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20001: A Steampunk Odyssey
"I'm sorry, Captain Nemo. I can't let you do that."In 1870, Jules Verne published 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, an instant classic of Victorian science fiction that took readers a fantastical journey beneath the waves with dreams of wondrous technologies. A century later, filmmaker Stanley Kubrick directed 2001: A Space Odyssey, a classic of modern science fiction film that took viewers on an even more fantastical journey into the stars...and showed them not only the wonders of technology, but also its terrors. Now, in good speculative fiction style, ten authors will bring readers along on a journey that combines the two.Whether diving beneath the waves or sailing among the clouds, readers of 20,001: A Steampunk Odyssey will see how technologies of a past that never was can spring to life with all the wonder of futures that might never be. Some futures are darker than others, however, and the cost of discoveries and innovation may be higher than any human being is willing to bear. In this anthologie readers will find aspects of both Verne and wonders and terrors await, and discoveries and adventures lie around every corner - not all of them pleasant. Find out for yourself what you will dare, how much you will risk, and how far you may go in this anthologie of ten tales of wonder and imagination. 20,001: A Steampunk Odyssey!
- GenresSteampunk
241 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 13, 2011
About the author
Peter A. Smalley
11 books7 followers"No one is safe around a writer." - Lanford Wilson, American playwright (1937-2011)
Peter A. Smalley was not so much born as he was the object of a suitably ominous origin story. If only Marvel had been more attentive, "I, Writer" might even now be a successful comic and movie franchise starring Colin Farrell. So it goes.
Like so many writers and mad scientists, Peter knew from an early age he was different from the other children. In the third grade he told his teachers he wanted to be a 'cemist' (sic) and although he has since fulfilled that precocious goal, his youthful ambitions in science came too late to fully obscure his first love; he had already written his first work of fiction a year prior, the accurately entitled "A Second Grade Tragedy." Since that tender age these twin abiding passions have illuminated the oft-crooked path leading through both his formal and informal educations.
Peter was raised in Seattle, Washington. In 2011 his picture appeared in the New York Times for something that had nothing directly to do with writing, but coincidentally, his first self-published work also came out in 2011: a speculative fantasy novella "The Burning Times" (amzn.to/NnWUkS). This was quickly followed by the full-length fantasy novel "Grimme" (amzn.to/NQ6mMf), which likewise took place in his alternate-history setting: The Europas Cycle. He co-edited and contributed to the acclaimed anthologie "20,001: A Steampunk Odyssey" (amzn.to/LouVko). His Shakespearean Steampunk novella "Full Fathom Five" (amzn.to/SqSvgX) appears in the anthologie and as a critically-acclaimed stand-alone ebook. "Disbelief," his first Paranormal Romance thriller, came out in Summer 2012. He is also the founder of Kindling Press, an independent epublishing imprint, along with co-founder Jason Vanhee.
Peter can be found on Twitter, FaceBook, Google Plus, and occasionally hither but more often yon.
Peter A. Smalley was not so much born as he was the object of a suitably ominous origin story. If only Marvel had been more attentive, "I, Writer" might even now be a successful comic and movie franchise starring Colin Farrell. So it goes.
Like so many writers and mad scientists, Peter knew from an early age he was different from the other children. In the third grade he told his teachers he wanted to be a 'cemist' (sic) and although he has since fulfilled that precocious goal, his youthful ambitions in science came too late to fully obscure his first love; he had already written his first work of fiction a year prior, the accurately entitled "A Second Grade Tragedy." Since that tender age these twin abiding passions have illuminated the oft-crooked path leading through both his formal and informal educations.
Peter was raised in Seattle, Washington. In 2011 his picture appeared in the New York Times for something that had nothing directly to do with writing, but coincidentally, his first self-published work also came out in 2011: a speculative fantasy novella "The Burning Times" (amzn.to/NnWUkS). This was quickly followed by the full-length fantasy novel "Grimme" (amzn.to/NQ6mMf), which likewise took place in his alternate-history setting: The Europas Cycle. He co-edited and contributed to the acclaimed anthologie "20,001: A Steampunk Odyssey" (amzn.to/LouVko). His Shakespearean Steampunk novella "Full Fathom Five" (amzn.to/SqSvgX) appears in the anthologie and as a critically-acclaimed stand-alone ebook. "Disbelief," his first Paranormal Romance thriller, came out in Summer 2012. He is also the founder of Kindling Press, an independent epublishing imprint, along with co-founder Jason Vanhee.
