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Darger and Surplus
The Postutopian Adventures of Darger and Surplus
The world is grown strange. Gloriana, the six-brained Queen of England, squats in her throne room at the center of Buckingham Labyrinth. In Paris, the glowing Seine may, or may not, conceal the disassembled remnants of the Eiffel Tower. A dragon haunts the high passes of the Germanic states, swallowing travelers whole for purposes impossible to understand. All these signs and portents together mean but one thing to the forgettable-faced Aubrey Darger and his humanoid canine partner Surplus. There is money to be made. Here are five novelettes and four never-before-collected vignettes that describe episodes from the careers of those most charming of con artists, Darger and Surplus, spiritual heirs to Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser and unwitting agents of change in a world where ancient artificial intelligences scheme to destroy the descendants of their makers. The comrades’ adventures across a wildly detailed world by turns astonish and delight. The Hugo Award-winning “The Dog Said Bow-Wow” tells the tale of the redoubtable pair’s first confidence game, played out at the dizzying heights of English society. In “The Little Cat Laughed to See Such Sport,” Surplus works to overcome his prejudice against Darger’s new lover, a member of that most contemptible and capricious of races, cats. Gods walk a future Arcadia in “Girls and Boys, Come Out to Play,” tables are turned by the formidable woman who lends her name as title to “Tawny Petticoats,” and Darger and Surplus are separated as each attempts to thwart the machinations of a most unique AI “There Was an Old Woman…” which debuts herein. The collection closes with “Smoke and Mirrors,” four brief episodes that lend nuance to all that has come before, expanding our understanding and appreciation of this world and of these unforgettable roguish characters. Michael Swanwick is one of the most celebrated and decorated writers of the past forty years. His novels and short stories have won the Hugo, the Nebula, the World Fantasy, the Locus, and the Theodore Sturgeon Awards, among others. His inimitable imagination and consummate skill are on full display in this collection, so revel in the postutopian world with its finest guides. Just check your pockets afterward.
185 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 30, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
February 24, 2021
A surprise package in the mail yesterday: a signed, inscribed copy of the hardback! Woot! Brightened that grey, rainy day. 12 inches in the last 36 hours! Good thing I'd replaced our falling-apart old mailbox.... 📭
Front matter is fun, as are four new-to-me vignettes as an 'Appendix.' More on these anon.
The stories:
• The Dog Said Bow-Wow (2001). "The dog's name was Sir Blackthorpe Ravenscairn de Plus Precieux but "Call me Sir Plus" he said"; hence the name. A good, fast-moving tale. 3.5+ stars.
• The Little Cat Laughed to See Such Sport (2002). A marvelous confection: 5+ stars! Online copy! https://io9.gizmodo.com/the-little-ca...
After the excitement in London, D&S journey to Paris, with a deed to Buckingham Palace in their valise. They find a mark, and his ‘widow’, a beautiful cat-lady that (unsurprisingly) Surplus doesn’t care for. She & D begin a passionate affair. Hugger-mugger ensues, including a sentient pistol from Utopian days. All's well that ends well, though the boys leave Paris only a bit wealthier than before….
• Girls and Boys, Come Out to Play (2005, novelette) Ooh, calloo, callay, a new-to-me D&S! I thought I'd read them all! And it's one of the best. 4.5 stars! Copy online: https://myemail.constantcontact.com/M...
Opening line: "Oh, the sex is good," the satyr said. "Nobody could say it wasn't. ...."
• Tawny Petticoats! (2015, novelette). Just as good as I remembered. Better! Tawny is six feet and a hand tall, and twigs to the boys right away: they need a partner "with quick wits and larcenous proclivities." And good looks! They plan to run the Black Money scam, in a grimdark post-postutopian New Orleans. Tawny makes the bigger score. But she does leave them a love-note: "You boys were so much fun!"
• There Was An Old Woman (2020?). The boys are trapped in a remnant Utopian luxury hotel, which operates on the Hotel California principal: you can check in, but you can never leave. Hijinks ensue. Story original to this collection?
• Smoke and Mirrors: Four Scenes from the Postutopian Future. Four vignettes that, Swanwick explains, aren't quite congruent with the other tales here. Hence he presented them as an appendix. Regardless, they are just as entertaining as the longer stories. Enjoy!
TOC: https://subterraneanpress.com/postuto...
Front matter is fun, as are four new-to-me vignettes as an 'Appendix.' More on these anon.
The stories:
• The Dog Said Bow-Wow (2001). "The dog's name was Sir Blackthorpe Ravenscairn de Plus Precieux but "Call me Sir Plus" he said"; hence the name. A good, fast-moving tale. 3.5+ stars.
