Joey V.’s Reviews > Swords & Steam Short Stories > Status Update
Joey V.
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"The Demoiselle d'Ys" - Robert W. Chambers (1895): In quality, somewhere between a script from The Twilight Zone, and a rejected script from The Twilight Zone. I think 125 years is enough of a spoiler buffer; A man gets lost on The Moors, is rescued by a (very) young woman, falls hopelessly in love with her the next day, is killed by a convenient snake, wakes to find the woman died years before. OR DID SHE?!
— Jul 18, 2020 03:28PM
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Joey V.
is on page 82 of 480
"Pax Mechanica" - Daniel J. Davis (2016): Steampunk train rolling STRONG now! Roman Centurian piloting a war mecha against the Celtic barbarians. Caught in an ambush when the mech breaks down, he has to buy time for his men to make repairs. What will he do? Fight dirty. I mean, the story is about him trying to regain his family's honor, but he's an underhanded little shit.
— Jul 18, 2020 03:49PM
Joey V.
is on page 75 of 480
"Dear George, Love Margaret" - Amanda C. Davis (2015): Definitely Steampunk! Epistolary Steampunk. The story of a woman taking charge of her own life told through letters she writes to her garbage husband. And that thing you think will happen as soon as you read the very first letter? Very last letter she says it TOTALLY happened. And will continue happening.
— Jul 18, 2020 03:44PM
Joey V.
is on page 69 of 480
"Hilda Silfverling: A Fantasy" - L. Maria Child (1845): A teenage girl gets knocked up, gives up her baby, is accused/convicted of killing it, sentenced to sleep for a hundred years, wakes up, falls in love with a young man, discovers he is the grandson of the baby she gave up (who did NOT die, apparently) and IS OKAY WITH THAT. Granted it IS a distant relationship but still. Feels weird. Also, NOT STEAMPUNK.
— Jul 18, 2020 03:39PM
Joey V.
is on page 44 of 480
"Moon Skin" - Beth Cato (2016): Only steam in this one is the boats they sail in. NOT GOOD ENOUGH. The story is pretty badass though. A Selkie slave during the Civil War, forced to help the Confederates sink Union ships in the hopes of gaining freedom for herself and her (white) sister. Also features a preacher with the powers of the main character from Carnivale. Which is nice. Just not Steampunk.
— Jul 18, 2020 03:23PM
Joey V.
is on page 33 of 480
"The Grove of Ashtaroth" - John Buchan (1910): Aaand we just chuck the whole Steampunk idea right out the window. Wealthy man buys land in Africa but succumbs to ancient religion because he's weak and...Jewish? Seriously? SERIOUSLY?! The narrator can resist, and even see beauty in it, because reasons, but Lawson is subjugated because "that's not his real name and I know where he comes from, wink-wink." WTF >:(
— Jul 18, 2020 03:19PM
Joey V.
is on page 19 of 480
"Little Healers" - Andrew Bourville: Off to a strong start I must say. Steampunk Nanotech. Nothing wrong with that. An attempt at a Vampiric red herring. Who doesn't love a cross-genre work? But once he does what he does, is she prepared to do what she MUST? If not, the earth is doomed. DOOMED I tells ya!
— Jul 18, 2020 03:13PM
Joey V.
is starting
I bought this anthology thinking, based on the title, that it would be a collection of Steampunk stories. Not my #1 genre, but one that I'd been wanting to explore. So far seven stories in, and fewer than half could even generously be called Steampunk. Enjoyable, to be sure, but not what I was expecting. "Swords & Steam" man. So far, very little steam, and only one sword...
— Jul 18, 2020 03:08PM
