Wow. Just amazing. I don't think I've ever read anything like it. Hodder uses real figures from Victorian England and remodels them. The writing is so...moreWow. Just amazing. I don't think I've ever read anything like it. Hodder uses real figures from Victorian England and remodels them. The writing is so well done it makes you feel like you are standing in the smoggy fog of this alternate universe London, or looking out over the lush forests in Africa, or sitting by the fire in the salon. There is a lot of depth here, and more than once I found myself wishing I just knew more about the actual times so I'd have more of a base for comparison. That wasn't necessary to enjoy the book, though. There is time-travel, which always gives me a headache, but in this case I survived by being so drawn into the action that I didn't have occasion to overthink the time travel aspect. There are elements of pulp-fiction, lots of spec-fiction and steam, very little namby-pambying around, strong British humor and mannerisms and much intelligence. Highly recommended!(less)
This reads like a pulp western: Lots of dialog, continuous action, no-nonsense description, almost no interior thoughts. What fascinated me was the pl...moreThis reads like a pulp western: Lots of dialog, continuous action, no-nonsense description, almost no interior thoughts. What fascinated me was the placement of real historical figures in an alternate 1881 U.S. universe, where the U.S. border ends at the Mississippi River, and is kept from going further by the Indians and the magic of their medicine men.
The Earp brothers, Doc Holliday, Bat Masterson, Thomas Edison, Ned Buntline, Kate Elder, Johnny Ringo, the McLaury brothers and Clanton gang all figure in the story, as does the shootout at the O.K. Corral. Edison keeps inventing things and Buntline makes them. Things like the electric lights on city streets, bronze, engine-driven stage coaches, lie detectors, electromagnetic indicators, and let's not forget, robot prostitutes.
Loading...
