Status
Available
Call number
Series
Collection
Publication
Snowbooks Ltd (2013), Hardcover, 416 pages
Description
"Nineteenth century London is the center of a vast British Empire. Airships ply the skies and Queen Victoria presides over three-quarters of the known world, including the East Coast of America, following the failed revolution of 1775. London might as well be a world away from Sandsend, a tiny village on the Yorkshire coast. Gideon Smith dreams of the adventure promised him by the lurid tales of Captain Lucian Trigger, the Hero of the Empire, told in Gideon's favorite penny dreadful. When Gideon's father is lost at sea in highly mysterious circumstances Gideon is convinced that supernatural forces are at work. Deciding only Captain Lucian Trigger himself can aid him, Gideon sets off for London. On the way he rescues the mysterious mechanical girl Maria from a tumbledown house of shadows and iniquities. Together they make for London, where Gideon finally meets Captain Trigger"--Amazon.com.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member TheLostEntwife
Seriously, this book was one of the most fun romps through reading that I've had this year. You name it, it had it. Steampunk, dirigibles, piracy, searching for treasure, pyramids (!!), adventure, danger - just think Indiana Jones means Jules Verne and yeah.. that's what Gideon Smith and the
Read the rest of this review at The Lost Entwife on Oct. 3, 2013.
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Mechanical Girl came out to be.Read the rest of this review at The Lost Entwife on Oct. 3, 2013.
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LibraryThing member samaside
Title: Gideon Smith and the Mechanical Girl
Author: David Barnett
Release Date: September 10, 2013
Publisher: Tor Books
Source: NetGalley DRC
Genre(s): Steampunk, Fantasy, Mythology, New Adult
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Review Spoilers: Mild
I have been reading and reviewing a lot of indie steampunk stories
Not that we start out with a story that’s so obviously a steampunk adventure. (I mean, obviously it is based on the cover and the title but shush. Suspend belief for a moment!) Our hero, Gideon Smith, lives a very ordinary live in a small fishing village in England. He lives alone with his father who dotes on his often absentminded, bookish son who dreams of mysteries and adventures and sees wondrous events in even the most mundane things. It’s happy if probably quite ordinary life and Gideon loves his father just as much as he loves escaping into pulp magazines to read the incredible adventures of Captain Trigger, the hero of the Empire!
But all the adventures he had ever dreamed of some how catch up to him and when his father’s ship suddenly appears on the short devoid of any life, deadly creatures start stalking the moors and catacombs, and a mysterious dog jumps off a Russian ship in the distance to stalk the shores of their sleepy town it’s up to Gideon to save the day.
The cast of characters that follow along are quite incredible and outlandish, the sort you expect to find in a ‘modern day pulp novel’ like this. He first meets up with a writer on sabbatical named Bram Stoker who enlists him to help in his own investigations. But when Bram’s efforts become obviously contrary to Gideon’s pursuit of what killed his father the boy takes off for London in search of Captain Trigger and his partner John Reed. Meanwhile Bram meets up with Countess Dracula, Elizabeth Bathory (Count Dracula having been murdered) and continues his efforts while the portly Bent investigates the Jack the Ripper murders with the assistance of some of Sherlock Holmes’ Irregulars. All of the classic Victorian characters, figures, and such all seem to be quiet well and quite real along with all of the author’s own invented heroes and villains. (Captain Trigger and his John take on the fandom personas of BBC’s Sherlock and John in a very obvious way we soon discover.) Later we meet Texans and sky captains and, of course, Maria the Mechanical Girl who Gideon rescues after a chance encounter after staying the night during a storm in a cottage belonging to a Herr Einstein (father of Albert Einstein, by the way).
