow, me, always have been." So...that would be a no, then.
The unknown:
There were six more stories left, but -- okay, I can't actually type "I ran out of steam" with a straight face. Sorry!
July 15, 2011
I finished reading Extraordinary Engines: The Definitive Steampunk Anthology last night. This is a very nice collection of 12 Steampunk not so short stories, mostly by authors I’ve never read. And I’d only read steampunkish works by one of the three authors I had read before, Kage Baker. From my perspective this is a well done collection, I enjoyed all the stories, although a few were a little unsettling.
It took me a while to get into one, “Static” by Marly Youmans, but by the time I finished it I was glad I stuck with it.
Given that I enjoyed all the stories, it’s hard to pick out a single favorite, but I think I’ll go with “The Lollygang Save the World on Accident” by Jay Lake. It’s the next to the last story in the collection, so it possibly gets the edge because I read it more recently than most of the others. “Lollygang” is an interesting read not the least because it makes me want to know more of the backstory, how did the characters, the society come to be in the situation they are. Having been raised on Heinlein and other classic SF writers, it reminded me a bit of my dim memories of Orphans of the Sky, but only for the setting. (And even now, I can’t decide if my interpretation of the backstory is correct.)
Almost in the center of the book, stories 5, 6 and 7, are the three unsettling stories: “Machine Maid” by Margo Lanagan, “Lady Witherspoon’s Solution” by James Morrow and “Hannah” by Keith Brooke.
“Machine Maid” is the story of a woman’s unhappy (and short) marriage in the Australian outback and her automaton maid. “Lady Witherspoon’s Solution” is about a woman’s croquet club in Victorian London that has come up with a unique (I hope) solution to the problem of a society dominated by men with little or regard for women. And in “Hannah” a Victorian doctor embarks upon a career in forensic medicine with an innovative approach that has unforeseen consequences.
All in all Extraordinary Engines is one of the better Steampunk collections I’ve read.
It took me a while to get into one, “Static” by Marly Youmans, but by the time I finished it I was glad I stuck with it.
Given that I enjoyed all the stories, it’s hard to pick out a single favorite, but I think I’ll go with “The Lollygang Save the World on Accident” by Jay Lake. It’s the next to the last story in the collection, so it possibly gets the edge because I read it more recently than most of the others. “Lollygang” is an interesting read not the least because it makes me want to know more of the backstory, how did the characters, the society come to be in the situation they are. Having been raised on Heinlein and other classic SF writers, it reminded me a bit of my dim memories of Orphans of the Sky, but only for the setting. (And even now, I can’t decide if my interpretation of the backstory is correct.)
Almost in the center of the book, stories 5, 6 and 7, are the three unsettling stories: “Machine Maid” by Margo Lanagan, “Lady Witherspoon’s Solution” by James Morrow and “Hannah” by Keith Brooke.
“Machine Maid” is the story of a woman’s unhappy (and short) marriage in the Australian outback and her automaton maid. “Lady Witherspoon’s Solution” is about a woman’s croquet club in Victorian London that has come up with a unique (I hope) solution to the problem of a society dominated by men with little or regard for women. And in “Hannah” a Victorian doctor embarks upon a career in forensic medicine with an innovative approach that has unforeseen consequences.
All in all Extraordinary Engines is one of the better Steampunk collections I’ve read.
May 6, 2011
Generally, it's a bad sign when you're not even halfway through a book and are already set on giving it away. Yet, I kept going, hoping that it would get better. In any collection of short stories, you need to expect some hits and misses. Unfortunately, there seem to be more of the latter here. There were some stories that I feel that I should have theoretically enjoyed, such as "Static", although even here I found myself almost bored. I did find two stories that I did genuinely enjoy toward the end- "American Cheetah" and "Fixing Hanover". So this collection does have those to its credit.
