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The SEA Is Ours: Tales of Steampunk Southeast Asia
The stories in this collection merge technological wonder with the everyday. Children upgrade their fighting spiders with armor, and toymakers create punchcard-driven marionettes. Large fish lumber across the skies, while boat people find a new home on the edge of a different dimension. Technology and tradition meld as the people adapt to the changing forces of their world. The Sea Is Ours is an exciting new anthology that features stories infused with the spirits of Southeast Asia’s diverse peoples, legends, and geography.
Jaymee Goh is a writer, editor, reviewer, blogger, and academic of science fiction, fantasy, and steampunk. She is the author of the steampunk blog Silver Goggles and has written steampunk-related nonfiction in The WisCon Chronicles and Steampunk Steampunk Revolution.
Joyce Chng writes science fiction, steampunk, and urban fantasy, and her fiction has been published in publications including Crossed Genres, the Apex Book of World SF II, and The Alchemy Press Book of Urban Mythic. She coedited The Ayam Curtain, a Singaporean anthology of SFF micro fiction, and she blogs at A Wolf’s Tale .
Jaymee Goh is a writer, editor, reviewer, blogger, and academic of science fiction, fantasy, and steampunk. She is the author of the steampunk blog Silver Goggles and has written steampunk-related nonfiction in The WisCon Chronicles and Steampunk Steampunk Revolution.
Joyce Chng writes science fiction, steampunk, and urban fantasy, and her fiction has been published in publications including Crossed Genres, the Apex Book of World SF II, and The Alchemy Press Book of Urban Mythic. She coedited The Ayam Curtain, a Singaporean anthology of SFF micro fiction, and she blogs at A Wolf’s Tale .
270 pages, Paperback
First published November 30, 2015
About the author
Nghi Vo
37 books3,682 followersNghi Vo is the author of the acclaimed novellas The Empress of Salt and Fortune and When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain. Born in Illinois, she now lives on the shores of Lake Michigan. She believes in the ritual of lipstick, the power of stories, and the right to change your mind. The Chosen and the Beautiful is her debut novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews
May 3, 2019
This is a well-balanced collection of stories with a nice range of style and tone from action to introspection to horror to wonder that felt well-balanced, with none of it jarring with the rest, and I enjoyed it a lot. My favorite stories were probably Nghi Vo's "Life Under Glass" (a quiet story about two sisters gathering specimens in the wilderness for a scientific exhibition, one of whom is feeling lost after a breakup with her girlfriend), Olivia Ho's "Working Woman" (a darker story about the lives of three very different women intersecting), and Kate Osias' "The Unmaking of the Cuadro Amoroso" (another one of the darker entries about the unwinding of a polyamorous quartet of genius artists and scientists and the revenge they exact in return, please note a trigger warning for suicide in this story), but the biopunk technology in Robert Liow's "Spider Here" including the spider-powered fighting robots might have been my favorite steampunk invention, for the quieter scenes of invention and artistry where the protagonist builds the robot casings.
Longer review available at my Patreon.
Longer review available at my Patreon.
May 13, 2017
I read the stories in this collection gradually over many months, and it's now been many months since I finished them--I'm very late with this review. The advantage of this is that it makes it clear to me which stories really stood out for me. I'll talk a little about those stories, but first a few overall observations:
I haven't read very many steampunk stories, so in part this anthology let me triangulate on what it means for a story to be steampunk. Based on this collection, I'd say steampunk requires that mechanical technology be in some way central to the story. For The SEA Is Ours, that steampunk element had to be situated in Southeast Asia. I was pleased with the diversity of nations and alt-histories present in the stories. A fair number of stories touch on colonialism. There wasn't a lot of explanation of culture or history, which I appreciated: explanations weren't needed; you could figure things out from context. If you're really curious, you can look stuff up. As Junot Diaz, Chimamanda Adichie, and many others have pointed out, this is what readers outside the US/UK have had to do with US/British lit--it's good for US/British readers to stretch those same muscles.
The stories that stuck with me most were "Chasing Volcanoes," by Marilag Angway; "Working Woman," by Olivia Ho; "Spider Here," by Robert Liow, "The Chamber of Souls," by z.m. quỳnh, and "The Insects and Women Sing Together," by Pear Nuallak (who, incidentally, is the only contributor who also features as an illustrator, providing the illustrations for "Chasing Volcanoes" and "Spider Here"). Below are a few brief words about each
"Chasing Volcanoes" features airships that run on volcanic gas, negotiating a turbulent alt-Philippines landscape of constant catastrophic eruptions. There's a brave and beautiful refugee princess and a magma-scarred female captain. The story's exciting, involving, easy to follow--a pleasure.
"Working Woman" exposes ethnic and political tensions in alt-colonial Singapore, where women are exploited as workers in coal mines, as indentured servants, and as fabulously complex clockwork-human hybrids. I enjoyed all three of the women--the one-eyed spy/bounty hunter Ning, Khairunnisa the toymaker, and Ah Hong, Ning's target.
"Spider Here" was my favorite story. It's set in a Singapore that Nanyang (Chinese) and British Malayan forces have been fighting over, with Thai Reconstruction forces also present. Against this turbulent background, young Dai Ji creates tiny battling spiders and runs a fighting and betting circle where her creations and those of other participants go up against one another. There's not a lot of story in the story, but I loved how clearly I could see the world--it sprang alive for me. I really got into the techie scenes where Dai Ji was working on her creations; I liked how they worked, just as I liked how Dai Ji's own goat-brain-powered mechanical chair (like a wheelchair, only no wheels) works. I also really liked the dialogue: it gave a sense of non-US/UK English, with new-to-me idioms and local words thrown in. Reading other Englishes (Nigerian English, South African English, Indian English) is fun; it shows how flexible language is. I've never been to Singapore, so I don't know if the story's representing actual Singaporean English or it's the author's invention--whichever it is, I liked it.
"The Chamber of Souls" starts off in Vietnam, with boat people being picked up by otherworldly Guardians and taken to the Guardians' homeland, the Waterlands of Lac, where the protagonist realizes with dismay they can never be equals, as the Guardians possess superhuman abilities. The story becomes complicated as it becomes clear that there is unrest and conflict among the rescuers. The story ends in an odd way, I found the story bewildering and unsettling, but also very thought provoking--and memorable. That ending!
"The Insects and Women Sing Together" is told from two perspectives, a mother's and a daughter's. The mother, Amphon, has risen above the constraints her birth as a girl and a peasant had placed on her. Fortune smiled on her in some ways, but she also made her own fortune. Her daughter, Kaew, has unique talents as well, and at the end of the story it's clear they're going to be a formidable pair. I think I also just really loved the illustration by Kim Miranda that accompanied it--couldn't stop looking at it. You can see an in-color version of that illustration on Kim Miranda's website, here.
If you're curious about Southeast Asian science fiction, I recommend giving this anthology a try.
I haven't read very many steampunk stories, so in part this anthology let me triangulate on what it means for a story to be steampunk. Based on this collection, I'd say steampunk requires that mechanical technology be in some way central to the story. For The SEA Is Ours, that steampunk element had to be situated in Southeast Asia. I was pleased with the diversity of nations and alt-histories present in the stories. A fair number of stories touch on colonialism. There wasn't a lot of explanation of culture or history, which I appreciated: explanations weren't needed; you could figure things out from context. If you're really curious, you can look stuff up. As Junot Diaz, Chimamanda Adichie, and many others have pointed out, this is what readers outside the US/UK have had to do with US/British lit--it's good for US/British readers to stretch those same muscles.
The stories that stuck with me most were "Chasing Volcanoes," by Marilag Angway; "Working Woman," by Olivia Ho; "Spider Here," by Robert Liow, "The Chamber of Souls," by z.m. quỳnh, and "The Insects and Women Sing Together," by Pear Nuallak (who, incidentally, is the only contributor who also features as an illustrator, providing the illustrations for "Chasing Volcanoes" and "Spider Here"). Below are a few brief words about each
"Chasing Volcanoes" features airships that run on volcanic gas, negotiating a turbulent alt-Philippines landscape of constant catastrophic eruptions. There's a brave and beautiful refugee princess and a magma-scarred female captain. The story's exciting, involving, easy to follow--a pleasure.
"Working Woman" exposes ethnic and political tensions in alt-colonial Singapore, where women are exploited as workers in coal mines, as indentured servants, and as fabulously complex clockwork-human hybrids. I enjoyed all three of the women--the one-eyed spy/bounty hunter Ning, Khairunnisa the toymaker, and Ah Hong, Ning's target.
"Spider Here" was my favorite story. It's set in a Singapore that Nanyang (Chinese) and British Malayan forces have been fighting over, with Thai Reconstruction forces also present. Against this turbulent background, young Dai Ji creates tiny battling spiders and runs a fighting and betting circle where her creations and those of other participants go up against one another. There's not a lot of story in the story, but I loved how clearly I could see the world--it sprang alive for me. I really got into the techie scenes where Dai Ji was working on her creations; I liked how they worked, just as I liked how Dai Ji's own goat-brain-powered mechanical chair (like a wheelchair, only no wheels) works. I also really liked the dialogue: it gave a sense of non-US/UK English, with new-to-me idioms and local words thrown in. Reading other Englishes (Nigerian English, South African English, Indian English) is fun; it shows how flexible language is. I've never been to Singapore, so I don't know if the story's representing actual Singaporean English or it's the author's invention--whichever it is, I liked it.
