I wrote a foreward to A Clockwork Orchard: Rivets & Rain a few years back and it applies here as well: To those who think that Steampunk is a new genre, this book is not for you. You have already made up your mind that what you are holding is just the latest attempt by the marketing machine to attach to the zeitgeist that is an alternate history, but I am going to tell you differently: This is not your father's Steampunk. They say that "brown is the new black" and this is just another passing ph...

This was a nicely illustrated and well written (it IS Jeff VanderMeer, after all) exploration of the evolution of Steampunk. It covered all the facets of the movement: literature, fashion, art, movies. It further cemented my belief that anyone who thinks that Steampunk is merely an aesthetic is completely missing the point - Steampunk is a response to romanticization of the imperialism and class issues of the Victorian era. One thing I hadn't known before was that the artsy side is a rejection o...

First and foremost, this book is a gorgeously designed coffee table book which provides the reader with interesting and accurate articles detailing the steampunk movement. The book not only delves into the origins of the movement by looking into literary influences and the industrial revolution, but it also provides articles on fashion, music, the DIY (do-it-yourself) attitude that’s so prevalent in steampunk, books, and films. It provides a proper scope on the presence of steampunk in today’s m...

A glorious book. It's not a cheat's guide to Steampunk -- which I admit I kind of feared when I read the title. It talks about Steampunk and the people who create and enjoy that world. It starts from first principles, from the values underlying people's involvement.It's a book about choosing how you'll live in the world. What do we hope for the future? What do we fear?It's a celebration of ingenuity and creativity, a celebration of living with joy with values and behaviours aligned, and within a...

Not the best of the Vandermeer big books and bibles, though it makes me want to read boneshaker after all. For the most part, it reads and looks like a very long tumblr post from 2010.

I received this book as a Christmas gift from the younger of my two younger sisters and am very thankful to her for giving it to me. I already knew a great deal about the history of Steampunk. '20,000 Leagues Under The Sea', both the book and the 1954 movie, and the 1961 film version of 'Mysterious Island', as well as H.G. Wells 'The Time Machine' were some of my favorites growing up. By the time I was 18 I had read over 20 books by Michael Moorcock and one of them was 'The Warlord of the Air' w...

Four and a half stars, derived as follows: 5 stars for Steampunk fans, and 3 and a half - 4 stars for everybody else.This is a beautifully illustrated book full of interesting articles. Even if you aren't a Steampunk fan (yet), this book might well convert you. I'd probably have preferred it to be even bigger and thicker, but it seems perfect for someone like me who was sort of poised on the edge of becoming a Steampunk fan.The genre seems to have a nostalgic appeal, especially to those who enjo...

I had this rather gorgeous hardback book given to me as a gift, and I'm so glad that I've finally gotten to it. It really is a beautiful cover, and I'd probably buy it just because of that. I am a great lover of Steampunk, so this book fitted the bill grandly. Steampunk reimagines victorian times, in a kind of retro manner. It really is everywhere, especially in many TV shows, films and literature. I find Steampunk style clothing attractive, and this book has many illustrations and ideas for new...

About a two and a half for me. I've been eyeing this book for quite sometime, and was finally excited to pick it up and read it. While some parts were both useful and enlightening, the whole book has this overtone of steampunk snobbery - you know - do A, B, and C or you're not a "real" steampunk. I was very disappointed by this attitude, because steampunk is both an important and fun aspect of my life, and reading this, I wonder if anybody else picked it up and was put off of steampunk by the at...

Not terribly impressed with this. It is much smaller than I expected and the information and photos are not that great. (I've found better doing an internet search) I am glad though to see a book on the subject and the attempt to put together a "Steampunk Bible", so I give it three stars.

The Publisher Says: Steampunk—a grafting of Victorian aesthetic and punk rock attitude onto various forms of science-fiction culture—is a phenomenon that has come to influence film, literature, art, music, fashion, and more. The Steampunk Bible is the first compendium about the movement, tracing its roots in the works of Jules Verne and H. G. Wells through its most recent expression in movies such as Sherlock Holmes. Its adherents celebrate the inventor as an artist and hero, re-envisioning and

Steampunk is a subgenre / aesthetic that reimagines Victorian times in a retro-futurist way, embracing the past while reflecting upon the present and future. It is as much a way of life as it is a kind of literature, music or fashion. You will have seen hints of it everywhere: books, Hollywood movies, or strange people who dress in a fashion that mixes 19th century Victoriana with punk’s do-it-yourself mindset.Relying heavily on Steampunk’s unique visual appeal, with beautiful photographs and il...

rating: 4/5Grab a cup of tea while enjoying The Steampunk Bible, a beautifully illustrated guide to the Steampunk culture. The art was chosen wonderfully (except for one image that is located on a whole page and blurry)! My favorite image is the beautiful artistic panoramic picture of Tom Every’s Forvertron Park on pages 94-95. It is just breathtaking; I must have stared at it for an hour trying to take in every detail. Also, amongst these pages are a few jewels that just blew me away. Pages 60-...

This is a good beginning for learning about the history of the literary and movie/anime/tv/artwork creations that ultimately created the current steampunk zone of activity in today's world. Every page has pictures of the home made artifacts, creations, sculptures, clothing, weapons, jewelry, people and graphic illustrations of all kinds. The book asks the question will steampunk survive and the best answer seems to be that there will always be people who will reject the idea that your future is

How to describe a book like this? An encyclopedia of odd, fascinating information, descriptions, snippets of prose and above all gorgeous photography. If you love steampunk, then, well-this is the bible and Jeff VanderMeer is the man!The Steampunk Bible: An Illustrated Guide to the World of Imaginary Airships, Corsets and Goggles, Mad Scientists, and Strange Literature is a delight visually and a reading treasure. A great addition if you're interested in the genre, whether you're merely curious

I love everything about this book. I bought the hardback, at B&N, not even on sale! It was worth every penny~not to mention, the illustrations and pictures are priceless.I am an avid Steampunk-gal, and there is nothing more thrilling than finding this completed works to add to my personal library.I love that Jake Von Slatt is featured in the book, he's my all-time favorite inventor of our generation. His ideas, designs and enthusiasm appear limitless. He's inspiring.Also, if you think that you a...

The award winning, best selling author, Jeff Vandemeer’s bio, in The Steampunk Bible, states that “all four of his cats have yet to reveal any Steampunk tendencies.” Then cats don’t reveal anything, they keep their secrets, so that doesn’t mean anything. Those cats might be building gadgets under the bed, some freaky mouse traps, perhaps. Co-author S. J. Chamber’s fiction and nonfiction has appeared in numerous publications. Her bio in the book states that she wrote this, her first book, “via th...

I have been to several con's and seen the steampunk asthetic in the costumes some people wear, but I didn't really understand what the touchstones of the genre were. This is a fantastic primer to this wonderful, wacky world. The pictures are wonderful and the text is lively and not too techie. I felt that I now "get it."

It’s not all airships and goggles. Having become my fiction genre of choice over the last few years, The Steampunk Bible is a welcome tour of its many other aspects. The aesthetics in steampunk fiction, fashion and art overlay a worldview that emphasizes self-reliance, a resistance to dystopia and which prizes innovation as a craft, not simply a means to mass-consumption. The range of topics, along with the artwork and photographs, presents a skillfully edited summary of a genre that has difficu...

Great book providing a good overview of the history and various areas of the steampunk movement including books, comics, conventions, movies, fashion .... and including lots of great pics and illustrations. I have taken quite a long list of books to read and movies to watch out of it.