22 Best Steampunk Books
We analyzed 5+ expert sources, curated book lists, and recommendations from successful people to find the 22 best steampunk books according to the internet — not just one person's opinion. Each book on this list was mentioned by at least two independent sources, and the ranking is based on how frequently each title appears across all sources studied. This consensus-based approach ensures you get recommendations backed by multiple experts, not a single reviewer's bias.
Goal: Find the best Steampunk books according to the internet (not just one person's opinion).
Method:
- Search for "best steampunk books" and study the top 5+ pages.
- Add only the books mentioned 2+ times.
- Rank the results neatly here.
22 Best Steampunk Books
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Soulless
Parasol Protectorate, Book 1
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Voyages Extraordinaires, Book 7
Also recommended by
2 people
Richard Branson recommended this bookRichard Branson
Richard Branson recommended this book on his "70 must-read books" blog post.
Richard Branson's recommendation of this book 
Alan Kay recommended this bookAlan Kay
"A formative book in so many ways." - Alan Kay
Alan Kay's recommendation of this book
The Time Machine
Also recommended by
2 people
Sahil Lavingia recommended this bookSahil Lavingia
Sahil Lavingia recommended this book on Notion.
Sahil Lavingia's recommendation of this book 
Winston Churchill recommended this bookWinston Churchill
"A wonderful book." - Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill's recommendation of this book
Perdido Street Station
Bas-Lag, Book 1
Also recommended by
1 person
Feng Zhu recommended this bookFeng Zhu
"[One] of the most visual books I've ever read." - Feng Zhu
Feng Zhu's recommendation of this book
Leviathan
Leviathan, Book 1
Mortal Engines
Mortal Engines, Book 1
Also recommended by
1 person
Simon Mayo recommended this bookSimon Mayo
"Loved [this book]." - Simon Mayo
Simon Mayo's recommendation of this book
Boneshaker
Clockwork Century, Book 1
Homunculus
Narbondo, Book 2
Lady of Devices
Magnificent Devices, Book 1
The Anubis Gates
Anubis Gates, Book 1
The Difference Engine
A Novel
The Golden Compass
His Dark Materials, Book 1
The Iron Duke
The Iron Seas, Book 3
The Diamond Age
Or, a Young Lady's Illustrated Primer
Also recommended by
5 people
Peter Thiel recommended this bookPeter Thiel
"I like the genre of past books written about the future." - Peter Thiel
Peter Thiel's recommendation of this book 
Naval Ravikant recommended this bookNaval Ravikant
"Great book." - Naval Ravikant
Naval Ravikant's recommendation of this book 
Seth Godin recommended this bookSeth Godin
"If you read [this book] before you’ve thought about molecular anything or 3D printing, then it changes your mind." - Seth Godin
Seth Godin's recommendation of this book 
Kelly Starrett recommended this bookKelly Starrett
Kelly Starrett recommended this book in the "Tools of Titans" book.
Kelly Starrett's recommendation of this book 
Ev Williams recommended this bookEv Williams
On the "books read" section of Ev Williams' GoodReads profile.
Ev Williams's recommendation of this book
Clockwork Angel
Infernal Devices, Book 1
Also recommended by
1 person
Zack D'Aleo recommended this bookZack D'Aleo
"È come leggere Jane Eyre ma con i demoni." - Zac D'Aleo
Zack D'Aleo's recommendation of this book
Against the Day
Morlock Night
Retribution Falls
Tales of the Ketty Jay, Book 1
The Aeronaut's Windlass
The Cinder Spires
The Half-Made World
The Steampunk Trilogy
The Warlord of the Air
Nomad of the Time Streams, Book 1
Sources
- 1
23 Best Steampunk Books - The Best Sci Fi Books
best-sci-fi-books.com
- 2
What Is Steampunk? 25 Defining Titles from This Speculative Genre | Reedsy Discovery
reedsy.com
- 3
16 Steampunk Books You Have to Read
earlybirdbooks.com
- 4
30 Best Steampunk Books: The Ultimate List
nerdmuch.com
- 5
10 Best Steampunk Novels [2022]
addall.com
Edited by
Software engineer whose passion for tracking book recommendations from podcasts inspired the creation of MRB.
Lead investor at 3one4 Capital whose startup expertise and love for books helped shaped MRB and its growth.
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