Thursday, April 9, 2020

The Haunting of Tram Car 015

The Haunting of Tram Car 015 by P. Djèlí Clark (2019). 130 pages.

In an alternate history of Cairo, the world of reality and fantasy is blurred, and the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments, and Supernatural Entities operates to ensure the proper behavior between the two. A mysterious, violent creature, initially presumed to be a djinn, is found terrorizing a tram car, and it's up to Agent Hamed and Agent Onsi to find out exactly what is happening and how to contain it.

The Haunting of Tram Car 015 was a quick, fun read. I am not usually one for steampunk, but I love Clark's steampunk worlds, which are generally set in less traditional steampunk locales and feature a much more diverse cast of characters. I also enjoyed how the backdrop of women's suffrage informed the story. And will you take a look at that cover? That is worth the price of admission, for sure (cover art by Stephan Martiniere). This novella has gathered some significant accolades with a Nebula nomination last year and a Hugo nomination just a couple days ago, and it's easy to see why.

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