Synopses & Reviews
Combining the timeless fairy tales that we all read as children with the out-of-time technological wizardry that is steampunk, this collection of stories blends the old and the new in ways sure to engage every fantasy reader.
Inspired by Hans Christian Andersens The Red Shoes,” New York Times bestselling author K. W. Jeters La Valse” forges a fable about love, the decadence of technology, and a gala dance that becomes the obsession of a young engineerand the doom of those who partake in it.
In You Will Attend Until Beauty Awakens,” national bestselling author and John W. Campbell Award winner Jay Lake tells the story of Sleeping Beautyand how the princess was conceived in deception, raised in danger, and rescued by a prince who may be less than valiant.
The tale of The Tinderbox” takes a turn into the surreal when a damaged young soldier comes into possession of an intricate, treacherous treasure and is drawn into a mission of mercy in national bestselling author Kat Richardsons The Hollow Hounds.”
In The Kings of Mount Golden,” Hugo and World Fantasy Award nominee Paul Di Filippo tells the story of a young mans search for his heritage and a mechanical marvel that lies at the heart of a sinister pact in this fascinating take on The King of the Golden Mountain.”
ALSO INCLUDES STORIES FROM
Steven Harper
Nancy A. Collins
G. K. Hayes
Gregory Nicoll
Pip Ballantine
Review
"What a great piece of work this is....Summer's almost here time to do some leisure reading, and what better place to start than here?" Cory Doctorw, BoingBoing.net
Review
"The diversity of the sci-fi subgenre is amply demonstrated in this anthology of previously published stories....[T]he writing is never less than compelling. Both fans of steampunk and readers for whom it's a foreign concept should find this collection rewarding." Kirkus Reviews
Synopsis
Replete with whimsical mechanical wonders and charmingly anachronistic settings, this pioneering anthology gathers a brilliant blend of fantastical stories. Steampunk originates in the romantic elegance of the Victorian era and blends in modern scientific advances synthesizing imaginative technologies such as steam-driven robots, analog supercomputers, and ultramodern dirigibles. The elegant allure of this popular new genre is represented in this rich collection by distinctively talented authors, including Neal Stephenson, Michael Chabon, James Blaylock, Michael Moorcock, and Joe R. Lansdale.
Synopsis
- The first and quintessential Steampunk anthology, this classic, illustrated volume of playful Victoriana presents some of the most enduring tales of mad scientists and mechanical wonders
- Contributors include Neil Stephenson, Michael Chabon, Tanith Lee, William Gibson, Gail Carriger, Ted Chiang, Joe R. Lansdale, Michael Moorcock, and more
- This is a superb introduction to one of the most popular and inventive subgenres in science fiction."
--Publishers Weekly, starred review - 2009 World Fantasy Award nominee, Best Anthology
Synopsis
Steampunk is Victorian elegance and modern technology: steam-driven robots and space-faring zeppelins fueled by gaslight romance and mad scientists. Steampunk is trim corsets and brass goggles;
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen,
The Wizard of Oz, and
The Golden Compass.
Curated by the World Fantasy award-winning team of Ann and Jeff Vandermeer, this riveting anthology lovingly collects classic steampunk stories, pop culture-fueled discussions of steampunk, and essential recommended reading lists for the discerning--or new--steampunk fan.
Synopsis
Replete with whimsical mechanical wonders and charmingly anachronistic settings, this pioneering anthology gathers a brilliant blend of fantastical stories that originates in the romantic elegance of the Victorian era and blends in modern scientific advances.
Synopsis
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Steampunka grafting of Victorian aesthetic and punk rock attitude onto various forms of science-fiction cultureis a phenomenon that has come to influence film, literature, art, music, fashion, and more. The Steampunk Bible is the first compendium about the movement, tracing its roots in the works of Jules Verne and H. G. Wells through its most recent expression in movies such as Sherlock Holmes. Its adherents celebrate the inventor as an artist and hero, re-envisioning and crafting retro technologies including antiquated airships and robots. A burgeoning DIY community has brought a distinctive Victorian-fantasy style to their crafts and art. Steampunk evokes a sense of adventure and discovery, and embraces extinct technologies as a way of talking about the future. This ultimate manual will appeal to aficionados and novices alike as author Jeff VanderMeer takes the reader on a wild ride through the clockwork corridors of Steampunk history.