"The Chamber of Souls" starts off in Vietnam, with boat people being picked up by otherworldly Guardians and taken to the Guardians' homeland, the Waterlands of Lac, where the protagonist realizes with dismay they can never be equals, as the Guardians possess superhuman abilities. The story becomes complicated as it becomes clear that there is unrest and conflict among the rescuers. The story ends in an odd way, I found the story bewildering and unsettling, but also very thought provoking--and memorable. That ending!
"The Insects and Women Sing Together" is told from two perspectives, a mother's and a daughter's. The mother, Amphon, has risen above the constraints her birth as a girl and a peasant had placed on her. Fortune smiled on her in some ways, but she also made her own fortune. Her daughter, Kaew, has unique talents as well, and at the end of the story it's clear they're going to be a formidable pair. I think I also just really loved the illustration by Kim Miranda that accompanied it--couldn't stop looking at it. You can see an in-color version of that illustration on Kim Miranda's website, here.
If you're curious about Southeast Asian science fiction, I recommend giving this anthology a try.
January 29, 2017
You fly on your own wings.
from “On the Consequence of Sound” (T. Dimacali)
I knew I would like this book from the title: The Sea is Ours. SEA. Southeast Asia. Get it?
This book is about claiming identities. Steampunk is typically set in Victorian Britain, and the authors of the stories in Sea turn the tables on their colonizers. The people in these stories possess their own bodies, their own lands, and their own stories. Agency is theirs.
Because it’s an anthology, not all of the stories are equally satisfying. My favorite story in the collection was Olivia Ho’s “Working Woman,” a story about golems set in colonial Singapore. I thought Ho perfectly captured what the anthology set out to be: a meditation on humanity in a colonial world.
“Chasing Volcanoes” (Marilag Angway) was a typical steampunk story, wherein the characters are outlaws who are gathering energy from erupting volcanoes. I don’t think it spoke much to the postcolonial experience, but it was a fun ride.
(Side note: Both “Working Woman” and “Chasing Volcanoes” have a good metaphor on skin, culture, and the individual.)
“The Last Aswang” (Alessa Hinlo) had a mysterious atmosphere. I wouldn’t classify it as steampunk, but it told the story of the fight against the press of colonizers who would steal their traditions.
I enjoyed “Life under the Glass” (Nghi Vo) although it was neither steampunk nor postcolonial. It was a nice, quiet story about self-discovery. The narrator works through a recent heartbreak. In that sense, it fit with the other stories except that it focused on the individual.
The other stories were not nearly as satisfying as these four, but I thought they all worked well to explore the editors’ themes.
April 20, 2016
I find the star system generally quite useless in terms of rating books (sometimes a whole lot happens between "liked it" and "really liked it"); more so for an anthology, where there are definite stand-outs and a few less appealing ones. A mixed-bag, as it usually is, and my three stars don't accurately convey how some writers did really well, while some were so-so. That said the stories here have consistently intriguing ideas and a real attentiveness to details and structures and mechanisms of how things work; where some stories didn't work for me, then, was when this overrode the writing and the characterisation. Some just didn't have emotional depth and/or didn't quite experiment with form or perspective to hold my interest beyond the time it took me to read it; chief among these are the highly-praised central pieces by Kate Osias and Paolo Chikiamco. Both were overwrought and more style than substance. Also, sometimes the rhythm of language in a piece of writing is like individual personality; either you get on with it or you don't. This was pretty much my problem with L.L. Hill's story, as well.
Quieter stories by Nghi Vo, Timothy Dimacali, Pear Nuallak and ZM Quynh worked better for me; these did not announce themselves with much bombast, but were intelligent and subtle and worked a delicate magic. In these stories, the world as seen through the characters' eyes is slightly off-kilter, lovely, menacing, and mysterious. Favourites were Alessa Hinlo's remarkable fusing of Filipino myth with anticolonial politics and Olivia Ho's Singaporean take on Frankenstein's monster via the appropriated labour and bodies of Chinese women under capitalist rule. On the whole, it's really nice to read so many stories that take Southeast Asian history and culture as points of departure to subvert or modify standard steampunk tropes in order to create something wholly distinctive. (Perhaps best to point out that I don't generally read steampunk, or gravitate towards it, and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this. Or maybe what I enjoy is just Asian steampunk by Asian writers minus the orientalist gaze. Or basically just good writing that incorporates steampunk ideas. In any case, this book has set a standard for me.)
Most of the stories here are from Filipino writers and there was plenty that was new to me and fun to learn about--I really look forward to looking up more of the stuff I took notes on. A really nice and welcome effort by the editors and contributors, with lovely illustrations. If there's another volume planned at some point, I hope we'll see greater representation from other SEA countries.
Longer review is up here.
Quieter stories by Nghi Vo, Timothy Dimacali, Pear Nuallak and ZM Quynh worked better for me; these did not announce themselves with much bombast, but were intelligent and subtle and worked a delicate magic. In these stories, the world as seen through the characters' eyes is slightly off-kilter, lovely, menacing, and mysterious. Favourites were Alessa Hinlo's remarkable fusing of Filipino myth with anticolonial politics and Olivia Ho's Singaporean take on Frankenstein's monster via the appropriated labour and bodies of Chinese women under capitalist rule. On the whole, it's really nice to read so many stories that take Southeast Asian history and culture as points of departure to subvert or modify standard steampunk tropes in order to create something wholly distinctive. (Perhaps best to point out that I don't generally read steampunk, or gravitate towards it, and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this. Or maybe what I enjoy is just Asian steampunk by Asian writers minus the orientalist gaze. Or basically just good writing that incorporates steampunk ideas. In any case, this book has set a standard for me.)
Most of the stories here are from Filipino writers and there was plenty that was new to me and fun to learn about--I really look forward to looking up more of the stuff I took notes on. A really nice and welcome effort by the editors and contributors, with lovely illustrations. If there's another volume planned at some point, I hope we'll see greater representation from other SEA countries.
Longer review is up here.
August 27, 2015
An early copy of the book was sent to me via NetGalley. It won't be released until November 1st 2015.
The Sea Is Ours is a refreshing steampunk anthology. The settings are fascinating, from cramped cities to rural villages to airborne whales, and the voices were most profound at all. So much steampunk is from an English or American vantage point, and even if it doesn't glorify the imperial perspective, it can still become a stale setting. I loved reading stories that drew from the Philippines, Malaysia, and other locations across such a wide swath of the world that is too ignored in the genre. Some focused on the industrial side of steampunk, such as the mechanized fighting spiders in Robert Low's "Spider Here," while others drew on mythology such as Alessa Hinlo's "The Last Aswang." There is fabulous representation here--hooray for strong, independent women!
I really hope this anthology inspires more diversity in steampunk anthologies--more from southeast Asia, and so many other places (Hawaii? South America? Australia? Please!). Kudos to Jaymee Goh and Joyce Chng for assembling such a fun book!
The Sea Is Ours is a refreshing steampunk anthology. The settings are fascinating, from cramped cities to rural villages to airborne whales, and the voices were most profound at all. So much steampunk is from an English or American vantage point, and even if it doesn't glorify the imperial perspective, it can still become a stale setting. I loved reading stories that drew from the Philippines, Malaysia, and other locations across such a wide swath of the world that is too ignored in the genre. Some focused on the industrial side of steampunk, such as the mechanized fighting spiders in Robert Low's "Spider Here," while others drew on mythology such as Alessa Hinlo's "The Last Aswang." There is fabulous representation here--hooray for strong, independent women!
I really hope this anthology inspires more diversity in steampunk anthologies--more from southeast Asia, and so many other places (Hawaii? South America? Australia? Please!). Kudos to Jaymee Goh and Joyce Chng for assembling such a fun book!
August 16, 2015
While science fiction is very popular in Southeast Asia, those voices aren't heard very often by the Western world. This English-language anthology aims to change that.
The collection starts off beautifully, with the tales of a girl who learns to use music to fly with sky whales, and a volcano-mining airship captain who comes to love the princess she though would be useless. The following stories are just as amazing: queer girls find dragons in a wildlife preserve, a wooden figure comes to life, a mechanist rescues a clockwork cyborg, and more.
These stories fit an enormous amount of character and creativity into a small space, never relying on awkward exposition or "explaining" either the culture or the plot points. They characters exist without having to justify themselves to the audience. And the diversity goes beyond race and culture; there are some queer characters, some disabled characters. Most focus on women, women as inventors, leaders, explorers, and on women of different backgrounds working together- a nicely feminist tilt that's becoming more prominent in steampunk.
I hope more Southeast Asian stories enter into the English market, because this collection was amazing. I want to see more from this incredibly diverse but underrepresented region of the world.
