Building a SciFi/Fantasy Library discussion

I am an avid Sci-fi/Fantasy any good book reader. I would like some suggestions for a Steam Punk starter list.

I have read Around the World in 80 days, 20,000 Leagues under the Sea, and Journey to the Center of the Earth. I have heard that Jules Verne is one of the inspirations of this genre. Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" is a favorite as well.

I like character development and plot progression in that order. I will take suggestions and tell you what I think.

Please, forgive if there is another thread for this.

As a GR reader, The Diamond Age: Or, a Young Lady's Illustrated Primer would be a great next book for you because it's about a very special primer and the technology of books and reading!

There's a goodreads vote for best steampunk list.

Steampunk is minimally neovictorian, an 'alternative version of the 19th century . . .' but for me steampunk is primarily a detailed celebration of mechanical engineering, machinery (inc war machines & weapons), aviation and invention with plenty of action or exploration that allows scientific thought and experimentation to play a center role in the characters' challenges.

A few popular contemporary authors would be : Stephen Hunt, Cherie Priest, Philip Pullman, and Neal Stephenson.

Because of the visual attraction of the inventions and the action/travel oriented plots that make use of neovictorian vehicles and airships film is a great way to enjoy steampunk.

Might be time for a movie marathon too, try: Steamboy, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, The Prestige, and The Time Machine and Porco Rosso. Not strictly steampunk, but neo-victorian speculative fiction with all the best elements of steampunk is: Dinotopia.

Boston Globe has published Ethan Gilsdorf's Quick-and-dirty list of books that spawned and influenced steampunk culture You might also like his article Steampunk: The new Goth
The retrofuturistic trend draws on a Jules Verne-like view of the world and Victorian-era technology .

In another article about whether Boston is the new hub of steampunk Gilsdorf interviews Bruce Rosenbaum who is curating two steampunk exhibits that will appeal to steampunk enthusiasts:

One will be displayed at Patriot Place’s new “20,000 Leagues’’ attraction, an “hourlong, walk-though steampunk adventure.

Meanwhile, Steampunk: Form and Function, an Exhibition of Innovation, Invention and Gadgetry is at the Charles River Museum of Industry and Innovation in Waltham, MA.

Natalie wrote: "As a GR reader, The Diamond Age: Or, a Young Lady's Illustrated Primer would be a great next book for you because it's about a very special primer and the technology of books and reading..."

Thank you for your suggestions, Natalie. I will try the first book, Diamond Age.

Ive just got hold of William Gibson's 'The Difference Engine'. This feels quite steampunk at first glance.... An alternative future in which scientists run the show, and everything is mechanical and analogue. Although I haven't finished it, it has a nice feel to it.

Another curious alt-future story is The Two Georges: The Novel of an Alternate America where airship travel is the norm in the 1990's and America remains a British colony.

You can also try Charles Stross' Merchant Princes series, which has a paratemporal theme (lateral time travel) to go to alternate Earths, one of which is a steampunk Earth.

Also, if you'd like something less techy and a bit silly and fun, try my Christmas story, Steampunk Santa.

@Marc, thanks for the link. I will want to read your other work too, esp in Wyrd Wravings: An Anthology of Humorous Speculative Fiction andThe Flame in the Bowl: Unbinding the Stone sounds interesting too.

Natalie wrote: "@Marc, thanks for the link. I will want to read your other work too, esp in Wyrd Wravings: An Anthology of Humorous Speculative Fiction andThe Flame in the Bowl: Unbinding th..."</i>

Thank you very much. I'm afraid Wyrd Wraving no longer exists, although it may be possible to get copies somewhere. My story in that volume is called [book:Chasing His Own Tale, and has since been published as a standalone short ebook. I have quite a few stories, and they're all over the place, no one distributor has them all, as far as I can tell. The Echelon catalog page http://echelonexploration.wordpress.c... has links for the known locations for all the stories.

Marc wrote: "Natalie wrote: "@Marc, thanks for the link. I will want to read your other work too, esp in Wyrd Wravings: An Anthology of Humorous Speculative Fiction and[book:The Flame in the Bo..."

This story is on B&N.com. I just downloaded it to my NOOK :-)

Marc wrote: "You can also try Charles Stross' Merchant Princes series, which has a paratemporal theme (lateral time travel) to go to alternate Earths, one of which is a steampunk Earth.

Also, if you'd like s..."

Steampunk Santa is on Amazon Kindle!

Alice wrote: Steampunk Santa is on Amazon Kindle!

It's also on OmniLit.com, #6 on the bestseller board, even after Christmas, which I think is pretty cool. My vampire Christmas story, Bite Deep, never took off like that.

Alice wrote: "This story is on B&N.com. I just downloaded it to my NOOK :-)"

Thank you. I'd love to hear what you think of my work.