• The Little Cat Laughed to See Such Sport (2002). A marvelous confection: 5+ stars! Online copy! https://io9.gizmodo.com/the-little-ca...
After the excitement in London, D&S journey to Paris, with a deed to Buckingham Palace in their valise. They find a mark, and his ‘widow’, a beautiful cat-lady that (unsurprisingly) Surplus doesn’t care for. She & D begin a passionate affair. Hugger-mugger ensues, including a sentient pistol from Utopian days. All's well that ends well, though the boys leave Paris only a bit wealthier than before….
• Girls and Boys, Come Out to Play (2005, novelette) Ooh, calloo, callay, a new-to-me D&S! I thought I'd read them all! And it's one of the best. 4.5 stars! Copy online: https://myemail.constantcontact.com/M...
Opening line: "Oh, the sex is good," the satyr said. "Nobody could say it wasn't. ...."
• Tawny Petticoats! (2015, novelette). Just as good as I remembered. Better! Tawny is six feet and a hand tall, and twigs to the boys right away: they need a partner "with quick wits and larcenous proclivities." And good looks! They plan to run the Black Money scam, in a grimdark post-postutopian New Orleans. Tawny makes the bigger score. But she does leave them a love-note: "You boys were so much fun!"
• There Was An Old Woman (2020?). The boys are trapped in a remnant Utopian luxury hotel, which operates on the Hotel California principal: you can check in, but you can never leave. Hijinks ensue. Story original to this collection?
• Smoke and Mirrors: Four Scenes from the Postutopian Future. Four vignettes that, Swanwick explains, aren't quite congruent with the other tales here. Hence he presented them as an appendix. Regardless, they are just as entertaining as the longer stories. Enjoy!
TOC: https://subterraneanpress.com/postuto...
April 20, 2022
Charming. Recommended.
April 27, 2020
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy in return for an honest review.
When I joined NetGalley about a month ago I went through hundreds of books on the site looking for things I wanted to read and of the 50 or so titles that I've requested this was the one I was the second most excited for. I had read one of the stories in the collection a few years ago and enjoyed it well enough, and Swanwick's Stations of the Tide is one of my top ten favorite SF novels of all time. Saying all that, I think you can imagine my disappointment that I am now sitting down to write this two star review.
Usually when I read an anthology I like to rate and review each individual story. I have chosen not to do that here as each review would be much the same since each story had the same problems.
"The Dog Said Bow-Wow" is by far the worst of the bunch, which is deeply unfortunate given that it is the first story in the collection. The time frame jumps wildly throughout the story, utterly ruining the pacing of the narrative and making it very difficult to know how much time has passed. The story read like the characters were there for no more than two days, but some of the random lines made it seem that it was closer to two weeks. These jumps lead into the second problem that the characters, in their introductory story, have zero development personally or with each other, but you're supposed to believe that they are already life long loyal crime partners. Last, some of the writing is excellent, but it is more often nonsensical, sloppy, and utterly juvenile.
These problems are in every single one of the stories, although I will say that the pacing issue does get progressively better with each story (which are here in publication order), but even the best story is only three stars. My biggest continual problem was that in every story there is an "impossibly beautifully woman" who, of course, throws herself at Darger or Surplus - or both - pretty much the second they meet. The peak of the "utterly juvenile" writing has to be when Swanwick actually writes the sentence "They began, of course, by doing it doggy-style."
Surplus is an anthropomorphized dog and this is the best Swanwick can do with that idea? Every story has some inane, crude sexual comment like this in it, usually more than once.
I was also deeply annoyed that Swanwick kept using Dionysus and Pan as two interchangeable names for the same god in "Girls and Boys, Come Out to Play." It is either a mistake that should have been caught in editing or intentional for no reason given in the story, which makes it appear as sloppy writing to any reader who knows even a little bit about Greek mythology.
I give this collection two stars because, as I said, some of the writing is good and the base ideas for each story are intriguing. However, the execution of every one of those ideas is "okay" at their absolute best. I would not recommend this book, but, given that I have really enjoyed Swanwick before, I do still plan on reading at least one of the novel length Darger and Surplus stories.
When I joined NetGalley about a month ago I went through hundreds of books on the site looking for things I wanted to read and of the 50 or so titles that I've requested this was the one I was the second most excited for. I had read one of the stories in the collection a few years ago and enjoyed it well enough, and Swanwick's Stations of the Tide is one of my top ten favorite SF novels of all time. Saying all that, I think you can imagine my disappointment that I am now sitting down to write this two star review.
Usually when I read an anthology I like to rate and review each individual story. I have chosen not to do that here as each review would be much the same since each story had the same problems.
