Tag Archives: steampunk

Around the Interwebs: Volume XVII

24 Feb

Neil Gaiman Writes Short Stories Based on Tweets, Asks Internet for Fan Art (via The Mary Sue)

Neil Gaiman a Calendar of Tales

Fantasy author and all around amazingly inventive guy Neil Gaiman partnered with Blackberry to create short stories based around the twelve months of the year and inspired by tweets submitted by his followers to create the collection, A Calendar of Tales. All the short stories are available for your reading pleasure in PDF form HERE. In response to his collection, Gaiman has asked for art and videos inspired by the short stories. Some of which will eventually be featured in a limited edition book. Talk about a collaborative effort.

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Bibliomantic Book Club: “Dearly, Beloved” by Lia Habel

11 Nov

Dearly, Beloved by Lia Habel (Galley)
Release Date: September 25, 2012
Genre: Young adult, zombies, romance (ZOM ROM), dystopia, steampunk

Summary: Picking up where Dearly, Departed left off, this sequel deals with growing anti-zombie sentiments and the after effects of the attack on the Elysian Fields. Nora is having problems dealing with her newly resurrected father, her enemy Vespertine Mink is busy making alliances and Nora’s zombie boyfriend Bram is spending his time heading a zombie task force and being the most attractive member of the undead possible. Subterfuge, opposing factions and intermingling plots abound in this steampunk zombie romantic comedy. Who doesn’t love a good zom-rom-com?

The second book in the jokingly titled Gone With the Respiration series finds our heroes Bram and Nora in a world full of zombie haters and lovers alike. They are forced to deal with both groups, from the Changed, zombies who are into zombie philanthropy to an upper-class zombie murdering group called the Murder. With fun new characters, a complicated new plot and a fabulous combination of the old and modern this is the end all be all young adult zombie series. We just can’t get enough of it!

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New York Comic-Con 2012: Upcoming Book Releases

17 Oct

People often have the misconception that comic-con is heavily focused on television shows and movies, but it’s also about the publishing industry, whether it be comics, novels or graphic novels. Below, you will find all the upcoming literary works we discovered at NYCC, which will be coming soon to a retailer near you!

Zom-B by Darren Shan
Release Date: October 16, 2012

The first in a not three, not four, but twelve book series about zombies. Obviously. Set in an Irish high school, main character B has to deal with his father’s racism and a zombie infestation. Poor B, he has more problems than sounding like he’s a “Gossip Girl” character. Zom-B was released yesterday and will be followed in January by Zom-B Underground. Hopefully all eleven novels don’t end in cliffhangers.

Who Could That Be At This Hour? All the Wrong Questions by Lemony Snicket
Release Date: October 23 2012

Lemony Snicket is back!!! And this time with even more tragic back story as this first in a four book series details his life with a mysterious organization. The V.F.D.? Here’s hoping this somehow ties into A Series of Unfortunate Events. Will we learn more about Beatrice? Will things finally become clear or is everything Daniel Handler writes one giant red herring!?! Just like that pesky communism.

Hollow Earth by John Barrowman and Carole E. Barrowman
Release Date: October 30, 2012

Aaaaah, everyone’s favorite Torchwood Captain/super old giant floating head (spoilers?) has written a book with his sister about twins who go on adventures with Harry Potter’s patronus. Half of that is accurate. More accurately: the twins have the ability to make artwork come to life. The book has been described as the “Scottish Harry Potter” so I’m expecting less spotted dick and more haggis. Also kilts. Lots and lots of kilts.

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New Comic Book Day Roundup: September 12, 2012

12 Sep

Welcome to the very first ever Bibliomantics new comic book day roundup! In which our comic book loving contributor Cassie-la reviews the newest batch of comic books from your local comic book shop. Because she didn’t have enough on her plate already.

In this post, from Dark Horse Comics: Orchid #9 and The Strain #8, DC Comics: Before Watchmen: Comedian #3, Septagon Studios: Archeologists of Shadows Volume 2: Once a Nightmare, and from Vertigo: American Vampire: Lord of Nightmares #4.

