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Best Steampunk Books

Explore the gritty and inventive world of steampunk fiction with these highly praised titles, ranked according to their popularity in well-known book reviews and articles.

Recommendations from 41 articles, Emma Watson, Guillermo del Toro, Naval Ravikant and 19 others.
Best Steampunk Books
92 books on the list
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Leviathan book cover
Leviathan
Scott Westerfeld - 2009-10-06
Goodreads Rating
This thrilling novel follows Prince Aleksander, a fugitive with only a battered war machine and his crew for support, and Deryn Sharp, a brilliant but disguised airman in the British Air Service. As World War I looms, their paths intertwine in a fantastical journey that will leave an impact on their lives forever.
Perdido Street Station book cover
Perdido Street Station
China Miéville - 2003-08-01 (first published in 2000)
Goodreads Rating
A gifted scientist in the city of New Crobuzon is suddenly faced with unprecedented challenges when a half-bird, half-human creature seeks his help. As his curiosity leads him to delve into the unknown, a terrifying transformation unfolds that threatens the entire city. Discover the eerie and unique world of this science fiction novel.
Recommended by
Feng Zhu
The Difference Engine book cover
The Difference Engine
A Novel
William Gibson - 1992-02-01 (first published in 1990)
Goodreads Rating
This sci-fi thriller takes readers back to the Industrial Revolution, where steam-driven cybernetic Engines power technology that's centuries ahead of its time. Three dynamic characters -- a dishonored woman, an explorer, and a spy -- embark on a dangerous adventure after discovering a box of mysterious Engine cards. This collaborative novel by two world-famous science fiction authors is part detective story, part historical fiction, and all action. Prepare to step into a world where the past and future collide in unexpected ways.
The Anubis Gates book cover
The Anubis Gates
Tim Powers - 1997-01-01 (first published in 1983)
Goodreads Rating
A specialist in the work of William Ashbless finds himself stranded in Regency London after accepting an invitation to guide time-traveling tourists. In this thrilling adventure, he is caught up in a web of danger and intrigue involving rival bands of beggars and Egyptian sorcerers. Along the way, he befriends Samuel Taylor Coleridge and uncovers mysterious secrets about Ashbless. Get lost in this fascinating tale of time travel and dark forces.
Soulless book cover
Soulless
Gail Carriger - 2009-10-01
Goodreads Rating
In this intriguing novel, a spinster without a soul finds herself in a world of trouble when she accidentally kills a vampire and is blamed for mysterious disappearances within London's high society. With a loud, gorgeous werewolf investigating her every move, can she clear her name and uncover the true enemy? And will her unique ability to negate supernatural powers be a help or a hindrance? Expect unexpected twists and turns, as well as a healthy serving of treacle tart.
Boneshaker book cover
Boneshaker
Cherie Priest - 2009-09-29
Goodreads Rating
In an alternate history version of the Pacific Northwest, a catastrophic invention unleashed the living dead. Sixteen years later, Briar Wilkes is a widow with a ruined reputation and a teenage son to support. But when her son undertakes a dangerous quest to rewrite history, Briar must venture into a city overrun with undead, air pirates, and dangerous refugees to bring him back alive.
Mortal Engines book cover
Mortal Engines
Philip Reeve - 2004-09-01 (first published in 2001)
Goodreads Rating
In a world of Municipal Darwinism, where cities hunt and devour each other, London is hiding from bigger, hungrier cities. But as Lord Mayor Mangus Crome's plans unfold, chaos ensues. Tom, a third-class apprentice, saves London's Head Historian from a young assassin's attack and is thrust into a dangerous adventure that takes him to the Out-Country. Author Philip Reeve presents a dark and unforgettable story filled with betrayal and surprises.
Recommended by
Simon MayoSimon Smith
Retribution Falls book cover
Retribution Falls
Chris Wooding - 2009-06-18
Goodreads Rating
A roguish captain and his misfit crew make a living on the wrong side of the law, running contraband, robbing airships, and causing trouble everywhere they go. But when a seemingly easy heist goes awry, the captain finds himself in the crosshairs of the Coalition Navy and must clear his name by catching the real culprit. With action-packed dogfights, gunfights, and demonic creatures, this high-stakes adventure will keep you on the edge of your seat.
