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The Skies Discrowned and An Epitaph in Rust: The Complete Novels
A special two-in-one edition by World Fantasy and Philip K. Dick award-winner Tim Powers, featuring The Skies Discrowned,about an oppressed universe in the violent throes of political revolt, and An Epitaph in Rust, which carries the reader to a future California rife with dark conspiracies and Shakespearean-caliber plots
At the start of his celebrated career—before his widespread acclamation as one of the most original contemporary fantasists in America—Tim Powers published a pair of exciting science fiction adventures. Long considered lost classics, these two novels were early indications that a true master had arrived on the science fiction/fantasy scene.
In The Skies Discrowned, a young artist and swordsman becomes a political criminal, marked for death after witnessing an assassination. Francisco Rovzar’s strange odyssey through his planet’s lawless underworld and his transformation from naïve young boy to hardened freedom fighter is an intriguing adventure with action on every page.
An Epitaph in Rust unfolds in a grim future Los Angeles, following a young man who escapes a bleak life of servitude in a monastery. Hunted for a seemingly insignificant transgression in a city driven mad by the mayor’s explosive destruction and the subsequent murderous rampage of the android police, young Thomas finds refuge with a troupe of actors who have more than Shakespeare on their minds.
At the start of his celebrated career—before his widespread acclamation as one of the most original contemporary fantasists in America—Tim Powers published a pair of exciting science fiction adventures. Long considered lost classics, these two novels were early indications that a true master had arrived on the science fiction/fantasy scene.
In The Skies Discrowned, a young artist and swordsman becomes a political criminal, marked for death after witnessing an assassination. Francisco Rovzar’s strange odyssey through his planet’s lawless underworld and his transformation from naïve young boy to hardened freedom fighter is an intriguing adventure with action on every page.
An Epitaph in Rust unfolds in a grim future Los Angeles, following a young man who escapes a bleak life of servitude in a monastery. Hunted for a seemingly insignificant transgression in a city driven mad by the mayor’s explosive destruction and the subsequent murderous rampage of the android police, young Thomas finds refuge with a troupe of actors who have more than Shakespeare on their minds.
302 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2013
29 people are currently reading
185 people want to read
About the author
Tim Powers
168 books1,755 followersTimothy Thomas Powers is an American science fiction and fantasy author. Powers has won the World Fantasy Award twice for his critically acclaimed novels Last Call and Declare.
Most of Powers's novels are "secret histories": he uses actual, documented historical events featuring famous people, but shows another view of them in which occult or supernatural factors heavily influence the motivations and actions of the characters.
Powers was born in Buffalo, New York, and grew up in California, where his Roman Catholic family moved in 1959.
He studied English Literature at Cal State Fullerton, where he first met James Blaylock and K.W. Jeter, both of whom remained close friends and occasional collaborators; the trio have half-seriously referred to themselves as "steampunks" in contrast to the prevailing cyberpunk genre of the 1980s. Powers and Blaylock invented the poet William Ashbless while they were at Cal State Fullerton.
Another friend Powers first met during this period was noted science fiction writer Philip K. Dick; the character named "David" in Dick's novel VALIS is based on Powers and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (Blade Runner) is dedicated to him.
Powers's first major novel was The Drawing of the Dark (1979), but the novel that earned him wide praise was The Anubis Gates, which won the Philip K. Dick Award, and has since been published in many other languages.
Powers also teaches part-time in his role as Writer in Residence for the Orange County High School of the Arts where his friend, Blaylock, is Director of the Creative Writing Department. Powers and his wife, Serena, currently live in Muscoy, California. He has frequently served as a mentor author as part of the Clarion science fiction/fantasy writer's workshop.
He also taught part time at the University of Redlands.
Excerpted from Wikipedia.
Most of Powers's novels are "secret histories": he uses actual, documented historical events featuring famous people, but shows another view of them in which occult or supernatural factors heavily influence the motivations and actions of the characters.
Powers was born in Buffalo, New York, and grew up in California, where his Roman Catholic family moved in 1959.
He studied English Literature at Cal State Fullerton, where he first met James Blaylock and K.W. Jeter, both of whom remained close friends and occasional collaborators; the trio have half-seriously referred to themselves as "steampunks" in contrast to the prevailing cyberpunk genre of the 1980s. Powers and Blaylock invented the poet William Ashbless while they were at Cal State Fullerton.
Another friend Powers first met during this period was noted science fiction writer Philip K. Dick; the character named "David" in Dick's novel VALIS is based on Powers and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (Blade Runner) is dedicated to him.
Powers's first major novel was The Drawing of the Dark (1979), but the novel that earned him wide praise was The Anubis Gates, which won the Philip K. Dick Award, and has since been published in many other languages.
Powers also teaches part-time in his role as Writer in Residence for the Orange County High School of the Arts where his friend, Blaylock, is Director of the Creative Writing Department. Powers and his wife, Serena, currently live in Muscoy, California. He has frequently served as a mentor author as part of the Clarion science fiction/fantasy writer's workshop.
He also taught part time at the University of Redlands.
Excerpted from Wikipedia.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 2, 2013
These were Tim powers first two books and are mostly straight–forward SF. Published under a short lived imprint of Harlequin books called Laser Books.
