In some ways, Lord Darcy is kind of the prototype of Steampunk lit. Except that it isn't set in Victorian England (or other lands of this time period) it is still very similar to Steampunk. There is no electricity, there are trains, but they are steam powered. Otherwise you use horsepower (the REAL 4-legged type) to get around. Where Lord Darcy differs typical Steampunk in 2 main ways. The first, it was set in "modern" times (i.e. the 1960's and 70's) when it was written. The second way that it More...

Commonly categorized as science fiction, this reads every bit as well as a mystery, and should satisfy the mystery itch nicely. In fact, the book is in considerable part a worthy tribute to Rex Stout and Nero Wolfe. The title itself alludes to a couple of the Wolfe titles. And there are well-drawn Wolfe and Goodwin characters in the book. The Wolfe character, in fact, maneuvers Garrett's detective, Lord Darcy, into taking the case, which would normally have fallen to himself--characteristic of W More...

1966 looks very different in a world in which the Plantagenet kings have remained in perpetual power, and the discovery of the Laws of Magic obviated the need for the study of the physical sciences. Crime, however, looks about the same.

When a high-profile Master wizard is murdered in a physically and magically sealed room, it's deduction, not thaumaturgy, that can reveal the culprit. Enter Lord Darcy, a man with no magical abilities but a stunning analytical mind. Fans of Sherlock Holmes or Ner More...

Before the current mashup of urban fantasy, Randall Garrett wrote a few books in an alternate universe in which magic (mostly) displaced our understanding of science. Rather than just drop that into our world, he did an alternate timeline, with the British monarchy still vibrant in the 20th century. Lord Sherlock Holmes -- I mean, Lord Darcy is one of the King's investigators. He happens to have no magical talent whatsoever (his Watson -- Sean O'Lachlain is a master wizard who assists in the arc More...

In a world where Richard I cared about England and did not leave it rulerless to gallivant off on crusades but instead, invested in the study of music, it is a different world where Lord D'arcy investigates a murder that took place in a locked room. It's a world where the world is divided between Poland and the Angevin Empire. As a detective story it's great, as SF or Fantasy it's passable, but as an alternate world story, it's the book that piqued my lifeling interest.

В 1960х Великобританией (а также большей частью Франции и обеих Америк) по-прежнему правят Плантагенеты, главным врагом которых на континенте является Польша. Война шпионов, магов и джентльменов, необычайно корректно себя ведущих для сегодняшнего времени.

It's been too long since I was able to get Lord Darcy books. I had some once, but they've been lost in my travels. Garrett was one of the first authors to present ordinary life in alternate universes. Such concepts as a sorceror's convention, a forensic sorceror, and a person who is magic-blind are well developed in the stories.

Obvs essentialist, classist, etc., but I'll take that much more readily from a fantasy detective novel than from utopian science fiction.

4.0 to 4.5 stars. Great alternative history novel in which magic is real (and in large part takes the place of science). Good writing, great characters and a fun read.

Nominee: Hugo Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (1967)

A Sherlock Holmes type mystery set in an alternate 19th century England in which magic has replaced science. To Garrett's credit, the murder and its solution does not rely on magic, the magic is a background element.

Alt-history with magicians, plus a murder mystery? Don't mind if I do!

My all-time favorite mystery.