The Light Ages

The Light Ages

First edition (US)
Author	Ian R. MacLeod
Language	English
Genre	Fantasy fiction, Steampunk, Alternative history
Publisher	Earthlight (UK) Ace Books (US)
Publication date	May 2003
Publication place	United Kingdom
Media type	Print (Hardcover)
Pages	464
ISBN	0743462424
Followed by	The House of Storms

The Light Ages is a steampunk and alternate history fantasy novel by Ian R. MacLeod. The novel is set in an alternate Victorian England during an Industrial Revolution fueled by a dangerous magical substance known as aether.

Plot

The Light Ages takes place in an industrializing England that relies on the mining of aether, a magical fifth element. Society is structured by a rigid labor caste system of guilds. The narrator and protagonist of the novel, Robert Borrows, belongs to a lowly guild in a Yorkshire mining village. He eventually journeys to London, where he joins a group of thieves, pickpockets, and revolutionaries who seek to overthrow the caste system.

Publication history

• 2003, UK, Earthlight (a former imprint of Simon & Schuster) ISBN   0743462424, Pub date May 2003, Hardback
• 2003, US, Ace Books ISBN   0441010555, Pub date May 2003, Hardback
• 2004, UK, Simon & Schuster ISBN   0743462440, Pub date 5 April 2004, Paperback
• 2004, US, Ace Trade, ISBN   0441011497, Pub date 6 April 2004, Paperback

Literary significance and reception

The novel was received favorably. Jon Courtenay Grimwood, writing in The Guardian , described it as "[a] quiet, understated monster of a novel". ^[1] Publishers Weekly noted the novel's strong character development and "gritty, alternate London" and recommended it to readers "who love the more sophisticated fantasy of Michael Swanwick, John Crowley or even China Miéville." ^[2]

The novel won nominated for a World Fantasy Award in 2004. Because of its favorable reviews and broader publishing promotion, it has been described by critics as MacLeod's "breakthrough" work. ^{[3] [4]}

References

1. Grimwood, Jon Courtenay (5 July 2003). "Nikes, Orcs, monks and more". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
2. "The Light Ages (review)". publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
3. "Ian R. MacLeod Interview with Iain Emsley". SFRevu. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
4. "The Light Ages (review)". The SF Site. Archived from the original on 13 October 2003. Retrieved 29 January 2020.

External links

• The Light Ages title listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database