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Revolutions
Following in the fine tradition of Felix Gilman’s spectacularly reviewed Half Made World comes a sweeping tale of Victorian science fiction, space exploration, and planetary romance.
In 1893 a storm sweeps through London, while Arthur Shaw—a young astronomer with a side career writing fiction—is at work in British Museum Reading Room. The storm wreaks unprecedented damage throughout London. Its aftermath of the storm Arthur’s prime literary market closes, owing him money, and all his debts come due at once. His fiance Jo takes a job as a stenographer for some of the fashionable spiritualist and occult societies of fin de siècle London society. Meanwhile, Arthur deciphers an encoded newspaper ad seeking able young men. It seems to be a clerking job doing accounting work, but the mysterious head man Mr. Gacewell offers Arthur a starting position at a salary many times what any clerk could expect. The work is long and peculiar, and the men spend all day performing unnerving calculations that make them hallucinate or even go mad...but the salary is compelling.
Things are beginning to look up when the wages of dabbling in the esoteric suddenly come a war breaks out between competing magical societies, and Arthur interrupts Jo in the middle of an elaborate occult exploration. This rash move turns out to be dire, as Jo’s consciousness is stranded at the outer limits of the occultists’ psychic day trip. Which, Arthur is chagrinned…
In 1893 a storm sweeps through London, while Arthur Shaw—a young astronomer with a side career writing fiction—is at work in British Museum Reading Room. The storm wreaks unprecedented damage throughout London. Its aftermath of the storm Arthur’s prime literary market closes, owing him money, and all his debts come due at once. His fiance Jo takes a job as a stenographer for some of the fashionable spiritualist and occult societies of fin de siècle London society. Meanwhile, Arthur deciphers an encoded newspaper ad seeking able young men. It seems to be a clerking job doing accounting work, but the mysterious head man Mr. Gacewell offers Arthur a starting position at a salary many times what any clerk could expect. The work is long and peculiar, and the men spend all day performing unnerving calculations that make them hallucinate or even go mad...but the salary is compelling.
Things are beginning to look up when the wages of dabbling in the esoteric suddenly come a war breaks out between competing magical societies, and Arthur interrupts Jo in the middle of an elaborate occult exploration. This rash move turns out to be dire, as Jo’s consciousness is stranded at the outer limits of the occultists’ psychic day trip. Which, Arthur is chagrinned…
467 pages, Paperback
First published February 20, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 155 reviews
September 2, 2014
Fantasy Review Barn
Bit of a disappointment here. Shame because Gilman is an author I consider must read at this point, but thus I am shown the folly of high expectations.
The Half-Made World is one of my favorite reads of the last few years and I enjoyed its sequel almost as much. Thunderer is a book I need to read again; it was one of the first books to show me that fantasy can be just as challenging as other genres. Gilman’s works have a certain style that runs true through each of his works: a better than average prose, big ideas, and a refusal to answer all the questions a reader will have. The Revolutions continues this.
What The Revolutions didn’t do, that Gilman’s previous works did, was keep my attention in the second half. This is an author that is already going to infuriate some readers by writing in a style that “doesn’t go anywhere,” but I have always been sucked in to his ideas and let that carry me through the slower areas. But there was an irony here in that I was highly interested for the first half of the book; all set up and laying out of ideas with almost no payoff. But I quickly lost interest in the second half as we actually starting seeing the action and worked toward a climax. I just didn’t care.
A book of big ideas, two lovers possible tied by fate find themselves separated by strange work patterns. Perhaps a steampunk feel but without all the trimmings. A lot of things that look like magic but are really a mess of pseudo-science complete with the people who have various levels of tolerance toward the clearly mythical.
It all came together with a very Gilman ending; enough loose ends that one can’t be completely sure what they just read. I typically am fine with this style of ending but for some reason was hoping for a bit more payoff with this book; anything to make the previous hundred pages or so worthwhile. No luck.
Read Thunderer for a challenge and to see a world where magic keeps its sense of wonder and the possibility of mayhem. Read The Half-Made World for the best fantasy-western combo I have seen, or at the very least because you simply must know what The Gun and The Line are all about. Then if you love them please read The Revolutions and tell me what the hell I am missing.
3 Stars, all earned in the first half of this tale.
Bit of a disappointment here. Shame because Gilman is an author I consider must read at this point, but thus I am shown the folly of high expectations.
The Half-Made World is one of my favorite reads of the last few years and I enjoyed its sequel almost as much. Thunderer is a book I need to read again; it was one of the first books to show me that fantasy can be just as challenging as other genres. Gilman’s works have a certain style that runs true through each of his works: a better than average prose, big ideas, and a refusal to answer all the questions a reader will have. The Revolutions continues this.
What The Revolutions didn’t do, that Gilman’s previous works did, was keep my attention in the second half. This is an author that is already going to infuriate some readers by writing in a style that “doesn’t go anywhere,” but I have always been sucked in to his ideas and let that carry me through the slower areas. But there was an irony here in that I was highly interested for the first half of the book; all set up and laying out of ideas with almost no payoff. But I quickly lost interest in the second half as we actually starting seeing the action and worked toward a climax. I just didn’t care.
A book of big ideas, two lovers possible tied by fate find themselves separated by strange work patterns. Perhaps a steampunk feel but without all the trimmings. A lot of things that look like magic but are really a mess of pseudo-science complete with the people who have various levels of tolerance toward the clearly mythical.
It all came together with a very Gilman ending; enough loose ends that one can’t be completely sure what they just read. I typically am fine with this style of ending but for some reason was hoping for a bit more payoff with this book; anything to make the previous hundred pages or so worthwhile. No luck.
