Mark Hodder
Author Blog | Reviews | Bibliography & Rights Information
The Burton & Swinburne Adventures | Biblio. & Rights Info
The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack
The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man
Expedition to the Mountains of the Moon
Standalones | Biblio. & Rights Info
REVIEWS
For THE STRANGE AFFAIR OF SPRING HEELED JACK
“The usual superlatives for really clever fantasy (imaginative, mind-bending, phantasmagorical) aren’t nearly big enough for this debut novel. With this one book, Hodder has put himself on the genre map… The book is incredibly ambitious, and the author pulls it off like an old pro: not only is the setting exciting and fresh, the story is thrilling and full of surprises. Hodder’s only problem now is to find a way to follow up this exhilarating debut, which will appeal not only to sf/fantasy readers but also to mystery and historical-fiction fans.”
– Booklist
(Starred Review)
“I love this series! I urge you to hunt down these books. Even if you don’t like steampunk, you’ll find these stories to be worthy of any science fiction library (SPRING HEELED JACK did win the Philip K. Dick Award [2010] by the way… that should tell you something).”
– Wired
“If you’re looking for a cold night’s entertainment, this high-spirited mix of fact and fancy will do quite nicely, quite nicely indeed.”
– Washington Post
“Hodder’s first novel delivers an exquisitely fleshed-out blend of steam-punk and gothic horror that should have broad appeal.”
– Library Journal
“Mark Hodder’s debut novel, THE STRANGE TALE OF SPRING HEELED JACK, is a remarkably sophisticated and well-executed manifestation of the [steampunk] sub-genre… he has created a compulsively readable romp that recalls the best of Tim Powers and James Blaylock.”
– Barnes & Noble Newsletter
“Fans of steampunk will be intrigued by the alternate history setting, in which the queen dies mid-century; they will also enjoy following Burton and his sidekick, poet Algernon Swinburne, as they investigate the dark secrets of 19th-century England and recall Burton’s legendary expedition to find the source of the Nile.”
– Publishers Weekly
“A phenomenal first novel deserving of the recently won Philip K. Dick Award… If this is the “punk” Hodder wants to see steampunk look like, then I say with Oliver Twist, “Please, sir, I want some more.”
– Tor.com
“Hodder’s debut is genius. I don’t think there are very many other ways to put it. His plotting is intricate and intriguing, his voice is superb, the characters are engaging and original and all of it is so unexpectedly fun. There is no better adjective to describe such all-around greatness. Genius.”
– LEC Book Reviews
“I loved the thrills and chills, and my inner historian geeked out all over to see Burton and Swinburne together (Hodder hews quite closely to Burton’s biography, which raises the novel’s impact several notches), but it’s the way the mystery comes together that kept me turning the pages. Start this one only if you have some time on your hands; it won’t be easy to put it down.”
– Bookslut
(Colleen Mondor)
“Debut novelist Mark Hodder outrageously reinvents both Victorian England and pulp fiction in the guise of a complicated time-travel novel.”
– Fantasy Magazine
“I’ve never read anything quite like THE STRANGE AFFAIR OF SPRING HEELED JACK before, and my guess is neither have you. Imagine the best time travel story you’ve ever read crossed with the greatest B-movie ever filmed crossed with one of the most intelligently crafted, richly detailed alternate histories ever composed crossed with any number of oddball delights and shrewd political and social satire to boot, and you might have some idea of how ingenious this novel is.”
– Rob Will Review
“This was a blast of alternate Victoriana, peppered with a cast who veered from credible to Dick Van Dyke and back again.”
– SF Site
“…An enjoyable read, the pleasures of spending time in a slightly altered past are all here, the characterizations of everyday people, and the heroes, are spot on, and there’s plenty of adventure along the way.”
– SF Site
(Greg L. Johnson)
“The Spring Heeled Jack mythos is used to great effect… If you like time travel and alternative history this would definitely be worth your attention and if you are just a plain-old fan of Steampunk this is another must to add to the to-read pile.”
– The Mad Hatter
Best Steampunk novel of the year – 2010
“Hodder’s prose will lift you up and drop you down in the midst (and mists) of Victorian Era London… SPRING HEELED JACK never once failed to entertain.”
– The Alternative
“Mark Hodder’s THE STRANGE AFFAIR OF SPRING HEELED JACK takes the grandfather paradox and runs with it in spectacular fashion… This book was an absolute hoot to read. It’s wild. It’s inventive. It’s gripping. I can only hope that Hodder’s future books measure up to this one, because THE STRANGE AFFAIR OF SPRING HEELED JACK will be damned hard to top.”
– Textual Frigate
“THE STRANGE AFFAIR OF SPRING HEELED JACK is a delicious mystery wrapped in a time of social change in an alternative steampunk Victorian age… This book managed to seem light despite its dark tones, gave brilliant life to historical figures and social worries while adding unique touches all Hodder’s own.”