Sometimes the cast of characters seems a bit large and they often are separated from time to time as the plot diverges. There is a lot going on and it’s easy to get lost if you decide to take a significant break from the story. Luckily, it’s action packed enough to keep you reading a long wondering what will happen next. And a lot does happen next. Gideon goes from being just a fisherman to an adventurer very quickly as he finds himself battling ancient Egyptian monsters, traveling with a vampire, and dashing about from London to the Egyptian desert on a rescue mission. He travels in trains, steampowered cars, airships, submersibles… He gets to live his dreams while also seeking out revenge for his father’s sake. But he does all these incredible things often just to help others and as Captain Trigger tells him at one point that’s the measure of a true hero.
I don’t want to give too much away in this review or reveal too many of the plot points. Or even the cameos that pop up now and again because there are a lot of them and it’s fun to pick them out.
I will say, though, that I look forward to seeing the rest of the world in the sequels should they come. The British Empire in this world never lost it’s former colonies and has a habit of building and stealing wonders of the world and bringing them to Hyde Park. The United States seems split between Britain, Texas, and Japan (why Japan invaded Spanish owned California I don’t really understand) and the Civil War was apparently fought between British colonists and evil, slave owning Texans. Which, by the way, as a Texan, I really resent. I resented a lot of the Texas bashing. I pushed through it but I really almost stopped reading a few times because of that.
Obviously, I got over it. But it did sour my enjoyment of the book throughout.
Also, interestingly enough, though the book is called Gideon Smith and the Mechanical Girl, Maria never seemed to be quite as important as the book made her out to be. Even when she was that important I never really gave it much thought. She was absent for probably a good half of the book either taking off her own, getting kidnapped, or just not being introduced into the story quite yet. In the end, yes, she was quite important. But I had hoped that she would get a bit more character development and that her relationship with Gideon would have been expanded upon a bit more because right now I’m not seeing how any of this works out in the end. Fanshawe and the Countess at least kept the strong-willed, bad-ass ladies quota well filled.
I really enjoyed reading this book and stayed up until four o’clock in the morning to finish this because of the climactic ending. I swear, once you get to the pyramid you just need to be prepared to read all the way through. I mean, the very ending was a bit face palmingly predictable but the rest of it is great. I’m really looking forward to reading more about Gideon Smith and I think this book might have won me over for steampunk just in general. It’s just so fun and campy and ridiculous. You don’t have to hold back and the author certainly does not. I feel like he’s got plenty of surprises and adventures ready for us down the road assuming the book does well and gets optioned into a full series. (Unless it already has.)
And if you want a bit more of Gideon Smith and his adventures – as well as a kind of jarring cameo – check out this short story set during Gideon Smith and the Mechanical Girl at Tor.com.
Final Thoughts:
Barnett has crafted quite the little steampunk work for us here and he’s given us just the sort of adventure we need to get the most out of it. Gideon Smith is a likable character whose changing perceptions of heroism and own heroic deeds add a relatable element to the story to balance out the incredible cast of other characters – some based on real, historical figures and others based on the fictional, pulp novel adventurers in stories at the time. It’s a fun read and I think anyone whose not opposed to steampunk as a genre just generally would enjoy.
Author: David Barnett
Release Date: September 10, 2013
Publisher: Tor Books
Source: NetGalley DRC
Genre(s): Steampunk, Fantasy, Mythology, New Adult
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Review Spoilers: Mild
I have been reading and reviewing a lot of indie steampunk stories
Show More
lately in our Indie eBook Roundups and with Gideon Smith and the Mechanical Girl I continue my education into what had been a previously unexplored genre for me. If you’re also new to the genre, Gideon Smith may be a fantastic introduction because it seemed to me that it had pretty much all the classic steampunk elements.Not that we start out with a story that’s so obviously a steampunk adventure. (I mean, obviously it is based on the cover and the title but shush. Suspend belief for a moment!) Our hero, Gideon Smith, lives a very ordinary live in a small fishing village in England. He lives alone with his father who dotes on his often absentminded, bookish son who dreams of mysteries and adventures and sees wondrous events in even the most mundane things. It’s happy if probably quite ordinary life and Gideon loves his father just as much as he loves escaping into pulp magazines to read the incredible adventures of Captain Trigger, the hero of the Empire!