Read Thunderer for a challenge and to see a world where magic keeps its sense of wonder and the possibility of mayhem. Read The Half-Made World for the best fantasy-western combo I have seen, or at the very least because you simply must know what The Gun and The Line are all about. Then if you love them please read The Revolutions and tell me what the hell I am missing.
3 Stars, all earned in the first half of this tale.
December 10, 2025
Victorian England! The cover scared me with the boofed skirt, but this is the fun Victorian England with the table tappers and screers and the aristocracy dabbling in seances and hallucinating for fun and profit behind parlor doors. The characters are rich and wacky, which is how I prefer Victorians. Strong leads, strong secondary characters, including our friends from beyond. There is a lot to the similarities in cultures that is delightful, and Gilman writes with no tricky prose to inform us of how clever he thinks he is. Josephine and Arthur work as a team and as standalone people. Gilman's descriptions are outstanding; his brain clearly focused on the scenery in vastly different settings. There are some turns of phrase that have the comic timing of Conan Doyle, the tongue-in-cheek brash of Dickens and the keen brain of Pratchett. I like this author a lot. I'll read more of his books.
February 18, 2015
Read The Anubis Gates before you read this book; it will give you an idea of the standard against which it should be measured. For the avoidance of doubt, The Revolutions does not come out well from that comparison.
What I liked: a spirited opening with a couple of lead characters I initially warmed to; a vivid description of a once-in-a-lifetime storm over London; the author’s occasional startling and delightful imagery; the sense of being trapped in the nightmare of work on the mysterious Engine.
What I was less keen on: after the storm has passed, the very low emotional temperature of the narrative voice makes everything seem rather so-what. This might be an attempt to make the novel seem “Victorian”. If so, I wish authors who were so enamoured of the trappings of Victoriana would read some actual 19th century novels. There is no lack of passion there, let me tell you.
Likewise with The Revolutions’ dialogue – the characters are supposed to be reserved, but frequently come across as vague, passive and just dull. Try Philip Pullman’s Sally Lockhart books for an example of how a contemporary author can do Victorian characters well.
There’s a mystery, but it’s mostly one to engage the reader’s intellectual curiosity. This is one of those books where plot takes precedence over character. (A lot of adventure-type SF seems to be like that. In fact, I’m going to call this sci-fi, not SF, as it’s more at the Gernsback than the literary end on the genre.) So we’ve got the heroine rushing to confront a guy whose help she desperately needs to stop her fiancé from going mad. But when she gets there, he says, “Oh, we’re going to do a séance. It’s bound to be very interesting. Your spirit name is Venus now by the way.” Or words to that effect, you understand. And she doesn’t say, “Screw that, I’m mad with worry about Arthur and we need to save him.” No, she just goes along with the séance. Why? Because it’s important for the plot. But, since it has no emotional truth, that scene actually comes across as pointless.
Some nitpicking now. (What does it matter? Well, if you create your own fantasy world you can have whatever rules you like. If you opt for an historical setting, you’re agreeing to do some research, otherwise what you’ve got there is wobbly scenery.)
Thus: (a) If you’re going to have members of the British nobility in the story, you’ll have to find out the conventions for naming and addressing them. (Tip: don’t use Dark Horse comics as your source; fifteen minutes on the Debrett’s website should do the trick.)
(b) You don’t hear constructions like throve and dove (for thrived and dived) in England even today.
(c) I doubt that a student at Edinburgh University Medical School in the 1890s could have had an education that omitted Latin.
It’s odd that our hero, given an apparently pointless job for which he is well paid, never once thinks of “The Red-Headed League” – even though the narrator has made a point of telling us he’s a Sherlock Holmes fan.
There are some editing infelicities. In places it seems that some dialogue has been cut but is then referred to by another character.
Overall, very padded. The book could be half as long. It might then be twice as good. I have to admit, I lost interest a quarter of the way in and doubt if I'll ever finish it.
What I liked: a spirited opening with a couple of lead characters I initially warmed to; a vivid description of a once-in-a-lifetime storm over London; the author’s occasional startling and delightful imagery; the sense of being trapped in the nightmare of work on the mysterious Engine.
What I was less keen on: after the storm has passed, the very low emotional temperature of the narrative voice makes everything seem rather so-what. This might be an attempt to make the novel seem “Victorian”. If so, I wish authors who were so enamoured of the trappings of Victoriana would read some actual 19th century novels. There is no lack of passion there, let me tell you.
Likewise with The Revolutions’ dialogue – the characters are supposed to be reserved, but frequently come across as vague, passive and just dull. Try Philip Pullman’s Sally Lockhart books for an example of how a contemporary author can do Victorian characters well.
There’s a mystery, but it’s mostly one to engage the reader’s intellectual curiosity. This is one of those books where plot takes precedence over character. (A lot of adventure-type SF seems to be like that. In fact, I’m going to call this sci-fi, not SF, as it’s more at the Gernsback than the literary end on the genre.) So we’ve got the heroine rushing to confront a guy whose help she desperately needs to stop her fiancé from going mad. But when she gets there, he says, “Oh, we’re going to do a séance. It’s bound to be very interesting. Your spirit name is Venus now by the way.” Or words to that effect, you understand. And she doesn’t say, “Screw that, I’m mad with worry about Arthur and we need to save him.” No, she just goes along with the séance. Why? Because it’s important for the plot. But, since it has no emotional truth, that scene actually comes across as pointless.
Some nitpicking now. (What does it matter? Well, if you create your own fantasy world you can have whatever rules you like. If you opt for an historical setting, you’re agreeing to do some research, otherwise what you’ve got there is wobbly scenery.)
