Synopses & Reviews
Following his spectacularly reviewed
The Half-Made World duology, Felix Gilman pens a sweeping stand-alone tale of Victorian science fiction, space exploration, and planetary romance in
The Revolutions.
In 1893, as young journalist Asa Shaw is at work in British Museum Reading Room, a storm hits London and wreaks unprecedented damage. In its aftermath, Asas newspaper closes, owing him money, and all his debts come due at once. His fiance Jo takes a job as a stenographer for some of the fashionable spiritualist and occult societies of fin de siècle London society. Asa accompanies her to one of these meetings and is given a job lead. It seems to be accounting work, but at a salary many times what any clerk could expect. The work is long and peculiar, and the men spend all day performing unnerving calculations that make them hallucinate or even go mad...but the money is compelling.
Things are beginning to look up when the wages of dabbling in the esoteric suddenly come due: A war breaks out between competing magical societies, and Asa interrupts Jo in the middle of an elaborate occult exploration. This rash move turns out to be dire, as Jo's consciousness is stranded at the outer limits of a psychic day trip. Which, Asa is chagrined to find, was somewhere in the vicinity of Mars.
Asa won't give up the love of his life so easily and vows to do anything it takes to reunite her mind and body...even if he must follow her to Mars.
Synopsis
Following his spectacularly reviewed
Half-Made World duology, Felix Gilman pens a sweeping stand-alone tale of Victorian science fiction, arcane exploration, and planetary romance.
In 1893, young journalist Arthur Shaw is at work in the British Museum Reading Room when the Great Storm hits London, wreaking unprecedented damage. In its aftermath, Arthurs newspaper closes, owing him money, and all his debts come due at once. His fiancé Josephine takes a job as a stenographer for some of the fashionable spiritualist and occult societies of fin de siècle London society. At one of her meetings, Arthur is given a job lead for what seems to be accounting work, but at a salary many times what any clerk could expect. The work is long and peculiar, as the workers spend all day performing unnerving calculations that make them hallucinate or even go mad, but the money is compelling.
Things are beginning to look up when the perils of dabbling in the esoteric suddenly come to a head: A war breaks out between competing magical societies. Josephine joins one of them for a hazardous occult exploration—an experiment which threatens to leave her stranded at the outer limits of consciousness, among the celestial spheres.
Arthur wont give up his great love so easily, and hunts for a way to save her, as Josephine fights for survival...somewhere in the vicinity of Mars.
About the Author
FELIX GILMAN has been nominated for the John W. Campbell Award and the Locus Award for best new writer. He is the author of the critically acclaimed Thunderer, Gears of the City, and The Half-Made World, which was listed by Amazon as one of the ten best SF/F novels of 2010. He lives with his family in New York City.