The collection starts off beautifully, with the tales of a girl who learns to use music to fly with sky whales, and a volcano-mining airship captain who comes to love the princess she though would be useless. The following stories are just as amazing: queer girls find dragons in a wildlife preserve, a wooden figure comes to life, a mechanist rescues a clockwork cyborg, and more.
These stories fit an enormous amount of character and creativity into a small space, never relying on awkward exposition or "explaining" either the culture or the plot points. They characters exist without having to justify themselves to the audience. And the diversity goes beyond race and culture; there are some queer characters, some disabled characters. Most focus on women, women as inventors, leaders, explorers, and on women of different backgrounds working together- a nicely feminist tilt that's becoming more prominent in steampunk.
I hope more Southeast Asian stories enter into the English market, because this collection was amazing. I want to see more from this incredibly diverse but underrepresented region of the world.
August 17, 2015
*copy from Netgalley in exchange for a review*
The SEA is Ours is an anthology of steampunk fiction, set in and around South-East Asia. It has a combination of new and previously published authors, and a very broad range of subject matter.
That breadth of material is one of the reasons that this collection is so interesting. There’s a whole range of imaginative perspectives on display. There’s living wood, brought to life by a sculptor in defence of a homeland. There’s spiders in mechanical battlesuits. There’s a couple of mentions of the Aswang, demons of folklore, though they’re used differently across the narratives. There’s even one story which hinges upon the animal grace of flying whales - a spark of whimsical brilliance which evoked a sort of tense wonder in the reader. Essentially, these stories each have something of their own to say, and the way that each of them looks to say it feels different .
In part, this is due to the other distinction of this collection. It feels like there’s a diverse range of views here, a cultural and social understanding of humanity distinct from that with which we’re typically presented. Each author has their own style, of course, but there’s a cohesiveness here, a flavour which is hard to define, but absolutely present.
Perhaps some of it is highlighted in the several narratives of resistance – archipelago dwellers using clockwork colossi and grey-skinned monsters to defend themselves from external aggression. Or in the lucid dream-weft of a man using nano-machines to retrieve skin-flakes of the Bhudda from a rockface. There’s a sense of community, of cohesiveness and reaction against invasion, and the suggestion of an energy within that community which cannot, and indeed should not, be suppressed.
So as a whole, the collection is imaginative, in part because it opens a window onto a rarely seen perspective. But the broader question remains – are the stories actually any good? The broad answer is that yes, they are. Characters are written in with swift brush strokes, but largely given enough room to define themselves to the reader. For example, we may not know the details that led to a tense interaction between two brothers in a workshop in one story, but the sense of a shared history infuses the text. It works its way off the page, and makes the characters feel real. Or there’s the curiously fraught father-daughter relationship in another tale – as the latter attempts to emulate the former’s rise into the skies, she learns some unpleasant truths about both her father and her society, and has to cope with that knowledge.
And it feels right. It feels raw, and slightly askew, and filled with a kind of fiery complexity. Not all the characters are like this of course, but the protagonists for each tale manage the trick of seeming relatable, even those who might easily have been incomprehensible.
The plots range from the fantastic through alternate history, and each of them feels like an effective narrative unit. There were some abrupt endings, which was unfortunate, because one thing that was shared by all of the stories is that I wanted to read more of them. The collection, taken as a whole, exudes a sense of the familiar made strange, accentuated by delving into a diversity of cultural approaches which aren’t often seen, each approached in a nuanced and effective fashion.
Is this a collection worth reading? If you’re looking for something different, absolutely. It promises, and delivers, a series of compelling imaginative journeys, often showing off new directions, and conceptual spaces I, for one, was unfamiliar with – and delighted to be introduced to. On that basis – yes, this one is worth a read!
The SEA is Ours is an anthology of steampunk fiction, set in and around South-East Asia. It has a combination of new and previously published authors, and a very broad range of subject matter.
That breadth of material is one of the reasons that this collection is so interesting. There’s a whole range of imaginative perspectives on display. There’s living wood, brought to life by a sculptor in defence of a homeland. There’s spiders in mechanical battlesuits. There’s a couple of mentions of the Aswang, demons of folklore, though they’re used differently across the narratives. There’s even one story which hinges upon the animal grace of flying whales - a spark of whimsical brilliance which evoked a sort of tense wonder in the reader. Essentially, these stories each have something of their own to say, and the way that each of them looks to say it feels different .
In part, this is due to the other distinction of this collection. It feels like there’s a diverse range of views here, a cultural and social understanding of humanity distinct from that with which we’re typically presented. Each author has their own style, of course, but there’s a cohesiveness here, a flavour which is hard to define, but absolutely present.
Perhaps some of it is highlighted in the several narratives of resistance – archipelago dwellers using clockwork colossi and grey-skinned monsters to defend themselves from external aggression. Or in the lucid dream-weft of a man using nano-machines to retrieve skin-flakes of the Bhudda from a rockface. There’s a sense of community, of cohesiveness and reaction against invasion, and the suggestion of an energy within that community which cannot, and indeed should not, be suppressed.
So as a whole, the collection is imaginative, in part because it opens a window onto a rarely seen perspective. But the broader question remains – are the stories actually any good? The broad answer is that yes, they are. Characters are written in with swift brush strokes, but largely given enough room to define themselves to the reader. For example, we may not know the details that led to a tense interaction between two brothers in a workshop in one story, but the sense of a shared history infuses the text. It works its way off the page, and makes the characters feel real. Or there’s the curiously fraught father-daughter relationship in another tale – as the latter attempts to emulate the former’s rise into the skies, she learns some unpleasant truths about both her father and her society, and has to cope with that knowledge.
And it feels right. It feels raw, and slightly askew, and filled with a kind of fiery complexity. Not all the characters are like this of course, but the protagonists for each tale manage the trick of seeming relatable, even those who might easily have been incomprehensible.
The plots range from the fantastic through alternate history, and each of them feels like an effective narrative unit. There were some abrupt endings, which was unfortunate, because one thing that was shared by all of the stories is that I wanted to read more of them. The collection, taken as a whole, exudes a sense of the familiar made strange, accentuated by delving into a diversity of cultural approaches which aren’t often seen, each approached in a nuanced and effective fashion.
Is this a collection worth reading? If you’re looking for something different, absolutely. It promises, and delivers, a series of compelling imaginative journeys, often showing off new directions, and conceptual spaces I, for one, was unfamiliar with – and delighted to be introduced to. On that basis – yes, this one is worth a read!
July 21, 2019
Sborník steampunkových povídek od autorů a autorek z Filipín, Thajska a dalších jihoasijských zemí. Anebo, vyjádřeno stručněji, tohle chceš, Báro.
Úplnou náhodou jsem objevila na Goodreads synopsi, úplnou náhodou jsem v pobočce městské knihovny našla samotnou hmotnou knihu. No a protože pro mě léto = knihovna na dva měsíce zavře a dovolí vám půjčit si až 60 knih až do září, tak vždy pořádám nájezd a napůjčuji si knih hned několik. A právě Krocení sopek je součástí mého červnového lupu.
***
Nedostatkem sborníků obecně bývá kvalitativní různorodost. I když vynaložíte snahu na vybrání jen těch opravdu nejlepších příspěvků, často se i tak stane, že se najde jeden, který je kvalitou o úroveň níž než zbytek antologie (a kdyby jen jeden…). Krocení sopek je však onou pověstnou výjimkou potvrzující pravidlo. Každá z povídek se pyšní výrazným vyprávěcím hlasem, zajímavou zápletkou a postavami; netáhnou se, až k unudění čtenáře, ale dopoví vše, co dopovězeno být má. Autoři se tak0 nebáli sáhnout po silných tématech, která však pouze naznačili s citem pro krátký textový útvar. V konečném důsledku je každopádně antologie cenným příspěvkem do prozaické diskuze o kolonizaci, technologickém pokroku a budoucnosti lidstva a lidskosti.
Co opravdu oceňuji je doslov a v podstatě taková přednáška o historii a současnost jihoasijské sci-fi, fantasy a spekulativní fikce od Jaroslava Olšy. O míle mi to rozšířilo obzory a z už tak skvělé sbírky dělá sbírku téměř bezvadnou (téměř protože tiskařský šotek si naneštěstí zařádil i v této publikaci).
***
Let's be frank, this is a diversity-lover's wet dream, it's also at the same time a piece of legitimely great literature. Ownvoices steampunk about south Asian countries being colonized, people of color writing about people of color, strong women, gay main character, flying whales...this book offers a lot.
The words refreshing and well-balanced other reviewers used when describing this anthology really sum up the whole reading experience.
***
Vtěřinku. Vy mi chcete tvrdit, že Česko konečně nějakou zahraniční literaturu přeložilo jako první země. Dřív než Spojené státy*, Anglie* a Německo? A že je v tuto chvíli dokonce jediným cizojazyčným vydáním?! (Všechny ostatní jsou v angličtině, aspoň tak se to jeví, protože název je pořád v angličtině a latinkou. Pokud se tedy pod jedním vydáním skrývá vydání s anglickým názvem, ale zbytek textu je v jazyce jiném, pak logicky nejsme jediným cizojazyčným vydáním ale i tak jsme byli nečekaně rychlí. Klobouk dolů.)
