Steampunk LEGO

by Guy Himber

Filled with dirigibles and floating cities, penny-farthings and pirate ships, curiosities and robots galore, Steampunk LEGO is an illustrated collection of Victorian-era sci-fi treasures, all built from LEGO.

Curated by award-winning LEGO builder and special effects master Guy Himber, this full-color coffee table book showcases an eclectic variety of models designed by dozens of the world’s best LEGO artists.

Grab your brass goggles and join fictional explorer Sir Herbert Jobson as he travels the world cataloguing its technological wonders for Queen Victoria. His entertaining descriptions of an imaginative alternate history bring these delightful LEGO models to swashbuckling life.

Genres: Steampunk, Nonfiction, Art, Childrens

192 pages, Hardcover

First published November 22, 2013

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

And so another book of amazing lego creations - this time on the theme of yes you guessed it steampunk.

Again you have page after page of incredible creations which defy both the imagination and if you have ever built with Lego (and yes I am using the UK version of the word) you will understand the sheer impossibility of some of the models.

However I will start my little rant now - the writers of this book have tried to add a fictional dialogue to the book in the style of two Steampunk writers - now I am generally totally ambivalent to such a style in fact sometimes it can be rather amusing the problem is that they have tried to change the images to match this as well.

And this is where my annoyance lies - not only have they degraded some of the images to give them age and a fake authenticity - which to me is frustrating as Iwant to see the models and really appreciation the skill that went in to making them - they have also doctored some to he images directly - for example blurring the lego pieces used to represent steam and smoke - no they should be left as they are and the reader use their imagination to give them life, dont doctor the images. It almost feels like they do not want to recognise what was used in there creation on the first place.

That said there are some amazing models here showcasing some truly gifted makers - and as with other similar books there are links and further references if you wanted to know more about the models presented in this book.

So yes a fascinating read but at times it does let itself down by trying to be a little too clever.

[Christopher Mclean · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really excited going into this, and I enjoy steampunk, love Lego and can see how combining to two should result in some amazing work. Unfortunately I have to say I was fairly disappointed with this book. I think my primary issues come down to presentation.

I love the idea of a bumbling general touring around the world and reporting back to the queen on the models. Unfortunately this premise while fun doesn't allow for any space to describe the technical details or processes behind any of the builds. Nor does the book have any interviews or comments from the builders themselves with regard to the design, planning or construction on any of the sets.

Only including a single photo of most sets was also a little disappointing, some of the larger, more complex, sets in particular were ripe for close-ups or shots from a different angel. As above I would also have appreciated a breakdown on some of the models, maybe a few photos from different stages of the build process. Lastly I found the font selected to be quite hard to read, which didn't really help the experience.

While I found the models presented to be quite interesting, overall this book was a bit of a letdown due to the lack of insight it offered into the construction process and motivations of the builders.

[Cheryl]

Cute & inspirational, but I agree with reviewer Andrew that Steampunk + Lego is good, + story not so much. The story gets in the way of seeing how the models were actually built, and is contrived around them.

[Beckie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a cool book! Steampunk Lego creations from master builders all over the world. Each is beautifully photographed and accompanied by a quirky, informative blurb written in script (this is not really a book for young Lego fans as much of the book is written in fancy script and other artsy fonts). The book is an insightful read, too, giving us a wonderful Steampunk history lesson. For Steampunk fans, for Lego fans, for photography fans...this book will please many!

[Eric Mesa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written as if these models were real devices, depend on how much you like stream punk

[Ietrio · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not into steampunk, but I have liked this book.

And, finally! A lego book that is not just a replacement for the official lego booklets.

[McKenzie Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

For more reviews, check out my blog: Craft-Cycle

I picked this book up from the library because one of the kids I work with is obsessed with Lego. He had already looked through all of the Build books the library had so I thought I'd given this one a try. While it is not a Build book and does not show you how to build any of the fascinating devices shown within its pages, we both still found it very interesting.

The book is broken down into sections which includes things like air travel, automatons, space travel, sea vessels, and more. Within each section is a variety of interesting devices, all made out of Lego.

There are also some nice nods to various media phenomenons such as Up and Star Wars, which was cool to see.

While this is not a children's book per se, those who love Lego and/or steampunk may enjoy the pictures. Good book for adults who enjoy Lego and/or steampunk. It is easy to get lost in the world while looking through this gorgeous book.

