Title: The Buried Life
Author: Carrie Patel
Genre: Steampunk, political thriller
Opening sentence:
In a firelit study half a mile underground, Professor Werner Thomas Cahill sweated and reddened under a councilor’s beady stare.
Tag Archives: Steampunk
7 steampunk stories worth reading
Steampunk does not always have the best rep, but when it is done well it is often immensely enjoyable and fun. Because steampunk is set in a pseudo-victorian era setting there are some rather problematic elements of that society, but can be left unexamined in the fiction. Some steampunk choose to deal with this, some do not – and sometimes it fits the story to do and sometimes it does not. This list has books of both persuasions. At least some of the books here takes a hard look at the class, gender, sexuality and race issues of the era. But mostly they are just good stories, that I want you to enjoy as well. Continue reading 7 steampunk stories worth reading
The Aeronaut’s Windlass
Title: The Aeronaut’s Windlass
Author: Jim Butcher
Genre: Steampunk
Opening sentence:
Gwendolyn Margaret Elizabeth Lancaster,” said Mother in a firm, cross voice, “you will cease this nonsense at once.”
Karen Memory
Title: Karen Memory
Author: Elizabeth Bear
Genre: Steampunk western
Opening sentence:
You ain’t gonna like what I have to tell you, but I’m gonna tell you anyway.
Thrilling November Reads
Most of the books I read this month are later books in ongoing series where I have reviewed earlier books. I can’t seem to find the head space to sit down and properly review them. So I thought I would do a quick run down of the books and if I am lucky it makes me want to write the proper reviews. I read seven books this month so that might also be part of it. Looking at the books now I can see that there is a theme though most of these books. Five of them are spy thrillers of some kind or another.
Day 11, story 11: Exhalation
Title: Exhalation
Author: Ted Chiang
Published: originally in Eclipse Two © 2008
Genre: Science fiction, steampunk
Length: 6508 words, short story
Reading time: 50 min
I read this as part of my reading challenge: 25 short stories in 25 days.
This was definitely a different kind of story to the last few ones I have read. This to me read very much like a scientific essay rather than a short story, this of course was an extension of the fact that our point of view character is in fact a scientist. So it is a very conscious choice of voice on Ted Chiang’s part. I did however think that it subtracted from my enjoyment of the story. I was kind of tired and I find that kind of tone generally boring so I had a hard time concentrating on the story. Which was really a shame because the story was really good and the world building very interesting.