Unfortunately, these aren't enough to make up for its problems. I'm not going to discuss bad stories here, because, as I said, those are to be expected. I had two other serious problems with this anthology. The first of these problems is something I've seen mentioned in some of the other reviews- this collection seems sorely lacking in actual steampunk, especially when you consider the fact that it advertises itself as "definitive". Yes, many of these are set in a Victorian setting and feature various gizmos, but that doesn't necessarily make them steampunk. Maybe my own personal understanding of steampunk differs from that of the editor's, but I felt something was lacking. My other complaint, one that I haven't seen here, is that some of these stories come across as preachy. The first instance of this is at the end of "Speed, Speed the Cable", when
Unfortunately, these aren't enough to make up for its problems. I'm not going to discuss bad stories here, because, as I said, those are to be expected. I had two other serious problems with this anthology. The first of these problems is something I've seen mentioned in some of the other reviews- this collection seems sorely lacking in actual steampunk, especially when you consider the fact that it advertises itself as "definitive". Yes, many of these are set in a Victorian setting and feature various gizmos, but that doesn't necessarily make them steampunk. Maybe my own personal understanding of steampunk differs from that of the editor's, but I felt something was lacking. My other complaint, one that I haven't seen here, is that some of these stories come across as preachy. The first instance of this is at the end of "Speed, Speed the Cable", when
October 30, 2011
a mixed bag, and a reminder that genres (etc.) can carry much dross along as the tide rises ... the collection seems loosely arranged in order of worth; by skipping the first couple of stories you can live longer - or at least conserve valuable minutes for something worthwhile. having said that, there are some nuggets in here too.
i suspect this is better seen as an "and also..." collection for established Steampunk fans than as sampler for those wanting to get into the genre.
ps - i hadn't read the earlier reviews before posting this (or reading the book) - apologies for falling for the cliche of calling a collection of stories a "mixed bag", but it is clearly more appropriate here. what's interesting for me is that some stories which i found worthless are rated highly by other readers, and vice versa. you pays yer money, you takes yer choice...
one final postscript - with this genre, more than many, in addition to the usual variables of story telling, the issue of "Victorianness" is a factor. this manifests itself especially in language.
there's no reason why London (or Britain) needs to be a focus, although as hub of (post-)Industrial Revolution development, there's some sense in it - but why not also feature Lancashire, Yorkshire etc. dialects, or of course Scottish, given the disproportionate contribution of Scottish engineers, scientists, explorers and labour to the development of the Victorian Empire?
this becomes apparent when the authors attempt to root their text in that era, with varying degrees of success. some comes off as cod-Dickens, some as Hollywood Cockney. personally, i don't feel there is a "right answer" here, since we're dealing with a parallel reality, but in some of these texts the style is louder than the content.
i suspect this is better seen as an "and also..." collection for established Steampunk fans than as sampler for those wanting to get into the genre.
ps - i hadn't read the earlier reviews before posting this (or reading the book) - apologies for falling for the cliche of calling a collection of stories a "mixed bag", but it is clearly more appropriate here. what's interesting for me is that some stories which i found worthless are rated highly by other readers, and vice versa. you pays yer money, you takes yer choice...
one final postscript - with this genre, more than many, in addition to the usual variables of story telling, the issue of "Victorianness" is a factor. this manifests itself especially in language.
there's no reason why London (or Britain) needs to be a focus, although as hub of (post-)Industrial Revolution development, there's some sense in it - but why not also feature Lancashire, Yorkshire etc. dialects, or of course Scottish, given the disproportionate contribution of Scottish engineers, scientists, explorers and labour to the development of the Victorian Empire?
this becomes apparent when the authors attempt to root their text in that era, with varying degrees of success. some comes off as cod-Dickens, some as Hollywood Cockney. personally, i don't feel there is a "right answer" here, since we're dealing with a parallel reality, but in some of these texts the style is louder than the content.
August 27, 2013
I suppose no attorney general will sue Nick Gevers for calling this book a "definitive" steampunk anthology, although I think a case could be made.
It's not that all the stories are uniformly bad. It's just that some are clunky, over-long, dense. With any anthology, you pays yer ticket, you takes yer chances. This book would certainly have been better served by toning down the hyperbole a notch or three.
I imagine that steampunk aficionados will find something to like in this book. Although I'm not an all-steampunk-all-the-time kinda gal, I have a soft spot for the genre. It's a sure thing that each fan will particularly enjoy some of these stories and then argue with each other about which are best. My favorite is "Machine Maid" by Margo Lanagan. The others had some moments, but mostly, meh.
For people who are not very familiar with steampunk, I urge you not to judge this as the best steampunk has to offer. Every type of writing has its highs, lows and middlings. So you could do worse and you could do better. So don't let this be the end of your exploration of steampunk. There's a better world awaitin'.
It's not that all the stories are uniformly bad. It's just that some are clunky, over-long, dense. With any anthology, you pays yer ticket, you takes yer chances. This book would certainly have been better served by toning down the hyperbole a notch or three.
