9 Spectacular Steampunk Novels

9 Spectacular Steampunk Novels

10 Films Steampunk Fans Will Love

1. Mortal Engines (2018)
2. Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)
3. Hugo (2011)
4. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (2016)
5. Steamboy (2004)
6. A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)
7. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003)
8. Sherlock Holmes (2009)
9. Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
10. The Golden Compass (2007)

5 Classic Works of Sci-Fi

The authors on this list stand on the shoulders of many famous writers who came before them and influenced the genre. While "steampunk" is a relatively new category of fiction, it builds on many sci-fi traditions. Here are a few works that made science fiction what it is today:

1. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
2. Dune by Frank Herbert
3. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
4. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
5. Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

What Is Steampunk?

In Depth

Steampunk is a subcategory of science fiction that features fashion and technology fused with clockwork and steam machinery. It is often set during the Victorian Era or the American Wild West. If you are eager to read books of this genre, you can check out these nine spectacular novels, listed here in no particular order.

Starting off at #1 is "Arabella of Mars" by David Levine. It is the year 1812 and humankind has already found its way into outer space. Enter Arabella Ashby, a curious and brave teen girl who lives in a British colony in the Red Planet. She is a bit boyish and often gets into trouble, much to her mother's dismay. The protagonist is then sent to Earth to learn how to be a refined woman. Months later, an unfortunate event happens and Ashby feels the need to go back home. To do so, she is forced to disguise herself as a boy and board a ship directed to Mars.

At #2 is "The Shadow Revolution" by Clay and Susan Griffith. The story takes place in Victorian London. Evil lycanthropes have penetrated the elites, posing a danger to the city. When Alchemist Kate Anstruther's sister is kidnapped by a werewolf, she vows to rescue her at once.

When Alchemist Kate Anstruther's sister is kidnapped by a werewolf, she vows to rescue her at once.

Kate teams up with four young people who are gifted in machinery, swordfighting, and magic - Simon Archer, a spell-casting scribe; Nick Barker, a mentor; Penny, a tinkerer; and Malcolm McFarlane, a Scottish monster hunter. Together, they must face a powerful and frightening adversary.

Next, at #3 is "Senlin Ascends" by Josiah Bancroft. This novel focuses on the adventures of Thomas Senlin, a meek headmaster who gets married later in life. He and his wife Marya visits the magnificent Tower of Babel for their honeymoon. However, the man loses his spouse in the crowd during their stay in this mysterious structure. This causes Thomas to undergo a series of escapades, as he tries to move up a level in the tower.

At #4 is "The Dream of Perpetual Motion" by Dexter Palmer. Harold Winslow writes greeting cards for a living, but he is now working on his memoir while being held prisoner aboard an airship called "Chrysalis." The only companions he has on board are the frozen body of the genius Prospero Taligent and the disembodied voice of Miranda Taligent, the only woman Harold has ever loved. As the story unfolds, Winslow discovers that Prospero has made him an unwilling participant in creating a never-ending machine.

The only companions he has on board are the frozen body of the genius Prospero Taligent and the disembodied voice of Miranda Taligent, the only woman Harold has ever loved.

Following at #5 is "Legacy of the Clockwork Key" by Kristin Bailey. This book revolves around Meg, a teenager who lost her parents and her fortune in a fire. The only thing she has left is a pocket timepiece, which turns out to be a key. The girl attempts to find out what it is for, but she is almost murdered by Baron Rathford's men. Luckily, she is saved by a handsome lad named Will. Meg later learns that the watch is an important tool that can be used to unlock the deadliest device ever invented.

At #6 is "Idiot Genius" by Richard Due. Willamina Snap, or Willa for short, is an eleven-year-old who resides in Massachusetts. One day, she and her family are brought into an odd city inside a bubble called Grandeur, where there are three types of citizens: the "Idiots" or people with an IQ lower than 160, the "Geniuses" or those with an intelligence of over 160, and the "Idiot Geniuses" or those who create peculiar inventions. As Willa spends her days in Grandeur, she makes new friends and goes on an adventure to save her timeline.

Next, at #7 is "Mechanique" by Genevieve Valentine. This book centers on Circus Tresaulti, where strange men and women are hired by the mistress Boss, who runs the whole carnival. She has the ability to upgrade her performers' bodies with mechanical parts, in order to enhance their skills. But a certain man from the government learns about the ringmaster's magic, and he plans to use her and the whole group as his soldiers.

This book centers on Circus Tresaulti, where strange men and women are hired by the mistress Boss, who runs the whole carnival.

At #8 is "Dishonored" by Adam Christopher. Based on a video game by Arkane Studios, this novel centers on Emily Kaldwin, the daughter of deceased Empress Jessamine Kaldwin and former royal bodyguard Corvo Attano. Emily assumes the throne and while she is overseeing the empire, she is being trained by her father in the arts of fighting, stealth, and acrobatics. Meanwhile, a prisoner called Zhukov escapes from jail, and becomes a grave threat to the kingdom. The young queen must now use her skills to defeat the criminal.

Finally, at #9 is "The Pyramids of London" by Andrea Host. The story is built around Prytennia, a part of the Roman Empire where vampiric gods and goddesses of Egypt rule. Two famous scientists, Eiliff and Aedric Tenning, are mysteriously murdered. According to the jury, the pair was murdered by their own robotic invention. The Tenning children and their aunt Arianne are not convinced by the verdict. They decide to initiate their own investigation, but in order to find the first clue, Arianne must sell herself to a god.