SFFF CAT JANUARY: Steampunk, Gas Lamp and other historical SFFF

Hello! Welcome to the SFFF CAT portion of the 2015 Challenge!

For those who may not be familiar with what Steampunk might actually be, it's basically a fantastical story set in the Victorian/Edwardian Era when steam power was the state-of-the-art technology. The stories tend to feature women running around in bustles and corsets, men in waistcoats and spats; but more than that there's the idea of the eccentric uses of scientific discovery to either advance the plot or color the tale. In Philip Pullman's The Shadow of the North (second in the four-title Sally Lockhart seres) for instance, there is a Steam Gun; whereas in Gail Carringer's Parasol Protectorate (five-title series beginning with Soulless) people use private dirigibles as casually as we do cars.

Gaslamp literature is a close cousin of Steampunk: It also is set in the Victorian Era and has fantastical elements; but it tends to be more Gothic in overall feel. "Sherlockian/Holmesian"-based tales, stories working the Dracula or Frankenstein vibe... overall stories less about the technology more about the dark corners of castles and men's souls. Neil Gaiman's short story, A Study in Emerald is a perfect example of the form - a Holmesian pastiche involving the Queen herself, a Cthulhu creature or two, a little bit of eyebrow-raising horror and the sensibilities of the British stiff upper lip!

Other Historical SFFF that might interest readers in this category would be the works that sort of started it all: The advent of balloon flight touched off the imaginations of the likes of Jules Verne, H.G Wells, Sir Author Conan Doyle and even Edgar Alan Poe! Jules Verne would write adventure flights-of-fancy like Around the World in Eighty Days, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, and Journey to the Center of the Earth; while Sir Author Conan Doyle not only gave us the original Sherlock Holmes stories, but The Lost World as well! Though straddling the horror vibe, Classics like Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus and Dracula work too, as the prototypes for the gaslamp sub-sub-genre.

It is a world without microchips, atomic or nuclear power, or even the buzz of electricity; but rich with the imaginings of the possible.

Please share what you are reading by updating the WIKI with your respective choices; and be sure to comment! I can't wait to see what you're reading!

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For those who still may be searching for a title for this CAT, you may want to try the book that "started it all,"
Steampunk (edited by Ann VanderMeer) :-)

Other possibilities include:

SERIES
Lady Emily Series by Tasha Alexander
Oscar Wilde Murder Mysteries (by Gyles Brandreth)
Gemma Doyle Mysteries (by Libba Bray)
The Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carriger)
Miss Temple, Doctor Svenson, and Cardinal Chang Series (by Gordon Dahlquist)
Sherlock Holmes Stories/Novels (by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
Burton & Swinburne Series (by Mark Hodder)
Victor Legris Series (by Claude Izner)
Newbury and Hobbes Series (by George Mann)
Sally Lockhart Mysteries (by Philip Pullman)
Lady Julia Mysteries (by Deanna Raybourn)

STAND-ALONES
Cover the Mirrors (by Faye L. Booth)
The Resurrectionist (by James Bradley)
A Proper Education for Girls (by Elaine diRollo)
Wildthorn by Jane Eagland
Dust and Shadow: An Account of the Ripper Killings by (Lyndsay Faye)
What Angels Fear (by C.S. Harris)
The Man in the Picture: A Ghost Story (by Susan Hill)
The Alchemy of Murder (by Carol McCleary)
Queen Victoria: Demon Hunter Queen Victoria (by A.E. Moorat)
The Last Dickens (by Matthew Pearl
The Blackest Bird: A Novel of Murder in Nineteenth-Century New York (by Joel Rose)
Drood Drood (by Dan Simmons)
The Journal of Dora Damage (by Belinda Starling)
Grace Hammer : a Novel of the Victorian Underworld (by Sara Stockbridge)
Dracula the Un-Dead (by Dacre Stoker)
Affinity Affinity (by Sarah Waters)

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EDITED 15DEC2014: Added list of possible titles for the category #steampunk #mystery
EDITED 16DEC2014: Added image of Around the World in 80 Days (by Jules Verne) Book Cover

Huzzah! Glad to see this one start!

At the moment, I'm planning to read The Time Machine and Thieftaker. If I have enough time I'll add in a steampunk or gaslamper.

This is a genre I have not read so I have heard that this is one of the best steampunk novels. I'll give it a try!
Boneshaker - Cherie Priest

I plan to read Steadfast.

I have nothing on my TBR that would fit, but my daughter has Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriger, so I aim to give that a try.

This is not really my area of reading usually so I have been having a good look around. I'm thinking of reading The Iron Wyrm Affair - (gaslamp) or The Witch's Daughter - (alternate history). But heaps of you read the Parasol Protectorate books and have liked them. As you can see I'm quite torn, and I am only going to read one. Maybe a visit to my library website to see what is available will solve this dilemma. All advice gratefully accepted.

