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The Ghost #1
Ghosts of Manhattan
1926. New York. The Roaring Twenties. Jazz. Flappers. Prohibition. Coal-powered cars. A cold war with a British Empire that still covers half of the globe. Yet things have developed differently from established history. America is in the midst of a cold war with a British Empire that has only just buried Queen Victoria, her life artificially preserved to the age of 107. Coal-powered cars roar along roads thick with pedestrians, biplanes take off from standing with primitive rocket boosters, and monsters lurk behind closed doors and around every corner. This is a time in need of heroes. It is a time for The Ghost.
A series of targeted murders are occurring all over the city, the victims found with ancient Roman coins placed on their eyelids after death. The trail appears to lead to a group of Italian-American gangsters and their boss, who the mobsters have dubbed 'The Roman'. However, as The Ghost soon discovers, there is more to The Roman than at first appears, and more bizarre happenings that he soon links to the man, including moss-golems posing as mobsters and a plot to bring an ancient pagan god into the physical world in a cavern beneath the city.
As The Ghost draws nearer to The Roman and the center of his dangerous web, he must battle with foes both physical and supernatural and call on help from the most unexpected of quarters if he is to stop The Roman and halt the imminent destruction of the city.
A series of targeted murders are occurring all over the city, the victims found with ancient Roman coins placed on their eyelids after death. The trail appears to lead to a group of Italian-American gangsters and their boss, who the mobsters have dubbed 'The Roman'. However, as The Ghost soon discovers, there is more to The Roman than at first appears, and more bizarre happenings that he soon links to the man, including moss-golems posing as mobsters and a plot to bring an ancient pagan god into the physical world in a cavern beneath the city.
As The Ghost draws nearer to The Roman and the center of his dangerous web, he must battle with foes both physical and supernatural and call on help from the most unexpected of quarters if he is to stop The Roman and halt the imminent destruction of the city.
327 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
33 people are currently reading
1892 people want to read
About the author
George Mann
360 books674 followersGeorge Mann is an author and editor, primarily in genre fiction. He was born in Darlington, County Durham in 1978.
A former editor of Outland, Mann is the author of The Human Abstract, and more recently The Affinity Bridge and The Osiris Ritual in his Newbury and Hobbes detective series, set in an alternate Britain, and Ghosts of Manhattan, set in the same universe some decades later.
He wrote the Time Hunter novella "The Severed Man", and co-wrote the series finale, Child of Time.
He has also written numerous short stories, plus Doctor Who and Sherlock Holmes audiobooks for Big Finish Productions. He has edited a number of anthologies including The Solaris Book of New Science Fiction, The Solaris Book of New Fantasy and a retrospective collection of Sexton Blake stories, Sexton Blake, Detective, with an introduction by Michael Moorcock.
A former editor of Outland, Mann is the author of The Human Abstract, and more recently The Affinity Bridge and The Osiris Ritual in his Newbury and Hobbes detective series, set in an alternate Britain, and Ghosts of Manhattan, set in the same universe some decades later.
He wrote the Time Hunter novella "The Severed Man", and co-wrote the series finale, Child of Time.
He has also written numerous short stories, plus Doctor Who and Sherlock Holmes audiobooks for Big Finish Productions. He has edited a number of anthologies including The Solaris Book of New Science Fiction, The Solaris Book of New Fantasy and a retrospective collection of Sexton Blake stories, Sexton Blake, Detective, with an introduction by Michael Moorcock.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 168 reviews
March 27, 2014
The year is 1926 and the USA is in a Cold War with Britan. Masked vigilante The Ghost is on the trail of a crime boss called The Roman. Can he evade police long enough to catch The Roman and put a stop to his reign of terror?
The easiest way to sum up Ghosts of Manhattan is to say "Steampunk Batman." That's what it is. It's very much a Batman story with steampunk trappings. And the trappings are minimal. If minor details were changed, it could have easily taken place in our 1926.
I have to admit I almost liked Ghosts of Manhattan. It was action packed and very pulpy. The Ghost's gadgets were well done. The slight Lovecraftian overtones were a nice touch.
Like I said, I almost liked it. Here's why I didn't. George Mann doesn't bring anything new to the table. Just like Newbury and Hobbes books are steampunk Holmes, this is simply steampunk Batman. If you ever read a Batman comic or saw a Batman movie, there will be no surprises here. Was the Ghost's identity supposed to be a secret? The way Mann telegraphed the reveal was annoying when everyone in their right mind knew the millionaire playboy was the Ghost when there were only five or six characters in the entire book.
The writing isn't bad but isn't inspired either. The villains were comic book cliches. The Ghost and detective Donovan would have been killed twice if not for the villains' needs to explain things. Also, the steampunk stuff seemed tacked on and the dead bird thing was saved for the inevitable sequel.
2.5 out of 5. Maybe someone with a higher cliche tolerance will enjoy it more. It wasn't bad but just didn't bring anything new to the table.
The easiest way to sum up Ghosts of Manhattan is to say "Steampunk Batman." That's what it is. It's very much a Batman story with steampunk trappings. And the trappings are minimal. If minor details were changed, it could have easily taken place in our 1926.
I have to admit I almost liked Ghosts of Manhattan. It was action packed and very pulpy. The Ghost's gadgets were well done. The slight Lovecraftian overtones were a nice touch.
Like I said, I almost liked it. Here's why I didn't. George Mann doesn't bring anything new to the table. Just like Newbury and Hobbes books are steampunk Holmes, this is simply steampunk Batman. If you ever read a Batman comic or saw a Batman movie, there will be no surprises here. Was the Ghost's identity supposed to be a secret? The way Mann telegraphed the reveal was annoying when everyone in their right mind knew the millionaire playboy was the Ghost when there were only five or six characters in the entire book.
The writing isn't bad but isn't inspired either. The villains were comic book cliches. The Ghost and detective Donovan would have been killed twice if not for the villains' needs to explain things. Also, the steampunk stuff seemed tacked on and the dead bird thing was saved for the inevitable sequel.
