Steampunk

The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers has been one of my favorite pieces we've looked at in this class so far. Being a giant fantasy fan, this came as a rather pleasant surprise. In many ways, however, this story reflects some low-key fantasy elements; such as 'magic' and monsters. They feel different, but they serve the same purpose in my mind's eye. This story specifically dealt with some really cool storylines and themes. There are a whole bunch of layers in this novel, and not one of them is uninteresting. The origin of the stories multiple time lines comes from the magicians attempting to bring Anubis through a gate to reclaim their land for them. The failed procedure leaves time gates throughout history. When the gates are found by J. Cochran Darrow, he discovers he can travel through time using them. The alternating timelines are really cool in this story, but I think the most powerful parts in The Anubis Gates are the characters themselves. They all have ulterior motives and really contrasting personalities. I think it is the treatment of the characters that hold the stories complicated events together. The book lends itself readily to the understanding of cultures and the complicated interactions between them in a very unique way. The stories entertain, but also inform and communicate principles to the reader.
I have never read a steampunk story before, but this one certainly grabbed me and I look forward to exploring more like this one.