Corsets & Clockwork

Gr 8 Up—Airships, steam-powered machines, clockwork automatons, Martians, and goggles reign supreme in this genuinely entertaining collection. From the delightfully gruesome tale of a cannibalistic mermaid on a murderous rampage to the story of a bold heiress who secretly makes and sells elaborate bombs, these selections by 13 different authors contain a unique sampling of steampunk stories. Most are traditional romances with hopeful, if not happy, endings, such as Adrienne Kress's "The Clockwork Corset," a tale of childhood sweethearts who face the greatest test to their relationship on a battlefield. However, a few take a wider view of the concept of romance, marriage, and love, such as Caitlin Kittredge's strangely ethereal "The Vast Machinery of Dreams," in which a writer is consumed by the source of his inspiration. While not every story is exceptional, all are engaging. Some of them contain challenging vocabulary and concepts; however, the action and romance in the other selections would make them good choices for reluctant readers. The common flaw is that the stories end too soon, just when readers have begun to fall in love with the steampunk worlds the writers have created.—Heather M. Campbell, formerly at Philip S. Miller Library, Castle Rock, CO