2.5 out of 5. Maybe someone with a higher cliche tolerance will enjoy it more. It wasn't bad but just didn't bring anything new to the table.
November 24, 2025
2.75 stars
Another venture into Steampunk. This one is a mixture, there are also elements of noir, hardboiled detective, comic book, batman with some nods to Lovecraft and Cthulhu. It is set in 1926 Manhattan. The main character is Gabriel Cross a wealthy playboy type. On the side he has a disguise as a caped vigilante/crimefighter. That’s where the batman element comes in. There is a suitably nasty crime boss called The Roman with numerous deadly henchmen and a few extra tricks up his sleeve. There is, of course a well meaning cop who refuses to be corrupted by The Roman and a sultry night club singer (of course).
The international backdrop is that there is a cold war between the US and the British Empire. There are steam and coal-powered cars and rocket powered biplanes. The Ghost uses similarly powered back packs to fly short distances. There are the inevitable tommy guns, but some more creative weaponry as well.
There is a plot and there novel moves along at a fast pace. Serious injury doesn’t seem to stop the characters running around a lot. There isn’t much nuance or subtlety and I wonder whether this would have been better off as a comic book. Those in the know say that Mann has got the geography of Manhattan wrong as well.
This is essentially pulp fiction with little depth. Entertaining at one level, undemanding and rather flawed. But it has a certain pace and is easy to read.
Another venture into Steampunk. This one is a mixture, there are also elements of noir, hardboiled detective, comic book, batman with some nods to Lovecraft and Cthulhu. It is set in 1926 Manhattan. The main character is Gabriel Cross a wealthy playboy type. On the side he has a disguise as a caped vigilante/crimefighter. That’s where the batman element comes in. There is a suitably nasty crime boss called The Roman with numerous deadly henchmen and a few extra tricks up his sleeve. There is, of course a well meaning cop who refuses to be corrupted by The Roman and a sultry night club singer (of course).
The international backdrop is that there is a cold war between the US and the British Empire. There are steam and coal-powered cars and rocket powered biplanes. The Ghost uses similarly powered back packs to fly short distances. There are the inevitable tommy guns, but some more creative weaponry as well.
There is a plot and there novel moves along at a fast pace. Serious injury doesn’t seem to stop the characters running around a lot. There isn’t much nuance or subtlety and I wonder whether this would have been better off as a comic book. Those in the know say that Mann has got the geography of Manhattan wrong as well.
This is essentially pulp fiction with little depth. Entertaining at one level, undemanding and rather flawed. But it has a certain pace and is easy to read.
September 23, 2012
[Spoilers. Well, sort of. Honestly, it's not like you're going to be that surprised.]
Because this book often shows up on "essential dieselpunk" reading lists (even though the jacket claims it's the first "steampunk superhero"--a claim completely unsubstantiated anywhere in its 230+ pages), I (a sort of dieselpunk cadet) wanted to like it. But as it all-too-frequently happens these days with subgenres trying to find their niche audience, the otherwise appropriate pieces never quite come together to form a coherent whole.
Instead, it reads like an unedited book assembled "MadLib"-style with tropes borrowed from other novels:
* A Batman-like protagonist whose alter ego resembles a humorless, watered-down, self-loathing, PTSD-suffering Bertie Wooster (sans a Jeeves);
* Lovecraftian horror that is introduced almost at the very end of the book, fails to be even a little creepy, and contributes not one uptick to the climax's urgency;
* A mish-mash assembly of technologies (i.e., steam-powered cars that required lots of coal, rocket-boosted biplanes that are re-parked on rooftops by airships, clockwork geishas, and holographic though monochromatic telephones) whose disparate developments are never explained;
* A damsel-in-distress so painfully two-dimensional, ambiguous, and irritatingly uncommunicative that her appeal to the protagonist is a blatant contrivance;
* One-note bit characters--especially the archvillain--whose sole role is to convey necessary information via terse exposition (simultaneously shoring up their ability to do their jobs and highlighting the protagonists' incompetence at theirs);
* And what could have been a fascinating bit of world-building vis-a-vis the socio-political backdrop that instead falls into the "told, not shown" category of bland storytelling.
And if somebody could explain why the protagonists (during the penultimate battle at a virtually unmanned power plant) FAIL to consider the advantages of TURNING OFF THE POWER to the archvillain's electrically powered lair (which they locate on a conveniently labeled map), please do so.
[Do you feel like I've spoiled things for you?]
If you like your fiction unswervingly predictable, feather-light on character likability and development, and ponderously heavy on vigilante fight choreography and wound descriptions, then this book will appeal to you. ... Unless you've read a mainstream superhero comic sometime within the last 20 years, because then you already know how it ends. My advice: Look at the cover and imagine the story you'd like it to be. I guarantee your story will leave you more satisfied than this book will.
Because this book often shows up on "essential dieselpunk" reading lists (even though the jacket claims it's the first "steampunk superhero"--a claim completely unsubstantiated anywhere in its 230+ pages), I (a sort of dieselpunk cadet) wanted to like it. But as it all-too-frequently happens these days with subgenres trying to find their niche audience, the otherwise appropriate pieces never quite come together to form a coherent whole.
Instead, it reads like an unedited book assembled "MadLib"-style with tropes borrowed from other novels:
* A Batman-like protagonist whose alter ego resembles a humorless, watered-down, self-loathing, PTSD-suffering Bertie Wooster (sans a Jeeves);
* Lovecraftian horror that is introduced almost at the very end of the book, fails to be even a little creepy, and contributes not one uptick to the climax's urgency;
* A mish-mash assembly of technologies (i.e., steam-powered cars that required lots of coal, rocket-boosted biplanes that are re-parked on rooftops by airships, clockwork geishas, and holographic though monochromatic telephones) whose disparate developments are never explained;
* A damsel-in-distress so painfully two-dimensional, ambiguous, and irritatingly uncommunicative that her appeal to the protagonist is a blatant contrivance;
* One-note bit characters--especially the archvillain--whose sole role is to convey necessary information via terse exposition (simultaneously shoring up their ability to do their jobs and highlighting the protagonists' incompetence at theirs);
* And what could have been a fascinating bit of world-building vis-a-vis the socio-political backdrop that instead falls into the "told, not shown" category of bland storytelling.