I've been debating with myself whether or not to do the SFFF Cat since I'm sure I don't have too many books in my TBR pile and my goal ( as usual) is to read from there as much as I can. And I realized that I would need suggestions for almost all the months. So I was surprised to find Etiquette and Espionage there. Until I figured out that it's in my "Recommended by LT" collection, which I don't actually have. But I think I'll still consider this on a month-to-month basis.

#6 by Roro8> I really enjoyed The Iron Wyrm Affair. It has likeable characters and a suitably steamy London. Hope you enjoy it!

What a great way to start the year. I love Steampunk so I'm really looking forward to January's reading. Thus far, I'm planning on reading Soulless by Gail Carriger (my first sortie into her books), Fever Crumb by Philip Reeve (I loved the original Mortal Engines quartet but I haven't read the prequels so this year, I'm reading the whole shebang) and Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare. I'm being very good and not cracking a spine before January 1st ... at least so far ;-)

For anyone looking for steampunk suggestions, I highly recommend Scott Westerfield's Leviathan and the rest of that trilogy. Great fun!

>10 majkia: How do they shape up compared to his Uglies series? I really didn't get on well with them (abandoned after the first book) but the Steampunk recommendation is drawing me in ;-)

Claire, I haven't read the Uglies, I'm afraid. But I loved this series.

Hmm, I may have to dabble ... at this rate, I'll only be reading Steampunk in January ;-)

I plan on reading Possession - not sure exactly how it fits in yet, but I have seen it listed on several Steampunk lists. Looking forward to learning all sorts of new things with this challenge!

Although it's not explicitly stated in the intro, I believe we can read any SF/F with a historical setting for this month--is that correct? If that's so, I have 5 books on the TBR I can read next month--I think I may choose Territory by Emma Bull and Bride of the Rat God by Barbara Hambly, to start.

As a reminder, here are some lists you can check for ideas: Steampunk Books, Gaslamp Fantasy, Historical Fantasy and Historical Science Fiction.

Some recommendations: If you like Shakespeare, I can recommend The Dream of Perpetual Motion, which is a retelling of The Tempest in a steampunk America. The Golem and the Jinni was pretty popular last year and is set in turn-of-the-century New York City; the historical setting is very well done. If you want something more like science fiction, Eifelheim is set primarily in 14th century Germany and is about first contact with aliens, with religious and philosophical themes.

I'll be reading China Mieville's The Scar. I'm not sure how consistent I will be with this challenge, as I see that I've signed up for several--they all sound so rewarding!

I'm not sure yet whether I'll be participating in this CAT, but I do have several books on my shelves and TBR list that would fit! I might read Gail Carriger's Waistcoats & Weaponry (steampunk) or Emma Jane Holloway's A Study in Silks (looks like steampunk or gaslamp).

Also, for anyone who's unsure of what to read, I HIGHLY recommend The High Crusade by Poul Anderson! It's a historical SF novel in which aliens come to Earth in the year 1345.

I'll be reading Theiftaker. This will be my first attempt for "2015 Reading Outside of My Comfort Zone".

A couple years ago, I picked up the first three titles in The Parasol Protectorate, Soulless, Changeless, and Blameless (by Gail Carringer) in an eBook bundle deal. At first, the heroine, Alexia Tarabotti reminded me of Amelia Peabody (from the eponymous series by Elizabeth Peters) with their relationships with their respective husbands, the echoes of H. Rider Haggard, and the cozy style of writing. But just as I was about to let it go, Carringer dropped a bomb at the end of the first book and I was hooked! I dnloaded the remaining two books in the series as soon as I could and read them greedily within a day (I was on vacation at the time and could do that!) I highly recommend them for readers who are starting out in the genre. They are light-hearted and fun :-)

The other series that I've touched on is The Sally Lockhart series (by Philip Pullman.) I listened to the first two and a half in audio (narrated by Anton Lesser), finishing the third in print. Sally Lockhart is a pretty, and smart young woman who must find her way amongst the vicissitudes of Victorian London. These are ostensibly YA titles but they are very well written, if rather dark. In fact, the tension in the third title was a little bit more than I could take and I ended up grabbing the print edition so that I could cheat by peaking at the end, thereby relieving myself of the anxiety that was building up! For those who are audiobook listeners, Anton Lesser is brilliant! There is a fourth title in the series, The Tin Princess; but I haven't read or listened to it as the consensus among those who have read it is that it's only "meh" and Sally Lockhart only makes a cameo appearance in it.

