The Martian Ambassador. Alan Baker

1 Review

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  The "Martian Ambassador" is another variation over the Steampunk with the martians playing the part of the guiding race that is far more advanced than the human and thus provides us with the "giant leap" in technology that sometimes is the most feeblely explained part of Steampunk novels.

  But it do ... (continue)

  The "Martian Ambassador" is another variation over the Steampunk with the martians playing the part of the guiding race that is far more advanced than the human and thus provides us with the "giant leap" in technology that sometimes is the most feeblely explained part of Steampunk novels.

  But it doesn't end here because the author add also magic, fairies and a touch of Lovecraftian monster, playing homage to all his favorite writers I suppose. If all this is not enough at the center of everything there's a mysterious murder.

  So the narrative element are plenty and intriguing but like in some passages by Stephen Hunt (which I suspect Alan Baker read) you feel that's enough is enough.
  This is what I call Baroque Steampunk because the first aim it to amaze the reader, more that describing characters. And therefore the character are really two dimensionals, with the genial male hero and the daring ( and clever) female.

  But the book is readable, Mr. Baker has indeed a fertile fantasy and its setting is an original mix enough to keep me amused in my commuter train,a thing for which I'm always grateful to writers. What this book lack is interesting characters and the will to restrain from the "coupe de theatre" at any cost.

  As a sidenote the book is narrated with the mute premise that the British Empire is the only civilised society in the World, a thing that, considering Europe in that age, is the most incredible thing amongst all the wonders.

  Buy the book if you like George Mann and you have run out of Steampunk.

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  Andrea Dalek said on Oct 5, 2011 | Add your feedback

Book Details

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• English Books
• Paperback
• ISBN-10: 1907777083
• ISBN-13: 9781907777080
• Publisher: Snowbooks
• Pub date: Mar 01, 2011
• Dimensions: 194 mm x 129 mm x 26 mm Just how big is that?

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