And if somebody could explain why the protagonists (during the penultimate battle at a virtually unmanned power plant) FAIL to consider the advantages of TURNING OFF THE POWER to the archvillain's electrically powered lair (which they locate on a conveniently labeled map), please do so.
[Do you feel like I've spoiled things for you?]
If you like your fiction unswervingly predictable, feather-light on character likability and development, and ponderously heavy on vigilante fight choreography and wound descriptions, then this book will appeal to you. ... Unless you've read a mainstream superhero comic sometime within the last 20 years, because then you already know how it ends. My advice: Look at the cover and imagine the story you'd like it to be. I guarantee your story will leave you more satisfied than this book will.
August 21, 2017
Do you like noir, pulp, The Shadow, Watchmen, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, steampunk/ decopunk, Sin City, and Batman? Then I have a feeling that you'll love getting to know The Ghost, our lead character and vigilante of Ghosts of Manhattan. The story moves along at a lightning fast pace and it's a lot of fun, especially when it comes to the fight and chase scenes. The only down side is the characters, they were a little too flat when it came down to it. The tale is very visual and I think it could make a really cool movie. I may be continuing on to book two, Ghosts of War, in the future.
August 22, 2010
If I wanted to read Batman fanfiction, I could probably find better fic on the Internet for free.
While the book is set in an old-tymey steampunk universe, everything else is straight from the DC/Batman universe, coated with a quick and slapdash coat of paint. I do not know whether this is 'merely' a steampunk-AU fanfic with the serial numbers filed off, or if it was an official Elseworlds script submission which DC turned down, but either way, it's still Batman, albeit in the Witness Protection Program.
The prose is awkward and the plot holds absolutely zero surprises. However, there is a plot, and I can't fault the book's enthusiasm for it, and I only found a few typos ('taught' for 'taut' during a shoot-out scene is the one which comes most easily to mind), so I was able to finish the book with minimal eye-rolling. Two stars, then--because I do like a good Batman AU from time to time.
While the book is set in an old-tymey steampunk universe, everything else is straight from the DC/Batman universe, coated with a quick and slapdash coat of paint. I do not know whether this is 'merely' a steampunk-AU fanfic with the serial numbers filed off, or if it was an official Elseworlds script submission which DC turned down, but either way, it's still Batman, albeit in the Witness Protection Program.
The prose is awkward and the plot holds absolutely zero surprises. However, there is a plot, and I can't fault the book's enthusiasm for it, and I only found a few typos ('taught' for 'taut' during a shoot-out scene is the one which comes most easily to mind), so I was able to finish the book with minimal eye-rolling. Two stars, then--because I do like a good Batman AU from time to time.
June 3, 2012
For George Mann's sake, I'm glad that I have a tendency to purchase all of the books in a series when I decide to read the first one. He gets my commission, as does my local store. These are both good things. But never have I felt so embarrassed to read a novel since I was a kid first realizing that YA stories no longer held my attention or demanded my suspension of disbelief. And those were the well-constructed stories.
I don't like to write negative reviews of anything at all, so I'll keep this short. The Ghost doublet (so far) of "Steampunk" novels is atrocious, trite prose filled with obvious tropes and zero mystery, wonder, or sense of place. I had to force myself to finish Ghosts of Manhattan only because I like to complete the books that I purchase, in a sort of OCD-manner. I'll distill my horrific experience into five points, and leave it there:
1) Mann is British, and is writing about a dystopian New York in the 1920s. Regardless, all of his characters speak in the British idiom, with no attempt whatsoever to establish personalities that have any sense of relevant colloquiality. Amateur mistake or lack of attention, either way it burned the fourth wall straight down.
2) If it were of the Pulp genre, or even a nod thereunto, it would still be a dismal addition. But it's excitedly touted as Steampunk (isn't everything these days?) with the same absence of setting as that of Mann's portrayal of language. Aside from the mention of New York and the occasional boiler-plate dropping of some weak, non-useful Victorian-tech, it might as well have been set anywhere, anytime. Sure, I'm sick to death of the Steampunkian-rapine that has gone on in the past decade. But still, self-igniting cigarettes, police airships above the city, and coal-powered cars alone do not a genre make. Besides, those are really the only three anachronistic tech elements he squeezes into the book, repeatedly and with absolutely no subtlety. I think I read that one of the characters "pulled the ignition tab on his cigarette and watched it flare" no less than five times. It hurts, I tell you.
3) Ghosts of Manhattan is a weak attempt at sandwiching everything that's already been done before together into something that's been left in the fridge long past its sell-by date. It's exactly the Great Gatsby mashed-up with exactly Batman, without any of the style, emotion, mystery, or excitement of either. The characters aren't really tortured or even human - they're cardboard cutouts of grim detectives, playboy millionaires-turned vigilantes, and pure-evil antagonists who are trying to end the world by summoning elder gods from out of space and time. Really.
4) All of the women in this world are glamorous, enticing sirens for the main character's fancy. More like George's fancy.
5) Just add Cthulhu. It's like the Prime Directive in Sci-Fi and Fantasy: never use time-travel to tell your story. So leave the tentacles to those who can really use them. If Steampunk and Batman aren't working, stuffing in some Lovecraft certainly won't make it any better.
Hey, I've still got the second book to go.
I was hoping that I'd be a Mann-eater, but after reading Ghosts of Manhattan, I'm much more of a Mann-hater.
I don't like to write negative reviews of anything at all, so I'll keep this short. The Ghost doublet (so far) of "Steampunk" novels is atrocious, trite prose filled with obvious tropes and zero mystery, wonder, or sense of place. I had to force myself to finish Ghosts of Manhattan only because I like to complete the books that I purchase, in a sort of OCD-manner. I'll distill my horrific experience into five points, and leave it there:
1) Mann is British, and is writing about a dystopian New York in the 1920s. Regardless, all of his characters speak in the British idiom, with no attempt whatsoever to establish personalities that have any sense of relevant colloquiality. Amateur mistake or lack of attention, either way it burned the fourth wall straight down.
