Sunday, December 11, 2005

Golems vs. Nazis

I started the Narrows (not the one by Michael Connelly) last night. It's urban fantasy in the Tim Powers mode, which means it is fantastical but is presented in such a matter of fact way that it doesn't seem hokey or preposterous. The book is set in Detroit in WW2. Instead of making tanks or airplanes, this plant is making golems. If you played D&D or are Jewish, you know that a golem is a living creature animated out of inanimate material, in this case clay. The main character was maimed in a mysterious accident and therefore cannot go to the front. Instead he builds golems and of course he can't talk about it. The book is heading into the political intrigue arena as the FBI, the Ford Corporation and others work the magical scene in Detroit. It feels a little bit like Declare in that regard. I found out about the book on SF Site, which does a nice job of reviewing lesser known sci-fi and fantasy. If you read in those genres at all, you should bookmark it.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Query whether Henry Ford would condone the use of his plant for anything associated with Jewish Mysticism.

Tripp said...

And a good query. That is part of the plot at this point. There is much reference made to Ford's views on Jewish folks and how they are able to operate under his nose. I think this will develop further later....