Fiendish Schemes

Written by K.W. Jeter

Narrated by Justine Eyre

In 1986, K. W. Jeter coined the term steampunk, applying it to his first Victorian-era science fiction alternate-history adventure. At last he has returned with a new tale of George Dower, son of the inventor of Infernal Devices, who has been in self-imposed exile…accumulating debt.

The world Dower left when he went into hiding was significantly simpler than the new, steam-powered Victorian London; a mad whirl of civilization filled with gadgets and gears in the least expected places. After accepting congratulations for his late father’s grandest invention—a walking, steam-powered lighthouse—Dower is enticed by the prospect of financial gain into a web of intrigue with ominously mysterious players who have nefarious plans about which he can only guess.

If he can make his father’s Vox Universalis work as it was intended, his future is assured. But his efforts are confounded by the strange Vicar Stonebrake, who promises him aid, but seems more interested in converting sentient whales to Christianity than in helping George. Drugged, arrested, and interrogated by men, women, and a steam-powered Prime Minister, Dower is trapped in a maelstrom of secrets, corruption, and schemes that threaten to drown him in the chaos of this mad new world.

“This is the real thing—a mad inventor, curious coins, murky London alleys, and windblown Scottish Isles…. A wild and extravagant plot that turns up new mysteries with each succeeding page.” —James P. Blaylock on Infernal Devices

“Jeter is a modern Arthur Conan Doyle…. [Fiendish Schemes] reads [like] a Sherlock Holmes adventure.” —Tee Morris, author of the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences series

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Oct 15, 2013
• ISBN: 9781480545397

K.W. Jeter

K.W. Jeter is a science fiction and horror author. Some of his works include tie-in novels for Star Trek and Star Wars.

Reviews for Fiendish Schemes

[shimmin_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A sequel to Infernal Devices.This story picks up with our protagonist Dower once more reduced to dire straits, through a mixture of arbitrary misfortune, personal failings and social forces. While the previous tale had a certain mild Lovecraftian element, this is essentially a tale of pure Science Gone Mad.Jeter pulls off the difficult feat of having an unsympathetic protagonist, or rather, one who totters always on the brink for me. It's very possible to sympathise with the plights he always finds himself in, and the way the universe appears to conspire against him. In many ways he's a more convincing protagonist than most, not a heroic figure but a victim. His stuffy conservatism, earnest wish to be left in peace away from unwelcome change, and rather slow reactions to goings on, are rather more like most of us than the usual run of lightning-reflexed go-getting do-gooders. Mostly he is motivated by a mixture of self-interest, self-preservation, arm-twisting and horror. Sometimes the unrelentingness of this is a little wearing, and Dower stands in the way of the reader getting what they want - explanations, action, story. You can't help feeling that if he would just get a grip-! But that is, in itself, a very consistent and believable portrayal of a tiresome, yet relatable character.On the downside, one of the consequences of this interesting character choice is that Dower is barely a protagonist at all. There is very little pro. In many ways, he is more of a passive observer, or at most an unwilling puppet of antagonists, reporting to the reader the many unpleasant situations forced upon him. He rarely makes a decision of his own accord, and has very little influence over his own fate; indeed, sometimes he doesn't seem to even try and take charge of his own life. This can weigh the book down at times.On the whole, it's a rather grim book for steampunk (as Jeter seems to be in general). There's a definite tongue-in-cheek humour to a lot of it, from Dower himself to many of the events and social trends observed. Nevertheless, Jeter portrays dark and miserable worlds and a bitter, self-loathing protagonist with a very Little Englander attitude. It's not cheery reading, but it's an interesting one seeing how the contortions of the plot unfold, and even ends on something of a high note.