1. The Ruby in the Smoke
   
2. The Tiger in the Well
   
3. The Shadow in the North
   
4. The Tin Princess
   

I've also read the two graphic novel volumes, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volumes I and II (by Alan Moore and illustrated by Kevin O'Neill.) Both volumes are alternative histories and steampunk. The first one is a lot of fun, introducing "contemporary" characters like Allan Quatermain, Hawley Griffin, Henry Jekyll/Edward Hyde, Captain Nemo and Orlando... into a plot where they must save London and ergo the world! I was a little less comfortable with the second volume: It's a bit prurient in some segments/panels.

For this challenge, I'm going to start off with Around the World in Eighty Days (by Jules Verne.) Earlier this year, I read Falling Upwards: How We Took to the Air: An Unconventional History of Ballooning (by Richard Holmes) which talked about how the era of ballooning also sparked a new kind of fantastic fiction, where men explored and discovered exotic people, places, and things... and how the new technologies of the age would abet that. Holmes' non-fiction specifically mentioned Verne and H.G. Wells, so I'm going to start there. I'm a little bogged down with end-of-the-year work wrap-ups, but I hope to start on or around January 1 myself :-)

I am going to be delving back into the Parasol Protectorate series with Blameless by Gail Carriger, and also starting another series, His Fair Assassin by Robin LaFevers with Grave Mercy.

Also want to second Christina's recommendation at >17 christina_reads: The High Crusade by Poul Anderson is excellent.

I recently downloaded The Man in High Castle to my Kindle. I know nothing about the story but I have high regard for PKD. This will fit in as an alternate history.

>10 majkia: I'm planning on Leviathan. I did a lot of WWI reading this year so the WWI tag caught my eye.

Darn it! I had to go and read The Lost World (by Arthur Conan Doyle) in December! Had I realized it would fit a CAT for January, I would have saved it. However, I do have The Poison Belt on the TBR, so maybe I'll read that. I also have Cinq semaines en ballon, by Jules Verne, but that might be a bit ambitious for the start of the year.

Edit: Oh, and I do have Frankenstein in the on-deck pile, thanks to a rebroadcast of the National Theatre production. So many possibilities :)

I do have Leviathan in my TBR stacks. If I have time to read it I will and then I'll post to the Wiki if I do get around to it.

>10 majkia: The Leviathan series is also available as an audiobook with Alan Cumming doing the reading.

>19 Tanya-dogearedcopy: I have a copy of The Ruby in the Smoke by Phillip Pullman, but I'm not sure it made it to Germany or if it's sitting in storage, but if it's here, I'll try to read that, too.

>19 Tanya-dogearedcopy: >25 RidgewayGirl: I really liked the Sally Lockhart series, and I enjoyed The Tin Princess too, even if Sally plays a very small part in it.

Our local bookstore's Steampunk/SFF club is doing Soulless as its January choice, so I'll be reading that. After that, I hope to get to either Clockwork Princess to finish off Cassandra Clare's The Infernal Devices series or continue Cherie Priest's Clockwork Century series with Ganymede.

If anyone is looking for YA steampunk, I highly recommend Kenneth Oppel's Airborn series.

Thanks for the recommendation of Airship, Paulina. My son (the one who loves the Leviathan books) would like that.

I'm going to be reading Thieftaker for the AlphaKit, and for this I will be doing, at least, Dreadnought by Cherie Priest, which is the followup to Boneshaker and Einstein Must Die by Christ Kohout. I have a Dec. category for steampunk, scifi etc so will be doing a lot more later on.

Oh, so many books to read. I've really enjoyed the Parasol Protectorate and Sally Lockhart books in the past.

I was planning to continue with Carriger's Finishing School books, reading the second and maybe the third. I'd also like to read one classic SFF book with a historical setting, like Verne or Wells.

But then reading through this thread has made me think of so many other possibilities. I've been meaning to read Leviathan for ages, and I've only read the first of Cassandra Clare's Infernal Devices. So we'll see what happens next month.

>19 Tanya-dogearedcopy: Around the World in Eighty Days is a great book! But I have to warn you -- there is NO travel by hot air balloon in it! I believe the characters consider traveling by balloon at one point but decide against it. I think, because the book is so often published with Five Weeks in a Balloon, people just assume that the balloon is in Around the World in Eighty Days...but it's not! (I only mention this because I was very shocked when I discovered it!)

