More By and About This Author. Inventive and twisted, this is a dark solipsistic (or perhaps nihilistic) vision of a drug-fueled sex-laced industrial fantasy world. It rates two stars because I find value in both the good inventive parts and the chance for an insight into a mind of someone who is most unlike me. And then it strikes you: ma. The main character is Jane, a human girl in a world of faeries and magical beings, who's a child slave in a factory that produces parts for Iron Dragons — that world's equivalent to fighter jets. If they were ripped from their old life and stuck into a game rigged against them, would they survive, and how? by Michael Swanwick includes books The Iron Dragon's Daughter, The Dragons of Babel, and The Iron Dragon's Mother. OTHER BOOKS. Goddamn... What the hell did I just read? She also fails to remain a moral protagonist, becoming a manipulative thief who is willing to kill to accomplish her goals. Jane is a changeling child, enslaved in a factory that makes the iron dragons - terrible engines of war - until she discovers the secret of the dragons' sentience and is able to use one of the beasts to escape. "[2] The final suggestion that Jane may be reunited with Tetigistus suggests that the Goddess has forgiven Jane and given her another chance to fulfill her purpose. They flash before your eyes, they leave you with images, with seeds of desire, and they gone... they don't need our imagination, they are free from us. It wasn't my preferred type of setting – I like there to be just a little light somewhere, and I admit I do prefer to like a character or two in what I'm reading – but it was well done and fascinating. Further references to Lutheranism can be found in Swanwick's novel Jack Faust. Until one of the dragons starts whispering to her of escape. Though the wicker queen need not remain a virgin, her consort is required to do so. The main character is Jane, a human girl who's a child slave in a factory that produces parts for Iron Dragons - that world's equivalent to fighter jets. The Iron Dragon's Daughter is a 1993 science fantasy novel by American writer Michael Swanwick. For example when Rooster is in a coma during the opening of the novel: Rooster groaned In a high, lucid voice, he said "Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese..." Jane found herself unable to breathe. Rocket pursues them in his own dragon, and Jane is forced to blast him away, killing Tetigistus yet again. So, you know the feeling you get when you encounter a difficult piece of artwork in a contemporary art museum? That’s why she spreads chaos wherever she goes. Despite this, Jane comes to realize the Goddess's love for her and that her life in the human world "[is] not punishment. The story follows Jane, a changeling girl who slaves at a dragon factory in the world of Faerie, building part-magical, part-cybernetic monsters that are used as jet fighters. All loved ones die. All that you value passes away. To see what your friends thought of this book, No-no, no way. The story sounded interesting and the first part caught my attention, but then things just went downhill. The Iron Dragon's Daughter Publisher's Summary Named a New York Times notable book of 1994, The Iron Dragon's Daughter tells the heartrending story of a changeling child who is kidnapped to a realm of malls and machines and enslaved in a vast, infernal factory. Totally slaps anyone who suspects ‘gritty’ fantasy is a new thing. Swanwick admits having written it both as a homage to J.R.R. The plot of her story takes the form of a spiral, with events and characters constantly recurring in new settings. Swanwick has written two other books in the same setting, entitled The Dragons of Babel (published in 2008) and The Iron Dragon's Mother (published in 2019). Other instances include the bodies of men being sacrificed to Melanchthon's hunger and the repeated sacrifice of Tetigistus's life in service of Jane's goals. Jane also uses her sexuality as a source of power in interpersonal relationships. The recent slew of interchangeable Fantasy trilogies has hit me in much the same way that discovering that the woods I used to play in as a child have been cut down to make way for shoddy housing developments did.[1]. Much of the novel is nihilistic in tone. Ultimately, she escapes and attempts to educate herself about this alien world, while being tormented by visions of the life she was denied. That there is nobody to blame but ourselves but that accepting the responsibility is pointless for doing so cannot ease, defer, or deaden the pain? The New York Times named it a Notable Book in 1994. ", Jane doesn't intend chaos. The Iron Dragon's Daughter started off well. Maybe it's a small box left alone on a table. Millennium (UK), 1993, hardcover. "... and a sesame seed bun." This is very likely Swanwick's masterwork. This book was recommended to me somewhere along the way and also appears as part of one of the 'Fantasy Masterworks' series, so I expected it would be good. Soon after, the Teind arrives, a night of chaos during which both Sirin and Puck die. The immediate inspiration for Melanchthon was the fact that in the wake of Anne McCaffrey, the default setting for dragons became them being lovable, wonderful creatures that made the best of friends. The novel ends, leaving it uncertain if Jane has finally reunited with Tetigistus and found a chance at redemption.[2]. The main character is Jane, a human girl who's a child slave in a factory that produces parts for Iron Dragons - that world's equivalent to fighter jets. Named a New York Times notable book of 1994, The Iron Dragon's Daughter tells the heartrending story of a changeling child who is kidnapped to a realm of malls and machines and enslaved in a vast, infernal factory. Aghast and desperate, she destroys her dragon and goes on the run to prove her innocence. The Iron Dragon's Daughter is a novel by Michael Swanwick, published in 1994. This was the first adult scifi book I ever read. Home » Uncategorized » the iron dragon's daughter . So I set about rectifying the situation. Named a NEW YORK TIMES notable book of 1994, THE IRON DRAGON'S DAUGHTER tells the heartrending story of a changeling child who is kidnapped to a realm of malls and machines and enslaved in a vast, infernal factory. While Jane can pilot Melanchthon after she has lost her virginity, she cannot repair him, as the touch of a non-virgin will burn his wiring. It is so much more comforting to erect a straw figure on which to blame it all.