Thus: (a) If you’re going to have members of the British nobility in the story, you’ll have to find out the conventions for naming and addressing them. (Tip: don’t use Dark Horse comics as your source; fifteen minutes on the Debrett’s website should do the trick.)
(b) You don’t hear constructions like throve and dove (for thrived and dived) in England even today.
(c) I doubt that a student at Edinburgh University Medical School in the 1890s could have had an education that omitted Latin.
It’s odd that our hero, given an apparently pointless job for which he is well paid, never once thinks of “The Red-Headed League” – even though the narrator has made a point of telling us he’s a Sherlock Holmes fan.
There are some editing infelicities. In places it seems that some dialogue has been cut but is then referred to by another character.
Overall, very padded. The book could be half as long. It might then be twice as good. I have to admit, I lost interest a quarter of the way in and doubt if I'll ever finish it.
December 29, 2014
Bill: At not quite the halfway point in Felix Gilman’s The Revolutions, the main character — Arthur Shaw — reacts to a particular text he is reading:
It was a hodge-podge of Masonry, Greek myth, Egyptian fantasy, debased Christianity, third-hand Hinduism, and modern and ancient astronomy, promiscuously and nonsensically mixed . . . The Book was riddled throughout with paradox and absurdity and contradiction . . . But after a week or two of study, Arthur began to enjoy it.
And it is at this point where a reader might stop and think, “Yes, yes I am,” even as he/she mentally expands that list of hodge-podge foundations: “And C.S. Lewis and Burroughs and Yeats and Poe and Stevenson and The Sun and maybe a bit of... Read More:
http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
Marion: Felix Gilman is an excellent stylist and amazing fantasist, and someone hardly anyone seems to be reading. This baffles me. Tor has given his latest book The Revolutions a nice treatment with a clever, themed cover and everything. Gilman once again shows off his imagination and his style in this odd and captivating book.
The book is kind of like a marbled cake; two somewhat different stories swirled together… or maybe three. In an 1894 England very much like ours, a devastating storm opens the book, does incredible damage, destroys a strange device called The Engine, and leads to the meeting of Arthur Shaw and Josephine Bradman, the two main characters. Arthur and Josephine take to each other and strike up a courtship, even though the magazine where Arthur wrote has gone out of business, and his debts are mounting. Josephine is well educated and has some ... Read More: http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
It was a hodge-podge of Masonry, Greek myth, Egyptian fantasy, debased Christianity, third-hand Hinduism, and modern and ancient astronomy, promiscuously and nonsensically mixed . . . The Book was riddled throughout with paradox and absurdity and contradiction . . . But after a week or two of study, Arthur began to enjoy it.
And it is at this point where a reader might stop and think, “Yes, yes I am,” even as he/she mentally expands that list of hodge-podge foundations: “And C.S. Lewis and Burroughs and Yeats and Poe and Stevenson and The Sun and maybe a bit of... Read More:
http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
Marion: Felix Gilman is an excellent stylist and amazing fantasist, and someone hardly anyone seems to be reading. This baffles me. Tor has given his latest book The Revolutions a nice treatment with a clever, themed cover and everything. Gilman once again shows off his imagination and his style in this odd and captivating book.
The book is kind of like a marbled cake; two somewhat different stories swirled together… or maybe three. In an 1894 England very much like ours, a devastating storm opens the book, does incredible damage, destroys a strange device called The Engine, and leads to the meeting of Arthur Shaw and Josephine Bradman, the two main characters. Arthur and Josephine take to each other and strike up a courtship, even though the magazine where Arthur wrote has gone out of business, and his debts are mounting. Josephine is well educated and has some ... Read More: http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
April 29, 2019
It's very good.
August 23, 2015
Mon avis en Français
My English review
Another novel set during the Victorian period and I admit that I was intrigued right away, especially with the mix of the occult. This is something that is always interesting and I was curious to find out what the author would present us.
We discover at the very beginning of the novel, a young writer, Arthur, working at the British Museum during the passage of a terrible storm. Yes, this event had serious consequences for London and our hero finds himself without a job but full of debts that need to be paid. It is within this framework that he will have to find a job, something that will propel him into a world of which he knows nothing about and where he will have to struggle to keep his head above water. Yet it is also because of this world that he will unwittingly put his fiancee in danger and all this without being able to help her to return to him.
We therefore follow the two characters alternately, each following his/her own adventures but both trying to find the other. It will not be an easy quest and they will face many obstacles together. The theme of the story is quite interesting and I admit I was curious to see where all this would be led but I think I’ve struggled to get into the story from the start and I stayed a little away throughout the chapters. So it was a bit difficult for me to hang on the story and the characters but all was still fun to read.
I am curious to discover another novel by the author.
My English review
Another novel set during the Victorian period and I admit that I was intrigued right away, especially with the mix of the occult. This is something that is always interesting and I was curious to find out what the author would present us.
We discover at the very beginning of the novel, a young writer, Arthur, working at the British Museum during the passage of a terrible storm. Yes, this event had serious consequences for London and our hero finds himself without a job but full of debts that need to be paid. It is within this framework that he will have to find a job, something that will propel him into a world of which he knows nothing about and where he will have to struggle to keep his head above water. Yet it is also because of this world that he will unwittingly put his fiancee in danger and all this without being able to help her to return to him.
We therefore follow the two characters alternately, each following his/her own adventures but both trying to find the other. It will not be an easy quest and they will face many obstacles together. The theme of the story is quite interesting and I admit I was curious to see where all this would be led but I think I’ve struggled to get into the story from the start and I stayed a little away throughout the chapters. So it was a bit difficult for me to hang on the story and the characters but all was still fun to read.
I am curious to discover another novel by the author.
