The Difference Engine
An early steampunk novel of Victorian alternate history.
In this 1990 novel by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling, Charles Babbage's mechanical computers transform Victorian Britain and the world, altering history so that Lord Byron leads the nation and Benjamin Disraeli writes for tabloids. An early steampunk work, it helped establish the genre and was nominated for major science fiction awards.
Quick Facts
- Author
- William Gibson and Bruce Sterling
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Genre
- Alternate history, steampunk
- Publisher
- Victor Gollancz Ltd
- Released
- September 1990
- Format
- Print (hardback and paperback)
- Pages
- 383 pp (paperback – 429 pages)
Facts from the source article.
Background
The Difference Engine is a work of alternative history set in a Victorian era, often labeled an early steampunk novel. It depicts London in 1855 amid an Industrial Revolution far different from any historical record. Rather than a single novel, it is a collection of three short stories and several concluding snippets, linked by a box of punch cards. The narratives follow three distinct point-of-view characters: Sybil Gerard, daughter of a hanged Luddite; Edward Mallory, a paleontologist who discovered Brontosaurus; and Laurence Oliphant, a spy and diplomat who protects Mallory.
Plot
In 1855, Sybil Gerard, daughter of an executed Luddite leader, is recruited by Mick Radley to assist Sam Houston's cause in Britain. Mick carries kino cards and a case of punch cards. Sybil sends the punch cards to Paris, then steals back Mick's kino cards from Houston's hotel room, where she finds a Texian assassin. The assassin kills Mick and wounds Houston, damaging his cane. Sybil discovers diamonds inside the cane and departs for Paris. Edward Mallory, a paleontologist, encounters Lady Ada Byron being accosted. After fighting her attackers, she gives him a case of punch cards. A man calling himself Captain Swing threatens Mallory unless he returns the cards. Mallory hides the case in the skull of his Brontosaurus exhibit.
Characters
Sybil Jones, also known as Sybil Gerard, is the daughter of an executed Luddite leader and a point-of-view narrator. Mick Radley is a schemer and secretary to Sam Houston. Sam Houston is an alternate historical representation of the historic figure, a Texian exiled in London. Edward Mallory, called Leviathan, is a paleontologist and discoverer of Brontosaurus. Laurence Oliphant is an alternate historical representation of the historic spy and diplomat. Characters such as Sybil Gerard, Walter Gerard, Charles Egremont, and Mick Radley are borrowed from Benjamin Disraeli's novel Sybil. The character Michael Godwin was named after attorney Mike Godwin.
Reception
The Difference Engine earned nominations for the British Science Fiction Award, the Nebula Award, the John W. Campbell Memorial Award, and the Prix Aurora Award. Critics have praised its imaginative depiction of a society grappling with advanced technology, its gritty yet believable world built with superb prose, and its realistic, flawed characters. Scholars have examined the novel’s treatment of hacking, its reworking of Benjamin Disraeli’s Sybil, and its postmodern approach to historical fiction. The 1993 video game The Chaos Engine was based on this novel.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was The Difference Engine published?
The Difference Engine was published in September 1990.
Who published The Difference Engine?
The Difference Engine was published by Victor Gollancz Ltd.
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