Bodacious & Sundry #12: "Cogwheels: Ten Tales of Steampunk" Review

Bodacious

Steampunk, today a growing cultural movement, started as a literary genre with writers like Jules Verne and H.G. Wells writing what many now think of as proto-steampunk. The title "steampunk" came in the 1980s as authors like James Blalock, Tim Powers, and William Gibson--also a Cyberpunk writer--brought back the retro futurism of the late 19th century.

Today, the movement has steampunk artists, makers, authors, and cosplayers. Many take on period names and personae. The literary genre itself is thriving and can show us all the amazing variety of ideas that steampunk encompasses.

The stories on Cogwheels: Ten Tales of Steampunk explore what is possible when writers blend futurism with years past. While this book is part of Rayne Hall's "Ten Tales" series, it actually has twelve stories. I enjoyed them all.

Tommy Tales by Bob Brown covers the horrors of robot bodies for humans in 19th century England. Miss Bashllingburg's Attempts by Nied Darnell brings laughs when the title character creates various gadgets to help in her attempts at attracting a suitor. Gold by Kin S. Law gets metaphysical when an alchemist dares to create a human soul. Morgan A. Pierce’s The Naga is Bangkok steampunk with a sea battle and giant machines. In Fresh Whelks and Winkles, Rayne Hall shows the danger of denying one's natural gifts to a backdrop of docks and airships. Midnight Visitors by Kevin O. McLaughlin is the adventure of a loyal cat protecting its master against killer automata.

Those were my favorite of the bunch and show a good range of what the anthology has to offer. As Rayne does not edit each author's local spelling or vocabulary, each story shines with the author's intended voice.

If you're new to steampunk literature and want a sampling of what to expect, Cogwheels is a great book to start with. If you've a seasoned steampunk reader, let this book introduce you to some new authors. Overall, the book epitomizes what steampunk is about: a fascination with the possible.

Still on the fence? Well, the Kindle version is just $0.99.

Sundry

If you'd like to learn more about the editor of Cogwheels, Rayne Hall, you don't even have to leave this blog. Check out my interview with Rayne and my reviews of her Writer's Craft books Twitter for Writers and Getting Book Reviews.

In my opinion, ambient occlusion passes are one of the coolest things in 3D rendering. Here's an ao pass of my 3D model of The House of Amber Doves from my upcoming novel, Bodacious Creed: a Steampunk Zombie Western.

Speaking of the novel, the editing is coming along well! I'm about 25,000 words into the first content pass. Basically, I'm making sure everything in the story is consistent before I worry too much about polishing the prose. Some of the mechanics of my steampunk world changed as I got deeper into the story and figured out what worked best, so all that needs to be cleaned up. Also, the story has tons of characters, each with their own motivations, and I need to make sure I've got all that straight.

Want to read free stories and get informed when I put up new blog posts? Join my newsletter, either below or right here!