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Critters Workshop Readers Name Top Steampunk Novel, Short Stories

Jan 23, 2025

A novel by Ef Deal and short stories by Robin Pond and Valerie B. Williams took top honors in the steampunk categories of the Critters Annual Readers Poll presented by the Critters Workshop.

The awards recognize works released in 2024. Ef Deal’s novel Aéros & Héroes was named Best Steampunk Novel. The other top finishers were Twisted Expectations: A Twist In Time Book III by Brent A. Harris; Snow City by Laura Strickland; and A Curse of Time and Vengeance by Christine Norris. The Critters website has additional details.

“Ginger” by Robin Pond and “Wheels Against Wings” by Valerie B. Williams tied for Best Steampunk Short Story. Other top finishers here included two stories by Danielle Ackley-McPhail: “On the Face of It” and “They Who Have Lost Their Way.” The others were “Cayce’s Final Ride” by Jordan Campbell; “No Safe Harbour” by Aaron Rosenberg; and “Where Nobody Had Dared Go Before. . .” by Sergio Palumbo. Again, you can find more details on the website.

Indie publisher eSpec Books was a big winner in both categories. Aéros & Héroes and A Curse of Time and Vengeance were both released by the publisher, as were three of the top finishers in the short story category. Ackley-McPhail is a co-founder of eSpec.

Critters Workshop launched in 1995 is an online workshop and critique group for writers of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. It has since expanded to cover other creative pursuits including music, visual arts, software development, and web design.

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