Liberty and Other Stories

Hall (Prosperity) takes readers on an off-kilter tour through a steampunk world filled with floating cities, airships, and extra-dimensional eldritch abominations in this disjointed omnibus. Four stories (all available as separate e-books) allow Hall to experiment in different ways with form and function. “Squamous with a Chance of Rain,” a tongue-in-cheek epistolary narrative, owes much to both gothic romances and Lovecraftian horror, with a genre-savvy governess recounting her experiences at a distant manor where strange things are afoot. “Liberty” describes a collection of documents and found artifacts relating to the long-ago conflicts faced by a mechanically enhanced aethermancer in the flying pirate city of Liberty. “Shackles” is by far the most straightforward tale, as a clergyman tries to coax repentance from a condemned man, only to fall for his devious charms. “Cloudy Climes and Starless Skies” is something of an airship-themed coming-of-age adventure. Though Hall’s versatility is admirable and the setting is full of promise, these four very different stories just don’t play well together. (May)