*Tato konkrétní sbírka byla zřejmě psaná už rovnou v angličtině, moje poznámka platí pro texty, které se musí do angličtiny teprve překládat.
Úplnou náhodou jsem objevila na Goodreads synopsi, úplnou náhodou jsem v pobočce městské knihovny našla samotnou hmotnou knihu. No a protože pro mě léto = knihovna na dva měsíce zavře a dovolí vám půjčit si až 60 knih až do září, tak vždy pořádám nájezd a napůjčuji si knih hned několik. A právě Krocení sopek je součástí mého červnového lupu.
***
Nedostatkem sborníků obecně bývá kvalitativní různorodost. I když vynaložíte snahu na vybrání jen těch opravdu nejlepších příspěvků, často se i tak stane, že se najde jeden, který je kvalitou o úroveň níž než zbytek antologie (a kdyby jen jeden…). Krocení sopek je však onou pověstnou výjimkou potvrzující pravidlo. Každá z povídek se pyšní výrazným vyprávěcím hlasem, zajímavou zápletkou a postavami; netáhnou se, až k unudění čtenáře, ale dopoví vše, co dopovězeno být má. Autoři se tak0 nebáli sáhnout po silných tématech, která však pouze naznačili s citem pro krátký textový útvar. V konečném důsledku je každopádně antologie cenným příspěvkem do prozaické diskuze o kolonizaci, technologickém pokroku a budoucnosti lidstva a lidskosti.
Co opravdu oceňuji je doslov a v podstatě taková přednáška o historii a současnost jihoasijské sci-fi, fantasy a spekulativní fikce od Jaroslava Olšy. O míle mi to rozšířilo obzory a z už tak skvělé sbírky dělá sbírku téměř bezvadnou (téměř protože tiskařský šotek si naneštěstí zařádil i v této publikaci).
***
Let's be frank, this is a diversity-lover's wet dream, it's also at the same time a piece of legitimely great literature. Ownvoices steampunk about south Asian countries being colonized, people of color writing about people of color, strong women, gay main character, flying whales...this book offers a lot.
The words refreshing and well-balanced other reviewers used when describing this anthology really sum up the whole reading experience.
***
Vtěřinku. Vy mi chcete tvrdit, že Česko konečně nějakou zahraniční literaturu přeložilo jako první země. Dřív než Spojené státy*, Anglie* a Německo? A že je v tuto chvíli dokonce jediným cizojazyčným vydáním?! (Všechny ostatní jsou v angličtině, aspoň tak se to jeví, protože název je pořád v angličtině a latinkou. Pokud se tedy pod jedním vydáním skrývá vydání s anglickým názvem, ale zbytek textu je v jazyce jiném, pak logicky nejsme jediným cizojazyčným vydáním ale i tak jsme byli nečekaně rychlí. Klobouk dolů.)
*Tato konkrétní sbírka byla zřejmě psaná už rovnou v angličtině, moje poznámka platí pro texty, které se musí do angličtiny teprve překládat.
September 17, 2015
Having been on a "World-Literature" binge for the last several months (with a focus on themed anthologies and short-story collections), I've been introduced to some stellar titles, including the 4-Volume "Lair of the Hidden Gods" collection (Night Voices, Night Journeys), Steampunk World, Waiting for the Machines to Fall Asleep, The Apex Book of World SF Bundle, with even more waiting in the wings.
And I'm happy to say that this book was a pleasure to read, and deserves all the accolades it's receiving; it absolutely ranks up there with the best of those spec-fic titles! I simply could not put this down once I started reading.
I think what I've been enjoying most about my dive into world-literature is the different and varied cultural persepctives. To take a genre you THINK you're familiar with, and then to have it deconstructed, spun 180 degrees, and then reconstructed into something brand-new and exciting has been an absolutely eye-opening experience throughout this journey.
What I enjoyed most about this book in particular (as withSteampunk World), is the fact these well-executed stories [obviously] eschew the traditional "Euro-Centric" conceit of most steampunk. Rather, these stories are uniformly a seamless meld of Asian culture, respect for traditions and lore, and technology, and they blend into something ultimately far greater than the sum of it's parts.
A highly recommended 4-stars, with many thanks to NetGalley, who offered me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 15, 2015
Beautifully written and challenging stories, and a clearly well thought-out editorial ethos. This is the thing that I look for from anthologies, and I definitely got it here.
August 29, 2015
Southeast Asia is a region rich with legends and myths which hasn't been explored enough by writers, even those residing here. But this is probably partly because we don't have that many venues in which to share these stories.
It goes without saying then that The SEA Is Ours, a steampunk anthology featuring writers from all over Southeast Asia, is a timely anthology that fills the need to showcase stories from authors we don't normally hear from.
The two editors, Jaymee Goh and Joyce Chng, have made great choices in selecting the stories that went into this anthology. There were only a couple of stories that didn't really grab my attention, but that's par for the course for any collection of stories. It's rare that I find myself liking all the stories in an anthology.
The ones that did really stood out for me were Timothy Dimacali's On The Consequence of Sound, which, rightly, is the opening story and features humongous giant whale catfish sweeping through the skies; Marilag Angway's Chasing Volcanoes which featured airships (my primary reason for loving the steampunk genre) and a fun, rollicking adventure worthy of the era of pulps and adventure serials; as well as Paolo Chikiamco's Between Severed Souls, a really fun steampunk twist on a Filipino legend.
You may have noticed that all the stories I mentioned above were written by Filipinos. They really turned in great stuff and this anthology has piqued my interest in looking for more SFF written by them.
Lots of other cool stories from writers from Southeast Asian countries worthy of your attention as well such as Olivia Ho's Working Woman and ZM Quynh's Chamber of Souls. All in all though, a fun book to read and a great addition to the canon that is world SFF. Truly worthy of your attention if you're a fan of well-written speculative fiction, steampunk or otherwise.
This review was made possible courtesy of NetGalley.
It goes without saying then that The SEA Is Ours, a steampunk anthology featuring writers from all over Southeast Asia, is a timely anthology that fills the need to showcase stories from authors we don't normally hear from.
The two editors, Jaymee Goh and Joyce Chng, have made great choices in selecting the stories that went into this anthology. There were only a couple of stories that didn't really grab my attention, but that's par for the course for any collection of stories. It's rare that I find myself liking all the stories in an anthology.
The ones that did really stood out for me were Timothy Dimacali's On The Consequence of Sound, which, rightly, is the opening story and features humongous giant whale catfish sweeping through the skies; Marilag Angway's Chasing Volcanoes which featured airships (my primary reason for loving the steampunk genre) and a fun, rollicking adventure worthy of the era of pulps and adventure serials; as well as Paolo Chikiamco's Between Severed Souls, a really fun steampunk twist on a Filipino legend.
You may have noticed that all the stories I mentioned above were written by Filipinos. They really turned in great stuff and this anthology has piqued my interest in looking for more SFF written by them.
Lots of other cool stories from writers from Southeast Asian countries worthy of your attention as well such as Olivia Ho's Working Woman and ZM Quynh's Chamber of Souls. All in all though, a fun book to read and a great addition to the canon that is world SFF. Truly worthy of your attention if you're a fan of well-written speculative fiction, steampunk or otherwise.
This review was made possible courtesy of NetGalley.
September 27, 2016
The SEA Is Ours: Tales of Steampunk Southeast Asia is the best steampunk anthology I have read, the best anthology of Southeast Asian authors I have read, and the best steampunk anthology of Southeast Asian authors I have read. That the word "best" could be replaced by "only" is irrelevant: this is a damn good, important anthology that blows apart the general perception of steampunk and shows how much fun and originality can be had if you simply step away from Victorians with goggles. On top of that, it shows the incredible diversity of voices and cultures in Southeast Asia, especially during that time period, when these countries were dealing with European colonizers. Hell, I learned some history from these stories.
Everything you love about steampunk is here—airships, automatons, clockwork bugs, mad science golems (no goggles, though)—but it all becomes so much fresher when seen in a new context, when melded with folklore, when POC are the heroes and not the side characters. I liked nearly every story to some extent, but my favorite story, hands down, was Olivia Ho's "Working Woman," a delightful spy thriller with a killer robot and a mechanical eye. I'd recommend the anthology on the strength of that story alone, but other standouts include Kate Osias's "The Unmaking of Cuadro Amoroso," about a superpowered revenge plot; Timothy Dimacali's "On the Consequence of Sound," a coming-of-age tale with SKY WHALES; and Ivana Mendels's "Petrified," which plays with POV to give the reader the whole story.
Jaymee Goh and Joyce Chng have assembled a very enjoyable collection of stories written by a dozen authors that should be on everyone's Writers to Watch list. Pick it up and prepare to be transported.
