The final novel in the Factory Girl world, The Conscientious Objector - set in 1914-15 - will be published by Infinity Plus Books on Monday 23rd December, also with a Tom Brown cover.
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The Conscientious Objector
- Thread starter Stephen Palmer
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- stephen palmer
1914.
With the outbreak of war on the Continent, Erasmus Darwin finds himself caught up in a jingoistic fervour for which he feels no sympathy. Yet soon he is on the Western Front: frightened, appalled, and alone apart from a few pals who don't understand his pacifism.
Soon however he finds himself entangled in a secret mission the like of which has never been attempted, one which stretches his pacifism to the limit...
With the outbreak of war on the Continent, Erasmus Darwin finds himself caught up in a jingoistic fervour for which he feels no sympathy. Yet soon he is on the Western Front: frightened, appalled, and alone apart from a few pals who don't understand his pacifism.
Soon however he finds himself entangled in a secret mission the like of which has never been attempted, one which stretches his pacifism to the limit...
Here's the cover, again by steampunk maestro Tom Brown.
A little bit of constructive criticism on your short film where you explain the plot. It's not easy to hear your explanation because of the continuing background music. Although the music level drops when you speak, it could do with being mixed down a little more - or perhaps some EQ-ing to put some space between the frequency of your voice and the music a bit more.
>does thumbs up<
Gosh, what a lovely thing to say.
Thank you!
Thank you!
The end of 6 years of tremendously hard work.
Huge thanks to my editor Keith Brooke - the best - and cover illustrator Tom Brown.
Huge thanks to my editor Keith Brooke - the best - and cover illustrator Tom Brown.
Busy reading my way through it now. Most enjoyable. Deals with some interesting themes. Not least, the treatment of women (which, by today's standards is just ridiculous).
Although it's not absolutely necessary, I'd advise any potential reader to read the Factory Girl trilogy first. To do so, I think, gives a better insight into Erasmus Darwin's character
Although it's not absolutely necessary, I'd advise any potential reader to read the Factory Girl trilogy first. To do so, I think, gives a better insight into Erasmus Darwin's character
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- Mar 27, 2016
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- 2,296
Good review in today's Guardian:
www.theguardian.com
Here's the relevant extract:
A sequel to the Factory Girl trilogy, Stephen Palmer’s The Conscientious Objector (Infinity Plus, £11.99) is a thought-provoking and thoroughly offbeat alternative history of the first world war. The action takes place on a very different western front, featuring armies supported by legions of clockwork automata and watched over by the enigmatic golden angels of Mons. Among other weird and wonderful elements we find a magical race of Amazon-like women living on a remote European mountaintop, a team of eccentric German scientists using robot eugenics to develop the next super-race of automata, and an alternative Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Stunningly inventive, and striking a delicate balance between outre fantasy and a respectful exploration of its source material, the novel charts the poignant relationship between young lovers thrown together in the thick of an awful war, where loyalties are never clearcut and fates are in doubt until the final pages.
The best recent science fiction and fantasy – review roundup
The God Game by Danny Tobey; The Conscientious Objector by Stephen Palmer; Fate of the Fallen by Kel Kade; The Shadow Saint by Gareth Hanrahan; and The Glass Breaks by AJ Smith
www.theguardian.com
Here's the relevant extract:
A sequel to the Factory Girl trilogy, Stephen Palmer’s The Conscientious Objector (Infinity Plus, £11.99) is a thought-provoking and thoroughly offbeat alternative history of the first world war. The action takes place on a very different western front, featuring armies supported by legions of clockwork automata and watched over by the enigmatic golden angels of Mons. Among other weird and wonderful elements we find a magical race of Amazon-like women living on a remote European mountaintop, a team of eccentric German scientists using robot eugenics to develop the next super-race of automata, and an alternative Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Stunningly inventive, and striking a delicate balance between outre fantasy and a respectful exploration of its source material, the novel charts the poignant relationship between young lovers thrown together in the thick of an awful war, where loyalties are never clearcut and fates are in doubt until the final pages.
Thanks, Hugh.
Pleased with that one!
Pleased with that one!
Av Demeisen
Well-Known Member
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- Jul 1, 2015
- Messages
- 326
Nice binding on those paperbacks!
Finished this and throughly enjoyed it.
Stuck a review on Amazon but apparently it takes a few days to go through so here's the blurb.
Stephem Palmer’s latest literary offering expands the steampunk universe of the Factory Girl trilogy and the life of our hero Erasmus Darwin who, like so many of his generation, finds himself embroiled in The Great War of 1914. But, of course, this is a different war to the one that history teaches us. This is a war in which the opposing cultures are supported by clockwork automata, not least of which are the Duloids – mechanisms that not only resemble humans in form but believe themselves to be human at least in spirit. It is within this setting that Erasmus and his companions take part in an adventure that will lead them far behind enemy lines and where they will learn as much about themselves as the secret world they unearth.
Of course, this being a Stephen Palmer novel, there’s a little more to it than that. As is his style, he employs his imaginary world to explore themes that resonate with us today. It is well written with a language in a manner befitting the Edwardian/Georgian eras, but not so much as to make it unreadable. It also has a reasonable mixture of exciting exploits and moments of revelation.
If you fancy something a little different in terms of fantasy, you could do a lot worse than give this book a try. It’s refreshingly unusual and, in that sense, Palmer is probably closer in mindset to Lewis Carroll than GRR Martin.
Note: It’s not absolutely necessary to read the Factory Girl trilogy before reading The Conscientious Objector but I would advise it for the greater clarity it would bring to the reader.
Stuck a review on Amazon but apparently it takes a few days to go through so here's the blurb.
Stephem Palmer’s latest literary offering expands the steampunk universe of the Factory Girl trilogy and the life of our hero Erasmus Darwin who, like so many of his generation, finds himself embroiled in The Great War of 1914. But, of course, this is a different war to the one that history teaches us. This is a war in which the opposing cultures are supported by clockwork automata, not least of which are the Duloids – mechanisms that not only resemble humans in form but believe themselves to be human at least in spirit. It is within this setting that Erasmus and his companions take part in an adventure that will lead them far behind enemy lines and where they will learn as much about themselves as the secret world they unearth.
Of course, this being a Stephen Palmer novel, there’s a little more to it than that. As is his style, he employs his imaginary world to explore themes that resonate with us today. It is well written with a language in a manner befitting the Edwardian/Georgian eras, but not so much as to make it unreadable. It also has a reasonable mixture of exciting exploits and moments of revelation.
If you fancy something a little different in terms of fantasy, you could do a lot worse than give this book a try. It’s refreshingly unusual and, in that sense, Palmer is probably closer in mindset to Lewis Carroll than GRR Martin.
Note: It’s not absolutely necessary to read the Factory Girl trilogy before reading The Conscientious Objector but I would advise it for the greater clarity it would bring to the reader.
Thanks for this! and thanks for your terrific support over the years, much appreciated.
and thanks for your terrific support over the years, much appreciated.| Thread starter | Similar threads | Forum | Replies | Date |
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