2) If it were of the Pulp genre, or even a nod thereunto, it would still be a dismal addition. But it's excitedly touted as Steampunk (isn't everything these days?) with the same absence of setting as that of Mann's portrayal of language. Aside from the mention of New York and the occasional boiler-plate dropping of some weak, non-useful Victorian-tech, it might as well have been set anywhere, anytime. Sure, I'm sick to death of the Steampunkian-rapine that has gone on in the past decade. But still, self-igniting cigarettes, police airships above the city, and coal-powered cars alone do not a genre make. Besides, those are really the only three anachronistic tech elements he squeezes into the book, repeatedly and with absolutely no subtlety. I think I read that one of the characters "pulled the ignition tab on his cigarette and watched it flare" no less than five times. It hurts, I tell you.
3) Ghosts of Manhattan is a weak attempt at sandwiching everything that's already been done before together into something that's been left in the fridge long past its sell-by date. It's exactly the Great Gatsby mashed-up with exactly Batman, without any of the style, emotion, mystery, or excitement of either. The characters aren't really tortured or even human - they're cardboard cutouts of grim detectives, playboy millionaires-turned vigilantes, and pure-evil antagonists who are trying to end the world by summoning elder gods from out of space and time. Really.
4) All of the women in this world are glamorous, enticing sirens for the main character's fancy. More like George's fancy.
5) Just add Cthulhu. It's like the Prime Directive in Sci-Fi and Fantasy: never use time-travel to tell your story. So leave the tentacles to those who can really use them. If Steampunk and Batman aren't working, stuffing in some Lovecraft certainly won't make it any better.
Hey, I've still got the second book to go.
I was hoping that I'd be a Mann-eater, but after reading Ghosts of Manhattan, I'm much more of a Mann-hater.
March 13, 2011
Picked up for a pittance in a charity shop somewhere, so utterly awful that I may just bin it rather than have the possibility of someone else reading it sitting on my conscience.
Stylistically it nearly made me weep, for a book that steals so much from The Great Gatsby you'd hope the author would take more than a few characters and a setting and learn a little from his prose.
Also Alan Moore did the whole Cthulu erupts into high society thing a lot better in one of his League of Extraordinary Gentlemen books, in a perfect Jeeves and Wooster pastiche.
Stylistically it nearly made me weep, for a book that steals so much from The Great Gatsby you'd hope the author would take more than a few characters and a setting and learn a little from his prose.
Also Alan Moore did the whole Cthulu erupts into high society thing a lot better in one of his League of Extraordinary Gentlemen books, in a perfect Jeeves and Wooster pastiche.
June 26, 2011
The back copy sold me on this book: new york in the twenties, with a steampunk spin -- and a villain called "the Roman" leaving freshly minted ancient coins on his victims' eyes.
We are introduced to the hero, the vigilante named "the Ghost", as he overcomes a band of hoods who work for the Roman. Shortly thereafter we meet a Gatsby-like character named Gabriel Cross who seemed to be his alter ego, only the author seemed to be trying to make me think he wasn't the Ghost, and then eventually just assumed I did know that he was.
This book feels a little schizophrenic. I don't think it does a good job of being a first novel (ostensibly in a series) about a superhero: it really wants to be the first storyline in a comic book series, or filmed in some sort of capacity. Certainly the cover art is comic art, and I think it actually might succeed a little better in that medium. There is a lot of trite dialogue and description here: it feels more like communicative shorthand to a collaborator, not a novel, and if couched in a beautiful visual medium it might not feel so tired, and overworked. He just tells me everything and it's all very surface, and I don't buy it. For stuff along the same lines but better: I'd read classic pulp writer Robert E. Howard -- this hero reminds me of an updated, lesser version of Solomon Kane.
I just opened it up again because I feel badly that I didn't like it more, but as I leaf through the pages I just find more and more that frustrates me: characters that seem like they're introduced because the author will be using them in subsequent stories and he feels he should introduce them in the first book for some reason, even if they serve no purpose; a love affair that feels hollow -- I actually can't keep looking because it hurts. I like a lot of his ideas but I don't like their execution, and I really don't think I'd pick up another novel by George Mann -- if I saw his name on a movie script or comic book? I might give him another whirl.
We are introduced to the hero, the vigilante named "the Ghost", as he overcomes a band of hoods who work for the Roman. Shortly thereafter we meet a Gatsby-like character named Gabriel Cross who seemed to be his alter ego, only the author seemed to be trying to make me think he wasn't the Ghost, and then eventually just assumed I did know that he was.
This book feels a little schizophrenic. I don't think it does a good job of being a first novel (ostensibly in a series) about a superhero: it really wants to be the first storyline in a comic book series, or filmed in some sort of capacity. Certainly the cover art is comic art, and I think it actually might succeed a little better in that medium. There is a lot of trite dialogue and description here: it feels more like communicative shorthand to a collaborator, not a novel, and if couched in a beautiful visual medium it might not feel so tired, and overworked. He just tells me everything and it's all very surface, and I don't buy it. For stuff along the same lines but better: I'd read classic pulp writer Robert E. Howard -- this hero reminds me of an updated, lesser version of Solomon Kane.
I just opened it up again because I feel badly that I didn't like it more, but as I leaf through the pages I just find more and more that frustrates me: characters that seem like they're introduced because the author will be using them in subsequent stories and he feels he should introduce them in the first book for some reason, even if they serve no purpose; a love affair that feels hollow -- I actually can't keep looking because it hurts. I like a lot of his ideas but I don't like their execution, and I really don't think I'd pick up another novel by George Mann -- if I saw his name on a movie script or comic book? I might give him another whirl.
August 9, 2015
So this is how I end up spending my Sunday - I knew I wanted to read I just didnt realise how much.
So the book - well the first challenge is to say what genre it draws from which is easier said than done. There is noir detection, alternate history, science fiction, urban fantasy and those are the ones I recognise I am sure people can add more to them. But what of the story - well I guess with this many genres the author can pretty much do what he likes and knows that its acceptable under what ever moniker he so chooses, but I think its more he has a great story to tell and he is not fussed how he gets it across.
