Which Cherie Priest Books Feature Steampunk And Supernatural Themes?

2026-08-12 00:12:26
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3 Answers

Frank
Frank
Honest Reviewer Nurse
Actually, 'steampunk and supernatural' describes almost her whole early career. Start with 'Boneshaker' for the classic—airships, zombies, a ruined Seattle. Then 'Clementine' and 'Dreadnought' expand that world with more ghosts and war machines. But her more interesting fusion might be 'The Inexplicables,' which brings in a drug that lets people see ghosts in that same setting. It gets less attention but feels more deliberately about the intersection of tech and the spirit world.

I'd also toss 'Fathom' into the ring. It's not strictly steampunk, more alt-history with ancient sea gods and early 20th-century Florida. The vibe is similar, though: archaic power clashing with a world on the cusp of modernity. She has a real knack for that.
2026-08-14 20:53:52
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Paige
Paige
Story Finder Journalist
I feel like Cherie Priest's work gets boxed into 'steampunk' because of 'Boneshaker,' but her blending with supernatural elements is way more varied. The Clockwork Century series is the obvious steampunk start—zombies in 'Boneshaker,' weird ghosts in 'Dreadnought,' that sort of gaslamp-horror mashup. It's solid, but honestly, some of her standalone novels do the mix better. 'Maplecroft' is this incredible, slow-burn historical supernatural take on the Lizzie Borden case with sea monsters and creeping madness, and 'The Family Plot' is a straight-up modern ghost story in a haunted house slated for demolition. So if you're looking strictly for gears and ghosts together, the Clockwork Century is your core, but her entire bibliography is basically a spectrum where historical weirdness meets different flavors of the uncanny.

It's worth noting that her 'Cheshire Red Reports' books under the name 'Cherie Priest' are urban fantasy—vampires and thieves, not steampunk. But for the combo you asked about, the supernatural is rarely just one thing in her work; it's often a corrosive, environmental presence, whether it's the Blight gas or the damp rot in 'Maplecroft.' The steampunk elements are mostly set dressing for those deeper, eerier themes.
2026-08-16 10:08:52
1
Ryder
Ryder
Responder Doctor
Priest's Clockwork Century books are the main ones. 'Boneshaker,' 'Dreadnought,' 'Ganymede,' 'The Inexplicables,' and 'Fiddlehead.' They all have that blend of alternate Civil War tech with zombies, ghosts, or other weirdness. 'Maplecroft' and its sequel 'Chapelwood' are historical supernatural, no brass goggles, but deeply creepy. So for your specific ask, the first list is the direct hit.
2026-08-17 12:52:43
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