Dark Horse Comics

Orchid #9 by Tom Morello, illustrated by Scott Hepburn, cover by Dan Jackson, Massimo Carnevale
Genre: Fiction, dystopia, action, post-apocalypse
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

The war has begun, with prostitute turned rebel leader and titular character Orchid leading the charge against the twisted Fortress Penuel. Armed, or rather faced with the mask of feared leader General China, Orchid harvests the power of the Last Saints, using her position as a disenfranchised member of the Bridge People to (hopefully) lead the lower classes to victory against the post-apocalyptic megalomaniac Tomo Wolfe. Go team underdog slash team girl who works hard for the money!

As with all issues of Orchid, Tom Morello focuses on the distinctions between the social classes- culminating in this epic war. On the one side is Tomo Wolfe, who suits himself to be a new world emperor and desires to wipe out the “baser” lower classes merely for their refusal to stay where they are. In the gutter. In response, the Bridge People, who are not satisfied with their lot in life, struggle to close the social gap, hoping to destroy class distinctions with their rebellion. Peppered with Scott Hepburn’s amazing mutant monsters (porcupine monkeys anyone?), this action packed issue may signal the beginning of the end for this post-apocalyptic world. Would that make the new world post-post-apocalyptic?

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Bizarro Blursday: Cassie-la Reviews “Alice’s Adventures in Steamland” by Wol-vriey

24 Jul

Alice’s Adventures in Steamland: The Clockwork Goddess by Wol-vriey (Submission)
Release Date: June 27, 2012
Genre: Bizarro fiction, steampunk, fantasy, wonderland, soft core porn
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Summary: Alice Sin is your typical prostitute turned hired assassin, living in a steampunk version of America divided between the queendoms of New York and Texas. Hired by Lady Busybody to kill her husband Lord Busybody (AKA the Mad Hatter), Alice must use her feminine wiles to kill the mad scientist, keep her true purposes a secret, deal with a cake making arsonist Caterpillar and befriend a wind-up robot.

As prior instances have shown, I can’t say no- insert song and dance number here- to Alice in Wonderland themed anything, much less literature (see HERE and HERE). Throw in some steampunk and I’m all in, which is why when Bizarro Press offered us a Kindle version of this book I knew I had to review it. I first encountered Wol-vriey in the anthology Tall Tales With Short Cocks, where he wrote a fantastical tale set in a kooky world that was almost a little too strange. Thankfully for Wonderland, there is no such thing as too strange, but there might be such a thing as too much semen. You have been pre-warned.

The novella is set in Victorian America, AKA a steampunk version of America ultimately divided into two territories. Half of America is run by Queen Victoria Busybody, dubbed the Queen of Hearts because of her choice of heart embroidered wardrobe. She runs the queendom of New York, while her sister Queen Anna runs the queendom of Texas- where everything is bigger. Anna goes by the moniker Mech-Anna or “the Clockwork Goddess”. Both sisters have torn the country apart, all over the state of Kansas, which is a hotbed of coalfields. Enjoy it Kansas, this will be the only instance where people actually fight over control of you, fictional or otherwise.

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Bibliomantic Book Club: “Clockwork Prince” by Cassandra Clare

7 Jan

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare
Release Date: December 6, 2011
Genre: Fiction, young adult, romance, magic, demons, steampunk

Summary: The second book in Cassandra Clare’s Infernal Devices series sees a shift in power after the disappearance of the Magister threatens to remove Charlotte from her position at the London Institute. If she and her fellow Shadowhunters cannot capture him in time, the Institute will be forfeit to a dangerous family within the Clave.

Meanwhile, lead heroine and partial demon Tessa is on the hunt to find out how she came to be, struggling against her impulses to fall in love with the vile and handsome Will. Especially when kind-hearted and sickly Jem is right across the hall.

For those of you unfamiliar with Cassandra Clare’s books, they feature a band of people, hidden from regular society known as Shadowhunters, who are tasked with ridding the world of demons and protecting them from Downworlders (vampires, fairies, werewolves, etc.). Unfortunately for our characters, this is the second book in the series, and that’s where Miss Clare punishes her creations the most. Poor Shadowhunters, will anything go right for these repressed Victorians?

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Bibliomantic Book Club: “Dearly, Departed” by Lia Habel

3 Dec

Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel
Release Date: October 18, 2011
Genre: Zombies, Romance (ZOM ROM), dystopia, steampunk

Summary: It is 2195, and after years of war and disaster, humans have managed to rebuild civilization. Nora Dearly lives in the territory known as New Victoria. Desperate for security after decades of unrest, the founders of New Victoria decided to base their society on the Victorian era.