October 30, 2014
This one is sort of a tough book to review. It wasn't what I expected, by far. As far as the 4th planet technically. The first quarter of the book really drew me in, it seems like another one of the Victorian tales of occult, séances and all that, when the society was so obsessed with afterlife and ghosts. Then it veered off into a completely different and unexpected directions and stayed there. Genre wise it's a mishmash, something of an adventure, something of scifi, something of fantasy. Not contemporary versions of those genres per se, but more along the lines of a 100 years ago. And it would have probably astounded 100 years ago, but for a modern reader with some education in astronomy it was quite impossible to suspend disbelief sufficiently. Maybe it should have been read as an homage. It had so many wild ideas, it had too many wild ideas really. There was too much in one book, too much for one book, it overwhelmed, occasionally straight into not caring. The writing ranged from good to very good and quite imaginative, although just like the plot it had a certain bipolarity to it, the pacing started off so well but tended to drag throughout the rest. The ending was very strong, really saved the book. Mixed bag of a reading experience, entertaining enough, but didn't quite live up to its potential and initial promise. It wasn't by any means a terrible book and it's the sort of thing someone out there might really love. Just didn't work for me really.
April 11, 2014
I bought The Revolutions on the first day and read it immediately, and I finished it quickly and thought that it had many of the elements that made me love the Half-Made World books so much. The book is witty with the capacity to go dark or wondrous as necessary, and while 1890s London is not a new setting Gilman's mixture of Babbage, Percival Lowell, Victorian occultism and Shackletonian adventure felt like an original combination to me.
I would have liked to spend more time among the occult factions of London and their obscure maneuvering, and especially among the fascinating, dying Martian society that Gilman invents. But every few pages Gilman drops in another fun bit of invention, from a magical duel at The Strand that goes like nothing I've ever seen to the primitive occult computer where our hero initially finds employment.
I would have liked to spend more time among the occult factions of London and their obscure maneuvering, and especially among the fascinating, dying Martian society that Gilman invents. But every few pages Gilman drops in another fun bit of invention, from a magical duel at The Strand that goes like nothing I've ever seen to the primitive occult computer where our hero initially finds employment.
June 26, 2014
Kinda disappointed to find out Gilman's newest is set in full on Victorian London (at least to start with) instead of a secondary world like his other books, especially since his
Half-Made World books are maybe my favorite seting since Mieville's Bas-Lag books. But he's one of my few buy-in-hardback authors, so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.
July 25. Finished. All disappointment erased.
Pretty refreshing to read a book set largely in Victorian England that finds ways to have the awesome weird stuff I look for in a Gilman book while staying true to the setting and without being steampunk (though of course I like that kind of stuff from time time too).
Half-Made World books are maybe my favorite seting since Mieville's Bas-Lag books. But he's one of my few buy-in-hardback authors, so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.
July 25. Finished. All disappointment erased.
Pretty refreshing to read a book set largely in Victorian England that finds ways to have the awesome weird stuff I look for in a Gilman book while staying true to the setting and without being steampunk (though of course I like that kind of stuff from time time too).
March 8, 2019
The novel follows a young couple who gets involved with occultists and magicians in Victorian London. The magic system in the novel feels unique and does a good job of reflecting the thinking of that time. Two parts that stood out to me in particular were the occultist computer that combines an early logic engine with human intuition and the portrayal of the planets, that combines both early astronomical science with ideas about planes or spheres of power.
November 30, 2025
This has its flaws, it seems to not know what it wants to be/is trying to be at least two different books at the same time, but in spite of all that it won me over. I like a bittersweet ending too, which helps.
October 10, 2014
The Review: http://thefoundingfields.com/2014/10/...
“A flawed but fun high concept steampunk novel that is pretty entertaining to read.” ~Bane of Kings, The Founding Fields
Following in the fine tradition of Felix Gilman’s spectacularly reviewed Half Made World comes a sweeping tale of Victorian science fiction, space exploration, and planetary romance.
In 1893 a storm sweeps through London, while Arthur Shaw—a young astronomer with a side career writing fiction—is at work in British Museum Reading Room. The storm wreaks unprecedented damage throughout London. Its aftermath of the storm Arthur’s prime literary market closes, owing him money, and all his debts come due at once. His fiance Jo takes a job as a stenographer for some of the fashionable spiritualist and occult societies of fin de siècle London society. Meanwhile, Arthur deciphers an encoded newspaper ad seeking able young men. It seems to be a clerking job doing accounting work, but the mysterious head man Mr. Gacewell offers Arthur a starting position at a salary many times what any clerk could expect. The work is long and peculiar, and the men spend all day performing unnerving calculations that make them hallucinate or even go mad…but the salary is compelling.
Things are beginning to look up when the wages of dabbling in the esoteric suddenly come due: a war breaks out between competing magical societies, and Arthur interrupts Jo in the middle of an elaborate occult exploration. This rash move turns out to be dire, as Jo’s consciousness is stranded at the outer limits of the occultists’ psychic day trip. Which, Arthur is chagrinned…"
Steampunk is one of my favourite genres, and as a result despite not being familiar with any of Felix Gilman’s novels I was looking forward to reading this one when it came through my front door mainly because of the concept, which sounded like it could be excellent. Steampunk with space exploration? That sounded like a must read to me, and whilst The Revolutions did impress in some areas, there were other parts where it didn’t quite meet the mark.
Revolutions-TheThe Revolutions is a fun, inventive and imaginative read that’s a bit different from your average novel. It’s not quite your typical Steampunk fiction either, with a big element of science fiction, specifically space exploration, being included to make for a read that’s got a wealth of ideas on offer. You won’t quite have seen anything like it before, and that can be both a good thing and a bad thing. The good thing is that you won’t feel like you’re reading something that you’ve already read, but the negativity that comes with this is in times, it can often feel too confusing especially when there are several questions that don’t get answered over the course of the novel.
