# Anybody have any good Steampunk recommendations?



## amanda_hocking (Apr 24, 2010)

I haven't read a lot of it, but I'd like to cause I think its neat. Does anybody know of any good Steampunk? It can be big name or indie published, whatever.


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## bvlarson (May 16, 2010)

Ancient history, but my fave of that sort of book was Roger Zelazny's Jack of shadows.
its sort of clock-punk, more than steampunk, but I always loved it. Doubt you can get it as an ebook,
however (unless you find it as a pdf).


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## Basilius (Feb 20, 2010)

amanda_hocking said:


> I haven't read a lot of it, but I'd like to cause I think its neat. Does anybody know of any good Steampunk? It can be big name or indie published, whatever.












Got nominated for the Hugo, Nebula, and Locus SF awards.

There's also a really good list here: http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/618.Best_Steam_Punk_Books


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

Check the TOR.com site--(They publish Cherie Priest).  They do segments on steampunk every so often.  Priest is probably the only author I've read in that category that I know of (I don't actively seek it out.)

Maria


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## Vyrl (Jun 7, 2010)

Howl's Moving Castle is wonderful Steampunk


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## ktwac (Jun 23, 2009)

These are steampunk/paranormal, I really enjoyed them. This is my first time with the linkmaker so if these aren't Kindle links I'm sorry 
I did read them all on my Kindle and I don't believe I paid more than 7.99 for any of them.
Another author you might look at is Kenneth Oppel. He has some YA books about an airship cabin boy I thought were good too.




There is a 3rd book of this series not out yet


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## L.J. Sellers novelist (Feb 28, 2010)

I've been hearing a lot of good things about THOMAS RILEY by Nick Valentino. I haven't tried it yet, but I met the author this weekend and the book is on my list. 
L.J.


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## amanda_hocking (Apr 24, 2010)

Thanks guys for all your tips!! 

I'm trying out a couple of them.


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## derek alvah (Jul 2, 2010)

Looking to try something different.Completely new to the genre.If you have some favorites let me know.Thanks.


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## Basilius (Feb 20, 2010)

derek alvah said:


> Looking to try something different.Completely new to the genre.If you have some favorites let me know.Thanks.




(There's two "sequels" as well. More like other stories in the same world.)

and



(The sequel, _Behemoth_, just came out.)

I'd also recommend _The Difference Engine_ from William Gibson and Bruce Sterling, but it's not on Kindle.


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## DavidRM (Sep 21, 2010)

I really enjoyed the anthology _Steampunk_, edited by Ann & Jeff Vandermeer.



It's a great collection.

-David


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## Monique (Jul 31, 2010)

Cool! Love those covers. Thanks for the recs! I love Steampunk design, but am not that knowledgeable about genre.


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## cagnes (Oct 13, 2009)

The only steampunk I've read so far is the Parasol Protectorate series & really enjoyed it!

  

Also heard that this was a good one...


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## talleylynn (Apr 24, 2009)

I don't really know what steam punk is. Can someone explain what the genre is all about?


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction - usually set in the Victorian error - where certain technologies developed sooner than they did in our timeline.


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## talleylynn (Apr 24, 2009)

Geoffrey, can you give an example of what you mean?


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## cagnes (Oct 13, 2009)

talleylynn said:


> Geoffrey, can you give an example of what you mean?


There are a few examples in on Wikipedia... Steampunk.


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## Guest (Oct 16, 2010)

talleylynn said:


> Geoffrey, can you give an example of what you mean?


You know how old computers used to be huge and complicated...well imagine how complicated they would've been if they'd been built out of materials used 100 years ago. That's sort of the logic of it, weird machines doing things ahead of their time.

One cool thing everyone might want to check out, this site has a bunch of interesting steampunk jewelry: http://www.etsy.com/shop/CatherinetteRings


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

I loved Soulless and I had no idea it was a genre called steampunk, I had never heard of it. But then I am always really bad with genre categories like that. 

Veddy interesting.


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## lib2b (Apr 6, 2010)

​Since the other steampunk books I have enjoyed have already been recommended, I'll add this one. It's a group of interconnected short stories that make up one bigger story.


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## Basilius (Feb 20, 2010)

talleylynn said:


> I don't really know what steam punk is. Can someone explain what the genre is all about?