There are elements of the SHADOW, even some from Watchmen however it does not take many pages for the comparisons to stop and to start enjoying the story. I know that its not a heavy weight book and to be honest the villain after the build up is despatched just a little too quickly for my liking - plus I think his evil nature wasnt probably explored fully (however that might have got in the way of something far more important - pace, the book rips along at a pace) but all the same I really enjoyed and I am really glad that there are more books both published and in the works. I think we have a pulp hero here in the making of the good old kind and I for one am looking forward to seeing what happens next.
So the book - well the first challenge is to say what genre it draws from which is easier said than done. There is noir detection, alternate history, science fiction, urban fantasy and those are the ones I recognise I am sure people can add more to them. But what of the story - well I guess with this many genres the author can pretty much do what he likes and knows that its acceptable under what ever moniker he so chooses, but I think its more he has a great story to tell and he is not fussed how he gets it across.
There are elements of the SHADOW, even some from Watchmen however it does not take many pages for the comparisons to stop and to start enjoying the story. I know that its not a heavy weight book and to be honest the villain after the build up is despatched just a little too quickly for my liking - plus I think his evil nature wasnt probably explored fully (however that might have got in the way of something far more important - pace, the book rips along at a pace) but all the same I really enjoyed and I am really glad that there are more books both published and in the works. I think we have a pulp hero here in the making of the good old kind and I for one am looking forward to seeing what happens next.
December 26, 2010
'Ghost of Manhattan' is George Mann's melding of the pulp genre with that of steampunk. Set in an America embroiled in a cold war with the British Empire, it is a world of coal-powered cars, bi-planes taking off from building tops on rockets, of mobsters and of....The Ghost.
The book centres on the vigilante 'The Ghost' and his attempts to thwart the schemes of the insidious mob boss known as 'The Roman'. Armed with a plethora of customised weaponry, he sets out each night to tackle the criminal element with his particular brand of severe justice. The character is great fun, paying tribute to crime fighters such as Batman, The Spirit and, most of all, The Spider (just look at the character's costume). The loner is soon helped in his mission by honest-cop Detective Donovan, also on a mission against The Roman, for his life depends on it.
Mann really deserves commending for paying homage to the pulp genre without succumbing to much of the now-clichéd dialog that has become synonymous with the pulps. The action is taught, energetic and engaging, often brutal, and downright exciting. The Ghost is also a character that holds your interest to the last page, serving as a excellent catalyst for the story. Credit is also due to the character of Donovan. Mann manages to create someone who gives the reader a more 'everyman' viewpoint to the events that are occurring, so as not to detach the reader from the sense of reality he is trying to create.
The only thing that really brings down my score is the conclusion to the story. For all the frenetic pacing of many parts, the ending seems less energetic and more rushed. One particular aspect in which a main characters' purpose is revealed seems somewhat convoluted and just didn't sit well with me. Very important details are revealed in a matter of a few pages and the final confrontation is over all-too-sudden.
But, putting these criticisms aside, 'Ghosts of Manhattan' is still a very enjoyable book, and the boundless energy that George Mann imbues his work with should be lauded, and I for one greatly admire it. And, best of all, he has created in The Ghost a character I definitely want to learn more about, as there is clearly much more about his past to be revealed. I, for one, am excited about the prospect of a second novel in the series.
The book centres on the vigilante 'The Ghost' and his attempts to thwart the schemes of the insidious mob boss known as 'The Roman'. Armed with a plethora of customised weaponry, he sets out each night to tackle the criminal element with his particular brand of severe justice. The character is great fun, paying tribute to crime fighters such as Batman, The Spirit and, most of all, The Spider (just look at the character's costume). The loner is soon helped in his mission by honest-cop Detective Donovan, also on a mission against The Roman, for his life depends on it.
Mann really deserves commending for paying homage to the pulp genre without succumbing to much of the now-clichéd dialog that has become synonymous with the pulps. The action is taught, energetic and engaging, often brutal, and downright exciting. The Ghost is also a character that holds your interest to the last page, serving as a excellent catalyst for the story. Credit is also due to the character of Donovan. Mann manages to create someone who gives the reader a more 'everyman' viewpoint to the events that are occurring, so as not to detach the reader from the sense of reality he is trying to create.
The only thing that really brings down my score is the conclusion to the story. For all the frenetic pacing of many parts, the ending seems less energetic and more rushed. One particular aspect in which a main characters' purpose is revealed seems somewhat convoluted and just didn't sit well with me. Very important details are revealed in a matter of a few pages and the final confrontation is over all-too-sudden.
But, putting these criticisms aside, 'Ghosts of Manhattan' is still a very enjoyable book, and the boundless energy that George Mann imbues his work with should be lauded, and I for one greatly admire it. And, best of all, he has created in The Ghost a character I definitely want to learn more about, as there is clearly much more about his past to be revealed. I, for one, am excited about the prospect of a second novel in the series.
March 31, 2010
Ghosts of Manhattan was a lot of fun. Unlike a lot of pulp homages, Mann doesn't try to echo the clunky dialogue and purple prose of the originals. Instead, he makes his book feel the way we remember the pulps feeling, concentrating on reminding us of the best qualities (fast pacing, larger than life weird action) instead of the worst.
I did wonder if too much information was saved until the final chapters, but ultimately, I think he did just enough foreshadowing to set everything up. I really enjoyed this book, and would definitely read future adventures of the Ghost.
I did wonder if too much information was saved until the final chapters, but ultimately, I think he did just enough foreshadowing to set everything up. I really enjoyed this book, and would definitely read future adventures of the Ghost.
April 17, 2010
Added the book to my own 2010 book of the year
list!
Ghosts of Manhattan is an intoxicating, gorgeous, action packed, adventurous, most entertaining, steampunk hero graphic novel without graphics.
You like heroes and steampunk? Then read Ghosts of Manhattan.
Read my full review over at Edi's Book Lighthouse
list!