But all the adventures he had ever dreamed of some how catch up to him and when his father’s ship suddenly appears on the short devoid of any life, deadly creatures start stalking the moors and catacombs, and a mysterious dog jumps off a Russian ship in the distance to stalk the shores of their sleepy town it’s up to Gideon to save the day.
The cast of characters that follow along are quite incredible and outlandish, the sort you expect to find in a ‘modern day pulp novel’ like this. He first meets up with a writer on sabbatical named Bram Stoker who enlists him to help in his own investigations. But when Bram’s efforts become obviously contrary to Gideon’s pursuit of what killed his father the boy takes off for London in search of Captain Trigger and his partner John Reed. Meanwhile Bram meets up with Countess Dracula, Elizabeth Bathory (Count Dracula having been murdered) and continues his efforts while the portly Bent investigates the Jack the Ripper murders with the assistance of some of Sherlock Holmes’ Irregulars. All of the classic Victorian characters, figures, and such all seem to be quiet well and quite real along with all of the author’s own invented heroes and villains. (Captain Trigger and his John take on the fandom personas of BBC’s Sherlock and John in a very obvious way we soon discover.) Later we meet Texans and sky captains and, of course, Maria the Mechanical Girl who Gideon rescues after a chance encounter after staying the night during a storm in a cottage belonging to a Herr Einstein (father of Albert Einstein, by the way).
Sometimes the cast of characters seems a bit large and they often are separated from time to time as the plot diverges. There is a lot going on and it’s easy to get lost if you decide to take a significant break from the story. Luckily, it’s action packed enough to keep you reading a long wondering what will happen next. And a lot does happen next. Gideon goes from being just a fisherman to an adventurer very quickly as he finds himself battling ancient Egyptian monsters, traveling with a vampire, and dashing about from London to the Egyptian desert on a rescue mission. He travels in trains, steampowered cars, airships, submersibles… He gets to live his dreams while also seeking out revenge for his father’s sake. But he does all these incredible things often just to help others and as Captain Trigger tells him at one point that’s the measure of a true hero.
I don’t want to give too much away in this review or reveal too many of the plot points. Or even the cameos that pop up now and again because there are a lot of them and it’s fun to pick them out.
I will say, though, that I look forward to seeing the rest of the world in the sequels should they come. The British Empire in this world never lost it’s former colonies and has a habit of building and stealing wonders of the world and bringing them to Hyde Park. The United States seems split between Britain, Texas, and Japan (why Japan invaded Spanish owned California I don’t really understand) and the Civil War was apparently fought between British colonists and evil, slave owning Texans. Which, by the way, as a Texan, I really resent. I resented a lot of the Texas bashing. I pushed through it but I really almost stopped reading a few times because of that.
Obviously, I got over it. But it did sour my enjoyment of the book throughout.
Also, interestingly enough, though the book is called Gideon Smith and the Mechanical Girl, Maria never seemed to be quite as important as the book made her out to be. Even when she was that important I never really gave it much thought. She was absent for probably a good half of the book either taking off her own, getting kidnapped, or just not being introduced into the story quite yet. In the end, yes, she was quite important. But I had hoped that she would get a bit more character development and that her relationship with Gideon would have been expanded upon a bit more because right now I’m not seeing how any of this works out in the end. Fanshawe and the Countess at least kept the strong-willed, bad-ass ladies quota well filled.
I really enjoyed reading this book and stayed up until four o’clock in the morning to finish this because of the climactic ending. I swear, once you get to the pyramid you just need to be prepared to read all the way through. I mean, the very ending was a bit face palmingly predictable but the rest of it is great. I’m really looking forward to reading more about Gideon Smith and I think this book might have won me over for steampunk just in general. It’s just so fun and campy and ridiculous. You don’t have to hold back and the author certainly does not. I feel like he’s got plenty of surprises and adventures ready for us down the road assuming the book does well and gets optioned into a full series. (Unless it already has.)
