I have posted previously on Joseph Lovece‘s new series, the “Steam Man of the West.” This is an original series inspired by the various “boy inventor” adventure series that ran in the dime novels, the late 1800s forerunners to the pulps.
Known as the “Edisonades,” these included characters like Frank Reade Jr., Jack Wright and others who built steam- and electric-powered vehicles that went on the land, sea, and air.
This series is obviously inspired by Frank Reade Jr., as the main character is young inventor Frank Rude Jr. I had read the first book, and having read the rest will cover the whole series here.
These are the volumes so far in the “Steam Man of the West” series:
- “The Steam Man of the West”
- “The Road Home”
- “The Flying Prairie Schooner”
- “The Transatlantic Race”
- “Tablet of Destinies”
- “Juan Nadie” (soon)
The first three volumes have cover art that actually fits together.
The stories all tell of the adventures of Frank and his companions, many of which involve new inventions of his. In the first book, he has built a steam-powered robot, the “steam man of the west,” which pulls a covered cart. With his cousin, Frank heads west to find his missing father. Along the way, they soon gather a group of others: Denver Doll, a female detective; an orphan; a photographer; a cat; and the Masked Rider. Some of these are based on characters from dime novels, others are original. Along the way they have various wild adventures (a dragon, a head frozen in ice, and more), as well as encounters tied to the Church of Mardook, an ancient cult, and learn of their “Tablet of Destinies.” Later in the story Frank uses a balloon to travel, and builds an electric man that pulls a cart.
The second volume they start heading home, but get into various adventures along the way. Frank has built an electric submarine they use to solve the mystery of the Mono Lake Monster and in the process find an island inhabited by some strange people and an ancient Mardook temple. Next they encounter a city with a culture based on the old knights of yore, but one in which females are the knights. Later they encounter a group of people — the Deserter Captain, the evil Skull, and others — and must solve the mystery that ties them together, as well as deal with a lost valley with Aztecs in it. Along the way, Frank builds an electric horse, uses the balloon again, and builds a small glider.
In the third volume, Frank and company reach Frank’s home. Soon they will be making a new trip to New York to participate in a transatlantic race, however, some don’t come along. The Masked Rider and the photographer decide to head to California. Frank’s sister joins them, and Frank builds a flying machine using a large balloon for the upcoming race. In New York they meet new people and have adventures with suffragettes, met P.T. Barnum, get involved with local gangs, and deal with Wall Street. They meet the mysterious Woman in Black, and are joined by Ko-Ko the Monkey Boy. They are menaced by a old foe, and Frank has a new rival/enemy: the Masked Pilot and her flying prairie schooner, which is also in the race. You’ll learn more about the pilot and her friend, the Devil Doll.
The fourth volume has Frank and company (now including the Woman in Black and Ko-Ko) in that transatlantic race to London against the Masked Pilot. Along the way they encounter a “floating island” that contains people from various ages, prehistoric creatures, and a temple of Mardook, where they find the real “Tablet of Destinies.” Reaching London they have more adventures, getting involved with a smuggler with ties to Irish rebels, deal with a gentleman thief, meet Charles Babbage, and more. They are assisted by Jean Ember Myth, a British secret agent. Frank’s new invention is an electric rifle. At the end, the tablet is stolen and seems to be heading to Egypt.
The fifth volume is all about the “Tablet of Destinies” and the Church of Mardook that we had heard about in all the volumes so far. Frank and associates are on its trail, going after Simon Burch who stole the tablet and took it to Egypt. There, Frank builds his next invention, the electric suit. The team picks up a couple of new members, and search around for Burch before heading to Petra. There they find that Burch is using the tablet to access a library of ancient lore. Burch also releases a plague, but Frank and friends are able to put a stop to it. Now with the tablet in their possession, they head back to America, with one new addition: a orphan they befriended.
A sixth volume is coming, not sure when.
The characters and situations are satirical, not serious. Several of the names and situations are puns and satire, but I am sure I missed some. We get historical characters, and others based on fiction, but am uncertain which are original or based on previous characters. At first I would have liked the author to have named the main character “Reade,” but once I saw the work was more fun than serious, I decided it was a good idea. This still allows for someone else to pick up the challenge of doing more serious stories using Frank Reade and family, like a steampunk or dieselpunk version of Tom Swift. At times the stories get a little clumsy, but I wondered if that was on purpose, due to the fact the dime novels were the same way.
The whole series is a bit of fun. Don’t take it too seriously. I do look forward to the next volume.
Your comments