Reviews

In the 26th century, the Confederacy of the Yukon governs North America, and the world has reverted to feudalism and a steam-powered economy. By far, the greatest ruler of the Confederacy is First Consul Isaac Prophet Fitzpatrick, a young noble whose mind is set on conquering the world even at the expense of his soul. This inventive sf debut takes the form of a memoir of the life of Consul Fitzpatrick as written by Sir Robert Mayfair Bruce, Fitzpatrick's faithful companion and former schoolmate. Commentaries in the form of footnotes appear throughout, lending a scholarly feel and providing additional information about the world. As Bruce's tale unfolds, the author skillfully demonstrates how fallible men become heroes through a deliberate distortion of their deeds. The author's ability to suggest an entire culture from a few telling details makes this an engrossing read for most sf collections. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

In Judson's spectacular first foray into speculative fiction, the Yukons-members of a puritanical agrarian community that rose to power as the electrical systems of 21st-century society were destroyed in the turbulent Storm Times-dominate the world in the 26th century. Spanning what was once Canada and the U.S., the British Isles and Australia, the semifeudal Yukon empire has a near monopoly on nonelectrical technology. Readers have two windows into this unsettling future: Sir Robert Mayfair Bruce, the book's main narrator and protagonist, and Dr. Professor Roland Modesty Van Buren, the historian who presents and annotates the 50th anniversary edition of Bruce's controversial memoirs. These memoirs detail Bruce's involvement in the brutal Four Points War and his relationship with the man who launched it, Isaac Prophet Fitzpatrick, who has been immortalized as a hero of Yukon society. Judson's use of the twin viewpoints allows him to make points about subjects as diverse as history and heroes, academia and ambition, love and shame. Yet like Heinlein, Asimov and other great writers in the genre, Judson never lets his message get in the way of the story, nor does he lapse into preachiness. This terrific SF debut is sure to be a contender for many awards. Agent, Richard Curtis. (Aug. 3) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.