The Rise of Steampunk

I have seen a growing number of novels, blogs and articles revolving around the rise of the steampunk, so of course I had to find out more about this much talked about genre.

According to the invaluable source that is wikipedia, steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction that is set during an era, usually the 19th century, when steam powered machines are still prevalent. Prominent elements of science fiction and/or fantasy are woven into this time to tell the story of an alternate history.

Steampunk became popular in the 1980s-90s, but whose roots can be traced back to Jules Verne and H.G. Wells.

Some novels include:

His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

League of Extraordinary Gentlemen by Alan Moore – I had to get one graphic novel in the mix! 🙂

For a more extensive list of steampunk favorites, click HERE.

I’m currently reading Soulless by Gail Carriger, which I am loving! It’s set in Victorian England with sub-cultures of vampires, werewolves and other supernaturals co-existing with their human counterparts. It’s a great twist on the supernatural theme and the protagonist – a soulless spinster named Alexia with a penchant for speaking her mind and getting into trouble – is refreshing and delightful.

Have you read any steampunk novels? What are your favorites?


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  1. Another great one is Larklight by Philip Reeve.

  2. You know, I haven’t read any steampunk yet, but Boneshaker is on my list. I think it was shortlisted as one of the best Sci-Fi novels of 2009 if I’m remembering correctly. I will definitely check out Soulless as well! Thanks for visiting my blog and telling me about East of Eden. I will add it to my TBR list.

    Also, don’t worry about shameless self-promotion. It’s nice to find new blogs!

  3. I really enjoyed Soulless and I’ve Leviathan on my TBR list.

  1. July 19th, 2010

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