I imagine that steampunk aficionados will find something to like in this book. Although I'm not an all-steampunk-all-the-time kinda gal, I have a soft spot for the genre. It's a sure thing that each fan will particularly enjoy some of these stories and then argue with each other about which are best. My favorite is "Machine Maid" by Margo Lanagan. The others had some moments, but mostly, meh.
For people who are not very familiar with steampunk, I urge you not to judge this as the best steampunk has to offer. Every type of writing has its highs, lows and middlings. So you could do worse and you could do better. So don't let this be the end of your exploration of steampunk. There's a better world awaitin'.
October 18, 2010
This was my first experience with the steampunk genre, and I enjoyed it very much. Many thanks to Amanda for her recommendation of this eclectic short story collection.
I was especially impressed with ‘American Cheetah’ (Robert Reed) and 'Speed, Speed the Cable’ (Kage Baker). Both appeal to my interest in historical fiction, and both were written with great skill and imagination. ‘Fixing Hanover’ (Jeff VanderMeer) and ‘Elementals’ (Ian R. Macleod) were also excellent.
I will definitely return to this genre in the near future, and would recommend it to anyone who wants a diverse sample of steampunk styles.
I was especially impressed with ‘American Cheetah’ (Robert Reed) and 'Speed, Speed the Cable’ (Kage Baker). Both appeal to my interest in historical fiction, and both were written with great skill and imagination. ‘Fixing Hanover’ (Jeff VanderMeer) and ‘Elementals’ (Ian R. Macleod) were also excellent.
I will definitely return to this genre in the near future, and would recommend it to anyone who wants a diverse sample of steampunk styles.
April 24, 2009
Pretty good collection of steampunk short fiction. First few didn't hold my attention very well but the rest were quite absorbing.
August 15, 2017
Throughout these stories, I struggled with the definition of steampunk itself: the magical, technological innovations that characterize each world feel absurd in their grandeur. I understand that the style relies upon not-quite-explained scientific concepts and the odd mix of explainable and unexplained--magic and science--but I find this genre difficult to dive into. Any feminism hardly counted as progressive, given the historical setting constraints within the modern publication. I appreciated that all the worldbuilding presented interesting concepts to consider, even though I didn't always think the stories were told in their most ideal way or at their most ideal length. I'll stick to cyberpunk over steampunk for my next SF read.
Baker, Kage. "Speed, Speed the Cable." 3 stars. Finished 8/9/17. - dunno how clearly this ties into its source series but there's plenty of unexplored depth (haha pun)
Brooke, Keith. "Hannah." 3 stars. Finished 8/13/17. - the one where I realized this genre creeps me out (resurrection)
Ford, Jeffrey. "The Dream of Reason." 4 stars. Finished 8/14/17. - well told, bizarre, saddening, not ethical
Lake, Jay. "The Lollygang Save the World on Accident." 2 stars. Finished 8/14/17. - too big world scope ( and title), never knew what was going on (kids-on-the-streets)
Lanagan, Margo. "Machine Maid." 5 stars. Finished 8/11/17. - Futurama predicted it, intense, only this character's way of seeing the world could tell this story
Lovegrove, James. "Steampunch." 3 stars. Finished 8/4/17. - interesting story but framework felt like a stretch
MacLeod, Ian R. "Elementals." 5 stars. Finished 8/9/17. - gave me shivers; felt like H.G. Wells' "The Time Machine"
Morrow, James. "Lady Witherspoon's Solution." 3 stars. Finished 8/11/17. - oh god, too much suspension of disbelief, ape-people
Roberts, Adam. "Petrolpunk." 2 stars. Finished 8/13/17. - au upon au, not a thing you're supposed to understand, really
VanderMeer, Jeff. "Fixing Hanover." 5 stars. Finished 8/14/17. - such a good author, feels really complete in its own way
Youmans, Marly. "Static." 4 stars. Finished 8/4/17. - unsettling but cohesive and interesting
(works out to 3.54 overall so I'll give it 4 stars)
Baker, Kage. "Speed, Speed the Cable." 3 stars. Finished 8/9/17. - dunno how clearly this ties into its source series but there's plenty of unexplored depth (haha pun)
