After reading through most of the Jules Verne collection (great stuff, written in the latter part of the nineteenth century) which I highly recommend to gain a flavor of the Victorian time period. The language and verbage is quite different from modern writing. (i.e., One doesn't 'leave' a place; one 'quits' the place.) It's all cowboy science, filled with concepts and understandings of the world at the time.

Another good book for recommended reading is 'The Good Soldier Svejk' which is WWI era writings (Czechoslovakian author).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T...d_Soldier_%C5%A0vejk

Found a link of Victorian and Edwardian books

http://www.goodreads.com/shelf.../victorian-edwardian

http://openlibrary.org/books/O...ing_and_manly_sports.


Boxing, use of pins (think bowling pin) and other forms of exercise.

I didn't see these on the book lists earlier in this thread, but here's some more reading:

Steampunk'd, edited by Jean Rabe and Martin H. Greenberg; 14 original stories.

Captain Nemo, by K. J. Anderson.

The Doomsday Vault (2011)
The Impossible Cube (2012)
The Dragon Men (2012)
The Havoc Machine (2013)
...all 'tales of the Clockwork Empire' by Steven Harper
I've only the first one so far. It was pretty good. Good Victoriana and Steampunk flavor.

I've also read Camera Obscura by Lavie Tidmar. I didn't like the setting that much, but there was some great scenes in it.

Not entirely sure this is the right place for it, but the thread title said 'reference' so here is will I'll put it.

http://outofthiscentury.wordpr...self-defense-toolkit
"The Victorian Gentleman's Self-Defense Toolkit"
a post on a website called Out of this Century. It seems to be inactive now, but it has a lot of interesting history articles like this one, not just limited to the Victorian era.

GM edit: http code attempt missed something, tried to fix, didn't work so just put it into a simple display. tested link okay
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:36, Tue 15 Oct 2013.

I agree with the sentiment that sword canes are a bad choice. During a time of significant leg pains I took to using a cane for recreational walks. Happened across a sword cane at a flea market and picked it up. At first it was a fun show off. I soon realized that the thin and short blade was pretty useless. I would be so much better fighting and defending with the 3' steel rod that was the cane. Heavy, long and durable. I removed the blade from the top part, it was just shoved in a rubber stopper. This also avoided the potential legal issues of a 'concealed weapon'.

I feel the same way. I usually carry a folding pocket knife with me and I've run into trouble at some places for a 'concealed weapon.' I can only imagine the trouble a sword cane would cause.

That said, it's a pretty cool idea. In the right type of setting, one where realism isn't a hard and fast rule, I could see it being an applicable choice.

You would want one of the 2' - 2 1/2' blades inside. Mine was one of the shorter 8 - 12" which gave up a lot of the length over 3' of blunt metal cane.

I just wouldn't want to be in some minor issue like a push and move at a market and a smarter cop check the handle escalating/giving a crime to me.

As they say... 'don't kill them, its too much paperwork'

I've got a mystery coming out at the end of the month, taking place in an overrun mental hospital.

Overrun with what?

And please, share the title. I'll have to look for it. :)

Overrun with inmates.

It's called "Dreams of the Damned", and you can see the cover at http://www.galvaniccentury.com - It's the ninth in the series, so it'll be all the way at the bottom of the page.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:08, Thu 17 Oct 2013.

Sounds good, I'll take the plunge.

I just released Dreams of the Damned onto Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GCI72T6/?tag=mcoorlim-20
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/?ean=2940148890072
This message was last edited by the player at 13:26, Fri 01 Nov 2013.

Thanks for the link! Bought it :) Looking forward to reading it this weekend!

Came across a book in a Used Book Store called "The Iron Ship". It is about the "Great Britain" the first iron hull, steam powered liner. Interesting bits in it though not sure Ill read it cover to cover.

Ok, this may seem like a stupid question but it seems a number of you are more well read than myself. There is only so much time I get to read anymore sadly and not enough steampunk books on audio I find.

Anyway I was wondering if anyone can recommend any streaming books that deal with automatons where they are almost like robots? Also, any books that deal with mechanical prosthetics? I want to see how some authors have used and described them as I've seen some of the stuff in RPG books but want to see how it is employed in writing. The few times I've seen the robot equivalent the have only been superficial.

Hmmm outside of Steampunk the Cyberpunk genre, especially in the 90s, really played up on those themes. At least thats what I believe. May help with your search.

Well, I know a few cyberpunk fiction with all of that in there.  I wanted to see the steampunk take on it as I know a few that have featured it but not really in depth.  But I know there are a lot of books and story collections out there that I've not gotten to yet in the steampunk genre.

I've dealt with clockwork automatons a few times, though in my fiction they've had biological components.

The first was a human brain and spinal column set into a clockwork framework, a living doll, sort of, that powered itself through the accumulation of galvanic energy generated through its movements. Sort of a perpetual-motion machine.

The second were the cogsmen, corpses fitted with mechanical control mechanisms slaved to the same signal, acting almost as a single organism.

Actually at least one of us here has published books. I consider it okay if they answer that question with a link to a book that has this sort of material in it. Same as if someone where to link to outside author's Amazon page.

I recorded a short "what is steampunk" podcast. Professor Elemental, steampunk hip-hop artist, was kind enough to let me use his music.

http://www.mcoorlim.com/2015/01/twik002-steampunk/

Well there is a Doctor Snuggles youtube channel

https://www.youtube.com/channe...xxWdEFmMffXkUpFHuUog

He uses alot of wood, diesel and inventor contraptions that would any steampunker inspired!

Not a paid advert but I just finished reading 'Bartlebly and James' whose author Michael Coorlim I believe is on this forum.  I enjoyed the book a great deal.  I think that the depth of characterization could be increased but overall I recommend it.  I've bought the rest of the books in the series actually...

Two Months Later...

Glad you liked it, Helvorn. I hope you find that the characters' depth improves in the sequels.

We just finished producing the 6th book, Iron Horses Can't Be Broken, as a full-cast 11-episode audio play, which we'll be releasing through a podcast in early 2016.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:56, Tue 15 Dec 2015.

By all means let us know of interesting things on the net. Not that much different from suggesting a Blockbuster Movie to a new era Small firm youtube.

Just try and put it in the right thread
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:20, Wed 16 Dec 2015.