It does help though, that the novel itself is well written, with a confident narrative voice and strong prose. The characters are interesting, with Arthur Shaw, a young astronomer and writer leading the way and whilst they never quite leave a lasting impact on the reader they’re more than satisfying people to spend a novel with. You won’t be put off by them, for example, and rarely do they make stupid decisions that will throw you off. However, the side characters don’t get the same amount of attention, with the likes of Lord Podmore, Atwood and others perhaps not receiving as much pagetime to flesh them out properly.
The Revolutions has some excellent world building going for it. You really get a good feeling behind what Gilman has created, and there’s a lot of depth here. It also helps that the book moves along fairly swiftly as well, not quite a page-turner but there are certainly slower novels out there. Despite having a steampunk feel, and something that could be classified as part of the genre (like I’ve done in this review) the novel doesn’t spend a lot of attention on the steam element, focusing more on different elements that will become more clear if you read the novel.
There are some issues with the plot, however. For example, Arthur’s writing is ignored once we’ve been introduced to it and only receives a passing mention at the end, and a focus on an important character’s death which does originally seem of huge import, is ignored and when brought back, is solved in an underwhelming way. I would have liked to see these two issues been expanded upon in more depth, thus allowing for a more concrete novel.
That said, there’s plenty to enjoy about The Revolutions despite its problems. The aforementioned quality of prose is part of what still manages to make this book entertaining, and the ideas presented mostly pay off. It never feels dull, and there wasn’t any point where I wanted to abandon it completely. There was always that hook that kept me turning the pages and it’s something that should apply to your reading experience as well, because despite its flaws, The Revolutions still comes with a recommendation, albeit a cautious one.
VERDICT: 6.75/10
“A flawed but fun high concept steampunk novel that is pretty entertaining to read.” ~Bane of Kings, The Founding Fields
Following in the fine tradition of Felix Gilman’s spectacularly reviewed Half Made World comes a sweeping tale of Victorian science fiction, space exploration, and planetary romance.
In 1893 a storm sweeps through London, while Arthur Shaw—a young astronomer with a side career writing fiction—is at work in British Museum Reading Room. The storm wreaks unprecedented damage throughout London. Its aftermath of the storm Arthur’s prime literary market closes, owing him money, and all his debts come due at once. His fiance Jo takes a job as a stenographer for some of the fashionable spiritualist and occult societies of fin de siècle London society. Meanwhile, Arthur deciphers an encoded newspaper ad seeking able young men. It seems to be a clerking job doing accounting work, but the mysterious head man Mr. Gacewell offers Arthur a starting position at a salary many times what any clerk could expect. The work is long and peculiar, and the men spend all day performing unnerving calculations that make them hallucinate or even go mad…but the salary is compelling.
Things are beginning to look up when the wages of dabbling in the esoteric suddenly come due: a war breaks out between competing magical societies, and Arthur interrupts Jo in the middle of an elaborate occult exploration. This rash move turns out to be dire, as Jo’s consciousness is stranded at the outer limits of the occultists’ psychic day trip. Which, Arthur is chagrinned…"
Steampunk is one of my favourite genres, and as a result despite not being familiar with any of Felix Gilman’s novels I was looking forward to reading this one when it came through my front door mainly because of the concept, which sounded like it could be excellent. Steampunk with space exploration? That sounded like a must read to me, and whilst The Revolutions did impress in some areas, there were other parts where it didn’t quite meet the mark.
Revolutions-TheThe Revolutions is a fun, inventive and imaginative read that’s a bit different from your average novel. It’s not quite your typical Steampunk fiction either, with a big element of science fiction, specifically space exploration, being included to make for a read that’s got a wealth of ideas on offer. You won’t quite have seen anything like it before, and that can be both a good thing and a bad thing. The good thing is that you won’t feel like you’re reading something that you’ve already read, but the negativity that comes with this is in times, it can often feel too confusing especially when there are several questions that don’t get answered over the course of the novel.
It does help though, that the novel itself is well written, with a confident narrative voice and strong prose. The characters are interesting, with Arthur Shaw, a young astronomer and writer leading the way and whilst they never quite leave a lasting impact on the reader they’re more than satisfying people to spend a novel with. You won’t be put off by them, for example, and rarely do they make stupid decisions that will throw you off. However, the side characters don’t get the same amount of attention, with the likes of Lord Podmore, Atwood and others perhaps not receiving as much pagetime to flesh them out properly.
The Revolutions has some excellent world building going for it. You really get a good feeling behind what Gilman has created, and there’s a lot of depth here. It also helps that the book moves along fairly swiftly as well, not quite a page-turner but there are certainly slower novels out there. Despite having a steampunk feel, and something that could be classified as part of the genre (like I’ve done in this review) the novel doesn’t spend a lot of attention on the steam element, focusing more on different elements that will become more clear if you read the novel.
There are some issues with the plot, however. For example, Arthur’s writing is ignored once we’ve been introduced to it and only receives a passing mention at the end, and a focus on an important character’s death which does originally seem of huge import, is ignored and when brought back, is solved in an underwhelming way. I would have liked to see these two issues been expanded upon in more depth, thus allowing for a more concrete novel.
That said, there’s plenty to enjoy about The Revolutions despite its problems. The aforementioned quality of prose is part of what still manages to make this book entertaining, and the ideas presented mostly pay off. It never feels dull, and there wasn’t any point where I wanted to abandon it completely. There was always that hook that kept me turning the pages and it’s something that should apply to your reading experience as well, because despite its flaws, The Revolutions still comes with a recommendation, albeit a cautious one.
