Like a Wisp of Steam Anthology
Publisher: Circlet, 2008
Genre: Romance
Sub-genre: Erotica, Anthology
Rating: 3 1/2 pints of blood
The cover is very busy. I get the gears and corset, but between the font and the pale colour, the title kind of fades in, and the clockwork showing through the corset is distracting. There's a whole lot going on here, and it's a little overwhelming. A plain font in a bolder colour would have helped, as well as keeping the gears as a border instead of trying to cover the entire cover.
Like a Wisp of Steam is steampunk erotica, five short stories trying to fill in the gap where few have dared to tread before. An introduction by J Blackmore points out that the corsets and air of rebellion involved in steampunk lend themselves well to high-spirited and sexy adventure, and it's really a wonder there aren't more stories of clockwork sexual aids roaming around.
Peter Tupper's The Innocent's Progress starts off the anthology with the tale of an acting troupe who not only performs erotic shows of seduction in its many forms, but takes assignations from clients after the final curtain to extend those roles in private. The newest actress, Miss Alwyx, is having a hard time finding her niche in spite of her talents, but jaded theatre professional Ricar has a few suggestions.
The strength in this story comes, unexpectedly, from the shy and demure miss Alwyx, who is unwilling to be defined by the expectations of others. The whole thing is told from the perspective of Ricar and has a surprising amount of depth for such a short story, with the hints of the history that has shaped Ricar into who and what he is now. This is more alternate history than steampunk, with a very light dusting of BDSM.
3 1/2 pints of blood
Jason Rubis's An Extempore Romance is nominally the story of fantasy author Amelia Lessington, but most of the focus is on the chimeras surrounding her, some created to be based on the fanciful creatures in her stories, and some for more, uh, practical reasons.
This is essentially a light romp with naughty not-quite-robots in various forms without the peskiness of having to deal with plot or character development. Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) also makes an appearance as the shy and stuttering daguerrographer.
2 1/2 pints of blood
Thomas S Roche's Hysterical Friction is a clever story about an unhappy young woman taken to a doctor (and his very enthusiastic assistant) to treat her for her hysteria. That the story is based in historical fact makes it all the more fun. What sounds absurd and far-fetched to modern sensibilities is actually the most realistic part of the anthology.
The characterizations add to the sense of humour Hysterical Friction has about itself, and the bicycle-powered vibrator is worth the read alone.
4 pints of blood
Vanessa Vaughn's In the Flask features a scientist and his young assistant who must fight their mutual attraction for the sake of Victorian propriety. Until, that is, an experiment gone awry gives them an unexpected opportunity to do as they will without shame or blame.
The experiment in question is, ironically, supposed to help repress sexual desires, not such a stretch as a motivation for pseudo-Victorian gentlemen. The question as to how much of an effect the results of the experiment actually has on them is a nice touch, and M/M enthusiasts will enjoy the spice. Spanking involved.
3 1/2 pints of blood
Kaysee Renee Robichaud's Steam and Iron, Musk and Flesh follows Trista, a brilliant engineer whose passions have a habit of creating trouble for her. Hired to maintain the steam-powered clockwork for a travelling show, Trista runs afoul of some ambitious bank robbers who intend to use the giant clockwork robot for their own purposes.
This is by far the most "steampunk" of the stories, and covers everything from disastrous flying adventures (Trista is rather distracted by her companion) to shoot-outs and mechanical men with plenty of time left over to explore Trista's lesbian relationships.
4 pints of blood
Like a Wisp of Steam is available as an e-book for the kindle through amazon or as a plethora of other formats through fictionwise.
Genre: Romance
Sub-genre: Erotica, Anthology
Rating: 3 1/2 pints of blood
The cover is very busy. I get the gears and corset, but between the font and the pale colour, the title kind of fades in, and the clockwork showing through the corset is distracting. There's a whole lot going on here, and it's a little overwhelming. A plain font in a bolder colour would have helped, as well as keeping the gears as a border instead of trying to cover the entire cover.
Like a Wisp of Steam is steampunk erotica, five short stories trying to fill in the gap where few have dared to tread before. An introduction by J Blackmore points out that the corsets and air of rebellion involved in steampunk lend themselves well to high-spirited and sexy adventure, and it's really a wonder there aren't more stories of clockwork sexual aids roaming around.
Peter Tupper's The Innocent's Progress starts off the anthology with the tale of an acting troupe who not only performs erotic shows of seduction in its many forms, but takes assignations from clients after the final curtain to extend those roles in private. The newest actress, Miss Alwyx, is having a hard time finding her niche in spite of her talents, but jaded theatre professional Ricar has a few suggestions.
The strength in this story comes, unexpectedly, from the shy and demure miss Alwyx, who is unwilling to be defined by the expectations of others. The whole thing is told from the perspective of Ricar and has a surprising amount of depth for such a short story, with the hints of the history that has shaped Ricar into who and what he is now. This is more alternate history than steampunk, with a very light dusting of BDSM.
3 1/2 pints of blood
Jason Rubis's An Extempore Romance is nominally the story of fantasy author Amelia Lessington, but most of the focus is on the chimeras surrounding her, some created to be based on the fanciful creatures in her stories, and some for more, uh, practical reasons.
This is essentially a light romp with naughty not-quite-robots in various forms without the peskiness of having to deal with plot or character development. Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) also makes an appearance as the shy and stuttering daguerrographer.
2 1/2 pints of blood
Thomas S Roche's Hysterical Friction is a clever story about an unhappy young woman taken to a doctor (and his very enthusiastic assistant) to treat her for her hysteria. That the story is based in historical fact makes it all the more fun. What sounds absurd and far-fetched to modern sensibilities is actually the most realistic part of the anthology.
The characterizations add to the sense of humour Hysterical Friction has about itself, and the bicycle-powered vibrator is worth the read alone.
4 pints of blood
Vanessa Vaughn's In the Flask features a scientist and his young assistant who must fight their mutual attraction for the sake of Victorian propriety. Until, that is, an experiment gone awry gives them an unexpected opportunity to do as they will without shame or blame.
The experiment in question is, ironically, supposed to help repress sexual desires, not such a stretch as a motivation for pseudo-Victorian gentlemen. The question as to how much of an effect the results of the experiment actually has on them is a nice touch, and M/M enthusiasts will enjoy the spice. Spanking involved.
3 1/2 pints of blood
Kaysee Renee Robichaud's Steam and Iron, Musk and Flesh follows Trista, a brilliant engineer whose passions have a habit of creating trouble for her. Hired to maintain the steam-powered clockwork for a travelling show, Trista runs afoul of some ambitious bank robbers who intend to use the giant clockwork robot for their own purposes.
This is by far the most "steampunk" of the stories, and covers everything from disastrous flying adventures (Trista is rather distracted by her companion) to shoot-outs and mechanical men with plenty of time left over to explore Trista's lesbian relationships.
4 pints of blood
Like a Wisp of Steam is available as an e-book for the kindle through amazon or as a plethora of other formats through fictionwise.