Jay Kristoff had a charming debut with Stormdancer, but one I had some reservations with both morally (falling on some outdated fantasy tropes) and wiJay Kristoff had a charming debut with Stormdancer, but one I had some reservations with both morally (falling on some outdated fantasy tropes) and with its actual execution. The world he created resembled Hunger Games, The Last Unicorn, Miyazaki, and Kurosawa, but the novel had some logic and pacing issues that kept me from fully loving it, but was intrigued and entertained enough to continue. In a trilogy the second volume really only needs to be a decent bridging volume to succeed, but there is another way to tackle one. Kristoff thankfully went the latter route. This book betters the previous volume in every measure, creating a book more complex, gripping, brutal, tense, violent, realistic the handling of its themes, and morally probing. The action scenes are terrifically paced, the atmosphere is grim but captivating, and the new characters and plots lines all succeed. This book is so brutal in fact any lingering suspicions that this is a YA series disappear. But, the grim is undercut by strong characters and the thoughtfulness and maturity of the author’s performance, no grittiness for grittiness sake. The amount Kristoff learned between these two volumes is pretty impressive. The only problem (besides the demon subplot which still feels tacked on and unnecessary), is how he is going to better this for the finale. It is going to be tough but I will be there to see him try. ...more
Harry Potter and Dark Materials started the recent movement of YA titles that could be enjoyed by adult audiences as thoroughly as their target audienHarry Potter and Dark Materials started the recent movement of YA titles that could be enjoyed by adult audiences as thoroughly as their target audience, but no title deserves this distinction more than Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve. A thoroughly unsentimental, cliché rebuffing, and occasional brutally dark novel that still revels in wild adventures, crazy machines, Dickensian names and characters, and the full screen sense of wonder that belongs in a YA title. This book came out in 2001 not sure if before or after the events of September but it seems infused with the crazed atmosphere of that year, the mad march for war, the feeling of besiegement and blind trust in misguided leaders. Philip Reeve wrote the book that Mieville probably wanted too with Railsea, in fact the future wasteland of Reeve’s work is undoubtedly an influence on that book. Reeve creates a book that evokes Gilliam, Dickens, and Vance, and is overflowing with puns, references, and jokes about our time (my favorite being a character named Nancarrow and an airship called the 13th floor elevator), and filled to the brim with undead killers, giant machine cities, pirates, mad, old tech from an insane era of war, desperate atmosphere, villains that are ruthless but still human, an airship piloting spy named Fang, and two believable, unlikely young heroes. Reeve knows the trick to keep audiences on edge, make every character a full and believable character and be willing at any moment to kill one of them. The myth of protagonist’s invulnerability, revenge seeking, happy endings, the idea that a character has a destiny, and other atrocious tropes and clichés of fantasy/adventure stories are thoroughly skewered by Reeve along the way. He has created a unfriendly world ruled by force, accidents, and chaos that the character have to fight for survival in, but he has filled it with the warmth of a realistic view of humans, they can be cruel, selfish and self-involved and live in desperate times but they are recognizable human. If this series retains half the success rate of this initial volume it will be the YA series I point to above any other. ...more
We probably should just accept steampunk as a genre, like we have with the equal questionable genres space opera, urban fantasy, and epic fantasy. LikWe probably should just accept steampunk as a genre, like we have with the equal questionable genres space opera, urban fantasy, and epic fantasy. Like them it will mostly be a giant ditch filled with samey garbage brightened by the occasional fresh book or author to redeem it. It used to have novelty when Waldrop, Gibson/Sterling, Moorcock, or Powers would do it, but now it’s a category with its own furniture and tropes. Authors should be willing to tweak those accepted norms, and Kristoff has done that here. He has moved us away from the awful boredom of London’s stupid streets and back alleys to a crumbling Japanese flavored dystopia. He mines steampunk, dystopia, epic fantasy, and the samurai genres to create something resembling novelty. He doesn’t squander this opportunity thankfully, and writes this fairly well. If this was a film there would be references to the disparate masters Kurosawa and Miyazaki. His descriptions (he can really paint a scene), characters, dialogue, and concepts hold together fairly well. I had some discomforts and complaints though. The fist raising epilogue seems somewhat undercut by the inevitable chaos and violence that the ending implies. Where did the demons come from? This is many ways an ecological fable but I wonder how the attitudes towards technology will evolve, will it be about controlling and distributing them fairly (technology is controlled by a guild and corrupt officials) or are we getting another Luddite mystical conclusion. Hopefully, all this gets more nuanced and balanced as this trilogy continues because despite the generic title(Stormdancer) this was a good read, so I will be reading the next one. The three stars are temporary, they will change depending on the next books....more