[2]. You can pick up on a few clues as to what concept is being explored and what aesthetic is being showcased, but you get the sense that you might just not be intelligent or cultured enough to grasp the big, profound entirety of it all. The Iron Dragon's Daughter, despite being hundreds of pages of fucked-ed up, gloom fest, is one of my favorite books. Nobody who's ever stood in a hospital waiting room praying in vain for a friend to live can believe that things always work out for the best. So much violence, sexual content, scenes of main characters taking drugs and drinking, lot of cruelty. How would a normal human stand up to being a pawn in the games of greater beings? She makes new friends: Sirin, a talented alchemist, and Puck Aleshire, to whom she is strangely drawn. One day, she discovers a dragon that appears to have been scrapped, but is merely injured and camouflaging itself amongst its broken down brethren. Like me, you may not ordinarily read young adult fiction or stories about dragons and elves, but with the caveat that there is an abundance of sex and a fair amount of drugs, I recommend "The Iron Dragon's Daughter" to those who value scintillating imagination and superb writing. Jane is a child-worker in a factory which is building treacherously aware warmachines made of cold iron. Maybe it's a small box left alone on a table. Melanchthon disappears and Jane realizes that his manipulation caused these events. One of the most intriguing books of science fantasy I've ever read, Iron Dragon's Daughter is set in a strange world that is best described as 'faerie cyberpunk.' Later, Jane attends high school while fixing a dormant Melanchthon, who was damaged in their escape. The plot of her story takes the form of a spiral, with events and characters constantly recurring in new settings. I'm sure this book will stick with me -- but I can't. The Iron Dragon's Daughter is a 1993 science fantasy novel by American writer Michael Swanwick. Iron Dragon's Daughter, an amalgam of steampunk and fairy, will have you screaming, laughing, and crying all at the same time. I snuck it home from the Eugene, OR public library when I was 12...since I wouldn't have been allowed to read it. Most of these were originally published in Asimov's Science Fiction. One of the books on Mieville's list of 50 Scifi and Fantasy Books for Socialists, he tells you that it "completely destroys the sentimental aspects of genre fiction". Smoki Babel It engages the reader in a nihilistic world in which nothing is as it seems and everything comes at a steep and often horrific price. The Iron Dragon's Daughter is a novel by Michael Swanwick, published in 1994. Jane and her close friend Rooster, whose true name is Tetigistus, work in a group of indentured child laborers. I honestly have no idea how to rate or review this hot mess of a book. [this pattern repeats with her other loved/dear ones until she rebels, until she performs the great escape, yet whether she frees herself of it...I know not. She baffles them. Wafts of dope smoke shivering in tinkling exhalations of elvish conversational cantations or the rumble of dwarven antagonism. You have things to do, children to feed, even work you get paid for. The main character is an anti-hero so be prepared, remember it's a grim, gritty, nihilist fantasy book. I want more, but I know that there is no more and there must be no more - for all good things must end by their own will or be twisted into the MacDonald's-like things by others. That still didn’t prepare me for how angry this book was going to make me. Refresh and try again. Welcome back. So much violence, sexual content, scenes of main characters taking drugs and drinking, lot of cruelty. I don't know how to rate this book. The Iron Dragon's Daughter is a 1993 novel by writer Michael Swanwick that combines fantasy and science fiction.The dark and nihilistic tale follows Jane, a changeling girl who slaves at a dragon factory, building part-magical, part-cybernetic monsters that are used as jet fighters; until she crosses paths with an old, rusted dragon named Melanchthon and escapes. Materialism and consumerism also pervade the novel. This book is one of those rarities that make my brain a little bit numb from emotion storm. Jane is a changeling, working as slave labour in the dragon factory. The story follows Jane, a changeling girl who slaves at a dragon factory in the world of Faerie, building part-magical, part-cybernetic monsters that are used as jet fighters. You can’t stop watching. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Jane reunites with Melanchthon, who shows her that her life constantly spirals around to the same failures and reveals his ultimate plan to destroy the universe. All attachments end. Part classic fantasy, part Charles Dickens, The Iron Dragon's Daughter is one of the most unique novels in the genre. Finally, virginity and the lack thereof are often addressed. When the damaged dragon Melanchthon tempts Jane with promises of freedom, the stage is set for a daring escape that will shake the foundations of existence. As for the high mortality rate among her boyfriends… When the novel was half-written, my wife, Marianne Porter, remarked, "Jane is a spy. A world where magic and technology both work exists at a much higher energy level than our own. A distraught Jane forces the dragon to tell her his true name, Melanchthon. A finalist for the Arthur C. Clarke Award, the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel, and the 1994 Locus Award, The Iron Dragon’s Daughter a is one-of-a-kind melding of grimdark fantasy and cyberpunk grit from the Nebula Award–winning author of Stations of the Tide. It is a street like any other, ordinary in its fantasticism; monsters are the standard. The Iron Dragon's Daughter Michael Swanwick, Author William Morrow & Company $23 (424p) ISBN 978-0-688-13174-6. THE IRON DRAGON'S DAUGHTER is an original publication of Avon Books. But being who and where she is, it naturally follows. One day. And holy hell, please do take that warning seriously. This book is a mixture of sh** and honey, and as such, the inventive good parts can't overcome the feeling that one has consumed something unpleasant and unhealthy. Jane is a changeling child, enslaved in a factory that makes the iron dragons - terrible engines of war - until she discovers the secret of the dragons' sentience and is able to use one of the beasts to escape. When Peter and Jane have sex, he is rendered unable to perform his part of the sacrifice and must be replaced, to his shame. 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