Steampunk
Lately I've been hearing a lot about Steampunk books. What is Steampunk (besides a really cool word)? Steampunk books are books that take place in the past, like before we had cars and electricity, when people used steam power. That's the "steam" in Steampunk. But the "punk" part is that these books have a fantasy element to them, something that could never actually happen in that time. So they are basically really cool fantasy or science fiction books that take place in the past.
Here are some of my favorite Steampunk books:
Larklight by Phillip Reeve
An old-fashioned British
Victorian family lives a normal old fashioned British Victorian life
— except they live in a suburb of the Moon.
Death Collector by Justin Richards
A curator from the British Museum tries to stop a madman determined to reanimate the dead, both human and dinosaur.
Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pierson
A
prequel to the story of Peter Pan, this book is about Peter and a group
of orphans sailing to a foreign country where they will become slaves.
Their destiny changes when Peter discovers that their ship is carrying
the most magical treasure on earth.
Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos by R. L. LaFevers
Theodosia
must reverse the black magic that only she can see in the ancient
artifacts that her archaeologist parents bring back from Egypt.
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
It's hard to say if
this book really takes place in the past because the time period is not defined. But I think it's safe to say it is definitely not
present day, and definitely fantasy. Accompanied by her daemon, Lyra
sets out to prevent her best friend and other kidnapped children from
becoming the subject of gruesome experiments in the Far North.
Have you read any Steampunk books? What are YOUR favorites?
— Sonja, Scholastic.com Editor
Well, I think the A Wrinkle in Time series (Time Quartet) are steampunk. Thay are science fiction and take place in the late 80's or 90's. Does that count? if it does I love those books!
Comment #1 | Posted by: Ella on December 29, 2008 at 01:47 PM
I love fanasty books along with some science fiction. These books sound like my type, so I might give them a try. I have heard of THE GOLDEN COMPASS,PETER AND THE STAR CATCHERS, and DEATH COLLECTER.
Comment #2 | Posted by: Briana on December 29, 2008 at 01:47 PM
Ella Enchanted is definitely my favorite steampunk book! Steampunk is a really cool word to define those types of books (some other good ones are The Princess Academy, The Runaway Princess, and Once Upon a Marigold.)
Comment #3 | Posted by: Jennifer on December 29, 2008 at 01:47 PM
I like the books and I will like to have a copy
Comment #4 | Posted by: samuel on December 29, 2008 at 01:47 PM
Steampunk books... They really do drag you in, just with the name. The books are probably fine, and I do love fiction, so I'll have to look at them.
Comment #5 | Posted by: Becca on December 29, 2008 at 01:47 PM
Good Death Collector =O Best one on that list.
Comment #6 | Posted by: Joseph on December 29, 2008 at 01:48 PM
I didn't even know there was a word to describe those books...very interesting
Comment #7 | Posted by: Daniel on December 29, 2008 at 01:48 PM
Very cool!
Comment #8 | Posted by: Taylor on December 29, 2008 at 01:48 PM
peter and the star cachers is about faries
Comment #9 | Posted by: player 1 on December 29, 2008 at 02:36 PM
peter and the star cachers is about faries
Comment #10 | Posted by: todd on December 29, 2008 at 02:36 PM
I think "steampunk" is an inapropreat name for a book (and I don't like any of the books on the list exept Death Collecter)
Comment #11 | Posted by: Bad Critic on December 29, 2008 at 02:36 PM
I did not make up the word Steampunk, but I wish I did because I think it is really clever. I first heard of it on the Scholastic website in this booklist.
Comment #12 | Posted by: Sonja on December 29, 2008 at 02:36 PM
this was so ggggggggggggggggrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaattttttttttttttttttttt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We loved it
Comment #13 | Posted by: Duch Masters on December 29, 2008 at 02:36 PM
I like a wrinkle in time as well it is good
Comment #14 | Posted by: player 1 on December 29, 2008 at 02:36 PM
awesome blog i love it (ipod shuffle)
Comment #15 | Posted by: joshuah on December 29, 2008 at 02:36 PM
Try I don't know maybe Lightnings Theif, aka The Percy Jackson series. or maybe Eragon, Blackboat,
Comment #16 | Posted by: Sniper on December 29, 2008 at 02:36 PM
I like the Wrinkle in Time serease too but I don't think it is a "steampunkin" or what ever because people had cars in the 80s and 90s
Comment #17 | Posted by: somebody from school on December 29, 2008 at 02:36 PM
Awesome!
Comment #18 | Posted by: Olivia on December 29, 2008 at 02:36 PM
did u know that peter and the starcatchers has a sequil its called peter and the shadow theives
Comment #19 | Posted by: Tyler on December 29, 2008 at 02:36 PM
The book looks stupid because that kind of topoic REALLY bores me
Comment #20 | Posted by: Ted on December 29, 2008 at 02:36 PM
I read Peter and the Starcatchers, it is an ausome booke
Comment #21 | Posted by: Lou Ann on December 29, 2008 at 02:36 PM
Books like the steampunk are not that intresrting to me but I do like fantasys not based on the past because it then is boring
Comment #22 | Posted by: Jarred on December 29, 2008 at 02:36 PM