"The Dog Said Bow-Wow" is by far the worst of the bunch, which is deeply unfortunate given that it is the first story in the collection. The time frame jumps wildly throughout the story, utterly ruining the pacing of the narrative and making it very difficult to know how much time has passed. The story read like the characters were there for no more than two days, but some of the random lines made it seem that it was closer to two weeks. These jumps lead into the second problem that the characters, in their introductory story, have zero development personally or with each other, but you're supposed to believe that they are already life long loyal crime partners. Last, some of the writing is excellent, but it is more often nonsensical, sloppy, and utterly juvenile.
These problems are in every single one of the stories, although I will say that the pacing issue does get progressively better with each story (which are here in publication order), but even the best story is only three stars. My biggest continual problem was that in every story there is an "impossibly beautifully woman" who, of course, throws herself at Darger or Surplus - or both - pretty much the second they meet. The peak of the "utterly juvenile" writing has to be when Swanwick actually writes the sentence "They began, of course, by doing it doggy-style."
Surplus is an anthropomorphized dog and this is the best Swanwick can do with that idea? Every story has some inane, crude sexual comment like this in it, usually more than once.
I was also deeply annoyed that Swanwick kept using Dionysus and Pan as two interchangeable names for the same god in "Girls and Boys, Come Out to Play." It is either a mistake that should have been caught in editing or intentional for no reason given in the story, which makes it appear as sloppy writing to any reader who knows even a little bit about Greek mythology.
I give this collection two stars because, as I said, some of the writing is good and the base ideas for each story are intriguing. However, the execution of every one of those ideas is "okay" at their absolute best. I would not recommend this book, but, given that I have really enjoyed Swanwick before, I do still plan on reading at least one of the novel length Darger and Surplus stories.
February 14, 2020
So since my last read left rather a bad taste in my mouth, I wanted something fun for a palate cleanser. A book featuring a series of vignettes about a pair of charming con artists, one of whom happens to be a genetically engineered anthropomorphic dog, seemed to be just about the perfect speed. And that’s more or less exactly what it was.
This book is set in the future, after civilization run by AIs collapsed when the AIs turned on humanity. For reference, there’s mention of the Eiffel Tower being built “in the early Utopian period.” There’s plenty of technology still around, if of a different sort than we’re used to, and a distinctly Steampunk feel to it.
Aubrey Darger and Sir Blackthorpe Ravenscairn de Plus Precieux (“Call me Sir Plus”... get it?) are a pair of friends making their way in the post-Utopian world, charming lovely women and greedy marks with equal enthusiasm. There are two novels that Swanwick has written starring the duo, which I’ve added to my list for when I need something fun in the future. There’s also places to read short stories - I had the nagging sense that I’d encountered the characters before while reading this, and it wasn’t until I came to a story set in New Orleans that I recognized as something I’d read out of the Rogues anthology. Further research also indicated that one of the stories is actually a Hugo winner, so it's got that going for it too.
The stories themselves are quick and fun. The obvious comparison whenever a con-artist duo comes up in fantasy is Locke & Jean, of course, but it’s not really a good comparison here. This isn’t about Darger and Surplus showing off their wit and cleverness - many of their schemes are fairly simple, and most of them are classic cons (the badger game, the black money game, etc). It’s not about the game - it’s about the entertaining duo at the heart of it. They might come off ahead in their game, or the cons might get conned themselves, but either way they roll with it and head on to their next destination (occasionally in a bit of a hurry).
My only real complaint is that both Surplus and Darger have a fair degree of success with the ladies, and as mentioned, Surplus is an anthropomorphic dog. There’s nothing like an explicit sex scene, but even the fairly general references to it leave me with a distinct, ahem, furry vibe. If that’s your thing, more power to you, but it isn’t mine. There’s also an anthropomorphic cat in one story, with similar undertones when she and Darger get involved. But that’s a minor complaint in an otherwise fun little book.
This book is set in the future, after civilization run by AIs collapsed when the AIs turned on humanity. For reference, there’s mention of the Eiffel Tower being built “in the early Utopian period.” There’s plenty of technology still around, if of a different sort than we’re used to, and a distinctly Steampunk feel to it.
Aubrey Darger and Sir Blackthorpe Ravenscairn de Plus Precieux (“Call me Sir Plus”... get it?) are a pair of friends making their way in the post-Utopian world, charming lovely women and greedy marks with equal enthusiasm. There are two novels that Swanwick has written starring the duo, which I’ve added to my list for when I need something fun in the future. There’s also places to read short stories - I had the nagging sense that I’d encountered the characters before while reading this, and it wasn’t until I came to a story set in New Orleans that I recognized as something I’d read out of the Rogues anthology. Further research also indicated that one of the stories is actually a Hugo winner, so it's got that going for it too.