And if you want a bit more of Gideon Smith and his adventures – as well as a kind of jarring cameo – check out this short story set during Gideon Smith and the Mechanical Girl at Tor.com.
Final Thoughts:
Barnett has crafted quite the little steampunk work for us here and he’s given us just the sort of adventure we need to get the most out of it. Gideon Smith is a likable character whose changing perceptions of heroism and own heroic deeds add a relatable element to the story to balance out the incredible cast of other characters – some based on real, historical figures and others based on the fictional, pulp novel adventurers in stories at the time. It’s a fun read and I think anyone whose not opposed to steampunk as a genre just generally would enjoy.
Show Less
LibraryThing member retropelocin
Gideon Smith is meant to be a village fisherman like his father. But Gideon’s no “he-man,” he’s a dreamer. Gideon dreams of living the adventures of Captain Lucian Trigger as reported to World Marvels and Wonders by trusted “man Friday,” Dr. John Reed. When his father is killed in a
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suspicious fishing accident, Gideon decides to enlist the aid of this intrepid penny dreadful duo. Stopping to rest on his way to London, he finds himself at the home of Professor Einstein, where he meets up with a beautiful automaton named Maria. A disheveled Fleet Street reporter, an erudite Bram Stoker, a sexy dirigible pilot and a cowboy sky-pirate round out this daring cast of adventurers. Oh, and let’s not forget, reclusive artist Walter Sickert, a horde of mummies, a provocative vampire, and Queen Victoria’s ministry of ne’er-do-wells. I know what you’re thinking, “this can’t possibly just end here!” You’re right! Show Less
LibraryThing member lauriebrown54
The first volume in a projected trilogy, Gideon Smith and the Mechanical Girl is set in a fairy typical steampunk world: Victorian era, airships, wild inventions, paranormal beings, historical characters mixed in with fictional ones.
Gideon Smith is a teenager living in out of the way Sandsend, son
Gideon Smith is a teenager living in out of the way Sandsend, son
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of a fisherman and addicted to the penny dreadful adventures of Captain Lucian Trigger. When Smith’s father and crew disappear off his fishing boat without a trace, things don’t seem right. He vows to go to London and engage said captain to investigate. Along the way to London, he meets (and intrigues with his story) Bram Stoker and rescues a mechanical girl, Maria, from slavery. Soon a band of adventurer’s is collected, with multiple aims: to again rescue the now kidnapped Maria, to seek vengeance for various deaths, to follow an exciting story; it’s all very exciting and at times confusing. But it’s well constructed, the characters are great fun (although I had a little trouble getting my mind around Elizabeth Bathory as a grieving and vengeful widow- okay, the vengeful part is easy to see), some fairly unique supernaturals are introduced, there are airship pirates, the women are as strong and resourceful as the men, and Barnett doesn’t seem to drop any of the plot strands. I eagerly await the next volume. Show Less
LibraryThing member gypsysmom
This was a diverting read but not my cup of tea really. It seems to be the first book of a series but I won't be hunting the rest down.
Gideon Smith is a fisherman's son living in a small town on the north-eastern coast of England. His mother and two brothers have died so there is just his father
Lots of allusions to classical horror fiction so that should appeal to some people.
Gideon Smith is a fisherman's son living in a small town on the north-eastern coast of England. His mother and two brothers have died so there is just his father
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and him. Gideon is addicted to a penny dreadful that features Captain Lucian Trigger, the hero of the Empire. When Gideon's father and all his crew disappear from their boat one foggy morning Gideon seeks the help of Captain Trigger. Along the way he meets Bram Stoker, holidaying in Whitby in search of inspiration for a book. While chatting with Stoker a ship comes in to Whitby harbor that has also lost all its crew. Only a fierce black dog is aboard and it leaps off the deck and runs away. While Stoker tries to solve the mystery of this ship Gideon decides to go straight to London to find Captain Trigger. He spends one night in an old house owned by Hermann Einstein (father of Albert Einstein and a renowned inventor himself) where he is introduced to Maria, the clockwork girl. The next day he and Maria travel to London together where they do eventually meet Captain Trigger. However, he is not the hero portrayed in the stories and Gideon must search farther to solve the mystery of his father's appearance.Lots of allusions to classical horror fiction so that should appeal to some people.