Following up his Half Made World, Gilman does so in unpredictable style. Or maybe predictably unpredictable as Gears of the City his follow-up to ThunFollowing up his Half Made World, Gilman does so in unpredictable style. Or maybe predictably unpredictable as Gears of the City his follow-up to Thunderer went totally postmodern. Here following Jeff Vandermeer’s Shriek: an Afterword and he presents a memoir that is edited by another, a mix of Nabokov’s unreliable narrator and Borge’s faux non-fiction with a healthy dose of Mark Twain’s picaresque wit. This is also one the most aggrieved skewering of Horatio Alger since Nathaniel West’s Cool Million. With references to Twain, Alger, and the continuing quasi-western milieu obviously this is fantasy novel with its eyes set on American myths. Some would argue that the style would keep much of action distanced from the reader, but I found this an interesting literary gambit that paid off more so than Vandermeer’s similar book. Gilman remains one of the most fascinating of contemporary fantasy writers to me. Where will he go next? I’m interested. On a side note how did he get Gordon Lish to blurb this? Weird. On another side note, is there a revival of the Western going on right now?...more
An inventive modern fantasy from a promising first time author. Nerdisms like invented languages…especially the invented slang (I tell you authors be An inventive modern fantasy from a promising first time author. Nerdisms like invented languages…especially the invented slang (I tell you authors be wary of its use…hard to ever take seriously). Beautiful elevated language which occasionally clunks but usually is a thick stew that pulls back for intimate characters moments. Intimacy and excess, too much and not enough of something and it stumbled in the initial school sequences. Like the high language as it provides a beautiful feeling of otherness that fantasy requires. Frustrating and uneven with some segments unsettlingly beautiful then crude character dialogue which works maybe better than trying to elevate the dialogue but is tonal shift nonetheless, I guess if it was more artfully handled and the character less distant to me it would work better. Also for an author who creates such superb terms for things why call airships zeppelins? Is there a Count Zeppelin living in this alternate world? These flaws are present but this a work of full-bore imagination and I can’t wait for the next segment (it’s a duology). A mix of new weird, high fantasy, steampunk that is full of wonder and has me impatient for what is next. ...more
Sedia provides us with fairy tale/fable with touches of steampunk and new weirdness that comes to a troubling end that is very open to interpretation.Sedia provides us with fairy tale/fable with touches of steampunk and new weirdness that comes to a troubling end that is very open to interpretation. The dialogue and prose are guileless and provide a platform for her story, characters, and setting. Shades of E.T.A. Hoffmann, Quay Brothers, Angela Carter, and Guy Maddin are found in a story that manages to be charming, creepy and ultimately quite dark. I found the heroine Mattie quite appealing and found the book quite worthy of note; E. Sedia is a writing of great imagination that presents her stories with effortless writing. ...more
Court of Air is a nonstop carnival of imagination, Doctor Who, Superhero comics, English History being captured by a trio of Moorcock, Sterling, and PCourt of Air is a nonstop carnival of imagination, Doctor Who, Superhero comics, English History being captured by a trio of Moorcock, Sterling, and Powers on amphetamines and pulp novel overload with the satirical vision of Jack Vance. The tone is swashbuckling and comic despite how dark and violent pretty much all of it is and the invention is dense and relentless. If this book fails it does so in excess. ...more
A lot of recent outings in steampunk/gaslight adventure that I have encountered have been little anemic in their composition as opposed to some classiA lot of recent outings in steampunk/gaslight adventure that I have encountered have been little anemic in their composition as opposed to some classic examples from Tim Powers and Kim Newman. In the tradition of these two authors is Mark Hodder’s debut, a brainy adventure that exists in a copiously realized world with an internal logic and characters and runs that gamut between ridiculous and sublime. The central conceit of the story is at its heart rather sinister and dark which adds some weight to this ripping yarn. ...more
