Boneshaker: The Motion Picture

Cherie Priest has just announced that her steampunk zombie adventure, Boneshaker, is being made into a motion picture. There's even a screenwriter attached already. Follow that first link for more details and this one for a few more.

Having enjoyed Boneshaker and the other stories in Priest's Clockwork Century series, I'm quite chuffed about this news.

Audiobook Review: The Half-Made World

(This review contains no significant spoilers.)

The Setup

Felix Gilman's The Half-Made World could be described as steampunk, but instead of taking place in an alternate history with advanced steam- and clockwork-powered technology, it takes place in an alternate reality, where supernatural forces are prominent and steampunk-like technology also exists. The story is set on a continent, which I think of as an alternate North America, that is slowly being created along its westward edge. Civilized nations lie along the east coast, especially in the northeast. On the west coast, the laws of nature have not quite settled down, that the distinctions between plant and animal, the phases of matter, natural and supernatural, are not strict. Between the coasts is a vast frontier that serves as the setting for a 400-year-long war between the forces of Gun and Line.

The Line is a mechanized, industrial society ruled by a few dozen Engines, each of which is inhabited by an immortal demon. The Gun are also immortal demons of similar numbers, but they choose to inhabit pistols and rifles. Each Gun is carried by an Agent, whose speed, strength, senses, and healing are all enhanced by their masters' influence. The Line's forces number perhaps in the hundreds of thousands, while there are only as many Agents as there are Guns. The Line represents order, the Gun, chaos. But it's not that simple.

Also present on this continent are the aboriginal First Folk, supernatural not-quite-humanoids with access to their own demonic powers. The Red Valley Republic, which attempted to carve out an independent existence, was destroyed decades ago, but its presence is still felt on the continent.

The story follows John Creedmoor, Doctor Liv Alverhyusen, and---best title ever---Sub-Invigilator (Third Class) Lowry as they each set out on a mission of their own or their masters' choosing.

What I Liked

• The universe Gilman created for this story is very interesting. The nature of the demonic forces and the unfinished state of the western edge of the continent are particularly intriguing.
• The story itself is both interesting and exciting. It rarely drags.
• The writing style seems very appropriate for the subject matter.
• The characters are interesting and distinct from each other. In particular, Creedmoor is a lot more than the by-the-numbers charming rogue he could have been.
• The narrator, Tamara Marston, does an excellent job of giving the characters distinct voices and deliveries. In particular, her rendition or Marmion is enjoyable.

What I Disliked

• The pace does slow down more than I'd like sometimes, but that's usually only for a short time.

The Bottom Line

Overall, I give The Half-Made World 8.5 out of 10. It's imaginative, fast-paced, and satisfying. I highly recommend it. In particular, it seems like exactly the kind of story Alison would enjoy.

Book Review: The Dark Deeps

(This review contains no significant spoilers.)

The Setup

The Dark Deeps: The Hunchback Assignments 2 is Arthur Slade's sequel to---you guessed it---The Hunchback Assignments. The novel follows the further adventures of the hunchbacked chameleon Modo on his further adventures protecting the Victorian British Empire from various steampunktastic threats.

Much of what I said in my review of the first volume applies to this story, as well.

What I Liked

• The setup is compelling.
• The plot is exciting and moves quickly.
• The protagonist is sympathetic.
• Some of the steampunkery is fun.
• There's just a hint of a love triangle.

What I Disliked

• Most of the technology in the book isn't too unbelievable, even if it's almost a century ahead of its time. This is steampunk, after all. There is one piece of "tech" that is more fantasy than science fiction, and its presence annoyed me.
• The narrator is just as whiny as she was last time around.
• Once again, the antagonists' actions don't seem sufficiently motivated.
• This book feels more like a a kid's book than some of the other YA fiction I've read recently.

The Bottom Line

Overall, I give The Dark Deeps 7.0 out of 10. It's entertaining, but far from great.

