Review: Extraordinary Engines edited by Nick Gevers

[fashion_piranha]

Extraordinary Engines: The Definitive Steampunk Anthology

edited by Nick Gevers

I discovered the steampunk subculture through fashion; as I worked on Gothic designs with lolita and aristocrat elements, the steampunk aesthetic of Victorian synthesized with mechanical detritus was a good fit for my projects. I never really ventured beyond

Comments

[lafemmedarla]

Steeampunk! Thanks so much for this review. It sounds pretty interesting and will be checking it out :)

[juushika]

Steampunk is, I think, an interesting beastie: so much culture around it, but so little definitive canon to base it on. "Definitive" or otherwise this collection sounds interesting—I've been tending towards short stories lately, oddly enough for me. So I shall keep this one in mind. Thanks for your review!

[saru_kage]

Yeah, I'd have to say that "definitive" is probably a huge stretch considering that it doesn't seem to include any of the authors that spawned the genre to begin with (H.G. Wells, etcetera). It does look interesting though. I'll have to thumb through it the next time I'm at the bookstore.

You may also be interested to know that Steampunk is also quickly becoming a well-established musical genre with bands like The Decemberists, Emilie Autumn, The Dresden Dolls, Sophe Lux, and so on, popping up all the time. A lot of them are really good.

[fashion_piranha]

I loved the Dresden Dolls!

Are The Decemberists considered Steampunk? (I think my first and only extended exposure to them was the Colbert feud a couple of years ago.) What makes a band a steampunk band? Is it the way they present themselves or some quality of the music, or both, or neither?

[saru_kage]

Well, it's actually kind of hard to pin down. Like

[ms_geekette]

The Difference Engine by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling (written in the late '80s?) has been noted as tied to the "recent" upsurge in steampunk, or at least bringing it into some prominence (it was nominated for a Nebula Award). I read the book last year and have read many books since, so I don't remember the story *too* well, but it certainly takes place in London

[fashion_piranha]

The Wiki article is what corrected my assumption that fashion came first :-p Thanks for the novel recommendations; I've tackled Wells and Verne before but I'll see if I get my hands on a copy of The Vesuvius Club!

[katemacetak]

I love steampunk! I've been getting into myself recently. I love Victorian times and science fiction, and this steampunk thing defines them both.

I would recommend The Steampunk Anthology by Ann and Jeff Vandermeer, which had some really good stories in it. The introduction also gives a good summary of the history of steampunk literature.