[Anomander1]

I read the first trilogy (Age of Misrule) when first published and thoroughly enjoyed the premise as well as the quality. Succinctly, current day Britain falls back in to the dark ages, with technology ceasing, and Celtic Gods and beasts returning to roam the land.

Does anyone else have any opinions on this less known series? and has anyone dabbled with the second triology?

[Yobmod]

Not read it, but i find the idea of 'technology not working' bizzarre. It also occured in Tim Power's Anubis gates, where magic and technology could not coexist (and Pratt and Sprague de Camps Incompleat Enchanter and Piers Anthony's Mode and Adept series, off the top of my head)

What bothers me is that:

Technology is seen as a function of time - the Dark Ages were not technologically less advanced because God hadn't gotten around to adding computers to his world-building, it just hadn't been invented yet.

Modern technology and medieval technology are shown to work on different principles. The internal combustion engine doesn't work? So why does fire still burn and wheels still turn? They are all results of the employment of universal scientific principles. One without the other makes no sense.

Magic is almost always shown to be preferable - why is this? Authors go all out showing how the nerdy kids can now shoot fireballs, but never mention that lack of modern medicine or sanitation or the real impact of taking weeks to get from one city to the next.



Maybe Chadbourn's books will do something different, but if they show a group of people having trouble adapting, then setting up a pastoral idyll with frontier spirit, then having to confront an alliance of evil men and evil magic / beasts to protect their home, then i will not be impressed :)

[Warewolf]

I'm hoping that they'll eventually be published in the US so I don't have to pay an arm and a leg to order them from the UK.

[JonLaidlow]

I'm hoping that they'll eventually be published in the US so I don't have to pay an arm and a leg to order them from the UK.


Well the Age of Misrule trilogy has just been published in an omnibus for 9.99 sterling, which at Amazon UK's rate is 7.19, and surprisingly, is listed on amazon US.

http://www.amazon.com/Age-Misrule-Omnibus-Gollancz-SF/dp/0575079185/ref=sr_11_1/102-8337718-8329740?ie=UTF8

[Ouroboros]

Not read it, but i find the idea of 'technology not working' bizzarre ...

What bothers me is that:

Technology is seen as a function of time - the Dark Ages were not technologically less advanced because God hadn't gotten around to adding computers to his world-building, it just hadn't been invented yet.

Modern technology and medieval technology are shown to work on different principles. The internal combustion engine doesn't work? So why does fire still burn and wheels still turn? They are all results of the employment of universal scientific principles. One without the other makes no sense.

Chadbourne doesn't so much write technology out entirely. It's not the case that our heroes wake up one morning and suddenly everything from the coffee machine to nuclear power are not longer functioning. The tack he takes is more whereby the achievments of 'the age of reason' come to be paralelled by equally potent and apparently inexplicable magical and mythological forces. There is a breakdown in human society not because technology and reason cease to function entirely, but because they are more or less incapable of analysing or explaining the new players at the table (returning Celtic gods and whatnot). You'll need to read the series to get the full gist of the backstory, but it involves quantum theory and parallel realities.


Magic is almost always shown to be preferable - why is this? Authors go all out showing how the nerdy kids can now shoot fireballs, but never mention that lack of modern medicine or sanitation or the real impact of taking weeks to get from one city to the next.

Chadbourn presents the kind of realistic turn you're talking about. His protagonists more or less exist at the bottom of the newly re-organised foodchain, amidst the ruins of old society (there's a constant juxtaposition between the comforts of the past and their new existence).

To the original poster: The later books aren't quite as cohesive as the earlier ones, but they're probably darker in tone. I haven't read the latest release, but it's on my ever-expanding to-buy list.

You may find these links useful-

http://www.jackofravens.com/

http://www.markchadbourn.net/

[JBI]

Technology vs Magic has been used quite a bit. Is this new? or is it just another spin on the old concept?

[Gildor]

I'm very close to buying this, anyone else read it? Thoughts, opinions, anything written that is comparable?

(I'm referring to this (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Age-Misrule-Darkest-Forever-Gollancz/dp/0575079185/sr=1-1/qid=1162757039/ref=sr_1_1/202-2187929-7618222?ie=UTF8&s=books) tantalising version)

[mr scarborough]

Buy, buy, buy! I really liked those first three books, and that's really cheap! The mythos of the series works well, and is really well researched (although I couldn't help but think about the kids' cartoon, Visionaries, as I read the books!), and the dynamic between the characters is nicely done. Chadbourne seems to have a good knack for lifting the right things out of mythology- picking Balor of the Fomorians as an enemy is one particular good idea, and he flits from chapter to chapter like a literary magpie, merrily plundering British mythology throughout the work. It ends really well, too, which I think sometimes fantasy sequences need to.
For me, the series seemed to fall apart somewhat in the second trilogy. I suspect he changed editor, or moved to a shorter writing schedule, because I found the quality of the writing dropped off somewhat. The ideas were still there, but the execution, sadly, wasn't. I'm hoping he gets over this and looks again at the quality of his prose, as when he does his ideas justice, they're excellent. He might have to bite the bullet and let that world die, as well; he's wrung pretty much all he can from it.

[Mithfânion]

Just bought the Age of Misrule omnibus, this looks a fantastic series!

Bought the Forever War omnibus as well from Gollancz, it's SF but also very highly acclaimed. Gollancz are doing a great job packaging these, I hope they continue.

Can I expect that Balor and the Tuatha de Danaan are portrayed with appropriate awe?

[mr scarborough]

I'd say so. I won't put any spoilers in here but Balor is exactly as menacing as he should be, and the Tuatha are great, too; really other, if you know what I mean.