MJ Baerman

The anthology starts out with a beautifully strange illustration, entitled Clock Tower (Amanda Gatton), followed by a gorgeously disturbing poem by Catherine Stovall, The Cogs of Time. In the first story, The Properties of Mercury by Robert Craven, Frederick Devereux has discovered how to make mercury perform many seemingly miraculous tasks, by harnessing the powers of distant stars. A fast-paced, old fashioned, shoot-em-up, with a steampunk flavor.
In Amelia by Samantha Ketteman, a young woman is running scared. She doesn't know what is going on, but she has been attacked and is terrified. Everything makes sense at the end. Flights of Fancy (Amanda Gatton)is another cool, quirky illustration. Balloon by Cindy J Smith is a potently visual poem. Letters to the Prince, by Emma Michaels, was wonderfully sweet and a bit sad. A lifetime of longing, of waiting for THE MOMENT, may end in death for them both! In After the Flare, by Faith Marlowe, archaeologists, from a couple hundred years in our future, look for proof of ancient alien technology, to help get our planet back up to speed after a cataclysmic event wipes out all of our tech. Gas Mask is a super creepy illustration that merges doomsday and children of the corn, in my head.
Well Oiled Machine by Nina Stevens is a wonderful poem about a girl and her daddy, creating mechanical things, and then a flash forward to her adulthood. Point of Departure by Wayne Carey is a dystopian/alternate reality, in which airships and portals are a 'thing'. The first couple of pages were a bit slow for me, but once past the choppy beginning, this story was MAGNIFICENT!!! I cannot blame the first part on the author, only myself, as I am an American, reading a about an alternate reality in which the Brits are actually a world power.... Go figure:-). First Steps, by Zoe Adams: a Maiko, Geisha in training, walks through a mechanical wonderland on her way to a tea house. I had a few chuckles as she reminisced about her training, as I remembered the matchmaker from Mulan. The Hand by Amanda Gatton: a skeletons hand, with the lacy cuff of Victorian garb, hold a delicate teacup. Mauseleum by Cindy J Smith is a super creepy poem about confronting your family's ancestry...literally. Wren City by Catherine Stovall: oh... Wow! In true steampunk fashion, there are air ships, floating sky malls, and a giant clock tower. This story is majorly suspenseful, and quite romantic. Love it! Haven by MJ Baerman: thoroughly enjoyable story of pirates and mutiny and matters of the mind. Steamships and dirigibles and mechanics, oh my! Forever Love by Eada James is an illustration of a clockwork heart in a glass dome. From the fluid leaking, I'd say it's still beating... Machine by Eada James: a poem about a love lost and transformed to clockwork monstrosity. Captive Sleep by Andrea Staum: a twisted tale of treachery. A clan of cat warriors takes over the crew of an airship. Domaroc hits his head and is tended by a female cat warrior princess. Treason and mutiny are served up well in this story. Sandy Marlin: Frontier Brewer by Deborah Dalton: a kick butt novella about a true frontierswoman . She doesn't take crap from anyone, and she aims to keep it that way! Voyage by Eada James: an airship captain flies high above the troubles of the landbound (poem). Time Flies by Cecilia Clark is an illustration of a woman and a tiny flying clock. Invisible Sun by SJ Davies: surprise! There's a full length novel at the end of the book! In a world of gas lamps and steam powered vehicles, Vampires and human coexist peacefully. Rather than cursed, the Vamps in Gravesend are the product of careful genetic engineering. Problems arise when vampire-like murders of prostitutes keep cropping up all over the city. This is a story of scientific horrors, truest love, sacrifice, and hope. A truly great feast of appetizers and an excellent main course!… (més)