Horror Aficionados discussion

Define, give examples, discuss.

A style of fiction that mixes turn of the 20th century Industrial Age with Science Fiction. Sherlock Holmes meets Star Wars, kind of. IMO aspects of BLADE RUNNER were what triggered the idea into the minds of people. BLADE RUNNER looks like it could be our world, but then there are certain little things that make you realize you are NOT in the modern era, such as a car that flies. Same thing with Steampunk, it looks like a regular gun, almost, but it does not shoot bullets, it shoots an odd laser/steam type of beam.

I think Jules Verne would LOVE the Steampunk movement.

Carl's definition is good, but I would add, decidely Victorian feel but with advanced technology based on steam engines. Clockpunk is closely related, and includes technology based on clockworks.

I haven't seen too much horror steampunk, but I've read these books which I would consider steampunk:

Soulless by Gail Carriger
The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook (currently reading)

This is classified as steampulp by the author: Gaslight Occurrences: The Steampulp Adventures of Augustus Argent by Teel James Glenn

Warrior by Zoe Archer is considered steampunk, but it's actually more of clockpunk.

Whitechapel Gods by SM Peters and Scar Night by Alan Campbell and

The Convent of the Pure by Sara M. Harvey (which I've read) are more horrorish.

Carl and Danielle, you two really cleared this up for me. Thanks.

Have you two enjoyed most of the steampunk you've read?

Honestly? I've never read any Steampunk, but am sooo damned fascinated by it, that I am looking for the perfect book to start with so that my first foray into the genre will hook me ridiculously. I have a sample on my Kindle of a couple, one being Boneshaker and the other is The Man With the Golden Torc. I also have Leviathan, which I have heard good things about. But, I am not too sure which one I wish to actually start with.

I haven't read any sreampunk yet, but I plan to at some point. It looks fascinating.

Regarding steampunk as a genre, I've heard an interesting and funny quote which might sum it up. I forget who said it first, but it says, "Steampunk is the result of all the goth kids discovering the color brown."

That's pretty funny! But, I think "and found out about science fiction" into it, as you need aspects of Science Fiction.

Tressa, so a google search for some Steampunk cosplay, and that should explain all.

Here is what my Google image search turns up:
http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&am...

LEAGUE OF EXTRODINARY GENTLEMEN toys with Steampunk.

Science fiction is indeed a big part of steampunk, from my understanding. That and technology and, of course, steam powered engines.

Jason wrote: "I haven't read any sreampunk yet, but I plan to at some point. It looks fascinating.

Regarding steampunk as a genre, I've heard an interesting and funny quote which might sum it up. I forget who..."

I read that somewhere and laughed my butt off!!

I've also noticed, in books like Boneshaker and a couple of other ones I've researched, that there are sometimes zombies in steampunk.

There are also a lot of Russians.

Does anyone know if these two elements are typical of steampunk?

Jason, maybe they are related to the dystopian aspects of steampunk.

Tressa, so far I have enjoyed all my exposures to steampunk. I just finished The Iron Duke, and it was an excellent example, if you don't mind the romance elements.

Maybe we should read some zombie/horror steampunk for our next group read.

Yeah, that quote is fabulous.

Lady Danielle "The Book Huntress" wrote: "Carl's definition is good, but I would add, decidely Victorian feel but with advanced technology based on steam engines. Clockpunk is closely related, and includes technology based on clockworks.
..."

Would Perdido Street Station and The Scar qualify as steam punk? I enjoyed both of these books by Mieville very much.

Tammy wrote: "Lady Danielle "The Book Huntress" wrote: "Carl's definition is good, but I would add, decidely Victorian feel but with advanced technology based on steam engines. Clockpunk is closely related, and ..."

I've heard Perdido Street classified more as a cyberpunk novel. Haven't read it myself, but I've seen it listed on several cyberpunk "best of" lists.

From what I've read, the book that spawned the steampunk genre is Tim Power's Anubis Gates

Carl wrote: "Honestly? I've never read any Steampunk, but am sooo damned fascinated by it, that I am looking for the perfect book to start with so that my first foray into the genre will hook me ridiculously. I..."
Huh...guess I have read some of this genre. I have read "Man with the Golden Torq" and the sequel to that whatever it was named...not bad, but not earthshaking. That particular book though is a few books into the series, If I were going to read one, I would start with an earlier title.

I think I was wrong, I don't think that one qualifies as Steampunk, looking back at its description.

I love steampunk...the stories, the style, everything. My husband just put in a new kitchen faucet for me, and imho, it's very steampunk-y.

If you like the steampunk theme, check out the pictures of this house. Not my house, btw...

I love the esthetic of steampunk as well, the future-past, if you will.

I have one book that is classified as steampunk (I think)

The Kingdom Beyond the Waves

It's basically about asthetics. The use of Victorian Age technology to create things that we have today. Victorian Sci-Fi is the closest you can get to a short definition. You get a lot of these:

Clockwork
Steampower
Automatons
Airships
Occasional Victorian space travel
The British Empire (as it was in the 1800s)
Brass
Levers and cogs
Goggles
Corsets

I love Steampunk. It's a fantastic development. I'm striving to write my own S/P work as we speak, actually. I just cant get enough!

