Steampunk! an Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories

Starred review from August 8, 2011
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.

September 1, 2011

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

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from August 15, 2011

You can't have steampunk without steam (and maybe some gears), but in the hands of a stellar cast of authors, everything else is open to interpretation.

Tales range across space and time, from ancient Rome (sort of; M.T. Anderson takes history, adds a few gears and delivers a mind-boggling result) to a Dickensian North America, courtesy of Cory Doctorow, where maimed orphans fight the literal and figurative man; from Wales (Delia Sherman's comedic "The Ghost of Cwmlech Manor") to the melancholy present and a heroine who might be an accidental transplant from an altogether more exciting reality (Dylan Horrock's "Steam Girl"). The collection is carefully organized, frontloaded with bound-to-be- popular selections from Libba Bray (girl power in the Old West) and Cassie Clare (unrequited love, talking dolls and second chances) and then moving into less well-known contributors. A couple of graphic tales mix with literary hard hitters like Elizabeth Knox (a dark, dreamy and tragic look at the nuances of relationships) and co-editor Link (whose "Summer People" riffs on old tales of Faeries and humans). 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.

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

Starred review from November 1, 2011
Grades 8-12 *Starred Review* Steampunk is hot right now, as evidenced by the rush of titles featuring goggle-wearing heroines on their covers. Happily, there are gems to be found within the flood, and editors Link and Gavin treat fans, old and new, to an array of fantastically rich stories in this polished, outstanding collection. Skillful organization slots entries by authors less well known to YA readers between those by stars, including Libba Bray and Cory Doctorow, and the result is an anthology that is almost impossible to put down. The gears, goggles, automatons, and dirigibles are all here, but these gifted writers have used the steampunk trappings as a launchpad, leaping into their own unique explorations of what it is to be human in a world influenced by technology. Settings range from Appalachia to a Pacific island to an alternate Wales everything but Victorian London. M. T. Anderson reveals an engineer's cunning revenge in ancient Rome; Delia Sherman explores what happens when a ghost inhabits a machine; Link blends faerie tropes with clockwork tinkerings; and Shawn Cheng and Kathleen Jennings present stories in a comic-style format. 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.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)