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232nd out of 480 books
—
2,524 voters
The Women of Nell Gwynne's
Lady Beatrice was the proper British daughter of a proper British soldier, until tragedy struck and sent her home to walk the streets of early-Victorian London. But Lady Beatrice is no ordinary whore, and is soon recruited to join an underground establishment known as Nell Gwynne's. Nell Gwynne's is far more than simply the finest and most exclusive brothel in Whitehall; i...more
Hardcover, 122 pages
Published
June 28th 2009
by Subterranean Press
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Mar 05, 2012
Jamie
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
science-fiction,
historical-fiction
A fun, quick read. This book contains the novella The Women of Nell Gwynne's and the related short story "The Bohemian Astrobleme." The premise is interesting: an exclusive group of clever Victorian courtesans collect useful information from London’s elite, using nifty little steampunk inventions supplied by an organization that Baker’s fans will recognize as an early incarceration of The Company.
While the plots of these stories felt rushed and unsatisfying, Kage Baker’s prose is wonderful and a...more
While the plots of these stories felt rushed and unsatisfying, Kage Baker’s prose is wonderful and a...more
I got this book for free (US-to-Italy shipping included) as the lucky winner of one of the givaways during the now legendary Steampunk Month at Tor.com. And a signed copy, too--even though her signature is a nondescript scribble. The packaging is ludicrous: hardcover, dust jacket, illustrations, fanciful typeset(s)... I'm grateful & very happy; but I won't be bribed. If you're reading this at all, you want an honest review.
The story is a textbook example of classic steampunk: Victorian Lond...more
The story is a textbook example of classic steampunk: Victorian Lond...more
Steampunk Challenge Review # 1
The Women of Nell Gwynne’s by Kage Baker
Subterranean Press, 2009
This was a fun novella. A romp, if you will. Gothic estates, silly costumes, funny sex, cool Steampunk gadgets (that work within the plot), and a happy resolution. I purchased it from Amazon, and it sat on my shelf for over a year, because I tend to acquire books faster than I can read them. Like a hidden treasure, I pulled it from the shelf today and was entranced.
Lady Beatrice, suffered myriad atrocio...more
The Women of Nell Gwynne’s by Kage Baker
Subterranean Press, 2009
This was a fun novella. A romp, if you will. Gothic estates, silly costumes, funny sex, cool Steampunk gadgets (that work within the plot), and a happy resolution. I purchased it from Amazon, and it sat on my shelf for over a year, because I tend to acquire books faster than I can read them. Like a hidden treasure, I pulled it from the shelf today and was entranced.
Lady Beatrice, suffered myriad atrocio...more
This book was an impulse grab at the library, the cover art is pretty fabulous so I figured I'd give it a try. I'm glad I did; the story was good for the short length and was intriguing enough to make me want to read other books by this author.
Lady Beatrice has had a tough life and there's no two ways about it, but she's calm, cool and collected so she takes care of herself. She uses whatever resources are available at the time, and that includes her own body and the desires of other people; it'...more
Lady Beatrice has had a tough life and there's no two ways about it, but she's calm, cool and collected so she takes care of herself. She uses whatever resources are available at the time, and that includes her own body and the desires of other people; it'...more
Mar 12, 2010
Wealhtheow
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
fans of the Company
Recommended to Wealhtheow by:
Julian
Courageous and attractive, Lady Beatrice is the much-admired daughter of her soldier papa. She impetuously follows him to his latest post--only to realize that he, and everyone else at the encampment, will shortly be killed. She manages to rescue herself from the carnage, but at the expense of her innocence. Too damaged to be considered genteel any longer, too practical to die tragically in the gutter, Lady Beatrice decides to turn her disgrace into an asset. She becomes an excellent prostitute-...more
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This one is strictly for die hard Company fans, and even then, despite this being a novella about a brothel, you're going to be left unsatisfied.
Most of Kage Baker's Company stories - like the novel Sky Coyote, the novella Empress of Mars, or the short story Hellfire at Twlight, can easily be read as stand alone works and much enjoyed even if you aren't familiar with her whole Company universe.
