Galveston

"Galveston" is that rare treat, an alternate universe fantasy that feels grittily real, yet devoid of tiresome exposition or bizarre flights of fancy that exist only to show off the author's imagination. Sean Stewart is one of the funniest, sharpest, smartest, and most readable authors I've stumbled across recently. There are similarities to China Mieville (without the creepy, nightmarish horror) and Rupert Thomsen's "Divided Kingdom" here, but "Galveston" is refreshingly original. Two floods have shaped the history of the island of Galveston, TX: a flood of water in 1900, and a flood of magic in 2004. This second flood was turned back mainly by the efforts of two extraordinary women, Jane Gardner and Odessa Gibbons, who organized the citizenry (mainly around Mardi Gras Krewes) and drew a harsh dividing line between the "real" Galveston and the endless Carnivale where magic (and the moon god Momus) hold sway. But now Jane and Odessa are growing older, and with no one to take up their duties, the future of Galveston is threatened. The story of Sloane, Jane's daughter (and reluctant prospective heir) is contrasted with that of Josh, her childhood friend who has drifted from her glittering social circle into the slums of lower Galveston. While Sloane flirts dangerously with the power of Mardi Gras, Josh is accused of her murder and, along with his friend Ham, is exiled out of the charmed circle of safety that is Galveston and into the terrifying outside world. The journey of these three characters into their respective destinies forms the backbone of the story, with plenty of pleasing diversions and extraordinary secondary characters to flesh things out. Some people apparently found the ending abrupt and unsatisfying, but I think it was absolutely perfect. One of the most pleasing aspects of Stewart's writing is that he never drifts into cliché, stock characters, or predictable plot development. Neither Sloane, Josh, or Ham end up the way that traditional literary convention would seem to demand they must. To say more would spoil some of the delightful surprises Stewart has to offer, but let's just say that if you don't know the characters well enough by the end of the story to fill in what Stewart is smart enough to leave unsaid, you haven't been paying attention. It's a shame that so few of Sean Stewart's books remain in print, but it's well worth the effort to track them down. The world of fantasy needs more original voices like his.

In a not-so-distant future, on the island of Galveston, Texas, civilization is slowly slipping away and decaying, and no amount of plaster can fix the crumbling marble walls. While the rich, high-class citiens enjoy drinking the last dregs of what life was before the Flood, all others are left to suffer, to live as best they can, as the medicine runs out and the civilization runs out and all the miracles, the nightmares, the horrifying shamanistic dreams and realities of magic run in.I'm a great fan of Stewart and his previous works, having been lured into the fold, as it were, by Nobody's Son, and falling in love with his realistic, yet fantastical style of writing. From pure fantasy in Cloud's End and Nobody's Son, to sci fi futures in Passion Play and The Night Watch, to my favorites, these real worlds sick with magic, he's held my imagination and attention.Galveston, stylistically, is one of the best he's ever written. I cringe as Josh and Ham are stranded on the peninsula, surviving heat and bugs and snake bites, and can almost feel the decaying artificial cool of Sloane's big mansion. The story, like most of his works, is very dense, and will take you a while to read, but is VERY worth it.Galveston is my second favorite of Stewart's works, right underneath Ressurection Man, and I advise any fan of fantasy or magic-realism to pick it up. It's worth it.

What I loved about this book was the fact that even though there's a certain Southern Gothic feel to this fantasy, it still didn't leave me feeling sad & depressed, like some of the other dark fantasy writers I've read. The story-line could use some fleshing out-- I did wonder, as other negative reviewers, what about the other places? What happened, for instance, to New Orleans-- if the magic of Mardis Gras hit Galveston, whoa nelly, New Orleans!!! But at the same time, I was drawn into this incredibly well-drawn, deeply satisfying narrative. I don't think it has anything to do with magic being always "dark" or "evil" as one reviewer seems to imply, but it is always dangeous-- the "be careful what you wish for" sort of warning that some folks forget about in the world of Unicorns and happy little fairies. Based on this and several others I have read by him, Sean Stewart is one of those authors whose book I will buy just from seeing his name on the cover-- I don't even have to read the plot blurb, I know I will like it. You will too if you enjoy a complex look at magic realism with a Southern twist.

"Galveston" is a beautifully written portrait of a post-apocalyptic world taken over by magic and cut adrift from the modern world. The characters are finely drawn, complex, and extremely likeable, and Stewart's ability to write women who ring true is a joy. The tone of this book reminds me a bit of Jonathan Carroll's work, with perhaps some Sturgeon thrown in. I have liked other of Stewart's books very well, but this one I absolutely loved. Highly recommended to people who like their science fiction with real characters with whom one becomes emotionally involved.