SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

Sorry for getting this up late. Completely slipped my mind.

The winning theme for January is Steampunk.

So post your nominations here.

Rules:
1) Nominations must include a book link, blurb and the book itself must be readily available.
2) You are allowed to nominate one book and second the nomination of one book.
3) The top 5 books with most seconds(etc) will be put on the poll.
4) Nominations open until Wednesday at midnight pacific time.

Also, this will be the very last time this theme will be used in this group for as long as I'm mod. So nominate your hearts out.

I nominate:

Phoenix Rising

Evil is most assuredly afoot—and Britain’s fate rests in the hands of an alluring renegade . . . and a librarian.

These are dark days indeed in Victoria’s England. Londoners are vanishing, then reappearing, washing up as corpses on the banks of the Thames, drained of blood and bone. Yet the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences—the Crown’s clandestine organization whose bailiwick is the strange and unsettling—will not allow its agents to investigate. Fearless and exceedingly lovely Eliza D. Braun, however, with her bulletproof corset and a disturbing fondness for dynamite, refuses to let the matter rest . . . and she’s prepared to drag her timorous new partner, Wellington Books, along with her into the perilous fray.

For a malevolent brotherhood is operating in the deepening London shadows, intent upon the enslavement of all Britons. And Books and Braun—he with his encyclopedic brain and she with her remarkable devices—must get to the twisted roots of a most nefarious plot . . . or see England fall to the Phoenix!

I nominate

Paolo Bacigalupi's The Windup Girl

blub stolen from amazon:

"
In this Time Magazine top 10 book of the year, Anderson Lake is a company man, AgriGen's Calorie Man in Thailand. Under cover as a factory manager, Anderson combs Bangkok's street markets in search of foodstuffs thought to be extinct, hoping to reap the bounty of history's lost calories. There, he encounters Emiko. Emiko is the Windup Girl, a strange and beautiful creature. One of the New People, Emiko is not human; instead, she is an engineered being, creche-grown and programmed to satisfy the decadent whims of a Kyoto businessman, but now abandoned to the streets of Bangkok. Regarded as soulless beings by some, devils by others, New People are slaves, soldiers, and toys of the rich in a chilling near future in which calorie companies rule the world, the oil age has passed, and the side effects of bio-engineered plagues run rampant across the globe. What Happens when calories become currency? What happens when bio-terrorism becomes a tool for corporate profits, when said bio-terrorism's genetic drift forces mankind to the cusp of post-human evolution?"

1.
WHEN GEORGE’S FATHER DIED, HE LEFT GEORGE HIS WATCHMAKER SHOP – AND MORE.
But George has little talent for watches and other infernal devices. When someone tries to steal an old device from the premises, George finds himself embroiled in a mystery of time travel, music and sexual intrigue. The classic steampunk tale from the master of the genre.

Pick one Pickle.

Ala wrote: "Pick one Pickle."

i go for Infernal Devices then.

The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson.

Stealing part of my blurb from here:

"Instead of a late nineteenth century which has somehow managed to enjoy an accelerated rate of technological progress, Neal Stephenson sets the story in a near-future where one of the dominant socioeconomic groups, or phyles, deliberately embraces Victorian values and reinforces that choice by immersing themselves, to the fullest extent possible, in a Victorian aesthetic. ...

"It’s not just about the shiny doodads. I’d put it this way: Although The Diamond Age isn’t set in the Victorian era, Stephenson makes a genuine effort to get at how a Victorian mentality (or at least a postmodern approximation of a Victorian mentality) would integrate technological upheaval into its existing worldview."

The Diamond Age follows Nell (among others), a girl growing up in the slums who acquires a bootleg copy of a primer meant to teach a neo-Victorian magnate's granddaughter how to go on in life. The primer adapts itself to Nell's circumstances, changing the course of her life and leading her to have unexpected adventures. This book combines plausible future technology with the Victorian aesthetic that is a hallmark of steampunk.

I will second 'Infernal Devices'.

± Colleen of the Crawling Chaos ± wrote: "I will second 'Infernal Devices'."

I'll second this second.

Just a heads up. We've already done Wind-up Girl. I'm going with Hodder's The Strange Affair of Spring-Heeled Jack.

Historical jackpots, Swinburne and Burton are sucked into a big old conspiracy containing werewolves, and the murder of women connected to Spring-Heeled Jack. Lots of eugenics and Victorian Sci-Fi. Fun for all.

And I will second The Diamond Age for good old Sid.

Thanks, Brad. Right back atcha — I'll second The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack.

Alex wrote: "I'm not sure I've ever ventured into the steampunk genre, so I'm excited to what we all end up voting on so I can start reading!"

