Book Review: The Martian Ambassador

The Martian Ambassador by Alan K. Baker is a delicious mix of nostalgia harking back to H. G. Wells mixed with a very modern take on a sci-fi Victorian London.

Set at the end of the nineteenth century mainly in London we our stiff, middle class heroes contend with the sewers and street life of the age as well as tricky negotiations between Mars and Queen Victoria.

When the Martian Ambassador dies in mysterious circumstances Thomas Blackwood is called in to investigate the death. Along with Lady Sophia Harrington they encounter fairy magic, creatures from other worlds and interplanetary dirigibles.

As you may guess where the book is strongest is its element of fun and atmosphere. Baker makes the most of popular conceptions of the mores of the day, painting a mix of the fantastical and historical with a light touch.

The ghoulish creature that terrifies London or the strange but friendly Martians are all deliciously written and as war looms we feel the fear of planetary oblivion.

Where the book is weaker is where it playfully winks at the reader. A magical version of the internet feel particularly out of place in the setting and I got the feeling that while this kind of fiction is good when one extraordinary element is introduced when they start to be piled up they whole thing becomes a little weaker – more like a bestiary of myths than an account of wonderous happenings.

Perhaps that’s just me.

Although it is not without flaws The Martian Ambassador is well worth a read if you enjoy mixing your genres with just a pinch of salt.