Books that are particularly good:

Leviathan
Extraordinary engines (short story collection)

Boneshaker was...ok, but not really representative of the genre as a whole.

I like steampunk myself. I consider China Mieville's Perdido Street Station, Scar and Iron Council to be steampunk-esque.

I've also enjoyed Mainspring by Jay Lake.

There's an indie author Lindsay Buroker who has some steampunk out there for little to no cost in ebook form. I liked her novella Flashgold which was set in the Yukon.

A YA example would be David H Burton with Scourge with the follow-up short stories Simian's Lair. He refers to his world as the land of Verne - a fitting tribute I think.

The whole genre has made me want to go back and revisit the works of Verne which I surely will one of these days.

I think the His Dark Materials novels are close to steampunk as well.

I consider China Mieville's Perdido Street Station, Scar and Iron Council to be steampunk-esque.

Mieville is the whole reason that I got interested in steampunk. I loved The Scar, but I haven't read Iron Council yet.

I loved Perdido Street Station. I read it a few years ago but haven't picked up anything else by Mieville since. This is strange. I need to fix this. LOL

If you don't read anything else by Mieville, definitely read The Scar. Personally, I liked it even better than Perdido Street Station.

I will! Thanks Michelle!

I just picked up The Dream of Perpetual Motion tonight. It's pretty new but has anyone read it yet?

I have not heard of the Scott, but it sounds like a good book.

I haven't heard of that one, either. Is it YA? I know there are a lot of good YA steampunk novels that have been recently published.

No, it's a regular novel.

Okay, that's one more for my growing TBR pile, lol.

The Man With the Golden Torcis not steampunk, but I guess the metal suits made it seem as such. It was a good book though. ]Boneshakerwas ok, but a bit slow, I couldn't finish it, though I wanted to. Leviathan was recommended to me, and I have to get to it. Also,The Windup Girlwas recommeded. I'm reading Soulless right now, which is less steampunk & more paranormal romance...yet at least it's intelligent pr for once.

I really enjoyed The Diamond Age: Or, a Young Lady's Illustrated Primer (but it TOTALLY falls apart at the end into a big piled of suck). Philip Reeve's Larklight trilogy is extremely funny, charming children's steampunk -- I highly recommend to adults. And The Adventures of Langdon St. Ives is a big omnibus of steampunk novels and short stories about mad doctor/detective Langdon St. Ives. Some of the pieces wear out their welcome, but it's still fun stuff.

Tressa wrote: "Define, give examples, discuss."

I believe that a lot of old classic science fiction would fall under (and thus help defining) the category of Steampunk. Just consider titles like: Frankenstein, The Time Machine, A Journey to the Centre of the Earth and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

I've read some of Mieville's work, but that's about it. I would really like to read other Steampunk works.

Alan Moore's The Extraordinary League of Gentlemen (try saying that 5 times fast, lol) comic is steampunk too, I think.

Check out lady mechanika from aspen comics by Joe benitez......AMAZING!!!!

So I heard about Steampunk from my cousin and never really thought anything of it. I came across this thread and read into the definition of what Steampunk and checked out some of the books people have been recommending. I am considering reading a Steampunk book but I am looking for one less then 300 pages, are their any? I just want to get a taste if you will of how they are, I noticed almost all of them are around 375+ pages. It seems like a very interesting genre and I am opening my horizons in checking it out.

Steampunk doesn't have to be based around a victorian style world. Any merging of advanced technology with a previous era, can qualify IMO.

As for Perdido street station, I couldn't get into it, and the book itself was briefly a doorstop!! Sorry China!

Ghosts by Gaslight:: Stories of Steampunk and Supernatural Suspense is pretty good. It's the only 'Steampunk' I've ever read, and has a *really* good Laird Barron 'Black Ram Lodge' Story in it that's not in any other collection.

I've never read any Steampunk novels but the topic does interest me and I think I might like to try on. I am reading a Steampunk comic book called "Lady Mechanika" and I have really enjoyed that.

Back to considering reading my first Steampunk novel. What would be a good first book to read to get me into the genre, Boneshaker? Soulless? Another not known book?

This thread needs to be spiced up again, given life! Steampunk anyone?

Is Carnal Surgery by Edward Lee steampunk?

I just checked and definitely not. It's more Bizarro then anything.

Ok thanks Justin.
I'm looking into expanding my reading horizons.

Omg I think I meant splatter punk lol

Well again, the book you named would certainly pertain more to splatterpunk and bizzaro then Steampunk.

Steampunk requires it to contain elements of plot and characters based on time period, technology and unique gadgets of some sort.

Thanks again!
I will read one soon

Anyone read any Steampunk books lately?

Justin wrote: "Anyone read any Steampunk books lately?"

A few months ago:

Steampunk Cthulhu

I would recommend it to every fan of lovecraftian horror, but I don't know if steampunkers who aren't into HPL could enjoy it.

Some of the better Steampunk books IMO:



These are more multi-dimensional than the YA books in the genre.