Steampunk?

 After reading my post yesterday, my husband sent me a text asking, "What is steampunk?"  It made me wonder if I ought not give it some attention today.  It is a sub-genre of fiction that is a bit like science fiction.  It involves a setting where steam power is widely used—whether in an alternate history such as the Victorian Era in Britain or "Wild West" era United States, or in a post-apocalyptic time and it includes rebellion.  Two of the authors I really admire who write in the genre are Scott Westerfeld, author of the Uglies series, and Phillip Pullman, author of the His Dark Mysteries series.

When I read the His Dark Materials trilogy I was completely entranced.  My favorite of the three books, Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spy Glass, is The Subtle Knife.  The first novel follows Lyra Belacqua in her adventures to help a kidnapped friend.  The following novels find her traveling to parallel universes that are each more interesting than the other.  Not only are these novels among the best young adult literature I have ever read, they are perhaps some of the best written period.  If you are looking to travel to far away lands with exciting new discovers this summer, you can't go wrong picking up this trilogy. The first time I experience the series was with and audio version on a long road trip.  The audible version is beautifully narrated if you would prefer listening.


I have only read one of Scott Westerfeld novels, but I found it intriguing and creative.  I think it may be time to give him a more thorough review.  Come to think of it, I have never read any of the Uglies novels, so they are going on my reading shelf for next week.  I will also be reading Pippi Longstocking, Bird in a Box and The Great Gatsby.