Karen Memory by Elizabeth Bear is a fascinating book that probably can be best categorized as steampunk. It is set in a fictional late 19th century past and follows the life of Karen Memery a girl who winds up working in a bordello (yes as a prostitute) after her parents die. This aspect of the story is not, however, by any means the focus of the book. Plot threads involving a crooked politician (who has access to a brain altering device - obviously not something you’d want in the hands of any politician), a serial killer who has fled to their town, a (very outré) plot by foreigners to take over Alaska, and more. In true steampunk fashion there are plenty of machines around as well as dirigible (of course) and a “guild of mad scientists”. All in all an excellent adventure story for those who like anachronistic stories.
