Boneshaker

In an alternate 1880s Seattle, a massive drilling machine called the Boneshaker tore through the streets and cracked open a vein of poisonous gas that turned its victims into shambling undead. A wall was built to contain the devastation. Sixteen years later, Briar Wilkes, the widow of the machine’s inventor, must venture inside the walled city to rescue her teenage son, navigating a ruined landscape of air pirates, criminal overlords, and the ravenous dead.

Why This One

Boneshaker is steampunk at its most accessible and entertaining. Where The Difference Engine leans toward ideas and atmosphere, Priest delivers a propulsive adventure story powered by a compelling mother-son dynamic. The alternate Civil War-era Pacific Northwest setting feels fresh and original, and Priest fills her walled city with vivid details: gas masks, makeshift airships, underground settlements, and a mysterious figure known as Dr. Minnericht who rules the ruins.

The novel won the Locus Award and earned Hugo and Nebula nominations. It is the first book in the Clockwork Century series, but works perfectly as a standalone. If you want a steampunk novel that moves fast and hits hard, start here.

What to Expect

A fast-paced adventure with horror elements. The pacing is brisk, the action sequences are tense, and the relationship between Briar and her son Zeke gives the story genuine emotional weight. At 416 pages, it reads quickly. The zombie elements add urgency without overwhelming the steampunk setting.