There's a running joke that Steampunk is what happens when Goths discover the color brown. It's also been said that if you're not having fun with Steampunk, you're not doing it right.

I think it's closer to say Steampunk is what might have happened if the speed of today's technological advancements had happened in the late 19th century before the widespread advancement of electricity.


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## derek alvah (Jul 2, 2010)

Hey,thanks for the recommends.I've ordered "Leviathan" and placed some of the others on my wish list.

I've always had a thing for the Victorian era style,England,Sherlock Holmes and gadgets.Maybe steampunk will bring some of these interests together and give me some good reads.


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## Blanche (Jan 4, 2010)

I had never heard of Steampunk before I got a "Second Life" account (http://secondlife.com/). I originally got account for a college assignment and ended up liking it so have maintained my account. Have entire 3D worlds designed around the steampunk theme.


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## talleylynn (Apr 24, 2009)

Thanks everyone for all your explainations. I think I'm going to have to try something in this genre.


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## R. M. Reed (Nov 11, 2009)

One of the titles mentioned is "The Difference Engine." I haven't read that book, but the title machine was designed in theory around 1820. It was a computer, and if the designer had been able to build it, things would have been a lot different.


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## izzy (Jun 12, 2010)

I really second the Leviathan book. I enjoyed reading it so much and finished up pretty quickly was well worth it.


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## suicidepact (May 17, 2009)

I'm going to recommend Terminal World by Alastair Reynolds. This is one of the best books I've read all year, from an author who is known for usually doing space operas. I think the book description and other recommendations will do it better justice than I will. Check it out here...


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## purplepen79 (May 6, 2010)

Thanks for starting this thread and the recs, everyone.  I've been wanting to try something in this genre for awhile--I recently rewatched the new Sherlock Holmes movie, and even though I know it's not technically steampunk, it seems to have that aura to it, with the frenetic, slightly-out-of-tune calliope music and Holmes's almost magical use of deduction and science to solve crimes.

The Victorian era fascinates me, with the rapid movement from rural to industrialized and all the resulting social upheaval.  Plus, the clothes are gorgeous!


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## Thalia the Muse (Jan 20, 2010)

One of the foundational novels:










Not on Kindle, but tremendously entertaining kids' steampunk:










And of course, you can just read Jules Verne, because that's what the whole genre cribs from!


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## SidneyW (Aug 6, 2010)

Steamed by Katie MacAlister is, I think, sort of the introduction of Steampunk into the romance arena. I've only had a chance to read the first portion, but it's fun.


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## Basilius (Feb 20, 2010)

It's now Steampunk Fortnight on Tor.com.
http://www.tor.com/blogs/2010/10/steampunk-fortnight-on-torcom

Just in case you didn't know.


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## Rory Miller (Oct 21, 2010)

I knew of the concept but didn't know the name of this until I saw an episode of ABC's CASTLE last week.  Any chance this piqued your interest?  

I remember once I found a great webpage about hoaxes and one of the best was about someone that faked pictures and a backstory about a steam-powered robot of sorts from the 1800's  I wish I could remember where that was.

If you like comic books (or you're snooty enough to call them "Graphic Novels" out of fear people will mistake you for a 12 year old boy) you MUST check out Alan Moore's "League of Extraordinary Gentilemen" and the indy publisher's "Ruse."  Ruse is sort of a Sherlock Holmes mastermind with steampunk themes and a bit of magic and gargoyles thrown in.  League is of course a combination of some of literature's greatest figures (and don't worry, the movie version was awful but the comics are fantastic).

The Castle episode is up at itunes and it's called: Punked.  Unfortunately you now know one of the big plot twists, which involves the Steampunk community's ties to a guy getting killed by a 200 yr old bullet (and not a time-travelling assassin like Castle half-heartidly suggests)


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## Rory Miller (Oct 21, 2010)

Oh, and thanks for the suggestions in this wonderful thread, it is something I hope to look into further one day.


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## Rory Miller (Oct 21, 2010)

Oh I am having too much fun with this one.

I got to thinking about good books about the Victorian era and how that goes hand and hand with steampunk. I have a copy of a book about the Occult in Victorian times (focuses on palm readers, talking with the dead, and those "midquest" activities where people think they are flying to Mars). That got me to remembering what I always listened to while working on that particular paper I used the book for (it was an independent study on the Occult in Victorian to modern times).