VERDICT: 6.75/10
February 23, 2020
'The Revolutions' by Felix Gilman is an unusual book that features a multi-layered story revolving around ruthless occultists in late 19th century London, whose thirst for communion with the planets sets them off on a dangerous and marvelous journey.
A struggling journalist named Arthur Shaw meets and falls in love with Josephine Bradman during a terrible London storm (which may be due to weather magic) who works as a stenographer for a mysterious occult society. Their relationship has an essence of fate to it and they literally become star-crossed lovers during the course of their short relationship. Arthur becomes recruited to work for a mysterious society called “The Company” that is trying to psychically journey to the planets. Arthur barges in one of their rituals and Josephine’s consciousness becomes lost in the celestial realm. Arthur must then take her place in this occult society and try to rescue her back amidst an ongoing magical war between the London magicians.
This book is occult fiction through and through. There are some rituals in this story that are actually based on ones that were performed by occultists back in the day and the story contains quite a lot of symbolism and code involving metaphysical and theosophical teachings. I was always hoping to read a fiction story about occult societies because it was a huge underground movement in the 19th and early 20th centuries. This book does a great job at obscuring fact with fiction because those who have read occult texts will find the realism a bit unsettling at times.
There’s magic although it is more intellectual, and there is a love story that is both physical and astral. There are seedy occultists-members of the rich and famous, who are eccentric and self-serving. There are some steampunk references and a science fiction sub-story that is inspired by the vintage obsession with Mars. It’s a complex story that travels its own orbital path of peculiarity and bewilderment.
Reviews on this book are mixed. Some loved the ingenuity while others disliked the nebulous story-line. I really liked the story, but at the same time, I understand the frustrations of other readers who felt that questions were unanswered, characters motivations unclear, and conclusions perhaps a bit ambiguous.
It’s an arcane story that could have used more development in some areas. On the other hand, it’s an intricate exploration of a cosmic awakening through the lens of the Victorian occult craze...something unique and different in fiction.
A struggling journalist named Arthur Shaw meets and falls in love with Josephine Bradman during a terrible London storm (which may be due to weather magic) who works as a stenographer for a mysterious occult society. Their relationship has an essence of fate to it and they literally become star-crossed lovers during the course of their short relationship. Arthur becomes recruited to work for a mysterious society called “The Company” that is trying to psychically journey to the planets. Arthur barges in one of their rituals and Josephine’s consciousness becomes lost in the celestial realm. Arthur must then take her place in this occult society and try to rescue her back amidst an ongoing magical war between the London magicians.
This book is occult fiction through and through. There are some rituals in this story that are actually based on ones that were performed by occultists back in the day and the story contains quite a lot of symbolism and code involving metaphysical and theosophical teachings. I was always hoping to read a fiction story about occult societies because it was a huge underground movement in the 19th and early 20th centuries. This book does a great job at obscuring fact with fiction because those who have read occult texts will find the realism a bit unsettling at times.
There’s magic although it is more intellectual, and there is a love story that is both physical and astral. There are seedy occultists-members of the rich and famous, who are eccentric and self-serving. There are some steampunk references and a science fiction sub-story that is inspired by the vintage obsession with Mars. It’s a complex story that travels its own orbital path of peculiarity and bewilderment.
Reviews on this book are mixed. Some loved the ingenuity while others disliked the nebulous story-line. I really liked the story, but at the same time, I understand the frustrations of other readers who felt that questions were unanswered, characters motivations unclear, and conclusions perhaps a bit ambiguous.
It’s an arcane story that could have used more development in some areas. On the other hand, it’s an intricate exploration of a cosmic awakening through the lens of the Victorian occult craze...something unique and different in fiction.
April 27, 2015
I picked this up based on a recommendation from Nancy Pearl. She liked it a lot, I thought it was a little better than ok.
London in the 1890's was a hotbed of spiritualism - defined as a mishmash of various and sundry bits of esoterica, most notably encapsulated in Madame Blavatsky's magnum opus, "The Secret Doctrine." Spiritualism, seances, ectoplasm in the parlour, magicians at a dime a dozen. Into this milieu come the star-crossed lovers, Arthur and Josephine, who are pulled into a scheme led by a certain Lord Atwood to become the greatest magician in London, if not the world. Of course, Atwood must do battle with other magicians, but he also has to get to Mars to discover the teachings left by a by-gone civilisation. Whether it's the Mars of the planets or the Mars of the aether is unclear. The Aether is a major area of exploration to these spiritualists run amuck. Atwood knows he's on the right course when he and his eight collaborators manage to draw a Martian down out of wherever.
What eventually happens is Arthur interrupts a psychic journey, Josephine is left stranded, (in the aether or on Mars,) and the merry band mount a psychic expedition to rescue her, all the while doing battle with earthly forces and the magical mayhem they create.
The Revolutions is filled with too many twists, turns, digressions, descriptions, plot points, and characters to keep the story moving along at a decent pace, and I found myself skipping paragraphs, and then pages. It's a book in need of editing, and I figured about thirty pages could be lost without harming the story. What is truly frustrating is that Mr. Gilman has also written some astounding and poetic passages, even chapters, of life in the aether (or on Mars.) The Martians are fabulous creations somewhat akin to John Milton's angels. The book is a little like spiritualism itself, a mixed bag of sense and nonsense.
The book seems to move in circles, spirals, and spheres, and that may be how its title came about.
If it were a shorter book I might recommend it, at 416 pages it's a slog.
