Frank H. (perryfran) reviewed on 8/1/2014 + 1223 more book reviews

This was a real hoot! Lansdale pulled out all the stops in this irreverent blend of fantasy and science fiction featuring some of the most beloved characters (both real and fictional) of the 19th century including Buffalo Bill Cody (at least his head), Wild Bill Hickok, Annie Oakley, Sitting Bull, Mark Twain, Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, the Frankenstein monster, Dracula, the Tin Man, Dr. Moreau (Momo), Captain Nemo (Bemo), and a giant talking ape from Mars reminiscent of King Kong! This was actually the first two novels in the trilogy of Ned the Seal's adventures: Zeppelins West and Flaming London. There evidently is a third book in the works titled The Sky Done Ripped.

I loved reading Verne, Twain, and Wells along with a lot of pulp fiction including Doc Savage when I was younger so I really enjoyed this although it definitely is not for children given Lansdale's frequent use of vulgarities in the stories. The first book has Buffalo Bill and his wild west show traveling to Japan via Zeppelins on a mission to rescue Frankenstein's monster who is being used by the Japanese as an aphrodisiac by cutting off and powderizing pieces of the monster! The action then moves on to the Island of Dr. Momo where some very disturbing experiments involving animals takes place. This includes making a seal able to read and write (the titular Ned the Seal). The second story is a take-off on Wells' The War of the Worlds and has Verne and Twain in a battle to save the world. The story ends with the remaining group headed out in a time machine to try to mend the time and dimension rifts that have developed by Well's time traveler. This will probably be the subject matter of the projected third story in the trilogy.

Overall, I liked Lansdale's vivid imagination and his humor in telling these tales and would recommend this.

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