Brooke, Keith. "Hannah." 3 stars. Finished 8/13/17. - the one where I realized this genre creeps me out (resurrection)
Ford, Jeffrey. "The Dream of Reason." 4 stars. Finished 8/14/17. - well told, bizarre, saddening, not ethical
Lake, Jay. "The Lollygang Save the World on Accident." 2 stars. Finished 8/14/17. - too big world scope ( and title), never knew what was going on (kids-on-the-streets)
Lanagan, Margo. "Machine Maid." 5 stars. Finished 8/11/17. - Futurama predicted it, intense, only this character's way of seeing the world could tell this story
Lovegrove, James. "Steampunch." 3 stars. Finished 8/4/17. - interesting story but framework felt like a stretch
MacLeod, Ian R. "Elementals." 5 stars. Finished 8/9/17. - gave me shivers; felt like H.G. Wells' "The Time Machine"
Morrow, James. "Lady Witherspoon's Solution." 3 stars. Finished 8/11/17. - oh god, too much suspension of disbelief, ape-people
Roberts, Adam. "Petrolpunk." 2 stars. Finished 8/13/17. - au upon au, not a thing you're supposed to understand, really
VanderMeer, Jeff. "Fixing Hanover." 5 stars. Finished 8/14/17. - such a good author, feels really complete in its own way
Youmans, Marly. "Static." 4 stars. Finished 8/4/17. - unsettling but cohesive and interesting
(works out to 3.54 overall so I'll give it 4 stars)
May 20, 2019
Began this anthology around 2011 and stopped after a few stories that all failed to excite. Picked it up and read half another not-so-short story and I’ll just assume I’m gonna be as bored by the rest of the book and drop it.
January 3, 2023
14 steampunk short stories. Only a few seemed truly steampunk to me, but I think that's just a me problem.
Overall, an enjoyable collection. Some were stories I'd have liked to be longer, especially Elementals, Petrolpunk, & Lady Witherspoon's Solution.
Overall, an enjoyable collection. Some were stories I'd have liked to be longer, especially Elementals, Petrolpunk, & Lady Witherspoon's Solution.
September 1, 2017
Awesome shorts of Steampunk.
April 21, 2019
Some stories were fantastic, my favorite was Steampunch. Others weren't as good but it was definitely worth the read.
January 12, 2020
Solid collection of steampunk stories. Was very happy that these were all new to me stories. Excellent writing in these stories. I can honestly say that there were no stories that I did not care for.
February 2, 2015
An excellent anthology of the Steampunk subgenre from Gevers and the good people of Solaris, with not a bad story in the whole bunch. Of particular note are the stories by Marly Youmans and Margo Lanagan.
Steampunch – James Lovegrove (2008)
Static – Marly Youmans (2008)
Speed, Speed the Cable – Kage Baker (2008)
Elementals – Ian R Macleod (2008)
Machine Maid – Margo Lanagan (2008)
Lady Witherspoon’s Solution – James Morrow (2008)
Hannah – Keith Brooke (2008)
Petrolpunk – Adam Roberts (2008)
American Cheetah – Robert Reed (2008)
Fixing Hanover – Jeff VanderMeer (2008)
The Lollygang Save the World on Accident – Jay Lake (2008)
The Dream of Reason – Jeffrey Ford (2008)
Steampunch – James Lovegrove
A deportee narrates a tale of Steampunch, the strongest and best mechanical pugilist.
Static – Marly Youmans
A beautiful and descriptive tale of a world in which physical laws are far different to those of our own and where static is a powerful and possibly deadly force.
Speed, Speed the Cable – Kage Baker
The battle is on to save the laying of the transatlantic cable from being sabotaged, and secret agent Edward Alton Bell-Fairfax is on hand to save the day. This story is set within Kage Baker’s complex ‘Company’ Universe
Elementals – Ian R Macleod
A Victorian scientist attempts to trap an ‘elemental’ in an electric cage, with disastrous consequences for himself.
Machine Maid – Margo Lanagan
One of the most powerful stories on this collection is this unashamedly feminist piece from Lanagan, set in a Victorian Australian outback where automata can be programmed to do almost anything
Lady Witherspoon’s Solution – James Morrow
Morrow’s satirical piece follows a young lady’s initiation into the charitable work of Lady Witherspoon, whose main aim is to deal with the worst excesses of male behaviour with a unique Darwinian solution.