Everything you love about steampunk is here—airships, automatons, clockwork bugs, mad science golems (no goggles, though)—but it all becomes so much fresher when seen in a new context, when melded with folklore, when POC are the heroes and not the side characters. I liked nearly every story to some extent, but my favorite story, hands down, was Olivia Ho's "Working Woman," a delightful spy thriller with a killer robot and a mechanical eye. I'd recommend the anthology on the strength of that story alone, but other standouts include Kate Osias's "The Unmaking of Cuadro Amoroso," about a superpowered revenge plot; Timothy Dimacali's "On the Consequence of Sound," a coming-of-age tale with SKY WHALES; and Ivana Mendels's "Petrified," which plays with POV to give the reader the whole story.
Jaymee Goh and Joyce Chng have assembled a very enjoyable collection of stories written by a dozen authors that should be on everyone's Writers to Watch list. Pick it up and prepare to be transported.
September 20, 2015
To me, reading them from a European perspective, the short stories contained in the anthology are wonderfully different, and they open your eyes to the view of those who were on the receiving end of colonialism. It is a whole different view and it is a completely different way to tackle Steampunk.
You get Buddhist spirituality, organic technology, spirits, fauna adapted to a certain kind of ore, alchemy, music and technology and so much more.
I cannot even say which one of the stories is my favourite. Each one is unique in their own way. There are some in there that I found more fun to read than others. Some of them are really sad, one becomes pretty predictable after a certain point but each opens vistas you simply do not get in the usual Steampunk tale.
The SEA is Ours: Tales of Steampunk Southeast Asia is beautiful, exciting, and it makes your inner Steampunk landscape more complete. It also reminds you that there are cultures in this part of the world Europeans and North Americans usually know so little about, that are older than our own, that have their own histories, stories and ways to deal with the world.
The SEA is Ours: Tales of Steampunk Southeast Asia takes you on a fantastic journey east, to lands unknown to most of us and shows you things you will not forget.
You get Buddhist spirituality, organic technology, spirits, fauna adapted to a certain kind of ore, alchemy, music and technology and so much more.
I cannot even say which one of the stories is my favourite. Each one is unique in their own way. There are some in there that I found more fun to read than others. Some of them are really sad, one becomes pretty predictable after a certain point but each opens vistas you simply do not get in the usual Steampunk tale.
The SEA is Ours: Tales of Steampunk Southeast Asia is beautiful, exciting, and it makes your inner Steampunk landscape more complete. It also reminds you that there are cultures in this part of the world Europeans and North Americans usually know so little about, that are older than our own, that have their own histories, stories and ways to deal with the world.
The SEA is Ours: Tales of Steampunk Southeast Asia takes you on a fantastic journey east, to lands unknown to most of us and shows you things you will not forget.
May 31, 2024
I enjoyed this anthology. Some great writing at work here, though as a Steampunk fan, I have to quibble: many of the stories had little or nothing to do with what I consider Steampunk. Mind you, there was not a single bad or poorly-written story in the bunch; all were good stories well told. I lost a bit of enthusiasm to keep reading when, around the half-way point, it became clear that most of the stories were more general spec fic. Most DID have references to colonialism, which was expected (and welcome) but very few dealt with typical Steampunk tropes in anything but a superficial way. The Southeast Asia setting was taken seriously, but my impression is that many of the writers either had little experience with Steampunk as a genre, or perhaps they wanted to push the envelope in defining Steampunk.
I cannot stress enough that this was a very good collection of stories. This anthology was originally funded via Indiegogo; I was not able to back it during the campaign, but ordered a copy through my favorite local bookstore after it was published. It is an enjoyable read once you set aside any preconceived expectations of what Steampunk "should" be.
I cannot stress enough that this was a very good collection of stories. This anthology was originally funded via Indiegogo; I was not able to back it during the campaign, but ordered a copy through my favorite local bookstore after it was published. It is an enjoyable read once you set aside any preconceived expectations of what Steampunk "should" be.
August 20, 2015
The Sea Is Ours, Editors Jaymee Goh and Joyce Chng- This Asian Steampunk anthology offers stories from authors you'll be reading in the near future I'm sure. At first I was uncertain as to the nature of Asian Steampunk. Not like your Victorian bustles and gears(well, maybe a few gears!)fiction at all, but more of a magical world of strange powers and veiled conspiracies. One person's magic is another's science. Timothy Dimacali begins with "On The Consequence of Sound", a slight story that reminds one of Paolo Bacigalupi in its gentle persistent nature and tone. "Chasing Volcanoes" by Marilag Angway follows and is so enjoyable I wished to see it in novel form. Alessa Hinlo's "The last Aswang" delivers a powerful story about power and its use and abuse. The remaining stories all have equal success in providing enjoyable and thought-provoking tales that rely on South Asian folk lore and backgrounds to present a different form of Steampunk than what you might be used to. Don't be afraid. There's a wonderfully colorful world for you to explore.
September 20, 2015
This collection is quite admirable for highlighting an overlooked literary category, and for including a varied group of authors.
I have a great regard for all things Steampunk. Having lived in and traveled extensively in Asia, I felt I would be sure to love these stories. Sadly, I could not continue reading them. After reading for a few pages, I would put the book aside for a few days and try again with another story. While the ideas were captivating, the characterizations and writing were generally uninviting.
I can not recommend this strongly as other than an introduction to a new literary area, but I would recommend this to fans of science fiction who are looking for a different taste.
**eARC netgalley**
I have a great regard for all things Steampunk. Having lived in and traveled extensively in Asia, I felt I would be sure to love these stories. Sadly, I could not continue reading them. After reading for a few pages, I would put the book aside for a few days and try again with another story. While the ideas were captivating, the characterizations and writing were generally uninviting.
I can not recommend this strongly as other than an introduction to a new literary area, but I would recommend this to fans of science fiction who are looking for a different taste.
**eARC netgalley**
February 15, 2017
As with any anthology, there is such a diverse array of stories, perspectives, and voices that not every story may be quite the thing for the moment, but all of these stories are genuinely beautifully written and engaging. Many of them are also challenging to preconceptions of what constitutes Steampunk and the standard types of technology developed in retrofuturistic stories. Every one of the stories made me think, question, reevaluate. In every case, I wanted to read more not because the stories weren't sufficient unto themselves, necessarily, but because the worlds were so vivid, the characters so interesting, and the ideas so fresh that I simply wished to spend more time with them and learn more.
October 22, 2016
You had me at Southasian steampunk.
This book shows that Steampunk is not limited (and should not be) limited to Victorian-era, western lands, ideas, culture, etc. Reading how these amazing authors entwine the concept of steampunk with different Asian history and mythology just made me appreciate the genre even more. And to see a reflection of my culture in this genre (which I rarely, dare I say never, see is soooo refreshing).
Cheers to Rosarium Publishing for publishing this amazing anthology, which is definitely my go-to for steampunk. This is not a book for steampunk fans to miss.
This book shows that Steampunk is not limited (and should not be) limited to Victorian-era, western lands, ideas, culture, etc. Reading how these amazing authors entwine the concept of steampunk with different Asian history and mythology just made me appreciate the genre even more. And to see a reflection of my culture in this genre (which I rarely, dare I say never, see is soooo refreshing).
Cheers to Rosarium Publishing for publishing this amazing anthology, which is definitely my go-to for steampunk. This is not a book for steampunk fans to miss.
December 11, 2017
It was refreshing and eye-opening to read steampunk stories from a non-eurocentric perspective: https://paperwanderer.wordpress.com/2...
July 23, 2018
This is a difficult book to review. Some of the stories were extraordinary, some didn't work for me on any level, and some were just okay. All in all, I do plan to keep the book and add it to my family library so that can be taken as a recommendation. Here are a few of my favorites from this book:
"Working Woman" by Olivia Ho was fun & I would enjoy more action-adventure stories featuring the characters in this story.
"The Chamber of Souls" by z.m. Quynh explores an intriguing concept. At the end, it seems to either veer from where it was going or jump ahead in a much longer story, but the ideas & imagery stayed with me.
I also enjoyed several other stories that hinted at horror without getting gory. These were all tinged with righteous vengeance against colonizers.
But my very favorite was "On the Consequence of Sound" by Timothy Dimacali. It reads like a folktale, and though you know where it's going, it doesn't matter. It's a work of art akin to Van Gogh's irises, and truly a beautiful story.
"Working Woman" by Olivia Ho was fun & I would enjoy more action-adventure stories featuring the characters in this story.
"The Chamber of Souls" by z.m. Quynh explores an intriguing concept. At the end, it seems to either veer from where it was going or jump ahead in a much longer story, but the ideas & imagery stayed with me.
I also enjoyed several other stories that hinted at horror without getting gory. These were all tinged with righteous vengeance against colonizers.
But my very favorite was "On the Consequence of Sound" by Timothy Dimacali. It reads like a folktale, and though you know where it's going, it doesn't matter. It's a work of art akin to Van Gogh's irises, and truly a beautiful story.
