Review: "Constantine Affliction"

Name: Constantine Affliction
Author: Tim Pratt (writing as T. Aaron Payton)

Background:

Set in an alternate universe London in the 1800's. This is a London of mad science, where unquenchable fires rage inside some sectors, creatures emerge from the rivers, and automaton hookers are beginning to replace the real thing.

The title comes from a virus, spread like an STD, that either kills you or changes your sex. The result is societal chaos as men become women and women become men. Against this backdrop, private investigator Pimm eventually partners with intrepid reporter Skye to get to the bottom of things.

Thoughts:

I loved about 85% of this book. The pacing is solid and the world building tidbits are quite good. You get a great sense of not just London of this era, but exactly how this London is different. The mad science vibe from all the experiments gone wrong, as well as little touches to the daily items the characters carry, do a great job of conveying the "far out" nature.

The characters were all well made and stood out. This is helped by snappy and clever dialogue throughout, with good humor. You feel for Pimm as he deals with everything from a fake marriage to being hassled by goons. Skye is inquisitive and go-getter without being obnoxious, a trap that many intrepid reporter archetypes fall into.

The story focuses squarely on Victorian gender roles for its "punk" credentials. Men and women are not magically egalitarian as some games and books try to gloss over. By having a virus swap sexes, it shows how the men fight to retain their status by masking their changes while many women seem eager for the new chance and abandon their old lives entirely. The expectations for women are frequently explored - contrasted with the position of Queen Victoria as the nation's ruler.

My only complaint is that the ending seemed to mash-in a genre that didn't fit, leaving what had been a very solidly steampunk world with a weird add-on.I am a fan of steampunk that is strictly science. While the ending did try to hold to that science angle, it felt too out-of-left-field for my tastes. Still, it's better to be too ambitious than not ambitious enough, so trying to go too far is a mistake I can forgive quite readily.

I am definitely looking forward to a sequel!