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

[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.