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kittiwakeThe Empress of Mars drifted slowly over the great metropolis, a sleek silver air-form, one-third of a mile in length. The first of its kind, an aerial pleasure ship.
Sadly, upon this night of nights, the capital was wreathed in fog. Another industrial pea-souper. the dome of St. Paul's peeked above the murk, as did the tessallated tower of the Babbage Institute for the Advancement of Science. And towards the south, a golden glow, as of some rich and royal treasure could be discerned atop the hills at Sydenham. From the destination of this wondrous aircraft. the Crystal Palace.
Ten years after the Martian Invasion described by H. G . Wells, Great Britain has colonised Mars and .trades throughout the solar system in spaceships back-engineered by Babbage and Tesla from the crashed vessels of the Martian Invaders, while Venusians and Jovians are regularly seen on the streets of London.
Professor Coffin and his assistant George make their living by displaying the preserved body of a dead Martian in side shows, but the Martian is getting smeliler and more unpleasant every day, and the Professor is in dire need of a replacement attraction. So they joint the maiden round the world voyage of The Empress of Mars and head for Japan in search of the ultimate sideshow attraction, the Japanese Devil Fish Girl.
This is a humorous alternate history, a romping story of travel, adventure, deception, betrayal, religious cults, lost civilisations and mysterious books, set in a late-Victorian steampunk world. I romped through it at speed, but I didn't get round to writing this review until about three weeks later, and I couldn't remember the ending at all, so I guess I would have to describe it as a fun read but ultimately unmemorable.
Sadly, upon this night of nights, the capital was wreathed in fog. Another industrial pea-souper. the dome of St. Paul's peeked above the murk, as did the tessallated tower of the Babbage Institute for the Advancement of Science. And towards the south, a golden glow, as of some rich and royal treasure could be discerned atop the hills at Sydenham. From the destination of this wondrous aircraft. the Crystal Palace.
Ten years after the Martian Invasion described by H. G . Wells, Great Britain has colonised Mars and .trades throughout the solar system in spaceships back-engineered by Babbage and Tesla from the crashed vessels of the Martian Invaders, while Venusians and Jovians are regularly seen on the streets of London.
Professor Coffin and his assistant George make their living by displaying the preserved body of a dead Martian in side shows, but the Martian is getting smeliler and more unpleasant every day, and the Professor is in dire need of a replacement attraction. So they joint the maiden round the world voyage of The Empress of Mars and head for Japan in search of the ultimate sideshow attraction, the Japanese Devil Fish Girl.
This is a humorous alternate history, a romping story of travel, adventure, deception, betrayal, religious cults, lost civilisations and mysterious books, set in a late-Victorian steampunk world. I romped through it at speed, but I didn't get round to writing this review until about three weeks later, and I couldn't remember the ending at all, so I guess I would have to describe it as a fun read but ultimately unmemorable.
