Simultaneously a literary movement, ultra-hip subculture and burgeoning cottage industry, Steampunk is the most influential new genre to emerge from the late twentieth century. Spinning tales populated with clockwork Leviathans, cannon-shots to the moon and coal-fired robots, it charts alternative histories in which the British Empire never fell or where the atom remained unsplit. Spectacularly illustrated and international in scope, this comprehensive history explores Steampunk’s many intricate expressions in fiction, cinema, television, comics and videogames, and traces its evolution into a truly global aesthetic, which has made its mark on art, architecture, fashion and even music. From the classic scientific romances of Jules Verne, H.G. Wells and Mary Shelley, through the dystopian futurescapes of Cyberpunk, to the otherworldly imaginings of Hayao Miyazaki, Alan Moore and China Mieville, author Brian J. Robb sets the key works of Steampunk squarely under the lens of his brass monocle and ventures into a world where airships still rule the skies.

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Mariam is only fifteen when she is sent to Kabul to marry the troubled and bitter Rasheed who is thirty years her senior. Nearly two decades later in a climate of growing unrest tragedy strikes fifteen-year-old Laila who must leave her home and join Mariam’s unhappy household. Laila and Mariam are to find consolation in each other their friendship to grow as deep as the bond between sisters as strong as the ties between mother and daughter. With the passing of time comes Taliban rule over Afghanistan the streets of Kabul loud with the sound of gunfire and bombs life a desperate struggle against starvation brutality and fear the women’s endurance tested beyond their worst imaginings. Yet love can move a person to act in unexpected ways lead them to overcome the most daunting obstacles with a startling heroism. In the end it is love that triumphs over death and destruction. “A Thousand Splendid Suns” is an unforgettable portrait of a wounded country and a deeply moving story of family and friendship. It is a beautiful heart-wrenching story of an unforgiving time an unlikely bond and an indestructible love

Price : £ 9.35

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