Paul
Paul asked L.E. Modesitt Jr.:

Mr Modesitt, I was wondering did you enjoy creating a new steam punk world to write in with your new Grand Illusion series? The idea of cars, restaurants, the council and council methods of voting must have been fun to include your ideas?

L.E. Modesitt Jr. I always find great satisfaction in creating a new world and working out how all the pieces fit together. One of my goals in The Grand Illusion books was to show how a differing political structure might evolve and function, and what its advantages and drawbacks might be, particularly in a world where electricity doesn't work, which is one reason why the books aren't steampunk. Perhaps, it's more accurate to say that "steampunk" is a fantasy illusion, since steampunk wouldn't really ever have occurred in our world, given that for most applications, internal combustion engines and electricity are cheaper and more effective. The inhabitants of Guldor don't have any choice but to take steampower as far as they can, with all the ensuing implications.

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