The Difference Engine

Ive been familiar with steampunk for quite some time but I haven’t read any particular stories involving a steampunk setting. This week I read the Difference Engine. The difference engine is a computing system which is the first of its kind created by Charles Babbage. Charles Babbage was a real-life figure who was in the process of creating this machine but didn’t succeed. However, in this story he did. There are multiple stories that are centered around the results of the invention of this machine. My favorite was the story about the paleontologist Edward Mallory. This story reads at a great pace as Edward discovers some cards from the machine after rescuing a young lady. The overall world of steampunk has an old fashioned yet futuristic approach to it. Mostly everything runs of off steam and there is a also a Brittish influence to the world. Whenever I think of steampunk I emagine a man with a top hat and goggles on it and steam powered blimps. However this story stretched my imagination and appreciation of steampunk. 

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