Hannah – Keith Brooke
An investigation into a child’s death leads a Victorian forensic scientist to investigate the identification of blood, which leads to the culturing of the victim’s blood cells, and the cloning of the dead girl
Petrolpunk – Adam Roberts
A rollercoaster of a story from Roberts which features parallel worlds, an immortal Queen Victoria and the fight for petroleum across the dimensions
American Cheetah – Robert Reed
A robotic Abraham Lincoln attempts to dissuade robotic representations of the infamous James gang from their criminal pursuits.
Fixing Hanover – Jeff VanderMeer
Borderline cyberpunk in which an android is washed ashore in a post-apocalyptic world and found by a primitive Viking like people, one of whom is a refugee from a more advanced culture, and wants to rebuild the android.
The Lollygang Save the World on Accident – Jay Lake
Complex steampunk goings on in what seems to be a generation ship launched by a Victorian society.
The Dream of Reason – Jeffrey Ford
Fantastical story about a scientist who believes that matter is light slowed down and that the stars are diamonds. He hatches a complex plan for an experiment which involves slowing down light and firing it into the eye of an expendable volunteer.
Steampunch – James Lovegrove (2008)
Static – Marly Youmans (2008)
Speed, Speed the Cable – Kage Baker (2008)
Elementals – Ian R Macleod (2008)
Machine Maid – Margo Lanagan (2008)
Lady Witherspoon’s Solution – James Morrow (2008)
Hannah – Keith Brooke (2008)
Petrolpunk – Adam Roberts (2008)
American Cheetah – Robert Reed (2008)
Fixing Hanover – Jeff VanderMeer (2008)
The Lollygang Save the World on Accident – Jay Lake (2008)
The Dream of Reason – Jeffrey Ford (2008)
Steampunch – James Lovegrove
A deportee narrates a tale of Steampunch, the strongest and best mechanical pugilist.
Static – Marly Youmans
A beautiful and descriptive tale of a world in which physical laws are far different to those of our own and where static is a powerful and possibly deadly force.
Speed, Speed the Cable – Kage Baker
The battle is on to save the laying of the transatlantic cable from being sabotaged, and secret agent Edward Alton Bell-Fairfax is on hand to save the day. This story is set within Kage Baker’s complex ‘Company’ Universe
Elementals – Ian R Macleod
A Victorian scientist attempts to trap an ‘elemental’ in an electric cage, with disastrous consequences for himself.
Machine Maid – Margo Lanagan
One of the most powerful stories on this collection is this unashamedly feminist piece from Lanagan, set in a Victorian Australian outback where automata can be programmed to do almost anything
Lady Witherspoon’s Solution – James Morrow
Morrow’s satirical piece follows a young lady’s initiation into the charitable work of Lady Witherspoon, whose main aim is to deal with the worst excesses of male behaviour with a unique Darwinian solution.
Hannah – Keith Brooke
An investigation into a child’s death leads a Victorian forensic scientist to investigate the identification of blood, which leads to the culturing of the victim’s blood cells, and the cloning of the dead girl
Petrolpunk – Adam Roberts
A rollercoaster of a story from Roberts which features parallel worlds, an immortal Queen Victoria and the fight for petroleum across the dimensions
American Cheetah – Robert Reed
A robotic Abraham Lincoln attempts to dissuade robotic representations of the infamous James gang from their criminal pursuits.
Fixing Hanover – Jeff VanderMeer
Borderline cyberpunk in which an android is washed ashore in a post-apocalyptic world and found by a primitive Viking like people, one of whom is a refugee from a more advanced culture, and wants to rebuild the android.
The Lollygang Save the World on Accident – Jay Lake
Complex steampunk goings on in what seems to be a generation ship launched by a Victorian society.
The Dream of Reason – Jeffrey Ford
Fantastical story about a scientist who believes that matter is light slowed down and that the stars are diamonds. He hatches a complex plan for an experiment which involves slowing down light and firing it into the eye of an expendable volunteer.
