There are two types of people in this world. Those that will survive the zombie apocalypse and those that won't. Those that will are the type that, upon entering a building, assess its entry and exit points, tend to gravitate towards second story residences, and always seem to have a crowbar with them. Those that don't have a propensity towards long hair, loose clothing, and panic.

As Steampunks we are probably in a better position for the end of the world then most. We believe in do-it-yourself, sustainable materials, and practice fundamentally vital and sustainable technologies. All these are handy when political and economic infrastructure has gone sliding down the gullet of the howling undead.

It is with these things in mind that I read World War Z. It is a faux-oral history of the zombie wars, the global zombie incursion that happened twelve years before the book was written. It's written by the same man who brought us the invaluable "Zombie Survival Guide", a book so realistic one would think Max Brooks has had some experiences we don't know about.

. . .

The Graveyard Book is a straight-up children’s novel. I searched around Neil Gaiman’s shelf in the fantasy section of my local bookstore for quite a bit before thinking to check “Young Readers.” However, adults who enjoy Gaiman’s other work (especially Coraline) should not let this dissuade them from picking up a copy. While it does not contain the depth of American Gods or the subtle humor of Good Omens, The Graveyard Book is a pleasant break from more mature works of fiction. Gaiman’s storytelling is good enough to transport one back to the days of elementary school and flashlights under the covers, and makes for an easy weekend read.

The novel is essentially a collection of short vignettes of the life of Bod (short for Nobody) Owens, a boy who is adopted as a baby by an entire graveyard after the horrific murder of his family by a man known simply as “Jack.” Bod is raised by his adopted family, a pair of respectable ghosts known as Mr. and Mrs. Owens, his tutor Silas (who is neither dead nor alive), and a myriad of other ghostly figures.

. . .

Imagine, if you will, a mad scientist's genetic amalgamation of Socrates, William Gibson and Tolstoy. Then imagine this creature was sent to live in a secluded convent of monks for fifty years. Then, imagine he is dropped into the middle of a major metropolitan city with a typewriter. Try to come up with a idea of what he would write. About to blow a gasket in your head?

It seems the muses decided that genetic manipulation and gregorian monasteries were a tad on the short side, so rather than going through the whole complicated process imagined above, they just told Neal Stephenson about the Millennium clock, to more or less the same result.

That result is titled Anathem, and is Stephenson's latest work. Its hard to really put the novel in words. As with so many of his works, there are multiple layers – first  is the plot, second is the concept, and third is the ideas. The plot follows a young man who has grown up his entire life in a mathematical/philosophic convent, in a  world which is being shaken up by fantastic and unprecedented events. To say any more really just ruins it. The next layer, the concept, is a world where the long term is taken seriously. The people and organizations think on a a scale of thousands of years rather than their own lifetimes. This world is split into the 'Mathic' world of thinkers (the aforementioned academic monks) and the 'Saecular' world (all casino's, rising and falling empires, chemical dependancies and pogroms). Thirdly, is the idea, which is, as I go it, socratic and plutonic philosophy applied on a societal level.

Sounds dense? Well I wont lie to you, it is. But the entire thing is dipped in the dark chocolate of Stephenson's wit and skillful wordsmithing. The man turns dry philosophic discussions between characters into fascinating dialog and makes what would otherwise be slow and plodding approach a break neck race, so much so that by the end of the 850 some pages, your still grasping for more.

[As promises but a day later, here is part two of The Tailor of Time from the new anthology Clockwork Phoenix.  Enjoy!  - Jake]

A tale of cosmic clockwork, "The Tailor of Time" is taken from the fantasy anthology Clockwork Phoenix, published in July by Norilana Books and for sale on Amazon and other online stores. Editor Mike Allen describes the book as "a home for stories that sidestep expectations in beautiful and unsettling ways, that surprise with their settings and startle with the ways they cross genre boundaries." The anthology also includes strange new stories by Catherynne M. Valente, John Grant, Cat Rambo, Laird Barron, Ekaterina Sedia, Tanith Lee, Marie Brennan, Vandana Singh and John C. Wright. Says Publishers Weekly, “Lush descriptions and exotic imagery startle, engross, chill and electrify the reader, and all 19 stories have a strong and delicious taste of weird.”

Author Deborah Biancotti lives in Sydney, Australia. Winner of the Aurealis and Ditmar awards for her short story writing, she is now working on her first novel. A collection of her work will be launched by Twelfth Planet Press next year, and she has a novella lined up for 2010 publication with Gilgamesh Press. Her stories have appeared in Eidolon 1, Redsine, Ideomancer, infinity plus, 2012, and the anthologies YEARS BEST AUSTRALIAN SF & FANTASY and AUSTRALIAN DARK FANTASY & HORROR. Deborah can be found online at both her journal and her website.

Avery stood to leave, the plan agreed. On a good day, when Bella could breathe without help, he would send word.

[Today we have something special for you! A piece of short fiction presented in two parts from the new anthology Clockwork Phoenix.  Enjoy!  - Jake]

A tale of cosmic clockwork, "The Tailor of Time" is taken from the fantasy anthology Clockwork Phoenix, published in July by Norilana Books and for sale on Amazon and other online stores. Editor Mike Allen describes the book as "a home for stories that sidestep expectations in beautiful and unsettling ways, that surprise with their settings and startle with the ways they cross genre boundaries." The anthology also includes strange new stories by Catherynne M. Valente, John Grant, Cat Rambo, Laird Barron, Ekaterina Sedia, Tanith Lee, Marie Brennan, Vandana Singh and John C. Wright. Says Publishers Weekly, “Lush descriptions and exotic imagery startle, engross, chill and electrify the reader, and all 19 stories have a strong and delicious taste of weird.”

