Urgent book help needed!

[harborshore]

My sister is buying a book today for someone who likes steampunk--does anyone have any tips for books that are either solidly steampunk but not maybe the most well-known books, or alternatively fantasy/sci-fi with steampunk elements? We would be super super super grateful.

ETA: Thank you so much, everyone! Awesome awesome recs.

Comments

[yan-tan-tether.livejournal.com]

I was about to recommend Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld, but it might be too well-known?

China Mieville's New Crobuzon books have a bit of a steampunk feel, and are really great.

[harborshore.livejournal.com]

She was more on the romance than the Mieville side, but thank you! Also, you reminded me that I need to read the sequel to Leviathan :D ♥

[yan-tan-tether.livejournal.com]

It's really great! And the third book in the series is out soon! \o/

[blindmouse.livejournal.com]

You might try the Monster Blood Tattoo trilogy by D. M. Cornish if you can find it (it's Australian, but it won some international awards, so maybe). YA alternate universe thing with tricorn hats and foundling boys and monster hunters with weird machinery insets over their eyes, and really lovely pen-and-ink character portraits scattered here and there.

[harborshore.livejournal.com]

That one was impossible to find but man, now I want to read it. *adds to list* It sounds fantastic!

[egelantier.livejournal.com]

idk much about steampunk, but sabrina_il just was strongly reccing gail carriger in my flist, and it does sound pretty awesome :)

[harborshore.livejournal.com]

Gail Carriger was absolutely right--though she'd read the book my sister bought her, she's going to exchange it for Carriger's newest in the same series.

[elucreh.livejournal.com]

Havemercy, by Jaida Jones and Danielle Bennett, and its sequel

The Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carriger--the first one is Soulless

[saekokato.livejournal.com]

Dude! I'm right in the middle of Havemercy, which I found at the dollar store, and I am totally in agreement with you! Sooo good!

[harborshore.livejournal.com]

Carriger was absolutely right--though she'd read the one my sister bought, but she's going to exchange it for the last one in the same series.

[harborshore.livejournal.com]

Carriger was absolutely right--though she'd read the one my sister bought, but she's going to exchange it for the last one in the same series.

[impertinence.livejournal.com]

I LOVED The Affinity Bridge! It's a steampunk Holmes/Watson AU where Watson is a badass lady, basically.

[harborshore.livejournal.com]

Oooooh that sounds fantastic. *adds to my own reading list*

[athenejen]

I have never been 100% sure about what exactly makes something steampunk; I feel like different people tend to identify with different elements. However, if it's the Georgian/Victorians + magic/supernatural bits that appeal, she could try Sorcery & Cecelia by Patricia C Wrede & Caroline Stevermer (letters! magic! intrigue! romance! shenanigans in an Austen-/Heyer-like polite society!). Much more on the frothy and fun side, it's only missing the actual steam to make it fully steampunk.

There's also The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers (time-travel! colonial-religio politics! poets and magicians! body-switching and dopplegangers!), which was published in 1983 and according to Wikipedia could be considered one of the seminal pre-steampunk novels that inspired the creation of the term in the late 80s. I'd bet that plenty of people who are into the current vein of steampunk haven't necessarily read it, and it's a very interesting, twisty, and entertaining read. Though as I'm skimming the wiki page to refresh my memory about it (most of what I actually remembered about the book was the steampunk-y feel time travel rather than any specifics), I'm reminded that it has a very British perspective, and the portrayal of the Romani-Egyptian antagonists seems to be quite problematic. Still, might be worth considering, especially if the giftee likes books on the darker, twistier end.

I did really really enjoy Gail Carriger's Soulless, but like the Foglios' Girl Genius, which I also really like, I'd suspect it of being maybe too well-known to make a good gift unless I knew the giftee didn't already own it.

[harborshore.livejournal.com]

I know! It's so hard to recommend things :( Thank you so much for these! My sister ended up getting her Soulless, which she had read, but Carriger has a new one out (or will shortly) so there will be exchanges going on.

[athenejen]

Well, that works out, then. :) And you're welcome! It's always fun to talk about books.

[cloudlessclimes.livejournal.com]

while not exactly steam punk, I really enjoyed The Wind Up Girl

[harborshore.livejournal.com]

that looks AWESOME.