Best Steampunk Books
Wikipedia defines steampunk as:
"A subgenre of fantasy and speculative fiction that came into prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. The term denotes works set in an era or world where steam power is still widely used—usually the 19th century, and often set in Victorian era England—but with prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy, such as fictional technological inventions like those found in the works of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne, or real technological developments like the computer occurring at an earlier date. Other examples of steampunk contain alternate h*story-style presentations [the asterisk is here so Goodreads doesn't miscategorize this list] of "the path not taken" of such technology as dirigibles or analog computers; these frequently are presented in an idealized light, or a presumption of functionality."
Please only add books that fit the steampunk definition and have "steampunk" listed on the book's main genre page.
"A subgenre of fantasy and speculative fiction that came into prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. The term denotes works set in an era or world where steam power is still widely used—usually the 19th century, and often set in Victorian era England—but with prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy, such as fictional technological inventions like those found in the works of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne, or real technological developments like the computer occurring at an earlier date. Other examples of steampunk contain alternate h*story-style presentations [the asterisk is here so Goodreads doesn't miscategorize this list] of "the path not taken" of such technology as dirigibles or analog computers; these frequently are presented in an idealized light, or a presumption of functionality."
Please only add books that fit the steampunk definition and have "steampunk" listed on the book's main genre page.
1,216 books ·
4,471 voters ·
list created August 12th, 2008
by Keely Hyslop (votes) .
Keely
1035 books
314 friends
314 friends
Greyweather
2661 books
66 friends
66 friends
Maria
331 books
2 friends
2 friends
Chris
269 books
14 friends
14 friends
Chris
474 books
26 friends
26 friends
Sandi
1739 books
477 friends
477 friends
bsc
581 books
54 friends
54 friends
VanHalen
787 books
46 friends
46 friends
More voters…
Comments Showing 1-50 of 54 (54 new)
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Greyweather
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Aug 12, 2008 04:55PM
![Greyweather](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1254660107p1/1154130.jpg)
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Travis wrote: "I don't see 'Neverwhere' as steampunk. It's just fantasy."
agreed.
agreed.
![Patricia](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1223602168p1/1607272.jpg)
![Ashlee](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1581096378p1/4003276.jpg)
![Nicol Legakis](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1290258446p1/4326837.jpg)
Why doesnt anybody now about this book!people these day cant reconise a good book when they see it!
![Vicky N.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1486249479p1/2665859.jpg)
![Travis](https://cdn.statically.io/img/s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_25x33-8a3530ed95c3dbef8bf215b080559b09.png)
Besides, at the time the British Empire was about a quarter of the globe, so plenty of room there.
![Britt](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1628140117p1/4710260.jpg)
I second that.
Snow Crash doesn't belong up there either, it's futuristic sci-fi or cyber-punk or whatever, but there is nothing remotely steam punk about it. I think there should be a button that allows you to vote to remove a book if it doesn't belong.
![Michele Brenton](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1608250793p1/3149325.jpg)
![Cyrus Darian and the Technomicron by Raven Dane](https://cdn.statically.io/img/i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1380763211i/3120873.jpg)
Goodreads Giveaway - ends October 1st
Released earlier this month at The Weekend at the Asylum Steampunk Event at Lincoln - this is true steampunk at its finest.
The Technomicron; ancient, deadly, powerful and in 1860s London every seeker of power - natural or supernatural - wants to wield it. And they are prepared to stop at nothing to get it. Enter Cyrus Darian; hedonist, philanderer, alchemist and necromancer, hired by wealthy American Zachariah P. Dedman to find it. Dedman's life, the honour of his beautiful, haughty daughter Athena and the future of the world itself rest in the hands of Cyrus Darian. What could possibly go wrong? Steampunk, sex and magic in a heady mix that will make your head spin.
Search on Google for "Raven Dane" Cyrus Darian The Asylum and then click images - for some great pictures from the event & the book launch.
![Sarah](https://cdn.statically.io/img/s.gr-assets.com/images/nophoto/user/c_111x148.png)
![Djinnie](https://cdn.statically.io/img/s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_25x33-ccd24e68f4773d33a41ce08c3a34892e.png)
![Phil Berdecio](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1569790458p1/5954279.jpg)
![Artjom Rjabov](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1345413899p1/6030885.jpg)
![Ducky Dame](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1300818251p1/5160663.jpg)
![Tarot](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1677211017p1/8305697.jpg)
![Ducky Dame](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1300818251p1/5160663.jpg)
steampunk
cyberpunk
dieselpunk
weird west
girl genius
yeadie yadie yadie
but do you think that readers who arent as familiar with the who steam cogs gears and clockwork worlds might get a little confused?
![Esmë](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1373907029p1/5678890.jpg)
![Kim](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1458609397p1/4026072.jpg)
I'd say Howl's Moving Castle isn't either. Yes his castle moves via steam but it's magical, not mechanical. Otherwise the Harry Potter series could qualify as steampunk.