Audiobook Review: The Hunchback Assignments

(This review contains no significant spoilers.)

The Setup

The Hunchback Assignments is a young-adult steampunk adventure that follows Modo, a deformed orphan with some extranormal abilities, as he is raised and pressed into the service of Queen and country. The story combines elements of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

What I Liked

• The story is fun and fast-paced.
• The protagonist is very relatable.
• Some of the ideas in the story are very compelling.

What I Disliked

• Some of the technology is rather ridiculous. Yes, this is a steampunk story, but the "regular" steampunkery doesn't seem as well-grounded as in, say, the stories of theClockwork Century or the Leviathan trilogy. In addition, there is some mystical "life force" or some such, which might be at home in a fantasy novel, but seems out of place here.
• Several of the characters---Mr. Socrates and Dr Hyde, especially---are very stereotypical.
• The actions of the antagonists seem poorly motivated.,
• Of the young-adult novels I've read recently, this one feels the most like a kid's book. Somehow, the factors I mentioned above combine to give that impression.
• The narrator, Jayne Entwistle, does a good job of making the characters' voices distinct, but her own voice is rather whiny and annoying.

The Bottom Line

Overall, I give The Hunchback Assignments 7.0 out of 10. It's entertaining, but a little juvenile.

Book Review: Clementine

(This review contains no significant spoilers.)

The Setup

Clementine is the second long-form work in Cherie Priest's zombie-infested, alternate-history-Civil-War universe known as the Clockwork Century, coming after Boneshaker but preceding Dreadnought. The story is stand-alone, though its characters and locations overlap with those of the other works. The book is a novella, rather than a novel, because Priest wanted to write a book for Subterranean, but Tor had right of first refusal for any works over 60,000 words. One drawback to this deal is that Subterranean only published a small number of copies of the first printing---a hardcover---which instantly sold out. A paperback will be published next year, but that was too long for me to wait. Thus, I read this novella in Kindle form on my iPhone.

"OK, but what's it about?" I hear you ask. The story follows dirigible pirate Croggon Hainey as he attempts to reclaim his rightfully stolen airship, the Free Crow, from those who wrongfully stole it from him. The plot also follows former Confederate spy and current Pinkerton detective Maria Isabella Boyd in her efforts to ensure that the dirigible, newly re-christened the Clementine, reaches the destination intended by its new owners.

What I Liked

• Dude, airships. It was gratifying to read a Clockwork Century story focused on the steampunkiest of vehicles, the dirigible.
• The characters. The two main characters I described above, particularly Ms Boyd, are interesting and compelling.
• The plot. The story is entertaining. I especially enjoyed the way Hainey's story intertwines with Boyd's.
• The pacing. The story moves along very quickly. It never drags, as I feel Boneshaker does at a few points. For example, the story wraps up quickly after the resolution of the main plot line, without an extending winding down. I'm guessing this speed is a direct result of the necessity to keep the book under 60,000 words.
• The crossover. The plot crosses over with another Clockwork Century story in a way I didn't expect but enjoyed.

What I Disliked

• The duration. As I said, the brevity of the book keeps the story moving, but it also means that there isn't room to follow any side stories or explore the universe of the Clockwork Century as much as I'd like.

The Bottom Line

Overall, I give Clementine 8.0 out of 10. So far, I'd say Dreadnought is my favorite work from the Clockwork Century, but this one is a satisfying read.

Book Review: Behemoth

(This review contains no significant spoilers for Behemoth but some minor spoilers for Leviathan.)

The Setup

Behemoth is the sequel to Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan, which I reviewed, in short form, early this year. As such, it's a young-adult novel that takes place during an alternate-history World War I. On one side of the war are the Clanker powers, lead by Germany. The Clankers have advanced steampunk---or more precisely, Dieselpunk---technology: walkers and other mechs. On the other side are the Darwinists, lead by Britain. The Darwinisth technology is even more alternate than the Clankers'. In this universe, Darwin not only developed a theory of evolution by natural selection, but also discovered the "chains of life" and kicked off a bioengineering revolution leading to "fabricated" life forms far more advanced than the transgenic tomatoes available in our grocery stores in 2010: whale-zeppelins, hydrogen-sniffing dogs, parrot-lizards, krakens, and fléchette-defecating bats.