Gilman follows up his impressive debut with a book that layers on excesses and shows such brazen ambition that it should be a loud messy failure. LikeGilman follows up his impressive debut with a book that layers on excesses and shows such brazen ambition that it should be a loud messy failure. Like Moorcock’s Cornelius Quartet, and Hal Duncan’s Vellum a twisting series of timelines, genre, and realities is presented that should reduce the narrative to collage but as in the last half of the Thunderer the author retains a consistent narrative energy that holds the story together in ways that those two mentioned(and wonderful) books don’t. Like Duncan and Moorcock, Gilman also uses the multiverse theme to present essays on various genres so cyberpunk, high fantasy, new wave science fiction, gothic surrealism, steampunk(definitely more from the reality of 19th century ruled by filibusters and other men with guns than Sherlock Holmes and penny dreadfuls), and war stories coexist. An ambitious fantasy that sags a little in the middle, but comes back in a big way and is what I wish the movie Dark City had been like....more
I enjoyed Gilman’s Half Made World and I am happy to report that I found his sensibilities fully formed on his debut novel. Much stock has been made oI enjoyed Gilman’s Half Made World and I am happy to report that I found his sensibilities fully formed on his debut novel. Much stock has been made of the author admitting in an interview that he was inspired to write by China Mieville, but anyone expecting to dismiss Gilman as a rip off or wanting carbon copy cloning of Mieville will be disappointed as Gilman is a writer with a more varied palate. While his inspiration channels horror, science fiction, pulp, and surrealism into baroque monstrosities, Gilman writes in clear headed and fluent prose that resembles magic realism. This isn’t to say he is more adult and more boring, for darkness and weirdness is very much present alongside sense of wonder fantasy constructs and surreal set pieces. I found the darker moments more so as Gilman makes his characters live and breathe increasing the stakes. Gilman writes mythic fabulism with smart narrative turns and an amazingly assured voice for a first time author. The final third plays with reality in similar way to vintage Moorcock and Borges and gets me excited for the sequel, even though this book feels beautifully self-contained. ...more
Gilman crafts a superb synthesis of dystopian literature, dark fantasy, satire, western and some would argue steampunk, but I would argue that it usesGilman crafts a superb synthesis of dystopian literature, dark fantasy, satire, western and some would argue steampunk, but I would argue that it uses some the witty anachronism of said genre without any of its clichés. Mixing the horrors of world war one with the creation myth of the wild west ( and Australia’s outback) he comes up with some thoughtful metaphors with the struggle between the Line, the Gun, and the Republic. Each of these is abundantly realized and imagined and don’t act as props for the author to present ideas. The main adventure and backstory provide meaty and pleasing reading while the ideas bounce in your head. It’s hard to compare Gilman to Mieville or Jeff Vandermeer as his writing is so much clearer and well placed, but his imagination and ability to present an upside down portrait of the world very similar. ...more
Forget all the critics telling you about this or that fantasy novel saving the genre by bringing adult themes to the stock tropes of the genre. And whForget all the critics telling you about this or that fantasy novel saving the genre by bringing adult themes to the stock tropes of the genre. And why should you forget them? Because the real salvation of dark fantasy and if I maybe so bold literature in general is in the writing of Michael Cisco. There isn’t writing this savage and disorienting happening really anywhere else. Set in an alternative world (whether an alternative earth, future or completely secondary isn’t ever really answered) wracked by an unreasonable war, eerie ruins, political oppression, and surreal events and creatures. The story is the journey of the titular narrator Low through this world, his friendships, his love for the cannibal queen, and other adventures most notably the final sequence which is an unrestrained riff on Tarvosky’s Stalker and Brothers Strugatsky’s Roadside Picnic. Nothing can really describe the actual experience of reading this book veering from wild inventions to observations of human behavior that burn with recognition. Not for the feeble of sentiment as violence and grotesquery haunts nearly every page. Brian Evenson’s blurb mentions both Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian and William S Burroughs and the cover mentions M. John Harrison, Gene Wolfe, and Ligotti, and Cisco is firmly in their company while being utterly unique....more
