watervole | The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers

I decided to read this book (which had languished unread on my shelves for a long time) after Tim Powers was announced as a guest for LX, Eastercon 2009. I'd previously read 'Last Call' which didn't impress me at all, but the convention made me decide to give him a second try.

I'm glad I did - I enjoyed this book a lot more than the other. It's a cheerful romp through Egyptian mythology, historical London, time travel, poetry and beggars guilds. Some parts of the plot are more plausible than others. I confess to being unable to suspend disbelief during the bit involving the Mameluke Turks (the event referred to is historical, but the protagonist's involvement is forced, to say the least).

I liked the character of the poet William Ashbless, and was slightly frustrated to discover that the writer had created him, as I rather enjoyed the quotes from his poetry and was looking forward to reading all of "The Twelve Hours of the Night"!

The story is pretty well researched, but you know the writer is American when his character hears tree frogs in England!

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How would you know the writer is American? Clearly they're not British, but why specifically American? I mean, beyond the fact that they are.

Because 99% of books published in the UK are written by either Brits or Americans. (and a quick peek at his bio confirms that he is American).

He also made a minor error concerning the White tower in London, which suggested that he'd researched it rather than actually visited it.

My background is in ethnology so I'm always fascinated by the little cultural glitches that come through writing. I had hoped it was more "artifact" than statistic. lol

I must admit that this is the book of Powers' that I most like and admire. Unlike his novel of the Romantic poets (The Stress of Her Regard) I am just about able to buy into his London, and it is rather fun.

Powers's research into things English stands up very well under the scrutiny of Americans who happen to be critics of British literature.

I'm not surprised that it doesn't hold up quite as well to knowing natives/residents, but that particular novel convinced most of the class Powers was English when I read it for an SF class some years ago.

On Stranger Tides and Dinner at Deviant's Palace were good, I thought, in addition to Anubis Gates. I wasn't as fond of Earthquake Weather and (I think) its sequel.

On Stranger Tides was recently reprinted - I posted about it some time last year, I think. Stress of Her Regard was in the queue, but I haven't read it for a couple of decades. On the other hand, I have three copies of The Drawing of the Dark, which I enjoy, and have never tracked down a copy of Dinner at Deviant's Palace.

Anyhoo, after the above, he moved from historical to contemporary dark fantasy (Last Call, Expiration date, and Earthquake Weather, which ties together the events and characters from the preceding two previously-unconnected novels, and the spy-influenced Declare) - which don't grab me nearly so well.

Here's my post.

'Last call' annoyed me as although he had the Major Arcana correct, he'd clearly invented meanings for the Minor Arcana to suit his story. I remember seeing one card come up in the story and going to check my reference books as I was instantly sure that he'd got it wrong, and he had. (and what on Earth was all that stuff about sunfish?)

I've got a feeling that the poem does actually exist in some form -- seem to remember that Powers and his circle, who used Ashbless as a recurring character in various of their fiction, concocted it as part of the game.

Yes, this is one of his best - I'm glad you finally got to it.

I also really enjoyed "The Stress of her Regard" - although I'd like to re-read it now and see if I still like it. Have you read that one?

No, I haven't read that one yet.

The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers

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