Review: A Steam Punk Homage to Wodehouse
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 11 10, 2012
In this steam punk homage to PG Wodehouse (with a nod to Sherlock Holmes and a slight royal wave to Christie), it is 1903 and reanimating dead relatives has become something of a trend in England. Reginald Worcester, gentleman detective, and his steam operated automaton valet, Reeves have been hired to find Guy Fawkes who was reanimated by a relative to prove his innocence. Unfortunately, Guy has gone walk-about and may be planning to finish what he started in the 17th c., blow up Parliament while the Queen is visiting.As you might guess from the title, Reggiecide is a humourous take on the steam punk genre which has been known to take itself way too seriously. This short novella is full of puns and corny jokes some of them so old, they were probably already past their tell-by date in 1903 and yet, somehow, at least for  me, it worked.  No, this isn't great literature but it is damnably funny. It is also short enough to absorb in an hour or two when the holiday spirit is starting to get you down and you need an antidote to annoying relatives who just decide to drop in unannounced for Thanksgiving or Christmas or even that most British of holidays, Guy Fawkes Day.