June 3, 2020
My favourites from this collection are: Life Under Glass, Working Woman, The Chamber of Souls
As with most collection of short stories this one was a case of hit-and-miss for me. For the very specific niche it covers (Southeast Asian steampunk by Southeast Asians) - I would recommend it if only to get a taste of regional writers.
For more Southeast Asian speculative fiction I can direct you to the LONTAR journals (while not exactly being regional writers and once or twice stepping outside of the region still has that regional flavour going for it).
First finished: 11may2020
Source: Times the Bookstore (regional bookstore chain)
As with most collection of short stories this one was a case of hit-and-miss for me. For the very specific niche it covers (Southeast Asian steampunk by Southeast Asians) - I would recommend it if only to get a taste of regional writers.
For more Southeast Asian speculative fiction I can direct you to the LONTAR journals (while not exactly being regional writers and once or twice stepping outside of the region still has that regional flavour going for it).
First finished: 11may2020
Source: Times the Bookstore (regional bookstore chain)
February 5, 2016
[I received a copy of this book through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.]
An interesting change of setting, mixing south-eastern Asia culture and various other aspects to engineering and more “steampunkish” elements. I appreciated this nice change of pace, so different from the typical corset & goggle aesthetics: though I still love the latter, variety is always good, and the whole steam/mechanical technology shouldn't be restricted to European or American settings.
Descriptions and characters mostly felt real enough, and I had no trouble imagining what their surroundings looked like. Some stories used “foreign” words whose meaning wasn't too difficult to guess, so it added to the immersion factor while not being overly confusing. A certain dichotomy also permeated this anthology, though in a harmonious way, in that several of the stories mixed technology with traditional or supernatural aspects: the Westerners' cold, rational technology as opposed to a technology combining magic or spirits to science. As simplistic as the first may seem, it still flowed well enough for me.
What I found lacking in this anthology is something I find both very difficult to achieve as a writer, and lacking in short stories in general: it came with a lot of excellent ideas, character concepts and backgrounds, but tended to leave the reader to dry by cutting off abruptly the narratives. I kept expecting either more of a punchline at the end of stories, or to learn that those had also been developed / were to be developed into novellas or novels later. As a result, I more than once reached the end of a story thinking “am I missing a few pages here?”
Favourite stories:
“On the Consequence of Sound”: though the ending was a bit predictable, I really liked the idea of using music to make items and ships levitate.
“The Unmaking of the Cuadro Amoroso”: exploring various ideas, such as artists that are also scientists (or is it the contrary?), science versus faith, an oppressive government, revenge, and a polyamorous relationship presented in a totally natural way.
“Working women”: a bit too abrupt to my taste in how events unfurled, however I liked its weaving of three women's stories, colliding through mechanical transformations, how society perceived them, and how they acted to (re)claim their own worth and independence.
Formatting: a few typos here and there, however I read an ARC, so this was probably to be expected. I don't know about the printed book.
An interesting change of setting, mixing south-eastern Asia culture and various other aspects to engineering and more “steampunkish” elements. I appreciated this nice change of pace, so different from the typical corset & goggle aesthetics: though I still love the latter, variety is always good, and the whole steam/mechanical technology shouldn't be restricted to European or American settings.
Descriptions and characters mostly felt real enough, and I had no trouble imagining what their surroundings looked like. Some stories used “foreign” words whose meaning wasn't too difficult to guess, so it added to the immersion factor while not being overly confusing. A certain dichotomy also permeated this anthology, though in a harmonious way, in that several of the stories mixed technology with traditional or supernatural aspects: the Westerners' cold, rational technology as opposed to a technology combining magic or spirits to science. As simplistic as the first may seem, it still flowed well enough for me.
What I found lacking in this anthology is something I find both very difficult to achieve as a writer, and lacking in short stories in general: it came with a lot of excellent ideas, character concepts and backgrounds, but tended to leave the reader to dry by cutting off abruptly the narratives. I kept expecting either more of a punchline at the end of stories, or to learn that those had also been developed / were to be developed into novellas or novels later. As a result, I more than once reached the end of a story thinking “am I missing a few pages here?”
Favourite stories:
“On the Consequence of Sound”: though the ending was a bit predictable, I really liked the idea of using music to make items and ships levitate.
“The Unmaking of the Cuadro Amoroso”: exploring various ideas, such as artists that are also scientists (or is it the contrary?), science versus faith, an oppressive government, revenge, and a polyamorous relationship presented in a totally natural way.
“Working women”: a bit too abrupt to my taste in how events unfurled, however I liked its weaving of three women's stories, colliding through mechanical transformations, how society perceived them, and how they acted to (re)claim their own worth and independence.
Formatting: a few typos here and there, however I read an ARC, so this was probably to be expected. I don't know about the printed book.
October 31, 2015
This is the second volume I have read edited by Joyce Chng who shows a talent, along with Jaymee Goh, for selecting quality work and writers.
The Sea is Ours – Tales of Steampunk South East Asia quite directly presents itself as Steampunk. I want to say though, that it’s a bit more than that. It’s quite easy to dismiss Steampunk in general as a sub-genre that’s been overworked.
From very early on in my reading though, it was apparent that The Sea is Ours, had greater depth. Here’s what I wrote via a Goodreads update nearly halfway through the reading:
An intriguing selection that is reminiscent of Alternative Alamat in some ways. This *is* steampunk, but where that might cause potential readers to roll eyes and think "not another clockwork collection", The Sea is Ours is much more South East Asian alternative history and is all the better for it. The steampunk is subtle in most cases and where it isn't it’s original.
Collections like the The Sea is Ours is what I think of when talking about diversity in genre. Each of the stories contained brought a new angle or a fresh perspective on some old tropes.
But ultimately what excited me was the stories and characters of South East Asia. In and age long past half my history major was on Ancient South East Asian history, so for me The Sea is Ours brings back memories and adds additional threads to the tapestry of my experience.
Steampunk can feel “bolted” on a times, a cliché, but what I found with each of these stories was a much subtler integration into both story and culture. In some stories the technology arrives from outside the narrative’s culture and it’s adapted, in others it forms an integral part.
There’s also a good balance of the mythic and fantastical, Alessa Hinlo’s, The Last Aswang, and Timothy Dimacali’s On The Consequence of Sound, immediately spring to mind. Each author brings something fresh to this work though and for a collection that has its fair mention of airships and automatons, The Sea is Ours delivers variety in the type of story as well.
This is a fresh and original collection that reworks Steampunk in interesting ways while showcasing talented authors who present us with the reworked and reimagined stories of their own cultures and traditions.
Alter your perspective.
This is a review copy offered by the publisher.
The Sea is Ours – Tales of Steampunk South East Asia quite directly presents itself as Steampunk. I want to say though, that it’s a bit more than that. It’s quite easy to dismiss Steampunk in general as a sub-genre that’s been overworked.
From very early on in my reading though, it was apparent that The Sea is Ours, had greater depth. Here’s what I wrote via a Goodreads update nearly halfway through the reading:
An intriguing selection that is reminiscent of Alternative Alamat in some ways. This *is* steampunk, but where that might cause potential readers to roll eyes and think "not another clockwork collection", The Sea is Ours is much more South East Asian alternative history and is all the better for it. The steampunk is subtle in most cases and where it isn't it’s original.
Collections like the The Sea is Ours is what I think of when talking about diversity in genre. Each of the stories contained brought a new angle or a fresh perspective on some old tropes.
But ultimately what excited me was the stories and characters of South East Asia. In and age long past half my history major was on Ancient South East Asian history, so for me The Sea is Ours brings back memories and adds additional threads to the tapestry of my experience.
Steampunk can feel “bolted” on a times, a cliché, but what I found with each of these stories was a much subtler integration into both story and culture. In some stories the technology arrives from outside the narrative’s culture and it’s adapted, in others it forms an integral part.
There’s also a good balance of the mythic and fantastical, Alessa Hinlo’s, The Last Aswang, and Timothy Dimacali’s On The Consequence of Sound, immediately spring to mind. Each author brings something fresh to this work though and for a collection that has its fair mention of airships and automatons, The Sea is Ours delivers variety in the type of story as well.
This is a fresh and original collection that reworks Steampunk in interesting ways while showcasing talented authors who present us with the reworked and reimagined stories of their own cultures and traditions.
Alter your perspective.
This is a review copy offered by the publisher.
November 27, 2016
I have this really big pile of unread books and comics in my office, but I was delighted when the anthology The Sea is Ours ~ Tales of Steampunk Southeast Asia finally got to the top. It came from a successful Indiegogo campaign that I backed some time ago and it feeds into my desire to read steampunk set anywhere but in England. (Full disclosure: One of the editors took my “Crowdfunding for Independent Creators” class.) Coming from an aesthetic very different from British dominated neo-Victorianism and steampunk, these stories explore technology, alternate history and retrofuturism from a Southeast Asian viewpoint. I’m happy to say that each of these stories succeeds in their own way.
