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Mainspring
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Produktbeschreibungen
From Booklist
*Starred Review* In a visibly clocklike world, a clockmaker's apprentice with an excellent ear for the meshing of time at midnight is visited by the angel Gabriel, who tells him he must seek the Key Perilous, travel to the Earth's workings, and wind the mainspring, or disaster will ensue. Hethor, the apprentice, has no idea what the Key Perilous is, so he goes to his master's son, Pryce, who ridicules him and accuses him of stealing the feather the angel left as proof of the visitation. Fortunately, the librarian Hethor meets next is more sympathetic and provides him with guidance and a pass code that serves him well in the adventures he has after Pryce's accusation gets him kicked out of town. Imprisonment, impression into the royal navy, in which he learns the art of navigating an airship, and a final plunge into and beyond the wilds of the equatorial wall on the southern continents highlight the journey, during which Hethor meets all sorts of fascinating people and members of the more mysterious races living on and over the wall. Lake's steampunk-esque alternative nineteenth century is an astonishing, marvelous place, and the quest for the world's mainspring is a fascinating fable of a young man's sudden, unexpected education out in and about the great world. Schroeder, Regina
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved -- Dieser Text bezieht sich auf eine vergriffene oder nicht verfügbare Ausgabe dieses Titels.
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved -- Dieser Text bezieht sich auf eine vergriffene oder nicht verfügbare Ausgabe dieses Titels.
Pressestimmen
"A dark, wild mix of machine and magic--an impressive debut novel from short story maestro Jay Lake."--Greg Bear on "Mainspring
"
"In "Mainspring", Lake has created a grandiose, thoroughly engaging blasphemy.
This book blends the best of nostalgic adventure fiction with a genuinely
fresh voice and ideas. An instant steampunk classic." --Cory Doctorow, author of "Someone Comes to Town, ""Someone Leaves Town"
"From the sweeping mechanisms of his clockwork world, down to the subtle movements of his characters, all drawn with a clockmaker's eye, Lake gives us a story both grand and intimate, smart and savvy... and a whole lot of fun to boot." --Hal Duncan, author of "Vellum "on" Mainspring
"
"
"In "Mainspring", Lake has created a grandiose, thoroughly engaging blasphemy.
This book blends the best of nostalgic adventure fiction with a genuinely
fresh voice and ideas. An instant steampunk classic." --Cory Doctorow, author of "Someone Comes to Town, ""Someone Leaves Town"
"From the sweeping mechanisms of his clockwork world, down to the subtle movements of his characters, all drawn with a clockmaker's eye, Lake gives us a story both grand and intimate, smart and savvy... and a whole lot of fun to boot." --Hal Duncan, author of "Vellum "on" Mainspring
"
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Kundenrezensionen
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4 von 4 Kunden fanden die folgende Rezension hilfreich
Format:Taschenbuch|Von Amazon bestätigter Kauf
MAINSPRING ist ein Roman, an dem Fans von wirklich bizarrem Steampunk (oder, ganz präzise, dem Steampunk-Untergenre des Clockpunk) ihre helle Freude haben werden - ebenso, wie auch ansonsten Freunde von schräger Fantasy hier ihren Spaß haben sollten.
Das Universum von MAINSPRING ist viel abgedrehter als das archetypische Steampunksetting - das Universum ist in der Tat eine gigantische Uhr, die Erde läuft auf Schienen um die Sonne, und in ihrem Innern tickt ein Mechanismus präzise seit Beginn der Schöpfung vor sich hin. Das sich die Geschichte (das Buch spielt zu einer pseudo-victorianischen Epoche) daher in vielem deutlich anders entwickelt hat dürfte klar sein. Wie dem auch sei: ein junger Uhrmacher-Geselle bekommt von niemand anders als dem Erzengel Gabriel den Befehl, eben diesen Mechanismus neu zu justieren, und macht sich von Neuengland auf, diese für ihn annähernd unmögliche Aufgabe zu erfüllen. So beginnt die Reise des Protagonisten - und er reist von Boston bis zum Südpol, das er unterwegs allerhand bizarre Begegnungen macht und natürlich Flugschiffe nicht fehlen dürfen ist klar.
MAINSPRING ist in jeder Hinsicht gut und plastisch geschrieben - der Autor hat ein gutes Händchen für Beschreibungen und versteht es, seine abgedrehte Welt dem Leser durchaus plastisch zu schildern... so sehr, das sie einem mitunter ganz logisch vorkommt. Hinzu kommt, dass trotz aller skurrilen Schauplätze die Handlung als solche immer noch einwandfrei nachvollziehbar bleibt - unter der ganzen schrägen Fassade handelt es sich hier um die direkt klassische Geschichte um die Reise eines Helden, der immer mehr dieser rolle gewachsen wird und der eine anfangs unlösbare Queste erfüllen muss.
Sicherlich ist diese Reise eines 16 jährigen mittelosen und verängstigten Uhrmachergesellen keine wilde Actionachterbahnfahrt mit vielen Kämpfen, aber für Unterhaltung wird in dem Buch konstant gesorgt - und exotische Ideen gibt es reichlich.
