*And people tended not to bother a woman with a book.* [*Cherie Priest*](http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/221253.Cherie_Priest?utm_medium=email&utm_source=quote_of_the_day) Happy birthday, Cherie Priest! The American author introduced many readers to steampunk with her Clockwork Century books, which are set in an alternate history world dominated by steam-powered tech, zombies, and a seemingly never-ending Civil War.