– Bookworm Blues
“THE STRANGE AFFAIR OF SPRING HEELED JACK is richly detailed, complex and exciting… I eagerly await the sequel.”
– Literary Landscapes
“One of the very best examples of this (steampunk) genre is Mark Hodder’s THE STRANGE AFFAIR OF SPRING HEELED JACK… The book masterfully combines historical fact with an imaginative and well-developed alternate world, full of real people, like Charles Darwin, Florence Nightingale, and Oscar Wilde. Time travel, speculative science, and bioengineered animals, a smart and witty plot, plus plenty of action and adventure give this book wide appeal. Readers who enjoy historical fiction and would like to branch out into science fiction should try this book, which stays true to both genres.”
– By the Book
“It’s like reading a Dickens novel with ray guns… Hodder’s sequel THE CURIOUS CASE OF THE CLOCKWORK MAN is due out this March, and this reader is definitely looking forward to seeing where he goes with the series.”
– Worlds Without End
“An inventive melting pot of speculative fiction staples that should intrigue and satisfy even the most jaded genre readers… Mark Hodder’s take on steampunk is fresh and entertaining.”
– Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist
“In THE STRANGE AFFAIR OF SPRING HEELED JACK, Hodder has combined what never happened with what did take place, to wonderful effect… Burton and Swinburn make an excellent (if somewhat unpredictable) team, and the story is nonstop action.”
– Steampunk Librarian
“Hodder renders the atmosphere of this story in wonderful detail, allowing the reader to be sucked into the world… I’ll enjoy every moment of adventure set in this one.”
– The Reader Eclectic
“Urban legends, creatures out of folklore, and real life heroes converge in Mark Hodder’s fantastic debut novel… Great fun indeed, and an impressive debut.”
– SFF World
“Hodder’s SPRING HEELED JACK is bloody brilliant… His smoggy London is full of mad scientists and of marvels and engineering, edgy and dangerous.”
– The Little Red Reviewer
“THE STRANGE AFFAIR OF SPRING HEELED JACK is a truly inventive fantasy that gratifies the reader… the Burton and Swinburne series could really go places.”
– Dirty Sexy Books
“Would-be steampunk writers will now have to work double duty to top this one! …A rip roaring good yarn! Douglas Adams would have been proud.”
– Astro Guyz
“THE STRANGE AFFAIR OF SPRING HEELED JACK, I’m happy to say, does not disappoint… Hodder does a good job of portraying the seedy side of London, especially during Butron’s trips into the poorer parts of town; we get a more honest sense of how much of the population lives, it seems to me than we often do in these sort of novels.”
– Fantasyliterature.com
“THE STRANGE AFFAIR OF SPRING HEELED JACK is fun, plain and simple. It is fun to see Hodder take familiar historical characters such as Burton, Queen Victoria, and even Florence Nightingale, and twist them into their alternate selves, living in a world half-crazed by moral and technological dilemmas.”
– Examiner.com
“Like something out of Tom Baker-era Doctor Who, ‘Burton and etc.’ is utterly non-stop. Hodder has his way with both history and historical figures, but manages to be entertainingly informative and thrillingly over-the-top.”
– Agony Column
“A most worthy winner. Takes the Steampunk genre and instead on ringing on changes already overplayed, fuses Steampunk with British history, time travel, alternate history and more into a novel that is a joy to read.”
–Functional Nerds
“This is an exhilarating romp through a witty combination of nineteenth-century English fact and fiction. Mark Hodder definitely knows his stuff and has given us steam opera at its finest…. A great, increasingly complex plot, some fine characters, and invention that never flags! It gets better and better, offering clues to some of Victorian London’s strangest mysteries. This is the best debut novel I have read in ages.”
– Michael Moorcock
For THE CURIOUS CASE OF THE CLOCKWORK MAN
“Hodder blends gonzo gadgetry with humor, strong character voice, social commentary, and a comprehensive awareness of the historical implications of his ideas… Imagine Gail Carriger’s humor and Cherie Priest’s kick-ass adventure wrapped up in one book, and you get Hodder’s Clockwork Man.”
– Tor.com
“Hodder knows Victorian history well enough to take delightful liberties in a darkly humorous adventure that should appeal to genre fans as well as those interested in alternate histories.”
– Library Journal
“The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man is an utterly delicious helter-skelter romp through a mind-blowing steampunk diorama… Highly recommended for any steampunk fan and for any reader who’s looking for an out-of-the-norm read.”
– Sacramento Book Review
“This book had so many high points… Burton continues to get better, and I was absolutely enthralled by his character.”
– Elitist Book Reviews
“An inventive melting pot of speculative fiction staples that should intrigue and satisfy genre readers everywhere.”
– Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist
“As the second chapter of a trilogy, Hodder follows the pattern with distinction… Hodder excitedly sets up his alternate 19th century and certainly left this reader filled with anticipation for how, and if, the machinations of Spring Heeled Jack will be undone.”
– Voyages Extraordinaires
“Overall The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man was a wonderful story… It combined mystery with mysticism and technology in a way that made sense.”
– Literary Escapism
“The Clockwork Man is a fast-paced book that will delight anyone who is a big fan of Steampunk or twisted versions of British history.”
– Bull Spec
“Really does have it all … a worthy successor to Spring Heeled Jaack … you can enjoy it as straight-up adventure, or revel in the social discourse of speculative digressions.”
–Tor.com
“The world that Hodder has created is delightfully complicated and stands up to the terrific mystery. It’s the kind of book, I think, that would make other writers jealous.”
– Textual Frigate
“The Clockwork Man stands on its own and gives you a fascinating history lesson besides.”
– Astro Guyz
“After the inventive first book in the series, THE STRANGE AFFAIR OF SPRING HEELED JACK, it was hard to imagine anything matching its clever blend of technological invention, topsy-turvy history and social awareness… I’m pleased to say CLOCKWORK MAN delivers… A more individualistic, even anarchistic, series I have yet to see.”
– Night Owl Reviews
(Top Pick!)
“I don’t know if I want Hodder to keep working around well-ish known British folklore, or go crazy to the nth degree in this steampunk mad science sandbox he’s created, but whatever he chooses, I’ll be there.”
– Little Red Reviewer
“THE CURIOUS CASE OF THE CLOCKWORK MAN (A+, highly recommended) is an excellent book.”
– Fantasy Book Critic
“THE CURIOUS CASE OF THE CLOCKWORK MAN equates and even surpasses its predecessor in all respects… An excellent continuation of the Burton & Swinburne adventures and a solid standalone, [it] is an enticing display of what steampunk can achieve.”
– LEC Book Reviews
“A most delightful steampunk universe that is so well-wrought readers will be ill-disposed to the world as we know it… Hodder clearly knows how to move adroitly between the real and the unreal. His fictional versions of real-life characters are as compelling as his weird science… Readers will surely want to be with Hodder when midnight strikes.”
– The Agony Column
“One of the strongest voices in second wave steampunk fiction.”
–Steampunk Scholar (Best of 2011!)
For EXPEDITION TO THE MOUNTAINS OF THE MOON
“Hodder, with an encyclopedic grasp of period detail, tellingly brings these disparate, oddly familiar yet eerily different worlds to fecund life. Enthralling, dizzying and as impressive as they come.”
–Kirkus (Starred review!)
“The… cognitive dissonance, relativism, and rapid obsolescence feel more slipstream than steampunk. Hard SF fans may get impatient, but everyone else will be well entertained.”
–Publishers Weekly
“My favorite so far … I am getting very fond of these characters.”
–Critical Mass
“The entire series has done to the Steampunk genre what The Sopranos did for gangster movies… in each case, both series have taken all of the best elements of their respective genres and wrapped them up in one comprehensive package.”
–Astro Guyz
“Overall, Mark Hodder’s Burton and Swinburne trilogy has been one of the few pleasures of [steampunk] genre literature. When goggles and the anti-authority scamps who wear them is a primary scenario and plot-driver of most books, his meditation on time, fate, Scientism, Libertarianism, and the malleability of personhood by historic contingency is positively delightful.”
–Voyages Extraordinaires
“Epic masterpiece… I definitely recommend.”
– Steampunk Chronicle
“As with our previous outings with Burton and Swinburne, characterization is great, pacing is break-neck, and imagination soars through the stratosphere. [...] Awesome. Just awesome. What more can I say? Buy these books. Read them multiple times. May this only be the beginning of [Hodder's] long and illustrious career.”
–Elitist Book Reviews
BIBLIOGRAPHY AND RIGHTS INFORMATION
- THE STRANGE AFFAIR OF SPRING HEELED JACK (September 2010, Pyr )
- THE CURIOUS CASE OF THE CLOCKWORK MAN (March 2011, Pyr)
- EXPEDITION TO THE MOUNTAINS OF THE MOON (January 2012, Pyr) (UK: April 2012, Snowbooks)
- Bk #1 — WINNER of the 2010 Philip K. Dick Award!
- Bk #1 in 2nd US printing
- Bk #2 one of Forbidden Planet’s Top 25 of 2011
- German rights (#1-3) to Bastei Lübbe
- Polish rights (#1-3) to Fabryka Slow (at auction)
- Turkish rights (#1-3) to Altikirkbes
- Czech rights (#1-2) to Triton
- Russian rights (#1-2) to Family Leisure Club (at auction)
- French rights (#1) to Bragelonne
- Audio Rights (#1-3) to Audible
- A RED SUN ALSO RISES (TBD, Pyr)
- Coming soon!
Date: 02/07/2011