While I liked both of these stories they had more of the feeling of Golden Age SF than showing any evidence of how talented and imaginative writer Tim Powers would turn out to be. Both stories also have a similar framework of a young man put into a new and desperate situation and surviving it. There was much I liked about the first book, but there were areas that just felt missing and not fully developed. A lot of build up without a satisfying payoff at the end. The second book certainly showed progress in storytelling and did feel more developed.
What is interesting is that neither of his two books showed the direction he would take later when he became a master of semi-historical fantasy with preternatural elements with a fascinating world building. Although both book did have the fictional poet Ashbless that he and his friend and fellow writer Blaylock created. In fact they have both just released a short book of the poetry of Ashbless. So I guess that one-ups Vonnegut who never published a work of Kilgore Trout as far as I know.
While I liked both of these stories they had more of the feeling of Golden Age SF than showing any evidence of how talented and imaginative writer Tim Powers would turn out to be. Both stories also have a similar framework of a young man put into a new and desperate situation and surviving it. There was much I liked about the first book, but there were areas that just felt missing and not fully developed. A lot of build up without a satisfying payoff at the end. The second book certainly showed progress in storytelling and did feel more developed.
What is interesting is that neither of his two books showed the direction he would take later when he became a master of semi-historical fantasy with preternatural elements with a fascinating world building. Although both book did have the fictional poet Ashbless that he and his friend and fellow writer Blaylock created. In fact they have both just released a short book of the poetry of Ashbless. So I guess that one-ups Vonnegut who never published a work of Kilgore Trout as far as I know.
August 13, 2023
In “Epitaph In Rust” there’s an “Oliver Twist” vibe happening. That said, you can tell it’s early Powers. The twists are telegraphed fairly obviously but the trademark physical destruction of the main character is indeed present.
April 28, 2014
I really enjoyed An Epitaph in Rust, but not so much The Skies Discrowned.
June 25, 2017
Powers' first two published books are interesting mainly for the writer he would become. In a preface he tells how these books came to be... it seems a famous romance publisher started a short-lived venture into science fiction. He says these two books confirmed his choice of vocation as a professional writer... so without these there would be no "On Stranger Tides".
There are flashes of the future work (the "River Leethee" indeed! along with Sheol Boulevard)... at least two monks, a monastery, many classical allusions. And they are not without interest - I stayed up late on a work night to finish "Epitaph in Rust".
Well worth the read for Powers fans.
There are flashes of the future work (the "River Leethee" indeed! along with Sheol Boulevard)... at least two monks, a monastery, many classical allusions. And they are not without interest - I stayed up late on a work night to finish "Epitaph in Rust".
Well worth the read for Powers fans.
September 12, 2020
This collection of Mr. Powers' two earliest novels will mainly interest fans and completists like me, just because we like to read everything an author has written.
The seeds of greatness are here. Early hints of "Dinner at Deviant's Palace" and "The Drawing of the Dark" are present, but these two stories are more what I would call "yarns". A bit of swashbuckling, a bit of drama, maybe a space ship or an android added for mood.
Enjoyable, but weak tea compared to his later work.
The seeds of greatness are here. Early hints of "Dinner at Deviant's Palace" and "The Drawing of the Dark" are present, but these two stories are more what I would call "yarns". A bit of swashbuckling, a bit of drama, maybe a space ship or an android added for mood.
Enjoyable, but weak tea compared to his later work.
March 18, 2015
Note: The volume I had only contained The Skies Discrowned.
This is very different from Mr. Powers's usual output. It's fairly short and pretty fast moving, with no extended descriptions of scenery or the characters' meals. It's basically a revenge story set in a future where spaceships and sword duels coexist. It's a bit predictable and the story moves a little too quickly to get engrossing. But the protagonist is endearing, and on the whole it was time well spent.
This is very different from Mr. Powers's usual output. It's fairly short and pretty fast moving, with no extended descriptions of scenery or the characters' meals. It's basically a revenge story set in a future where spaceships and sword duels coexist. It's a bit predictable and the story moves a little too quickly to get engrossing. But the protagonist is endearing, and on the whole it was time well spent.
February 16, 2014
Tim Powers never disappoints. The Skies Discrowned may be one of my most favorite of all of Tim Powers books that I have read. I loved the underlying political themes and the characters were so strong.
Epitah in Rust ended up surprising me. It started off slowly but picked up and loved some of the plot twists that I didn't quite expect.
Epitah in Rust ended up surprising me. It started off slowly but picked up and loved some of the plot twists that I didn't quite expect.
September 2, 2014
Solid very early fare from Powers, who in my books is a SF/Fantasy grand master. A bit predictable, but crisply written, with as usual from TP, great likeable characters. The Skies Discrowned was, I thought a bit fresher and interesting. Very interesting in both to see a lot of the ideas that would make up Dinner at Deviants Palace, post apoc L.A is cooler than pre apoc.
July 24, 2015
Loved the old fashion style of writing. Two great tales and what can I say anymore?
December 21, 2020
It's Tim Powers... don't really need to say much else. :)
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews