A Victorian Uchronia...

LIII – Humpty Dumpty – The Pit

phildeb — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 11:56:35 +0000

As complicated as being in harmony with oneself may be, it is even more difficult for two opposite characters to share one body. Humpty embodies the bright side of the bicephalous Humpty-Dumpty : kind and courteous, he is an unmatched guide into the subterranean maze of the Pit. Unfortunately, according to the strange agreement between him and Dumpty, he only has control of their common body on even days. The rest of the time, he is compeled to commist the worst atrocities.

Everybody hides a dark side. Humpty-Dumpty is no exception and the misanthropy of this dual, odd character is fully embodied by the evil Dumpty. As pleasant as Humpty may be, he hardly challenges Dumpty’s obnoxious treacherous nasty nature. During one of their schizophrenic philosophical arguing, it was finally agreed upon that Dumpty would have the body for himself on odd days. Many times he has falsified the calendar to deceive that poor Humpty.

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XXXIX – Jeremiah Crow – The Cult

phildeb — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 11:44:17 +0000

Jeremiah digs and does it well. His masters, the Necromancers of London, agree to say he has the best shovel stroke. Sharp-eyed, he has an unmatched talent to spot a fresh grave at the darkest hour of the night and, protected from putrescent miasmas by his gazmask, unearth its defunct dweller. Faithful servant of the Cult, he is always on his guard against freaks from the Pit. Those twisted prowlers of London’s most deserted corners can give him more trouble than his regular ‘customers’.

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XXVIII – Divio Juckal – The Wheel

phildeb — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 11:40:14 +0000

Divio “Mad Dog” Juckal is one of the youngest and most promising members of the Wheel. Initiated to the secrets of the Chovihans, his people’s witches, he is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Divio lives to fulfil an Izpràv, a feat such as his elders’ who devoured Lord Carter six years ago. Striking a lethal blow against the Cult would make him a legend among gypsies and gorgios would be well inpired to fear him. As the beast awakens within him, his prey has little hope to escape…

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LIV – Doc Proteus Trèves – The Pit

phildeb — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 17:33:41 +0000

Once physician to the poor, he became infected with one of his patient’s mysterious disease that started to horribly distort his body. When his frantic medical researches for a cure failed, he turned to the darkest magic. Yet, his unsufferable pain and increasing powers finally overcame the formerly devoted doctor Treves and led him to madness, turning his suffering into bittersweet pleasure and his fear into deep-rooted hatred. Should you accidentally meet him, look away and keep on walking…

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XII – Major Dreadful & Winston – The Club

phildeb — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 17:29:00 +0000

Veteran of the Zulu Wars and the campaigns of Egypt during which he lost his left arm, the Major was entrusted by the regent, Lord X, the direction of Scotland Yard. Incorruptible and merciless, the rigid Major Dreadful upholds the law, crushing with his powerful mechanical prothesis anyone foul enough to break the rules of the Empire. His bulldog Winston seems the only being on Earth able to soften Dreadful’s character. Others will take the consequences of their deeds.

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Another must read … (In French)

phildeb — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 10:20:06 +0000

Confessions d'un automate mangeur d'opium

Paris, 1899… L’industrie, portée par la force de l’Éther, a révolutionné le monde. Le ciel bourdonne de machines volantes, les automates sont partout qui agissent au service des hommes, hommes qui communiquent entre eux par téléchromos d’un continent à un autre. Dans cette ville moderne où s’ouvre une éblouissante Exposition Universelle, une jeune comédienne, Margo, aidée de son frère psychiatre, enquête sur la mort mystérieuse de son ex-maîtresse et d’un singulier personnage créateur de robots…
Écrites à deux mains par deux jeunes auteurs incroyablement doués, ces Confessions d’un automate mangeur d’opium sont un bonheur d’imagination et de virtuosité littéraire, à découvrir au plus vite.

A must read …

phildeb — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 16:47:57 +0000

When you read this books you really imagine the miniatures from SMOG … These books are in french

Paris, 1909. La tour Eiffel est en bois blanc, les sirènes se baignent dans la Seine, des farfadets se promènent dans le bois de Vincennes… et une ligne de métro relie la ville à l’OutreMonde, le pays des fées, et à sa capitale Ambremer Louis Denizart Hippolyte Griffont est mage du Cercle Cyan, un club de gentlemen-magiciens. Chargé d’enquête sur un trafic d’objets enchantés, il se retrouve impliqué dans une série de meurtres. L’affaire est épineuse et Griffont doit affronter bien des dangers un puissant sorcier, d’immortelles gargouilles et, par-dessus tout, l’association forcée avec Isabel de Saint-Gil, une fée renégate que le mage ne connaît que trop bien…