Wrapping up a third day of steampunk book reviews, I now present you with the remains of my most recent stack. I have just enough of my own steam left to push through and quickly share with you some additional books you should consider adding to your own steampunk library.
Burton & Swinburne in Expedition to the Mountains of the Moon by Mark Hodder
Wrapping up the Burton & Swinburne Trilogy, you couldn’t ask for a better conclusion to what has to be my absolute favorite steampunk trilogy. Mark Hodder had my complete attention when I finished the first book, Spring Heeled Jack. He followed it up with Clockwork Man, setting up a world damaged by an accidental change of history. If you’re a steampunk fan and have not read Hodder’s trilogy, stop what you’re doing and get your hands on all three books — you will NOT be disappointed. Mountains of the Moon pulls all the events, unique characters, and time-twists together in a satisfying ending.
The Society of Steam Book Three: Power Under Pressure by Andrew P. Mayer
Another steampunk trilogy comes to a satisfying end. A mashup of steam technologies and superheroes, Mayer wraps up his story of the end of the elite super team, The Paragons, and the forging of their replacements, The Society of Steam. Sarah Stanton, daughter of The Industrialist, has pulled her team together and is preparing to battle Lord Eschaton, but one key figure still needs to be revived: the Automaton. Mayer has really done his readers justice in this final book; the character of Sarah has really matured, as have her relationships with the mix of heroes and villains that she must organize. Comic book style battles and intrigue are what you’ll find here, and thankfully, at story’s end, Mayer has left himself some wiggle room for a possible revisit to this unique world.
The Mammoth Book of Steampunk, edited by Sean Wallace
Thirty steampunk short stories! What I love best about short story collections is that I get introduced to new writers that I might never otherwise have discovered. Now I have some new names and an About the Contributors section with a slew of new books and short stories to hunt down. I told myself I wouldn’t call out favorites — with 30 writers, that would be extremely unfair. I found some familiar names and some new ones. What I liked best about the majority of these short stories was that they’re true to steampunk; no real unusual deviations for those of you looking for goggles and corsets. After finishing these tales, I’ve now decided to go back and re-read some of my other steampunk short story anthologies that I’ve collected over the years — the variety in styles and unique visions is enjoyable and I do love fast reads.
The Martian War by Kevin J. Anderson
Did you enjoy The League of Extraordinary Gentleman? Well, then you’ll love where Anderson goes with a tale that assumes H.G. Well’s tale of the Martians invading Earth was all true! Here is Wells teaming up with Dr. Moreau, T.H. Huxley, and Hawley Griffin (the Invisible Man) and a few other individuals as they try to find a way to defeat the Martians. I don’t want to ruin it for you — it’s outstanding. If you’re a fan of Wells’ original tale, you’re going to want to read The Martian War to get the scoop on how the war really ended.
The Warlord of the Air by Michael Moorcock
Titan is re-releasing a Moorcock trilogy that was published between 1971 and 1981. It’s a time-traveling tale that follows Captain Oswald Bastable who is thrown forward in time from 1902 to 1973. I’ve completed the first book, and now I cannot wait for the remaining two to be released. This book came as a complete surprise — apparently the next two novels follow Bastable as he moves in the time streams to different time periods. This opening book jumps Bastable to a future London where WWI never happened, and the superpowers rule the world with iron fists. Bastable takes to the air to fight against these countries that he sees as oppressive. It’s some thought-provoking stuff, and there’s a cliffhanger ending that has me ready for Land Leviathan, the next book in the series.