Peter can be found on Twitter, FaceBook, Google Plus, and occasionally hither but more often yon.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 11, 2011
(Repost from http://drying-ink.blogspot.com/2011/1...)
Steampunk: an evocative word for an evocative subgenre. Steampunk, for those who haven't encountered it yet, envisages an alternate history of antiquity - a world in which the Victorians invented airships like this:
Or where Babbage completed his analytical engine! A world, in short, in which technology, mysticism and manners mix with the aesthetic of steam: gears, dials, cogs, and a helping of Victorian fashion. Steampunk's more than the aesthetic, however, as you can find out by reading this anthology - rather amusingly titled 20, 001: A Steampunk Odyssey.
...And please don't tell me that needs an explanation. So, what can you find inside this particular collection of steampunk? First off, it's an eclectic mix - a combination of more traditional steampunkery and nicely innovative concepts. Strike Breakers, for instant, takes the 'cool railway' of the subgenre into the real world: giving us a look at the workers, their difficulties, and what happens when it all goes wrong - an unsettling but profoundly necessary foundation to the prettier ideas of steampunk. This was one of my personal favourites, in fact, because it shows us that it's not just gleaming brass - there are huge social problems.
Another, Mad, combines the traditional airship - and let's face it, who doesn't feel a little thrill at a fantasy airship? - with multiple timelines. A little confusing in places, it nevertheless manages to show the verve of true steampunk - a combination of crazy ideas into something fun and very original. And there's a lot more to this anthology: mad science, the discovery of Atlantis, sea-monsters (in the desert!), portals, undersea cities, submarines in Crush Depth.. I could go on. (But I won't - I'm lazy).
It manages a good mix of tones as well, including some rather funny moments. My one complaint would be resolution - as the conclusions of a couple of stories are a little rushed. Still, there's plenty for everyone - the variety here means that if you're disappointed: well, I'll eat someone's brass pocketwatch. This is true steampunk - hit and miss on occasion, but with so many 'hit's that you'll forget the rest. This collection makes the Victorian age into a vigorous fantasy of brass and steel - nasty bits included.
Steampunk: an evocative word for an evocative subgenre. Steampunk, for those who haven't encountered it yet, envisages an alternate history of antiquity - a world in which the Victorians invented airships like this:
Or where Babbage completed his analytical engine! A world, in short, in which technology, mysticism and manners mix with the aesthetic of steam: gears, dials, cogs, and a helping of Victorian fashion. Steampunk's more than the aesthetic, however, as you can find out by reading this anthology - rather amusingly titled 20, 001: A Steampunk Odyssey.
...And please don't tell me that needs an explanation. So, what can you find inside this particular collection of steampunk? First off, it's an eclectic mix - a combination of more traditional steampunkery and nicely innovative concepts. Strike Breakers, for instant, takes the 'cool railway' of the subgenre into the real world: giving us a look at the workers, their difficulties, and what happens when it all goes wrong - an unsettling but profoundly necessary foundation to the prettier ideas of steampunk. This was one of my personal favourites, in fact, because it shows us that it's not just gleaming brass - there are huge social problems.
Another, Mad, combines the traditional airship - and let's face it, who doesn't feel a little thrill at a fantasy airship? - with multiple timelines. A little confusing in places, it nevertheless manages to show the verve of true steampunk - a combination of crazy ideas into something fun and very original. And there's a lot more to this anthology: mad science, the discovery of Atlantis, sea-monsters (in the desert!), portals, undersea cities, submarines in Crush Depth.. I could go on. (But I won't - I'm lazy).
