The SEA is Ours: Tales of Steampunk Southeast Asia. edited by Jaymee Goh & Joyce Chng. 2015
THE SEA IS OURS: TALES OF STEAMPUNK SOUTHEAST ASIA.
RATED 75% POSITIVE. STORY SCORE 3.58 OF 5
12 STORIES : 1 GREAT / 7 GOOD / 2 AVERAGE / 2 POOR / 0 DNF
Steampunk airships float over Southeast Asia, often embroiled in battle. Ancient spirituality proves itself true and important in technological modernity. Women drive back the encroachments of colonialism while children build bio-robot spiders for gambling combat. This is a bit of what you find within The SEA is Ours.
I’ve always been fascinated with steampunk. I suspect, like most people, it is the aesthetics that draw me to it. I also find myself drawn to Science Fiction that is outside of the Anglo-American context. So when I heard it mentioned in a panel at ChiCon8, I quickly ordered a copy.
I enjoyed the anthology for the most part, although any original anthology is certainly going to slightly less accomplished than the Best of the Year books that make up the bulk of what I review. My biggest complaint was that many of the stories ended just when the story was about to begin. They felt like the pilot of a television series. The word count was spend getting the main characters together and establishing the threat or themes, but then the story ended before the fun stuff could happen. “Chasing Volcanoes” and “Working Woman” both would have benefitted by being extended to novella or novel length. I would read those books.
One story stands above the rest and join The All-Time Great List:
Spider Here • short story by Bobby Sun [as by Robert Liow]. Vignette of the lives of children in a time of terrorism and upheaval. What are these children doing? They are creating spider casings out of mechanical and biological parts … and then betting on which will win in a fight. This story revels in the Biopunk/Steampunk details and leaves the big, important things to the adults. Very enjoyable.
THE SEA IS OURS IS RATED 75% POSITIVE
12 STORIES : 1 GREAT / 7 GOOD / 2 AVERAGE / 2 POOR / 0 DNF
On the Consequence of Sound • short story by Timothy James Dimacali [as by Timothy Dimacali]
Good. The life of a young girl who grows up wanting be a Royal Navigator and playing the music that floats the great airships.
Chasing Volcanoes • short story by Marilag Angway
Good. An airship captain takes a break from Volcano Chasing to harvest energy for a more profitable opportunity. She can smuggle a princess in hiding … or turn her over to the government that want to kill her.
Ordained • short story by L. L. Hill
Poor. Steampunk insects, a brother returns hold, people stare at a tree and talk about Buddhism. Kinda impenetrable.
The Last Aswang • short story by Alessa Hinlo
Average. In an alternate timeline where the Philippines wasn’t conquered by Spain, a woman receives a special visitor.
Life Under Glass • short story by Nghi Vo
Good. On the last day before she must return, a scientist who is collecting species to populate the great Domes of Saigon for an exhibition frets about seeing her ex-girlfriend until a new animal discovery gives her a new perspective.
Between Severed Souls • short story by Paolo Chikiamco
Good. A wood-worker mourns the death of his wife and neglects his child. He is given a special type of wood to carve that has within it something or someone of immense power and value for the upcoming war.
The Unmaking of the Cuadro Amoroso • (2014) • short story by Kate Osias
Good. A gastronomist, a machinist, a pianist, and a dancer live together is creative and sexual union. The political establishment tries to intimidate them and they retaliate in various ways inspired by their unique talents.
Working Woman • short story by Olivia Ho
Good. Exciting mystery thriller of turn-of-the-century Singapore. A woman being smuggled in a casket disappears in the Malay district and a one-eyed mercenary is hired by a mob boss to find her. Only problem here is that it feels like a pilot for a cool TV show instead of a complete story.
Spider Here • short story by Bobby Sun [as by Robert Liow]
Great. Vignette of the lives of children in a time of terrorism and upheaval. What are these children doing? They are creating steampunk spider casings out of mechanical and biological parts … and then betting on which will win in a fight.
The Chamber of Souls • short story by Z. M. Quỳnh?
Good. Refugees fleeing Viet Nam by airship are taken in by a strange race of people and put under the care of an automaton who has, within his body, a container for souls.
Petrified • short story by Ivanna Mendels
Poor. Classic Tell - Don’t Show about an honorable ex-airship-pirate fights The Professor’s creepy golem creatures and people chat about it.
The Insects and Women Sing Together • short story by Pear Nuallak
Average. The story cuts back a forth between the stories of a mother and her daugher, both who aspire to be more than they were born into. It is often muddled with some steampunk insects thrown in.