I'm on the other end, I hate Steampunk. This theme and post-apocalyptic to me is why overdone by too many groups.

Nice, thanks, Sid.

In other news...

A new report in The Onion claims that popular things are still somehow popular.

More at 11

That's not all it said, Ala!

Which Infernal Devices?
Infernal Devices
or
Infernal Devices

...and my suggestion is:
The Scar

I'll nominate Space Captain Smith by Toby Frost

Jed - the one by K. W. Jeter is the one that was nominated.


Alex - Depending on which book wins, you still might not end up venturing into the steampunk genre...

I don't know a lot about steampunk, but I'll go with whatever everyone else decides!

Matthew wrote: "I don't know a lot about steampunk, but I'll go with whatever everyone else decides!"

That's the way I view the group reads; a chance to discover new stuff as much as anything.

I used to be incredibly critical of genres I decided I disliked, but long ago learnt that the genre means less than the quality.

Brad wrote: "Just a heads up. We've already done Wind-up Girl. I'm going with Hodder's The Strange Affair of Spring-Heeled Jack.

Historical jackpots, Swinburne and Burton are su..."

Thanks for letting me know I must have missed it when I skimmed the bookshelf.

I nominate Mainspring by Jay Lake.

Blurb from Tor.com:

Jay Lake’s first trade novel is an astounding creation. Lake has envisioned a clockwork solar system, where the planets move in a vast system of gears around the lamp of the Sun. It is a universe where the hand of the Creator is visible to anyone who simply looks up into the sky, and sees the track of the heavens, the wheels of the Moon, and the great Equatorial gears of the Earth itself. Mainspring is the story of a young clockmaker’s apprentice, who is visited by the Archangel Gabriel. He is told that he must take the Key Perilous and rewind the Mainspring of the Earth. It is running down, and disaster will ensue if it’s not rewound. From innocence and ignorance to power and self-knowledge, the young man will make the long and perilous journey to the South Polar Axis, to fulfill the commandment of his God.

I'd like to nominate The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman, otherwise known in the UK as Northern Lights.

Blurb from GRs:

In a landmark epic of fantasy and storytelling, Philip Pullman invites readers into a world as convincing and thoroughly realized as Narnia, Earthsea, or Redwall. Here lives an orphaned ward named Lyra Belacqua, whose carefree life among the scholars at Oxford's Jordan College is shattered by the arrival of two powerful visitors. First, her fearsome uncle, Lord Asriel, appears with evidence of mystery and danger in the far North, including photographs of a mysterious celestial phenomenon called Dust and the dim outline of a city suspended in the Aurora Borealis that he suspects is part of an alternate universe. He leaves Lyra in the care of Mrs. Coulter, an enigmatic scholar and explorer who offers to give Lyra the attention her uncle has long refused her. In this multilayered narrative, however, nothing is as it seems. Lyra sets out for the top of the world in search of her kidnapped playmate, Roger, bearing a rare truth-telling instrument, the compass of the title. All around her children are disappearing—victims of so-called "Gobblers"—and being used as subjects in terrible experiments that separate humans from their daemons, creatures that reflect each person's inner being. And somehow, both Lord Asriel and Mrs. Coulter are involved.

And I would like to second The Scar

Isn't the Pullman trilogy fantasy?

Snail in Danger (Sid) wrote: "Isn't the Pullman trilogy fantasy?"

I'm reading it now and would put it more in the fantasy genre. The second book you could make an argument for being science fiction but Northern Lights would be a bit tougher.

Snail in Danger (Sid) wrote: "Isn't the Pullman trilogy fantasy?"

You might be right Sid, I've personally got it shelved under Fantasy, but it is also number 5 in the GRs Listopia list Best Steampunk Books.

But if it is disallowed then I could nominate The Difference Engine by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling, GRs blurb below:

1855: The Industrial Revolution is in full and inexorable swing, powered by steam-driven cybernetic Engines. Charles Babbage perfects his Analytical Engine and the computer age arrives a century ahead of its time. And three extraordinary characters race toward a rendezvous with history - and the future: Sybil Gerard - dishonored woman and daughter of a Luddite agitator; Edward "Leviathan" Mallory - explorer and paleontologist; Laurence Oliphant - diplomat and spy. Their adventure begins with the discovery of a box of punched Engine cards of unknown origin and purpose. Cards someone wants badly enough to kill for...

Part detective story, part historical thriller, The Difference Engine is the first collaborative novel by two of the most brilliant and controversial science fiction authors of our time. Provocative, compelling, intensely imagined, it is a startling extension of Gibson's and Sterling's unique visions - in a new and totally unexpected direction!

