Steam Powered: Lesbian Steampunk Stories

Steam Powered: Lesbian Steampunk Stories, A Penny Dreadful Review

            I just read the most delightful anthology. Steam Powered introduces us to Steampunk lesbians from five continents. They are from cities, deserts, and jungles, the future, the past, and places that never were. They are cyborgs and pirates, spies and runaway brides, madwomen and scientists. The editor, JoSelle Vanderhooft, has masterfully assembled this brilliant conglomeration. It reminds me a bit of a bright rainbow quilt – every piece wildly different, and the whole a masterpiece.

            I must mention a few tales of adventure and romance in particular. “Brilliant,” by Georgina Bruce, features lush descriptions of a beautiful Cairo and strangers on a train. “Steel Rider,” by Rachel Manija Brown, introduces the reader to damaged people in large suits of mysterious armor. “Love In The Time Of Airships,” by Meredith Holmes, is a crown jewel of a novella at the center of this anthology. It is sweet, sexy, intriguing, and exciting. “Effluent Engine,” by N. K. Jemisin, happens to be my personal favorite. There’s Haiti, New Orleans, spies, and the uncovering of a scientific mind. Also, a daring escape on an airship. I can never resist a daring escape on an airship.

            Not all these tales have happy endings. Perhaps that is because not all real-life lesbians have happy endings. Perhaps that is because some romances are doomed. At any rate, this is not a book of happily-ever-afters. It is a book of adventures that will stick with you.

I give Steam Powered four gears out of five. I highly recommend that you seek out this fantastic collection and read it immediately.

Your Correspondent From The Bookstore,

Penny J. Merriweather

Do Shut Up Mr. Simms

Do Shut Up Mister Simms: A Penny Dreadful Review

            In this delightful novella by Rachael Acks, Mister Simms, long relegated to the position of Adventure Assistant and Dog Walker, has an adventure of his own while the captain is away.

            An innocent shopping trip goes terribly awry when one of the pirate crew is nicked by security forces. If only Lucius had the patience to wait whilst the others perused teapots! Instead, Meriwether Octavian Simms, on strict instructions to avoid any “silly” courses of action, must accept help from the devious Deliah Nimowitz to break his crewman out of gaol. It goes about as well as he expects, and the price he must pay is embarrassing in the extreme. It involves dancing.

            It is marvelous to see a story from the point of view of Captain Marta Ramos’s long-suffering sidekick, and it is just the sort of lighthearted fun the series needs after the exceedingly bloody Blood In Elk Creek. It gives a detailed look into the psyches of a couple rather important secondary characters.

            I give Do Shut Up Mister Simms four gears out of five. It is a delightful addition to this series of adventures.

Your Correspondent From The Bookstore,

Penny J. Merriweather

The Ugly Tin Orrery

The Ugly Tin Orrery: A Penny Dreadful Review

            Even the railways are not safe from pirates in The Ugly Tin Orrery, another delightful novella about the pirate Marta Ramos. I enjoyed this almost as much as the other works I’ve read by the brilliant author Rachael Acks.

            The first thing that struck me about this novella was the Diabola – truly the Engine that Could. It is a delightful mechanism which allows pirates to travel from one rail line to a nearby rail line with the assistance of pistons, steam, and very precise math. It is an ingenious device, really, and I do enjoy that Rachael Acks thought to equip her pirates with it.

            As usual, Captain Ramos and her man Simms wind up investigating a murder, but this time it ends up being a much larger conspiracy than simple revenge or money. No, this murder leads them to treachery and espionage at the highest levels of this world’s government.

            Rachael Acks paints this adventure with deft strokes. She wastes no words, but I feel the Captain’s final decision was a bit too pat and conveniently made. A few more words here would not have been amiss. I would have liked to see a bit more fallout from the death of a character I rather liked as well, but on the whole this is a great little adventure.

            The plot is quite thrilling, describing a dashing robbery, a violent bar brawl, and a cheeky prison break. It is a week in the life of the daring, enchanting – and possibly mad – Captain Marta Ramos. I think I will never tire of reading these adventures. Captain Ramos may be one of the most delightful characters ever penned.

            I give The Ugly Tin Orrery four gears out of five. It is an excellent read in a series of excellent reads from Musa Publishing.

Your Correspondent From The Bookstore,

Penny J. Merriweather

Blood In Elk Creek

Blood In Elk Creek: A Penny Dreadful Review

Danger! Aeroplanes! Zombies! Indians! In another adventure novella from Rachael Acks, Captain Marta Ramos and her nemesis Colonel Geoff Douglas are thrown together in the investigation of mysterious military manoevers and a plot that is larger than their rivalry. Witness Blood In Elk Creek, an exciting and frightening installment of the adventures of Captain Ramos.
The Infected, the zombies that for so many stories have lurked on the outskirts of this world, take center stage as the action moves from the civilized Grand Duchies to the wild lands of the Dead Plains, where zombies roam. But the Dead Plains don’t just belong to the undead, they belong to the native tribes that live there. Yes, thanks to zombies, the Native Americans still inhabit their traditional lands… for now.
This is an exciting and well-written adventure. Dark in places, amusing in others, it is an action-packed read and you will cling to every word of it. My favorite part of this harrowing tale is that we get to learn of one of Captain Ramos’s weaknesses: horses. She’s useless with the animals. With every adventure, the characters grow more rounded and fascinating, and I just love it.
I give Blood In Elk Creek four and a half gears out of five. I adore this series. I look forward to the next adventure with ever-increasing eagerness.


Your Correspondent From The Bookstore,
Penny J. Merriweather