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LibraryThing member ScoLgo
Let's see what we have here...
- Alternate history set in Victorian-era Steampunk England/Europe, (Queen Victoria is literally the queen and de-facto ruler of the world).
- A naively reluctant hero.
- A mechanical girl with a secret past hidden even from her.
- Bram Stoker.
- Countess Bathory.
- A
- An (not altogether unexpected) villain.
- Zombie Frog Mummies!
- Egyptian pyramids holding ancient puzzles, secrets and weapons
- Indiana Jones-style adventuring
What's not to like? This was a fun romp of a story. It's a bit silly at times but the characters are mostly likable and each fit their roles nicely within the context of the tale.
Not a bad way to while away a few hours. I am likely to read the sequel at some point.
- Alternate history set in Victorian-era Steampunk England/Europe, (Queen Victoria is literally the queen and de-facto ruler of the world).
- A naively reluctant hero.
- A mechanical girl with a secret past hidden even from her.
- Bram Stoker.
- Countess Bathory.
- A
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beautiful, wise-cracking, shoot-from-the-hip dirigible pilot- An (not altogether unexpected) villain.
- Zombie Frog Mummies!
- Egyptian pyramids holding ancient puzzles, secrets and weapons
- Indiana Jones-style adventuring
What's not to like? This was a fun romp of a story. It's a bit silly at times but the characters are mostly likable and each fit their roles nicely within the context of the tale.
Not a bad way to while away a few hours. I am likely to read the sequel at some point.
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LibraryThing member anyaejo
Just not in the mood for vampires and the classic pulp feel of this one. The mechanical girl and twist on Dracula are awesome, my brain just isn't handling the slight creepiness well right now ;-). Definitely recommended for fans of steampunk mixed with classic horror tropes. Stopped on page 126
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for my future reference. Show Less
LibraryThing member GranitePeakPubs
I was surprised how much I enjoyed this somewhat silly book, definitely a light read. Good to read just after having read Dracula about a year ago.
LibraryThing member yonitdm
I couldn't get past the crassness that popped in and out unnecessarily.
LibraryThing member skraft001
An OK read-- was too easy to put down until the last the cast entered into Egypt and the pyramid. There was a major plot flaw that bothered me (spoiler alert) -- it took Bram Stoker, Trigger and Countess Elizabeth Bathory two hours to reach the spinning room, yet Gideon was there almost instantly.
LibraryThing member mysterymax
Steampunk is meant to be an adventure romp. If Jules Verne were alive today, it's what he would write. Gideon Smith promises to become a steampunk hero. This is the first of his adventures. If you're prudish about what you read, don't pick it up. One character's personality runs on the blue side.
LibraryThing member kojika
An interesting read. The story and characters were slow to get into, and it wasn't until about halfway through that I found myself really wanting to read more. The cast itself was an interesting array of colorful characters. The breakup between scenes was rough in the first half, and as a reader I
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didn't have time to invest myself into any of them, especially Gideon Smith. As the story progressed, the scenes came together smoother, and as a reader I was able to build a relationship with many of the characters. I liked the book overall, but I could have done without so much mention of erections. Show Less
Language
Original publication date
2013-09
Physical description
416 p.; 5.08 inches
ISBN
1909679062 / 9781909679061
Local notes
Gideon Smith dreams of the adventure promised him by the lurid tales of Captain Lucian Trigger, the Hero of the Empire, told in Gideon’s favorite “penny dreadful.” When Gideon’s father is lost at sea in highly mysterious circumstances Gideon is convinced that supernatural forces are at work. Deciding only Captain Lucian Trigger himself can aid him, Gideon sets off for London. On the way he rescues the mysterious mechanical girl Maria from a tumbledown house of shadows and iniquities.