It manages a good mix of tones as well, including some rather funny moments. My one complaint would be resolution - as the conclusions of a couple of stories are a little rushed. Still, there's plenty for everyone - the variety here means that if you're disappointed: well, I'll eat someone's brass pocketwatch. This is true steampunk - hit and miss on occasion, but with so many 'hit's that you'll forget the rest. This collection makes the Victorian age into a vigorous fantasy of brass and steel - nasty bits included.
April 6, 2012
HERE THERE BE SPOILERS
5 Things About...20001: A Steampunk Odyssey
1. So, steampunk. It's an interesting genre: Victorian classiness meets clockwork. Up to this point, my perspective of steampunk as been just for aesthetic. I could easily recognize and enjoy it in art, cosplay, that sort of thing. The plus on this anthology is that it really fits the imagery associated with steampunk.
2. That being said, if you're not just trying to evoke appreciation of the style, there is a lot of world-building that is required for steampunk to work. Unfortunately I found many of the pieces to drag because there was so much exposition trying to create the world and set not just a stage, but a whole playhouse. As a result, I felt placed at a distance from the action and characters. The better stories in this anthology - Mad, The Door and the Whale, and Roderick Simons and the Engine Impossible were particularly my favorite - move into this seamlessly. I'm really grateful for those.
3. Related to the above point, it also seems that a lot of these stories weren't so much good short stories as they were great ideas for novels. There were a few that seemed to end well (Crush Depth, particularly), but many seemed to end just as they were getting interesting. Having a beginning, middle and end may seem overrated, but to me it's pretty crucial for an anthology.
4. The stories were all very well-written, with interesting dialogue and vivid descriptions. There was obviously time and effort put into editing the collection, and I can absolutely appreciate that. Characters were solid as well, playing with or outright breaking stereotypes left and right. It made me want to see more of them.
5. I think I'd like to see a bit more of a modern story-telling style applied to this genre. In many cases, it felt like the writer said to him- or herself, "I'm going to write this like Jules Verne/HG Wells." Some of the writing felt stiflingly antiquated. Just because your content is steam-powered doesn't mean your writing can't be pure electric.
5 Things About...20001: A Steampunk Odyssey
1. So, steampunk. It's an interesting genre: Victorian classiness meets clockwork. Up to this point, my perspective of steampunk as been just for aesthetic. I could easily recognize and enjoy it in art, cosplay, that sort of thing. The plus on this anthology is that it really fits the imagery associated with steampunk.
2. That being said, if you're not just trying to evoke appreciation of the style, there is a lot of world-building that is required for steampunk to work. Unfortunately I found many of the pieces to drag because there was so much exposition trying to create the world and set not just a stage, but a whole playhouse. As a result, I felt placed at a distance from the action and characters. The better stories in this anthology - Mad, The Door and the Whale, and Roderick Simons and the Engine Impossible were particularly my favorite - move into this seamlessly. I'm really grateful for those.
3. Related to the above point, it also seems that a lot of these stories weren't so much good short stories as they were great ideas for novels. There were a few that seemed to end well (Crush Depth, particularly), but many seemed to end just as they were getting interesting. Having a beginning, middle and end may seem overrated, but to me it's pretty crucial for an anthology.
4. The stories were all very well-written, with interesting dialogue and vivid descriptions. There was obviously time and effort put into editing the collection, and I can absolutely appreciate that. Characters were solid as well, playing with or outright breaking stereotypes left and right. It made me want to see more of them.
5. I think I'd like to see a bit more of a modern story-telling style applied to this genre. In many cases, it felt like the writer said to him- or herself, "I'm going to write this like Jules Verne/HG Wells." Some of the writing felt stiflingly antiquated. Just because your content is steam-powered doesn't mean your writing can't be pure electric.
Did Not Finish
May 28, 2015Story after story stops without actually ending. I finally stopped reading without finishing, which I suppose is a kind of meta commentary on the stories.
August 2, 2012
Loved this anthology. Peter's story alone is a great adventure, but all of the authors put in really great and fun stories. This anthology is packed with classic Steampunk adventure and style.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews