Morlock Night [Paperback]

K. W. Jeter (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 5, 1979

JUST WHAT HAPPENED WHEN THE TIME MACHINE RETURNED? Having acquired a device for themselves, the brutish Morlocks return from the desolate far future to Victorian England to cause mayhem and disruption. But the mythical heroes of Old England have also returned, in the hour of the country's greatest need, to stand between England and her total destruction. FILE UNDER: Steampunk [ Coming Back | It's About Time | Old Gods | Classic Steampunk ] With a foreword by Tim Powers and an afterword by Adam Roberts.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"With the tropes of steampunk being somewhat predictable and almost codified these days, Jeter’s book is a breath of fresh air." -- Chris Miller, www.TheSecretLair.com --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

About the Author

K.W. Jeter is a respected American novelist who wrote what was likely the first true cyberpunk novel, Dr. Adder, which was enthusiastically recommended by Philip K. Dick. His many original novels range between dark noir-horror and visionary science fiction. He has also written several authorised sequels to Blade Runner (aka Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep). The author lives in Las Vegas, NV. --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: DAW (June 5, 1979)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0879974680
• ISBN-13: 978-0879974688
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,588,275 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Uneven but enjoyable - if only it hand been proofread!, June 5, 2011

By 

Thomas Parker (Colton, California USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Morlock Night (Angry Robot) (Mass Market Paperback)

Some of it works, some of it doesn't. It moves along at a fast clip, and if you like steampunk, it's worth a read. That task is made more difficult, however, by one of the worst proofreading jobs I've ever seen - Angry Robot should be ashamed.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic Steampunk by the Steampunk Master, May 29, 2011

By 

Scott Asher "ashertopia" (Tennessee) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Morlock Night (Angry Robot) (Mass Market Paperback)

When H. G. Wells completed the Time Machine he left some threads loose and dangling. K. W. Jeter doesn't so much as tie up the threads as reweaves them into something fantastic and new as he asks questions that thoughtful readers may have wondered, mainly, what happened to the time machine at the end?

Hocker, one of the character's from Well's book who listened in on the Time Traveller's story about his past and present adventures, transitions from a quiet, almost shy listener to the main character in this tale that starts just after the fateful telling as Hocker is walking home. We find Ambrosius, who also listened in, attempting to warn Hocker of the dangers of the time machine and the Morlocks as they walk down the London streets. A fog rolls in as Ambrosius leaves the scene. Hocker soon finds himself in a war torn London during a great battle between humans and Morlocks. Saved by a heroine, Tafe, Hocker finds that his London is not at war at all, rather he has been sent forward in time by Ambrosius to prove the warnings are true. The Morlocks have captured the time machine and are using it to set up a base to conquer London and then the world.

This is no true sequel of the Time Machine. Other than Hocker and the Morlocks no other characters take place in this story and no more is seen or heard of from the distant future of the Eloi. For fans of the book looking for a continuation of that story, you will likely be disappointed. However, for fans of science fiction, steampunk and the like you will find much to feast on.

Jeter's decision to write this novel (in 1979, reprinted in 2011) was not to provide a sequel but rather to use the original novel as a setting for a much more ambitious and amazing story. The author weaves King Arthur, Merlin, and the Antlanteans into Well's world of the Time Machine, takes a blender and mixes everything up. The end result is a smoothie that I loved drinking.

Jeter was the first person to use the term "steampunk" back in the 1970s and this book is a seminole example of the genre. Science fiction, fantasy, low-technology all combined in a world that is both believable and unbelievable at the same time. For lovers of the genre it doesn't get much better than this.

Highly recommended.

Review originally published at BookGateway. com. This book was provided by the publisher as a review copy.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable read, April 18, 2011

By 

F. Jones (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Morlock Night (Paperback)

Morlock Night (Angry Robot)

Mr. Edwin Hocker just left just left a dinner party held by a self-proclaimed Time Traveler (from H.G. Wells "The Time Machine".) As he is leaving, a fellow diner strikes up a conversation with him about the host's tale. This encounter leads to a series of quests that can either save or doom England, from Victorian times to the far future. Hocker and his companions, Tafe and Dr. Ambrose will learn the secrets of the Morlocks and try to end their threat for all time.

The book is based on the premise that the Time Traveler is ambushed by the Morlocks on his second trip to the future and will use the time machine to invade Victorian England. Hocker's adventures ranges from the near future (of Victorian England) to the sewers of London and finally to the future world of the Morlocks.

There is a bit of steampunk, magic and various legends blended together to make a good yarn. While it may not be 100% true to the source material, it is enjoyable. Jeter expands on the world of the Morlocks, fleshing them out to be credible villains that pose serious threat. The book moves at a quick pace and has unexpected twists and turns to keep the reader's interest. Jeter's writing style works for this book. The author matches Wells' style of writing, giving a Victorian feel without being too verbose.