Adam Browne

Pyrotechnicon is Adam Browne's first novel, and it is a cornucopia of invention.

The book tells the story of Cyrano de Bergerac's travels among the stars to win back his love Roxane, who has been abducted by the Master of Secrets, a malign alien being. On the way, Cyrano is assisted by Fritillary, an orang-utan with a lamp for a head, and Louis XVI, who has succeeded God and lives in a palace that is a life-size model of the universe.

This is fantasy written in the proto-science fiction style of the 19th century (e.g. Jules Verne). Browne dreams up houses made out of birds, a planet consisting entirely of mathematics, a ship propelled by nothing (because nothing is faster than light) and a host of other ideas. And that's my problem with this book. The language is florid, there are endless little puns, and Browne is more concerned with showing off his ideas than constructing a solid plot. His Cyrano is a pretty one-dimensional character as well, so I eventually got tired of the whole thing.… (lisätietoja)

The Tame Animals of Saturn by Adam Browne is a short, illustrated book. As far as textual length goes, it's in the realm of long novelette to short novella, and illustrations of the titular animals are presented around and between the text.

I am inclined to describe this book as surreal, in what I think of as the artistic definition. I have also heard it called absurdist philosophical steampunk. Whatever you call it, that style is not really my sort of thing, to be honest. I'm probably too much of a scientist to get very into fantastical descriptions of animals of Saturn, particularly when coupled with a story-telling style I'm not especially enamoured of (the prose was a little purple). Which is not to say that others won't enjoy this book, just that I didn't.

The story is written more in the style of philosophical non-fiction than conventional fiction, and concerns itself with describing the inhabitants of a fantastical Saturn and their goings on. It also focuses on Jakob Loder and his writings, fixating at times on the possibility of a Saturnian Loder to parallel the real Austrian one. I suspect someone who had studied more old philosophers and philosophy than I, may have gotten more out the book, too.

The illustrations were detailed pencil drawings, mostly, depicting the surreal and/or absurd animals described in the text. Many of them were grotesque and, to me, a bit disconcerting. Although it went well with the text, it is not my favourite art style either (you can probably see a trend here...).

The Tame Animals of Saturn was an odd book and one I probably wouldn't've picked up myself. That said, I recognise most of my response is personal rather than objective and, if what I have described appeals to you, absolutely give this book a go.

3 / 5 stars

You can read more of my reviews on my blog.… (lisätietoja)

Adam Browne's debut novel is a wonderful reading experience. It is filled with rich, luscious prose--words to be savored, not consumed. It is a story of Cyrano de Bergerac's journey while rescuing his love Roxanne from the evil Master of Secrets. It is filled with impossible, colorful characters and scenery, the likes of which I've only encountered in a handful of movies: The Adventures of Baron Munchausen comes immediately to mind. Lantern-headed martians, houses made of birds, a trip across the ocean of time, and a villain attired as a billiard table--these are just a few of the impossibilities brought to life in this strange journey.

I am, unfortunately, unfamiliar with Cyrano de Bergerac's work, but I still found this tale engaging and delightful. Browne is to be commended for his adept use of language and his creative, tight story telling.… (lisätietoja)