The Difference Engine (proofread)

1855: The Industrial Revolution is in full and inexorable swing, powered by steam-driven cybernetic Engines. Charles Babbage perfects his Analytical Engine and the computer age arrives a century ahead of its time. And three extraordinary characters race toward a rendezvous with history--and the future: Sybil Gerard --a 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.... Part detective story, part historical thriller, The Difference Engine is the collaborative masterpiece by two of the most acclaimed science fiction authors writing today. Provocative, compelling, intensely imagined, it is a startling extension of Gibson’s and... 1855: The Industrial Revolution Is In Full And Inexorable Swing, Powered By Steam-driven Cybernetic Engines. Charles Babbage Perfects His Analytical Engine And The Computer Age Arrives A Century Ahead Of Its Time. And Three Extraordinary Characters Race Toward A Rendezvous With History—and The Future: Sybil Gerard—a 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.... Part Detective Story, Part Historical Thriller, The Difference Engine Is The Collaborative Masterpiece By Two Of The Most Acclaimed Science Fiction Authors Writing Today. Provocative, Compelling, Intensely Imagined, It Is A Startling Extension Of Gibson’s And Sterling’s Unique Visions—and The Beginning Of Movement We Know Today As “steampunk!” From The Paperback Edition. A1855: The Industrial Revolution is in full and inexorable swing, powered by steam-driven cybernetic Engines. Charles Babbage perfects his Analytical Engine and the computer age arrives a century ahead of its time. And three extraordinary characters race toward a rendezvous with history--and the future: -- The Difference Engine From the Paperback edition The fierce summer heat and pollution have driven the ruling class out of London and the resulting anarchy allows technology-hating Luddites to challenge the intellectual elite. A set of perforated punch cards comes into the hands of the daughter of an executed Luddite leader, who sets out to keep them safe and discover what secrets they contain Fictional speculation on what would have happened if the computer had been invented in the 19th century