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A review by abigcoffeedragon
Clockwork Fairy Tales: A Collection of Steampunk Fables by Pip Ballantine, Steven Harper, Paul Di Filippo, Nancy A. Collins, K.W. Jeter, Stephen L. Antczak, Kat Richardson, Jay Lake, James C. Bassett, Gregory Nicoll, G.K. Hayes, Philippa Ballantine
4.0
All reviews are based on two separate 5-point scales – 1 to 5 for clockwork usage and 1 to 5 for the story itself
3.5 stars overall.
La Valse
CLOCKWORK – 5
The usage of clockwork is fun, though a bit too technical, with terminology used that I had to look up to understand.
STORY – 3
The story itself did nothing for me though, and ended very strange, though I understand these are workings of fairy tales, but, strange all the same.
OVERALL – 8
Fair Vasyl
CLOCKWORK – 5
The clockwork usage in this tale is excellent, and has that suspension of disbelief covered.
STORY – 4
The story had 2 major plot twists, which I will not ruin, but I did see both of them prior to the reveal. The anachronisms in the dialog made this a difficult story to get lost in, without the usage of modern verbiage.
OVERALL – 9
The Hollow Hounds
CLOCKWORK – 5 4
The Hollow Hounds were neat, and the clockwork use in this tale was well done.
STORY – 4
The story in and of itself was almost three stories told in sequence, which made this a bit more fun. When a story was ending, another began, and you realized that you could stay a bit longer in this world, which I enjoyed.
OVERALL – 8
The Kings of Mount Golden
CLOCKWORK – 4
The clockwork in this is more ‘mad scientist’, but it is there. A la Prometheus
STORY – 3
The story itself flows, takes expected turns, and ends expectedly and with a hard stop of finality. The language is very much in the period, though some phrases from the now leak in, taking the story out of the sepia tone and into a more modern take. This is not a great tale overall.
OVERALL – 7
You Will Attend Until Beauty Awakens
CLOCKWORK – 3
Clock-workings of automata and some other mentions, this comes off very Prometheus, and very little clockwork.
STORY – 1
The story – oh this story is so useless. It rambles through the tale, and quick small bites of chapters into a pointless story. What I feared most when I started this, was an author trying to sound refined and cultured; but coming off out of place.
OVERALL – 4
Mose and the Automatic Fireman
CLOCKWORK – 5
Though it does not have any in the beginning, once it is introduced, it is full on there
STORY – 5
This is one of those short stories you long to read. It is full of character and action, and though there are no surprises, the story still holds true to form
OVERALL – 10
The Clockwork Suit
CLOCKWORK – 3
Don’t let the title fool you. The suit is automata running on steam, so it is not clockwork. No mainspring, not clockwork. Get it?
STORY – 3
Simple and predictable – like Charlie and the Chocolate factory meets the Emperor’s New Clothes (which the tale is a retelling of), except in steam punk (not clockwork)
OVERALL – 6
The Steampiper, The Stovepiper, and the Pied Piper of New Hamelin, Texas
CLOCKWORK – 3 2
STORY – 1
This one gets the longest review for so many bad things within it:This comes off as a weird west take on clock-punk plus steam-punk with some Tesla-punk added for seasoning. The force of dialog with the German accent is annoying. They are German, I get it, but “zis iz not how zay talk in Jairmany” You vill haff to do better zan zis. A horse cannot carry a man and his gear and a divers helmet made of metal. That is ridiculous. Cacophony is a good word, unless you use it too many times in a short story. And finally, he has to try all three – yeah, didn’t see THAT coming.
OVERALL – 3
The Mechanical Wings
CLOCKWORK – 5
It started off with very little, but grew more as the story progressed.
STORY – 4
I was glad that this one ended the way that it did. You knew what would happen, but knowing and reading are two different ends.
OVERALL – 9
3.5 stars overall.
La Valse
CLOCKWORK – 5
The usage of clockwork is fun, though a bit too technical, with terminology used that I had to look up to understand.
STORY – 3
The story itself did nothing for me though, and ended very strange, though I understand these are workings of fairy tales, but, strange all the same.
OVERALL – 8
Fair Vasyl
CLOCKWORK – 5
The clockwork usage in this tale is excellent, and has that suspension of disbelief covered.
STORY – 4
The story had 2 major plot twists, which I will not ruin, but I did see both of them prior to the reveal. The anachronisms in the dialog made this a difficult story to get lost in, without the usage of modern verbiage.
OVERALL – 9
The Hollow Hounds
CLOCKWORK – 5
The Hollow Hounds were neat, and the clockwork use in this tale was well done.
STORY – 4
The story in and of itself was almost three stories told in sequence, which made this a bit more fun. When a story was ending, another began, and you realized that you could stay a bit longer in this world, which I enjoyed.
OVERALL – 8
The Kings of Mount Golden
CLOCKWORK – 4
The clockwork in this is more ‘mad scientist’, but it is there. A la Prometheus
STORY – 3
The story itself flows, takes expected turns, and ends expectedly and with a hard stop of finality. The language is very much in the period, though some phrases from the now leak in, taking the story out of the sepia tone and into a more modern take. This is not a great tale overall.
OVERALL – 7
You Will Attend Until Beauty Awakens
CLOCKWORK – 3
Clock-workings of automata and some other mentions, this comes off very Prometheus, and very little clockwork.
STORY – 1
The story – oh this story is so useless. It rambles through the tale, and quick small bites of chapters into a pointless story. What I feared most when I started this, was an author trying to sound refined and cultured; but coming off out of place.
OVERALL – 4
Mose and the Automatic Fireman
CLOCKWORK – 5
Though it does not have any in the beginning, once it is introduced, it is full on there
STORY – 5
This is one of those short stories you long to read. It is full of character and action, and though there are no surprises, the story still holds true to form
OVERALL – 10
The Clockwork Suit
CLOCKWORK – 3
Don’t let the title fool you. The suit is automata running on steam, so it is not clockwork. No mainspring, not clockwork. Get it?
STORY – 3
Simple and predictable – like Charlie and the Chocolate factory meets the Emperor’s New Clothes (which the tale is a retelling of), except in steam punk (not clockwork)
OVERALL – 6
The Steampiper, The Stovepiper, and the Pied Piper of New Hamelin, Texas
CLOCKWORK – 3
STORY – 1
This one gets the longest review for so many bad things within it:This comes off as a weird west take on clock-punk plus steam-punk with some Tesla-punk added for seasoning. The force of dialog with the German accent is annoying. They are German, I get it, but “zis iz not how zay talk in Jairmany” You vill haff to do better zan zis. A horse cannot carry a man and his gear and a divers helmet made of metal. That is ridiculous. Cacophony is a good word, unless you use it too many times in a short story. And finally, he has to try all three – yeah, didn’t see THAT coming.
OVERALL – 3
The Mechanical Wings
CLOCKWORK – 5
It started off with very little, but grew more as the story progressed.
STORY – 4
I was glad that this one ended the way that it did. You knew what would happen, but knowing and reading are two different ends.
OVERALL – 9