LitPick Review
This book is an anthology of short stories by different authors. Each story is very different, but all are under the category of steampunk. Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction. In steampunk, the stories are set in the late 1800s or early 1900s in a world that resembles our own. However, the story explores futuristic technology based on steam. Also, the history of the world may be different. For example, in one story titled The Battle of Cumberland Gap, the Americans lost the Revolutionary War. When the story takes place, the British and the French are battling over coal in Kentucky using steam-powered and land-traveling warships. This altered history and technology are typical of the stories in this anthology. However, the characters and plots vary greatly. Also, some stories contain fantasy elements in addition to science fiction ones.
Opinion:
I greatly enjoyed this collection of stories. I have always liked science fiction, but I had never heard of steampunk before I read this anthology. However, I discovered that steampunk is a very interesting and diverse genre of literature. Every story in the collection was set in its own unique world. The amount of character and plot development varied from story to story and, because of their shorter length, each story is simpler than a novel would be. However, each had enough substance to be entertaining. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy reading science fiction, fantasy, or alternative history and who enjoy short stories.
