Stoke the
boiler and raise the pressure, because today we're talking Steampunk.
In case
you're not familiar with the genre, it's a blend of Fantasy and
Sci-Fi with occasional horror elements thrown in for good measure.
Most often, it's set in the 19th century, in either
Victorian England or the Wild West, but there are plenty of
exceptions.
As far as
I know, there are no rules stating that Steampunk has to be set in
our world, albeit an alternative version thereof, but it seems to be
rarer for Steampunk to be set in original worlds.
Like it's sister, Cyberpunk, the most important elements in Steampunk seem
to be a dystopian world, amazing technology and people finding their
place amidst it all. Unlike Cyberpunk however, in Steampunk more
power equals greater size. The concept of miniaturization is rare in
these worlds. Then add goggles, brass gears, top hats and corsets and
you get a fun and evocative genre.
Steampunk
has two cousins, Dieselpunk (1930's to 1950's style technology) and
Clockpunk (Renaissance) that can be so similar as to make the three
almost indistinguishable, but they are without a doubt separate.
The reason
for today's post, is that I started reading this genre again, and I
started with Shelley Adina's charming Lady of Devices.
Lady of
Devices was a fun read. It's humorous and innocent, and felt
altogether too short, even though it clocks in at 258 pages. So far
it seems there are six books in the series, but since I've not read
them I won't comment further. The story takes place on a very
personal level, with the main character Claire Trevelyan in constant
focus. If you're looking for an easy to read intro to Steampunk, this
is a good alternative.
I followed
up Lady of Devices with Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan. This book is
not just Steampunk but also Biopunk. In essence it's World War I,
with Germany and her allies in war-walkers and other mechanical
vehicles against Britain and her allies and their bio engineered war
machines. I loved the contrast, and Westerfeld's sheer ingenuity and
inventiveness is amazing. It's no wonder this book is number two on
Goodreads list of best Steampunk novels. My one complaint is that the
war itself, the catalyst for the events as it may be, is fairly
marginal. A great read in any case.
Currently
I'm on Cherie Priest's Boneshaker. I haven't gotten very far, but I'm
already hooked. Grime, mystery, zombies and airships. What's not to
love? Priest writes with great style and seems to have a good grip on
her characters. Final verdict pending, but so far very good!
That's all
for today, so put on your goggles, charge our lightning gun and I'll
see you next week. Have a great one!
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