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Synopsis
Combining the timeless fairy tales that we all read as children with the out-of-time technological wizardry that is steampunk, this collection of stories blends the old and the new in ways sure to engage every fantasy reader.
Inspired by Hans Christian Andersens The Red Shoes,” New York Times bestselling author K. W. Jeters La Valse” forges a fable about love, the decadence of technology, and a gala dance that becomes the obsession of a young engineerand the doom of those who partake in it.
In You Will Attend Until Beauty Awakens,” national bestselling author and John W. Campbell Award winner Jay Lake tells the story of Sleeping Beautyand how the princess was conceived in deception, raised in danger, and rescued by a prince who may be less than valiant.
The tale of The Tinderbox” takes a turn into the surreal when a damaged young soldier comes into possession of an intricate, treacherous treasure and is drawn into a mission of mercy in national bestselling author Kat Richardsons The Hollow Hounds.”
In The Kings of Mount Golden,” Hugo and World Fantasy Award nominee Paul Di Filippo tells the story of a young mans search for his heritage and a mechanical marvel that lies at the heart of a sinister pact in this fascinating take on The King of the Golden Mountain.”
ALSO INCLUDES STORIES FROM
Steven Harper
Nancy A. Collins
G. K. Hayes
Gregory Nicoll
Pip Ballantine
Synopsis
Steampunk is Victorian elegance and modern technology: steam-driven robots, souped-up stagecoaches, and space-faring dirigibles fueled by gaslight romance, mad scientists, and oh-so-trim waistcoats. Its
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen,
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,
The Wizard of Oz, and
The Golden Compass.
Replete with whimsical mechanical wonders and bold adventurers, this riveting anthology lovingly collects classic steampunk stories, pop culturefueled discussions of steampunk, and essential recommended reading lists for the discerning steampunk fan.
From the editors of The Thackery T. Lambshead Pocket Guide to Eccentric and Discredited Diseases and The New Weird, this is steampunk. Hang on tight.
About the Author
Ann VanderMeer is the Hugo Awardwinning editor of
Weird Fiction Review. She was the fiction editor at
Weird Tales and the publisher of Buzzcity Press, work for which received the British Fantasy, International Horror Guild, and Rhysling awards. An expert on Victoriana, she is the co-editor of the bestselling World Fantasy Awardnominated Steampunk series. Her other anthologies include the Best American Fantasy and Leviathan series,
The Thackery T. Lambshead Pocket Guide to Eccentric and Discredited Diseases,
The New Weird, and
Last Drink, Bird Head.
Jeff VanderMeer is the best-selling author of City of Saints and Madmen, the noir thriller Finch, and the quintessential guide to writers, Booklife. His award-winning novels have made the years best lists at Publishers Weekly, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the Wall Street Journal. His nonfiction and reviews have appeared in Washington Post Book World, the Huffington Post, and the New York Times Book Review.
Table of Contents
Preface by Jeff and Ann VanderMeer
Introduction: The Nineteenth-Century Roots of Steampunk” by Jess Nevins
Steampunk in Comics” by Bill Baker
The Giving Mouth” by Ian R. Macleod
Lord Kelvins Machine” by James P. Blaylock
The God-Clown Is Near” by Jay Lake
The Steam Man of the Prairie and the Dark Rider Get Down” by Joe R. Lansdale
A Sun in the Attic” by Mary Gentle
The Martian Agent, a Planetary Romance” by Michael Chabon
Benediction: Warlord of the Air” excerpt by Michael Moorcock
The Selene Gardening Society” by Molly Brown
Excerpts From the Third and Last Volume of the Tribes of the Pacific Coast” by Neal Stephenson
Victoria” by Paul Di Filippo
Reflected Light” by Rachel E. Pollock
Steampunk in Pop Culture” by Rick Klaw
Minutes of the Last Meeting” by Stepan Chapman
Seventy-Two Letters” by Ted Chaing