An Old Story Made New: Desolation Road, by Ian McDonald

With ears perked and finely attuned to any news about sci-fi author Ian McDonald’s forthcoming novel, The Dervish House, I decided to spend part of the wait delving into his catalogue of older books. I chose Desolation Road, his inventive, lyrical 1988 debut novel. Does it hold up after 20 years? Does it compare to his current works, such as River of Gods and Brasyl? 

Answers after the jump.

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Dreaming detectives and more nails in steampunk’s coffin.

Dear friends,

Have you noticed any of these books over the last six months? Have their bright covers and intriguing synopses* tempted you as you walk past your local book purveyor? Have you lain awake pondering whether they are worth your precious time and attention? Have countless minutes elapsed while you shifted from foot to foot in the shoppe aisles, hefting one and then the other in hand, comparing their relative densities, paper quality and font choice**? Would you like to know which of these five are nominated for the Nebula award for best novel***?

Friends, I have read all of these books. I am here to assist you.

Read on for scathing criticisms and ranting delight.

*Do not, under pain of death, read the back cover synopsis of The Manual of Detection. It is both factually wrong and riddled with spoilers.

** Boneshaker is printed in brown ink. BROWN.

*** Hint: four out of these five are nominated, all in the same category. Apparently, the nomination committee lives behind my bookshelf.

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Wind-Up Hearts and Cities in Dream: New urban fantasy from under the radar

I haven’t written a book review in a bit, which is misleading, considering the ridiculous mountain of them through which I have recently torn. (They’re in a mound in the middle of the floor. It makes it challenging to walk around the apartment at night.) After the jump are some thoughts about two very up-and-coming fantasy authors and their more recent offerings.

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Capoeira rhythms, World cup ambitions

So excited was I by Ian McDonald’s 2004 Indian opus, River of Gods, that I immediately scrambled to acquire his 2007 foray into national/ethnic sci-fi, Brasyl. Clocking in at under half the length of River, Brasyl deals with another bustling country on the verge of greatness: Brazil.

River of Gods astonished with a blinding whirl of intricate world-building, so much so that its central plot was almost incidental. Content to simply follow his multitude of interesting characters as they ambulated through the dizzying world of 2047 India, the main plot of the book was an afterthought, a quick tying together of disparate plot strands and A.I. pyrotechnics.

Brasyl, taking place in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and the Amazon jungle, follows quite a different structure. The chapters not only jump from narrator to narrator, but back and forth in time: from a Jesuit missionary on the Amazon in 1732, to a cutting-edge reality tv producer in 2006, to a slick and almost-legal entrepreneur in 2032. Sticking with these three voices exclusively, McDonald hits upon some of the pivotal cultural landmarks of Brazil: its history as an exploited colonial depot for slaves, its modern obsessions with beauty-capoeira-guns-soccer-cool factor, and a future Brazil that may well be a locus for all sorts of black market technology and
lucrative possibilities.

Streamlined and curt, Brasyl eschews the tendency for magnificent sprawl that defined River and instead presents a compelling, tight plot. Instead of the artificial intelligence and battle robots of India, the three protagonists of Brasyl must contend with quantum realities and multi-dimensions. (Yes, even the Jesuit in 1732.) Whether entrenched deep in the murk of the Amazon, ensconced in a glittering penthouse in 2006, or racing through favelas and neon canyons on motorbike in 2032, McDonald’s characters will have to face the possibility that their Brazil isn’t the only—or the best—version.

Cushionator 5000

Small Beer Press is on an unstoppable roll. This independent publishing company, founded by writers Kelly Link and Gavin J Grant, endeavors to find writers who are on the margins of fiction, fantasy, sci-fi and the unclassifiable. They succeed admirably, and the end result is a constant flow of unique, marvellous books from their stable.

Take the 2008 debut novel by Portland, OR author, Benjamin Parzybok, Couch. Even a quick synopsis of its plot is enough to convince you that he’s on to something wild and fantastical: Three Portland roommates—the ex-hacker, the dreamy hippie, and the not-so-slick con man—must vacate their apartment when everything is drenched in a mini-flood. As they carry their couch to the Goodwill down the street, they realize that it seems to grow heavier or lighter, depending on their direction. Does this piece of furniture have a mind of its own? The three end up lugging this thing on a transnational adventure, and realize that they have been chosen for far greater things than vegging out on their orange sofa.

