"What is steampunk?"
The easy answer is that steampunk stories are set in the 19th century Victorian era when steam-driven technology was primary, corsets were tight, and tea was a formal affair. But that's like saying science fiction is about spaceships… when the genre is much broader, deeper, and more amazing than that. (And yes, steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction.)
With a thriving real-life steampunk culture that is very do-it-yourself in inventing characters, costumes, and gadgets, the real answer is that steampunk can be virtually anything you want it to be. It's this tremendous devotion to creativity that actually drew me in to writing steampunk in the first place (along with the gorgeous costumes!). In this steampunk bundle, we have an east-Indian fantasy romance, a Asian-flavored pirate love story, a Shakespearean retelling, two stories set in a common world with a floating island, a young adult adventure about a lightning invention, and a story that uses Arcane Science in the modern world. These stories are perfect examples of the truly rich diversity of steampunk stories… while each also portrays a world where steam technology shifts the ground under their character's feet.
We think of the Victorian era as being somewhat repressed, but it really was a time of tremendous change: class divisions, and the aristocracy it supported, were being challenged by the everyday men and women who were bringing about amazing technological advances. Science was on the rise! And the beautiful costuming and formal traditions of the past were coming into conflict with those first hints of the modern world. Steampunk stories in general resonate with readers not just because of their fun, escapist fantasy—a flight into the past when things were simpler, adventures were fought with sword and gun, and social strictures brought some order to the world—but because the upheaval wrought by technological change still resonates with our real lives today.
What is steampunk? It's a story like any other story: a chance to escape the world for a few hours, to live in the wilderness of an author's imagination, to adventure, to fall in love, to die for one's friends. It's classic storytelling in a visually rich, emotionally gripping era that still resonates with us today. Plus you get to rollick about in corsets and top hats, inventing gadgets and saving the world from the villains who turn that fantastic steam technology to their own dastardly purposes.
Strap on your goggles and prepare for the ride! – Susan Kaye Quinn
- Black Mercury by Charlotte E. English
- Zelda Pryce by Joseph Robert Lewis
- The Machine God by MeiLin Miranda
- A Midsummer Night's Steampunk by Scott E. Tarbet
- Lumière by Jacqueline E. Garlick
- Third Daughter by Susan Kaye Quinn
- Fall of Sky City by S.M. Blooding
- Get quality reads: We've chosen works from excellent authors to bundle together in one convenient package.
- Pay what you want (minimum $3): You decide how much four fantastic books are worth to you. If you can only spare a little, that's fine! You'll still get access to four thrilling titles.
- Support authors who support DRM-free books: StoryBundle is a platform for authors to get exposure for their works, both for the titles featured in the bundle and for the rest of their catalog. Supporting authors who let you read their books on any device you want—restriction free—will show everyone there's nothing wrong with ditching DRM.
- Give to worthy causes: Bundle buyers have a chance to donate a portion of their proceeds to charity. We're currently featuring Mighty Writers and Girls Write Now.
- Receive extra books: If you beat our bonus price, you're not just getting four books, you're getting seven!
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