>1 Tanya-dogearedcopy: As a total stranger to this genre, could you explain how the Victor Legris series fits in here? I thought they were just historical mysteries set in the late 19th century? Where does the steampunk come in? I'm still trying to wrap my head around this concept :-)

>31 MissWatson: The list is really a mish-mash of Steampunk, Gas Lamp and Other Histories. There seems to bit a bit of crossover, so even though I've been seeing it shelved as "Steampunk " and/or "Victorian"; I would be more inclined to shelve it as "Gas Lamp" and "Bell Epoque." I would call it "Gas Lamp" by virtue of the story relying on the atmospheric settings of the era rather than a fantastic machine or invention; the story featuring a protagonist who is a detective and relying on his intellect ("Holmsian"); and even though the story takes place in France, the Belle Epoque takes place near the tail end of Queen Victoria's reign. Titles in the series keep cropping up on various Steampunk lists I've skimmed, so I thought I would be remiss if I didn't give them a nod (though ultimately I might be tempted to put in "Other Histories.")

>31 MissWatson: I agree about the Legris mysteries, they're rather straightforward historical mysteries although they are set in the era that steampunk usually creates alternative histories for.

This sounds like an excellent excuse to re-read J. Kathleen Cheney's The Golden City, one of my top 10 of 2014. It's set in an alternative turn of the century Portugal populated with seers, healers, selkies, and sirens, among other creatures. The sequel, The Seat of Magic is also quite good.

Other quality alternative histories/historical fantasies off the top of my head:
Delia's Shadow by Jaime Lee Moyer - A woman who sees ghosts joins up with a police detective to solve crimes in 1910s San Fransisco. First in a series.
The Midnight Queen by Sylvia Izzo Hunter - Conspiracies and secrets in an alternative, magical Britain that still has extensive holdings in France.
A Midsummer Tempest by Poul Anderson - Prince Rupert of the Rhine is the hero of this alternative English Civil War novel, set in a world where Shakespeare is the "Great Historian" and everything he wrote is true history.
Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal - Magic and magicians at a country estate in an alternative Regency Britain. First of a series.
Sorcery and Cecilia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot by Patricia C. Wrede & Caroline Stevermer - A YA, epistolary novel set in a magical Regency Britain. First in a series, the second book is awful, but I've heard the third is better.

Books I've heard are good by haven't read myself:
The Daedalus Incident by Michael J. Martinez
The Leg: The Remarkable Reappearance of Santa Anna's Disembodied Limb by Van Jensen and Jose Pimienta - Gen. Santa Anna's amputated leg rises from the grave in 1930s Mexico
Maplecroft by Cherie Priest, which appears to involve Lizzy Borden and the Cthulhu mythos
The Paper Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg

>31 MissWatson:, >32 Tanya-dogearedcopy: and >33 inge87: : I've read the first in Victor Legris series this year, it's a straightforward historical mystery. In France, it's classified in the mystery section not the science fiction or fantasy section.

I wonder if H.G. Wells and Jules Verne should fit this month theme, as the historical elements were contemporary elements for the authors ?

#34 by electrice> Indeed. Wells and Verne are perfect

And we start off with a tough one for me! Gas lamp sounds more appealing from the description, but I think when I looked things up a couple of months ago, it was steampunk (surprisingly) where I had one or two books on my tbr (going by tags, anyway).

I do see from the suggestions that Sherlock Holmes would work, so that might be where I go with it.

I've also got:
- To Say Nothing of the Dog / Connie Willis
- Calamity Jack / Dean and Shannon Hale

>30 christina_reads: LOL, a few weeks ago, I was on reddit, dnloading book covers of Classic novels that an artist was offering. One of the covers was for Around the World in Eighty Days. Some people were complaining that the artwork used rather cliched images, and wondered if he had read the books he was designing covers for. Others complained that he hadn't included a balloon. And someone else said that proved he had read the book! So, yeah, I had an inkling; but I'm going to go ahead and read it anyway ;-)

I think the idea behind this category was that the Victorian Era in literature was alive with excitement and possibilities! People were literally playing with electricity in their parlours, as well as holding seances; Men and women were dipping in and out of the infamous London fog - a fabulous metaphor for the light and dark sides of their characters; Men were beginning to see the world in new ways and wondering what lay in the hearts of the deepest jungles, the frosts of the coldest ices, the vastness of the darkest skies... People were curious and in awe and the new technology of steam held such great promise! It was their World of Tomorrow! Steampunk and Gas Lamp writers not only tap into that world, but engender that same sense of excitement, plus a little modern day humor and sexiness every once in a while! For me, it brings out a child-like sense of fun and adventure, and I hope everyone who joins in the challenge this month gets a little taste of it if, even if it's just for the duration of one book :-)

I can't read all of these books in a month but they are in my TBR pile to pick up if I can:

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell - Susanna Clarke
The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern
Angelmaker - Nick Harkaway
Blackout & All Clear by Connie Willis (reread)
The Quick - Lauren Owen
The Prestige - Christopher Priest

>32 Tanya-dogearedcopy: >33 inge87: >34 electrice: Thank your for your suggestions! I'll have to think about this some more. I don't think I've read Wells yet...

