Mud and Brass: A Steampunk Short Story
How far would you go for love, or for justice, or for the perfect gearwheel?
Thomas Niggle grew up a mudlark, hunting for scrap on the polluted banks of the River Burr. One of the countless poor living in the shadows of Mercer Shackleton’s vast factories, he has dragged himself out of poverty using his mechanical skills. An encounter with Gloria Shackleton, the Mercer’s daughter, offers Niggle the possibility of love, but it also offers something else, deep in the heart of the Mercer’s domain.
What hope can the future hold for a boy raised amidst the mud and brass?
A steampunk story of romance, vengeance and twisted technology.
A very well-written, vivid and suspenseful steampunk story,
Mud and Brass: A Steampunk Short Story is everything a steampunk story should be.
This is a short story by Andrew Knighton which has left me wanting to read more about this fascinating steampunk world.
The story is set in a dystopian industrial age where rich businessmen can get away with anything. A world where workers are expendable and machines highly valued. It is a story of vengeance, revenge and the awful consequences of such.
I was sucked into the story from the first sentence. The world is so vividly described and detailed that I almost felt as if I was right there. I almost heard the deafening sounds of the industrial age, smelt the foul river and saw the people right in front of me.
There is a lot of intrigue around the main character and you really do feel a connection to him because he is so well detailed. The other characters are described with the same depth. The interactions with the characters are very realistic and lifelike.
There is also a little bit of mystery at the which makes you wonder what is going on. But as the story progresses, we unravel more about the main character and his intentions. I was not expecting the plot twist contained in these pages, and neither will you. The ending is even more unpredictable and a fantastic one which will leave you deep in thought.
Many apparent books of this genre these days actually lack a lot of steampunk elements. The author usually shoves in an airship and some monocles then passes the story off as a steampunk. Disappointing the readers as a result.
Mud and Brass on the other hand is a true steampunk world with gears, brass, steam, industry and machines everywhere you turn.
This is a well-written story in a very well described world, lifelike characters and a suspenseful plot. Andrew Knighton is an artist with words. The fact that this is a short story should not be an issue for anybody. It is packed full of detail and depth and the words flow beautifully.
I want to read more about this world. I want to know what happens next to each of the characters next. I hope the author is planning on releasing a sequel or two.
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|Tight construction – like one of its own mechanisms,
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|… not usually a fan of short stories but I love this. Andrew Knighton paints a vivid picture and …,
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