April 2, 2016
3.7 stars
Steampunch by James Lovegrove***
Static by Marly Youmans ****
Speed, Speed the Cable by Kage Baker ***
Elementals by Ian R MacLeod ***
Machine Maid by Margo Lanahan ****
Lady Witherspoon's Solution by James Morrow ****
Hannah by Keith Brooke ****
Petrolpunk by Adam Roberts ***
American Cheetah by Robert Reed ****
Fixing Hanover by Jeff VanderMeer ****
the Lollygang Save the World on Accident by Jay Lake ****
the Dream of Reason by Jeffrey Ford ****
My Rating System:
* couldn't finish, ** wouldn't recommend, *** would recommend, **** would read again, ***** have read again
Steampunch by James Lovegrove***
Static by Marly Youmans ****
Speed, Speed the Cable by Kage Baker ***
Elementals by Ian R MacLeod ***
Machine Maid by Margo Lanahan ****
Lady Witherspoon's Solution by James Morrow ****
Hannah by Keith Brooke ****
Petrolpunk by Adam Roberts ***
American Cheetah by Robert Reed ****
Fixing Hanover by Jeff VanderMeer ****
the Lollygang Save the World on Accident by Jay Lake ****
the Dream of Reason by Jeffrey Ford ****
My Rating System:
* couldn't finish, ** wouldn't recommend, *** would recommend, **** would read again, ***** have read again
October 4, 2010
I debated if I wanted to give it less than three stars, but in the end there is enough in the book to warrant at least a look. This is certainly not a "definitive" anthology, but it does have some good gems in it. The problem is it also has some pretty bad duds, and you have to sort them out. If you kept up with status updates as I read it, you will see that I found the book overall hit and miss. Some stories were really good, and others were not. When the book "worked," it was good. When it did not, I wanted to drop it. So, what worked for me:
*The first story, which kind of reminded me a bit of an early Heinlein.
*The Company story (I think that was Kage Baker's). It does capture a bit of the steampunk feel and scene, and it was good enough that I may seek out other novels in the The Company series.
*"Petrolpunk" was probably my favorite if not one of my favorites in the series.
*And "American Cheetah" gave an interesting look at one of the American presidents, with robots.
*Other stories varied. The wife revenge tale was interesting for the twist it offered, but I was not particularly thrilled with it (in other words, it was ok).
So read it, but keep your expectations in the average range. I told you the stories that worked for me. You may find others work better for you, so to speak. It is a decent anthology, and it has some good examples of steampunk. But it is not definitive.
*The first story, which kind of reminded me a bit of an early Heinlein.
*The Company story (I think that was Kage Baker's). It does capture a bit of the steampunk feel and scene, and it was good enough that I may seek out other novels in the The Company series.
*"Petrolpunk" was probably my favorite if not one of my favorites in the series.
*And "American Cheetah" gave an interesting look at one of the American presidents, with robots.
*Other stories varied. The wife revenge tale was interesting for the twist it offered, but I was not particularly thrilled with it (in other words, it was ok).
So read it, but keep your expectations in the average range. I told you the stories that worked for me. You may find others work better for you, so to speak. It is a decent anthology, and it has some good examples of steampunk. But it is not definitive.
March 30, 2011
An interesting anthology which was - thankfully - more diverse than I had expected (having gone in expecting page after page of clockwork automata, airships, difference engines and Victorian social mores). Editor Nick Gevers has taken care to mix things up a bit however, and although all tropes are present and correct across the whole anthology (I was pretty sick of reading the name Babbage by the end) there is a great deal of moderation and even subversion, along with plentiful imagination even when the author is playing it straight.
The authors pay a great deal of attention to differentiating their worlds beyond "it's got steam and anachronistic artificial intelligence": in Marly Youmans' "Static", the world is "irradiated with electricity", while in Adam Roberts' "Petrolpunk" the steam-driven world is unique in a multiverse of petrol-using worlds because... of reasons. Have already spoiled too much, read it.
Your mileage will vary with these stories as they're all distinct enough to cover different tastes, but my personal recommendations from within the collection are "Petrolpunk", Ian R MacLeod's "Elementals" and Margo Lanagan's "Machine Maid", while Jeff Vandermeer & Jay Lake's stories rank slightly behind these but are compelling enough to make me want to seek out more of their work (I have one of Vandermeer's books lying around in one of the Boxes, must find it...)
The authors pay a great deal of attention to differentiating their worlds beyond "it's got steam and anachronistic artificial intelligence": in Marly Youmans' "Static", the world is "irradiated with electricity", while in Adam Roberts' "Petrolpunk" the steam-driven world is unique in a multiverse of petrol-using worlds because... of reasons. Have already spoiled too much, read it.
Your mileage will vary with these stories as they're all distinct enough to cover different tastes, but my personal recommendations from within the collection are "Petrolpunk", Ian R MacLeod's "Elementals" and Margo Lanagan's "Machine Maid", while Jeff Vandermeer & Jay Lake's stories rank slightly behind these but are compelling enough to make me want to seek out more of their work (I have one of Vandermeer's books lying around in one of the Boxes, must find it...)
