The Half-Made World (The Half-Made World, 1)

Very rarely have I encountered a mythology as unique and potent as that of Felix Gilman's Half-Made World. This book contains allusions to fantastical lands in the tradition of Jules Verne, ideas about the American West pre-dating Lewis and Clark, the complex idea of manifest destiny, the foundation of the Texas Republic, river boats and boomtowns, the advancement of the railroads, and demons.Good:1. No character is clean. From the very beginning, the two rival factions for domination of the world, Gun and Line, are depicted as imperfect, with the rigid autocracy of the Line opposed to the destructive anarchy of the Gun. These factions both feed on the land and the people in different ways, but both are a corrupting force.2. Deliberate vagueness. There is no map or glossary included with the book. Instead, we are fed a story from start to finish. Places are mentioned but never visited. Direction and distance are subjective rather than objective. This reminded me of Harry Potter, where the world and the story live together.3. Originality. For all of the fantasy that has been set in a feudal Europe, this was a refreshing read. This world is complex and contains blends of mythology that flow together.4. Writing. This is beautifully written. Especially important is that characters are frequently confused by what they are seeing. We get to experience their confusion. Parts of their lives are revealed when appropriate. Dialogue and voice is flawless. Descriptions alternate between poetic and crude. And the big ideas are never a cudgel. The editing is perfect.Neutral:1. Language. The f-word makes a few appearances. That being said, at no point did I feel the language was crude for the sake of shock value. These are characters pushed to the edge by demons and technology. However, if this is a sensitivity of yours, you may not want to read this.Bad:It ended. I really wanted it not to, but I'm glad that I could finally go to sleep.

The Half-Made World by Felix Gilman is an odd, but utterly fascinating book. I was initially drawn to it by the setting - a fantasy world with steampunk trappings, but also one in which humanity is constantly pushing against a western frontier. However, unlike the American frontier of our history, the wilds of this land are not yet made. The rules of weather, physics, and nature are in flux, and the further from civilization one goes, the worse this instability becomes. The frontier is also inhabited by the native Folk, who are not quite human, but are often hunted or enslaved by humans. Further west, the free Folk are numerous, with rumored spiritual powers and underground cities.The narrative follows the story lines of three characters. Dr. Liv Alverhuysen answers the call of a letter from the House Dolorous, originally meant for her deceased husband. The House sits to the far west and is a hospital for those injured in body or mind. It is overwhelmed by patients in the wake of war and the fall of the Red Valley Republic that dared to stand for its ideals thirty years past. Liv is a psychiatrist, like her late husband, and decides to go in his place.Creedmoor is an agent of the Gun - powered and directed by the demon housed in his weapon. He would prefer to go about his own business, but his Gun - Marmion - calls him back to its service. The Gun is perpetually at war with the Line, a collection of demon-possessed trains that is always expanding to new reaches of the west.Sub-Invigilator (Third) Lowry serves the Line as one of many workers in an operation full of industrialism and a hive-like culture. Lowry does his job with obsessive perfection and hides his blooming ambition from his superiors. The Line is quick to sacrifice anyone who does not perform up to its standards, and there are always more men ready to fill any gaps.Both Creedmoor and Lowry head toward the House Dolorous, for a famous General of the Red Valley Republic is rumored to be there under treatment. This General may hold the secret to a weapon which could finally turn the tide of war for either Line or Gun, but his mind has been shattered by the weapons of the Line.Dr. Alverhuysen, Creedmoor, and Lowry all become involved around the search for the General, and this takes them through an amazing series of interactions with each other and the world around them. The Line uses steam-power, tracking devices, telegraphs, and mysterious bombs. Creedmoor uses his cunning and ruthlessness. The characterization for everyone was very strong, and I found myself rooting for each one of them at times, even if Dr. Alverhuysen was the only likeable character, trying to heal and find the humanity in everyone.The writing was superb, and even during lulls in the action, the characters and the world itself were so intriguing that I never lost interest. I would have preferred a more conclusive ending as far as the plot, but this was a story that was more about the characters, and the end of the book certainly dealt with that.A second book set in the Half-Made World is due to be released in November 2012.

Unique character types and individuals captured my interest almost immediately. After following the characters thru many adventures often influenced by forces and parties explained only in part, I came to depend on the author for explanations in future pages. I felt, rightly or wrongly, my trust betrayed when the story abruptly stopped with no wrapup and no indication of the current volume being a part of a larger work. Perhaps a trilogy -or more- is planned. At this point I doubt I would purchase another work by this author. I think that a successful work of fiction depends in large part on a bond of trust between the author and reader. As a reader, I agree to a willing suspension of disbelief that allows the story to develop unique environments and situations. The author agrees to have his or her cast of characters act in ways I recognize as possible even if never before seen or imagined. My willingness to accept on faith unusual situations and behaviors depends in part on reading many works that over time lead me to believe most authors will honor that faith by either explaining or suggesting that I have something to learn by developing my own explanation. Unfortunately, the telling of this story seems to reflect the title to ill effect.

This is the best book I have read in several years. It should be taught in writing classes a hundred years from now. The voice of the main character and that of each of the supporting characters is compelling, authentic, brilliant, and fun. It takes Steampunk and lifts it to the science historical fiction stratosphere. It tells the story of a fictional American West where The Gun and The Line (Railroads) contend fatally for control over the countryside, while the natives inspire awe and contempt depending on your point of view. A fabulous story written with flair and great intelligence.

This was excellent, imaginative and original.

a helluva ride. the only reason I didn't give it a 5 is a less than satisfying conclusion. otherwise, the writing, characters and plotting are fierce.

Eu descobri Felix Gilman e seu livro Half-Made World pelo blog The Crooked Timber[1]. É difícil descrever o gênero do livro, mas creio que como ponto de partida, podemos considerá-lo como uma realidade alternativa dos EUA no séc. XIX, quando o oeste estava ainda por ser conquistado e civilizado.Eu não conseguiria fazer justiça ao livro tentando resumi-lo ou falar de suas qualidades. Apenas leiam o livro, e tenho certeza que não se arrependerão. E se quiserem mais detalhes, podem ler os textos no Crooked Timber que discutem o livro, no link abaixo.[1] http://crookedtimber.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/TheRiseofRansomCitybookevent.pdf

The novel starts really well and for the first half it sets a real pace in introducing the world and the key participants.Then, from the half way point it all starts meandering to the end, a rather inconclusive end.A lot to like though.