Please don't get mad at me but I want to strongly NOT recommend The Difference Engine. I love Gibson but that book is so tedious I almost poked out my eyes in frustration. It's very low rated at Amazon and I certainly can see why.

Yes, some people loved it but...I'm just saying...nothing personal...

...on the other hand, The Scar, which I suggested above...is fabulous. My Cat, Bellis, is named after the lead character.

I nominate Soulless by Gail Carriger.

Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations. First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette.

Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire -- and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate.

With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London's high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?

SOULLESS is a comedy of manners set in Victorian London: full of werewolves, vampires, dirigibles, and tea-drinking.

Jed wrote: "Please don't get mad at me but I want to strongly NOT recommend The Difference Engine. I love Gibson but that book is so tedious I almost poked out my eyes in frustration. It's very low rated at Am..."

The Scar sounds interesting. How important is it you read Perdido Street Station? Is it a true sequel?

I'll second The Diamond Age. I read it about 3 years ago for the second time and it's my favorite Stephenson book.

Soulless is fantasy, I'm afraid.

I've read all four so I can say that with some authority :P



dontjudgeme

My all-time favorite steampunk that I have been dying to re-read: A cross between genetically engineered food, steam technology, androids, and natural disasters. No one wins in the end!

The Windup Girl

The Windup Girl

The Windup Girl

How many times can I vote, mr Dailey?
hehehehe

Brad wrote: "Just a heads up. We've already done Wind-up Girl."

Ala wrote: "dontjudgeme"

Too late.

Seconding Mainspring. It sounds like it could be very interesting but also rather flawed, which should make it a good candidate for engaging discussion.

Craig,
The lead character Bellis appears very briefly in Perdido Street Station but The Scar is truly a stand-alone book (very rare these days).

Now, I did like Perdido Street a lot (4 stars) but The Scar was even better (4.5 stars) and Iron Council totally was crapola (2.5 stars).

Maggie,
The Windup Girl is a winner (4.5 stars) but it isn't Steampunk IMHO. It's more like PA.

Craig wrote: "Jed wrote: "Please don't get mad at me but I want to strongly NOT recommend The Difference Engine. I love Gibson but that book is so tedious I almost poked out my eyes in frustration. It's very low..."

I'm on a roll for annoying people today so I'll say that Soulless was soulless and even though I bought it with my hard earned money, I tossed it at about page 100 and took 3 anti-boredom pills.

Snail in Danger (Sid) wrote: "Ala wrote: "dontjudgeme"

Too late."

:*(

Hey, Soulless is awesome. No judging allowed!

Yeah, Craig, you can read the Scar without reading Perdido; in fact, I've sent a couple of my friends to the Scar first, simply because I thought they would like it better than Perdido, even though the latter is the better book (though The Scar is no slouch).

I'll 3rd (or 5th, or whatever, counting is no fun) 'spring heeled jack' plz.

I liked 'soulless' quite a bit, but was so underwhelmed by the sequel that I never got around to the 3rd...Ala, do they get back on track?

Michelle wrote: "I liked 'soulless' quite a bit, but was so underwhelmed by the sequel that I never got around to the 3rd...Ala, do the..."

Well, they take a turn down a different path. Still fun, though.

I second The Golden Compass/Northern Lights. If it's disallowed for not being steampunk then I second The Difference Engine.

Ala wrote: "Soulless is fantasy, I'm afraid.

I've read all four so I can say that with some authority :P



dontjudgeme"

So have I! It's got dirigibles and robots and other steampunk paraphernalia. Also, vampires and werewolves which you don't normally find in steampunk. I thought it was a fun read. ;)

Mainspring was okay, but it's not steampunk. It's allegorical fantasy in a world that is impossible by any definition.

The Difference Engine is so dull that I can't even finish this simile.

Pass on anything by Mieville. I do not understand the hype for that guy.

The Diamond Age is my favorite Stephenson book, but I don't think it qualifies. Steampunk is pretty tied to a specific age, and Diamond Age takes place in a nanotech-infested future.

...and I just realized what time it is. Oh well, I was going to nominate Scott Westerfeld, but nevermind.

I haven't forgotten

I'll post the poll up later today.

I pretty much agree with most of what Trike said. (I also don't think Perdido was really Steampunk, so I don't think the Scar would be, either. And Mieville himself classifies it as New Weird.)

I never read Mainspring, though, but it seems sort of clockpunk? Most people don't mark a difference between clockpunk and steampunk, though, but it definitely sounds allegorical, regardless.

But, ah well... if one of the non-Steampunk books win, I just won't read it. *shrugs*

Don't look at me. I didn't do it.

I just work here

Ala wrote: "Don't look at me. I didn't do it.

I just work here"

So that means you're the perfect person to blame, right? ;)