The stories themselves are quick and fun. The obvious comparison whenever a con-artist duo comes up in fantasy is Locke & Jean, of course, but it’s not really a good comparison here. This isn’t about Darger and Surplus showing off their wit and cleverness - many of their schemes are fairly simple, and most of them are classic cons (the badger game, the black money game, etc). It’s not about the game - it’s about the entertaining duo at the heart of it. They might come off ahead in their game, or the cons might get conned themselves, but either way they roll with it and head on to their next destination (occasionally in a bit of a hurry).
My only real complaint is that both Surplus and Darger have a fair degree of success with the ladies, and as mentioned, Surplus is an anthropomorphic dog. There’s nothing like an explicit sex scene, but even the fairly general references to it leave me with a distinct, ahem, furry vibe. If that’s your thing, more power to you, but it isn’t mine. There’s also an anthropomorphic cat in one story, with similar undertones when she and Darger get involved. But that’s a minor complaint in an otherwise fun little book.
February 15, 2020
Enter the delightful world of the scoundrels Darger and Surplus. Contained in this slim but amazing volume is the collection of the short fiction featuring these tricksters .... all either award winners or nominees. The setting is post utopian future in which mankind has quashed a rebellion of it's artificial intelligence creations , with the serious consequences of loosing almost all electronic and mechanical technology. The engaging duo of trickers meet in a near future London and are instant friends. Aubrey Darger, a self acknowledged grifter, appears to be a rather nondescript, almost invisible, English gentleman while his soon to be partner is an American anthropomorphic dog ... a rather engaging person, especially endearing to women, and bit of a dandy. This scoundrel is referred to as "Surplus" ... but is full title is: Sir Blackthorpe Ravenscairn de Plus Precieux. We follow these partners in crime as they journey across the world, with their ultimate destination being Moscow. ( Swanwick has devoted an entire novel to their exploits in Moscow).
These confidence artists are out for the Big Score ... that will make them rich beyond anyone's dreams. Their scams never seem to fully materialize and we find them leaving down quickly to avoid the consequences of their schemes ... usually unintentionally unearthing dangerous revenants of the past age.and leaving others to deal with their mischief. They travel the world without any consideration to the morality of their actions and reeked consequences . Nonetheless, it's impossible not to enjoy their developing personalities and exploits.
Thanks to NetGalley and Subterranean Press (@SubPress) for supplying an electronic proof of this gem in exchange for an honest review. Excuse me ... while I go download Swanwick's two novels from this delightful universe. ( at. readersremains.com )
These confidence artists are out for the Big Score ... that will make them rich beyond anyone's dreams. Their scams never seem to fully materialize and we find them leaving down quickly to avoid the consequences of their schemes ... usually unintentionally unearthing dangerous revenants of the past age.and leaving others to deal with their mischief. They travel the world without any consideration to the morality of their actions and reeked consequences . Nonetheless, it's impossible not to enjoy their developing personalities and exploits.
Thanks to NetGalley and Subterranean Press (@SubPress) for supplying an electronic proof of this gem in exchange for an honest review. Excuse me ... while I go download Swanwick's two novels from this delightful universe. ( at. readersremains.com )
October 14, 2022
The world may be old and strange, we may have abandoned technology to flee from the ghosts in the machine, but there will always be people with more money than sense; and there will always be those dedicated to separating said people from said money. Even if one of the separators is, in fact, a genetically-engineered intelligent humanoid dog.
This is a relatively short collection of half a dozen or so short stories (and an even shorter, not entirely canonical, collection of four flash fictions) about one Aubrey Darger and one Sir Blackthorpe Ravenscairn de Plus Precieux (more familiarly known as Surplus), wandering the world, helping fools and their money soon part. (Surplus is the intelligent dog.) The cons they pull tend to be classics of the form, the complications that ensue are manifold, and their ratio of success to failure is ... well, a very good reason to read the book and find out.
This is a relatively short collection of half a dozen or so short stories (and an even shorter, not entirely canonical, collection of four flash fictions) about one Aubrey Darger and one Sir Blackthorpe Ravenscairn de Plus Precieux (more familiarly known as Surplus), wandering the world, helping fools and their money soon part. (Surplus is the intelligent dog.) The cons they pull tend to be classics of the form, the complications that ensue are manifold, and their ratio of success to failure is ... well, a very good reason to read the book and find out.
