Ian R. MacLeod‘s two acclaimed Aether Universe novels — THE LIGHT AGES and THE HOUSE OF STORMS — are available in new Russian editions! Published by ACT, as Светлые века and Дом бурь. Both novels were translated by Natalia Osoyanu (Наталии Осояну). Here’s the synopsis for the first book…
В 1678 году Джошуа Вагстафф открыл эфир, и началась Индустриальная революция, подпитываемая магией. Эфир, чьи тайны ревниво хранят Гильдии, становится клеем, который скрепляет новое общество. С тех пор прошло много лет, и в воздухе зреют перемены. На улицах говорят о новом начале, о том, что пришла пора свергнуть власть Гильдий, и вскоре существующему миропорядку может прийти конец… Роберт Борроуз вырос в маленьком йоркширском городке Брейсбридж и, как его отец, должен был работать на эфирной фабрике, но он становится свидетелем темной стороны магической технологии, когда его мать превращается в нечто чудовищное и жалкое. Сбежав в Лондон, Роберт начинает свое путешествие по огромному городу, судьба сталкивает его с мелкими преступниками и революционерами, забрасывает в модные салоны и аристократические дома. Так ему открываются тайны, которые угрожают самой ткани этого общества, тайны, связанные с сутью эфира, способные разрушить все или же создать нечто совершенно новое, что изменит мир навсегда.
The Aether Universe novels are published in English by JABberwocky, and are out now. Here’s the English-language synopsis for THE LIGHT AGES…
Aether is industry, industry is magic and the Great Guilds rule the known world.
Raised amid the smokestakes, terraced houses and endless subterranean pounding of the aether engines of the Yorkshire town of Bracebridge, Robert Borrows is nevertheless convinced that life holds a greater destiny than merely working endless shifts for one of the Lesser Guilds. Then, on a day out with his mother to the strange gardens and weirdly encrusted towers of a remote mansion, he encounters a wizened changeling, and the young girl in her charge called Anna, and glimpses a world of wonder, mystery and surprise.
From then on, as he flees to London in the hope of escape and advancement, and explores its wide streets and dark alleys, and all the tiers of society from the lowest to the highest, he comes to realize that he holds the keys to secrets far bigger than even he imagined.
A dazzling melange of Dickens and Peake, flavored with steampunk and magical realism, yet seen through a kaleidoscopically individual gaze, in The Light Ages, double World Fantasy Award winner Ian R MacLeod has created a novel for this and every age.
First published in 19??, here are some reviews that the series has received…
‘MacLeod’s descriptive powers are so effective that you can visualize every detail… [He] skillfully incorporates literary influences ranging from William Blake to Dickens to 1984 and the working class novels of the 1950s—and arrives at something original. Magical, visionary and enthralling, THE LIGHT AGES is award-winning stuff.’ — SFX
‘Totally convincing and vividly written, this book invests the dark streets of London with a magic the reader will never forget… a brilliant writer.’ — Tim Powers
‘A haunting fantasy version of Victorian England… brought to life with compassionate characters and lyrical writing.’ — Denver Post on THE LIGHT AGES
‘The novel’s industrial alternative London echoes Dickens in its rich bleakness and M. John Harrison’s Viriconium in its inventive Gothic complexity. A gripping page-turner. A hearty read. Rising star Ian R MacLeod offers an original political fable rivaling in ambition and execution the very best of today’s new science fantasies.’ — Michael Moorcock on THE LIGHT AGES
‘MacLeod is set to become a writer of the magnitude of Dickens or Tolkien.’ — Guardian on THE HOUSE OF STORMS
‘MacLeod’s ability to tell a tale that blends history-in-the-making with the stories of men and women who make that history renders this chronicle of love, war, and human aspiration a strong addition to any fantasy collection.’ — Library Journal on THE HOUSE OF STORMS
‘In the end, as compelling as the plot may be, readers will find themselves slowing down, holding back, turning the pages with deliberate care. For the world MacLeod creates, the characters who live there, the schemes and terrors they find themselves involved in are so real, so beautifully rendered, that readers will not want to leave them behind.’ — Interzone on THE HOUSE OF STORMS