CJ: This one caught me
quite by surprise. I chose not to read any reviews, just let the authors take
me on a journey.
FM: I found it enlightening
to become familiar with the album first, so as to recognize when key phrases
found in the lyrics are used in the novel; often word for word. (In an odd twist, some phrases from other
Rush albums even find their way into this book!)
CJ: The journey begins in
a pastoral setting that is a pleasant blend of some favorite childhood
memories, both mine & my children. It is perfect blend of the Wizard of Oz,
Thomas the Tank Engine, Polar Express and a variety of Disney features set in
pleasant European villages.
FM: Both the CD and the book are intended to evoke the relatively new aesthetic genre known as Steampunk, perhaps more accurately termed, as is done in other venues, “Victorian Futurism.” It combines elements of Goth, Sci-Fi, Alternate Universe Fantasy (yes, absolutely the Oz books!) and other genres and is, as yet, rather vaguely defined beyond those broad parameters. The first line of lyrics to be heard on the album says a lot: “In a world lit only by fire,” meaning that the energy source in this universe is not electricity, but steam; hence the name, Steampunk.
FM: Both the CD and the book are intended to evoke the relatively new aesthetic genre known as Steampunk, perhaps more accurately termed, as is done in other venues, “Victorian Futurism.” It combines elements of Goth, Sci-Fi, Alternate Universe Fantasy (yes, absolutely the Oz books!) and other genres and is, as yet, rather vaguely defined beyond those broad parameters. The first line of lyrics to be heard on the album says a lot: “In a world lit only by fire,” meaning that the energy source in this universe is not electricity, but steam; hence the name, Steampunk.
CJ: But quickly there is
a bit of suspicion dashed in with the Watchmaker. Initially I got the feeling
it was a lash at deities and the blind, childlike faith that is necessary to be
followers, but then it went a bit deeper. The lyrics of "Freewill"
keep going through my head. I question whether the Watchmaker is a deity or a
man? References to his age make me lean towards man (the Wizard maybe).
FM: The book isn’t quite as clear on this Steampunk point early on, but the cultural consequences are readily apparent. Another important subtext in this book (besides the “Freewill” question), as in many of the Ayn-Rand-influenced lyrics by Peart, is that of central political control. The Watchmaker, a presumably benevolent dictator, has everything under control, even, to some degree, the weather! The hero’s father “…sat by the fire with a sharpened pencil and his ledger, going over how many barrels of fresh cider were to be delivered, how many would remain in storage to ferment into hard cider, how many were reserved for vinegar, and how much the Watchmaker allowed him to charge for each. Every villager had a role to play, and all accounts balanced.” Price controls, a centrally planned economy, each citizen knowing his place; our own politicians only dream of such influence!
FM: The book isn’t quite as clear on this Steampunk point early on, but the cultural consequences are readily apparent. Another important subtext in this book (besides the “Freewill” question), as in many of the Ayn-Rand-influenced lyrics by Peart, is that of central political control. The Watchmaker, a presumably benevolent dictator, has everything under control, even, to some degree, the weather! The hero’s father “…sat by the fire with a sharpened pencil and his ledger, going over how many barrels of fresh cider were to be delivered, how many would remain in storage to ferment into hard cider, how many were reserved for vinegar, and how much the Watchmaker allowed him to charge for each. Every villager had a role to play, and all accounts balanced.” Price controls, a centrally planned economy, each citizen knowing his place; our own politicians only dream of such influence!
CJ: Owen plays the part
of a Pinocchio type character. He wants to be a good boy, but somehow a piece
of him has survived the brainwashing and he has questions. The Anarchist character has me guessing. Is he
the old man from the stream liner? Is he the Watchmaker just trying to relieve
the boredom?
FM: An earlier book
by Anderson, Resurrection, Inc., was said to have been inspired by an
earlier Rush album, Grace Under Pressure. Those looking for similarities between the
two had to stretch the imagination pretty far to link them. In Clockwork Angels, however, the
alignment is very close. When we find,
at the end of the first quarter of the book, that the Pedlar was the Watchmaker
in disguise, it’s something of a surprise.
That revelation doesn’t seem to be given in the lyrics. Other details
are fleshed out as well, including a brief background on how the Watchmaker
came to power. He discovered, through
alchemy, how to make gold and “simply purchased everything he needed, every
building, every factory, in such a swift and methodical manner that he
controlled the city before the economy collapsed under a blizzard of cheap
gold.” The fact that this passage shows
a rare understanding of how economies really work will be lost on some readers
– as well as on almost all congressmen, apparently!
CJ: Nice choice CC!
Next week's Chapters: 7 up to 15
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