Many Falkenstein fans seem to regard Steam Age as a fun but relatively useless supplement. While it is true that it is very short, and not much more than a list of nifty steamtech contraptions, I don't see why it would be useful. In fact, the very small amount of CF I've Hosted was largely inspired by a few of the devices found within...they make great plot hooks.
This book is contaisn the June 1872 issue of "Popular Invention" from New Europa. It contains a wide array of anachronistic or improbable vehicles for land, sea, and air (and Outer Space!) as well as a few "Infernal Devices" such as Clockwork Automatons, Lightning Hurlers, Babbage Engines (computers) and a Virtual Realism Engine. My personal favorite is the Giant Steam Automaton from (where else?) Japan. On the more mundane side, we get some Automotives from BMW, Mercedes, Renault, and Rolls-Royce. We even get one example of alien technology, the mysterious Martian Tripod Walkers from "War of the Worlds" are described, despite a Roswell-style cover-up by the British government. A few of the inventions are accompanied by descriptions of and interviews with their makers. (The interview with Lord Tomino is particularly amusing...)
So, how well does the book set out to do what it intends to do? Very well, in my opinion. It presents a good mix between (relatively) mundane modes of transportation that one would encounter on a typical day in New Europa, and more bizarre devices that can serve as seeds for an adventure. Are the devices well thought out? As well as they need to be for the admittedly-highly-unrealistic tech in Castle Falkenstein. More importantly, they are fun and it is nice to have stats of such things and descriptions of how they are used, how they are percieved, and what effects they have on New Europan society, which is nice because it's easy to forget that the advanced tech enjoyed by New Europa is almost as big a difference between our Earth and theirs as is the existence of Faeries, Dragons, and magic.
The last few pages of the book contain a guide to becoming a Scientist or a Mad Scientist, which are sort of useful, but mostly the sort of thing that you would know if you've ever seen a movie or read a book/comic with an Evil Mastermind in it. We have two quick pages with a bit about Air Pirates (not all that interesting, but it's only a page) and a bit about the effect of Babbage Engines on society (which I like) and finish up with a few pages of adventure seeds involving steamtech. What I really like about this (as opposed to most "adventure seeds") is that it gives ideas as to how to include different character types in the adventure and motivate both Faerie Lords and Russian Secret Agents alike into participating.
The art in this book is great. The illustrations by Miro Salazar and Dennis Detwiller really capture the feel of implausible Victorian tech and inspire the imagination. They all look like etchings from the pages of "Popular Invention" magazine, and contain lots of nice touches. My favorite example of this is the railroad track surrounding the giant Verne Cannon...miniature trains on the track move in order to position the Cannon for the purposes of aiming. Another good piece is the cutaway view of the inside of the Lunar Shell (a big bullet that can be fired into space along with passengers) complete with a bookcase, wrought iron railings, and padded leather armchairs. Tres Falkensteinian.
What are some of the bad points of this book? Well, it is short. (104 pages) and I don't remember it being a whole heck of a lot cheaper than other CF books. Some of the profiles of inventors are a little dull. I guess if you really want examples of Mad Scientists and not-so-Mad Scientists to inspire you, or really enjoy using book NPCs, then they are useful, but I thought such a short book could have used its pages for more interesting things.
Basically, what this book comes down to is, "do you want a big book of Castle Falkenstein technology or not?" If you have an aversion to sourcebooks that are nothing more than lists of tech, you may not like it, though it is a bit better than most in that it has great flavor text, useful descriptions about the device and society, and very minimal "stats." If you prefer to downplay the technological aspects of Castle Falkenstein, then you'll certainly have no use for it. If you're strapped for cash, you may want to avoid it because it's short...less bang for your buck.
However, if you enjoy the high-tech and rules-light approach to vehicles and infernal devices in Castle Falkenstein and are looking for some examples to use or to inspire you to create your own steamtech, then you'll definitely want to pick it up.
Many CF fans consider this to be the most uneccessary supplement, but I disagree. I've derived more enjoyment and GM-inspiration from this book than The Book of Sigils and The Lost Notebooks of Leonardo DaVinci combined.
Like the others in the line, this book is out of print, but I have seen it on the shelves of gaming stores fromt time to time. It's actually fairly common as CF supplements go, probably due to its low popularity, though maybe it just had a large print run.
Style: 5 (Excellent!)
Substance: 3 (Average)