Ghosts of Manhattan is an intoxicating, gorgeous, action packed, adventurous, most entertaining, steampunk hero graphic novel without graphics.
You like heroes and steampunk? Then read Ghosts of Manhattan.
Read my full review over at Edi's Book Lighthouse
April 19, 2020
1926 isn't just your everyday, run of the mill, year. Steam powered cars are the rage while the holographic "tube" has become the every day way to stay in touch. The Great War is almost a decade in the past but those who were once our allies have now become our enemies. And crime continues to find a way.
Strange deaths have occurred and, while the police seem to be hampered by the laws they are bound to enforce, they are unable to find out who is murdering seemingly unrelated citizens in a bizarre manner, the city's self-appointed protector doesn't play by those same limitations.
The Ghost has placed himself in the front of the battle against that of the criminal called The Roman, an evil crimelord with no scruples or conscience and who's plan is more than simple power and money...a plan that may see ultimate evil return to the world.
From as early as the beginning of the 1900s and even before, the pulp genre of stories and publications captured the minds and the hearts of readers old and young. 1912 saw a significant step forward as Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote UNDER THE MOONS OF MARS giving the world John Carter and then 8 months later the lord of the jungle Tarzan of the Apes. Those stories and characters were the launch pad for some of the greatest heroes of the 20th century. Nick Carter, Doc Savage, The Shadow, G-8, The Phantom Detective, and the Spider were some of the most popular and exciting of the Pulp Era. For 20+ years, those characters and their adventures populated the newsstands across the country. But the rise of the silver age of comics saw sales start to fall and soon would see those heroes slip off into the sunset to find their reward in peace and retirement.
But...that love for those bigger than life characters never really went away and a resurgence in the memories of those classic heroes has led to new stories and new champions willing to pick up the torch and carry it forward. Welcome, The Ghost!
Author George Mann has created many popular and exciting series and heroes in their own right, but with GHOSTS OF MANHATTAN he has given readers a new hero and the first of new adventures that capture the excitement and fun of those stories from the past century. Here you'll find truly evil villains... heroic champions... strange mysteries and adventures... incredible weapons and horrible deaths. Mann has truly captured the feel of those tales from years ago.
The truly great thing about this book is that, as of this review, there are three more thrilling adventures to be read in the heroic journey of The Ghost.
Strange deaths have occurred and, while the police seem to be hampered by the laws they are bound to enforce, they are unable to find out who is murdering seemingly unrelated citizens in a bizarre manner, the city's self-appointed protector doesn't play by those same limitations.
The Ghost has placed himself in the front of the battle against that of the criminal called The Roman, an evil crimelord with no scruples or conscience and who's plan is more than simple power and money...a plan that may see ultimate evil return to the world.
From as early as the beginning of the 1900s and even before, the pulp genre of stories and publications captured the minds and the hearts of readers old and young. 1912 saw a significant step forward as Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote UNDER THE MOONS OF MARS giving the world John Carter and then 8 months later the lord of the jungle Tarzan of the Apes. Those stories and characters were the launch pad for some of the greatest heroes of the 20th century. Nick Carter, Doc Savage, The Shadow, G-8, The Phantom Detective, and the Spider were some of the most popular and exciting of the Pulp Era. For 20+ years, those characters and their adventures populated the newsstands across the country. But the rise of the silver age of comics saw sales start to fall and soon would see those heroes slip off into the sunset to find their reward in peace and retirement.
But...that love for those bigger than life characters never really went away and a resurgence in the memories of those classic heroes has led to new stories and new champions willing to pick up the torch and carry it forward. Welcome, The Ghost!
Author George Mann has created many popular and exciting series and heroes in their own right, but with GHOSTS OF MANHATTAN he has given readers a new hero and the first of new adventures that capture the excitement and fun of those stories from the past century. Here you'll find truly evil villains... heroic champions... strange mysteries and adventures... incredible weapons and horrible deaths. Mann has truly captured the feel of those tales from years ago.
The truly great thing about this book is that, as of this review, there are three more thrilling adventures to be read in the heroic journey of The Ghost.
August 26, 2021
CW: burns, gore, description of a corpse, description of injuries
Wow, they REALLY buried the lead on that final reveal, huh? I know Mann was going for the element of surprise but I think it was a little too surprising if you know what I mean.
Unfortunately, as much as we love a steampunk take on Lamont Cranston featuring , if you're going to use golems as a supernatural character/plot device, I really want to see some explicitly Jewish characters, especially if you're not a Jewish author.
Wow, they REALLY buried the lead on that final reveal, huh? I know Mann was going for the element of surprise but I think it was a little too surprising if you know what I mean.
Unfortunately, as much as we love a steampunk take on Lamont Cranston featuring , if you're going to use golems as a supernatural character/plot device, I really want to see some explicitly Jewish characters, especially if you're not a Jewish author.
September 21, 2021
How to describe this. Take a large scoop of Batman, a pinch of the Great Gatsby, a lot of Dashiel Hammett and a side order of Lovecraft. Mix together and bake in the oven until done.
July 19, 2010
3.5 stars
George Mann bring together steampunk and superheroes in a 1920’s New York city that reflects our own but is from a distinctly unique history. Mann has seemingly moved his steampunk world of Newbury and Hobbs ahead a few decades and across the Atlantic.
The story follows the tale of The Ghost and his escapades against a gangster/bad guy called “The Roman”. The tale is more dark and noir compared to the Newbury and Hobbs stories, and more pulpy. Neither is a bad thing, but I did not find this book as satisfying. I could not put down the others, this took a week to move through.
The strengths were familiar to readers of Mann. Great descriptive fight and chase scenes. The bi-plane chase is fantastic and the visualizations could tell some Hollywood folks a thing or two. And the plotting was strong and moved along well.
The weakness was the thinness of the characters. I just did not feel compelled by their fates. Unlike the Newbury and Hobbs adventures, where their existence had me attached to them. The pulp factor and superhero factor is part of this. There is a flatness, for the most part, to superhero characters. I feel like this is here. There are a few times this feels like the movie “Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow” (which I liked!).