August 31, 2009
I must start by saying I am a huge fan of the steampunk aesthetic--call me old fashioned, but I just have a soft spot for the subtle combination of bustle shirts and deadly ray guns. In retrospect, I should have taken its resemblance to my father's collection of mediocre sci-fi paperbacks as a warning, but I was young and naive and, moreover, the book was ridiculously cheap. So, wary though I was. I took a chance.
As with many such collections of stories, Extraordinairy Engines proved wildly uneven in its quality. A few stood out, but only a few, and none of them were good enough to redeem some of the more awful ones. Interesting concepts are presented, and then forgotten, or prove irrelevant. Where such concepts are carried out satisfactorily, the characters are found lacking (Admittedly, it can be difficult to fully flesh out a character in a short story, but that is no excuse for how annoying some of the protagonists here were). In other words, none of the stories were wholly good. On the flip side, none were fully terrible, and several I quite enjoyed.
If you can forgive the sadly-too-numerous pitfalls, Extraordinary Engines offers a small sampling to the world of steampunk, if not a demonstration of the genre's full potential.
As with many such collections of stories, Extraordinairy Engines proved wildly uneven in its quality. A few stood out, but only a few, and none of them were good enough to redeem some of the more awful ones. Interesting concepts are presented, and then forgotten, or prove irrelevant. Where such concepts are carried out satisfactorily, the characters are found lacking (Admittedly, it can be difficult to fully flesh out a character in a short story, but that is no excuse for how annoying some of the protagonists here were). In other words, none of the stories were wholly good. On the flip side, none were fully terrible, and several I quite enjoyed.
If you can forgive the sadly-too-numerous pitfalls, Extraordinary Engines offers a small sampling to the world of steampunk, if not a demonstration of the genre's full potential.
July 7, 2009
I went into this not being entirely sure what to make of 'Steampunk' - (one of the hottest new trends in genre fiction, according to the introduction, although I'm not sure how that's supposed to make me more inclined to read it). After twelve days of readng one of these each day, I'm still not entirely sure what to make of it. Sci Fi and historical fiction (hifi? Hisfic?) are each individually some of my favourite things, but while they don't cancel out when you put them together, they don't seem to manage to multiply each other for more awesomeness. Weird that.
Anyway, there were still at least four stories in here that I thought were really really good, and only about one or two that were actually boring, so that's not a bad hit rate. But it's probably still more for pre-existing devotees of Steampunk than those who are merely curious about this Hot New Trend(!)
Anyway, there were still at least four stories in here that I thought were really really good, and only about one or two that were actually boring, so that's not a bad hit rate. But it's probably still more for pre-existing devotees of Steampunk than those who are merely curious about this Hot New Trend(!)
July 24, 2009
Steampunk is not my genre. This is what I discovered while reading this collection of short stories. While a couple of the stories were close to what I expected--science fiction stories with a broader base of toys to play with, such as Jules Verne of HG Wells might have written if they'd known about robots or space travel for real--others were so heavily fantasy that I wasn't even sure they were in the right anthology. Most of the stories seemed well constructed, if a bit too eager to follow the conventions of the genre, but the mix of late-20th-century technology and pseudo-Victorian culture don't work for me. Perhaps, in part, it's because technology and culture aren't so easily separated, which meant the Victorians in the stories had a distressing tendency to think like late-20th-century Americans while engaging with the tech.
February 4, 2010
So maybe this book is not the definitive anthology it claims to be, but for someone only just discovering the genre of steampunk like me, I thought it was an interesting and useful introduction.
There was a good mix of stories showcasing different ways in which the genre can be portrayed - from in-depth science-fiction to elaborate Victorian settings. There were a couple of stories that I didn't enjoy very much, but that is only to be expected in an anthology. I couldn't help feeling in some places that perhaps steampunk is better suited to novels rather than shorter works, but that may just have been due to how some of the stories were written. In any case, it has definitely got me interested in reading more of the genre.
What I found most helpful was the author bylines given at the start of each story in which other steampunk works written by the author was listed.