[Matt · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Lego creations are great, but the blurry photography ruins this book.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Inspiration!

I'm new to Legos, but... the possibilities!! Thank you for lighting a fire to get me going. My imagination IS my only limitation.

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting models.

[Holly Scudero · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everybody loves steampunk! On the off chance you’re unfamiliar with the term, steampunk is essentially an alternate 19th century, a blend of fantasy, sci-fi, and historical adventure, rife with steam power and clockwork mechanisms. Fanciful steam trains and airships abound, while goggles, monocles, and top hats are favored on the fashion front. Perhaps not surprisingly, steampunk lends itself well to Lego building blocks, as evidenced by Guy Himber’s new Steampunk Lego collection. This delightful book features pictures of all sorts of steampunk creations, from trains to automatons, sailing ships to airships, mechanical beasts to unique sidearms, all constructed from Lego bricks. This is not a “how-to” guide, although the Internet likely abounds with tutorials on how to build similar creations. Instead, this book is simply a feast for the eyes and the imagination, full of color, black and white, and sepia photos of these unique constructions. This is a coffee table book, one that is sure to delight your friends, and one that you are certain to find yourself leafing through from time to time. Immerse yourself and get lost in the wonders of steampunk!

Review originally written for San Francisco Book Review.

[Emmaline MacBeath · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is similar to Beautiful Lego in one aspect, it is not an instruction manual, but rather an idea book. First, the author explains a little bit about what steampunk is. Then there are sections by type such as trains, cars, and mono wheels. On each page is an explanation of each item using very big words and some history. Some of the pictures are blurry which is unacceptable and causes it to lose a star.

This book does have a lot to offer for junior high age kids and up. It is too complicated and the language too difficult for the younger crowd. There is tons of history about the Victorian era. The Lego creations are interesting and inspiring. I would recommend this for die hard Lego fans. I would also highly recommend this for the classroom library as a high interest book that teaches about a fascinating time in history.

[Cale · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting approach - a collection of custom steampunk lego sets ranging from airships to submarines, which are described in character by Sir Herbert Jobson. The book comes across as a Whole Earth Catalog kind of thing, with lots of call-outs and references to things as diverse as Up and League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and is interesting to read. The only real failing is that the lego designs seem to get short shrift - they're beautiful but most only have one picture of them, so you can't really admire the workmanship of the designs. And then some of the pictures are presented in a style of old photos, so you lose the color details as well. But other than that odd choice, this is a more entertaining than expected way to explore some amazing custom lego work by various builders.

[Arensb · Rating 3 out of 5]

The constructs showcased in this book, all Lego steampunk scenes and objects, are wonderfully creative. Some are reproductions of items from books or films (though sometimes with a twist, as in the steampunk X-wing), but mostly original (such as a flying pagoda). There are several pages of miniatures, in which

The book itself is beautiful, presenting the models with "in-character" comments, as though explaining them to Queen Victoria.
However, if you're hoping to build any of these models, you won't find a lot of help here. If you're a master builder, you can probably work out how they were put together, but a novice like me could use some more explicit instructions.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is awesome. I would highly recommend it for anyone who is a fan of either Lego or Steampunk. Although it is mostly just fun to flip through and look at all the Lego creations the book also includes descriptions of each written in the form of letters and reports to Queen Victoria. Includes everything from trains and airships to mysterious creature. The only thing that could make it better would be including plans for at least some of the builds, but you can always study the photos and come up with your own variations. There's a section with steampunk versions of Star Wars ships.

[Mouse · Rating 3 out of 5]

An art book, not a LEGO building book! If you're looking for a 'How To' or instructions then you won't find it in this book! This looks good on a coffee table in your Anti-Hipster Geek Den or on your computer table in your room in your moms basement next to your D20's! I checked mine out at my local library and was pretty wowed by the pics, I showed it off to a few people and then promptly returned it. Don't get me wrong...it was beautiful and imaginative but it's not very functional! Can't really do much with it...except maybe use it as a weight to keep papers from flying away!

[Annette Blair · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read to be sure with some great pictures of some fantastic Steampunk Lego creations.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not, in fact, a how-to manual.

Kinda neat to flip through, but... meh.

[Abraham Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice selection of lego items

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun stuff!

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely imaginative and creative!!!

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

some clever robots, clockwork creatures and steam punked Star Wars puns.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

LEGOs + Steampunk is awesome! Unfortunately the script font is hard to read.