A collection of short stories in the science fiction steampunk genre. These stories are a mixed bunch with aliens, time travel, steam engines, radio across time, medieval flight, Russians on the moon, and steam-powered flying machines. In my opinion, the quality of the stories varies quite a bit too with my ratings varying from 2 to 4 stars out of 5. As a collection, I rate it as 3.5 stars.

The stories are:

1. Eight Miles: the narrator takes a hot air balloon ride to eight miles altitude - a height that can kill due to lack of oxygen. He has been hired by a wealthy man who has a reason for going that high. And in a time of ignorance and no safety standards, who is going to stop him? 3 stars.
2. The Constant Past: a serial killer from Regency London visits a library in 2010 to research the life of a woman from his era. 3 stars.
3. The Spiral Briar: a steam engine in 1449 is used to attack the Faerie realm. 2 stars.
4. The Art of the Dragon: a two mile long metal dragon eats the Eiffel Tower, then goes on a rampage eating the world's art. 3 stars.
5. Voice of Steel: people in 1404 are listening to radio transmissions from 2004 resulting in changes to the past and thus the present. 4 stars.
6. The Pharoah's Airship: a teenage first-year university student built an advanced aircraft in his garage, but is killed in a collision with a military jet. The authorities want to know more as it is apparent that his craft was more than it seemed. It turned out that he had done something similar twice before. 4 stars.
7. Tower of Wings: in 1303 a lady who has studied flight extensively prepares to fly from her besieged tower. 3.5 stars.
8. Svyatagor: a retelling of the moon race in 1969 with the Soviets as more active participants. 2 stars.
9. Dragon Black: the scene is a great library sometime in the far future, but with intrigue and duels this is no ordinary library. 2 stars.
10. Ninety Thousand Horses: in 1899 the fastest machines are steam trains, but a mad Englishman wants to build a steam-engine driven flying machine. 4 stars.
11. Electrica: in 1811 the Napoleonic wars are in full swing, and messages are sent by semaphore. The British, who are keen to get an advantage over the French, want to utilise an invisible semaphore invented by one of their homes for indebted peers. But he is also working with something else a little more bizarre. 4 stars.
12. Steamgothic: in 2012 someone has uncovered a steam-powered aircraft that was built in 1852. 4 stars. ( )