Saturday, October 22, 2011

Steamy Reads



Steampunk is a term not a lot of people understand, but for those that do, it is an exciting new genre that brings together modern technology, steam-powered engines and Victorian literature in one seamless package.  The actual word was coined by K.W. Jeter in a letter to Locus Magazine when trying to describe Victorian fantasy as a one-word term that would interest more people in these types of novels. 

There are several recent authors that have become part of the steampunk scene: Gail Carriger, Neal Stephenson, Cherie Priest, China Miéville, Jay Lake, and Alan Moore, who find themselves in great company of the early authors who blazed the way.  Who would have thought that Jules Verne or H.G. Wells would have been considered leaders in this movement all those years ago when we were starry-eyed kids reveling in the adventures of Captain Nemo or going along on a wild time-travel ride to the land of the Morluks, Eloi and Weena?  ABC Libraries has added a few new titles to the system for your perusing pleasure. 


Brand new to the catalog are:









Also, these are some other titles that you may be interested in checking out:

Infernal Devices: A Mad Victorian Fantasy by K.W. Jeter

The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson

The Iron Council by China Mieville

Dreadnought by Cherie Priest

Mainspring by Jay Lake

Worldshaker by Richard Harland

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

Anno Dracula by Kim Newman

The Peshawar Lancers by S.M. Stirling

Corsets & Clockwork: 13 Steampunk Romances edited by Trisha Telep

The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross

The Half-Made World by Felix Gilman

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Here are a few other links that may pique your interest from the Steampunk world:

-There is going to be a Steampunk ball on Friday, November 11, 2011 at the Launchpad, starting time is 9:00 PM.  It's called Captain Lionel Gearpunk's Steam-Powered Ball and will feature local bands, steampunk crafts, and a costume contest!

-The Steampunk Tribune  A great site related to all things Steampunk since 2007

-Steampunk Tales  An online website of Steampunk stories and you can even read them on your iPhone!

-Steampunk Week and Beyond from Tor Books

There are also several Facebook pages relating to Steampunk which you can find from a link on The Steampunk Tribune website. 

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