[W2Z]≡ PDF Gratis The Steampunk Bible An Illustrated Guide to the World of Imaginary Airships Corsets and Goggles Mad Scientists and Strange Literature Jeff VanderMeer S J Chambers Books

The Steampunk Bible An Illustrated Guide to the World of Imaginary Airships Corsets and Goggles Mad Scientists and Strange Literature Jeff VanderMeer S J Chambers Books

Download As PDF : The Steampunk Bible An Illustrated Guide to the World of Imaginary Airships Corsets and Goggles Mad Scientists and Strange Literature Jeff VanderMeer S J Chambers Books

The Steampunk Bible An Illustrated Guide to the World of Imaginary Airships Corsets and Goggles Mad Scientists and Strange Literature Jeff VanderMeer S J Chambers Books

I bought this book to find the antecedents and founding works of steampunk, and all I saw is a close view of the last 30 years or so from the narrow point of view of the authors. As it moves into modern times it seems to concentrate on the authors' personal acquaintances. When you call a work a "bible" it had better be authoritative. The index on this thing is pathetic, and the early scholarship is neglected. I'm old enough to identify one precursor to the novel "The Difference Engine" by Gibson and Sterling, and I'm no expert on cyberpunk. That was "A Transatlantic Tunnel, Hurrah!" by Harry Harrison. In short, steampunk-like works have been written from the beginning of speculative fiction, whether or not they were called steampunk. There is an enormous literature in alternate histories, and it takes only a quarter-turn to change an alternate history to a steampunk story. That twist has occurred many times before, and should have been investigated more thoroughly. Two writers I would NOT add to the category of steampunk are Jules Verne and H.G. Wells. When they wrote their fiction, they were considered modern, yet the authors of The Steampunk Bible drone on and on about them. It is we who have moved, not they. To sum up, this work would have made a fine coffee-table book had it been less pretentious. "Bible" is a name earned from outside readers, not bestowed by the authors.


Tags : Amazon.com: The Steampunk Bible: An Illustrated Guide to the World of Imaginary Airships, Corsets and Goggles, Mad Scientists, and Strange Literature (9780810989580): Jeff VanderMeer, S. J. Chambers: Books,Jeff VanderMeer, S. J. Chambers,The Steampunk Bible: An Illustrated Guide to the World of Imaginary Airships, Corsets and Goggles, Mad Scientists, and Strange Literature,Harry N. Abrams,0810989581,Science Fiction & Fantasy,Fantasy fiction;History and criticism;Handbooks, manuals, etc.,Steampunk culture,Steampunk culture;Handbooks, manuals, etc.,Steampunk fiction - History and criticism,Steampunk fiction;History and criticism;Handbooks, manuals, etc.,FICTION Fantasy General,FICTION Science Fiction General,GENERAL,General Adult,Handbooks, manuals, etc,History and criticism,LITERARY CRITICISM Science Fiction & Fantasy,Literary Criticism,Literature - Classics Criticism,Literature - Criticism,Non-Fiction,Pictorial treatment,SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY,Steampunk fiction,United States

The Steampunk Bible An Illustrated Guide to the World of Imaginary Airships Corsets and Goggles Mad Scientists and Strange Literature Jeff VanderMeer S J Chambers Books Reviews

Comprehensive, and interesting - this heavily illustrated guide will delight and educate.
It's very much a history book, and was not a corpus or list of inventions with sketched pictures as I thought it would be. Social and cultural aspects and influences on and of Steampunk culture were explored. I still learned quite a bit from it, though, and the history was interesting. Media from the time period and inventions are present, in the book, though. First person isn't my favorite tense, especially in nonfiction, but that's more of a personal preference, and probably played a role in my experience.
This is an awesome informative book about the history of steampunk. It discuss its roots an influences along with how its effected fashion, art, film and pop culture. Its also riddled with diffrent steampunk related pictures.

