The Difference Engine -- William Gibson

<p><b>The 20th anniversary edition of the classic steampunk novel <br>With new commentary by the authors<br></b> <br>1855: The Industrial Revolution is in full swing, powered by steam-driven cybernetic Engines. Charles Babbage perfects his Analytical Engine, and the computer age arrives a century ahead of its time. Three extraordinary characters race toward a rendezvous with the future: Sybil Gerard--fallen woman, politician's tart, daughter of a Luddite agitator; Edward "Leviathan" Mallory--explorer and paleontologist; Laurence Oliphant--diplomat, mystic, and spy. Their adventure begins with the discovery of a box of punched Engine cards of unknown origin and purpose. Cards someone wants badly enough to kill for. <p/>Part detective story, part historical thriller, <i>The Difference Engine</i> took the science fiction community by storm when it was first published twenty years ago. This special anniversary edition features an Introduction by Cory Doctorow and a collaborative essay from the authors looking back on their creation. Provocative, compelling, intensely imagined, this novel is poised to impress a whole new generation.</p><br><br><b>Author:</b> William Gibson<br><b>Publisher:</b> Spectra Books<br><b>Published:</b> 07/26/2011<br><b>Pages:</b> 512<br><b>Binding Type:</b> Paperback<br><b>Weight:</b> 0.88lbs<br><b>Size:</b> 8.24h x 5.58w x 1.09d<br><b>ISBN:</b> 9780440423621<br><p><b>About the Author</b><br><b>William Gibson</b> is credited with having coined the term c