>37 Tanya-dogearedcopy: Lovely description of the period.

>37 Tanya-dogearedcopy: I love that description of the category!

>38 kiwiflowa: Ooh, I hope you like Angelmaker! :)

Great CAT me thinks! It's one way to get me to read The Difference Engine by William Gibson. I've had it for a while and it will be my January topic read :)

It turns out that my library has all three of the books I mentioned in post 6, so that hasn't helped my decision making. I have reserved all three of them and they are all sitting on the reserve shelf in the mobile library waiting for the next visit to town so I can pick them up. I will probably make a decision once I have them all at hand.

>45 Roro8: Having them all in front of you should make choosing which one to start with easier.

Happiness is - getting your son-in-law hooked on steampunk!

>46 RidgewayGirl:, I agree, I'm lucky to have such a well supplied library.

>43 rabbitprincess: yeah I think I will - I want to read all of Harkaway's books I've heard only good reviews of them. I guess you have read Angelmaker?

>49 kiwiflowa: Yep, it's the only one of his I've read so far, but it was fun.

I have these two on my TBR pile:
The Court of the Air
The Kingdom of the Waves

I though I had posted here but I guess not. I am planning on reading The Firebird Mystery by Darrell Pitt.

I'm reading Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld. I'm probably going to manage one challenge book per month if I'm going to keep up with my other reading.

Well, I was going to find some historically-natured fantasy and fit it into the cat, but after reading Tanya's description, I can't resist giving Steampunk a try. So, yep, I took the excuse this morning and went out to buy The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled-Jack and Infernal Devices. I'll get to at least one of them, maybe both :)

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen arrived in the post yesterday, so that's another January read for me.

I finished Steadfast and didn't think it was as good as the other books I have read in the series.

I'm not really familiar with this genre, though looking upthread I have read some of the books without realising they were a genre. I'm starting an ebook anthology, The Steampunk Megapack, as my odds and sods reading when I'm between other books or don't have my main books available. I doubt I'll finish it this month but it's there.

>57 Robertgreaves: There are two books by that title in the series with different authors but no ISBN. I assume they should combined. Right?

Found it, yes they should be combined. Done.

First book completed for this month was Bride of the Rat God by Barbara Hambly. Set in Hollywood during the silent movie era, it features a cursed necklace, demonic rat god, ancient Chinese wizard and lightweight romance-mystery.

I finished Soulless by Gail Carriger yesterday so I'm off the blocks for the year! Thoroughly enjoyed it - it was a very entertaining romp that didn't take itself too seriously. I shall definitely be reading more from Carriger ... probably this month ;-). I love starting the year with a steampunk binge.

I've finished my first challenge book for 2015: J. Kathleen Cheney's novella, Snow Comes to Hawk's Folly, which is set in a magical turn of the century Saratoga Springs, New York.

>58 MarthaJeanne: MarthaJeanne, the touchstone now seems to be linked to a book called "The New Space Opera 2", which I don't think is right.

That is because I made a mistake in combining, and then separated it out again. I'm afraid you will have to fix the touchstone. (but probably tomorrow. It doesn't want to work without forcing now, of course.)

The Steampunk Megapack

Finished Dreadnought by Cherie Priest. Anyone looking for books with a strong female character, this would fit.

>57 Robertgreaves: I have bought the Steampunk Megapack and am about 10% through it now. Some of these stories are really weird.

I thought I knew what steampunk meant, but having read the first five stories I'm not so sure.

I've read 6 now.

ETA 7, The Tailed Men, Arthur O. Friel (1885–1959) and I see nothing in this story that fits with what I thought people said steam punk is. Nothing to do with technology, nothing really to do with Science Fiction or fantasy outside of some of the tribe having tails.

I'm reading Snow Child by Ivey for this one. So far it is a retelling of a fairy tale. Story is set in Alaska.

>66 Robertgreaves: >67 MarthaJeanne: Oh no! I don't know anything about the Steampunk Megapack or whose editing skills went into it; but I hate to think that your intro into the genre would be a turn off! Is it to late to try something else, like another collection, Steampunk (edited by Ann VanderMeer) or something really fun like Soulless (by Gail Carriger)?

Upon searching for lesbian steampunk, I found The Dark Victorian: Risen which is the first in a series and was $4 on Amazon. I took a chance and have to say I'm enjoying it quite a bit. It is a light romp like Soulless etc. but I like it even better about halfway through.

For anyone who might care, there is an anthology of lesbian steampunk as well called Steam-powered. Even though that is a fantastic name, I didn't get it. I have heard good things about it from someone I know IRL.

I have Angelmaker out from the library, but I'm not 100% sure I'll get to it.

