@MrGOH: Thanks so much - and without going too far into spoiler-for-future-books territory ... the Blight is *becoming* more central to the alternate world. Which is to say, it did not begin as a central element, but its influence is spreading. You'll get some idea of the extent if you read DREADNOUGHT.

@ijustwritebooks: Hi there! And next ... oh boy. Last year was a busy time, so there's a bunch coming out next.

@Annalee Newitz: Why thank you - and to answer your question, I've lived most of my life in the southeast ... where speculations re: alternate endings to the Civil War is something of a regional pastime.

@goescargot: Hello there, and thanks so much!

@Sean Broderick: Hello there - and thank you!

@ShubNecktie: Absolutely for the hardcore history nerds - BOILERPLATE by Paul Guinan and Anina Bennett; for younger readers, LEVIATHAN by Scott Westerfeld - and coming soon, THE IRON THORN by Caitlin Kittredge (I was lucky and got an ARC).

@natanku: Why hello there, and thank you so much! I hope you enjoy the other books.

@tnt-tek: I'd like some corn nuts:

@Lonesharkx: Why thank you! I hope you enjoy the book as much as the hair :)

@Scott Newton: First of all - thank you so much! I'm glad you dug it.

@BENTrandom:

@Beld: To try to answer you in brief - I had similar early experiences with steampunk ... being told that it needed to be set in 19th century London or noplace at all - and I rejected that outright before I ever wrote any of my own.

@FashionZebra: - Oh, but to answer the first bit - I love steampunk. I love to play dress up. I love 19th century history and fantasy. So I figured I'd write some steampunk :)

@FashionZebra: First of all, it is outrageously awesome that you read this for a course - and all the more so for a science fiction course. Thank you so much for your interest and enthusiasm!

@bponto: #1 - I deliberately avoid making those kind of declarative statements - because the moment I say, "Yes, it must always/never be like THIS!" someone will come along and prove that I was wrong, and it can be done well regardless of my stance on the issue.

@ProfessorSara: Thank you so much!

@zombiegoat73: #1 - It depends on the project. Some of them I just sit down and start typing; sometimes I have to hang around with a notebook for awhile and hash out the finer points.

@Taco Corbell: Ha! Thanks. I picked up the pendant at a booth at DragonCon last year.

@ServoCannotHoverOverGrates: Honestly? I didn't consider it.

@Riggs Rector: Why thank you!