“Steam Punk” Preview: The Dream of Perpetual Motion by Dexter Palmer

Amazon Book Stats:

Hardcover: 352 pages

Publisher: St. Martin's Press; 1 edition (March 2, 2010)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0312558155

ISBN-13: 978-0312558154

Genre: Science Fiction – Steam Punk

Publisher’s Blurb:

Imprisoned for life aboard a zeppelin that floats high above a fantastic metropolis, the greeting-card writer Harold Winslow pens his memoirs. His only companions are the disembodied voice of Miranda Taligent, the only woman he has ever loved, and the cryogenically frozen body of her father Prospero, the genius and industrial magnate who drove her insane.

The tale of Harold’s life is also one of an alternate reality, a lucid waking dream in which the well-heeled have mechanical men for servants, where the realms of fairy tales can be built from scratch, where replicas of deserted islands exist within skyscrapers.. As Harold’s childhood infatuation with Miranda changes over twenty years to love and then to obsession, the visionary inventions of her father also change Harold’s entire world, transforming it from a place of music and miracles to one of machines and noise. And as Harold heads toward a last desperate confrontation with Prospero to save Miranda’s life, he finds himself an unwitting participant in the creation of the greatest invention of them all: the perpetual motion machine.

Beautifully written, stunningly imagined, and wickedly funny, The Dream of Perpetual Motion is a heartfelt meditation on the place of love in a world dominated by technology.

Author Bio:

DEXTER PALMER lives in Princeton, New Jersey. He holds a Ph.D. in English Literature from Princeton University, where he completed his dissertation on the work of James Joyce, William Gaddis, and Thomas Pynchon (and where he also staged the first academic conference ever held at an Ivy League university on the subject of video games). Picture attributed to Bill Waldman via MacMillan.

Here is a link to the author’s website for more information.

************************************************************************************************

Curious about Steam Punk?

So what is it, you ask? Here is a link to the Wikipedia definition site. There is a whole subculture around this genre and it looks like its loads of fun. You can even dress up and attend functions, it even has its own type of music, which sounds fairly brilliant in my musical taste realm.

Here are several links from the MacMillan site to play around with – a book screen saver, wall paper, some Steam Punk art, and a number of excellent blog links.

For another Steam Punk urban adventure here is a review of Gail Carriger’s Soulless. It was a blast so naturally I am exited about this book, unless John snags it first.

*************************************************************************************************

Amazon purchasing links for US/UK/Canada, from The Book Depository in Euro and AUD.

This book which was already on my list via Book Browse, was sent to Layers of Thought via MacMillan/St. Martins Press. Thanks Monica!

Also if you are interested in obtaining a free copy - Only The Best Sci Fi/Fant is giving one away – please tell Alec we sent you!