I still enjoyed the book. I knew what I was getting into so the criticisms of the characters could be seen as a compliment for style accuracy on Mann’s part. I do already have part 3 of the Newbury and Hobbs adventure, The Immortality Engine, on pre-order. THAT should be a great ride.
George Mann bring together steampunk and superheroes in a 1920’s New York city that reflects our own but is from a distinctly unique history. Mann has seemingly moved his steampunk world of Newbury and Hobbs ahead a few decades and across the Atlantic.
The story follows the tale of The Ghost and his escapades against a gangster/bad guy called “The Roman”. The tale is more dark and noir compared to the Newbury and Hobbs stories, and more pulpy. Neither is a bad thing, but I did not find this book as satisfying. I could not put down the others, this took a week to move through.
The strengths were familiar to readers of Mann. Great descriptive fight and chase scenes. The bi-plane chase is fantastic and the visualizations could tell some Hollywood folks a thing or two. And the plotting was strong and moved along well.
The weakness was the thinness of the characters. I just did not feel compelled by their fates. Unlike the Newbury and Hobbs adventures, where their existence had me attached to them. The pulp factor and superhero factor is part of this. There is a flatness, for the most part, to superhero characters. I feel like this is here. There are a few times this feels like the movie “Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow” (which I liked!).
I still enjoyed the book. I knew what I was getting into so the criticisms of the characters could be seen as a compliment for style accuracy on Mann’s part. I do already have part 3 of the Newbury and Hobbs adventure, The Immortality Engine, on pre-order. THAT should be a great ride.
September 20, 2010
(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted illegally.)
This latest title by our buddies at Pyr has a killer concept, one that's almost impossible to pass up -- basically, imagine "The Shadow" of 1920s pulp fiction, but if his secret identity happened to be Jay Gatsby, the whole story taking place in a steampunk (noirpunk?) alt-history New York, a tech-forward place full of holographic telephones and jet-powered biplanes, and where the US has been waging a cold war against a still-ascendent British Empire that has been artificially keeping Queen Victoria alive well past the age of 100. But unfortunately, author George Mann doesn't do anything nearly as original with the plot itself, turning in instead a cliche-filled typical Shadow or Batman tale only with cooler details, a disappointment given how inventive he's made the universe where this story takes place. Not badly written but certainly pedestrian in nature, this will still appeal to hardcore genre fans but unfortunately not too many others, and can be safely skipped by those who aren't already existing devotees of this particular time period and story style.
Out of 10: 7.3
This latest title by our buddies at Pyr has a killer concept, one that's almost impossible to pass up -- basically, imagine "The Shadow" of 1920s pulp fiction, but if his secret identity happened to be Jay Gatsby, the whole story taking place in a steampunk (noirpunk?) alt-history New York, a tech-forward place full of holographic telephones and jet-powered biplanes, and where the US has been waging a cold war against a still-ascendent British Empire that has been artificially keeping Queen Victoria alive well past the age of 100. But unfortunately, author George Mann doesn't do anything nearly as original with the plot itself, turning in instead a cliche-filled typical Shadow or Batman tale only with cooler details, a disappointment given how inventive he's made the universe where this story takes place. Not badly written but certainly pedestrian in nature, this will still appeal to hardcore genre fans but unfortunately not too many others, and can be safely skipped by those who aren't already existing devotees of this particular time period and story style.
Out of 10: 7.3
June 5, 2010
Moving ahead several decades and continents in his steampunk universe serves George Mann well in this book which is a mix of superhero story (think Batman) and noir. The book is a pretty interesting read until the end. Mann has knack for writing crazy fight and chase sequences; in this book it's a bi-plane fight. The pace of most of the book is good, mixing the right amount of action and introspection.
Where the book lost me (and this is why I'm giving it 3 stars instead of 4) is in the final few chapters. The climax of the story reveals much information that was previously unmentioned and never hinted at in the story previously. It had me scratching my head, asking "what?" aloud and not in a good way. In particular the fact that perhaps the most one dimensional character in the book turned out to be suddenly be a key player in the end. That character's one dimensional-ness made the ending, which I think the author meant to be tragic, unsatisfying.
The book hints at the beginning of an interesting series, but this is perhaps because the characters, setting, and mood are almost literally Batman.
Where the book lost me (and this is why I'm giving it 3 stars instead of 4) is in the final few chapters. The climax of the story reveals much information that was previously unmentioned and never hinted at in the story previously. It had me scratching my head, asking "what?" aloud and not in a good way. In particular the fact that perhaps the most one dimensional character in the book turned out to be suddenly be a key player in the end. That character's one dimensional-ness made the ending, which I think the author meant to be tragic, unsatisfying.
The book hints at the beginning of an interesting series, but this is perhaps because the characters, setting, and mood are almost literally Batman.
July 23, 2014
A fast, furious and ultra-entertaining read set in the alt-steampunk universe of the author's superb series "Newbury and Hobbes" but some decades later and in NYC rather than London; while Ghosts is as pure superhero adventure as it gets with clear-cut heroes and villains, gadgets (steampunk here), non-stop action, high body count and minimal plot, so it lacks the subtlety of Affinity Bridge and Osiris Ritual, the engaging direct style of Mr. Mann makes it work superbly and you cannot help but root for the main heroes "Ghost" (identity clear on page 10 or so) and detective Donovan and I am sold on the further installments to come.
A strong A and an excellent debut to a new series to watch and get each volume asap.
A strong A and an excellent debut to a new series to watch and get each volume asap.
June 11, 2010
Steampunk, alternate history, a hero who hides in the shadows of the world's most famous city... This had all the elements of what could have been a great book, but it just sort of fell flat.
None of the characters were really fleshed out enough to care about, and the reveal of the Ghost's true identity just didn't work for me. It was too sudden and didn't make sense as presented.
Everything wrapped up too easily, and the main love interest's involvement in the whole plot seemed to just be sort of thrown in there at the last minute. Nothing felt very explained.
None of the characters were really fleshed out enough to care about, and the reveal of the Ghost's true identity just didn't work for me. It was too sudden and didn't make sense as presented.