February 13, 2020
The Postutopian Adventures of Darger and Surplus by Michael Swanwick- The unusual tales of two con men(well one of them is a dog!) living in a world where the internet is full of demons and banned, civilization has stepped back to an era much like the late eighteen-hundreds, and strange creatures abound! Darger is an Englishman with roving eyes and knowing ways, while Surplus(Sir Plus, actually) is a reformed dog, who stands upright, always wears fine clothes, and can usually be found with a beautiful woman. This collection of adventures is whimsical and fun to read. It starts of with The Dog Said Bow-Wow, a Hugo winner, and continues with The Little Cat Laughed To See Such Sport, and Girls and Boys, Come Out To Play, Tawny Petticoats, and finally There Was an Old Woman. If you haven't read any Darger and Surplus stories, this is an excellent chance to get acquainted with these Postutopian rogues.
June 22, 2021
Postutopian, that's an interesting usage. So it's not a dystopian world although it is. I like the idea that humans created a utopia on Earth for however long it lasted. . . Of course it blew up in our faces and tried to kill us en masse but we had a utopia for at least a little while.
The story building has a somewhat flavor of Dune and the Butlerian Jihad that like Earth's utopia destroyed devices that thought like men creating mentats and those beings who drove their starships. The world of Darger (a human being) and Surplus (a genetically and surgically altered dog who walks upright, speaks and appears to be quite the lady's. . .dog) has no computers, no long distance communication. Medicine seems highly advanced and when large, complex computations are needed they'll breed a creature, something like a land manatee with numerous animal brains and one human to control the set.
Darger & Surplus often see themselves as the last two honest me even when carefully working their latest scam or con. I like the mix of semi old usage, of the language and their polite gentlemanly ways. There's a Victorian flare to their world and oddly I enjoy it. They're traveling the world getting into trouble as they go.
The story building has a somewhat flavor of Dune and the Butlerian Jihad that like Earth's utopia destroyed devices that thought like men creating mentats and those beings who drove their starships. The world of Darger (a human being) and Surplus (a genetically and surgically altered dog who walks upright, speaks and appears to be quite the lady's. . .dog) has no computers, no long distance communication. Medicine seems highly advanced and when large, complex computations are needed they'll breed a creature, something like a land manatee with numerous animal brains and one human to control the set.
Darger & Surplus often see themselves as the last two honest me even when carefully working their latest scam or con. I like the mix of semi old usage, of the language and their polite gentlemanly ways. There's a Victorian flare to their world and oddly I enjoy it. They're traveling the world getting into trouble as they go.
July 22, 2020
In terms of fictional literary duos, I'd be hard pressed to pick favourites between Hap and Leonard and darger and Surplus. A more dissimilar pair it would be hard to find, whether it be their personalities or their genre, the hard-boiled crime duo I've known for longer and have a larger canon, but the science fiction adventurers make quite an impression, as does their eternally strange world filled with novelty and danger, not to mention opportunity.
This is a collection of all the current stories, from their first fiery meeting to a series of four linked flash fictions, following their wayward course through the world left after the fall of the technological utopia, where the biological sciences are now ascendant, with weird, wonderful and occasionally horrifying results. Darger and Surplus are con men ever in search of the next score, and unwitting catalysts of chaos and change. Their stories are delightful and thrilling and incredibly clever. This is a delighful and rewarding volume of sheer entertainment.
This is a collection of all the current stories, from their first fiery meeting to a series of four linked flash fictions, following their wayward course through the world left after the fall of the technological utopia, where the biological sciences are now ascendant, with weird, wonderful and occasionally horrifying results. Darger and Surplus are con men ever in search of the next score, and unwitting catalysts of chaos and change. Their stories are delightful and thrilling and incredibly clever. This is a delighful and rewarding volume of sheer entertainment.
May 21, 2020
The Darger and Surplus stories are an absolute romp. A genetically modified talking dog teams with a professional con man to roam the world trying to enrich themselves by a variety of outlandish schemes. This far-future world has regressed in technology to the Victorian age, except for bioengineering which has run riot and allows Swanwick to create the most fantabulous creatures imaginable.
The dialogue is Victorian period formal, which combines nicely with the skullduggery and backstabbing that occurs in these stories. These stories are light, fluffy treats to read for a chuckle. Swanwick is such a good writer that he can write light, whimsical farce that looks effortless but contains tight plotting, clever characters and an impressive bit of worldbuilding. This book contains all the Darger and Surplus stories that were published separately from the two novels, “Dancing With Bears” and “Chasing the Phoenix”.
The dialogue is Victorian period formal, which combines nicely with the skullduggery and backstabbing that occurs in these stories. These stories are light, fluffy treats to read for a chuckle. Swanwick is such a good writer that he can write light, whimsical farce that looks effortless but contains tight plotting, clever characters and an impressive bit of worldbuilding. This book contains all the Darger and Surplus stories that were published separately from the two novels, “Dancing With Bears” and “Chasing the Phoenix”.
