This animated masterpiece by Hayao Miyazaki is based on a 1986 novel by British author Diana Wynne Jones. It might best be described as a crossover between steampunk and urban fantasy since it has many supernatural elements. It takes place in an alternate universe much like ours, where war is erupting between rival nations. The […]
Black Butler is a popular manga series by Yana Toboso that first appeared in 2006. A few years later, A-1 Pictures adapted it as an anime, directed by Toshiya Shinohara. (Noriyuki Abe directed season 3 and the animated movie “Book of Murder.”) The story concerns an orphaned English aristocrat and the butler who serves and […]
This 2006 movie by Christopher Nolan, is set in late nineteenth century England. The movie is based on the 1995 novel of the same name by Christopher Priest. It’s not steampunk in the traditional sense, but it appears in this list because of the appearance of Nikola Tesla (played by the late David Bowie) and […]
The Night Circus was not what I expected. I knew it was a work of fantasy set in the Victorian era, with perhaps a few steampunk elements. What I didn’t expect was how thoroughly I’d enjoy this book. It has elements of mystery, romance, and magic, all expertly woven into an immersive and absorbing experience. […]
I haven’t read much young adult fiction since Rowling’s Harry Potter and Westerfeld’s Leviathan series, so this was a departure from my usual reading material. I became aware of the book because it sparked an odd controversy, but before I address that issue I’ll discuss it on its own merits. The Black Witch takes place […]
One hundred and six years ago today, Roald Amundsen’s expedition reached the South Pole, being the first humans to do so. The expedition went smoothly, though it was not without controversy. Amundsen had been planning to head for the North Pole, but hearing that Americans Frederick Cook and Robert Peary had gotten the jump on […]
Published in 2014, Owldance is perhaps a bit recent to be called a classic but in this case I’ll make an exception. The American setting of this steampunk novel by David Lee Summers makes it a delightful change from the usual settings in Victorian London, especially since it’s set in my own Southwest. The primary […]
