Steampunk books

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Holyeskimo

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Jul 14, 2010
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Hello people, i just scored a kindle for graduation, and i would like to start moving out of general sword and magic fantasy and i felt steampunk would be the best step to take, so i would love some suggestions for books to read. also what is cyberpunk i can't really figure it out from anything i've read.
 

ThaBenMan

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Mar 6, 2008
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A good one I'm reading right now is The Scar by China Mieville. There are zeppelins and flintlock guns, and a wierd mix of magic and science called thaumaturgy. And magically-altered mutant people with steam engines integrated into their bodies and stuff. Very cool. Some people would suggest reading Perdido Street Station by the same author first (I haven't, myself) but I don't think it's a big deal.

And grats on graduation and scoring a Kindle! I've been seriously considering getting one myself.
 

WaywardHaymaker

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Aug 21, 2009
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Gah, I could never buy a Kindle. I love the sound and smell of turning pages far too much for that.

Can't help you on your predicament, though, I just felt I had to say that.
 

mastermerrick

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Jul 7, 2010
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Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld: a Steampunk/Biopunk reimagining of the First World War.
 

IxionIndustries

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Mar 18, 2009
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I would say "Boneshaker" by Cherie Priest. It's an alternate history type thing, with Seattle being polluted by this gas that turns people into zombies/ghouls. Honestly, it doesn't include a lot of steampunk elements in my opinion. It's still a good read, it just focuses more around zombies than airships.
 

Ed130 The Vanguard

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Sep 10, 2008
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It isn't really steampunk per say, but I would recommend The Edge Chronicles.

Also how exactly did you score a Kindle for your graduation?

REcaptcha:arrived nsadvake
 

Falseprophet

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Jan 13, 2009
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I met the Steampunk Scholar at a steampunk convention; he has a list of recommended steampunk literature [http://steampunkscholar.blogspot.com/p/steampunk-scholars-reading-list-primary.html].

I love the old stuff, personally. Moorcock's "Nomad of the Time Streams" trilogy (possibly the first steampunk books) if you can find it. Tim Powers' Anubis Gates, K. W. Jeter's Morlock Nights. Joe Landsdale's "Zeppelins West". Paul DiFilippo's "Steampunk Trilogy".

IxionIndustries said:
I would say "Boneshaker" by Cherie Priest, but honestly, it doesn't include a lot of steampunk elements in my opinion. It's still a good read, it just focuses more around zombies than airships.
I disagree, I find it an excellent example of the genre. But the sequel "Dreadnought" is possibly better.
 

New York Patrick

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Jul 29, 2009
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Okay, I'm going to be entirely honest... I thought the title of this topic said "Steampunk Boots"...

WHICH YOU SHOULD TOTALLY MAKE! WITH A SMOKE STACK! AND GEAR SHAPED SPIRS!

(Also, I would suggest you give "Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter" a read. Not nessesarily steampunk, but it complement's the genre...)
 

Azahul

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Apr 16, 2011
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I'll add another vote for Leviathan, and also suggest the Anno Dracula series by Kim Newman. They aren't really steampunk (apart from the first two being set in the right era, and having a lot of characters from Victorian literature scattered throughout), but they share many of the same aesthetics and they're really, really good books. The second one, the Bloody Red Baron, in particular, you really can't top giant bat things tackling enemy aircraft in mid air. The third one also has some clockwork ballerina assassins and Frankenstein's monster, so you got a touch of Steampunkishness there.
A quick warning though, they are pretty gory books, and Kim Newman is almost nausea-inducingly good at describing scenes. The first book is basically the story of Jack the Ripper's rampage, but taking place in a world where Dracula won, married Queen Victoria, and turned her and a good chunk of England's population into vampires. Then some nut starts carving up vampire prostitutes. The second book has all the carnage of the first World War to top it off, and although things die down for the third book (set in the 1960's), it still has its fair share of blood and mayhem.
 

Holyeskimo

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Jul 14, 2010
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Ed130 said:
It isn't really steampunk per say, but I would recommend The Edge Chronicles.

Also how exactly did you score a Kindle for your graduation?

REcaptcha:arrived nsadvake
Gift from aunt and uncle, and i will now be spending sometime gathering these thanks to all
 

mastermerrick

Bored. That is all.
Jul 7, 2010
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Ninjat_126 said:
mastermerrick said:
Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld: a Steampunk/Biopunk reimagining of the First World War.
Voting up.

It's better than it sounds, honestly.
It's 1:25 AM for me, so thats the best I could come up with for needing sleep.