Couch is an indie film-maker’s dream, and I have a solid bet that we’ll see a movie adaptation of this book before the end of the decade. It’s even ripe for a graphic novel treatment! Check it, and the other Small Beer Press writers, before they get too big for their britches.

Bollypunk and Badmashes

I ran through the 599 pages of Ian McDonald’s River of Gods as if the entire Hindu pantheon were hot on my heels. Compulsively readable, bursting with literary acrobatics, McDonald’s hefty hardcover plunges the reader into the meticulously crafted world of India, year 2047.

India, however, doesn’t exist anymore. Imagined as a fractured patchwork of nation-states, the state of Bharat is just as hectic and multilayered as ever. Bharat still has one foot firmly rooted in the traditions of purdah, religious fervor and caste, and the other dancing towards a dizzying future full of A.I. technology, genetic manipulation and quantum physics. Skyscrapers rise dazzling between one day and the next, ascetics starve themselves on street corners in dhotis, and the entire nation is addicted to a daily soap opera that stars actors who only exist on humming servers.

Navigating their precarious way through the dichotomies of the political, cultural and scientific landscapes are a dozen compelling characters. Some of the most intriguing include an Afghan journalist aching for her big break, a cop who specializes in hunting down rogue A.I., and a genetically restructed “neuter” who writes plots for the nation’s most popular television show. Others include scientists, gangsters, politicians, housewives, and a young woman who may be a little more than human.

This is a world not yet spun out to ridiculous sci-fi proportions, but one yet recognizable to us, its forebears. The most compelling aspect of River is the astonishing depth of world-building, and the amount of extrapolatory thought inherent in Bharat’s creation. Each new technology is based on breakthroughs that could arguably happen over the next forty years, each cultural more is either rooted in Indian tradition or is a realistic possibility. The ease with which McDonald slings Hindi/Urdu words, and his apparent familiarity with the religious currents, customs and history of India all add richness and flavor to this incredible literary tapestry.

Flappin’, Flirtin’ and Frolickin’

The Modern Girl Around the World: Consumption, Modernity and Globalization, by the Modern Girl Around the World Research Group.

The “Modern Girl” seemed to arrive everywhere at once, her stylish bags appearing at the train station platform, her high heels beating a rhythm down the streets of Paris, Shanghai, Berlin, Bombay and Sydney. Throughout the interwar period of the 20’s and into the 30’s, Modern Girls could be seen in silent films across the world, smoking in cafes without escort, spending their own money in department stores and upending social mores wherever they batted a painted eye.

The Modern Girl Around the World Research Group (which is a mouthful to say and too laborious to type twice) is a collective of five female professors based at the University of Washington. Primarily History professors, each member has undertaken the task of researching and questioning the international phenomenon of the appearance of the 1920’s “modern girl” in their respective field of expertise. Why did they seem to appear everywhere simultaneously, what did they represent, how did they change their respective cultures and institutions, and how did they evolve when WWII began?

For the rest of the article, follow this link.

Take Flight

As you might be able to tell, all of the Cloud Herders are comic book, graphic novel and webcomic fans. Some of what we like is mainstream, some of it is a little under the radar, and some is hiding in the oddest places all over the internet. We read a little bit of everything, but the one thing we all agree on is where you can find some of the best graphic storytelling curently being published: the five Flight anthologies.

Edited by very up-and-coming graphic novelist Kazu Kibuishi, these beautifully produced anthologies collect graphic stories from artists all over the world. In Volume One the theme was very definitely stories about “flight” (however interpreted), but over the course of five books the theme has dissolved to allow stories and snippets about any and everything.

The quality of the art is unimpeachable: these are artists and writers who are at the top of their game, often working out of creative epicenters such as Vancouver BC, Portland OR, San Francisco, and all down the East coast. While storytelling is sometimes not as strong as the art element, there is rarely a clunker in the mix, which cannot be said for many of the hastily arranged comic anthologies being produced (I’m looking at you, Popgun). These are not household names, but some very well may arrive at that status within a few short years, and you’ll certainly find some personal favorites within the five volumes.