Alles in allem kann MAINSPRING allen, die auf Steampunk, exotische Fantasy oder einfach schöne Bücher stehen rundum empfohlen werden - eine (unter der Fassade) klassische Geschichte mit vielen sehr originellen Schauplätzen und nicht minder schönen Ideen, die dem Leser noch länger im Gedächtnis bleiben werden.
Das Universum von MAINSPRING ist viel abgedrehter als das archetypische Steampunksetting - das Universum ist in der Tat eine gigantische Uhr, die Erde läuft auf Schienen um die Sonne, und in ihrem Innern tickt ein Mechanismus präzise seit Beginn der Schöpfung vor sich hin. Das sich die Geschichte (das Buch spielt zu einer pseudo-victorianischen Epoche) daher in vielem deutlich anders entwickelt hat dürfte klar sein. Wie dem auch sei: ein junger Uhrmacher-Geselle bekommt von niemand anders als dem Erzengel Gabriel den Befehl, eben diesen Mechanismus neu zu justieren, und macht sich von Neuengland auf, diese für ihn annähernd unmögliche Aufgabe zu erfüllen. So beginnt die Reise des Protagonisten - und er reist von Boston bis zum Südpol, das er unterwegs allerhand bizarre Begegnungen macht und natürlich Flugschiffe nicht fehlen dürfen ist klar.
MAINSPRING ist in jeder Hinsicht gut und plastisch geschrieben - der Autor hat ein gutes Händchen für Beschreibungen und versteht es, seine abgedrehte Welt dem Leser durchaus plastisch zu schildern... so sehr, das sie einem mitunter ganz logisch vorkommt. Hinzu kommt, dass trotz aller skurrilen Schauplätze die Handlung als solche immer noch einwandfrei nachvollziehbar bleibt - unter der ganzen schrägen Fassade handelt es sich hier um die direkt klassische Geschichte um die Reise eines Helden, der immer mehr dieser rolle gewachsen wird und der eine anfangs unlösbare Queste erfüllen muss.
Sicherlich ist diese Reise eines 16 jährigen mittelosen und verängstigten Uhrmachergesellen keine wilde Actionachterbahnfahrt mit vielen Kämpfen, aber für Unterhaltung wird in dem Buch konstant gesorgt - und exotische Ideen gibt es reichlich.
Alles in allem kann MAINSPRING allen, die auf Steampunk, exotische Fantasy oder einfach schöne Bücher stehen rundum empfohlen werden - eine (unter der Fassade) klassische Geschichte mit vielen sehr originellen Schauplätzen und nicht minder schönen Ideen, die dem Leser noch länger im Gedächtnis bleiben werden.
Die hilfreichsten Kundenrezensionen auf Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
47 Rezensionen
56 von 68 Kunden fanden die folgende Rezension hilfreich
Bait-and-switch at its best
2. November 2007
Format:Gebundene Ausgabe
I'll start it short: This is a terrible book.
The premise is excellent, as is the cover. The execution, however, is amateurish at best and laughable at worst. There were some 4 star moments, though - the journey, to be fair, proceeded as follows:
3 stars, 4 stars, 3, 4, 2, 2, 1...
The second half of this book is so unsatisfying, and the ending so trite and faux-didactic that I had trouble not throwing it across the room. As a massive sf/fantasy literary snob (China Mieville is my hero), I was actually insulted to have been conned into buying and reading this book.
The premise is classic steampunk/clockpunk - what if the solar system were a giant clockwork mechanism, and the planet was winding down and needed to be rewound? The book, however, is classic bait-and-switch. There is no steampunk here beyond the premise, and after the halfway point the book just becomes tiresome and tedious. The main character is uninteresting, his 'perils' uninspiring, and we are never concerned that he is in any danger of failure on his quest. Actions, scenes, characters and ideas are thrown around, but the author never does us the courtesy of explaining them. The message of the entire book seems to be 'trust in god' which never sits well with me anyway, but this message isn't even delivered in an interesting way. A massive, massive disappointment, and I should probably give the book away to someone I don't like.
Have I mentioned how terrible this book is? Well, let's ignore a pointless sex scene thrown in randomly later in the book to establish a growing bond between the main character and his nominal girlfriend; let's ignore the impossible nature of the equatorial gear crossing (Imagine the worst possible writing mistake about a world where the baseline earth is a giant clockwork mechanism and the concept of gears is fundamental??? Try thinking about the shape of a gear for a second, just one second, a fraction of time less than it would have taken the author to google a picture of a gear, for example...); let's ignore foolish exposition and grade school philosophy and metaphysics that makes the Matrix look like holy revelation by comparison; let's ignore long, tedious travelling scenes followed by condescendingly short and ridiculous action scenes with monsters who appear for no reason and out of nowhere... What's left to ignore?
There was a tiny fraction of potential in this novel, and it was wasted.
