Boneshaker

Boneshaker combines steampunk and zombie elements in an alternate 1880s Seattle. After a massive drilling machine ruptures the city's underground, releasing toxic gas that creates zombies, authorities wall off the contaminated downtown area to contain the threat. Briar Wilkes, widow of the notorious inventor behind the disaster, lives on Seattle's outskirts with her teenage son Zeke. When Zeke sneaks into the walled city to clear his father's name, Briar must venture into the dangerous, gas-filled streets to find him. The story unfolds in a Seattle where airships patrol the skies, survivors inhabit an underground network beneath the toxic fog, and mechanical innovations exist alongside Civil War-era technology. The deadly gas that creates "rotters" permeates the abandoned city streets, forcing characters to don breathing apparatus and navigate carefully. Boneshaker examines themes of family loyalty, redemption, and the price of technological progress through its alternate history lens. The novel questions how people adapt to catastrophic change and what bonds survive when society breaks down.

Readers found the steampunk world-building and zombie elements creative, but many felt the pacing dragged in the middle sections. The mother-son relationship and Civil War alternate history backdrop resonated with fans. Likes: - Detailed descriptions of 1880s Seattle - Strong female protagonist - Creative technology and machinery - Original take on zombie origins Dislikes: - Slow middle sections with repetitive scenes - Characters make illogical decisions - Plot threads left unresolved - Some found the dialogue stilted Many reviews note the book starts strong but loses momentum. Reader Mike H. on Amazon states: "The first 100 pages grab you, then it becomes a slog through endless tunnels." Ratings: Goodreads: 3.5/5 (26,000+ ratings) Amazon: 3.8/5 (450+ reviews) LibraryThing: 3.6/5 (800+ ratings) The book won the 2010 Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel and was nominated for a Hugo Award.

The Difference Engine by William Gibson & Bruce Sterling In an alternate Victorian London where mechanical computers arrived a century early, characters navigate a transformed society amid political intrigue and technological upheaval.

Dreadnought by Cherie Priest Set in the same world as Boneshaker, this tale follows a Civil War nurse crossing a war-torn America via steam-powered vehicles while fighting off Confederate zombies and air pirates.

The Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carriger In a Victorian London where supernatural creatures integrate with society, a woman without a soul investigates mysteries using steampunk gadgets and supernatural allies.

The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook After breaking free from the Horde's control, England rebuilds with steam technology while a detective investigates murders in a world of engineered humans and mechanical innovations.

Johannes Cabal the Necromancer by Jonathan L. Howard A scientist-necromancer operates a demonic carnival in a world that blends steampunk machinery with supernatural elements and dark bargains.

🔧 The "Boneshaker" drilling machine from the book was inspired by real-life inventor Lyman Cutler's failed attempts at gold mining technology in 1860s Seattle 🧟‍♂️ The novel's zombies are called "rotters" and are created by exposure to a mysterious gas known as "the Blight" - combining Victorian-era industrial hazards with zombie mythology 🏛️ Seattle's actual Great Fire of 1889 and subsequent rebuilding influenced Priest's vision of an alternate walled city, though her version occurs years earlier in the story's timeline ✍️ "Boneshaker" launched Priest's "Clockwork Century" series, which includes 5 other novels set in the same steampunk alternate history of the American Civil War 🎭 The book won the 2010 Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel and was nominated for both the Hugo and Nebula Awards, helping establish steampunk as a mainstream genre