If you’re new to the graphic novel/comics scene, these short story volumes are a perfect place to start. I consider Volume One to be a little weaker than its four successors, and recommend picking up any of the others in its place. The Flight website offers online previews of all the volumes, so get reading!

Mr. Darcy, would you kindly—BOOMER!

From Chronicle Books:

“The Classic Regency Romance—Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem!

By Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

“Pride and Prejudice and Zombies features the original text of Jane Austen’s beloved novel with all-new scenes of bone-crunching zombie action. Feisty heroine Elizabeth Bennet is determined to wipe out the zombie menace, but she’s soon distracted by the arrival of the haughty and arrogant Mr. Darcy. What ensues is a delightful comedy of manners with plenty of civilized sparring between the two young lovers—and even more violent sparring on the blood-soaked battlefield as Elizabeth wages war against hordes of flesh-eating undead. Complete with 20 illustrations in the style of C. E. Brock (the original illustrator of Pride and Prejudice), this insanely funny expanded edition will introduce Jane Austen’s classic novel to new legions of fans.

Jane Austen is the author of Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion, Mansfield Park, and other masterpieces of English literature.
Seth Grahame-Smith is the author of How to Survive a Horror Movie and The Big Book of Porn. He lives in Los Angeles.”

No, this isn’t a joke. This is the lowest form of recycling culture possible, lower even than photoshopping Star Wars characters into a Last Supper tableau. And here is that to see, if you want your double daily dose of depressing culture sink. I’ll be rocking myself back and forth in dejection.

Paper Cities: An Anthology of Urban Fantasy, 2008

Edited by up and coming urban fantasy author Ekaterina Sedia, this collection of short stories brings together international notable and not-yet-notable perspectives on the myriad lives of cities. In a palimpsest of modern and medieval, fantastical and realistic, 21 writers expound on what it means to be a city dweller, and on the many wonders and horrors that an urban center can encompass.

Sammarynda Deep is one of the star stories in the mix, conjuring a complex society and city in a few scant pages. In the exotic city of Sammarynda residents chose an “honor” to inflict upon themselves, either physical or mental, which proves their humility and maturity. A traveler from far away brings her own honor to the city in its bustling festival season, and will change the destiny of the city forever. Australian author Cat Sparks sets in motion characters and events that are by turns intriguing and tragic, culminating in an ending that leaves the door open for a possible—and hopeful—continuation.

The Bumbelty’s Marble by rising star Cat Rambo blends a healthy dash of silliness and whimsy with a pang of sorrow in a short and sweet story inhabited by children, underdwellers, piskies and mean older brothers.

In a story from Jay Lake’s City Imperishable, the brutalities of the Tribade—a shadowy, all-female society of peacekeepers—are nothing compared to the cruelties from which they must protect the innocent and poor. Harsh and raw, Lake’s prose here proves he is a master of the short form and might lead readers to discover his very excellent novels Mainspring and its sequel, Escapement.

There are a few clunkers in the blender, however. Mark Teppo’s The One That Got Away wants to be an ironic and high-brow take on modern mythology, but ends up being overlong and pointless. Also, there is no high-brow story that revolves around unicorns. Learn the lesson and move on. The Age of Fish, Post-Flowers by Anna Tambour is a post-apocalyptic tale about…something? Worms? Fish? Flowerpots? Some amalgamation of those. No, I’m not being flippant, it could be primarily about any of those factors, but I couldn’t definitively tell you.

Most egregious, though, is Paul Meloy’s Alex and the Toyceivers, which is the clearest favor to a friend I have ever had the misfortune of stumbling across in literature. In an anthology of stories about cities it takes place in (a) the woods and (b) a cabin. Sigh.

These lows are for the most part counteracted by the highs. Cities and genres range from medieval fantasy to cyberpunk, modern realism to utterly alien, and there is a plethora of delights and unique touches around every corner. Enter the cities written by Sedia’s stable and find yourself lost in their intricacies, alleys and oddities.