Marc wrote: "Alice wrote: "This story is on B&N.com. I just downloaded it to my NOOK :-)"

Thank you. I'd love to hear what you think of my work."

Will do!

The Iron Duke is like a quite good steampunk novel spliced with a stupid and generic historical romance. But if you skip most scenes where the protagonists are alone together it is a fun read.

Miriam wrote: "The Iron Duke is like a quite good steampunk novel spliced with a stupid and generic historical romance. But if you skip most scenes where the protagonists are alone together it is a..."

That is the best review of that book that I've ever read! :D

@Stacie- I agree. I especially like Miriam's statement that "if you skip most scenes where the protagonists are alone together it is a fun read".

Reminds me of what it's like to watch a married couple quarrel or argue at a party!

BTW, I just put Steampunk Santa up in the Preditors and Editors poll, for short stories. http://www.critters.org/predpoll/

This is the book that converted me to steampunk:
Perdido Street Station
This is book 1 of the best stempunk series I ever read:
Fever Crumb
This is by one of my favorite authors:
Leviathan

@Marc,
I received a copy of Wyrd Wravings from betterworldbooks.com and am looking forward to reading your story!

Marc wrote: "I'm afraid Wyrd Wravings: An Anthology of Humorous Speculative Fiction no longer exists, although it may be possible to get copies somewhere"

Natalie wrote: "@Marc,
I received a copy of Wyrd Wravings from betterworldbooks.com and am looking forward to reading your story!"

Thank you so much!

There were 4 copies of Wyrd Wravings on Amazon. Tow of them were under $10. I bought one - there's still one more! Looks great!

Jed wrote: "There were 4 copies of Wyrd Wravings on Amazon. Tow of them were under $10. I bought one - there's still one more! Looks great!"

I was told to write something weird strange and humorous. The other stories in the book struck me as weird and strange, definitely not the sort of thing you'd see talked about in a regular book, but humorous is not a word I'd use to describe the other stories.

@Marc, that's sort of humorous in and of itself!

Natalie wrote: "@Marc, that's sort of humorous in and of itself!"

My sense of humor ranges from Zero Mostel to Monty Python. Some things supposedly humorous leave me completely unaffected. I never saw the supposed humor of the movie To Die For. So maybe it's just me, I'd love to here your take on them, as well as my own.

If you like short stories and want to get a really broad sense of all the various flavors of steampunk, then I recommend Vandermeer's Steampunk anthology. New stuff and classic stuff. A good overview of the genre.

Joseph wrote: "If you like short stories and want to get a really broad sense of all the various flavors of steampunk, then I recommend Vandermeer's Steampunk anthology. New stuff and classic stuff..."

Also you can try Thomas Riley, a YA steampunk wartime adventure.

I'm Really Liking this Group, Thanks for the Recommendations!. I've Read Cyberpunk but not Steampunk, in fact never heard of it before this post.

@Marc,
No kidding, humorous is not the word I would have chosen to describe the anthology!

I did get a chuckle out of Holy Roundness and cracked a smile during Measly Bottle of Oxygen but no laugh out loud moments. I got some great Monty Python-ish visuals during your Chasing his Own Tale! Somehow I could see it all played out by that gang and their animators who do The Guild.
Felicia Day could be CM but she'd need a couple more outfits?

Robin Thorsen could be EE?

I guess Badezz aka Vincent Caso would have to be FH?

Amy Okuda of course would be the DiD. Again, maybe another costume?

And, last but not least, Vork can be the Reader's Rep!


What do you think? Maybe you should send Felicia Day the script!


Marc wrote: "humorous is not a word I'd use to describe the other stories..."

Natalie wrote: "@Marc,
No kidding, humorous is not the word I would have chosen to describe the anthology!

I did get a chuckle out of Holy Roundness and cracked a smile during Measly Bottle of Oxygen but no la..."

I looked at the Guild website, and the cast would probably do for the story, but I don't see how to adapt it to the story of online gamers interacting. It also looks like I really need to get a submission solicited. Do you know how?

@Marc,

I wasn't thinking of your story being an episode of The Guild so much as The Guild cast and characters acting in a separate stand-alone production of your story. I thought that would make for a fun kind of Neo-Twilight Zone short film!

Natalie



Marc wrote: "Natalie wrote: "@Marc,
No kidding, humorous is not the word I would have chosen to describe the anthology!

I did get a chuckle out of Holy Roundness and cracked a smile during Measly Bottle of ..."

Natalie wrote: "@Marc,

I wasn't thinking of your story being an episode of The Guild so much as The Guild cast and characters acting in a separate stand-alone production of your story. I thought that would ..."

That's exactly what I was thinking of.