>69 Tanya-dogearedcopy: The stories are OK so I'll continue reading, but if these stories really are steampunk, then I'm not getting what makes steampunk steampunk.

>69 Tanya-dogearedcopy: I'll try again, as my answer yesterday hasn't shown up.

From all the descriptions, I assume that Lackey's series http://www.librarything.com/series/The+Elemental+Masters+Series is steam punk, and if I enjoyed Steadfast less than I expected, it's really because my expectations were so high.

I thought I'd read this anthology as well, and it is outside my comfort zone as most of the stories so far have had a (mild) horror edge to them which I don't need. On the other hand I can read it underway and there is no hurry. Amazon estimates that it is over 1500 pages, so when/if I finish it, I will count it as 5 books towards the challenge.

>71 Robertgreaves: I agree completely.

I'd say that The Elemental Masters series is more an alternate reality but that would still fit. They are also fairytale retellings. Two favorites of mine from the series are set during WWI but others are earlier being more towards the end of the Victorian era and early Edwardian.

I have decided to go along the historical fantasy side of this topic with The Witch's Daughter. It has been tagged with things like paranormal, magic, warlock, witches, historical fantasy. So I am hoping it qualifies.

>64 mysterymax: I just finished Boneshaker and really enjoyed it so I'm interested to read more by her.

I am actually reading Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell (it's been on my shelf for a year) for this month but I really wanted to read Boneshaker as well and it's much shorter so I finished it first.

Then someone mentioned the His Dark Materials trilogy so I read The Golden Compass too and now it looks like I'll have 3 books for this challenge. So far I'm really enjoying my intro to the steampunk/gaslamp realm. Let's see if I get the rest of my books in :)

finished The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey. A fairy tale/fantasy, set in Alaska in the twenties/thirties. I enjoyed it. Fun to read about surviving in Alaska, the beauty and the harshness. Animals play a big part in the book and I enjoyed how the author showed the importance of survival and use of the land.

I finished Black Ships by Jo Graham. Set in the ancient world, it is a retelling of Aeneas's voyages following the fall of Troy, told from the point of view of his oracle, or Sybil. It is fantasy in a realistic setting--there are signs and prophecies, a minor god makes an appearance, and there is a memorable trip to the Underworld. A very enjoyable read.

For all of you that loved The Martian by Andy Weir - the movie is coming out November 25th, the day before Thanksgiving, starring Matt Damon. (Just thought you might like to mark your calendars!)

#77 by sturlington> I read Black Ships as well. I thought it a great read!

>76 Kristelh: That sounds like something I might like! I'll have to look into it...

>78 mysterymax:, I was hoping to read The Martian for this challenge sometime this year. I just need to work out which month it goes in.

>80 LibraryCin:: you should read it Cindy. I think you would like it. Care from Alaska (PBT) knows the author.

>82 Kristelh: Oh, that's cool! Thanks, Kristel!

Calamity Jack / Shannon Hale and Dean Hale
3.5 stars

This is a graphic novel that focuses on Jack (from Jack and the Beanstalk) and Rapunzel. Jack was a boy who always got himself into trouble. When he got older, Jack got into trouble and had to leave town, so he went West for Rapuzel and brought her back. When they returned, his city was run by a giant; a giant who had been his neighbour and had always been a bully.

I enjoyed this. It was cute! I quite like the illustrations in this one, as well.

Calamity Jack and Rapunzel's Revenge are fantastic! I read them with my children and really enjoyed an independent, take charge version of Rapunzel, with Jack as an able companion unbothered by her prickliness and greater level of ability.

I've found my copy of The Prestige by Christopher Priest, which was described as steampunk. I'll get started sometime this week.

>85 RidgewayGirl: It's been a few years since I read Rapunzel's Revenge, but if I'm remembering correctly, I quite enjoyed it, as well!

I finished Leviathan this evening and I really enjoyed my first foray into steampunk! If you've read it, you know that there are unresolved plot lines at the end of the book, so now I will have to complete the trilogy at some point.

I have finished The Witch's Daughter by Paula Brackston. Even though it is the first in a series, it doesn't sound as though the next one follows on with the same characters. Everything was tied up by the end of the book. I will be reading the next one at some point though, The Winter Witch.

I finished Victorian Dark: Risen yesterday evening. It is a mystery set in a steampunk Victorian England. Art, a Quaker, lesbian, reanimated ghost and her partner, Jim, a skull work together to solve supernatural crimes. It was silly and light but short enough to be enjoyable. I'm game for the second in the series.

I've just ordered Leviathan. You all tempted me to try it ;-)

>90 klarusu: Great!

I looked up Steampunk on Wikipedia, and it mentions two books as forerunners of the genre which are actually on my shelves, so I'm currently halfway into A transatlantic tunnel, hurrah! which is quite good fun.