Strict social codes and standards are the law of the land. Nora attends a girls’ boarding school where she is expected to learn to be a proper lady, and her spendthrift, social-climbing aunt is only concerned with getting her a good (i.e. wealthy) husband.

But Nora isn’t content in the role that has been thrust upon her. Thanks to her father (who died the previous year from a mysterious disease), she’s fascinated by war, and the neighboring Punk territories with which New Victoria is in constant conflict. So fortunately for her, she’s kidnapped by zombies and taken to an army base, where she meets the adorable, dashing (and undead) Captain Bram Griswold. 

Nora finds new friends, new love, and a new life. Everything would be just great if it weren’t for that bothersome impending zombie apocalypse…

WARNING: As usual Stephanie’s post is full of lots of spoilers, so steer clear of that if you want some surprises.

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Bibliomantic Book Club: “Goliath” by Scott Westerfeld

2 Oct

Goliath by Scott Westerfeld
Release Date: September 20, 2011
Genre: Alternate history, young adult fantasy, steampunk

Summary: The Leviathan continues its breakneck journey around the world, with Alek and Deryn hanging on by the ratlines. Picking up the mysterious Nikola Tesla in the wilds of Siberia alters their course in unexpected ways, as he claims he has a weapon so powerful it will stop the war. Heading towards America, Alek and Deryn must figure out their place in the war, the world, and in each other’s hearts. Burning questions are answered, identities revealed, and adventure awaits!

The end of a series – always a bittersweet time for the Bibliomantics. While we love reaching the conclusion of a story, it means it’s over. No more steampunk whale ship, no more of Deryn’s cleverboots cursing, no brooding, secret-heirs to the throne. It’s rather depressing. But Goliath sends us off with a bang. This action-packed conclusion takes us to Asia and America, introduces new characters while bringing back old friends, and delivers a beautiful, hilarious, and deeply satisfying ending. We were left with one thought – Goliath is barking brilliant.

WARNING: Here be spoilers. Especially from Stephanie. ::glares pointedly::

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My Year in Reading: Cassie-la Talks Upcoming Literature

3 Jun

I have an obsessive compulsive need to keep track of every book I want to buy. I have an enormous Amazon wish list with over 200 books I one day want to own and read. I even have a special section on my Google Calendar so I can keep track of upcoming releases I want to snag. I like to pre-order books in three month intervals so I can have them on my doorstep the day they are released.

This obsessive compulsive behavior led me to realize that I want to talk about all these amazing books I’m excited to read as they’re released in the next seven months. This same compulsion has also led me to the discovery that all books are released on Tuesdays. Tuesdays! I don’t know why it took me so long to put this together. Especially considering my eyes are always instinctively searching for Tuesdays on my Google calendar.

So without further rambling, what follows are the ten upcoming releases that I look forward to reading in 2011 (or at least the seven months that are left of it).

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A Literary Monster Mash: Cassie-la Discusses “Android Karenina” by Tolstoy and Winters

4 Mar

Android Karenina by Leo Tolstoy and Ben H. Winters (Advanced Reader Copy)
Release Date: June 8, 2010
Genre: Literary mash-up, steampunk, parody, humor, retelling, robots, aliens, holy shit WTF is going on!?!
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Summary:Anna Karenina and her faithful Class III Companion Android Karenina fight for love through an affair with the dashing Count Vronksy and try to escape from a villainous, slightly mechanical husband. Can Anna survive her love affair? Can the world?

The most famous literary cougar is tackled in this third mash-up by Quirk Classics, taking the boring self-introspection of Tolstoy and adding robots, aliens, inter and inner-galactic war, mad scientists, and evil appendages.

Until this week, I had not read Anna Karenina since an AP English class my senior year of high school. I remembered four things about this classic. 1. The book was recommended by Oprah which made me immediately not want to read it, 2. Tolstoy is Russian, 3. Anna kills herself and the book still insists on continuing for another 20 pages, and 4. I hated it with every fiber of my being.

Thankfully, due to the wonderful literary innovation of the mash-up implemented by Quirk Classics in 2o09, I can re-read this classic in a much more satisfying and enjoyable way. And no matter how much classical purists dislike this new genre, one cannot deny that the main theme and thrust of the novel is never derailed, merely added upon and seasoned for the enjoyment of the masses.

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