YASID: Gargoyles, but no rats
eddedm...@hotmail.com
http://ask.metafilter.com/71479/Help-me-remember-a-youngadult-alternate-future-novel-from-1990ish
in the hope that someone will know it, as it doesn't seem the site
regulars have been able to nail it.
Here's an edited summary of the description:
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The general premise was that the book seemed to take place in a sort
of Medieval setting. But as the pages wore on there were references to
skyscrapers and modern items, indicating that it was in the not-so-far
future. There were some references to, I think, gargoyles that had
either torn the buildings down or policed the skies to make sure they
didn't go back up.
The main characters were children, I think they were cared for by a
Grandfather.
I believe they were at a carnival at some point, almost certainly at a
freakshow.
The author was a woman (I think.) and I think the book garnered some
number of awards so it can't be too obscure.
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(on a suggestion of Rats and Gargoyles)
Close. But not it. It was very definitely set in the future, albeit in
a semi-regressed society. There were certainly allusions to modern
technology and very definitely skyscrapers. I think there was a sense
of men being punished for building so high.
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The fact that it was ZOMG THE FUTURE wasn't really the focus of the
novel, although I remember it being how my Mom got me to read it.
----
(on asking about gargoyles being put in quotation marks)
I put in quotes because it as almost certainly a figure in the book, I
think they loomed over the society as a reminder of man's hubris. But
it could also have been a reference to the airplanes of the past. I'm
almost certain that they figure prominently either way.
It could be older, but I think my Mom picked it out on the strength of
it's recommendation, it maybe had a sort of buzz around it or she was
told about it which makes me think it was new-ish. Also, we had 2
libraries in town. The adult library and the kids library.
----
(On a mention of Greg Bear's 'Petra')
It's not the Greg Bear story, but it did jog my memory a bit. I
believe the denizens of my mystery book lived in the shadow of a God
or in the agents of a God. It was opressive, at any rate.
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I'll post a link here to the thread over there in case I can't check
in to post any further info, or post replies here back.
--
Edd
Robert Carnegie
We usually ask about the cover. To me a couple of John Christopher's
series, much earlier, come to mind. "The Tripods", partly televised
(cancelled), has aliens (I forget when you get to know that) in huge
tall walking machines dominating Earth - like several other ETs they
breathe chlorine and they intend to convert or teleport an acceptable
air supply here. They're "gods" and they implant brain control
equipment (Cap) at coming-of-age. I think the author claims to have
forgotten, when he was writing, where the idea of the alien tripod
machines might have come from. Then I guess there was a George Pal
season of movies on TV or something... or, more likely, letters.
In "The Sword of the Spirits", the "Seers" in their churches interpret
the will of the "Spirits" with impressive lightshows. They're
actually the last surviving scientists in a world wrecked by, um,
global cooling according to Wikipedia (vandalism?) and turned against
technology, a doctrine which the Seers, semi-benevolent, turn to their
purpose. They want to establish a political puppet, and they can be
ruthless about it. But I don't recall a sense of the Spirits watching
from the skies. I think the Seers have a secret base under Stonehenge
or someplace, and a vacuum cleaner.
I can't remember which of these has an early scene with debris (a
storefront sign?) saying "radio - " - contrary to the description, an
up-front clue that this isn't set in old history. Winchester in
England being an embattled city-state may be another clue that this
isn't history, but if you've read too much Robin Hood and such, then
who knows.
eddedm...@hotmail.com
> We usually ask about the cover. To me a couple of John Christopher's
> series, much earlier, come to mind. "The Tripods", partly televised
> (cancelled), has aliens (I forget when you get to know that) in huge
> tall walking machines dominating Earth - like several other ETs they
> breathe chlorine and they intend to convert or teleport an acceptable
> air supply here. They're "gods" and they implant brain control
> equipment (Cap) at coming-of-age. I think the author claims to have
> forgotten, when he was writing, where the idea of the alien tripod
> machines might have come from. Then I guess there was a George Pal
> season of movies on TV or something... or, more likely, letters.
>
No luck on the cover I'm afraid. Tripods certainly has similarities in
the plot, but I'm not sure it's got enough in common with this
remembered tale.
> In "The Sword of the Spirits", the "Seers" in their churches interpret
> the will of the "Spirits" with impressive lightshows.
Not familiar with this one myself.
Thanks for the responses, I'll update if anything else comes out (there's been a few other suggestions but no definite ID so far)
--
Edd