Steampunk! An Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories

( 4 )

Overview

In the first major YA steampunk anthology, fourteen top storytellers push the genre’s mix of sci-fi, fantasy, history, and adventure in fascinating new directions.

Imagine an alternate universe where romance and technology reign. Where tinkerers and dreamers craft and re-craft a world of automatons, clockworks, calculating machines, and other marvels that never were. Where scientists and schoolgirls, fair folk and Romans, intergalactic bandits, utopian revolutionaries, and ...

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Steampunk! An Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories

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More About This Book

Overview

In the first major YA steampunk anthology, fourteen top storytellers push the genre’s mix of sci-fi, fantasy, history, and adventure in fascinating new directions.

Imagine an alternate universe where romance and technology reign. Where tinkerers and dreamers craft and re-craft a world of automatons, clockworks, calculating machines, and other marvels that never were. Where scientists and schoolgirls, fair folk and Romans, intergalactic bandits, utopian revolutionaries, and intrepid orphans solve crimes, escape from monstrous predicaments, consult oracles, and hover over volcanoes in steam-powered airships. Here, fourteen masters of speculative fiction, including two graphic storytellers, embrace the genre’s established themes and refashion them in surprising ways and settings as diverse as Appalachia, ancient Rome, future Australia, and alternate California. Visionaries Kelly Link and Gavin J. Grant have invited all-new explorations and expansions, taking a genre already rich, strange, and inventive in the extreme and challenging contributors to remake it from the ground up. The result is an anthology that defies its genre even as it defines it.

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Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly
Veteran editors Link and Grant serve up a delicious mix of original stories from 14 skilled writers and artists. Among the many high points: Cassandra Clare’s creepy “Some Fortunate Future Day,” in which a lonely girl, grown bored with her sentient clockwork dolls, develops a crush on a wounded soldier; Libba Bray’s subversively funny “The Last Ride of the Glory Girls,” which concerns a girl gang robbing trains and dirigibles on another planet (presumably a future Mars) heavily reminiscent of the Old West; Holly Black’s humorous and romantic “Everything Amiable and Obliging,” whose heroine, a rich orphan, must deal with her feelings toward her cousin and persuade his sister not to marry her clockwork dance instructor; and M.T. Anderson’s magisterial “The Oracle Engine,” which explores the political complexities resulting from the Roman Empire’s development of a Rube Goldberg–like supercomputer. Chockful of gear-driven automatons, looming dirigibles, and wildly implausible time machines, these often baroque, intensely anachronistic tales should please steampunks of all ages. As the lovelorn, mechanically gifted “hero” of comics artist Shawn Cheng’s contribution says, “The world is a machine. Imperfect parts together in a perfect arrangement.” Ages 14–up. (Oct.)
From the Publisher
Steampunk is hot at the moment in literature, art and fashion: This collection taps into the ethos without ever seeming topical or transient, thanks to contributions rich with much more than just steam and brass fittings. . . . An excellent collection, full of unexpected delights.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Veteran editors Link and Grant serve up a delicious mix of original stories from 14 skilled writers and artists...Chockful of gear-driven automatons, looming dirigibles, and wildly implausible time machines, these often baroque, intensely anachronistic tales should please steampunks of all ages.
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Within these pages, there's a little something for everyone...This exceptional anthology does great service to the steampunk subgenre and will do much to further its audience.
—School Library Journal (starred review)

Editors Link and Gavin treat fans, old and new, to an array of fantastically rich stories in this polished, outstanding collection...the result is an anthology that is almost impossible to put down... From rebellious motorists to girl bandits, the characters in this imaginative collection shine, and there isn't a weak story in the mix; each one offers depth and delight.
—Booklist (starred review)

It is about time that steampunk short stories really got a focused and creative exploration in YA lit, and this anthology of fourteen pieces is an excellent start.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review)

