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Once Upon a Clockwork Tale
Wings
Born into a world where the fairer sex hides coyly behind fans, Winifred is nowhere near the stereotype. She is fearless and passionate about her father’s scientific work. When the King summons him, Winifred is worried. The arrival of her six brothers and the mysterious Amelia and her silent brother offers distraction, but Winifred's entire world is about to change beyond recognition and it’s up to her to save everyone she loves.
Hands and Grater
Hands and Grater don't understand their mother's unique love for them. For how much love can a machine truly give? As Grimm originally intended, this is a bildungsroman, a tale of two young people coming of age in a time and place filled with danger and joy. The time has come for brother and sister to leave the nest, and learn their true nature, and the nature of their mother.
Bitter Cold
Childhood friends, Kit and Greta, live in an extraordinary place powered by alchemical magic and mechanical wonders. Just when life might offer him favors, Kit is captured by the Snow Queen, a ruthless industrialist, bent on developing her Eternity Engine. Greta must risk everything to save Kit. Can a stubborn young lady best the most powerful woman in the world, with a little alchemy, a lot of luck, and a clockwork reindeer?
The Enchanted Bean
How do you reach a fabled land of giants without any magic beans? Build an airship, of course. A British adventurer takes to the skies seeking wealth and glory, instead he finds ancient gods ruling an oppressive flying kingdom. With the help of their allies, these former masters of men want to replant the World Tree and rebuild their war machines. To stop the sky from falling, our hero will have to do more than chop down a beanstalk.
Born into a world where the fairer sex hides coyly behind fans, Winifred is nowhere near the stereotype. She is fearless and passionate about her father’s scientific work. When the King summons him, Winifred is worried. The arrival of her six brothers and the mysterious Amelia and her silent brother offers distraction, but Winifred's entire world is about to change beyond recognition and it’s up to her to save everyone she loves.
Hands and Grater
Hands and Grater don't understand their mother's unique love for them. For how much love can a machine truly give? As Grimm originally intended, this is a bildungsroman, a tale of two young people coming of age in a time and place filled with danger and joy. The time has come for brother and sister to leave the nest, and learn their true nature, and the nature of their mother.
Bitter Cold
Childhood friends, Kit and Greta, live in an extraordinary place powered by alchemical magic and mechanical wonders. Just when life might offer him favors, Kit is captured by the Snow Queen, a ruthless industrialist, bent on developing her Eternity Engine. Greta must risk everything to save Kit. Can a stubborn young lady best the most powerful woman in the world, with a little alchemy, a lot of luck, and a clockwork reindeer?
The Enchanted Bean
How do you reach a fabled land of giants without any magic beans? Build an airship, of course. A British adventurer takes to the skies seeking wealth and glory, instead he finds ancient gods ruling an oppressive flying kingdom. With the help of their allies, these former masters of men want to replant the World Tree and rebuild their war machines. To stop the sky from falling, our hero will have to do more than chop down a beanstalk.
264 pages, Paperback
First published May 22, 2013
57 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 9, 2013
The new anthology, "Once Upon a Clockwork Tale" is a set of four
novella-length stories by new and upcoming speculative fiction writers
and is a treat for fans of steampunk.
I particularly enjoyed reading Robin Wyatt Dunn's story, "Hands and
Grater," which takes place during the end times of planet earth. The
sun is a dim red star, and humans have left eons ago, except for a few
stragglers.
Two children, a fully human girl Grater and her partially android
brother Hands, have been raised by a rundown android called "Mother."
The children long to run away from their cranky old caretaker and seek
other people like themselves. As in the old Grimm's fairy tale, Hands
and Grater take off on their own, leaving "breadcrumbs" in case they
need to find their way back.
The kids find other people all right, but unfortunately, folks have
become a bit uncivilized over time. Dunn deftly weaves in elements of
ancient religion and folklore as the runaways seek to survive in a
changed world. We wonder whether humans will return to pick up the
last survivors, as Mother has promised, and whether Mother will see
her dreams for her children fulfilled.
novella-length stories by new and upcoming speculative fiction writers
and is a treat for fans of steampunk.
I particularly enjoyed reading Robin Wyatt Dunn's story, "Hands and
Grater," which takes place during the end times of planet earth. The
sun is a dim red star, and humans have left eons ago, except for a few
stragglers.
Two children, a fully human girl Grater and her partially android
brother Hands, have been raised by a rundown android called "Mother."
The children long to run away from their cranky old caretaker and seek
other people like themselves. As in the old Grimm's fairy tale, Hands
and Grater take off on their own, leaving "breadcrumbs" in case they
need to find their way back.
The kids find other people all right, but unfortunately, folks have
become a bit uncivilized over time. Dunn deftly weaves in elements of
ancient religion and folklore as the runaways seek to survive in a
changed world. We wonder whether humans will return to pick up the
last survivors, as Mother has promised, and whether Mother will see
her dreams for her children fulfilled.
June 18, 2013
Full Disclosure: I was given an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Once Upon a Clockwork Tale by French, Grey, Dunn, and Mitrovich is an excellent mashup of fairy tales and steampunk.
I love this book for the four completely different takes and styles. Each author went a completely different way.
Ella Grey's "Wings" is about a girl mad scientist in training who must fight a usurper in order to save her family and England, evoking a sense of wonder.
Robin Wyatt Dunn gives us "Hands and Grater", a far future story told in visceral Brothers Grimm style, evoking the hodgepodge patchwork clockwork style of the genre. This story has moments of awe and heartbreak that will stick with you.
Kat French's "Bitter Cold" has a humorous, fast-paced Indiana Jones adventure flavor, a protagonist I fell in love with, and a rich background world I want to revisit soon. I can't wait to see further adventures of Greta and Kit!
Finally, Matt Mitrovich turns the style of Jules Verne on its head with "The Enchanted Bean", a Jack and the Beanstalk sequel that has airships and Victorian sensibilities challenged by a very modern leading lady.
In short, I loved this collection. If you're a fan of steampunk and fairy tales, this is a must-read!
Once Upon a Clockwork Tale by French, Grey, Dunn, and Mitrovich is an excellent mashup of fairy tales and steampunk.
I love this book for the four completely different takes and styles. Each author went a completely different way.
Ella Grey's "Wings" is about a girl mad scientist in training who must fight a usurper in order to save her family and England, evoking a sense of wonder.
Robin Wyatt Dunn gives us "Hands and Grater", a far future story told in visceral Brothers Grimm style, evoking the hodgepodge patchwork clockwork style of the genre. This story has moments of awe and heartbreak that will stick with you.
Kat French's "Bitter Cold" has a humorous, fast-paced Indiana Jones adventure flavor, a protagonist I fell in love with, and a rich background world I want to revisit soon. I can't wait to see further adventures of Greta and Kit!
Finally, Matt Mitrovich turns the style of Jules Verne on its head with "The Enchanted Bean", a Jack and the Beanstalk sequel that has airships and Victorian sensibilities challenged by a very modern leading lady.
In short, I loved this collection. If you're a fan of steampunk and fairy tales, this is a must-read!
June 21, 2013
I really enjoyed the 4 stories. I'm new to reading steampunk and these authors showed the scope of the genre, from alternate history to alternate worlds, human and not-so-human. Bitter Cold by Kat French was especially fun with humor, alchemy, and young love.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews