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Post by majestic on Oct 5, 2022 20:29:20 GMT -5
I have read some Steampunk Sherlock Holmes books by James Lovegrove. He also wrote the Chtulhu Casebooks starring Sherlock. I also think the Robert Downey Sherlock Holmes movies were steampunk to some degree.
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Post by foxley on Oct 6, 2022 2:05:02 GMT -5
I remembered you mentioning a like of steampunk previously, so I was hoping you would chime in, and that was one of the reasons I posted the request on these forums. -M I'm trying not to swamp you with too many recommendations. 
I honestly think the two animated movies I mentioned in my first post are a really good introduction to steampunk, and don't require the time investment of a novel.
However, if you are looking for something a bit lighter, there is the webcomic Girl Genius by Phil and Kaja Foglio. It actually started life as a print comic before switching to an online format. It explores the sillier side of steampunk while still telling a rollicking adventure story. And gave us the immortal piece of advice "Any plan were you lose your hat is a bad plan". |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 6, 2022 9:42:29 GMT -5
I remembered you mentioning a like of steampunk previously, so I was hoping you would chime in, and that was one of the reasons I posted the request on these forums. -M I'm trying not to swamp you with too many recommendations. I honestly think the two animated movies I mentioned in my first post are a really good introduction to steampunk, and don't require the time investment of a novel. However, if you are looking for something a bit lighter, there is the webcomic Girl Genius by Phil and Kaja Foglio. It actually started life as a print comic before switching to an online format. It explores the sillier side of steampunk while still telling a rollicking adventure story. And gave us the immortal piece of advice "Any plan were you lose your hat is a bad plan". My wife is a big fan of the Foglio's and we've met them quite a few times at Gen Con and Origins over the years. We have a couple of the hardcover volumes of Girl Genius and my wife has a t-shirt or three of it as well. I've read a little bit of it, but not the whole story. (I was a fan of Foglio from the What's New with Phil and Dixie strip he used to do in Dragon Magazine way back in the day, as was my wife, but she followed his work through Buck Gadot, XXXenophile and through to Girl Genius). -M |
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Post by EdoBosnar on Oct 6, 2022 11:22:20 GMT -5
(...) And gave us the immortal piece of advice "Any plan were you lose your hat is a bad plan". That's why I hardly ever wear a hat. |
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Post by wildfire2099 on Oct 7, 2022 23:50:47 GMT -5
Mike Resnick's 'Weird West Tales' is really good... I think there are 4 books, the first one is 'Buntline Special' As with most Steampunk set in America, Edison is the bad guy. There's also the 'Rough Riders' comics that came out a couple years ago along that same vein.. very good stuff. Sticking with Comics, my daughter really liked 'Girl Genius'. The designs are fun, but the story didn't do much for me. There is a TON of YA stuff out there that pokes at the edges of Steampunk for sure, but most of it is very...YA and not really to my taste. I definitely read Boneshaker.. it was a bit too Zombie for me, but seemed like a cool world. If you're looking for more literary steampunk, China Mieville's Perido Street station might be good (I didn't love it, but it was pretty popular with the hugo book club on Goodreads I pop in and out of). I've heard good things about Jim Butcher's steampunk series whose's name escapes me at the moment, and there's one that's set in a giant tower that is on my to read list somewhere that I could find if it wasn't very late  I'd also call Golden Compass steampunk, but that's not why it's good Finally, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Full Metal Alchemist, which, against isn't good because it's good Steampunk, but which is a fantastic story which happens to have a Steampunk-y theme. Edit: just went back and looked at the rest of the thread... and checked that sight Rob Allen posted.. I can't believe I forgot Age of Unreason! That one is set earlier that Steampunk usually is, but I remember it being really good... I think Newton ends up dropping an asteroid on some country towards the end? I read it a LONG time ago, but definitely remember really liking it. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 7, 2022 23:55:56 GMT -5
If you're looking for more literary steampunk, China Mieville's Perido Street station might be good (I didn't love it, but it was pretty popular with the hugo book club on Goodreads I pop in and out of). Folks have been recommending this to me for going on 15 years or so, and I've tried it like 3 times and couldn't get past a few chapters. There's some kind of disconnect between me and this book, as often I can see what the appeal is even if I don't like; I can't see what appeals to people about this book. I found the characters unlikable and the prose turgid and self-indulgent. -M |
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Post by foxley on Oct 8, 2022 0:03:10 GMT -5
I definitely read Boneshaker.. it was a bit too Zombie for me, but seemed like a cool world. The zombie situation is limited to Seattle, so it doesn't feature nearly so prominently after Boneshaker (except for The Inexplicables which is also set in Seattle). In one of the later books, someone is attempting to weaponize the gas that created the zombies, but that's about it. Many of the later books deal with the strange directions the steampunk technology has taken the American Civil War which has still being fought after 20 years. |
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Post by wildfire2099 on Oct 17, 2022 9:01:34 GMT -5
I definitely read Boneshaker.. it was a bit too Zombie for me, but seemed like a cool world. The zombie situation is limited to Seattle, so it doesn't feature nearly so prominently after Boneshaker (except for The Inexplicables which is also set in Seattle). In one of the later books, someone is attempting to weaponize the gas that created the zombies, but that's about it. Many of the later books deal with the strange directions the steampunk technology has taken the American Civil War which has still being fought after 20 years. Hmm. that sounds good! Pehaps I'll have to give them another shot at some point. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 22, 2022 8:43:32 GMT -5
So updating...
watched April and the extraordinary World-liked it a lot (but I like a lot of Tardi stuff so not surprising). Very steampunk and lots I can adapt/adopt/internalize for my steampunk toolbox
The Gates of Anubis by Tim Powers-I am almost finished with this-3 chapters left, and while I like it and it is set in the Victorian era, there's not a lot I recognize as steampunk in there, more in the time travel/alt history genre of sci-fi for me than Steampunk.