Everything wrapped up too easily, and the main love interest's involvement in the whole plot seemed to just be sort of thrown in there at the last minute. Nothing felt very explained.
March 14, 2016
I can't even finish this. It is absolutely dreadful.
August 26, 2024
I have really enjoyed other books by George Mann, but found this one hard to engage with to begin with.
The dark character of the city, the chain smoking, heavy drinking characters, the detailed description of violence, none of this appealed.
However, as I got to know the characters a bit better, it improved. The story got more gripping towards the end. There were some great ideas here, terrifying concepts and inventive crimes, but I felt the focus on the darkness in the characters lives made them difficult to like or sympathise with and the female characters were sketches.
The dark character of the city, the chain smoking, heavy drinking characters, the detailed description of violence, none of this appealed.
However, as I got to know the characters a bit better, it improved. The story got more gripping towards the end. There were some great ideas here, terrifying concepts and inventive crimes, but I felt the focus on the darkness in the characters lives made them difficult to like or sympathise with and the female characters were sketches.
July 20, 2019
Really great setting and characters. Reminded me of Sandman Mystery Theater with its anachronistic tech set in 1920s New York City. I gave it 4.5 stars only because the ending was rushed and left some important questions unanswered, imo.
December 6, 2023
I think the right reader would love this, but it wasn't my cup of tea. It's a comic book drama with a familiar cast of characters. There aren't any surprises here, the plot covers some well-worn paths.
October 5, 2015
Ghosts of Manhattan was a fairly short book I picked up based entirely on the cover art and short description on the back, and turned out pretty good. The story takes place in a re-imagined Steampunk style 20s, and is essentially a superhero / detective story. The story follows the jaded but dedicated Detective Donovan, and the vigilante "The Ghost" who acts as the sort of anti-hero with no problem massacring a whole room of people, so long as they are armed and trying to kill him back. The story is a pretty basic mob-based detective story with added steampunk technologies, until it starts turning toward a supernatural ending as the two try to take down the mob boss, "The Roman." Most of the plot was pretty predictable the whole time, with only the real details of the ending being fresh; but still i thoroughly enjoyed the tone, environment and characters and would recommend it as a good side read, like something to read in between books you're really wanting to read.
June 6, 2013
I’ve been lukewarm to George Mann’s Victorian steampunk novels set in London, finding them mostly adequate: quick-paced but a bit flat and somewhat too beholden to cinematic cliché. They are intermittently entertaining and lively, but never quite get all the way to good. Mann’s new novel, Ghosts of Manhattan, is similar, but set in America this time. It’s perhaps a step above the London novels in quality.
It’s 1926 and America is in a cold war with a British Empire that still stretches over much of the world. The city of New York is filled with coal-powered cars and rocket-propelled biplanes. It’s also filled with crooks, most notably The Roman: the violent head of a group of gangsters and the person seemingly responsible for a run of targeted murders, each victim left with a pair of authentic Roman coins on their eyelids.
Read More:
http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
It’s 1926 and America is in a cold war with a British Empire that still stretches over much of the world. The city of New York is filled with coal-powered cars and rocket-propelled biplanes. It’s also filled with crooks, most notably The Roman: the violent head of a group of gangsters and the person seemingly responsible for a run of targeted murders, each victim left with a pair of authentic Roman coins on their eyelids.
Read More:
http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
January 27, 2013
I've really enjoyed George Mann's "Newberry & Hobbes" series of Steampunk novels, but this is in nowhere near the same class.
There are elements of a steampunk setting about this book, though nowhere near as well realised as his other books. "Ghosts of Manhattan" is set a little later in time - 1930s? - and is obviously a riff on the Green Hornet and early Batman tales. Our central character is another vigilante playboy with a twisted past.I found the whole thing a little tedious and never really felt that the characters were real in any substantial way and the plot really isn't particularly interesting and certainly not innovative in any way.
Bottom line - you've seen it all before. George Mann is a good and enjoyable writer but this is not his finest hour. File under "boring".
There are elements of a steampunk setting about this book, though nowhere near as well realised as his other books. "Ghosts of Manhattan" is set a little later in time - 1930s? - and is obviously a riff on the Green Hornet and early Batman tales. Our central character is another vigilante playboy with a twisted past.I found the whole thing a little tedious and never really felt that the characters were real in any substantial way and the plot really isn't particularly interesting and certainly not innovative in any way.
Bottom line - you've seen it all before. George Mann is a good and enjoyable writer but this is not his finest hour. File under "boring".
May 22, 2010
Taking a break from his previous creations Newbury & Hobbes, here Mann rolls his steampunk universe a couple of decades into its future, to Manhattan in the mid-twenties, instantly rejuvenating his own world. Genre-fusing pulp vigilantes into his steampunk world, he launches into an action-packed adventure dotted through with gangsters, molls, biplane battles, and the supernatural. It's a fun ride, though could have perhaps benefited from a more gradual denouement of the plot, rather than saving all the detail for the final couple of chapters. Still, getting there is a blast, and there's clearly more to come from the vengeful Ghost.
October 27, 2016
I was fascinated by the premise of the world this book was set in but found the overall execution anaemic at best. Character development wavered somewhere between schizophrenic and non-existent, the world that held such promise was poorly described and never really came to life for me. The plot itself careened between overly-predictable and wildly illogical, and the prose was a giant ball of meh.
I really wanted to love this book, but I never got anywhere with it. I don't regret reading it & suspect that many may actually find it fantastic (especially if you're less of a world-building snob / elitist arse than I am).
I really wanted to love this book, but I never got anywhere with it. I don't regret reading it & suspect that many may actually find it fantastic (especially if you're less of a world-building snob / elitist arse than I am).
January 28, 2011
"Ghosts of Manhattan" promises a blend of superheroism and steampunk but it falls very short of the mark on both. The steampunk gadgets seem to be a tacked on afterthought, the world building is sparse, and the characters are even even less detailed. You never care about The Ghost, his vendetta against The Roman, and would be better off reading a Batman book for story. The novel also suffers from some seriously clunky dialogue that may recall the format of pulp novels, but it comes off as cliche more often than not.
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