12-21-2006, 02:02 PM
Both books are by Charles Stross but it hardly seems possible. As good as Atrocity is, The Family trade is it's complete opposite.
The Atrocity Files is about bureacratic demon chasing in the vein of Len Deighton. Bob, our hero, works for the the computer section of the demon branch of MI6. Turing posited a theorem that with the right math you could summon demons. Bob's job is to keep people from stumbling into doing just that.
If you've read any of Len Deighton's books(Spyhook, Mexico Set etc) you'll recognize the civil service atmosphere completely. The infighting, the warren's of cubicles, the world weariness. It's all there. But it's twisted. They are fighting demon incursions. Pinky and the Brain are flatmates. And there is a damoseille in distress. And it's funny
The Family trade is the other end of the spectrum. It's bad bad bad. Miriam Beckstein, writer for a technical publication is actually the heir to a trading family in another dimension. She finds out when she stumbles across a locket and is transported to the other dimension. Adventure ensues. Adventure of the boring and dull kind. It just went nowhere. She runs back and forth between the two dimensions. She's caught in machiavellan plots that no one can understand or explain. It felt like homework to finish reading.
To recap: Atrocity Archives: Yea The Family Trade:Nay
The Atrocity Files is about bureacratic demon chasing in the vein of Len Deighton. Bob, our hero, works for the the computer section of the demon branch of MI6. Turing posited a theorem that with the right math you could summon demons. Bob's job is to keep people from stumbling into doing just that.
If you've read any of Len Deighton's books(Spyhook, Mexico Set etc) you'll recognize the civil service atmosphere completely. The infighting, the warren's of cubicles, the world weariness. It's all there. But it's twisted. They are fighting demon incursions. Pinky and the Brain are flatmates. And there is a damoseille in distress. And it's funny
The Family trade is the other end of the spectrum. It's bad bad bad. Miriam Beckstein, writer for a technical publication is actually the heir to a trading family in another dimension. She finds out when she stumbles across a locket and is transported to the other dimension. Adventure ensues. Adventure of the boring and dull kind. It just went nowhere. She runs back and forth between the two dimensions. She's caught in machiavellan plots that no one can understand or explain. It felt like homework to finish reading.
To recap: Atrocity Archives: Yea The Family Trade:Nay
So much for the flickr badge idea. Dammit