The Translated Man and Other Stories

I purchased this book for my Kindle and enjoyed the read a great deal. Chris Braak creates strong characters in fully realized world. The writing is crisp. There is some dry wit to the story as well, particularly the main character. the supporting cast is excellent. i would love to see more works in this setting. highly recommended.

Chris Braaks Translated Man is pretty good! His fictional world is a fresh and eclectic mixture. It has a dark 1800s feel, with a hint of a modern British gritty cop drama. Imagine if the discoveries in physics and chemistry for the last 200 odd years never happened. Now imagine the scientists of this world marched on anyway without the periodic table of elements, without quantum mechanics, etc. Take this world of dark stone streets, airships, and Aether, throw in a few non-human races, a few man-made abominations, and a good murder mystery, and youre just starting to get the picture. If you really want to get the picture, read book! There was a typo or two. And yes, Translated Man may not turn the highbrow heads at the Atlantic or the New Yorker. Very little science fiction or fantasy ever does. But Translated Man is a crisp, well-spun yarn, and a darned good read! Theres a lot of drivel in the world of sci-fi and fantasy, and the bottom line is: this isnt it.

I went into this book intrigued by the description, but knowing nothing else about it. If I had one qualm it would be the introduction to unfamiliar races and terms named in an almost alien fashion that I found initially to be a stumbling block - once I was acclimated to these then the story flowed smoothly. This is a very well-written narrative, even facing the first okay, what does *that* mean moments I had a hard time putting the book down. Four stars for me - as I did stumble over the beginning, establishing different races, families, hierarchies etc - this might not be a problem for someone else (I do not normally need to have different concepts spelled out for me when an author is world-building) or it might; and its certainly not a reason to sway from purchasing and enjoying the story!

Theres a passage here that has stayed with me since reading it 7 years ago, filed prominently in my brains storage of macho stories. When the young deputy witnesses the kind of trauma that tends to wreck a man, he feels a minuscule sliver of himself self ripped away, then quickly filled with cold steel, able to feel that much less but operate that much stronger. I recall thinking Hmmmm, thats pretty badass. Dang.

The Translated Man is a lot of fun to read. Ive been describing it to my friends as a Lovecraftian steampunk Dark Victorian crime story. The setting and the situations of the novel are the reason to read this novel. Theyre incredible. Sometimes the writing is a bit uneven, and you probably shouldnt squint too hard at the plot, but there is a lot to enjoy about this novel: the city of Trowth and its Architecture Wars, the sharpsies and the trolljrmen, phlogiston (whatever the hell that is) and Aetheric geometry, and more. Its well worth the read.

I read this some time ago but its imagery, characters and unique themes come to mind over and over. So often books like this veer off into faeries and wizards, which is where I stop reading. But Chris Braak builds a believable and enjoyable world for his characters to act within. He does this quite skillfully, never beating the reader to death with endless description or forced passages. If you just want to take a trip and enjoy a world that is immediately recognizable but still delightfully foreign to our own, and ride shotgun with some memorable characters, this book is for you.

If that title makes any sense to you whatsoever, do yourself a favor and buy this book immediately--and then clear your schedule for however long it takes you to read it. The author has created a mischievous and dense world of his own, seemingly drawn from the aspects of the Cthulhu mythos, Edwardian-era boys adventure stories, and light-hearted fantasy a la Terry Pratchett. A first-rate debut, and I for one look forward to the next installments in the series. And for the record, no, I am not the author.

Super fun book. Great example of modern pulp. A little Lovecraft, steampunk, noir detective, and more all mixed up in a fun batch.

This is a wonderful story / novel. Steam punk but more than that. It has a steam punk setting that is full and rich with texture but its the story line that make the novel!

If theres such a thing as steampunk noir, these wonderfully gritty, mesmerizing and moving works perfectly embody the sub-genre. Think some junkie, near burned out Harry Potter as a dying yet noble master detective inhabiting some dark, dystopic alternate world rife with political intrigue, a permanent war economy and racism, and you have just a starting point. Make no mistake: Mr. Braak can write very, very well. This is stand-out dystopian, alternate universe noir fiction.