Beast Within 4: Gears & Growls

Beast Within #4

by Jennifer Brozek (Editor), Ken Liu, Folly Blaine

The Beast Within 4: Gears & Growls showcases stories about the conflicts of clockwork and flesh, steampunk societies clashing with were-creature culture, the rejection of metal in a bestial society, and the acceptance of the beast within the clockwork city. Can the sentient automaton, who shifts form and dons taxidermy skin, find acceptance? Will the bestial man find victory in a world of metal and machines? Can the clockwork princess love the man who shifts? Is there room for both in the same world? This collection of short stories explores the world of shapeshifters and clockwork, how they fight, love, and interact with each other. The Beast Within 4: Gears & Growls features stories by Ken Liu, Don Bingle, Lillian Cohen-Moore, Folly Blaine, and many more. It also features interior artwork by Jenna Fowler.

298 pages, Paperback

First published October 31, 2014

About the author

Jennifer Brozek is a multi-talented, award-winning author, editor, and media tie-in writer. She is the author of the Never Let Me Sleep, and The Last Days of Salton Academy, both of which were nominated for the Bram Stoker Award. Her BattleTech tie-in novel, The Nellus Academy Incident, won a Scribe Award. Her editing work has netted her Bram Stoker Award, British Fantasy Award, and Hugo Award nominations. She won the Australian Shadows Award for the Grants Pass anthology. Jennifer’s short form work has appeared in Apex Publications, Uncanny Magazine, and in anthologies set in the worlds of Valdemar, Shadowrun, V-Wars, Masters of Orion, and Predator. Jennifer is also the Creative Director of Apocalypse Ink Productions.

Jennifer has been a freelance author and editor for over ten years after leaving her high paying tech job, and she’s never been happier. She keeps a tight schedule on her writing and editing projects and somehow manages to find time to volunteer for several professional writing organizations such as SFWA, HWA, and IAMTW. She shares her husband, Jeff, with several cats and often uses him as a sounding board for her story ideas. Visit Jennifer’s worlds at jenniferbrozek.com.

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an absolutely amazing collection of short stories that explore the intersection of steam punk, and were-creatures. Each one of the stories was thought-provoking and brought a new dimension to the mythology. I like that it went beyond the typical werewolf, and include it several different animal, variations of the land air and see. Additionally, automata served as the focal point, for several of the stories blurring the line between man and machine.