Anyway, I always listened to Kula Shaker's "Pigs, Peasants, and Astronauts," it's basically modern guitar brit rock crossed with classic 60's beach boy esque rock and uses Indian instraments. The whole effect is that it is something sound both familiar and different at the same time. I got out the cd and looked at the artwork, which appears (you guessed it) sort of steampunk inspired.

You can check out the music and the artwork both here http://www.amazon.com/Peasants-Pigs-Astronauts-Kula-Shaker/dp/B00000JBE9

I'm done now, I promise!


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## derek alvah (Jul 2, 2010)

Just finished reading this (thanks for the recommend)..










About to start the second part...










Also bought this one today (the first paper book since I got my kindle).


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## akpak (Mar 5, 2009)

Er... I wouldn't put The Diamond Age in Steampunk. Way way too high tech.

However, this book was excellent and is almost the very definition of the genre:


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## HenryHopper (Oct 18, 2010)

Neal Stephenson's The Diamond Age, though definitely not of the genre, evokes a lot of the same imagery and ideas as steampunk. For those unfamiliar with it, the novel's set in a future where the societal fallout of nanotechnology has fragmented humanity into tightly knit subcultures, and one of the more prominent is a Neo-Victorian society. So, not steam-based, but at times definitely of the same mindset and style. The technology in that future is so far advanced it almost doesn't feel like technology, it's basically invisible to the characters. It's an excellent book overall, and the aesthetics (for large portions of the book anyway) are similar.

Steampunk though is an odd thing in that it seems at first glance to be a pretty fully formed style/milieu but when you actually look for examples of it in pop culture, they're scarce. In the years since I read the Difference Engine, the *idea* of steampunk has definitely outpaced the literary output. Most of the highly visible and influential examples aren't even literary ones. It really does at times feel like more of a design aesthetic than an actual science fiction subgenre, like retro futurism. So a novel doesn't necessarily have to have the nuts and bolts(and steam and smoke) technical details of the genre to satisfy the desire for that aesthetic in my opinion.

Some non-literary sources for that aesthetic: Steamboy, an excellent anime. The Canadian tv series The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne was a really good, though paralyzingly obscure example of the genre. The videogame Bioshock is more dieselpunk than steam, but they share a lot of the same visual ideas(though Bioshock is more 1930s than 1890s).

I'm currently reading Boneshaker and am enjoying it quite a bit. It's not what I expected, though not in a bad way. The blight and its effects were an unexpected element, and I'm still not sure what I think of that choice.


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## Straker (Oct 1, 2010)

HenryHopper said:


> Some non-literary sources for that aesthetic: Steamboy, an excellent anime. The Canadian tv series The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne was a really good, though paralyzingly obscure example of the genre. The videogame Bioshock is more dieselpunk than steam, but they share a lot of the same visual ideas(though Bioshock is more 1930s than 1890s).


I haven't read any steampunk yet though I find the concept very intriguing. When I first began to investigate the genre, the first non-literary parallel that came to mind was the 1960's television series _*The Wild Wild West*_.


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## HenryHopper (Oct 18, 2010)

Yeah, in fact I'd say the Wild Wild West movie with Will Smith is actually a dead-on example of steampunk.  Though completely lacking in quality or entertainment value(imo).  I never watched much of the tv series but the little I did seemed wittier than the movie by far.


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## Basilius (Feb 20, 2010)

HenryHopper said:


> Yeah, in fact I'd say the Wild Wild West movie with Will Smith is actually a dead-on example of steampunk. Though completely lacking in quality or entertainment value(imo). I never watched much of the tv series but the little I did seemed wittier than the movie by far.


The movie was horrific. The TV series was brilliant.

The TV series was also a big inspiration for the Deadlands role-playing game. (Self-described as a Spaghetti Western with Meat. Sort of Horror WesternPunk.)


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## Straker (Oct 1, 2010)

derek alvah said:


> Also bought this one today (the first paper book since I got my kindle).


Available on Kindle as of 11/5/10.


