Brazilian Anthology - Dieselpunk: Relatos confidenciais de uma bela época

Hello, folks! A small disclaimer on this review: English isn't my native language, and since I really don't have much opportunities to keep up with it, it may get a little rusty or plain weird -- although, talking about Dieselpunk, "rusty" and plain "weird" may fit...

I have just finished reading Dieselpunk - Arquivos confidenciais de uma bela época (Dieselpunk – Confidential files from a belle epoque), by Draco press, 2011. It's a tales selection on the genre, probably the first book about this in Brazil if not in any Portuguese-speaking country.

It presents 9 short novels and about 380 pages, a small brick which is a “thematic follow-up” of the 2010 steampunk selection by the same house, named Vaporpunk – Relatos steampunk publicados sob as ordens de suas majestades (Vaporpunk – steampunk reports published under the orders of Their Majesties) which I haven't read yet, but with the result seen in Dieselpunk, I'm looking forward to read this too.

The stories are surprisingly... dense, to say the least. It's not just about “entertainment literature”, as one may expect, and although there's a lot of fast-paced action and fun you can find anytime, there are, clearly, two different approaches. One more action-driven and the other emphasyzing the social and alternate-historical background of the presented story. This doesn't mean one approach is anyhow better or worse than the other, they are all very good stories.

But, needed to say, I felt sometimes that the enthusiasm of some auhors about their extensive research and complex worldbuilding done may have hampered a little bit the flow of their own stories. I understand that, sometimes you want the reader to be as excited as you were when you wrote them. And again, not that really compromises the quality of the presented stories.

A Fúria do Escorpião Azul (The Wrath of the Blue Scorpion), by Carlos Orsi, is the first story, telling an espionage/masked vigilantism/two-fisted tale of a character based in pulp fiction stories of old, the Blue Scorpion. Brazil is under an oppressive Stalinist rule, after a workers' revolution, and this story develops through the soviet ESP research and the kidnapping of babies... for unspeakable purposes! Orsi is one of the finest writers we have here, and when the subject is pulp action, he goes like a fish in the water.

Grande G (Great G), by Tibor Moricz, talks about two imaginary cities, one diesel-powered and the other steam-powered, in contant conflict, almost putting the two subgenres – steampunk and dieselpunk – to dialogue in ill terms. Also, lots and lots of sex, incest and dark humor.

Impávido Colosso (Intrepid Colossus), by Hugo Vera. The title is a reference from Brazil National Anthem verse, and tells a story of a war against an expansionist Argentina invading Brazilian southern territories (a war with our neighbor was a semi-constant fear, or at least a theme, 30-40 years ago). The argentinians use a swarm of teleguided robots, bought from the British. Brazil's last best hope is a gigantic piloted robot, mecha-style, built by a descendant of the historical Baron of Mauá, an ill-fated man who tried to develop industry in Brazil, something that Brittish competition and the national agriculture-minded elite neither looked favorably.

Cobra de Fogo (Snake of Fire), by Sid Castro, is one of my favorites. He presents an exciting world where, after the Great War, international conflicts are solved through transcontinental races using over-the-top giant vehicles dubbed locomotives, which act like ekranoplans with ground effect, one per nation interested. The judge is the League of the Nations, always around with their dread zeppelins. The story itself is about one of these races, and the control of the Amazon Rainforest (an old national fear of ours) is the prize. It's up to the brave crew of the M'Boitata (a mythical indigenous creature, the 'snake of fire' of the title) defend the Brazilian Empire colors. It all reminded me the good old Speed Racer cartoon episodes: transcontinental races through exotic scenarios with political conspiracies in the background, but this time the race is ran only with Mammoth Cars!

O Dia em que Virgulino cortou o Rabo da Cobra Sem Fim com o Chuço Excomungado (The Day Virgulino cut off the tail of the Neverending Snake with the Excomungated Lance – Octa, you'll pay for making me translate it!), by Octavio Aragão, tells about a historical meeting that never was but could be: legendary bandit leader Virgulino Ferreira, a.k.a. Lampião, King of Cangaço and revolutionary leader Luis Carlos Prestes, in plain march of his Fifth Column attempting to establish a communist Brazil. These two and other historic characters are players of something dreadful that goes far beyond the revolution, affecting Brazil... and the whole world.

O País da Aviação (The Country of the Aviation), by Gerson Lodi-Ribeiro – organizer of this anthology – is one of his writings on Alternate History, a Scicence-Fiction branch that is his specialty. The turning point here is Robert Fulton steam engine being accepted by Napoleon Bonapart, allowing him building a new steam-powered navy and winning the Battle of Trafalgar. The European Hegemony is established, and expands even through Americas. The narrative leaps forward in time (counted in Revolutionary calendar) glancing at different moments of this process, and at some point it shows the meeting of the Fathers of the Aviation (the title is a wordplay, in Portuguese, with Pais – Fathers – and País – Country) working togethter for the Hegemony: the Wright Brothers, Santos-Dumont, Otto Lilenthal and Karl Jatho.

Ao perdedor, as baratas (which I don't feel comfortable to translate, for this is a wordplay on a established old adage, this being about not much being left for losing contestants), by Luiz Antonio M. C. Costa works with a dutch, not english, expanding civilization (New York is still called New Amsterdam), in fierce competition with a different Brazilian Empire. The tale celebrates also the ethnic and cultural diversity, in opposition to old conservative mentalities, presented in the dutch commonwealth as well in the Brazil, which is passing through a time of change. This is reflected in the inter-ethnic couple present in the story and the repulse the main character, a secret agent whose mission will trigger world-changing events. Philosophy, politics, society, Kafka and Lovecraft are discussed or presented along the story, building up one of the most complex scenarios in the book.

O Auto do Extermínio (The Act of Extermination), by Cirilo S. Lemos, also work with limping monarchies and politic conspiracies, madness, espionage, gunfights, robots and jetpack action. It's the last days of the rule of Pedro III (a fictional emperor, based on the actual Prince Pedro Augusto de Alcântara, nephew of Emperor Pedro II, and once the sure bet for succedding his grandfather. The Republican coup ended any claims), and Brazil lives tense days, with the political scenario heating up with the tension between Integralists (ultra-nacionalist Nazi-sympathizers) and Socialists. To calm down the scenario, it has been expected the presentation of a royal heir to the public – a possibility that no one wants. It's a very interesting tale, with mystical touches envolving the precognizing madness of the main character. 

Só a morte te resgata (Only death to rescue you), by Portuguese Science-Fiction writer Jorge Candeias, it's probably the most mature of all presented works. It raises an interesting question: if home is where the heart stands, what may happen when your heart isn't anywhere? It's the last piece, closing the anthology in a melancholic tune. In a world where the Portuguese Empire never lost its strength, this is a tale about a war biplane pilot who, after seeing his unit being slaughtered in plain Sahara by new Portuguese war machines, tries to get back home, and by not quite honroable methods. This will prove the most lonely of all his travels.

I had a very good time reading it. It's nice seeing our past being revised and brought up reshaped in such unconventional ways. I hope someday we can have this book published in English, so we can all here discuss it. 

Draco press is one of the newly founded publishing houses believing, in the last decade, in fantasy-fictional literature, something that the major houses use to frown upon (unless they are foreign international hits, getting adaptations for the silver screen, etc.), having published novels and anthologies by Brazilian and Portuguese authors (a comics project was announced recently). I'm happy to say I'm currently co-developing an anthology with Gerson Lodi-Ribeiro about the Super-Hero genre, to be released by Draco, perhaps in June or July later this year.