Steampunk II: Steampunk Reloaded

-A- AANSCHULTZ, CONREID
          (c. 1820 -- October 12, 1888)

Inventor of the praxiscope technology (which see), Professor Aanschultz believed that close observation of physiology and similar superficial phenomena could lead to direct revelation of the inner or secret processes of nature. Apparent proof of this now discredited theory was offered by his psychopraxiscope, which purported to offer instantaneous viewing of any subject’s thoughts. (Later researchers demonstrated that the device “functioned” by creating interference patterns in the inner eye of the observer, triggering phosphene splash and lucid dreaming.) Aanschultz’s theories collapsed, and the Professor himself died in a Parisian lunatic asylum, after his notorious macropraxiscope failed to extract any particular meaning from the contours of the Belgian countryside near Waterloo. Some say he was already ustable from the abuse of his autopsychopraxiscope, thought to be particularly dangerous because of autophageous feedback patterns generated in its operator’s brain. However, there is evidence that Aanschultz was quite mad already, owing to the trauma of an earlier research disaster. 

from Great Breakthroughs in Darkness (Being, Early Entries From The Secret Encyclopedia of Photography)

CONTENTS

Fiction

Gibson, The Gernsback Continuum

Laidlaw, Great Breakthroughs in Darkness

Ford, Dr. Lash Remembers

Baxter, The Unblinking Eye

Kiernan, The Steam Dancer

Knighton, The Cast-Iron Kid 

Lanagan, Machine Maid

Shehadeh, The Unbecoming of Virgil Smythe

Narayan, The Mechanical Aviary of Emperor Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar

Roberson,  O One

Henderson, Wild Copper

Nelson, The Bold Explorer in the Place Beyond

Nevins, Lost Pages from The Encyclopedia of Fantastic Victoriana

Priest, Tanglefoot (A Clockwork Century Story)

Ronald, A Serpent in the Gears

Falksen, The Strange Case of Mr. Salad Monday

Lee, The Persecution Machine

Abraham, Balfour and Meriwether in the Adventure of the Emperor's Vengeance

Mantchev, As Recorded on Brass Cylinders: Adagio for Two Dancers

Bergsoe, Flying Fish Prometheus (A Fantasy of the Future)

Valente, The Anachronist's Cookbook

Padua, Lovelace and Babbage: Origins, with Salamander

The Mecha-Ostrich, A Secret History of Steampunk

Nonfiction
Carrifer, Which Is Mightier, the Pen or the Parasol?

von Slatt, At the Intersection of Technology and Romance

von Slatt, The Future of Steampunk: A Roundtable Interview

     This is the second anthology (the first came out in 2008)  by the VanderMeers, Jeff and Ann, of short fiction pertaining in some way to the science-fiction sub-genre. 

    A blast to read, from pondering over tight "coiled heart-springs" to the "wild copper" re-telling of Shakespeare, one wild ride throughout. Three stories in particular stand out:

As Recorded on Brass Cylinders: Adagio for Two Dancers

     More cyberpunk than steam, the story is narrated from two perspectives. The first of a man who has been replacing various parts of his body with more efficient mechanical devices that fulfill their function and more, and the other narrative is that of a woman who is nearly all automaton. They are both very old and once knew each other.

- The Mechanical Aviary of Emperor Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar

     Written like a fairy tale, it reads as a translation from an ancient text. The imagery of coiled heart-springs, copper feathers, and diamond beaks is beautiful. Symbolism and folk tale traditions are found throughout. 

- Great Breakthroughs in Darkness

     This story defies description. Written as an alphabetical list of photography equipment and its history, each entry is part of a larger plot leaving little seeds of character development and atmosphere for the reader to collect along the way. The theme is very Lovecraft; prying into dark places that have never been seen.

   However, the writing quality and the overall content were not as good as the first collection. Writing tended to be trite, perhaps the most common pitfall when imitating Victoriana prose, making it difficult for me to take the ideas seriously. That and the obsession with sex (why is it always sex?) gets to be wearying. 

     Steampunk, as a genre, is at its best when in the form of a novel. But over all I feel as though its true potential keeps getting glossed over with frilly parasols and shiny automatons. The attraction to the idea, in the first place, was the language of the era. A sophisticated society with even more sophisticated technology makes for an intriguing story, the mistake is when authors think that modern technology means modern society. This is where they should be reading more Tolkien...

     "Language makes the culture, not the other way around."

    To have a girl from the Victoriana speak and think like a girl from 2011 is inconsistent and doesn't make logical sense...either she's from 2011 with outdated technology (steam) or she's Victoriana with advanced technology. If we're going to be as authentic as possible, then I really think these are the only two combinations. 

    A society in which all were well educated, well read, well-spoken, people with airships and automatons. I would read that.