I just finished Blameless by Gail Carriger. This is the 3rd book in the Parasol Protectorate series, and although it will not go down as one of my favorites, it was still a light, fun read.

And I have finished A transatlantic tunnel, hurrah!. I'm not quite sure if it fits the steampunk definition, since it is set in an alternate reality and the action starts in 1973, but the mores and the sentiments are very Victorian, including the demise of the villain, as Auberon Waugh mentions in his review which serves as an introduction in my copy.

#94 by MissWatson> I've had that in the TBR for ages. I do need to get to it.

>95 majkia: I've owned mine for thirty years, bought on a trip to London when I just went wild in a second-hand bookstore. It was so much more difficult to buy foreign-language books in those days!

I didn't think I had anything on my TBR list that I really wanted to read, but I just saw Affinity by Sarah Waters at the bottom of the stand-alone list above, and I think I'll give that a try.

I finished my third read of the month for this category: Territory by Emma Bull. It is set in Tombstone, Arizona, and characters include Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday. But with magic. Unfortunately, this was just OK for me. And I can't read a book with Doc Holliday in it without picturing Val Kilmer.

>98 sturlington: I'm not much for Westerns, but I saw that movie and fell a little in love with Val Kilmer/Doc Holliday!
"I'm your huckleberry" LOL

Just finished Thieftaker for this challenge. A very good History/SFF mashup.

Is the February thread up yet? I'm just wondering if I might have missed it! Thanks!

#101 by LibraryCin> It's here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/186648

>102 majkia: Thank you!

I forgot to mention that I read Death Cloud by Andrew Lane. It is about a young Sherlock Holmes and how he may have got his start sleuthing.

Just finished The Scar by China Miéville. Bellis Coldwine escapes New Crobuzon, where she fears being captured for her association with the lead character of Perdido Street Station, only to be captured by pirates and taken to their flotilla-city, Armada. In her efforts to get back home, she sets off a chain of events that ultimately leads Armada towards The Scar, a massive chasm where all outcomes are possible.

A good book in many ways: the premise was wonderful, with an intricate plot line of events and double-crossings that kept me going. Miéville is really good at creating other worlds and characters, especially characters from other species; but what I liked the most was the cityscape of Armada.

What he does really badly is dialogue: any time that the characters get excited, it gets even worse. Awful. He also has a tendency to repeat the same idea over and over. I would read a paragraph and think I had just read it, look back at the previous paragraph, and realize that it was just a repetition of the same idea. No wonder the book is almost 600 pp long.

I finished The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man by Mark Hodder which is the second book in the Burton & Swinburne series. This is a fun steampunk/mystery/alternate history series.
I'm also working on Steampunk II: Steampunk Reloaded edited by Ann & Jeff VanderMeer, a short story collection which I probably will not finish by the end of the month.

Finally finished Posession which apparently qualifies as gaslamp literature. Happy to explore something new!

Finished Infernal Devices by K.W. Jeter--full review posted, adding it to the wiki now!

I've read The Prestige by Christopher Priest, which is steampunk. I really enjoyed this book and it's been on my TBR for some time, so I'm happy that the SFFFCAT pushed me to read it now.

Just realized that I posted my SFFFCAT read over on the HistoryCAT thread.... I finished reading The Firebird Mystery, a YA steampunk story (and first book in a new series) by Darrell Pitt. Loved the whole Sherlock Holmes linkages!

It looks like I've failed to post here about any of the books that I've read: The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson, and Clockwork Prince and Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare. I liked the Sanderson best of the three, but all were enjoyable, and I'm glad this challenge has given me some incentive to pick up books that have been on my radar for a long time.

Last night I also started Curtsies and Conspiracies by Gail Carriger, the second book in her Finishing School series. I've enjoyed her Parasol Protectorate but wasn't wowed by the first Finishing School book, so we'll see how this goes. Hopefully I'll finish it before the month is done.

Managed to squeeze one in at the end of the month. Nice to have a couple of days in work with not much to do. I had a few options but settled on The Affinity Bridge by George Mann. It's the first book of the Newbury and Hobbes series and I'll be adding a full review soon in my thread for it. Much better than the last time I ventured into this sub-genre (that wasn't a YA book) as I didn't really care for Homunculus too much.

I'm pretty happy with the way January has shaped up for me: Soulless by Gail Carriger (I always like finding a new series I like to keep me going through the year!), Fever Crumb (I've been meaning to read these prequels to the Mortal Engines quartet for AGES and it didn't disappoint) and I'm about to finish Clockwork Prince (languishing on my shelves for far too long!). There are repercussions from the January SFF CAT though - I see to have acquired more books on my TBR than I managed to complete ;-)

One more for this month, Steampunk Holmes : Legacy of the Nautilus. It was a nice Sherlock Holmes pastiche with steampunk elements, so it also fit in my monthly category.

