Steampunk Circus Novels & Stories

It was a terrifying thought that I would simply disappear with the earth, under the train extinguishing my life forever with one misstep. "Now, this is where you will find all of the roustabouts. We are better than most circuses. In other places, you'll find their laborers crammed in with the animals or sleeping in any nook they can find. Not many circuses have bunks for everyone. I don't follow the same rules as those other sad excuses of shows," Jules proudly explained as we squeezed through a tight walkway with bunks crammed against the walls. Men with stained clothes and tanned skin had their legs dangling over the edges of their beds. The compartment smelled of cigarettes and sweat. We

Lucifer thundered his fingers and disappeared. The circus freaks approached Jonah, and almost everyone began to congratulate him at the same time. They were really happy to have a new member of the circus. Jonas felt a little uncomfortable seeing himself surrounded by so many people, who appreciated his presence. He never imagined he would find himself in such a situation. When he was most distracted by all the attention he received, he felt something touching his leg.

On Friday evening, the circus people arrived. They didn't come in colorful wagons. They came in two battered black vans that smelled of grease and old hay. Three men stepped out. They weren't wearing sequins or top hats. they wore heavy leather aprons and carried long, hooked poles. Their faces were etched with a frantic, bone-deep exhaustion. The leader, a man with a scarred lip and eyes that twitched, stepped toward the porch where Grandpa stood with his shotgun cradled in his arms.

Leading his remaining men, he stepped out of the surveillance room, confident in his assessment and ready to confront Alexander. Alexander, anticipating their approach, quickened his pace. He heard a faint cry for help, suggesting someone was in dire straits. Picking up speed, he found a dimly lit room, revealing more than ten iron cages. Inside were not animals, but people—young and old, all weak and injured. They were likely the volunteers of the Great Transformation show, just like him. Blood-stained gauze wrapped around their chests filled the air with the stench of blood. The circus' secret was far darker than he had imagined. They were harvesting people's blood!

With trembling hands I reached for the card, and with that simple gesture, the die was cast. Stepping away from the tent as the saw man and card dealer guide me in every steps with their disturbing glances, I found myself on the old boards of the wooden walkway of the circus. It creaked under my feet as I made my way further into the deep pit of it.

Dari placed the last tent on the carriage as ordered by the Teuton chief since they were now entering the capital tonight for the circus show as requested by the grand queen to welcome his son, the king from his travel overseas. It was late in the afternoon but the sun was not setting any soon so he was privilege to do the chores without the difficulty of having no light. As he finished checking the goods including the food and the caged animals which included the black pumas, he turned to get back to his own horse when the three ladies showed up, heavily panting.

They had good aim, I’d give them that. Finally, Melvin and the monkeys rode away, and those of us not injured clapped halfheartedly. I wasn’t impressed by the caliber of retired circus performers available in Solano Creek at this point. When the show finally ended, the grounds of the winery were populated by a shirtless man in glittery tights with a pet llama, which had dazzled us by standing on one foot for a while and then eating one of Mom’s cupcakes, two jugglers who’d momentarily set the stage on fire during their exchange of flaming torches, and some very eerie clowns staggering around the place on stilts.

he ordered. Unable to speak, she gave him her hand. He pulled it gently along a padded rest until her wrist was stuck through a ring. Her right arm was treated to the same procedure. “Tighten the cuffs,” Zane said. Trey turned a crank and the rings clanked smaller. He didn’t stop until the segmented metal fit her wrists perfectly. She was certain there were easier means of securing her, but the noises the mechanism created were fabulously theatrical. A million shivers of excitement swept her skin. The rack was like some crazy steampunk device—custom made, she was sure. Once the cuffs were snug, Trey strapped her elbows to the padded rest with leather. Nothing pinched, but neither

It was an opulent space. The decoration was quite minimalist, with the main attraction being the performers doing acrobatics on aerial silks and hoops hanging from the ceiling. There were various jugglers and even two fire-breathers at the entrance. It was as if the circus performers were the decorations themselves. While luxurious, it was still appropriate for a sixteen-year-old's party. "Auntie! You look absolutely stunning today, even more than usual." Enzo walked towards me excitedly, holding an elaborately decorated fruit mocktail. "This is for you, beautiful. No alcohol, because of my little cousin."

It’s everything I imagined—and more. The theme is “Elegance & Spectacle.” Translation? Upscale circus. There are towering floral centerpieces shaped like spinning wheels and red velvet drapes framing golden light. The string quartet is suspended on swings above the main floor, and the catering staff wear crisp black with subtle nods to ringmaster chic—striped lapels, satin gloves, bold red lipstick. A fire breather performs near the grand entrance, timed with the crescendo of music. Somewhere to the left, a contortionist folds herself into a gilded hoop like human origami. And in the center of it all? The stage.