Here, if you haven't read just about all her other works that, combined, describe Dr. Zeus, the Gentlem...more
Most of Kage Baker's Company stories - like the novel Sky Coyote, the novella Empress of Mars, or the short story Hellfire at Twlight, can easily be read as stand alone works and much enjoyed even if you aren't familiar with her whole Company universe.
Here, if you haven't read just about all her other works that, combined, describe Dr. Zeus, the Gentlem...more
This short novel tells the story of Lady Beatrice, a "fallen" aristocrat of Queen Victoria's England and one of the women of the brothel called Nell Gwynne's. Lady Beatrice's father was killed in Afghanistan, and while she was trying to flee the country and return to England Lady Beatrice was raped. Unfortunately, this state of affairs was unacceptable to her genteel mother and Beatrice was left to the streets to fend for herself as a street prostitute while the rest of society was led to consid...more
This was a short fun read. Oddly enough this version is very hard to find. It was reprinted under a different title in trade paperback. This hardcover edition is a collection version and is very expensive as it typically comes signed and has wonderful illustrations in it by J. K. Potter. The premise is quite original, and actually does a bit of the steampunk with some of the technology in the early Victorian era. The premise is the use of the ladies of a whorehouse to spy and help solve crimes....more
This was a short, fun read, but in the end was a bit too short. Really, she could have beefed this up to 300 at least, without losing anything, and without just adding vacuous filler. I would have liked to see more of the relationships between Lady Beatrice and the other women (how did the friendships work, etc.). I am nonetheless impressed that Baker managed to write a few complex and varied characters, an interesting and vivid plot, as well as finding room to throw in humor and a fairly comple...more
Jul 15, 2010
Gale
added it
I'm still trying to figure out why this is running at almost $200 on Amazon. I found a copy at the library and opened it expecting verbal gold to land at my feet. What I got was a sort of cute, sort of sexy, sort of steampunky novella that didn't seem long enough, weighty enough or well characterized enough to justify the hype. Try "Soulless" of the Parasol Protectorate instead.
Update: This is from the author of the fab "The Company" series, of which I highly recommend "In the Garden of Iden". H...more
Update: This is from the author of the fab "The Company" series, of which I highly recommend "In the Garden of Iden". H...more
http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1441777.html#cutid2
The women of Nell Gwynne's are high class prostitutes in a mildly steampunkish Victorian England, advanced technology limited to one or two mad scientists either in or out of government service. They are called to entertain a party of foreign agents bidding for a secret invention. High jinks ensue. Baker catches the Victorian idiom better than some who have tried (thinking indeed of Cherie Priest), and her Lady Beatrice is admirably spunky, but th...more
The women of Nell Gwynne's are high class prostitutes in a mildly steampunkish Victorian England, advanced technology limited to one or two mad scientists either in or out of government service. They are called to entertain a party of foreign agents bidding for a secret invention. High jinks ensue. Baker catches the Victorian idiom better than some who have tried (thinking indeed of Cherie Priest), and her Lady Beatrice is admirably spunky, but th...more
Steampunk and Victorian prostitution. Not my thing. Wanted to like this more than I did, as it was nominated for both the Nebula and the Hugo. But in the end, I was disappointed.
While I haven't read much steampunk, I have read a bit of Baker's short fiction. Generally, I've enjoyed it, even if I don't follow the "Company" stories. But this one felt rushed in places. While reading, I considered it a 3 star read, as the Victorian setting was nicely done. But it ended rather abruptly, and over all...more
While I haven't read much steampunk, I have read a bit of Baker's short fiction. Generally, I've enjoyed it, even if I don't follow the "Company" stories. But this one felt rushed in places. While reading, I considered it a 3 star read, as the Victorian setting was nicely done. But it ended rather abruptly, and over all...more
This is an expansion of Kage Baker's Company series (which I admit to not having read anything of except for a couple of short stories). The expansion is that the Nell Gwynne stories are set in the mid 19th century. Nell herself runs the most exclusive and high class house of prostitution in London. Unknown to most, including their clients, is that Nell's women are spies for the Gentlemen's Speculative Society a forerunner of The Company. While the Gentlemen push the bounds of science far past t...more
Oct 17, 2011
Rea
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historical-mystery,
steampunk
Full review can be found here.