The Cinder Spires book cover
The Cinder Spires
The Aeronaut's Windlass
Jim Butcher - 2023-10-03 (first published in 2015)
Goodreads Rating
Travel to a world of magic-wielding warriors and steam-powered technology in this captivating new series. Follow Captain Grimm, fiercely loyal to Spire Albion, as he leads his crew through dangerous missions and battles while navigating the cold war between Spire Albion and Spire Aurora. But as he sets out on his most dangerous mission yet, he'll discover that a much greater threat is lurking, and the fate of humanity rests in his hands.
Airborn book cover
Airborn
Kenneth Oppel - 2005-05-24 (first published in 2004)
Goodreads Rating
Join Matt Cruse on the Aurora, a sky-bound airship ferrying wealthy passengers from city to city. Matt dreams of being as buoyant as the hydrium gas that powers the ship, but that is until he meets a dying balloonist who speaks of beautiful creatures drifting through the skies. A swashbuckling adventure awaits as Matt sets out to uncover the truth about these mysterious beings in an imagined world filled with transcontinental voyagers, pirates, and unimaginable wonders.
The Alchemy of Stone by Ekaterina Sedia
The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson
The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook
The Half-Made World by Felix Gilman
Lady of Devices by Shelley Adina
Homunculus by James P. Blaylock
Infernal Devices by K. W. Jeter
Agatha H. and the Airship City by Kaja Foglio
Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
Against the Day by Thomas Pynchon
The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
Morlock Night by K. W. Jeter
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare
Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger
The Warlord of the Air by Michael Moorcock
The Steampunk Trilogy by Paul di Filippo
Soulless #1 by Gail Carriger, Sarah Feddersen Thomsen
Worldshaker by Richard Harland
A Lady of Integrity by Shelley Adina
Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
Heart of Veridon by Tim Akers
Glass Books of the Dream Eaters by Gordon Dahlquist
The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi
Storming by K. M. Weiland
Mortal Engines 8 Book Collection by Philip Reeve
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
The Affinity Bridge by George Mann
Airman by Eoin Colfer
A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark
Goblin Emperor by Addison
The Little Ships by J A Sutherland
Girl Genius Omnibus Volume One by Phil Foglio
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen by Alan Moore
Blameless by Gail Carriger
The Last Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff
Changeless by Gail Carriger
The Time Ships by Stephen Baxter
Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel
Cold Magic by Kate Elliott
Phoenix Rising by Pip Ballantine
Mainspring by Lake Lay
Rare JAMES P BLAYLOCK Homunculus PRESENTATION COPY LTD 1/10 Signed FINE BINDING 1988 [Hardcover] James P. Blaylock by James P. Blaylock
Aurorarama by Jean-Christophe Valtat
The Rise of Athens by Anthony Everitt
Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
Senlin Ascends by Mr. Josiah Bancroft
The Girl in the Clockwork Collar by Kady Cross
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Omnibus by Alan Moore
The Peshawar Lancers by S. M. Stirling
Rebel Mechanics by Shanna Swendson
Beneath London by James P. Blaylock
Clockwork Heart by Dru Pagliassotti
Anno Dracula by Kim Newman
Batman by Brian Augustyn
Clockwork Angels by Kevin J. Anderson
The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack by Mark Hodder
The Diabolical Miss Hyde by Viola Carr
The Clockwork Scarab by Colleen Gleason
Jack Faust by Michael Swanwick
The land leviathan; a new scientific romance by Michael Moorcock
Anti - Ice, SIGNED by Stephen Baxter
Steampunk by Ann Vandermeer
The Dream of Perpetual Motion by Dexter Palmer
The Light Ages by Ian R. MacLeod
Illusionarium by Heather Dixon
Mechanica by Betsy Cornwell
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind Box Set by Hayao Miyazaki
The Emperor's Edge by Lindsay Buroker
Dreadnought by Cherie Priest
The Dark Unwinding by Sharon Cameron
The Falconer by Elizabeth May
The Clockwork Dagger by Beth Cato
The Manual of Detection by Jedediah Berry
Scourge by David H. Burton
The Court of the Air by Stephen Hunt
[Whitechapel Gods] By by S M Peters
Queen Victoria's Bomb by Ronald Clark
The Rose of Versailles Volume 1 by Riyoko Ikeda
His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
The Emperor's Soul by Brandon Sanderson