London in the 1890's was a hotbed of spiritualism - defined as a mishmash of various and sundry bits of esoterica, most notably encapsulated in Madame Blavatsky's magnum opus, "The Secret Doctrine." Spiritualism, seances, ectoplasm in the parlour, magicians at a dime a dozen. Into this milieu come the star-crossed lovers, Arthur and Josephine, who are pulled into a scheme led by a certain Lord Atwood to become the greatest magician in London, if not the world. Of course, Atwood must do battle with other magicians, but he also has to get to Mars to discover the teachings left by a by-gone civilisation. Whether it's the Mars of the planets or the Mars of the aether is unclear. The Aether is a major area of exploration to these spiritualists run amuck. Atwood knows he's on the right course when he and his eight collaborators manage to draw a Martian down out of wherever.
What eventually happens is Arthur interrupts a psychic journey, Josephine is left stranded, (in the aether or on Mars,) and the merry band mount a psychic expedition to rescue her, all the while doing battle with earthly forces and the magical mayhem they create.
The Revolutions is filled with too many twists, turns, digressions, descriptions, plot points, and characters to keep the story moving along at a decent pace, and I found myself skipping paragraphs, and then pages. It's a book in need of editing, and I figured about thirty pages could be lost without harming the story. What is truly frustrating is that Mr. Gilman has also written some astounding and poetic passages, even chapters, of life in the aether (or on Mars.) The Martians are fabulous creations somewhat akin to John Milton's angels. The book is a little like spiritualism itself, a mixed bag of sense and nonsense.
The book seems to move in circles, spirals, and spheres, and that may be how its title came about.
If it were a shorter book I might recommend it, at 416 pages it's a slog.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 24, 2015
I'm not even sure how this book ended up on my radar, but I seem to remember reading that it was in the "alternate history" genre (it is and it isn't) and I think I had just finished reading Ian Tregillis' The Mechanical which I loved. I had gotten it on hold from Cleveland Public Library, had to return it unread and then received it on hold again. And I don't know if it was worth the wait.
I think the issue with this book is that it doesn't know what it wants to be. Does it want to be an alternate history? A magical quest? A sci-fi novel? Since it doesn't know how to make up its mind, it comes across as disorganized and sloppy. The last one hundred pages may make this novel bearable, but the last twenty or so piss away all the goodwill. (In order to avoid spoilers, you'll have to go discover these things for yourself.) Once you get to the end, you realize that Gilman probably left a third of this novel unwritten, as previous plot points are swept under the rug in deference to finishing up. It's disappointing, but given how this novel can't figure out what it is, I'm not surprised.
I think the issue with this book is that it doesn't know what it wants to be. Does it want to be an alternate history? A magical quest? A sci-fi novel? Since it doesn't know how to make up its mind, it comes across as disorganized and sloppy. The last one hundred pages may make this novel bearable, but the last twenty or so piss away all the goodwill. (In order to avoid spoilers, you'll have to go discover these things for yourself.) Once you get to the end, you realize that Gilman probably left a third of this novel unwritten, as previous plot points are swept under the rug in deference to finishing up. It's disappointing, but given how this novel can't figure out what it is, I'm not surprised.
April 5, 2014
I'm particularly sad that this book didn't come together for me. I preordered it, something I rarely do. There wasn't anything explicitly wrong but suspension of disbelief took a long time, and I was over halfway before I was really invested in the plot.
Gilman is amazing as a tour guide through weird and chaotic cities, but the conventional-feeling long setup was too constrained and cliche. I enjoyed the second half more, but felt it was reminiscent of a simplified version of the superior Gears of the City. Overall it felt like the draft to a better book, one that condenses the setup and does a better job fleshing out the minor characters and makes the plot feel like there's more riding on it on a psychological level.
Gilman is amazing as a tour guide through weird and chaotic cities, but the conventional-feeling long setup was too constrained and cliche. I enjoyed the second half more, but felt it was reminiscent of a simplified version of the superior Gears of the City. Overall it felt like the draft to a better book, one that condenses the setup and does a better job fleshing out the minor characters and makes the plot feel like there's more riding on it on a psychological level.
November 16, 2015
Turns out that Victorian Era occultism and meeting aliens on Mars really don't belong in the same book. Shocker. I did want to like this...the writing is quite good, there's plenty of humor, and it's definitely a unique twist on Steampunk. But there were HUGE swaths of the story that really dragged, and the author pretty much lost me completely once the characters ended up on Mars. The premise is interesting, but it turned out to be a tad overambitious, as the story waffles between mind-numbingly dull and frenetically nonsensical. A few extra points for the humor though, and also for the scene involving a magician fight in the dining room of the Savoy Hotel, which was exceptionally hilarious.
September 26, 2017
The good parts were very good, the bad parts mostly tedious.
I loved the beginning, Gilman has a great way of writing about weirdness where he really manages to make you feel like you 'get' what's happening without him ever really spelling it out. The conspiracies, the magic and secret societies are all great.
When the story moves to mars it starts dragging, and getting through to it feels like a chore. After the dragging middle the end felt a bit abrupt. While I appreciate his kind of ending where he never explains everything, it did felt a bit tacked on.
If you liked his earlier work, pick this one up. Haven't read his work? Start with Thunderer or The Half Made World.
I loved the beginning, Gilman has a great way of writing about weirdness where he really manages to make you feel like you 'get' what's happening without him ever really spelling it out. The conspiracies, the magic and secret societies are all great.
When the story moves to mars it starts dragging, and getting through to it feels like a chore. After the dragging middle the end felt a bit abrupt. While I appreciate his kind of ending where he never explains everything, it did felt a bit tacked on.
If you liked his earlier work, pick this one up. Haven't read his work? Start with Thunderer or The Half Made World.
