I’ve often wondered why steampunk has never really exploded. I spoke a little about it in my review of Stephen Hunt’s book, Court of Air, but it’s really something that confounds me. It has so much in the way of opportunity that I find it almost impossible to believe it hasn’t really taken off in a big way. Lavie Tidhar has, then, written a steampunk book in a market which just hasn’t embraced the genre and is no doubt expecting recognition. Maybe in the back of his mind he’s expecting big dollar signs and a movie deal.

But does he deserve it?

The short answer? Yes he does.

The Bookman is a phenomenal book. It’s taken the concept of steampunk and given it what it really needed – a damn good shake-up. Where some steampunk books mix in one or two elements, Tidhar’s gone out on the wing and pretty much stuffed his zeppelin full of stuff until it began to lose height and is on its way to the ground in a heavy way which often precedes an explosion of truly magnificent proportions. If it hits just right, I think it deserves to actually burn the genre to the ground so something new can grow.

I have to say that was the most amazing thing about this book – just how much was stuffed into it. Not only is every character related to steampunk included in the book, from Sherlock Holmes to Jules Verne, but so too are the various generations of tech and gizmos looted from the genre as a whole. It’s got Men in Black. And rocketships to the moon. AND on top of that, you have David Icke’s lizards. I mean – David Icke’s lizards!!! It’s genius. That was the hook for me right there. David Icke’s lizards have taken over the royal family. Just like Icke said. I mean – are you reading this? – I swear to you, that’s what Tidhar’s gone with. It’s pure unfiltered genius, and the whole book works like clockwork from beginning to end in a very satisfying and disgustingly inspirational manner. By the end of this book, if you don’t feel like writing your own opus to steampunk then you are insane and disturbed and should be locked up for society’s good.

His writing is easy on the mind, and deceptively smooth. His vision is surprising, and intricate within a simplistic frame. There’s a lot of nods to popular steampunk inspirations, and plenty of opportunities for you to chuckle at his references and the marvellous way he weaves his references into his novel. And it even has pirates, too. I mean, it has it all. Except ninjas. For now.

Angry Robot keep pushing the boundaries of fantasy and scifi. They have an incredible eye for what works and what doesn’t, and while their chosen covers are hit and miss, and the size of their books are the traditional size paperback mostly (a form which has been dying out as they appear to the critical eye to seem pulp, or not as intelligent as the new standard size of paperback), they work to surprise you with a depth and creativity you know has been slowly dwindling from fantasy and scifi. It’s nice to see more refreshing ideas allowed to filter through rather than the politically correct drab offerings which often flood the market in little bursts as each trend rises and falls like a hunchback strung up from a bellrope.

With Lavie Tidhar, there’s a distinct effort to capture the very essence of steampunk rather than to simply publish something which resembles it. Reading The Bookman, you know here’s a publisher who has tried not to capture trends, but to define and promote them. Tidhar’s writing, too, is proof that not everyone is writing in a slick way to appeal to the masses. Many still write simply for the enjoyment of what is not necessarily a booming genre, but who may actually revitalise it simply through the sheer scope of their imagination which is let loose on an unsuspecting public thanks to daring publishers like Angry Robot.

Since exploring their works, and the works of several other publishers who work outside the norm, I find myself feeling more comfortable with my work as a writer. I don’t feel I have to mould myself into a Stephen King or write a few hundred pages of bollocks for Nanna’s reading group. I feel I can keep exploring what I do, because somewhere out there really do exist publishers willing to explore with me. And that’s a fine thing.

As for Lavie Tidhar, I can tell he’s another name we’re going to hear a lot from. Especially when I look at the end of his novel and find he has a spare chapter there from his next work. And what a whopper!

I’m currently working on a book about a female assassin, and though mine’s probably a little more on the brutal side (mixing westerns with a fantasy setting), I can tell I’m going to love Mister Tidhar’s next book. Here’s a writer who is confidant and playful at the same time. Who can conjure the most amazing ideas in such abundance. The kind of writer we can all feel secretly jealous of while enjoying the fabric of his world.

I mean, David Icke’s lizards?

Man.

That Lavie Tidhar. To steal a Red Dwarfism: What a guy.