I woke up on Saturday morning feeling a bit under the weather, and I found it difficult to shrug off a general feeling of lassitude. Rather than try to do anything that require serious concentration (such as painting or writing), I began reading GLASS TOWN WARS by Celia Rees.
I had seen this book recommended on the MAN OF TIN blog (which I thoroughly recommend, by the way!) and decided to give it a go … and I am enjoying it more than I expected.
Glass Town Wars was inspired by the imaginary world created by the Brontë children. When they were young, they were given a number of toy soldiers, and gave each of them names and began to make up stories of their exploits ... and this eventually led to creation of a number of imagi-nations, Glass Town, Angria, and Gondal.
This book tells the story of a young man who is in a coma and who is transported by an in-ear gaming device into the world of Glass Town and beyond. It is a story of war, politics, revolution, and treachery … with a drop of fantasy and science fiction addded in for good measure. I was unsure if I would like it, but it is well-written and will certainly appeal to readers who like historically-based fantasy.
GLASS TOWN WARS was written by Celia Rees and published in 2018 by Pushkin Children’s Books (ISBN 978 1 782 69222 5).
.jpg)
Bob, like you I acquired this book after Mark recommended it - It's an interesting read.
ReplyDeleteMaudlin Jack Tar,
DeleteIt is not the sort of book I would have normally read, but I am very glad that I bought a copy.
All the best,
Bob
Hi Bob, I'm sometimes pleasantly surprised by some children's/young adult reading. A few years ago I borrowed a book from my son, I think it was called "Fearsome Engines" about a post apocalyptic world where the cities had become massive land dreadnoughts and thought about it's possibilities as a wargame. I hope you're well,
ReplyDeleteTake Care,
Tony.
Unknown (Tony),
DeleteI was once told that writing good fiction for young people was one of the most difficult types of writing to do … which is probably why when one gets hold of a good one, you enjoy reading it.
All the best,
Bob
The Mortal Engines series by Philip Reeve is interesting, grungy, airships, tracked cities, old tech etc, but not yet seen games based on it, and I was so underwhelmed by the trailer that I have yet to see the prettified movie
DeleteMark, Man of TIN,
DeleteI have added this book to my list of 'possibly read in the future' books.
All the best,
Bob
I enjoyed it too; of course my interest in the Brontes started with The Twelve and the Genii / Return of the Twelves, which led me to Man of Tin in the first place. And then he showed me newer stories about their invention... there is a lot of inspiration in Glass Town Wars for imagi-nation gaming.
ReplyDeleteJennifer,
DeleteI had to read some of their books whilst at school ... and never really enjoyed them. Now that I know more about the Brontë family, I have begun to realise that what I read was only a very small part of their output, and this book has encouraged me to read several other books of their collective imagi-nation writings.
All the best,
Bob
Thanks for recommending both the book and the blog. I didn't know that the Brontë children were inspired by toy soldiers to invent imagi-nations. That's very interesting. I have to read more about it ...
ReplyDeleteAll the best,
Karl
Herr Zinnling (Karl),
DeleteIt was not until I read on the MAN OF TIN blog about the imagi-nations created by the Bronte children that I realised just how prolific they had been. I’m now reading my way through their collected Glass Town and Angria writings.
All the best,
Bob
I hope you enjoy this unusual book; I wonder what gaming scenarios it will suggest? The Portable Bronte ImagiNations Game perhaps?
ReplyDeleteIsabel Greenberg's beautifully quirky Glass Town helps to simplify some of these ImagiNations stories.
Looking up the Bronte sisters (and Branwell) and Northern Yorkshire mythology
https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2021/10/28/battling-little-bronte-wolves-arrive-from-bad-squiddo-and-we-raised-the-money-to-save-the-bronte-manuscripts-too/
for my Bronte ImagiNations excursions into gaming
https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/gaming-the-bronte-family-imaginations-of-glasstown-angria-gondal-and-gaaldine/
has suggested lots of possible gaming scenarios.
It reminds me a little of the Napoleonic Regency battles with a supernatural Fairish D&D element remind me a little of the new Silver Bayonet Osprey rules that Alan Tradgardmastre Gruber and others are writing about.
Mark, Man of TIN,
DeleteI have finished it and thoroughly enjoyed it ... and did not the concept of someone becoming caught up in a cyberworld where everything was real at all fantastic. It seemed to me to be the natural extrapolation of the way immersive online gaming has come to dominate so much of some people's time.
What struck me was that the Glass Town stories were not a million miles removed from the scenarios hinted at in HG Wells' FLOOR GAMES, although his are set in the later half of the nineteenth century. He had natives (often Britians Red Indians and Zulus) fighting against European troops for possession of islands. (See http://wargamingmiscellany.blogspot.com/2012/03/floor-games-by-h-g-wells-photographs.html)
You are right about the possibility of Napoleonic battles with a Fairish slant being covered by the SILVER BAYONET rules, although I wonder how much of the latter might have been influenced by JONATHAN STRANGE & MR NORRELL. It might be interesting to find out.
All the best,
Bob