August 30, 2018
I enjoyed this; in some ways, it reminded me of Cat Valente's Radiance, though it was more occult-focused and less sci-fi-focused. I thought that Gilman did a great job in constructing period voice and characters. I liked the conflict between the occultists and their scuffles. I also really enjoyed the mixture of occult and space exploration and how things were left a bit open ended at the end.
All in all, this was a fun book to read.
All in all, this was a fun book to read.
March 31, 2016
It didn't quite call to me. The book is set in a somewhat steampunk alternate reality London, where computer-guided seances can send people to other planets. The story set against that backdrop didn't quite do it for me. It's overlong and over-tragic and not quite clear that the tragedy was about anything compelling or important.
June 28, 2016
A peculiar but surprisingly enjoyable and engaging book that reminded me a little of CS Lewis's Cosmic Trilogy crossed with Pullman's Sally Lockhart books, with a plentiful dose of philosophy and mystery and weirdness. I should resent it for keeping me up until half past one the night before I have to make a trip to Cambridge for an appointment, but somehow I don't.
did-not-finish
January 3, 2017Started this for a book speed date and wasn't gripped 50 pages in. Will donate to local literacy sale. This is probably good for people who love steampunk England with a little bit of the occult and ... Mars? Just not for me.
August 14, 2015
Enjoyable sci-fi with some lovely twists. Just as I thought he went off the rails, the book pulls together for a convincing end.
July 4, 2015
nice premise but really dull execution, could not even finish (and i never ever leave a book unfinished).
January 18, 2019
I keep trying to reread this, and honestly it’s just not clicking for me. It’s too something. HG Wells like, maybe. I can’t pinpoint why I don’t like it.
September 9, 2018
I picked this up because I enjoyed The Half-Made World - this is not great.
The first half was a good set-up to the mystery: Arthur is penniless; he meets Josephine and they fall in love; he finds a job that relies on his unknown psychic skills and pays well (although he does not know that he's relying on said psychic skills); Josephine falls into another psychic circle but
There's some interesting worldbuilding about the nature of planets and the psychic resources. It's also clear that . The writing is lovely. I felt the book dragged on, however, and the ultimate conclusion was disappointing.
2/5
The first half was a good set-up to the mystery: Arthur is penniless; he meets Josephine and they fall in love; he finds a job that relies on his unknown psychic skills and pays well (although he does not know that he's relying on said psychic skills); Josephine falls into another psychic circle but
There's some interesting worldbuilding about the nature of planets and the psychic resources. It's also clear that . The writing is lovely. I felt the book dragged on, however, and the ultimate conclusion was disappointing.
2/5
November 24, 2019
I thought that I would really enjoy this foray into Victorian spiritualism and the occult, but it didn't quite click. From the start, I was a bit removed and confused, and really a big storm should lure me in. But I stuck with it and then found the "click" and was in. Only then to just want to be done with it. A unique mix of the Spiritualism movement with seances that go into other realms. Interesting was the "machine" that humans were doing continual tabulations on in secret. No one knows exactly what they are doing, yet they are paid well, and driven by obsession. Yet Arthur Shaw, the central character doesn't realize that he is in the middle of a war of the occult with different factions pursuing their own ends and control. Shaw's lady friend Josephine gets stuck in the astral plane of Mars and while he is motivated at all costs to get her back, all the other players have their own stake in the work. I probably won't forget this, but I didn't love it and am glad to be done with it.
May 22, 2024
This sat on my 'want to read' list since 2015 before I figured that I should read it. At first that I thought that the poor reviews were rather unfair. I enjoyed the whole setting and the portrayal of the eccentrics within the metaphysical community. I even enjoyed the weird and unusual situation that Josephine ended up in on mars and thought that it was unique enough to be engaging.
However, there ended up being a LOT of questions that were left unanswered and the end just sort of unraveled. I felt really disappointed at that point. It's almost like Gilman stopped writing and someone else with no clue what the plot was supposed to be took over. I was thoroughly confused and that alone is what made my review go from 4 to 3 stars.
I have, however, seen that some of his other works are fantastic, so I'll definitely give this author another shot with some other books but for this one - I was left scratching my head at how such a good concept could become so discombobulated.
However, there ended up being a LOT of questions that were left unanswered and the end just sort of unraveled. I felt really disappointed at that point. It's almost like Gilman stopped writing and someone else with no clue what the plot was supposed to be took over. I was thoroughly confused and that alone is what made my review go from 4 to 3 stars.
I have, however, seen that some of his other works are fantastic, so I'll definitely give this author another shot with some other books but for this one - I was left scratching my head at how such a good concept could become so discombobulated.
December 12, 2019
This was a frustrating read. I mean, look: it's Victorian occult sci-fi. I should have loved this book no matter what. But... I don't know. I think THE REVOLUTIONS is intended for people who are more interested in atmosphere and plot over theme and character, since I can't say I'm clear on what the point of all of this was (like, in an over-arching, eighth grade book report sense), and the characters and their relationships are all ultimately pretty shallow. There are a lot of cool and creative ideas in here, but quite a few of them never pay off in any satisfying way, and the last third of the book, uh... dragged. To put it mildly. I'll try one more of Gilman's (THE HALF-MADE WORLD seems pretty cool), but his work may just not be for me.
January 27, 2019
Awesome Book! I love books that blend science and magic. Making this book even more interesting is that it is set in late 19th Century England -- which comes with its own unique take on science and magic. This was a great read, reminded me a lot of Ray Bradbury. Fantastic Victorian Science-Fiction, incredible characters, beautiful storytelling, and a great mystery build to the climax. Check it out!
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