As is typical of young-adult books, the main characters are teens. One is a Scots girl masquerading as a boy to serve in the Air Service. The other is a prince, and not just any prince, but the son of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. As you might expect, the prince's parents are killed at the beginning of Leviathan, and the rest of that book, Behemoth, and, presumably, the forthcoming Goliath, follow the repercussion of this murder, as the world hurtles toward and enters the largest war ever sen.

What I Liked

• As I've mentioned, I enjoy steampunk, and Dieselpunk is just as much fun while being perhaps more believable. And walkers shaped like olifants? How cool is that?
• The fabricated creatures in the book's universe are arguably more creative and interesting than the mechs.
• The two main characters are well-developed, though I find myself more interested in and sympathetic toward Deryn, the masquerading Scotsgirl.
• The adults in the story aren't entirely incompetent or uninteresting, as they are in many teen-targeted fiction. In particular, I'd like to know more about Dr. Barlow, the "lady boffin."
• The plot is interesting and very fast-paced. The book is a pretty rollicking ride from cover to cover.
• The illustrations by Keith Thompson. There's approximately one drawing per chapter, and I think they help bring the story to life. They are slightly stylized, which seems appropriate.

What I Didn't Like

• The plot is a little straight-forward. I mean, it's not always obvious what's going to happen next, but I would like there to have been twists and turns.

The Bottom Line

Overall, I give Behemoth 8.0 out of 10. It's a well executed sequel to Leviathan, and a successful one, too. Successful how? I'm already excited about reading Goliath.

Short Story Review: Tanglefoot

(This review contains no significant spoilers.)

The Setup

"Tanglefoot" is the first work published in Cherie Priest's Clockwork Century universe, which is also the setting for Boneshaker and Dreadnought. The story is either a short story or a novelette, depending on which web page you read.

What I Liked

• It's steampunk. By know, regular readers should know that I loves me some steampunk.
• The story is interesting and moves quickly.
• It is, to quote Jayne Cobb, creepifyin'.

What I Didn't Like

• The action's of the story's antagonist don't seem very well justified. OK, that's a rather small nit to pick, given the nature of this story, not to mention its length. But still.

The Bottom Line

Overall, I give "Tanglefoot" 8.0 out of 10. It's good fun. And, by the way, a creepy way to spend an hour, in bed, with the lights off, reading on your phone while your wife slumbers.

Audiobook Review: Dreadnought

(This review contains no significant spoilers.)

The Setup

Dreadnought is the fifth and most recently published work from Cherie Priest's steampunk-plus-zombies alternate-history universe known as The Clockwork Century. The stories in the Clockwork Century take place in North America in 1880 or thereabouts. The Civil War is still ongoing, thanks to the support of the Confederate States of America by the United Kingdom and the Republic of Texas. The Republic is a wealthy and technologically innovative country due to the discovery of fossil petroleum many years before the real-world date.

The stories, both published and forthcoming, from this universe are as follows:

• "Tanglefoot", a short story published in 2008. It's available online and in an anthology called Steampunk II: Steampunk Reloaded. I encourage you to read it.
• Boneshaker, a novel published in 2009. This book tells of the accidental release of zombigenic gas in Seattle, in the Washington Territory, and the ramifications for members of one family that happens to be central to the bigger story. Boneshaker seems to have been Priest's breakthrough work, taking her from modest success to the vanguard of steampunk. I gave this book a 7.5 out 10, but, given how it has stuck with me, I've since cranked that rating up to 8.0.
• Clementine, a novella published in 2010. This book relates the piratical theft, re-theft, and attempted re-re-theft of one example of that quintessential steampunk conveyance, the airship. Clementine was published by Subterranean Press, unlike Boneshaker and Dreadnought, which were published by Tor. Subterranean seems to have printed too small a number of these books, and it is sold out everywhere. It's certainly not available in my new favorite format, audiobook. See the Clockwork Century FAQ for a full explanation. Thus, I have been unable to get my own copy of this book to read. However, it's just been released in Kindle form, so I'll be tackling it as soon as I finish my current book.
• "Reluctance," a short story published in the zombie anthology The Living Dead 2 in September 2010. This is the story that Priest read for us at Dragon*Con. I found it quite enjoyable, and having the author read it to me was a nice bonus.
• Dreadnought, a novel published in 2010 and the subject of this review. This book tells the story of nurse in a Confederate army hospital and the transcontinental journey she undertakes.
• Ganymede, a novel due to Tor on November 1 and is expected to be published in 2011. This story follows the interactions of airship captain, a female Union spy, and a...wait for it...submarine. Priest has been reporting on her progress with the book, and it looks like she may be late. You can hardly blame her. As you can tell by the above list, she's been quite busy over the last couple of years writing stories in the Clockwork Century, and she has also written some other stories as well.
• Inexplicable, a novel scheduled to be published by Tor in 2012. This book will be set in Seattle and involve both zombies---fairly expected by now---and at least one sasquatch---not so expected. If we're lucky, we'll see a zombie sasquatch by the end.

I should point out that the stories in this universe are essentially stand-alone. They have overlapping characters, but one can read them in any order with no significant loss of understanding or enjoyment.

Disclosure

After seeing Cherie Priest at close range during her panel* and reading at Dragon*Con, I find that I like her and want her books to do well. My personal affection for her might lead me to be enthusiastic about her work and to give this novel a better review than I otherwise would.

What I Liked

• Dreadnought gives readers of the Clockwork Century their first glimpse of the war at the center of this universe. The scenes in the Confederate hospital are grim, as you might expect, but also gripping.
• The plot is fast-paced. One of my not-favorite aspects of Boneshaker was that if seemed to drag just a bit at times. Dreadnought barely stops for breath after it gets going.
• The central character, Vinita "Mercy" Swackhammer Lynch is an almost inhumanly strong character but is somehow still believable and relatable.
• Airships, walkers, train engines equipped with heavy weaponry, and zombies. What's not to love?
• The narrator of this story, Kate Reading, brings the text to life. She does not match John Lee's ability to produce seemingly limitless voices and accents, but she does a solid job. In particular, the voice she uses for the protagonist seems just about perfect to my ear. My only complaint related to her is that she tends to draw out the word at the end of a sentence or clause in a way that sounds almost like a whine to me.

What I Disliked

• The last chapter and a half felt somewhat tacked-on. In my opinion, those who have read Boneshaker will find this epilogue-like segment of the book almost entirely superfluous, and those who haven't will find it hurried and too expository. There's a point a little before the end of the penultimate chapter that I feel would make a better end to the story. That being said, I did enjoy the particular two quotations on which the story ends.

The Bottom Line

Overall, I give Dreadnought 8.5 out of 10. By following Boneshaker with an even better novel, Priest has solidified her grip on the tittle of "high priestess of steampunk," as given to her by The Seattle Times. Perhaps the most succinct way to express my feelings about this book is this: I'm excited to read Clementine. If you like steampunk or zombies or Civil War fiction, you should look into this novel.

Update: OMG pwnies! Cherie Priest tweeted about this review and about why our blog's address had her worried. My carefully considered response to this devlopement is this: Squee!

* I don't think that a single person can hold a panel, but that's what the event was called.

Audiobook Review: Perdido Street Station

(This review contains no significant spoilers.)

The Setup

Perdido Street Station, China Miéville's second novel, is probably his most famous, and it is the one that introduces the fantastic world of Bas-Lag, where humans are just one of many sapient species and where magic---called thaumaturgy---and steampunk technology exist side-by-side. Bas-Lag is also the setting for The Scar and Iron Council. Perdido Street is set specifically in the city-state of New Crobuzon, which is ruled by a corrupt government and inhabited by a mostly miserable populace.