![Julie](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1231853109p1/1458811.jpg)
![Kari](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1345433559p1/12032532.jpg)
Most people agree that the Steampunk era ends at the First World War.
Also, there is no steam based technology anywhere in the book.
It's excellent, but not Steampunk.
![Sarah](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1442653226p1/642041.jpg)
![Florin Pitea](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1442600678p1/2880025.jpg)
![Paul](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1231670570p1/1890504.jpg)
![B.H. Alsop](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1403540160p1/27167312.jpg)
![The Captain and the Lady Fair Changing Times by Quinne Darkover](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.goodreads.com/assets/nocover/60x80.png)
![Joseph Remesar](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1374348660p1/18661474.jpg)
![Kara Rae Garland](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1320998724p1/1699766.jpg)
![Chris](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1604881279p1/28762353.jpg)
So, that's pretty wide. It doesn't require England, it doesn't require the gears and clockwork or the Victorian (or even Edwardian) era(s). That having been said however, there are still some books I see on this list that shouldn't be here.
Stardust catches my eye, that one is a Fantasy, pure and simple, no "steampunk" about it in my opinion. I loved the book, but I don't think it belongs on this list.
The Windup Girl is pure Hard Science Fiction. The technology of the setting is fairly low because it represents a world-after-the-oil-is-gone, but it's still a science fiction setting with extremely high levels of bio-tech and gene manipulation. It's a great book, it won the Nebula for its year and tied for the Hugo, but that doesn't make it steampunk.
There are a LOT of books out there, the whole goal of lists like this one and of library curation in general is to help potential readers make sense of it all. If I'm looking for more books like The Black Lung Captain, or The Horns of Ruin, or Boneshaker, then I'm not going to find this list too helpful.
I agree with Brittney, there should be a way to vote to remove books from a given list. Being inclusive is all well and good, but I'd prefer to see tighter curation on most of these lists.
![B.H. Alsop](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1403540160p1/27167312.jpg)
But it's a wonderful story nonetheless!
![Andrew Obrigewitsch](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1512627613p1/16087568.jpg)
steampunk
cyberpunk
dieselpunk
weird west
girl genius
yeadie yadie yadie
but do you think that readers who arent as familiar..."
Cyberpunk has nothing to do with Steampunk other than the word punk.
![Quinne Darkover](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1442958974p1/19241657.jpg)
![Cassandra](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1404450006p1/32761625.jpg)
So, that's pretty wide. It doesn't require England, it doesn't require the gears and clockwork or the Vi..."
librarians can remove books from a list if they don't fit. If you become a librarian to do so, remember only to take it off the list it you're sure it doesn't fit :)
![Cassandra](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1404450006p1/32761625.jpg)
![Michael Mccoy](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1671597362p1/29896072.jpg)
![Chris](https://cdn.statically.io/img/s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_25x33-ccd24e68f4773d33a41ce08c3a34892e.png)
![Alberta Ross](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1442528617p1/3823409.jpg)
please help this old lady:)
![Chris](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1604881279p1/28762353.jpg)
The definition of Steampunk is "Yesterday's Tomorrow".
Frequently Steampunk stories are set in a re-envisioned Victorian era, with fantastical, sometimes magical technology added in, but that's not a requirement.
The book which originally defined the sub-genre is William Gibson's The Difference Engine, which ponders what the world would have been like, had the Victorian empire mastered Charles Babbage's mechanical computational tool: The Difference Engine (of the story title). The sub-genre derives its name from the earlier literary movement Cyberpunk (also defined by William Gibson's works), which was an attempt to render more traditional Science Fiction with a more deconstructionist, "punk" approach.
Retroactively, it would be safe to include many (most) of the works of H. G. Wells in the Steampunk category, though of course the concept didn't exist at the time he was writing.
My own definition of Steampunk is much narrower than what's presented here. I tend to eschew the more romantically themed stories and to prefer more action oriented works.
Bearing my personal bias in mind, I'd personally recommend looking at Retribution Falls, The Aeronaut's Windlass, or perhaps Agatha Heterodyne & the Golden Trilobite: A Gaslamp Fantasy with Adventure, Romance & Mad Science.
Hope that helps.
![Ketutar Jensen](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1624699507p1/733492.jpg)
1) HISTORICAL fiction - not necessarily Victorian era, even though most of it is placed there, but it should be historical
2) the steam engines and clockwork machines should play a prominent role. It is after all a subgenre of Sci-Fi, and the science and technology should be a big part of the story.
Which means that
I don't think Perdido Street Station is Steampunk. It feels pretty modern or even futuristic to my taste.
Stardust is not Steampunk. Sure, there were air ship pirates, but the technology wasn't an important part of the story. It was more magical fantasy in my mind.
Winter's Tale is absolutely not Steampunk. I'd classify it Magical Realism.
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