This anthology of original stories by many of the best of today's fantasy and science fiction writers gives teens 14 stories that will spark a new way of looking at the steampunk subgenre.
In their introduction, Grant and Link claim that as they edited these submissions, they found that "makers and artists have taken the romance and adventure of steampunk and remixed, reinvented, and remade the genre from whole cloth--and, yes, brass widgets." They don't mention that all the stories are of consistent excellence, with surprises galore. Since it's difficult to point to a "best" story, here are a few favorites. Elizabeth Knox (Dreamhunter; Dreamquake) sets her "Gethsemene" on a volcanic island near the eponymous town, where engineers plan to harness the power of the quiescent Mount Magdalene in a process one character describes as "poking at beehives." Australian newcomer Kathleen Jennings's entry, "Finishing School," relates the stories of two women whose love for science leads them in very different directions. Told in graphic format, this tale does it all in 17 pages--humor, suspense and fully realized characters. M.T. Anderson (Feed) gives readers "The Oracle Engine," which the author claims is "translated from 'Mendacius's True History of the Roman Inventors' " and features a device inspired by a need to stick it to greedy Crassus.
Steampunk! will appeal to teen--and adults--for its originality of execution, variety of settings and the pure panache displayed by its 14 authors and artists. --Ellen Loughran, adjunct professor of the Pratt Institute