As of the very first lines, this book strikes you. It is probably largely due to the fact that the style is so very formal but at the same time… I can only think to call it in-your-face and cheeky. The main character is always referred to as Lady Beatrice because that is the name that she took for her prostitute persona. The reader never knows what her name was before this, though they do (briefly) follow her through the early years of her life and the events that l...more
As of the very first lines, this book strikes you. It is probably largely due to the fact that the style is so very formal but at the same time… I can only think to call it in-your-face and cheeky. The main character is always referred to as Lady Beatrice because that is the name that she took for her prostitute persona. The reader never knows what her name was before this, though they do (briefly) follow her through the early years of her life and the events that l...more
I got this book for free (US-to-Italy shipping included) as the lucky winner of one of the givaways during the now legendary Steampunk Month at Tor.com. And a signed copy, too--even though her signature is a nondescript scribble. The packaging is ludicrous: hardcover, dust jacket, illustrations, fanciful typeset(s)... I'm grateful & very happy; but I won't be bribed. If you're reading this at all, you want an honest review.
The story is a textbook example of classic steampunk: Victorian Lond...more
The story is a textbook example of classic steampunk: Victorian Lond...more
Jan 16, 2012
Shellie (Layers of Thought)
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
steam punk lovers
Recommended to Shellie (Layers of Thought) by:
Tor Books (Jen & Cassie)
Original review posted on Layers of Thought.
A steam punk novella which won a 2009 Nebula award. It has a bit of a satirical twist, where the women of this “special organization” help with the fight against evil in their special and socially unaccepted way.
About: “The women of Nell Gwynne’s” is set in an alternative England where steam has a decidedly different technological aspect than the standard historical Victorian era model; this is definitely steam punk. The unique aspect of the story is t...more
A steam punk novella which won a 2009 Nebula award. It has a bit of a satirical twist, where the women of this “special organization” help with the fight against evil in their special and socially unaccepted way.
About: “The women of Nell Gwynne’s” is set in an alternative England where steam has a decidedly different technological aspect than the standard historical Victorian era model; this is definitely steam punk. The unique aspect of the story is t...more
Strange, short book with some neat artwork. The story is "steampunk," which is, to quote Wikipedia...."The term denotes works set in an era or world where steam power is still widely used—usually the 19th century, and often Victorian era England—but with prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy." Not my cup of tea, but unlike the last two books I tried to read (True Compass by Ted Kennedy [just plain boring:] and the new Atwood book [too bizarre for me:], at least I made it throug...more
Nell Gwynne’s is an underground establishment, a brothel, which is working for Scotland Yard. And Lady Beatrice is no ordinary lady of the evening. When a member of the Gentlemen’s Speculative Society is missing the women of Nell Gwynne’s are called upon for assistance.
This is steampunk, a sub-genre of science fiction. As defined by Wiki, the term denotes works set in an era or world where steam power is still widely used — usually the 19th century, and often Victorian era England — but with pro...more
This is steampunk, a sub-genre of science fiction. As defined by Wiki, the term denotes works set in an era or world where steam power is still widely used — usually the 19th century, and often Victorian era England — but with pro...more
Jul 31, 2010
Ben Babcock
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Shelves:
via-io9,
2010-read,
ebook,
historical-fiction,
mystery,
science-fiction,
steampunk,
hugo-nominee,
nebula-winner
I love Regency and Victorian fiction. In those halcyon days of a declining empire, men and women of rank fused scientific exploration with military daring. The blank spaces on the map were shrinking every day, and as such, this age of exploration and adventure was also an age of introspection. Strict notions of propriety and visible class barriers contributed to meditations on what makes one human, on the roles of birth and upbringing in the development of a person, and the roles of gender and s...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Oct 01, 2011
Madeline
rated it
2 of 5 stars
Shelves:
2011,
library-books,
sff,
novels,
fantasy-of-manners,
historical-fiction,
the-victorians,
women,
orientalism
I am so over the "special brothel" trope. I've heard good things about Kage Baker, and so I assume this isn't anywhere near her best work. It's a novel(la) about a fallen woman (raped by Afghanis, and subsequently cast off by her family, and this whole bit of backstory definitely made my face turn down, yes) who resigns herself to prostitution. A friend of her father's spots her at a party and recommends her to the madame of the special brothel. It's is pretty much everything you'd expect - brot...more
As steampunk fiction goes, this was OK. It certainly did not rise to the Parasol Protectorate level as written by Gail Carriger but it was a pleasant surprise. At 122 pages, you can pretty much read this during your lunch hour which is pretty much what I did. I really did enjoy the humor of the women of Nell Gwynne's. The protagonists are all prostitutes with a very philosophical approach to their professions. On the side they are spies, assassins and fallen ladies.