Author Deborah Biancotti lives in Sydney, Australia. Winner of the Aurealis and Ditmar awards for her short story writing, she is now working on her first novel. A collection of her work will be launched by Twelfth Planet Press next year, and she has a novella lined up for 2010 publication with Gilgamesh Press. Her stories have appeared in Eidolon 1, Redsine, Ideomancer, infinity plus, 2012, and the anthologies YEARS BEST AUSTRALIAN SF & FANTASY and AUSTRALIAN DARK FANTASY & HORROR. Deborah can be found online at both her journal and her website.

Shakespeare. The name sort of takes over a page doesn't it? It dominates, stealing the spotlight from whatever you might have actually been writing about. The man and his works are such a literary institution, so contentious and widely loved that just the name alone almost represents an entity beyond the person. Either that, or I'm (metaphorically) talking out of my ass.

Now, try and keep both of those ideas in mind for this next bit. Imagine a work that doesn't just steal the spotlight from Shakespeare, but does it using his own play. Impressive eh? Unless you think I'm full of crap. Then you'll have to actually judge the piece on its own merits. Luckily, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead is a play by Tom Stoppard. It follows two minor characters from Shakespeare's Hamlet through the background of said play as they fumble about with existentialism, fate, and probability (among other things).

Now, I'm going to commit a crime here and tell you the ending: They die. Course, if you didn't know that already, you shouldn't be reading this play. While not technically vital, you really should have a decent enough knowledge of Hamlet to at least know the plot. Without it, you might be able to follow the dialog (maybe), and you could probably piece together a few of the deeper themes through out the story, but much of the humor and pretty much the entire plot will be lost on you.

The Cruise of the Alerte is one part travel guide, one part high seas adventure, and one part farce. It is the story of E.F. Knight, an English writer and lawyer in 1889, who receives a map that claims the location of buried pirate treasure and his subsequent adventure (if you could call it that) in following it. 

From what I can tell, it is a true story, written by E.F. Knight himself. Truthfully, this is confirmed by the book itself. It lacks the high adventure, harrowing thrills and dervish like plot twists that most fictional tails, especially those involving lost pirate treasure, contain. However, its true story label turns it from a dull tale into a droll and some times hilariously farcical yarn.

 . . .

In 1978 James Burke produced and narrated a series on the history of science called Connections. It's a wonderful series and I highly recommend you get a hold of all three seasons.

But right now, watch this video about technology traps.  You'll get the idea after the first ten minutes but feel free to seek out and watch the whole thing.

When the infrastructure in the city breaks down it would seem that the smartest thing to do is flee.  But that is not an option for many and anyway you have to see disaster coming to get out ahead of the swarm of humanity with the same idea. 

And where will you go?  When you get there, what will you do? Will you even know when to leave?

The apocalypse will come by inches, you won't know it's upon you until long after it's too late.  But if you have a copy of this book you may not notice it at all because you'll by comfortable, well fed and in a position to help those around you.

Scott Kellogg and Stacy Pettigrew of Austin's Rizome Collective have put together this book, Toolbox for Sustainable City Living on sustainable living, permaculture, aquaculture, energy production, bioremediation and many other subjects all designed with city dwellers in mind.  Subjects such as gardening, alternative energy and fuels are only touched upon as there are many resources already available.  However the information on Aquaculture and particularly bioremediation of contaminated land (brownfields) is extensive and unique.

The Apocalypse will be slow and boring - pay attention and prepare and you might not even notice it.

Perfume, by Patrick Suskind, follows the life of a man born in Paris, 1738 with no personal odor; a disquieting feature that people only notice subconsciously. This man, John-Baptiste Grenouille is best described by Suskind as “one of the most gifted and abominable personages in an era that knew no lack of gifted and abominable personages.” His gift is his sense of smell; a sense of smell that allows him to create some of the most beautiful perfumes known to mankind. 

He is also unquestionably abominable, which is what turns this imaginative little book into a true horror story. Throughout the tale, Grenouille draws further and further into his darker nature, until he commits a string of horrific acts in a quest to find the ultimate perfume. 

 . . .

This book arrived in the post just as I was leaving for vacation so I was actually able to read it over a period of just 3 days - a rare thing for me!  Ms. Sedia draws a detailed picture of an ancient city ruled by a tripartite balance of power between the Mechanics, the Alchemists, and the Duke in concert with the ancient race of watcher Gargoyles.  Her style of prose is direct and sparse, yet she evokes sounds, smells and qualities of light that brought the city alive for me.

Mattie, the protagonist, is an Automaton, a clockwork artificial intelligence - for this is a world where mechanics and alchemy have advanced to the level of magic.  Mattie is recently emancipated from her Mechanic creator and is starting a new career as an Alchemist, a pursuit to which she is dedicated and at which she is very skilled. Yet she is not fully accepted even by her peers in the Alchemist's Guild.

Throughout the book Mattie seemed very familiar to me and after some contemplation I think I understand why.  Mattie's situation reminded me strongly of how women in engineering and IT were often treated at some of the more dysfunctional companies where I've worked. I suspect that many women pursuing careers in technology will feel an immediate kinship with Mattie!

But not all of the Mechanics are bad and not all of the Alchemists are wholly good.  This is neither a Utopian nor a Dystopian city, but it is a whopping good tale!