Pedro Cipriano

I received this book (ebook for Kindle and - to the editors thank you) as a part of the Library Thing Early Reviewers. I have some familiarity with Steampunk - but more main stream. I thought the first two stories (not too long and well written by well-known authors, esp. Mann) were the best. The third story (The Athenian Dinner Party) was written with an 19th Century perspective re: enslaved African American women and medicine. I did not find this story to my taste. But others might. Good collection.... thanks for allowing me to read it. Paul Floyd, Mpls, MN… (más)

In general, I really liked the majority of the stories in this collection. I especially liked that they were from three different countries, because it was interesting to see how the interpretations of Steampunk varied a little.

I recommend all of the stories, but there’s one I find problematic—The Athenian Dinner Party by Derry O’Dowd. As this is a father/daughter team where the father is an obstetrician gynecologist, one would think this might have borne (no pun intended) consideration before becoming subject matter. Yes, J. Marion Sims is considered the father of modern gynecology. But he learned what he did by experimenting on his and his neighbors’ enslaved African American women, without the benefit of the chloroform which he and his story mates use for their flight of fancy in the story. Because, according to him, African American women were closer to animals and felt no pain.

I’m not trying to sound politically correct. What he did is inhumane. Making him into a hero is wrong. Writing a story about him when most people don’t know that about him is wrong. Yes, he advanced gynecology, but at what price? He is a very controversial figure—a statue of him was removed from Central Park, New York in 2018. People can argue that he was a man of his time. I don’t buy it. Look him up if you want more information.

But the rest of the stories I really found enjoyable, and I would definitely recommend this anthology.

I was given an ARC by the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.… (más)