I am also 6-8 short stories into the Mammoth Book of Steampunk anthology. The stories have been up and down in terms of my liking them, but all explore aspects of the genre. Several stories by authors I recognized the name but hadn't read much by, though a N.K. Jemesin is on deck and I have really dug the stuff by her I have read.
I also flipped through the Steampunk User's Manual and didn't find much of use. It's more of a motivational and generic tip book if you want to do do-it-yourself Steampunk style crafts and prop-making for cosplay or create steampunk art than anything useful for what I wanted. There was however a chapter on writing steampunk that I will delve into to see if there is anything I can assimilate for help in plotting my steampunk themed game.
I have Steamboy out from the library, but haven't watched it yet, and still have that big ole pile o'books formthe library to get through.
-M
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Post by berkley on Oct 22, 2022 23:24:46 GMT -5
So updating... The Gates of Anubis by Tim Powers-I am almost finished with this-3 chapters left, and while I like it and it is set in the Victorian era, there's not a lot I recognize as steampunk in there, more in the time travel/alt history genre of sci-fi for me than Steampunk. -M
It's been a long,long time since I read The Anubis Gates but that's more or less matches my vague recollections. I thought maybe I'd forgotten something when I saw it mentioned in wikipedia's Steampunk article. You have to wonder about how useful these categories are sometimes, when the terminology is thrown around so loosely.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 22, 2022 23:31:07 GMT -5
So updating... The Gates of Anubis by Tim Powers-I am almost finished with this-3 chapters left, and while I like it and it is set in the Victorian era, there's not a lot I recognize as steampunk in there, more in the time travel/alt history genre of sci-fi for me than Steampunk. -M It's been a long,long time since I read The Anubis Gates but that's more or less matches my vague recollections. I thought maybe I'd forgotten something when I saw it mentioned in wikipedia's Steampunk article. You have to wonder about how useful these categories are sometimes, when the terminology is thrown around so loosely.
the closest to a steampunk trope is the ka of Dr. Romany using spring loaded shoes to walk around in to avoid contact with the earth. -M |
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Post by foxley on Oct 23, 2022 3:51:45 GMT -5
It's been a long,long time since I read The Anubis Gates but that's more or less matches my vague recollections. I thought maybe I'd forgotten something when I saw it mentioned in wikipedia's Steampunk article. You have to wonder about how useful these categories are sometimes, when the terminology is thrown around so loosely.
the closest to a steampunk trope is the ka of Dr. Romany using spring loaded shoes to walk around in to avoid contact with the earth. -M The Anubis Gates is a great book, but I certainly wouldn't call it steampunk. As with most of Powers' work, it falls more into historical fantasy.
The Regency period and the Romantic poets are areas of interest for me, so I really liked this book, but I've enjoyed much of Powers' work. I especially enjoyed The Drawing of the Dark, a low fantasy set during the Siege of Vienna (a major historical event strangely ignored by fiction); and On Stranger Tides, which mixes piracy and voodoo (not connected to the Pirates of the Caribbean movie, although the producers did buy the rights to the novel so they could use the title).
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2022 2:29:14 GMT -5
In addition to finishing The Iron Wyrm Affair by Lilith Saintcrow, I am continuing my dive into the Mammoth Book of Steampunk, a short story collection edited by Sean Wallace.
The most recent story read was interesting, as it was not Victorian Britannia at its core, but an Aztec steampunk, a story called Prayers of Forges and Furnaces by Aliette de Bodard. It has a very different feel than the other steampunk I have read that drawn on late 19th century western culture for its basis, but still captures the steampunk aesthetic. It was interesting. Next up is a short story by N.K. Jemisin, who I've read and liked in other genres, so I am interested in reading her foray into steampunk.
-M
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Post by berkley on Nov 4, 2022 5:31:12 GMT -5
I'm curious - do any of the Victorian-set steampunk novels try to reproduce the writing style of that era or do they limit themselves to the Victorian setting and write in much the same manner as they would any other story?
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Post by foxley on Nov 4, 2022 7:40:39 GMT -5
I'm curious - do any of the Victorian-set steampunk novels try to reproduce the writing style of that era or do they limit themselves to the Victorian setting and write in much the same manner as they would any other story? It depends on the writer. Many writers write in a modern style and just use the pseudo-Victorian setting, but some do use a pseudo-Victorian style. K.W. Jeter, the writer who coined the team 'steampunk', writes like this. Gail Carriager's Parasol Protectorate series (a supernatural/steampunk hybrid) is another example that springs to mind. |
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