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A review by shane_tiernan
Clockwork Fairy Tales: A Collection of Steampunk Fables by
4.0
I think this anthology is definitely worth a read, more good than bad. With anthologies I usually just post my notes from each story (and my rating on a 10-point scale) and they usually have spoilers to remind me of what he story was about. So beware: SPOILERS
K.W. Jeter - La Valse (7.0) Rich people are a-holes and they die horribly in the clockwork dance machine - just like they should.
Jay Lake - You Will Attend Until Beauty Awakens (7.0) Liked the writing, setting and characters but the ending wasn't really a surprise. Also not sure why everyone in the castle fell asleep instead of just her.
Kat Richardsons - The Hollow Hounds (7.5) This was fun with all the mechanical contraptions. I still don't understand where the music box originally came from. Liked the period and the scar where he had to wind himself up.
Paul Di Filippo - The King of the Golden Mountain (8.0) Great writing, cool idea. Invention puts souls into other bodies. Takes over Ulysses Grant to become president.
G.K. Hayes - The Clockwork Suit (6.0) Good story but the ending is pretty lame. No big surprise and not much closure.
Gregory Nicoll - The Steampiper, the Stovepiper, and the Pied Piper of New Hamelin, Texas (6.5) This works as a pulpy adventure story but the ending is kind of disturbing just to make a joke. The girl needed to be older.
Pip Ballantine - The Mechanical Wings (8.0) Cool floating cities, "countries" named after birds, cool magic/clockwork mix. Very fairy tale feel but not too lite.
Nancy A. Collins - Mose and the Automatic Fireman (7.0) Very cool setting. He's basically a superhero and a legend. Fun.
Steven Harper - Fair Vasyl (6.0) Not bad but seemed kinda light. Steampunk elements seemed kinda forced. Broom was too powerful solved all problems.
K.W. Jeter - La Valse (7.0) Rich people are a-holes and they die horribly in the clockwork dance machine - just like they should.
Jay Lake - You Will Attend Until Beauty Awakens (7.0) Liked the writing, setting and characters but the ending wasn't really a surprise. Also not sure why everyone in the castle fell asleep instead of just her.
Kat Richardsons - The Hollow Hounds (7.5) This was fun with all the mechanical contraptions. I still don't understand where the music box originally came from. Liked the period and the scar where he had to wind himself up.
Paul Di Filippo - The King of the Golden Mountain (8.0) Great writing, cool idea. Invention puts souls into other bodies. Takes over Ulysses Grant to become president.
G.K. Hayes - The Clockwork Suit (6.0) Good story but the ending is pretty lame. No big surprise and not much closure.
Gregory Nicoll - The Steampiper, the Stovepiper, and the Pied Piper of New Hamelin, Texas (6.5) This works as a pulpy adventure story but the ending is kind of disturbing just to make a joke. The girl needed to be older.
Pip Ballantine - The Mechanical Wings (8.0) Cool floating cities, "countries" named after birds, cool magic/clockwork mix. Very fairy tale feel but not too lite.
Nancy A. Collins - Mose and the Automatic Fireman (7.0) Very cool setting. He's basically a superhero and a legend. Fun.
Steven Harper - Fair Vasyl (6.0) Not bad but seemed kinda light. Steampunk elements seemed kinda forced. Broom was too powerful solved all problems.