Currently reading
Swann's Way
Snow Country
Proust's Way: A Field Guide to In Search of Lost Time
The Mind At Night: The New Science Of How And Why We Dream
The Magic Mountain
Semiotics and the Philosophy of Language (Advances in Semiotics)
Persona: A Biography of Yukio Mishima
The Inquisition of Climate Science
State of the World 2013: Is Sustainability Still Possible?
Media Studies: Texts, Institutions and Audiences
Four and a half stars, derived as follows: 5 stars for Steampunk fans, and 3 and a half - 4 stars for everybody else.This is a beautifully illustrated book full of interesting articles. Even if you aren't a Steampunk fan (yet), this book might well convert you.
I'd probably have preferred it to be even bigger and thicker, but it seems perfect for someone like me who was sort of poised on the edge of becoming a Steampunk fan.
The genre seems to have a nostalgic appeal, especially to those who enjoy things Victorian.
From an article in the book: "At it's best, SP is unabashedly positive and inclusive in it's outlook, encouraging applied imagination put to both fanciful and practical purposes. Although some Steampunks are escapists - using the accoutrements of the Victorian period without reference to imperialism or the social inequities of the era - many see their efforts as a way to repurpose the best of that time while correcting for the worst. Today, Steampunk enclaves exist all over the world, making the subculture truly international.
Now, that does sound like fun, doesn't it?
The ship below reminds me of the airship in Gene Wolfe's "New Sun" universe.
The perfect coffee table volume for the SF/Steampunk lover.