The stories range from the fanciful to poignant. My favorites were “The Consequence of Sound,” “Spider Here,” and “Petrified.” In “The Consequence of Sound,” a young Filipino woman trains to fly sky whales not knowing that failure is not an option. “Spider Here” takes off-track betting to a new and refreshing place with automated spiders built by a genius Malaysian girl and “Petrified” introduces us to the new Republic of Nusantra where airship pirates and automatons band together to stop a new threat to their independence.
Each of these stories is unique and fresh and I enjoyed them all. I will admit that I probably missed some cultural nuances since I am not that familiar with Southeast Asian culture and mythology. However, it certainly inspired me to learn more about it. My only quibble is with the art at the chapter breaks. In my opinion, some of it really wasn’t up to the standards of the stories which clearly got a lot of love and attention by the editors. However, that’s not what this anthology is about.
These stories not only enlighten the uninitiated to alternate steampunk visions, but fill your imagination with what could be or should have been. As a hardcore science fiction and fantasy buff, I strongly recommend reading outside your usual list of favorite authors, and this would be a good place to start.
Originally published at Fanbase press.
The stories range from the fanciful to poignant. My favorites were “The Consequence of Sound,” “Spider Here,” and “Petrified.” In “The Consequence of Sound,” a young Filipino woman trains to fly sky whales not knowing that failure is not an option. “Spider Here” takes off-track betting to a new and refreshing place with automated spiders built by a genius Malaysian girl and “Petrified” introduces us to the new Republic of Nusantra where airship pirates and automatons band together to stop a new threat to their independence.
Each of these stories is unique and fresh and I enjoyed them all. I will admit that I probably missed some cultural nuances since I am not that familiar with Southeast Asian culture and mythology. However, it certainly inspired me to learn more about it. My only quibble is with the art at the chapter breaks. In my opinion, some of it really wasn’t up to the standards of the stories which clearly got a lot of love and attention by the editors. However, that’s not what this anthology is about.
These stories not only enlighten the uninitiated to alternate steampunk visions, but fill your imagination with what could be or should have been. As a hardcore science fiction and fantasy buff, I strongly recommend reading outside your usual list of favorite authors, and this would be a good place to start.
Originally published at Fanbase press.
June 25, 2016
Více takových knih, prosím :) Jedná se o naprosto úžasnou antologii steampunkových povídek a já doufám, že si od jednotlivých autorů budeme moci něco přečíst v češtině i v budoucnu. A přestože všechny příběhy byly úchvatné, nejvíce si mě získaly povídky Zkáza Cuadro Amoroso, Krocení sopek, Pracující žena a Hmyz a ženy pějí spolu. Hlavními hrdinkami jsou v těchto povídkách ženy, statečné, nemilosrdné a zároveň obětavé, které se před nikým neskloní. Nejen tyto vybrané příběhy, ale celou antologii rozhodně doporučuji všem milovníkům sci-fi a filipínské mytologie.
January 19, 2016
A collection of shorts with very different backgrounds, it's nice to see something other than yet another Sherlock clone. Some of these would probably make better novellas or novels, it's hard to show a radically different world and have a good story in less than 20 pages. Many SF writers consider the short story to be one of the more difficult lengths.
Kudos to my local libraries for having so many small press publications on hand.
Kudos to my local libraries for having so many small press publications on hand.
March 27, 2018
https://twitter.com/blowpopsreviews/s...
Part one of my thread on it for review purposes
https://twitter.com/blowpopsreviews/s...
Part two of my thread for review purposes
Part one of my thread on it for review purposes
https://twitter.com/blowpopsreviews/s...
Part two of my thread for review purposes
March 27, 2016
Very beautiful, queer, grotesk, lovely. :)
June 11, 2018
Excellent. Book is 208 pages, not 270.
January 29, 2016
Literature is a collaborative exercise between author and reader, with the story emerging from the intersection of intention and reception. That collaborative experience is very different for those who have small versus large intersections of background between the author and the potential readership. (I am very awkwardly trying to avoid using words like “minority” and “marginalized” which carry an inherent sense that U.S. publishing culture is the ruler against which all else is to be compared.) The author who writes from a cultural experience that is shared by a relatively small proportion of their potential readership (whether due to demographics or cultural hegemony) must choose between spending time bringing the bulk of their readers up to speed on unfamiliar concepts or simply lobbing those concepts straight at them with the instructions, “Catch it or duck!”
In some ways, SFF authors who are in this position have an advantage, in that the SFF readership is (in theory) accustomed to stories that plunge them into unfamiliar worlds and expect them to pick up what they need to know from context. We’ve been trained to expect unfamiliar vocabulary and concepts, to be tossed in media res, and to work things out as we go along. There are existing reading protocols to deal with the unfamiliar.
This is “in theory” because SFF readers can be startlingly fixated on specific cultural models as being somehow more real and natural than others. Cultural background is a large part of that, whether it derives from the reader’s own culture of origin, or from the established body of existing SFF literature. And, unlike purely invented cultures like Middle Earth or Star Trek’s Federation, the real-life and literary/mythological elements a non-Western author brings to their SFF are shared by some proportion of their readers, creating a dichotomous experience where some readers will see deeper resonances than others. I’ll be one of the readers who doesn’t necessarily see those deeper resonances, so I can only review the stories in terms of my own understanding.
The concept behind The Sea is Ours is exactly what it says on the label: steampunk stories set in Southeast Asia, written primarily (although not exclusively?) by authors whose own roots are in that region. The title is a delightful play on both the geographic acronym (SEA) and the significant presence that the ocean plays in this corner of the world.
(Note that I wrote up these reviews as I read each piece, so there will be references to “of what I’ve read so far” in places.)
“The Consequence of Sound” by Timothy Dimacali – A coming-of-age story involving the mastery of a music-based levitation technology, giant sky-whales, and the loss of innocence. A vividly-told story with great world-building, although I found the ending too abrupt.
“Chasing Volcanoes” by Marilag Angway – If you’re the sort who enjoys a loving focus on exploring the details and consequences of a fictional technology (in this case, “mining” volcanoes for energy-producing gas), this is for you. There are also political and personal elements to the plot, but they felt more awkward. The ending fell flat for me, not so much because it followed standard rescue-and-redemption tropes, but because it hinged on a mechanical failure of a safety suit that didn’t work for me on a purely technical level.
“Ordained” by L.L. Hill – I have the feeling this story was trying to do something I didn’t quite get. It’s a very atmospheric tale of an encounter between two brothers: one a Buddhist monk, one who has embraced colonialist culture. The steampunk element involves clockwork insects, which are also involved in some fashion in the only thing that seems to provide a moment of overt conflict. But the resolution, if present, is very subtle. The specific religious framing of the interaction made me a bit more willing to accept it as an experiential rather than plot-driven piece, but I’m still certain that I’m missing parts. The descriptive language is so lush and ambitious that it falls over the edge into purple prose, for me. Some of the descriptive passages became so convoluted in their syntax that I had difficulty determining exactly what image I was supposed to be envisioning.
“The Last Aswang” by Alessa Hinlo – A sharp and satisfying tale of international relations involving both human and supernatural players with a violent and somewhat bloodthirsty conclusion. There were a few editorial glitches that I found distracting, but I liked the gradual exposition and foreshadowing.
“Life Under Glass” by Nghi Vo – A sweet and colorful vignette of a specimen-collecting expedition that turns up something unexpected. There’s also a relationship/self-discovery thread in the story. Nicely written but I had a hard time finding a satisfying plot. Neither of the main themes really resolved in any clear way. It was also hard to tie it into the steampunk theme. There was some handwaving about stasis tanks for the specimens, but in a very incidental way.
“Between Severed Souls” by Paolo Chikiamco – This is the second story in the collection so far that sets up conflict and contrast between siblings, one who has adopted the trappings of colonialist invaders and one who has not. This was quite a complex and tightly plotted story, involving a woodcarver and a piece of lumber with magical properties, in addition to something of a love triangle (with one member being dead) and the risks and consequences of warfare. There are mechanical devices and mechanical body parts to bring the steampunk balance to the other more supernatural elements. A well-written and satisfying story overall.
“The Unmaking of the Cuadro Amoroso” by Kate Osias – A dark story about love, relationships, and revenge where the steampunk elements are front and center in the action. The underlying theme is how political powers twist and warp creative people for their own ends, destroying what they hope to use. Bonus points for non-default sexuality.
“Working Woman” by Olivia Ho – The politics and morality of cybernetic people is central to this rather violent story of what people do to survive…and what they do when they decide survival isn’t the highest priority. There are also strong themes of the interactions of distinct cultures in close proximity, the human toll of industrialization, and the bonds that women form against all other differences. Despite the story being considerably more violent than I usually care for (although the violence feels more in the comic-book vein than being viscerally horrific), this may be my favorite of the collection. Excellently written with solid and intricate world-building.
“Spider Here” by Robert Liow – This story did two things very well and the rest somewhat disappointingly. The protagonist is a physically disabled girl who creates bio-cybernetic spider housings (that is, housings inhabited and powered by spiders) for combat entertainments. A larger-scale version of the sort of work she creates appears as her mobility assistive device. Both the vivid description of the technical details of her work, and the very matter-of-fact inclusion of her disability and its compensations are high points. Unfortunately, the story as a whole is disappointing. The opening narrative is too full of unnecessary explanation, while in contrast certain prominent events and characters are introduced that are never really followed up on. And the plot just sort of stops rather than concluding.