However, if your looking for a steampunk picture book this is definetely not it. It does include awesome pictures but it is far more reading then pictures, which is a good thing if your looking to educate yourself in the steampunk genre.
For anyone who's had a taste of Steampunk and wants to learn more, this is the quintessential introductory volume. It's also a great shelf piece for those who are already immersed in Steampunk culture. What you get is a gorgeous hardcover and an overall beautifully designed book - a rarity in today's mass-market book scene. The cover does justice to the genre, featuring gadgets and gizmos against a suitably Victorian-esque backdrop. The interior design is equally true to the aesthetic of the genre, with full-color art on quality paper intertwined with essential information on all the fundamentals of Steampunk. As of now (2011), it is also remarkably up-to-date, offering a very contemporary vibe to a once-fringe genre that is becoming much more noticeable in today's culture. The fun even extends beyond the book to engage you in the broader Steampunk movement, due to its extraordinary list of quality weblinks that will take your Steampunk exploration to a whole other level. If I have any complaint, it would be that some of the color photos here seem a bit out of place in a book that otherwise lends itself to the look of an 'antiquated,' classy volume. All in all, "The Steampunk Bible" lives up to its name. A great way to begin (or reinforce) your journey of re-imagining the possibilities of technology and its role in human life, as is the hallmark of Steampunk.
As an artist, a steampunk lover and a history nerd this is a book straight out of a dream. It has all those interesting stories I never knew about , explaining the beginning of steampunk, how it was developed, how It became a trend, how do people use/d it today and in the past. Artists will love this book because it's full of different types of art, from sculptures made of left over junk and pieces of metal to beautiful drawings and comics that capture the magic of steampunk. It goes for fashion, acceciries, nicknacks and so much more.

I'm sure anyone who shares my interests will just adore this book as the prize it is.
I purchased this for inspiration. I am an artist and while I am familiar with the steampunk world, I was looking for something that could take my ideas to the next level.

The book glosses over the many different areas of Steampunk creators. From clothing design to steam guns to steam cars. It also devotes a significant amount of time to the books written about the Steampunk world. I keep thinking a better name for the book would have been "Steampunk Catalogue" with how quickly it introduces you to an idea, and then quickly takes you to another idea, without getting to involved into any one thing.

Being an artist, I'm looking for a lot of reference than can help spark ideas. I would have liked to see more designs or more closeups and some more in depth analasis, but its frustrating sometimes because it feels like the book was made at a computer without the author actually being there. There is one page with about 50 different steam guns on the page, probably the most interesting page of the book, and every gun has so little detail that it only serves to say "Hey this world exists, but you can only look at it behind a glass wall 100 feet away." Design is the bread and butter of steampunk. The why's and why nots and Rube Goldberg machines are what makes the subject interesting and I'm surprised that the authors didn't really capture that.

It looks good on a shelf, and if you are a huge fan of steampunk as a genre, than I would say you may really like this. If you are someone looking for reference, inspiration or something specific in the steampunk world, there are better examples.
I bought this book to find the antecedents and founding works of steampunk, and all I saw is a close view of the last 30 years or so from the narrow point of view of the authors. As it moves into modern times it seems to concentrate on the authors' personal acquaintances. When you call a work a "bible" it had better be authoritative. The index on this thing is pathetic, and the early scholarship is neglected. I'm old enough to identify one precursor to the novel "The Difference Engine" by Gibson and Sterling, and I'm no expert on cyberpunk. That was "A Transatlantic Tunnel, Hurrah!" by Harry Harrison. In short, steampunk-like works have been written from the beginning of speculative fiction, whether or not they were called steampunk. There is an enormous literature in alternate histories, and it takes only a quarter-turn to change an alternate history to a steampunk story. That twist has occurred many times before, and should have been investigated more thoroughly. Two writers I would NOT add to the category of steampunk are Jules Verne and H.G. Wells. When they wrote their fiction, they were considered modern, yet the authors of The Steampunk Bible drone on and on about them. It is we who have moved, not they. To sum up, this work would have made a fine coffee-table book had it been less pretentious. "Bible" is a name earned from outside readers, not bestowed by the authors.