Norwescon discussion

The theme this month is STEAMPUNK! Grab your finest rivet festooned corset, swankiest boots, and best eyeglasses because we have alternative worlds to explore.

This month let’s start at the beginning with what is considered the progenitor of the sub-genre—The Difference Engine by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling.

Published in 1990, this novel imagines what would have happened if Charles Babbage had succeeded in his ambition to build a mechanical computer in 1824. The novel is set in 1855 and explores the differences an early information revolution would have wrought. This novel was nominated for a British Science Fiction Award in 1990, the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1991, and the John W. Campbell Memorial Award and Prix Aurora Award in 1992.