“The Chamber of Souls” by zm quỳnh – A group of Vietnamese refugees are rescued from the open sea only to find themselves in the hands of aliens from another world (although the exact relationship of their world to ours is never clear). This initial charity turns dangerous when the refugees are thrust into the middle of an inter-alien conflict and discover certain incompatibilities between human and alien physical requirements. The protagonist goes to extremes to rescue an alien cybernetic entity that carries a valuable component. The conclusion of the story features themes of displacement, adjustment, and trying to reconstruct one’s native culture in an alien environment. In the final scene, the protagonist is offered an option for ultimate integration with his new environs—an option that I found intensely disturbing, but that could be viewed either as a cautionary metaphor for the assimilation process, or as a positive act within a cultural system with different rules and values than my own. I’d be curious to know which the author intended or whether the ambiguity itself was intentional.
“Petrified” by Ivanna Mendels – Some intricate and deep worldbuilding that for me was undermined by the story being conveyed in awkward info-dumps and as-you-know-Bobs. The premise was interesting, but the writing style didn’t work at all for me.
“The Insects and Women Sing Together” by Pear Nuallak – A story of the overlooked strength and creativity of women against a setting of political struggle and war. I particularly liked the way it depicted a variety of women’s relationships and different ways of resisting narrow expectations. Oh, and queerness. I liked that part too. This ties with the Olivia Ho story for my favorite.
Overall, a somewhat uneven collection. The cultural aspect of the theme was strong and consistent, even if the steampunk aspect occasionally faltered. The characters are delightfully diverse within the specified setting, particularly in terms of gender, sexuality, and disability. There were places where a stronger editorial hand would have been useful, but several of the stories shone out brightly. I particularly liked “Between Severed Souls” by Paolo Chikiamco, “Working Woman” by Olivia Ho, and “The Insects and Women Sing Together” by Pear Nuallak.
In some ways, SFF authors who are in this position have an advantage, in that the SFF readership is (in theory) accustomed to stories that plunge them into unfamiliar worlds and expect them to pick up what they need to know from context. We’ve been trained to expect unfamiliar vocabulary and concepts, to be tossed in media res, and to work things out as we go along. There are existing reading protocols to deal with the unfamiliar.
This is “in theory” because SFF readers can be startlingly fixated on specific cultural models as being somehow more real and natural than others. Cultural background is a large part of that, whether it derives from the reader’s own culture of origin, or from the established body of existing SFF literature. And, unlike purely invented cultures like Middle Earth or Star Trek’s Federation, the real-life and literary/mythological elements a non-Western author brings to their SFF are shared by some proportion of their readers, creating a dichotomous experience where some readers will see deeper resonances than others. I’ll be one of the readers who doesn’t necessarily see those deeper resonances, so I can only review the stories in terms of my own understanding.
The concept behind The Sea is Ours is exactly what it says on the label: steampunk stories set in Southeast Asia, written primarily (although not exclusively?) by authors whose own roots are in that region. The title is a delightful play on both the geographic acronym (SEA) and the significant presence that the ocean plays in this corner of the world.
(Note that I wrote up these reviews as I read each piece, so there will be references to “of what I’ve read so far” in places.)
“The Consequence of Sound” by Timothy Dimacali – A coming-of-age story involving the mastery of a music-based levitation technology, giant sky-whales, and the loss of innocence. A vividly-told story with great world-building, although I found the ending too abrupt.
“Chasing Volcanoes” by Marilag Angway – If you’re the sort who enjoys a loving focus on exploring the details and consequences of a fictional technology (in this case, “mining” volcanoes for energy-producing gas), this is for you. There are also political and personal elements to the plot, but they felt more awkward. The ending fell flat for me, not so much because it followed standard rescue-and-redemption tropes, but because it hinged on a mechanical failure of a safety suit that didn’t work for me on a purely technical level.
“Ordained” by L.L. Hill – I have the feeling this story was trying to do something I didn’t quite get. It’s a very atmospheric tale of an encounter between two brothers: one a Buddhist monk, one who has embraced colonialist culture. The steampunk element involves clockwork insects, which are also involved in some fashion in the only thing that seems to provide a moment of overt conflict. But the resolution, if present, is very subtle. The specific religious framing of the interaction made me a bit more willing to accept it as an experiential rather than plot-driven piece, but I’m still certain that I’m missing parts. The descriptive language is so lush and ambitious that it falls over the edge into purple prose, for me. Some of the descriptive passages became so convoluted in their syntax that I had difficulty determining exactly what image I was supposed to be envisioning.
“The Last Aswang” by Alessa Hinlo – A sharp and satisfying tale of international relations involving both human and supernatural players with a violent and somewhat bloodthirsty conclusion. There were a few editorial glitches that I found distracting, but I liked the gradual exposition and foreshadowing.
“Life Under Glass” by Nghi Vo – A sweet and colorful vignette of a specimen-collecting expedition that turns up something unexpected. There’s also a relationship/self-discovery thread in the story. Nicely written but I had a hard time finding a satisfying plot. Neither of the main themes really resolved in any clear way. It was also hard to tie it into the steampunk theme. There was some handwaving about stasis tanks for the specimens, but in a very incidental way.
“Between Severed Souls” by Paolo Chikiamco – This is the second story in the collection so far that sets up conflict and contrast between siblings, one who has adopted the trappings of colonialist invaders and one who has not. This was quite a complex and tightly plotted story, involving a woodcarver and a piece of lumber with magical properties, in addition to something of a love triangle (with one member being dead) and the risks and consequences of warfare. There are mechanical devices and mechanical body parts to bring the steampunk balance to the other more supernatural elements. A well-written and satisfying story overall.
“The Unmaking of the Cuadro Amoroso” by Kate Osias – A dark story about love, relationships, and revenge where the steampunk elements are front and center in the action. The underlying theme is how political powers twist and warp creative people for their own ends, destroying what they hope to use. Bonus points for non-default sexuality.
“Working Woman” by Olivia Ho – The politics and morality of cybernetic people is central to this rather violent story of what people do to survive…and what they do when they decide survival isn’t the highest priority. There are also strong themes of the interactions of distinct cultures in close proximity, the human toll of industrialization, and the bonds that women form against all other differences. Despite the story being considerably more violent than I usually care for (although the violence feels more in the comic-book vein than being viscerally horrific), this may be my favorite of the collection. Excellently written with solid and intricate world-building.
“Spider Here” by Robert Liow – This story did two things very well and the rest somewhat disappointingly. The protagonist is a physically disabled girl who creates bio-cybernetic spider housings (that is, housings inhabited and powered by spiders) for combat entertainments. A larger-scale version of the sort of work she creates appears as her mobility assistive device. Both the vivid description of the technical details of her work, and the very matter-of-fact inclusion of her disability and its compensations are high points. Unfortunately, the story as a whole is disappointing. The opening narrative is too full of unnecessary explanation, while in contrast certain prominent events and characters are introduced that are never really followed up on. And the plot just sort of stops rather than concluding.
“The Chamber of Souls” by zm quỳnh – A group of Vietnamese refugees are rescued from the open sea only to find themselves in the hands of aliens from another world (although the exact relationship of their world to ours is never clear). This initial charity turns dangerous when the refugees are thrust into the middle of an inter-alien conflict and discover certain incompatibilities between human and alien physical requirements. The protagonist goes to extremes to rescue an alien cybernetic entity that carries a valuable component. The conclusion of the story features themes of displacement, adjustment, and trying to reconstruct one’s native culture in an alien environment. In the final scene, the protagonist is offered an option for ultimate integration with his new environs—an option that I found intensely disturbing, but that could be viewed either as a cautionary metaphor for the assimilation process, or as a positive act within a cultural system with different rules and values than my own. I’d be curious to know which the author intended or whether the ambiguity itself was intentional.
“Petrified” by Ivanna Mendels – Some intricate and deep worldbuilding that for me was undermined by the story being conveyed in awkward info-dumps and as-you-know-Bobs. The premise was interesting, but the writing style didn’t work at all for me.
“The Insects and Women Sing Together” by Pear Nuallak – A story of the overlooked strength and creativity of women against a setting of political struggle and war. I particularly liked the way it depicted a variety of women’s relationships and different ways of resisting narrow expectations. Oh, and queerness. I liked that part too. This ties with the Olivia Ho story for my favorite.
Overall, a somewhat uneven collection. The cultural aspect of the theme was strong and consistent, even if the steampunk aspect occasionally faltered. The characters are delightfully diverse within the specified setting, particularly in terms of gender, sexuality, and disability. There were places where a stronger editorial hand would have been useful, but several of the stories shone out brightly. I particularly liked “Between Severed Souls” by Paolo Chikiamco, “Working Woman” by Olivia Ho, and “The Insects and Women Sing Together” by Pear Nuallak.
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