Children's Literature - Sarah Maury Swan
Do you like robots and things that go clank in the night as part of your sci fi/fantasy stories? Then, this is the book for you. The first story, "Some Fortunate Day," is about Rose who lives alone in her father's mansion with all of the robots he invented. She falls in love with a wounded pilot, but learns he doesn't love her back. After he leaves her, she remembers her father left behind a time-changing device, giving her infinitesimal chances to win the pilot's love. Of course, who can resist one of Libba Bray's stories? This one's about a girl with a time-warping machine, which she uses to help the Glory Girls rob trains. Interspersed throughout the book are graphic stories, which visually depict human emotions (don't all stories?). The stories are set in different eras or different realities, and some have messages about the danger of living through machines; on a whole, though, there is a happy coexistence of human and machine. Creative writing teachers should especially like this book as a jumping off point for opening their students' imaginations. Includes stories by many leading authors: Cassandra Clare ("Some Fortunate Future Day"), Libba Bray ("The Last Ride of the Glory Girls"), Cory Doctorow ("Clockwork Fagin"), Shawn Cheng ("Seven Days Beset by Demons"), Ysabeau S. Wilce ("Hand in Glove"), Delia Sherman ("The Ghost of Cwmlech Manor"), Elizabeth Knox ("Gesthemane"), Kelly Link ("The Summer People"), Garth Nix ("Peace in Our Time"), Christopher Rowe ("Nowhere Fast"), Kathleen Jennings ("Finishing School"), Dylan Horrocks ("Steam Girl"), Holly Black ("Everything Amiable and Obliging"), and M. T. Anderson ("The Oracle Engine"). Reviewer: Sarah Maury Swan
School Library Journal
Gr 8 Up—Most readers have become familiar with the essential steampunk elements: clockwork automatons, brass goggles, mad scientists, brave adventurers, and Victorian imagery. However, this collection of short stories by some of the best YA authors today, including Libba Bray, Garth Nix, and Cory Doctorow, offers something different and takes the steampunk ethos to a new level. Within these pages, there's a little something for everyone. For the romantic, there is Holly Black's "Everything Amiable and Obliging," in which a clockwork automaton exceeds the bounds of its programming and falls in love with the beautiful daughter of its employer. And for the disillusioned, there is Link's lovely and eerily sad "The Summer People," in which a girl in Appalachia is forced to care for the mysterious inhabitants of an unusual house. M. T. Anderson's "The Oracle Engine" is an alternate version of the story of Crassus of Rome that will delight history buffs. And Dylan Horrocks's "Steam Girl," the story of an unusual girl with steampunk sensibilities in modern times, will resonate with those who feel as though they don't quite belong. Two stories told in comic book format will appeal to graphic-novel fans. There is not a weak story in the bunch. This exceptional anthology does great service to the steampunk subgenre and will do much to further its audience.—Heather M. Campbell, formerly at Philip S. Miller Library, Castle Rock, CO
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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780763648435
  • Publisher: Candlewick Press
  • Publication date: 10/11/2011
  • Pages: 432
  • Sales rank: 283,697
  • Age range: 12 - 17 Years
  • Lexile: 940L (what's this?)
  • Product dimensions: 6.64 (w) x 9.26 (h) x 1.11 (d)

Meet the Author

Kelly Link and Gavin J. Grant are firm believers in the do-it-yourself ethos that powers the steampunk movement. They started a zine, founded an independent publishing house, own two letterpresses, and edited the fantasy half of THE YEAR'S BEST FANTASY & HORROR for five years. They live in western Massachusetts.
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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5
( 4 )
Rating Distribution

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(3)

4 Star

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(1)

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Sort by: Showing all of 4 Customer Reviews

  • Posted January 18, 2012

    more from this reviewer

    Recommend it to all steampunk fans!

    This book has something for all steampunk fans. Some were more "steampunkish" than the others. Cassandra Clare's 'Some fortunate future day' was too short to like or understand the main character. 2 more pages describing what motivated Rose's actions would have done it more justice. Also when compared to the others, this one fell short. 'The Last Ride of the Glory Girls' and 'The Ghost of Cwmlech Manor' were good but predictable. 'Clockwork Fagin' was the best of all and stayed true to the genre. There were two graphic novels included in the book which I thought was a welcome break. I liked 'Seven Days Beset by Demons' better than 'The Finishing School'. The former was short and simple while the latter was hard to follow. 'Hand in Glove' is a detective story which I liked despite the ending. It had great character development except for the mysterious murderer. I just didn't get it. 'Gethsemane', was enjoyable but I felt that the ending was rushed. 'The Summer People' was creepy or atleast I thought so. It had an ominous feeling to it from the start. I was asking myself what would I have I done if I were in her shoes. The others were less memorable except for 'Steam Girl' which was ok. flag

    2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted April 18, 2013

    Lol

    Best book ever.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted November 29, 2012

    Tori

    She looks at u thoughtfully with her bright blue eyes for a second trying to geuss your age

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted January 28, 2012

    One of The best steampunk books I hav Awesome

    I absolutely love this book definitely reccomend it

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
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