Ann and Jeff VanderMeer’s “must-have collection" Steampunk II: Steampunk Reloaded is a Kindle Daily Deal for Friday, June 6.

For today only, the ebook is available for just $1.99!

STEAMPUNK II: Steampunk Reloaded

Edited by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer

Cover by Ann Monn

Gentle Readers, after the outraged letters following our first volume, I would be remiss not to warn you. The handsome tome of classic and original fiction, nonfiction, and illustrations is perhaps even more shocking than its predecessor. And yet, I see that your curiosity is piqued, so….

Enter the Scintillating Clockpunk Gear-o-Torium: Herein dwell the breathless adventures that you secretly seek. Gaze upon the rebellious Mecha-Ostrich, the seductive Steam Dancer, the intrepid Mssrs. Balfour and Meriwether, and the hithertofore undefeated Cast-Iron Kid.

Experience the Delights of the Chrononaut Odditorium: An esteemed panel of self-appointed experts, under pain of ridicule, will reveal Top Secret Historical Enticements. Be dazzled by the first English translation of the quintessential Steampunk story “Flying Fish Prometheus” by Vilhelm Bergsøe.

Oooh and Ahhh at the Subculture Contraptor Lounge: Authoress of the Parasol Protectorate Gail Carriger gaily holds forth on the fashionable subjects of fashion, fiction, and more. The Steampunk Workshop founder Jake von Slatt’s “Steampunk Manifesto” shares his musings amusing and profound on the future of Steam.

Look Upon Our Brass-Plated Wonders: From the rough streets of modern-day Manchester, world-famous adventurer John Coulthart provides the near-tactile visual experience of this elaborative tome. He is joined by the likes of the artistes Secret Agent Ramona Szczerba (a.k.a. Winona Cookie) and Lovereaftian maestro Eric Orchard.

Meet the Masterminds: Editors Extraordinaire Ann and Jeff VanderMeer, the well-known literary vagabonds and mesmerists, do fully guarantee your satisfaction. However, the publisher does regret that the VanderMeers have become mysteriously unavailable to respond to any grievances.

It’s Steampunk—and it’s reloaded.

“The dynamic VanderMeers follow 2008’s Steampunk with this engaging anthology of 23 stories (three original to this volume, including Jeffrey Ford’s ‘Dr. Lash Remembers’), two essays (including one by Gail Carriger), and a roundtable interview, all of which define, deepen, and demonstrate the clockwork beauty of automaton-laden science fiction. Standouts include Tanith Lee’s madness-inspired ‘The Persecution Machine’; Caitlín R. Kiernan’s hauntingly beautiful tale of ‘The Steam Dancer (1896)’; Marc Laidlaw’s photographic encyclopedia of ‘Great Breakthroughs in Darkness’; Sydney Padua’s comic ‘Lovelace and Babbage: Origins, with Salamander’; the frightening Pinocchio of Cherie Priest’s ‘Tanglefoot’; William Gibson’s proto-steampunk tale ‘The Gernsback Continuum’; and ‘Flying Fish Prometheus (A Fantasy of the Future)’ by Vilhelm Bergsøe, a Danish contemporary of Jules Verne and H. G. Wells. Fabulous interior design by John Coulthart completes this worthy sequel to its well-regarded predecessor.” 
—Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Steampunk is a genre for thinkers, and this book proves the point. The stories inside are beautiful, often lyrical, frequently disturbing, always exciting, and occasionally even funny, but they’re also dense, literary, and trusting of the reader to be smart enough to ‘get’ it.” 
—New York Journal of Books

“Steampunk fans will want to add this to their personal collections; libraries owning the first volume should round out their holdings.” 
—Library Journal

“The VanderMeers have, once again, captured the essence of the genre…. This book is a must-have collection for fans of steampunk and those who love a dark, rousing tale of what could have been.” 
—Tangent

“Overall, Steampunk II: Steampunk Reloaded resembles the current steampunk community itself: innovatively creative, expansive, and armed with something for everyone.” 
—Tor.com

“This is a well-put-together anthology suited for both lovers of Steampunk and those new to the genre.” 
—Steamed!

“Though it may be the brass’s flash that first attracts readers, it’s the grime and verdigris that makes the stories, and this anthology, so compelling.” 
—Time Out Chicago

Table of Contents

Introduction: “What Is Steampunk?” by Jeff and Ann VanderMeer

 “The Cast Iron Kid” by Andrew Knighton
“The Steam Dancer (1896)” by Caitlín R. Kiernan
“The Anachronist’s Cookbook” by Catherynne M. Valente
“Tanglefoot” by Cherie Priest
“O One” by Chris Roberson
“Balfour and Meriwether in the Adventure of the Emperor’s Vengeance” by Daniel Abraham
“The Bold Explorer in the Place Beyond” by David Erik Nelson
“The Strange Case of Mr. Salad Monday” by Geoffery D. Falksen
“At the Intersection of Technology and Romance” by Jake von Slatt
“The Future of Steampunk: A Roundtable Interview” by Jeff and Ann VanderMeer
“Dr. Lash Remembers” by Jeffrey Ford
“Lost Pages From The Encyclopdia of Victoriana” by Jess Nevins
“As Recorded on Brass Cylinders: Adagio for Two Dancers” by Lisa Mantchev
“A Serpent in the Gears” by Margaret Ronald
“Machine Maid” by Margo Lanagan
“Which Is Mightier, the Pen or the Parasol?” by Gail Carriger
“The Unbecoming of Virgil Smythe” by Ramsey Shehadeh
“Wild Copper” by Samantha Henderson
“The Mechanical Aviary of Emperor Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar” by Shweta Narayan
“The Unblinking Eye” by Stephen Baxter
“Lovelace & Babbage” by Sydney Padua
“The Persecution Machine” by Tanith Lee
“Flying Fish (Prometheus)” by Vilhelm Bergsøe
“The Gernsback Continuum” by William Gibson