I joined Carrie in reading Leviathan this month and I really enjoyed it. It's a fun piece of well thought out Steampunk!

I've finished Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriger, my first ever steampunk (I tend not to think of myself as an SFFF reader). Liked it quite a bit and will read more of this series and try her other series too.

We're coming to the close of the January and "SFFF CAT JANUARY: Steampunk, Gas Lamp and other historical SFFF." I thought I would offer my thoughts today as tomorrow is Superbowl Sunday in the US and a time suck for not only those who love football and/or the commercials; but for those who must live with those who love football!

I have been pleasantly surprised at the broad interpretation of the this month's challenge, impressed by the fact that some have managed to read more than one title, and hopeful that most if not all of you have enjoyed dipping your toes into the sub-genre.

I, myself only read one novel, Around the World in Eighty Days (by Jules Verne); but if I was to read only one, it was a great place to start! Phineas Fogg takes on a gentleman's wager that he can circumnavigate the world in eighty days. He is working against the clock, and being pursued by a policeman who seeks Fogg's arrest for having robbed a bank! There were times that the book took on a travelogue aspect; Fogg's unflappable calm sometimes frustrated me; and there were some thought provoking elements in regard to colonialism imperialism that were surprisingly relevant to modern times; but the adventures of Fogg's manservant provided the color and entertainment that kept the plot moving forward. Set in the Victorian Era, steam trains and steam boats featured heavily as modes of transportation (The hot air balloon is mentioned, though dismissed as being too new and unreliable) to areas of the world that were just opening up. The book made me wish I had been alive at that time, able to take that trip, and see & experience the world anew with its exotic people and places :-)

I've taken quite a few BBs from the lists (e.g. Steampunk Holmes by P. C. Martin; Thanks to >mysterymax,) duly noted the disappointments (e.g. China Mielville,) and thank you *all* for playing :-)

>117 Tanya-dogearedcopy: Thanks for hosting! I'm going to be sad to see January go - I've had so much steampunk fun. The up-side is that I have SO many recommendations to fill the rest of the year with!

>117 Tanya-dogearedcopy: It's been fun! Thanks for hosting. I have a month for steampunk in December, but I probably won't wait till then to read more. Hope you enjoy the Holmes book. The ending certainly left open the possibility of more.

I only got to one. I had hoped to get to a second one, but it just didn't happen. I'll get to it eventually!

>117 Tanya-dogearedcopy: Thanks for doing a great job for the inaugural month of the SFFFCAT. I enjoyed the introduction to this genre and I even found a suitable book that I really enjoyed.

I'm trying to stretch my reading by joining in the SFFF CATs. Don't know how successfully my plan will work. I read The Native Star for this month. My first steampunk. Not a genre I’d venture into again. On the plus side, the romance part of it was much more realistically developed than many “romance” novels.

I was hoping to read two books for this SFFFCat but unfortunately I didn't have time to fit the second book in.

The Steampunk Megapack says I have over 19 more hours to read, so I'll finish it sometime. Maybe.

The next thing in the The Steampunk Megapack is A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, so if I get round to it, I might count that towards February's Classic SF challenge.

I read that fairly recently (2013), so I'm planning to skip it; that reduces the hours somewhat. I have entered the work-to-work relationship.

>117 Tanya-dogearedcopy: I only managed to get one in this month - poor planning on my part. Thank you for hosting - I've enjoyed reading about everyone else's books!

I finished Affinity yesterday and so was able to get one in for this month.

>125 Robertgreaves: I wonder what makes ACYiKAC steampunk.

Because it was written in the 19th century? Although I'd never read any I thought I had a reasonable idea of what steampunk meant until I started this anthology.

I managed to read only one steampunk book (Gail Carriger's Soulless) this month, even though this is a genre I like very much. The story was enjoyable enough, but overall, the book was disappointing because there was way too much romance and not enough steampunk for my tastes.

Even though I couldn't fit in more books this month, I really enjoyed following the discussion here and received more than a few BBs. Thanks, Tanya-dogearedcopy, for hosting!

I saw The steampunk bible at the library. Interesting book, but I must say the whole thing rather bemuses me still.

One of the things that I've come to realize is that "Steampunk" that, while at its core represents Victorian England with the emphasis on steam-driven mechanicals, is that the idea of Steampunk seems to be expanding. I'm seeing material that extends beyond the shores of England, mash-ups with Westerns and Sherlockian mysteries, and take-offs on the early science-fiction and horror stories. Some of the directions it goes bemuse me too!