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## Anne Victory (Jul 29, 2010)

I think - and I could definitely be wrong - that the movie Wild Wild West was an example of SteamPunk, even though it was in the "Wild West" setting. But there was the whole mechanical spider and such. Anywho - I haven't really read any SteamPunk books. I want The Iron Duke that was mentioned up-thread, but I'm waiting on the price to drop. Oh - and if you play PC games and don't mind an older game, this one one several awards in 2001:

Arcanum: of Steamworks & Magick Obscura


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## farrellclaire (Mar 5, 2010)

foreverjuly said:


> One cool thing everyone might want to check out, this site has a bunch of interesting steampunk jewelry: http://www.etsy.com/shop/CatherinetteRings


I really like a good few things in that shop.

This is an indie steampunkish novel - http://www.amazon.com/Matilda-Raleigh-Invictus-Sorcery-ebook/dp/B0049H93CQ

I'm not all that keen on steampunk but I always like the covers - I haven't finished the above one yet but I loved the idea of the protag being 72.

The genre seems to be really big though, a lot of writers seem to have a steampunk WIP right now.


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## jason10mm (Apr 7, 2009)

Yeah, steampunk is an odd duck. I saw tons of those guys at dragoncon, and they are even starting to trickle into ren fairs. They have an amazingly consistent design ethic; the goggles, the flip lenses for specticals, little vials of crystals, staffs with mounted crystals, oversized gloves and boots, bandoliers, etc. I thought for sure that there was a source bible for this, but no one can really point to one. But steampunks popularity is undeniable, even Castle showcased it (and I can only imagine that South Park will soon lampoon it), so I guess someone, somewhere, is going to collate and organize it so that it is more accessible, plus we will get REALLY pandering examples that hit every trope of the genre.

FWIW, I've found most of the really overt steampunky stuff to be for the YA market.


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## suicidepact (May 17, 2009)

They've been doing a lot of steampunk stuff over at TOR.com, where they also have a sneak peek at an Ender's Game movie trailer. I know they aren't affiliated with Amazon, but do a lot science fiction, and always have tons of free stories that are Kindle friendly.


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## purplepen79 (May 6, 2010)

HenryHopper said:


> Steampunk though is an odd thing in that it seems at first glance to be a pretty fully formed style/milieu but when you actually look for examples of it in pop culture, they're scarce. In the years since I read the Difference Engine, the *idea* of steampunk has definitely outpaced the literary output. Most of the highly visible and influential examples aren't even literary ones. It really does at times feel like more of a design aesthetic than an actual science fiction subgenre, like retro futurism. So a novel doesn't necessarily have to have the nuts and bolts(and steam and smoke) technical details of the genre to satisfy the desire for that aesthetic in my opinion.


I would have to agree with this--I've noticed more steampunk costumes than steampunk books. At the ren faire I attended this weekend, I was highly amused and intrigued by all the costumes that combined Renaissance fashion with steampunk elements, like funky goggles.

In regards to _The Wild, Wild West_, the first movie that I can think of that reminds me of steampunk, weirdly enough, is the third installment of _Back to the Future_.


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## Laurensaga (Sep 29, 2010)

Thanks for starting this one Derek. I've been wanting to try this genre too. I really like it in anime and manga. It will be fun to see how it is handled in novel form. Thanks everyone for the suggestions.


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## Joseph Robert Lewis (Oct 31, 2010)

I'd recommend Cheri Priest's *Boneshaker *and *Dreadnought *for steampunk action.

And there's Scott Westerfield for YA steampunk adventure.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Folks, I've merged a couple of virtually identical topics. . .sorry for any confusion.


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## Arthur Slade (Jan 20, 2011)

I've dabbled in writing steampunk myself. And to do that I read as much as possible in the genre.

By far my two faves (in young adult) was Philip Reeve's *Hungry City Chronicles*. Alas, not on kindle yet. And for some reason the paperback is listed as $65.12



And Kenneth Oppel's *Airborn* series. Excellent stuff. You can't beat airships!


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## anguabell (Jan 9, 2011)

Another wholehearted recommendation for Parasol Protectorate!
And then there is Gordon Dahlquist. I love all three books of this series but the first one is my favorite:

His language, his characters, the whole structure of the book is really enjoyable.


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## CJArcher (Jan 22, 2011)

Joseph Robert Lewis said:


> I'd recommend Cheri Priest's *Boneshaker *and *Dreadnought *for steampunk action.