December 28, 2020
Mosty fun, sometimes a bit out there. This was an amusing collection of short stories. A set of stories pair of Victorian confidence artists. A nice quick read, nothing heavy, and some amusing situations.
October 11, 2024
Funny, witty and interesting qorld and imagination.
December 2, 2020
Basically OK. When you talk con men, I want clever plans and snappy dialog. This sorta falls flat on both. And even when Darger and Surplus aren't actively boning down, Swanwick wants to be sure you know other people definitely want to be boning them.
May 21, 2020
Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
The Postutopian Adventures of Darger and Surplus is a collection of shorter fiction by Michael Swanwick. Released 30th April 2020 by Subterranean Press, it's 200 pages and available in limited edition (signed and numbered) hardcover, and ebook formats.
I've always had a particular fondness for collections/anthologies because short fiction is spare and technically challenging, so you get a better feel for an author's expertise with the form. Short fiction is less of a time commitment as well, so if one story is not working for you, there's another piece readily available in a few pages. This one is a sort of Fafhrd/Mouser homage (with a con man whose sidekick is an anthropomorphic canine - living and carrying out their confidence tricks in a dystopian post-apocalyptic world). There are 9 stories in all (5 novellas and 4 vignettes). All of them have a line from Mother Goose as titles, lending the whole an offbeat whimsical appeal.
The stories themselves are well written, but caveat emptor: the author never met a cheap pun or double entendre he didn't take home and write down. If sophomoric jokes make you groan and roll your eyes in irritation, this one probably won't be a good fit. On the other hand, the author's Hugo winning entry is reprinted here (The Dog Said Bow-Wow). Mr. Swanwick knows his way around narrative fiction. They're clever and funny and sometimes touching. I will admit that they're not everyone's cup of tea, but they were a definite treat to read. The book includes a lot of inside info and background provided by the author which is nearly always one of my favorite parts to read. Neil Gaiman is another author who provides really good information about characters' genesis and his story ideas, Ray Bradbury did, Asimov often did, and this author does as well.
Well written and diverting, this is one for speculative fiction fans. It'll sit very well with the steampunk and adventure folks.
Four stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
The Postutopian Adventures of Darger and Surplus is a collection of shorter fiction by Michael Swanwick. Released 30th April 2020 by Subterranean Press, it's 200 pages and available in limited edition (signed and numbered) hardcover, and ebook formats.
I've always had a particular fondness for collections/anthologies because short fiction is spare and technically challenging, so you get a better feel for an author's expertise with the form. Short fiction is less of a time commitment as well, so if one story is not working for you, there's another piece readily available in a few pages. This one is a sort of Fafhrd/Mouser homage (with a con man whose sidekick is an anthropomorphic canine - living and carrying out their confidence tricks in a dystopian post-apocalyptic world). There are 9 stories in all (5 novellas and 4 vignettes). All of them have a line from Mother Goose as titles, lending the whole an offbeat whimsical appeal.
The stories themselves are well written, but caveat emptor: the author never met a cheap pun or double entendre he didn't take home and write down. If sophomoric jokes make you groan and roll your eyes in irritation, this one probably won't be a good fit. On the other hand, the author's Hugo winning entry is reprinted here (The Dog Said Bow-Wow). Mr. Swanwick knows his way around narrative fiction. They're clever and funny and sometimes touching. I will admit that they're not everyone's cup of tea, but they were a definite treat to read. The book includes a lot of inside info and background provided by the author which is nearly always one of my favorite parts to read. Neil Gaiman is another author who provides really good information about characters' genesis and his story ideas, Ray Bradbury did, Asimov often did, and this author does as well.
Well written and diverting, this is one for speculative fiction fans. It'll sit very well with the steampunk and adventure folks.
Four stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
December 18, 2021
This is a very enjoyable book of linked short stories that follow the adventures of a pair of con artists, Darger and Surplus. Surplus, it bears mentioned, is an "uplifted" (that is say, anthropomorphic and intelligent) dog. Michael Swanwick is clearly influenced here by Fritz Leiber's Ffahrd and Gray Mouser series, and he freely admits this in the introduction. But this is not simple pastice; there are major differences between Swanwick's work and Leiber's. The setting here is our world, in the future, after a sort of fall that has removed a great deal of technology. There are some echoes of Gene Wolfe, another of Swanwick's key influences, in this setting. While the city of Lankhmar features centrally in Leiber's stories, the characters in this book are itinerant, always traveling, and do not have a similar base of operations.
The prose here crackles, and the story sounds like it's in another time, without sounding like anachronism. As con artists, the main characters are specialists in wit and verbal skills, and Swanwick leans into this. The dialogue is a joy.