I think Jay Lake should go read Polystom: Two Universes in One Reality (Gollancz). That was an excellent take on a similar idea. It even had a point! This, however wasn't and hadn't.
The premise is excellent, as is the cover. The execution, however, is amateurish at best and laughable at worst. There were some 4 star moments, though - the journey, to be fair, proceeded as follows:
3 stars, 4 stars, 3, 4, 2, 2, 1...
The second half of this book is so unsatisfying, and the ending so trite and faux-didactic that I had trouble not throwing it across the room. As a massive sf/fantasy literary snob (China Mieville is my hero), I was actually insulted to have been conned into buying and reading this book.
The premise is classic steampunk/clockpunk - what if the solar system were a giant clockwork mechanism, and the planet was winding down and needed to be rewound? The book, however, is classic bait-and-switch. There is no steampunk here beyond the premise, and after the halfway point the book just becomes tiresome and tedious. The main character is uninteresting, his 'perils' uninspiring, and we are never concerned that he is in any danger of failure on his quest. Actions, scenes, characters and ideas are thrown around, but the author never does us the courtesy of explaining them. The message of the entire book seems to be 'trust in god' which never sits well with me anyway, but this message isn't even delivered in an interesting way. A massive, massive disappointment, and I should probably give the book away to someone I don't like.
Have I mentioned how terrible this book is? Well, let's ignore a pointless sex scene thrown in randomly later in the book to establish a growing bond between the main character and his nominal girlfriend; let's ignore the impossible nature of the equatorial gear crossing (Imagine the worst possible writing mistake about a world where the baseline earth is a giant clockwork mechanism and the concept of gears is fundamental??? Try thinking about the shape of a gear for a second, just one second, a fraction of time less than it would have taken the author to google a picture of a gear, for example...); let's ignore foolish exposition and grade school philosophy and metaphysics that makes the Matrix look like holy revelation by comparison; let's ignore long, tedious travelling scenes followed by condescendingly short and ridiculous action scenes with monsters who appear for no reason and out of nowhere... What's left to ignore?
There was a tiny fraction of potential in this novel, and it was wasted.
I think Jay Lake should go read Polystom: Two Universes in One Reality (Gollancz). That was an excellent take on a similar idea. It even had a point! This, however wasn't and hadn't.
9 von 9 Kunden fanden die folgende Rezension hilfreich
Clever But A Little Thin
2. August 2007
Format:Gebundene Ausgabe
This is very clever idea. What if the idea of the Universe as a clockwork mechanism was not merely a metaphor but literally true? Lake constructs a clever alternate universe based on this idea. He also inserts a clever religious theme. Unfortunately, characterization and quality of writing are not particularly good and the plot is perhaps too elaborate.
12 von 13 Kunden fanden die folgende Rezension hilfreich
Lake Needs his Clock Cleaned
5. März 2008
Format:Gebundene Ausgabe
How do you ruin a great short story? Turn it into a novel. Great premise (though not entirely original) that could have really gone somewhere if it had only gotten there sooner. For an author who made his name writing short stories, he really does yammer on in this novel. And the story's mainspring winds down about halfway through.
Lake should have deleted that third quarter of this book and put his energy into crafting a better ending. It wasn't that I didn't understand the ending, it was that I thought the ending was weak and hastily written. He spent long sections dwelling on pointless environmental detail during the adventure, but at the end, he summarizes major plot points in a single sentence.
Clearly it's a fable, probably an Intelligent Design fable... but I think that's just a stylistic choice to get off the hook for the weak logic. He alternates between reveling in his world building skills and describing things in detail, as if to say, "this could really work!" But when he gets too close to serious engineering questions, he leaves that vague and uses God to explain it. That's not Steampunk as some reviewers have said, that's Faithpunk. (Incidentally, anyone who knows anything about mechanical engineering will tell you that the gear he describes for the Earth's rotation would vibrate so horribly that not only would people near it go deaf, but the whole planet would also be shaken apart.)
Jay Lake comes off as very sharp and insightful in interviews. I wonder why there wasn't more of that in this book.
Lake should have deleted that third quarter of this book and put his energy into crafting a better ending. It wasn't that I didn't understand the ending, it was that I thought the ending was weak and hastily written. He spent long sections dwelling on pointless environmental detail during the adventure, but at the end, he summarizes major plot points in a single sentence.
Clearly it's a fable, probably an Intelligent Design fable... but I think that's just a stylistic choice to get off the hook for the weak logic. He alternates between reveling in his world building skills and describing things in detail, as if to say, "this could really work!" But when he gets too close to serious engineering questions, he leaves that vague and uses God to explain it. That's not Steampunk as some reviewers have said, that's Faithpunk. (Incidentally, anyone who knows anything about mechanical engineering will tell you that the gear he describes for the Earth's rotation would vibrate so horribly that not only would people near it go deaf, but the whole planet would also be shaken apart.)
Jay Lake comes off as very sharp and insightful in interviews. I wonder why there wasn't more of that in this book.
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