Some time ago I found this list of Steampunk novels that someone had put together as a sort of preliminary reading list of the genre. Interestingly enough, it splits the list into three categories: proto-Steampunk, early Steampunk, and recent Steampunk. I’m not sure that there really is that big a difference between the first two categories (as named categories, not by what they contain), but so be it. The list is as follows:
Proto-Steampunk
Gormenghast Novels (esp Titus Alone), Mervyn Peake
Worlds of the Imperium, Keith Laumer
Queen Victoria’s Bomb, Ronald W. Clark
A Nomad of the Time Streaks, Michael MoorcockEarly Steampunk
The Anubis Gates, Tim Powers
Homunculus, James Blaylock
Infernal Devices, K W JeterMore Recent Steampunk
The Difference Engine, William Gibson and Bruce Sterling
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Alan Moore (Comic)
Steampunk, Ann & Jeff VanderMeer (Anthology)
Girl Genius, Studio Foglio (Comic)
A Series of Unfortunate Events, Lemony Snicket
It’s an interesting list, to be sure, and I’m curious what you all would consider to be good Steampunk reading that could be added to it. I, for one, think that a Steampunk list is required to have at least one Jules Verne novel, considering that he was sort of the unintentional father of the genre. But that’s me. What about you?
Edit: These are some suggested books from the comments, etc.
The Court of the Air by Stephen Hunt
The Kingdom Beyond the Waves by Stephen Hunt
The Rise of the Iron Moon by Stephen Hunt