I won't give it away, but one of these stories has the funniest joke I've heard this year. I've probably heard every Jewish joke, and Swanwick comes up with one that is completely fresh and hilarious. And he does it without playing on stereotypes or being the slightest bit mean-spirited.
At less than 200 pages, this is a quick, fun read. I don't know how many of the run are left, but a signed and numbered edition of this was released, and would make for an excellent gift!
The prose here crackles, and the story sounds like it's in another time, without sounding like anachronism. As con artists, the main characters are specialists in wit and verbal skills, and Swanwick leans into this. The dialogue is a joy.
I won't give it away, but one of these stories has the funniest joke I've heard this year. I've probably heard every Jewish joke, and Swanwick comes up with one that is completely fresh and hilarious. And he does it without playing on stereotypes or being the slightest bit mean-spirited.
At less than 200 pages, this is a quick, fun read. I don't know how many of the run are left, but a signed and numbered edition of this was released, and would make for an excellent gift!
May 13, 2020
I like the premise quite a bit, and the characters are quite entertaining, but the stories were very formulaic. If I'd read them in serialized form with time between I think that would have been fine, but reading them all back to back it was a bit repetitive. I will probably read the second book to see if a longer-form story suffers less from that issue; I really wanted each of the stories to be more expansive and less rushed.
August 30, 2025
"КУГЕЛЬ ЖИЛ, КУГЕЛЬ ЖИВ, КУГЕЛЬ БУДЕТ ЖИТЬ."
На самом деле, заголовок не совсем верный — обаятельные мошенники Даргер и Довесок не очень-то похожи на беспринципного героя Вэнса. Эти двое — настоящие благородные авантюристы, какие встречаются только в литературе. Они грабят и обманывают исключительно негодяев и аморальных проходимцев. Плуты с человеческим лицом, так сказать (хотя одного из них сложно назвать человеком, он генмодифицированная собака).
Мир, по которому колесят эти двое, тоже имеет мало общего с «Умирающей Землей». Да, человечество пережило большую войну с обезумевшими ИИ и откат цивилизации к уровню Прекрасной Эпохи, только с биотехом. Но в целом города отстраиваются, науки и искусства развиваются, новая аристократия и простые люди смотрят в будущее с оптимизмом. Европа кишит карликовыми мастодонтами, говорящими котами, энциклопедическими карликами, сатирами и нимфами. Британская королева экипирована нейросетью из 36 мозговых узлов. Ученые из Большого Зимбабве создают в своих лабораториях новых богов. В германских горах на людей охотятся живые отели. На плантациях сахарного тростника работают зомби.
А Даргер с Довеском все едут через этот безумный, безумный, безумный мир, в надежде добраться до легендарной Московии и немного поживиться по дороге за счет жадных дураков, которым можно продать Бекингемский дворец или Эйфелеву башню. Дело Кугеля живет.
На самом деле, заголовок не совсем верный — обаятельные мошенники Даргер и Довесок не очень-то похожи на беспринципного героя Вэнса. Эти двое — настоящие благородные авантюристы, какие встречаются только в литературе. Они грабят и обманывают исключительно негодяев и аморальных проходимцев. Плуты с человеческим лицом, так сказать (хотя одного из них сложно назвать человеком, он генмодифицированная собака).
Мир, по которому колесят эти двое, тоже имеет мало общего с «Умирающей Землей». Да, человечество пережило большую войну с обезумевшими ИИ и откат цивилизации к уровню Прекрасной Эпохи, только с биотехом. Но в целом города отстраиваются, науки и искусства развиваются, новая аристократия и простые люди смотрят в будущее с оптимизмом. Европа кишит карликовыми мастодонтами, говорящими котами, энциклопедическими карликами, сатирами и нимфами. Британская королева экипирована нейросетью из 36 мозговых узлов. Ученые из Большого Зимбабве создают в своих лабораториях новых богов. В германских горах на людей охотятся живые отели. На плантациях сахарного тростника работают зомби.
А Даргер с Довеском все едут через этот безумный, безумный, безумный мир, в надежде добраться до легендарной Московии и немного поживиться по дороге за счет жадных дураков, которым можно продать Бекингемский дворец или Эйфелеву башню. Дело Кугеля живет.
July 18, 2020
A collection of the Darger and Surplus stories to accompany the 2 novels. Set in a post technology world, Darger (a human) and Surplus (a genetically modified, intelligent, human shaped dog) are con men with varying degrees of success. The stories are always entertaining even if the outcomes are not always to their satisfaction. They'd make great films or TV.
