Fishpunk (Audible Audio Edition) Rick Novy EntropyCentralnet Books
Download As PDF : Fishpunk (Audible Audio Edition) Rick Novy EntropyCentralnet Books
When Wisconsin Territory botanist Calvin Scholz receives a mysterious package from an old friend who recently came to an untimely demise, it sparks a wild adventure. The mid-1840s is a dangerous time, for the Americans are at war with Mexico.
Scholz survives attempts on his life as he tries to deliver the package to his friend's brother, a Savannah ichthyologist interested in fish-powered machinery - ichthyotech. The situation grows increasingly dire, and Scholz finds himself aboard a riverboat in the Basin wilderness.
While this novel contains a fast-moving, original story, it is also a tasteful parody of the Steampunk movement. There are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, as well as a few compulsory bad puns.
Fishpunk (Audible Audio Edition) Rick Novy EntropyCentralnet Books
Set in the mid-19th century at the peak of the Mexican-American War, Rick Novy's refreshing "Fishpunk" is a whimsical parody of the "steampunk" movement, and to some degree a mild satire of adventure novels in general. A pair of ichthyologist brothers, Abner and Ira Littleby, have found a way to mutate - or "punk" - fish, enabling a range of uses from marine propulsion to robots to data processing. Milwaukee-based botanist Calvin Scholz is enlisted by Abner to deliver a mysterious wax-bound envelope to his brother Ira in Savannah, Georgia. What seems at first a simple task turns out to be a journey stretching beyond a year for the unsuspecting Scholz, crossing the eastern half of the US to eventually end up in the Amazon's impenetrable jungle, detouring as a prisoner of war in Mexico along the way, while encountering more cliffhangers than the dim witted Dudley Do-Right and hise hapless femme fatale Nell Fenwick, with the Mexican Army playing the unlikely role as Snidely Whiplash. Novy meanders amicably from one coincidence to the next in a pleasant tale unburdened by any literary pretension.If one wanted to be critical, Novy provides sufficient ammunition. The pace is uneven and the dialog awkward; the science of fish-punking - while clever and innovative - is never really explained, and twists are set up and anticipated, but never quite materialize. But that is missing the point, for "Fishpunk" is not to be taken seriously - in either plot or execution - as the power here is simply the audacity of the premise: "punked fish" emerging from a secret Amazon jungle laboratory shepherded by an aging crone "fishkeeper." Challenging the scientific authenticity of Harry Potter would be folly, and few would celebrate the J.K. Rawlings' writing skills - it's entertainment. And so is Rick Novy's "Fishpunk" - so kick back, put up your feet, and have some fun with this little gem.
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Fishpunk (Audible Audio Edition) Rick Novy EntropyCentralnet Books Reviews
A fun an interesting concept, but I don't think it was pulled off all that well. The story was quite an adventure, so you have to give it that, but I didn't really get the parody part or much humor. And is it just me or is the ichthyotech never actually explained? How does it even work?
While I have read quite a few "steampunk" stories, I haven't read The Difference Engine, which author Rick Novy calls out as his inspiration for Fishpunk, said to be a gentle parody. So I approached Fishpunk on its own terms - how does it succeed as a story in its own right? Many parodies don't work too well if you don't get the references, but thankfully Fishpunk isn't one of those.
Fishpunk takes place in mid-19th century US, during the Mexican-American war. In what is otherwise a fairly normal representation of that society, Novy postulates that science has found a way to genetically engineer fish to provide functions usually left to mechanical technology. For example, a "punked" ship is somehow powered by fish rather than steam, though the details of how this might work are left unstated. More interesting is the breeding of "decision fish", which can form the basis for a crude computer, and this is the "Macguffin" around which the story centers. Rick Novy sent me a copy of the book and asked me to review it.
Botanist Calvin Scholz is entrusted with a wax-sealed envelope from his friend and fellow scientist Abner Littleby. Scholz has been asked to deliver the envelope to Littleby's brother Ira. But it is soon evident that someone else wants that envelope very badly, and Scholz finds himself repeatedly attacked by Mexicans, who are not normally found so far north of the border. Scholz' journey takes him to Brazil and the , where he has been asked, by a mysterious US Marshall, to find someone called "The Fishkeeper".
The plot moves along well, though the coincidences Scholz encounters seem just a bit too unrealistic, but without them the story would be interminable. Along the way, Novy gets in some bad puns as well as character names that are pop culture references, such as a "Captain James T Cork" and his first mate "Specks", another Captain named Stubing, a Corporal Clinger, and.. you get the idea. I enjoyed the story, recognizing where it poked gentle fun at, not only steampunk novels, but action/quest stories in general. Along the way Novy throws in some surprises and the result is fully entertaining, even if you've never read a steampunk story. I look forward to reading more from Mr. Novy.
Cute concept. Fans of Patrick O'Brian (Aubrey-Maturin series) might really appreciate the attention to historical detail, and the dry, factual tone. I couldn't get through O'Brian's "Master and Commander" due to the dry details, but I did read Novy's book through to the end, which means I found something about it compelling. I think it was the adventure. There were a few funny moments, but I wouldn't categorize this book as humor or satire at all. It's more like a straight-up derring do adventure of yesteryear.
Set in the mid-19th century at the peak of the Mexican-American War, Rick Novy's refreshing "Fishpunk" is a whimsical parody of the "steampunk" movement, and to some degree a mild satire of adventure novels in general. A pair of ichthyologist brothers, Abner and Ira Littleby, have found a way to mutate - or "punk" - fish, enabling a range of uses from marine propulsion to robots to data processing. Milwaukee-based botanist Calvin Scholz is enlisted by Abner to deliver a mysterious wax-bound envelope to his brother Ira in Savannah, Georgia. What seems at first a simple task turns out to be a journey stretching beyond a year for the unsuspecting Scholz, crossing the eastern half of the US to eventually end up in the 's impenetrable jungle, detouring as a prisoner of war in Mexico along the way, while encountering more cliffhangers than the dim witted Dudley Do-Right and hise hapless femme fatale Nell Fenwick, with the Mexican Army playing the unlikely role as Snidely Whiplash. Novy meanders amicably from one coincidence to the next in a pleasant tale unburdened by any literary pretension.
If one wanted to be critical, Novy provides sufficient ammunition. The pace is uneven and the dialog awkward; the science of fish-punking - while clever and innovative - is never really explained, and twists are set up and anticipated, but never quite materialize. But that is missing the point, for "Fishpunk" is not to be taken seriously - in either plot or execution - as the power here is simply the audacity of the premise "punked fish" emerging from a secret jungle laboratory shepherded by an aging crone "fishkeeper." Challenging the scientific authenticity of Harry Potter would be folly, and few would celebrate the J.K. Rawlings' writing skills - it's entertainment. And so is Rick Novy's "Fishpunk" - so kick back, put up your feet, and have some fun with this little gem.
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