I don't want to say too much about the plot, but I will say that numerous seemingly unrelated threads are followed throughout the novel, and they all come together in the end. On the whole, I'd describe the story as a horror thriller.

What I Liked

• One of the hallmarks of good science fiction or fantasy is rich worldbuilding, and this book has that in spades. The world of Bas-Lag and the city of New Crobuzon are excellently realized, with awe-inspiring variety and equally impressive detail.
• Miéville's writing style is almost poetic in its imagery.
• The plot is exciting, and the characters are varied and interesting.
• The audiobook's narrator, John Lee, does a spectacular job bringing the setting, story, and characters to life. He uses a distinct voice and accent for essentially every speaking part in the book. There are a handful of one-scene characters who all have essentially the same working-class British accent, but the twenty or more recurring characters are all very distinct. Amazing.

What I Disliked

• The plot takes a little while to really take off. Once it does, though, it doesn't slow down until the end.

Cautions

• This book is grim. The story starts out depressing and just goes downhill from there. That feature is not a deal-breaker for me, but if you are in the mood for a light-hearted romp, look elsewhere.

The Bottom Line

I'd give this audiobook a 9.5 out of 10. Miéville's worldbuilding and imagery are unassailable, and Lee's voice-acting only enhances the experience. I can't believe I waited this long, after Nick's and Alison's recommendations, to "read" this novel.

Dread Not, Clementine!

I ordered Clementine and Dreadnought this week. I guess Cherie Priest's reading at Dragon*Con worked.

Rapid-Fire Reviews

(None of these reviews contain significant spoilers.)

I have some music, movies, and books that I'd like to review for you, but I don't want to take the time to do my normal thorough job with each one. So, it's time for another installment of my rapid-fire reviews.

Movies and TV

• Up. Touching, funny, and pretty. 8.5 out of 10.

Books

• Boneshaker, by Cherie Priest. Steampunk, zombies, dirigibles, toxic vapors, and well-written characters. What's not to like? 8.0 out of 10.
• Leviathan, by Scott Westerfeld. OK, so this is a young-adult book. So what? It takes place in a steampunked alternate-reality 1914, and it features mecha, genetically engineered abominations, transvestism, and my favorite recently extinct marsupial, the thylacine. Plus, it moves along very quickly and is gobs of fun to read. 8.0 out of 10, at least for, you know, a kid's book.

Music

• Another day Down, by Tapping the Vein. If you like female-fronted goth rock---and it should be clear by now that I do---you'll like this album. 8.0 out of 10.

Meanwhile, I just started working on Scalzi's The God Engines and will follow that with The Sagan Diary. I'm also listening merrily* to Flyleaf's Memento Mori. So, I hope to put reviews of those up soon.

* Can one listen merrily to such angst-ridden music?

Eek, a Mouse!

Is your computer mouse too ordinary? Would you like to shake up your web-surfing experience? Do you feel the need to impress your officemate with cooler versions of ordinary office equipment? If so, and if you fancy yourself a bit of an electronics hacker, you may be interested in these two mouse-hacking projects I found through the MAKE Magazine blog:

• The Bug, a steampunk mouse.
• A mouse covered with an actual mouse pelt.
  

By the way, don't forget to acquire Das Keyboard to go with your new point-and-click device.

That Screw-On Head is Amazing

Alison and I watched the first episode of The Amazing Screw-On Head last night on the Sci Fi Channel. It's an odd, animated parody of steampunk and supernatural horror, featuring a megalomaniacal zombie, a vampire, a werewolf, a sentient chimpanzee, an undead canine, a disembodied head, and---strangest of all---Abraham Lincoln. I found it quite entertaining---through I don't think Alison did---and suggest that you watch the episode, which is available on Sci Fi's site.