April 1, 2025
Two Great Scoundrels
Swanwick is a terrific writer, but the stories of Darger and Surplus are his finest creations. Set in a post utopian world with wild Artificial Intelligences and other malfunctioning Utopian machinery causing chaos and mayhem, our “heroes” chase their fortunes and women. The stories are oh so clever.
Swanwick is a terrific writer, but the stories of Darger and Surplus are his finest creations. Set in a post utopian world with wild Artificial Intelligences and other malfunctioning Utopian machinery causing chaos and mayhem, our “heroes” chase their fortunes and women. The stories are oh so clever.
May 10, 2020
This was a great discovery and I loved every moment of this delightful book, a collection of short stories.
I strongly recommend it.
I received this ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review
I strongly recommend it.
I received this ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review
August 21, 2021
A brief but delightfully silly and heartwarming series of short stories about two conmen (one human, one a bioengineered dog) in a post-utopian genetic steampunk kind of world. I’d read two of the stories already and loved them, and now have finished the set. Onward to the novels!
July 28, 2022
Excellent work
Wonderful collection of the shorter adventures of everyone's favorite scamps, Darger and Surplus. Highly recommended. A fun background to Dancing with Bears and Chasing the Phoenix.
Wonderful collection of the shorter adventures of everyone's favorite scamps, Darger and Surplus. Highly recommended. A fun background to Dancing with Bears and Chasing the Phoenix.
December 27, 2022
Enjoyable, if short, collection of the short fiction about those two lovable rogues, Darger and Surplus. Definitely one for anyone with fond memories of Fritz Lieber's Fafhrd & Gray Mouser stories (and if you haven't read those, then read them!)
yuck-dnf
December 9, 2023However this ended up on my TBR it was not what I expected based on the blurb. I thought I was getting wise cracking cons doing heists. Instead I got not funny cons and furry sex with my heists.
Combined with poor editing this isn’t worth my time.
Combined with poor editing this isn’t worth my time.
May 7, 2020
Fun set of stories about two con-men in a bio-tech heavy far future world.
May 16, 2020
Good clean fun! More focus on the setting and characters than on the details of the scams.
May 20, 2020
Great stories. Excellent collection. Mr. Swanwick, please write more!
June 20, 2020
Delightful.
My signed copy is #240 of 1000.
My signed copy is #240 of 1000.
February 8, 2024
Charming, clever and full of adventure.
July 6, 2020
Fun as hell, Darger and Surplus are the perfect light read. The stories are quick, light, and packed with a great deal of wit.
If you have not read Swanwick's previous short stories, then this is a good compendium of the duo, containing the short stories, plus a few two-or-three-pagers at the end. If you enjoy confidence men, and trickster archetypes, this will be a great read for you, but if you're in for action or in-depth character development, something else from Swanwick might suit better.
An important thing to remember about the stories when reading is that they're very likely told by the pair around a tavern table, knee-deep in drinks and (hopefully) lovely ladies. There will be inconsistencies, dei-ex-machina, but all are very much in service of telling a ripping yarn, rather than a consistent story. And that's exactly what these are; ripping yarns, with the pair always coming out just ahead of the game.
As re-tellings of old swashbuckling tales, you'll see a fair amount of ribald activities and comments on ladies' assets. Again, this is by design, and the ladies almost always get the better of the pair in the end, so don't dwell on it too much.
All in all, these stories are summed up for me in the first line of the last story "There Was an Old Woman..."
"Had he been a superstitious man, Darger would not have wound up being swallowed by a dragon."
Perfect for a quick afternoon read, and a great choice for a re-read as a pallet cleanser between more serious books.
If you have not read Swanwick's previous short stories, then this is a good compendium of the duo, containing the short stories, plus a few two-or-three-pagers at the end. If you enjoy confidence men, and trickster archetypes, this will be a great read for you, but if you're in for action or in-depth character development, something else from Swanwick might suit better.
An important thing to remember about the stories when reading is that they're very likely told by the pair around a tavern table, knee-deep in drinks and (hopefully) lovely ladies. There will be inconsistencies, dei-ex-machina, but all are very much in service of telling a ripping yarn, rather than a consistent story. And that's exactly what these are; ripping yarns, with the pair always coming out just ahead of the game.
As re-tellings of old swashbuckling tales, you'll see a fair amount of ribald activities and comments on ladies' assets. Again, this is by design, and the ladies almost always get the better of the pair in the end, so don't dwell on it too much.
All in all, these stories are summed up for me in the first line of the last story "There Was an Old Woman..."
"Had he been a superstitious man, Darger would not have wound up being swallowed by a dragon."
Perfect for a quick afternoon read, and a great choice for a re-read as a pallet cleanser between more serious books.
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