Question about Steampunk novels.

I love the idea of Steampunk, it's a very cool premise, and I have read much about it on the internet. Though, I've yet to read a Steampunk novel. I've also seen on other sites a bunch of suggested novels, but I was curious as to what you all would say! Thanks in advance.

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@Hero_Of_Time312 To be honest i find it the same, moslty the only steampunk novels i've seen or read are on Wattpad.

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As for published novels I can really only recommend the Leviathan Trilogy by Scott Westerfield. Its a good set of steampunk novels. The twist in these is that the airships are alive, whales that fly.

There's also the Girl Genius, web comic is like the lord of steampunk. Full of mad science and steampunk. Airships, mechanical castles and genetic experiments.

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I think the Golden Compass series is considered steampunk... but yeah there aren't too many novels like that.

here's a good link I found: http://www.rantingdragon.com/top-20-steampunk-books-an-introduction-to-the-genre/

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@RavenMRayson Its a good list but I don't understand why they labeled Howls Castle as Steampunk.

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@Sekkan Yeah that's a good point. I only saw the movie, but it didn't seem very steampunk... maybe just because they're sort of in Victorian times and the castle has a lot of machinery, and that sort of thing

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@RavenMRayson Book wise, all the bizarre machines that were in the movie were completely absent, in the first book at least. Completely different plot so unless the sequels are different I have no idea what they were thinking.

But they did put Leviathan in 8th position so I can forgive them.

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I've heard a lot of good things about The Golden Compass, but I've never got around to reading them. And a friend of mine was just telling me about Howl's Moving Castle. I might check out a few of the things on that list, after I'm done with what I'm in the middle of.

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@Hero_Of_Time312 The Golden Compass stories were REALLY good! I enjoyed them immensely. :D So you should read them. I can't really give you my opinion on the other ones though.

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Search up Cherie Priest. She does a lot of steampunk novels. What about the book Clockwork Prince? I don't know the author.

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Loved The Golden Compass series, but if you are very religious it might make you uncomfortable, especially the last book of the series. Howl's moving castle is good to. But the classic Steam Punk is The Time Macine in fact any Jules Verne is good. There is a classic film called Dark City with Keifer Sutherland which is awesome.

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@AlexisSims - I love Dark City, it's one of my favourite films of all time. Not sure it'd be classed as steampunk though. Bloomin' wierd definitely. Howl's moving castle is a grand book/film but again I don't think it's steampunk. The nearest thing I've seen to steampunk in a film was a film called Laputa: Castle in the Sky which was released back in the 80s. That was a great film but even then I'm not sure it's strictly steampunk, more a melange of alternative tech stuff. Great film though.

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Okay I have done some research and apparently Dark City is what is known as Diesel punk. I did not even know such a thing existed but officially it is stimulus is between World War 1 and World War 2, Airplanes & Flying Aces Zepellins, Pilots as adventurers, Cars, Lack of respect for humanity, Warfare Depression, Roaring Twenties, Gangsters, Flappers, Artwork is predominantly influenced by machines and tools., Artwork that places emphasis on function rather than form (streamlined machines) I have to say Diesel punk sound freaking cool! @TheOrangutan

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Like many lazy others, I tend to group Dieselpunk, Teslapunk under Steampunk. Most of what people call steampunk have Airships and Zepplins which do not run off steam, either batteries (Teslapunk) or fuel (Dieselpunk).

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Now don't yell at me, 'cos maybe its too mainstream, but what about 'Wild, Wild West' ?

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I guess "Sky Captain And the World Of Tomorrow" would be deisel punk

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@Hero_Of_Time312

I second Sekkan's recommendation of "Girl Genius" - it's a bit more fantasy-oriented than your typical steampunk (I believe the series' creators refer to it as "Gaslamp Fantasy" ), but it's enormous fun.

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@CarolinaC Finally!

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@whatcatydidnext - definitely steampunk. Not a great film perhaps, but definitely SP.

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@AlexisSims - dieselpunk is also a rising subgenre. AngusEcrivain on here has categorised the various subpunk genres, some are so new only he and a few others on on here have written the specific punk styles though. TheLostDMBFiles are a good example of diesel punk although they're almost alt historical fiction too. David terms them Reeferpunk which is kinda cool.

Ultimately they're all SF of a sort but if readers are looking for something specific it's always good to have extra tags you can use.

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Just getting the images clear in my head petal. Ha, but how many films suffer from the bulk of the budget being spent on visuals and 'stars' with little left over to pay good writers, Mr Orangieperson? I fear far too many, and wwe still go and see them. Hey Ho... @TheOrangutan

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@whatcatydidnext - aye true. That's one reason I liked Dark City which was mentioned earlier. The only 'star' in it was in a relatively minor part (the bloke of 24, can't remember his name), and the special effects were grand when needed but much of it was just darkly wonderful. Richard O Brien was in it too (Litte Shop of Horrors) which is always a good thing. Wild West was a fairly simple romp I suppose and not horrendous but it was just a Will Smith vehicle really.

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LOL, while I prob wouldn’t describe Rufus Sewell, Richard O’Brian or the Sutherland boy as ‘stars’, William Hurt definitely, even if he denies it. I think there was another fella in there who I should remember but can’t. Dark City was a stylistic triumph, which I liked, but still something was not there. I think it may also be a disrespected parent of the bastard child Matrix? Wild, Wild West was a romp, pure and simple, but romps have their place. Only wish it had been half as funny as it thought it was. Gotta go now, my brain hurts...

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@newgatenancy Really, see I think Keifer Sutherland could be called a sort of star, at least by TV lights. was it Ian Richardson you were thinking of? I checked on IMDB, sorry I'm a not too well up on this stuff. @TheOrangutan I promise make an effort and watch Dark City, number-one-son knows all this stuff, he's bound to have it.

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@newgatenancy @whatcatydidnext - Sutherland was definitely a star at the time the film was made albeit a fading one perhaps. He was still surfing the wave that followed his early successes like the cowboy movie he did with Charlie Sheen and crew (which I also can't remember the name of, Bon Jovi did the soundtrack, blasted brain cells never work properly) and possibly even his father's fame to some extent. That particular film was Rufus Sewell's breakthrough. Did it not come before Matrix? Can't remember now. I just loved it because it was different and stylish as you said. It's perhaps not the best film ever made, but it certainly gave ma good night in the cinema.

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