Beyond Retro: Getting Crazy with a Victorian Airship and Some Immortals on the Side
What do an early twentieth-century California tuberculosis camp, airships, and immortals in Egypt have in common? I’m still not really sure…only they all came together in the selection I am covering for this month’s “Beyond Retro.” I came across Marie Corelli, a late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century writer a few years ago (and actually ended up at her last residence while I was in Stratford-upon-Avon). She is a fascinating and frustrating person (if you want to know more about her, you can check out this entry on my blog). One of the most popular late nineteenth-century novelists in England, many of her books contain elements of the supernatural, weird science, and science fiction. The first novel I ever read by her was Vendetta! This is still probably my favorite book by her, as it is told through the eyes of an Italian man buried alive in his family vault. After escaping, he comes to realize that his wife and best friend are having an affair and set him up, and he spends the rest of the novel trying to seek revenge. It is very well told and exciting to read—enough to make me wonder who in the world was the woman who wrote this book.
In the course of looking into Marie Corelli (not her real name, by the way), I discovered that she produced a series of books about a type of astral travel, and she wrote other books about things we consider as falling into the steampunk genre today. When I came across a brief description of The Secret Power, I knew that I had to review it for this column.
The Secret Power is one of her later books, and though it started out good…well, it wasn’t a great finish. The story centers around two very powerful personalities: Roger Seaton and Morgana Royal. Roger Seaton is a supposed former lover of Morgana, an independent and strange woman who claims to be descended from the fey creatures of Scotland’s highland region. Roger has left society and travelled to California, living in a death cabin meant for patients in the last stages of tuberculosis. While there, he is finalizing the plans on a weapon that would be the most powerful in the world. Morgana, constantly drawn towards Roger, seeks independence more than she seeks love—but she also seeks immortality. She builds a mysterious airship that operates by “natural” forces, and she manages to make her way to a city of immortals called the “Brazen City.” Beyond this, I am still not sure what the real plot of the novel is supposed to be. It seemed really disjointed and I am still confused about details left out or loose ends that were never tied up.
The book, however, is worth noticing…and, for any of you out there who are interested in tracing the roots of steampunk or other genres, Corelli might be your woman. I can’t imagine how she came up with the things that she did—Roger’s weapon seems to be a type of atomic bomb; Morgana communicates with the immortals of the Brazen City by some kind of transatlantic radio wave-like system….it is all very bizarre yet not totally unthinkable to us today. I guess what I liked most about the book is the character of Morgana. She is very strong and her wit and spunk are amazing—especially for a novel written by a very Victorian woman. Not everyone would like the book, though, so I can’t say that I would give it our five moons! Still, do look into Marie Corelli. She is one to enjoy!
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