Great Works of Steampunk and Gaslamp Fantasy

Our Dungeons and Dragons campaign is set in Eberron, a world of pulp adventure and neo-noir intrigue. This is a world of fantastic technology powered by magical innovation. It is filled with island jungles rivaling Dr Moreau’s, eldritch horrors that would scare H. P. Lovecraft, promethean achievements that would awe Dr. Frankenstein, airship engineering that even Agatha Heterodyne would find impressive, intrepid Inquisitives boiled harder than Philip Marlowe, and globe-trotting adventure so exotic and fast-paced even Indiana Jones would have to stop sometimes just to catch his breath.

To kick your brain into genre bending gear, we offer these recommendations of steampunk and gaslamp fantasy:

1. The Diamond Age: Or, A Young Lady’s Illustrated Primer (1995) by Neal Stephenson
2. The Girl Genius Novels by Phil Foglio and Kaja Foglio: Agatha H and the Airship City (2010), Agatha H and the Clockwork Princess (2012), Agatha H. and the Voice of the Castle (2014), and Agatha H. and the Siege of Mechanicsburg (2020).
3. The Improbable Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (2009), edited by John Joseph Adams
4. The Finishing School series by Gail Carriger: Etiquette & Espionage (2013), Curtsies & Conspiracies (2013), Waistcoats & Weaponry (2014), and Manners & Mutiny (2015).
5. His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman: The Golden Compass (1995), The Subtle Knife (1997), and The Amber Spyglass (2000). There are several other books in this world, including some prequels, postquals, and a whole series of equals called The Book of Dust.