Steampunk Must Reads
The Affinity Bridge by George Mann: Welcome to the bizarre and dangerous world of Victorian London, a city teetering on the edge of revolution. Its people are ushering in a new era of technology, dazzled each day by new inventions. When an airship crashes in mysterious circumstances, Sir Maurice and his recently appointed assistant Miss Veronica Hobbes are called in to investigate.
The Alchemy of Stone by Ekaterina Sedia: Urban fantasy meets steampunk in this novel about a proletarian revolution in a city-state.
Anno Dracula by Kim Newman: An alternate history of Bram Stoker’s Dracula where he survives and marries Queen Victoria.
The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers: Brendan Doyle, a specialist in the work of the early-nineteenth century poet William Ashbless, reluctantly accepts an invitation from a millionaire to act as a guide to time- travelling tourists.
The Difference Engine by William Gibson: In 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.
Mainspring by Jay Lake (local author): A clockmaker’s apprentice is visited by an angel and asked to wind the mainspring of the Earth.
Morlock Night by K.W. Jeter: JUST WHAT HAPPENED WHEN THE TIME MACHINE RETURNED? Having acquired a device for themselves, the brutish Morlocks return from the desolate far future to Victorian England to cause mayhem and disruption. But the mythical heroes of Old England have also returned, in the hour of the country's greatest need, to stand between England and her total destruction. Soulless by Gail Carrger: Victorian England has werewolves and vampires, but the vampires are disappearing. A comedy of manners set in Victorian London, full of werewolves, vampires, dirigibles, and tea-drinking.
Books that Influenced Steampunk:
Homunculus by James Blaylock: It is the late 19th century and a mysterious airship orbits through the foggy skies. Its terrible secrets are sought by many, including an assorted group led by the scientist and explorer Professor Langdon St. Ives. Can St. Ives keep the alien homunculus out of the claws of the villainous Ignacio Narbondo?
The Time Machine by H.G. Wells: A Victorian protagonist travels into the distant future in a time machine.
Transatlantic Tunnel, Hurrah! by Harry Harrision: An alternate vision of 1973, full of atomic locomotives and coal-powered flying boats.
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne: Published in 1870, the futuristic submarine, Nautilus, is juxtaposed against a Victorian setting.
Nonfiction:
The Art of Steampunk by Art Donovan: Inside, you will find the fantastical and stunning artwork of Steampunk artists from around the world. The 17 artists featured on these pages are among the frontrunners of the Steampunk genre.
Steampunk: An Illustrated History by Brian J. Robb: An illustrated history of the counterculture movement in a book fittingly stylish in its design, package, and artwork. From the fastest dirigible and steam-powered ray guns to fashionistas Lady Gaga and Alexander McQueen, the whole story of the gaslight romance is here.
The Steampunk Bible by Jeff Vandermeer: The first compendium about the movement, tracing its roots in the works of Jules Verne and H. G. Wells through its most recent expression in movies such as Sherlock Holmes. Its adherents celebrate the inventor as an artist and hero, re-envisioning and crafting retro technologies including antiquated airships and robots.