Just looking for some must read steam punk books. Thoughts on where to start and good authors to look at. Thanks in advance.

I'm not sure how steam punk it might be for you but The Iron Dragon's Daughter and The Dragons of Babel, both by Michael Swanwick are very good. It's a mixture of fantasy and steam punk, and kind of New Weird-y. I really enjoyed the books. They are both set in a world that has a multitude of fantasy creatures, while at the same time having technology and clockwork dragons.

Definately not a book for everyone but The Difference Engine is very steampunk. Charles Babbage designed a steam-powered computer that he was never able to complete, this book explores a "what if" he had actually finished his plans, and how it would have changed the world.

What I find most interesting on this subject is that an actual working difference engine was built based on Babbage's plans... and the thing actually can do complex calculations.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Difference_...

China Mieville's Bas Lag novels (Perdido Street Station, The Scar and The Iron Council) are New Weird with a dash of Steampunk.

You may also want to check out my thread ("So what exactly is Urban Fantasy?") here. Several posters have listed Urban Fantasy, New Weird and Steampunk suggestions there.

Message edited by its author, Oct 31, 2009, 10:00am.

Wikipedia's list of steampunk works is pretty good. There's always room to argue about this book or that, but it's a reasonable starting point.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ste...

I'M SOOO glad I found this post! I have just added a few to my October Steampunk list - here!
I'm also looking for more to read myself, so I will keep an eye on these recommendations.

You may also find the Steampunk links on the right hand sidebar useful.

Hope these help!

Sassy
:)

Depending on what you're looking for, Soulless by Gail Carriger is an awesome book (though more steampunk meets Jane Autsen in an urban fantasy populated Victorian England). I've also heard Cherie Priest has a new one out soon, Boneshaker.

>7 I just finished Soulless last night and really enjoyed it. It was the perfect book to read on Halloween :-)

The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers is a classic and very good to boot.

Awesome, I've been debating on getting Soulless, and I think now I will :)

I just finished reading Boneshaker by Cherie Priest and it was really good. Enjoyed it a lot. Zombies and steampunk in gold rush era Seattle.