Scan barcode
mikime's review against another edition
4.0
Possibly the first novel about a cyborg, it's the story of a weird being who claims to come from thousands of years in the future and from a very different, multidimensional world, and to function thanks to a clock in his head that makes him hugely more evolved and sophisticated than human beings in the 1920s. The small town where he shows up is disrupted by his appearance and his deeds, as discussions and theories divide the local scientists. An intriguing tale with a unexpected turn of events at the end.
edward_wilsher's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
This is a really interesting concept and some aspects of this were very thought-provoking. However it felt like not much happened and the ending was achieved primarily via luck.
annieb123's review against another edition
4.0
Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
The Clockwork Man is an early 20th century speculative fiction novel by E.V. Odle. Originally published in 1923, this reformat and re-release with extra commentary as part of the Radium Age Series was released 3rd May 2022 from the MIT Press. It's 202 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats.
This early classic is less well known and often pushed aside in classroom use by showier examples of the time and genre, including R.U.R., Metropolis, and Automata. They make valid points about humanity (or the lack thereof), but this one by Odle throws hardwired testosterone fueled violence into the mix with an examination of gender and actions.
There are moments of true humor, including some grousing dialogue when the Clockwork Man shows up from the distant future in a village cricket match (Ok, he's not really human, I'll give you that, but he sure can play cricket, let's not be hasty throwing him out just yet). There are insights which, despite being almost 100 years old, still resonate this minute. This book first showed up on my literary radar in a classroom setting alongside Margaret Atwood and Asimov.
Readers expecting a story arc with identifiable beginning, middle, climax, denouement, and resolution are going to be disappointed. It reads more like a thought exercise and there are no solid protagonists or antagonists. Some of the language was (to me) rather overblown and convoluted. That being said, however, there's a fair bit of profundity here and it's a worthwhile read on the whole.
The book is accompanied by a foreword which takes up about 10% of the total page count. It contains an erudite and cogent introduction to the work in context to the time in which it was written. It also contains spoilers for the actual read, so I *strongly* recommend that readers who are new to the work refrain from reading the introduction before finishing the work.
Four stars. This is an important early work of science/speculative fiction. It's nice to see this series reprinting and updating important early works of SF/F.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
The Clockwork Man is an early 20th century speculative fiction novel by E.V. Odle. Originally published in 1923, this reformat and re-release with extra commentary as part of the Radium Age Series was released 3rd May 2022 from the MIT Press. It's 202 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats.
This early classic is less well known and often pushed aside in classroom use by showier examples of the time and genre, including R.U.R., Metropolis, and Automata. They make valid points about humanity (or the lack thereof), but this one by Odle throws hardwired testosterone fueled violence into the mix with an examination of gender and actions.
There are moments of true humor, including some grousing dialogue when the Clockwork Man shows up from the distant future in a village cricket match (Ok, he's not really human, I'll give you that, but he sure can play cricket, let's not be hasty throwing him out just yet). There are insights which, despite being almost 100 years old, still resonate this minute. This book first showed up on my literary radar in a classroom setting alongside Margaret Atwood and Asimov.
Readers expecting a story arc with identifiable beginning, middle, climax, denouement, and resolution are going to be disappointed. It reads more like a thought exercise and there are no solid protagonists or antagonists. Some of the language was (to me) rather overblown and convoluted. That being said, however, there's a fair bit of profundity here and it's a worthwhile read on the whole.
The book is accompanied by a foreword which takes up about 10% of the total page count. It contains an erudite and cogent introduction to the work in context to the time in which it was written. It also contains spoilers for the actual read, so I *strongly* recommend that readers who are new to the work refrain from reading the introduction before finishing the work.
Four stars. This is an important early work of science/speculative fiction. It's nice to see this series reprinting and updating important early works of SF/F.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
joekuy's review against another edition
4.0
The Clockwork Man by E.V. Odle is a very interesting piece of 1920's science fiction. While some would hail it as one of the earliest examples of an android, it definitely has shades of multiverse intermingled with the philosophy of what drives happiness, contentment, and purpose.
There are a multitude of reviews out there so my best advice is to pick up this short novel, give it a read, and then go back to the reviews to reflect on all of it. Going into this one blind allowed for much greater joy than if I had been given a synopsis ahead of time.
There are a multitude of reviews out there so my best advice is to pick up this short novel, give it a read, and then go back to the reviews to reflect on all of it. Going into this one blind allowed for much greater joy than if I had been given a synopsis ahead of time.
emmagee's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
teanahk's review against another edition
3.0
An interesting artifact of its time, but not a very riveting read. A bit steampunk, drags on a bit at times. Entirely too much focus on the game of cricket.
niallharrison's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
jgwc54e5's review against another edition
3.0
A strange early science fiction novel from 1923, the first to feature a cyborg, or mechanically enhanced man. The clockwork man of the title makes his first appearance at a cricket match. His mechanism is malfunctioning and he has hurtled back in time. Obviously this is a fascinating theme for a novel from this time. Where it didn’t work for me is that most of the book reads like a farce. The clockwork man has a comical appearance, his behaviour is bizarre and it reads like a piece of slapstick. It’s not till the end of the story that any idea of what the future that has created the clockwork man is like. I’d have enjoyed more detail about this society. Still a very interesting piece of early sci-fi.
More...