Valtat’s Aurorarama is a sui generic creation filled with bizarre and loopy humor, dreamlike images, and a playful skewering of literature and historyValtat’s Aurorarama is a sui generic creation filled with bizarre and loopy humor, dreamlike images, and a playful skewering of literature and history. A combination of its dreamy style, Valtat’s use of English (he is French writing in English for the first time), complex plot and a large cast renders much of this hard to follow and to be honest a little incomprehensible, but push through and it will be mostly worth it. Lots of stuff gets pulled together here, Pynchon( Against the Day seems a spiritual reference and there is an underground mail service in the style of Crying of Lot 49), steampunk, late 19th and early 20th century pulp(especially dealing with anarchists), the tales of Wells and Verne, and tales of polar explorers, is pulled together into a nutty whole....more
I was about to dismiss Cherie Priest and her Clockwork Century series as over hyped, finding them pleasant enough while being slightly confused by entI was about to dismiss Cherie Priest and her Clockwork Century series as over hyped, finding them pleasant enough while being slightly confused by enthusiastic praise being heaped on them. But, this final scheduled volume (hopefully there will be more) changes most of my concerns. This is a great adventure with lots action and terrific pacing. There are too many characters with too little differentiating a lot of them and the ending is a bit of a fizzle. The extended Civil War has always been in the background in the first two books and here we finally get to see some of it. So this is an adventure with war, steam punk gadgets(never overbearing), zombies, intrigue, bandits, and some terrific set pieces. I could definitely read more of these....more
A fun adventure in Priest’s Clockwork Century a steam punk alternative history of the American Civil War (an underused idea since a war fought with gaA fun adventure in Priest’s Clockwork Century a steam punk alternative history of the American Civil War (an underused idea since a war fought with gatling guns, ironclads, primitive submarines, and balloons should fire more steam punk imaginations).Pirates, Pinkertons, A woman confederate spy, escaped slaves, airship battles, and a doomsday weapon and the barest sketching of the historical background are along for entertaining a pulpy ride. I feel like I’m just getting tastes of this series so hurry with more Ms. Priest! For fans of Howard Waldrop, Mike Mignola, and Joe Lansdale’s weird west....more
Trafficking in two tired zeitgeists (zombies and steampunk) Ms. Priest is not adding much to those two genres. But, to be fare she that really isn’t hTrafficking in two tired zeitgeists (zombies and steampunk) Ms. Priest is not adding much to those two genres. But, to be fare she that really isn’t her intent. She seems to want to craft an adventure, and she crafts a fun one. Dragging some unlikely protagonists ( a social pariah single mother and her teenage delinquent son) and some lovable rogues and some fiendish villains into a series of close calls and last minute rescues. She has written a world to have these adventures in that reminds me of Escape From New York, Dr. Who, Mike Mignola, Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere, George Romero, and The Wild, Wild West. Lots of action, pulp clichés, and a couple of surprising plot twists happen along the way. It moves and is easy to read. She seems to be writing a series and I think I’ll probably read those as they come out. ...more
Talbot makes a list of inspirations at the start of this graphic novel. The list is J.J. Grandville, Albert Robida, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Rubert theTalbot makes a list of inspirations at the start of this graphic novel. The list is J.J. Grandville, Albert Robida, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Rubert the bear, and Quentin Tarantino. That’s probably all the review I need to write. A ridiculous, awesome steampunk, ultraviolent, spy/noir thriller. An entertainment, though the violence has a dark edge and there are some post 9/11 Machiavellian politics. Eyeball popping art as always, I could go over each panel for details for days. Talbot takes forever to produce work but it’s always worth it. ...more
Jedediah Berry uses the stock images of the detective novel to create a Kafkaesque fable. Set in a quasi-victorian(where the steampunk label comes fr Jedediah Berry uses the stock images of the detective novel to create a Kafkaesque fable. Set in a quasi-victorian(where the steampunk label comes from)/quasi-30’s atmosphere this is an atmospheric, baroque, and endlessly readable fantasy where it could have been a dry run through of genre cleverness. The sum of the parts doesn’t quite bring it in for a totally satisfying ending but the ride is terrific. Great debut. On influences, well digested for the most part,though maybe a bit of an obvious nod to Angela Carter (her Infernal desire Machines of Doctor Hoffman a touchstone with the war of dreams and a character named Hoffman) and hints of Borges, Calvino, Jeunet/Cairo and Gilliam movies, Lethem, and Auster.
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