This is a novella published as a small hardcover by Subterranean Press. The women referenced in the title are prostitute spies in a steampunk London. They entertain important men and extract secrets from them, and then pass them on to the Gentlemen's Speculative Society, which sponsors their house and comfortable lifestyle. It was a quick, entertaining read, but very slight.
This felt more like the first third+summary of the end of a full-length novel than a novella. The overall background, streampunk elements, and plot were quite interesting, but not fleshed out enough. Only the most important couple of characters get any development, and more space is spent setting things up than on the actual story. But it was still an enjoyable quick read.
This was a fun, short, super-fast and easy read in the science-fiction/steampunk genre. Strong independant female characters, a little adventure, a big of Jules Verne-esque inventions. Really, what's not to like?
Lady Beatrice has had a tough life and because of society's stupid rules, even though the things that happened to her were through no fault of her own she cannot be received anywhere in polite society. But, being a smart and pragmatic woman, she decides to join the ladies of Nelle Gwynne...more
Lady Beatrice has had a tough life and because of society's stupid rules, even though the things that happened to her were through no fault of her own she cannot be received anywhere in polite society. But, being a smart and pragmatic woman, she decides to join the ladies of Nelle Gwynne...more
This short novella is very much in line with other novels published by Subterranean Press. It was cheeky and interesting and a fun read. Steampunk has always interested me and this falls right into that genre.
Some stuff of Kage Baker's I love and some stuff I don't. This was a winner in my book. I hope she continues on with the characters in an anthology or novel.
Some stuff of Kage Baker's I love and some stuff I don't. This was a winner in my book. I hope she continues on with the characters in an anthology or novel.
Read this for a science fiction genre study group. Short (122 pages), fast read. Tongue in cheek, light-hearted romp. 1844 bordello only take clients in the government or important men with access to useful information. The blind madam has a pair of amazing mechanical eyes. It was fun, but I'm not in a hurry to read any future books in the series.
I love Kage Baker's writing, and I'm so sad that she didn't get to write more of her Nell Gwynne's stories. This is the first of three that I know of, the other two being co-written. It's steampunk, feminist, and a little dark. I really loved it. I would have liked to see where Baker took these characters. We'll simply have to imagine.
A house of prostitution run by blind Mrs. Corvey in 1844 London serves as a base for espionage. How new operative Lady Beatrice is recruited occupies the first half, and a mission to investigate an inventor’s unusual activities is recounted in the second half. A rollicking Steampunk adventure with engaging characters.
An interesting novella, written in a very stylized manner. Despite the small space, Baker does a grand job of fully realizing her world. It's somewhat risque, but not titillating, which works very well with the Victorian/steampunk nature of the novel.
It did leave me wanting to learn more about the world, the women, and the Society.
It did leave me wanting to learn more about the world, the women, and the Society.
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Born June 10, 1952, in Hollywood, California, and grew up there and in Pismo Beach, present home. Spent 12 years in assorted navy blue uniforms obtaining a good parochial school education and numerous emotional scars. Rapier wit developed as defense mechanism to deflect rage of larger and more powerful children who took offense at abrasive, condescending and arrogant personality in a sickly eight-...more
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“A lengthy and painful discussion followed. It lasted through tea and dinner. It was revealed to Lady Beatrice that, though she had been sincerely mourned when Mamma had been under the impression she was dead, her unexpected return to life was something more than inconvenient. Had she never considered the disgrace she would inflict upon her family by returning, after all that had happened to her? What were all Aunt Harriet's neighbors to think?”
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