I agree with Boneshaker. I couldn't put it down. For lighter reads with romance I recommend Gail Carriger's Soulless and Meljean Brooke's The Iron Duke, although I found the world a bit complicated in that one.


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## William Meikle (Apr 19, 2010)

Steven Savile's Hollow Earth is great.


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## dsakmyster (Feb 8, 2011)

Jay Lake has a couple good ones (Mainstay and Escapement), but I also agree with the last post. I just finished and really enjoyed Steven Savile's _The Hollow Earth_. A great concept in the Greyfriar's Gentlemen's Club!

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ta%2Bkh5c7L._SL500_AA266_PIkin3,BottomRight,-16,34_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg


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## Straker (Oct 1, 2010)

anguabell said:


> Another wholehearted recommendation for Parasol Protectorate!
> And then there is Gordon Dahlquist. I love all three books of this series but the first one is my favorite:
> 
> His language, his characters, the whole structure of the book is really enjoyable.


There are three volumes in paperback but only two in hardcover and Kindle version. Apparently the first volume was split for paperback release. The description is absolutely fascinating but reviews are decidedly mixed. And at a shade over $14 per volume, too rich for my blood at this time.


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## lib2b (Apr 6, 2010)

I'd like to add a couple more.

For romance novellas that are also steampunk, I enjoyed:





For non-romance steampunk, Book View Cafe also just came out with The Shadow Conspiracy II. I haven't read it yet, but I am guessing that like the first volume, it's a group of interconnected short stories that make up one larger story. I posted the first volume earlier in this thread and enjoyed it.


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## StevenSavile (Jun 23, 2010)

Thanks for the mentions in the list, guys. Obviously I don't want to get shot for any BSP, so I'll leave it at that, with the hope that a few more folks will check out Hollow Earth and Other Stories...


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## JFHilborne (Jan 22, 2011)

Sean Hayden, author of Origins, which is due out in 5 days, is also about to release a new Steampunk story called Lady Dorn. I believe it will be available in April or May. Looks like it'll be a good one.


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## Miriam Minger (Nov 27, 2010)

I've been hearing about steampunk romance.  Any suggestions?

Miriam Minger


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## Basilius (Feb 20, 2010)

Miriam Minger said:


> I've been hearing about steampunk romance. Any suggestions?
> 
> Miriam Minger


I can't even remember where I got a referral to this one, but it reads like a mashup of romance, steampunk, and Charlie's Angels. I'm not a romance fan, so I can't judge whether it works for that, but it was an okay read, not too long, and a decent price.


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## anguabell (Jan 9, 2011)

I apologize for the semi-OT post but this movie loooks tempting - The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1179025/

It looks like it is based on a graphic novel?


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## Miriam Minger (Nov 27, 2010)

Basilius said:


> I can't even remember where I got a referral to this one, but it reads like a mashup of romance, steampunk, and Charlie's Angels. I'm not a romance fan, so I can't judge whether it works for that, but it was an okay read, not too long, and a decent price.


Thanks!

Miriam Minger


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## CJArcher (Jan 22, 2011)

Basilius said:


> I can't even remember where I got a referral to this one, but it reads like a mashup of romance, steampunk, and Charlie's Angels. I'm not a romance fan, so I can't judge whether it works for that, but it was an okay read, not too long, and a decent price.


It looks good, love the cover. I'll go check it out, thanks.

_--- edited... no self-promotion outside the Book Bazaar forum. please read our Forum Decorum thread._


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## KRCox (Feb 18, 2011)

The Affinity Bridge by George Mann wasn't so bad. Kind of a Sherlock Holmesian story with a twist.

And dirigibles. And robots.


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## dixiehellcat (Jan 23, 2011)

Parasol Protectorate FTW!


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## Jeff Sherratt Novelist (Feb 9, 2011)

I would like to recommend Thomas Riley by Nick Valentino, Boneshaker by Cheri Priest and Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld.


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## Elise Logan (Feb 23, 2011)

I'll add a vote for The Iron Duke. I very much enjoyed that - not the best thing I've read, but a solid 4 star read for me. 

E


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## MosesSiregarIII (Jul 15, 2010)

I haven't read through the whole thread, but here's one I've been looking at. I read the sample and was impressed:

The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack, by Mark Hodder

The author was recently named a finalist for the 2010 Philip K. Dick Award.


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