The Mechanical and the Strange by Andrew Reichard

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Lester Curtis
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The Mechanical and the Strange by Andrew Reichard

Post by Lester Curtis »

I was some way into this story before I paused to notice that there were a lot of things in the setting with weird names (and sometimes equally weird descriptions), but that not a one of 'em was explained in any way. This makes me feel like I've been hearing a lot of inside jokes. I don't need a lot of details, but I could use something that would tie all these confusing features together so that they'd make sense to me.

Of course, the MC knows all this stuff and assumes his audience does, too. That lends a kind of reality of its own to the whole thing, but it still doesn't help me, as a first-time visitor to this world, which could very well be on an alien planet or in some alternate universe.

The dialog was decent enough, but the characterization seemed a bit incomprehensible at times, mostly when the MC was talking with his partner early on. His character was most consistent and understandable in the context of his relationship with Clare.

Even with the first-person POV, I didn't feel much involved, especially when it was important, like the fight scene in the tunnels.

I'm mostly unfamiliar with noir, but the character and setup seem like a stereotype, maybe a cliche. Formulaic. The good news about this is the same as the bad news: readers know what to expect. Fans of this stuff can say, "Oh, goody, here we go." Those who aren't fans (once they figure out what this is) might say, "Nothing to see here; move along." So, it's most likely to be fresh and surprising to non-fans of the genre, but even with my scant familiarity, I could pretty well guess what was coming, and the bizarre window-dressing was just that.

Overall, it's solid, but bumpy.
I was raised by humans. What's your excuse?
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