Strange Cargo: 6

by Jeffrey E. Barlough

Book Overview

Set in a world where the Ice Age never ended and only a narrow coastline of civilization survives, where Victorian society exists alongside saber-toothed cats and woolly mammoths, Strange Cargois the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0441011608
• ISBN13: 9780441011605
• Release Date: August 2004
• Publisher: Ace Books
• Length: 481 Pages
• Weight: 5.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.2" x 8.8"

Customer Reviews

What a pleasant find

Two pages into Strange Cargo, I knew I was in for a wonderful read. The book lived up to its early promise and I'm a little let down now that I've finished.

A sophisticated reader's treat

Strange Cargo is a treat for the sophisticated reader. The use of language is exquisite. The descriptions are fresh and highly apt.This book is ideal for the reader who delights in both historical novels and fantasy/scifi. Even if your preference is mostly toward the historical, you will not be disappointed. Run, don't walk, to get this book and then savour every delicious moment of your read.

Strange adventures on an alternate Earth

On the alternate Earth Jeffrey Barlough has created, characters who would not be out of place in a Dickens novel coexist with beings that we know only through the study of paleontology. Thus, prissy Victorian types are not taken aback when they see a mastodon, or hear of someone who had a fatal encounter with a saber-toothed tiger. It's a world of wonders, where strange rocks enable houses to double as airborne vessels, and dark forces are at work just outside the fringes of normal human perception. Strange Cargo marks Barlough's third visit to this world, following 1998's Dark Sleeper, and 2001's House in the High Wood. It begins in the coastal town of Nantel, as the occupant of a lighthouse observes an airborne house floating by through the fog. It also ends there, when the dual plotlines Barlough develops, involving the search for the beneficiary of a prominent citizen's will, and that of an orphan who seeks to divest herself of a terrible supernatural burden, eventually converge. The leisurely unfolding of Barlough's plot allows him to explore his strange terrain in loving detail, with many asides and detours along the way; he clearly loves the world he's created and the eccentrics he's peopled it with, folks with delightful names like Matthew Mulks, Tim Christmas, and Malachi Threadneedle. Obviously influenced and inspired by the likes of Charles Dickens, Arthur Conan Doyle, Edgar Allan Poe and H. P. Lovecraft, Barlough's major personal quirk is the tendency to "wander off" mid -story to explore something that's caught his attention. It's a habit which readers will either love or loathe, depending on their temperament. Most will likely find it charming, a quality which, when combined with Barlough's obvious gift for language, makes for satisfying reading.

Not strange, just a darn good read

For lovers of Blaylock and Powers, and also Dickens, this is a charming, funny and very well written book. It's perfect for reading on holiday, as I did, when you want entertainment (not depressing literary twaddle), but not of the mindless variety.Barlough has a GREAT imagination, and I believe he likes a good pint in a quaint pub -- which gives him a high rating in my book!

Generally strong novel; somewhat disappointing finish

Since the internet is such a visual medium, I feel it is only fair to begin this review with the following statement: the cover art for "Strange Cargo" has no relation to the text, so save yourself the time of flipping back and forth. With that rather puzzling reminder that one shouldn't judge a book by its cover set aside, I can say that in this his third novel, Jeffrey Barlough continues to delight with his original fusion of genres. For those unfamiliar with his prior work, Barlough has imagined a world of that primarily combines alternate history and apocalyptic fiction, the first element being the survival of Ice Age mega-fauna, and the latter being the destruction of the majority of civilization in an enigmatic, but massive, disaster some two hundred years before the period of his novels. On top of this fusion, Barlough then piles on a host of other genres and styles to create genuinely unique novels. In particular, Barlough has drawn heavily in style from Dickens and Arthur Conan Doyle, with a vast panoply of characters, all with wonderful names like Thistlewood and Matchless, and all using a delightfully Victorian mode of speech. In addition, Barlough has always, and has so particularly in "Strange Cargo", drawn on the "weird fiction" tradition of H. P. Lovecraft. Hence, not only is this an apocalyptic alternate history, but is one that is populated by mysterious, and entirely capricious creatures far beyond human comprehension. As one might imagine, there is a lot going on in "Strange Cargo", and it is in fact far more ambitious in its scope than "Dark Sleeper" or "The House in the High Woods". This is due to primarily to the two distinct plot lines, as compared to the more narrow focus of the prior two novels. To attempt to explain the plot in any detail would risk major spoilers, but in a general sense, the novel revolves around a mystery dating back to Ancient Greece, and touches upon questions of theology and free will. At the same time, the second, parallel story is a more straightforward detective/ghost story. For the most part, Barlough handles his different characters and plots quite deftly. His skill as a writer has improved significantly, and when combined with his gift for dialogue and characterization, the reader is treated to a novel that is both lush and brisk at the same time. In particular, his examination of the dynamics of human relationships is very nicely handled and is the heart which supports the weighty body of his creation. Unfortunately, I cannot offer an entirely unreserved endorsement, as the conclusion is somewhat lacking. Without giving anything away, the main plot line ends in a manner that is rushed, generally unsatisfying, and far too convenient within the context of the novel. At the same time, the second plot line ends in rather a more satisfying a fashion, except that it never ties back to the main plot. One could completely excise this second element from the novel without any impact o