There was a good mix of stories showcasing different ways in which the genre can be portrayed - from in-depth science-fiction to elaborate Victorian settings. There were a couple of stories that I didn't enjoy very much, but that is only to be expected in an anthology. I couldn't help feeling in some places that perhaps steampunk is better suited to novels rather than shorter works, but that may just have been due to how some of the stories were written. In any case, it has definitely got me interested in reading more of the genre.
What I found most helpful was the author bylines given at the start of each story in which other steampunk works written by the author was listed.
December 8, 2010
I didn't get to read all of this but if the last few storiesa are anything like the first six or seven then I wasn't missing out. I'm new to the steampunk genre so I was really excited when I stumbled upon this book. I mean, how can you go wrong reading the "definitive collection?" So I was really disappointed by how dull and lifeless most of the stories were. The only one I really enjoyed was MacLeod's "Elementals." Also, a lot of the stories that I did end up reading were not really "steampunk" or at least how I understand the genre to be. So to call this collection "definitive" is inappropriate because I'm sure there are better examples of steampunk out there than what was represented here.
January 9, 2009
A nice anthology of steampunk fiction -- I wasn't too wild about a couple of stories, including the first one in the collection, but there were several others that were fantastic. In fact, I've added a number of new authors to my to-read list (like I needed to do that!). I particularly enjoyed the melding of Victorian or Edwardian London as a setting with the gadgets and gizmos of the science fiction genre. Some of these are more along the lines of horror or space operas (and even one that dips into erotica a bit), but the ones I enjoyed most fell along the lines of alternative history/mystery stories.
December 1, 2008
For the first time, I didn't read the whole collection of short stories. Instead, I skim-read until a story caught my eye and then I started from the point the story was interesting. My favorite story was about a benevolent society that experimented with serums that turned violent convicts into ape eunechs, and the second favorite was about a robot maid that a young wife in the Outback modified as revenge for a philandering husband.
...and only now, as I'm writing this, did I realize the thing that both those stories have in common. Oh, id. You come out in such creepy little ways.
...and only now, as I'm writing this, did I realize the thing that both those stories have in common. Oh, id. You come out in such creepy little ways.
August 8, 2010
As with many anthologies this is a little bit of a mixed bag, although on the whole the stories are excellent. The opener, 'Steampunch' by James Lovegrove, is for me far the weakest effort. Each of the other stories either presents an original take on the genre - 'The Lollygang Saves the World on Accident', 'Static', Petrolpunk - or, like Margo Lanahan's 'Machine Maid' use the tropes of the genre to excellent and chilling effect.
Well worth a read as an introduction to Steampunk and perhaps some unfamiliar authors.
Well worth a read as an introduction to Steampunk and perhaps some unfamiliar authors.
May 4, 2013
I can't improve on previous reviews. This was an odd collection whose only tie seemed to be some mechanical or steam driven contraption or scientific experimentation, not so typical of Jules Verne as of modern Steampunk. So, the title is a fitting one. Each story was so different from the ones before it that I found myself really liking the collection. I was partial to the Machine Maid story, if only because I admire women with intelligence, and I liked Elementals and The Lollygang Save the World on Accident. I would buy another similar collection. It was enjoyably different.
December 21, 2015
I think putting "definitive" an any book cover is generally pushing your luck. This is an interesting collection of stories, though many stick to the perceived tried and true (Victorian-influenced, Western setting and protagonists, etc.). There were a couple of standouts for me, including Marly Youman's "Static," Kage Baker's "Speed, Speed the Cable" and Margot Lanahan's "Machine Maid." Others, like Reed's "American Cheetah" were a little too much "because we can/isn't tech grand" stories that didn't grab me.
Shelved as 'decided-not-to-read'
November 14, 2008I snagged this because I was curious about the Kage Baker story. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a story featuring Edward Bell-Fairfax from her Company series. And ... I kinda loathe that character. I took a look at some of the stories by the other authors I was familiar with but ... nothing really grabbed me here. If you want an introduction to steampunk, the anthology edited by Ann and Jeff Vandermeer is superior IMO.
December 29, 2009
Well, the first two stories suck and the third one is just OK. Here's hoping it gets better. Will take a while to read this one since it has been relegated to a "car book." In other words, it will get taken in to doctor's offices and such with me when I forget to bring a different book.
Ok - a general waste of time. Most of the stories weren't absolute trash, but they came close. Will be a good trader at the used book store.
Ok - a general waste of time. Most of the stories weren't absolute trash, but they came close. Will be a good trader at the used book store.
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