History & Culture >> Literature >> Post-Steampunk (1989)

1814. The Janus Affair

By 1442. Philippa Ballantine
and 1812. Tee Morris


Published May 29, 2012
by Harper Voyager

Cover description:
Evildoers beware! Retribution is at hand, thanks to Britain's best-kept secret agents!!

Certainly no strangers to peculiar occurrences, agents Wellington Books and Eliza Braun are nonetheless stunned to observe a fellow passenger aboard Britain's latest hypersteam train suddenly vanish in a dazzling bolt of lightning. They soon discover this is not the only such disappearance ... with each case going inexplicably unexamined by the Crown.

The fate of England is once again in the hands of an ingenious archivist paired with a beautiful, fearless lady of adventure. And though their foe be fiendishly clever, so then is Mr. Books ... and Miss Braun still has a number of useful and unusual devices hidden beneath her petticoats.

Pip and Tee say of the book:
The Janus Affair was drawn from the history of the suffrage movement, since Pip was very proud of the fact that New Zealand was the first nation in the world to give women the right to vote. The preeminent suffragette of New Zealand, who is on the ten dollar bill, is Kate Sheppard. The authors gave her some steampunk accoutrements, and a slightly older son than history, but the basis for her strength of character comes from her.

Once Pip and Tee got into what was happening at the time, arson, bartitsu suffragettes, and imprisonment, the story found its heart and wrote itself. They even found out that Sophia del Morte's steampunk bike had a basis in reality!

External Links
Review - Night Owl Reviews


See Also
1442. Philippa Ballantine
1812. Tee Morris
1813. Phoenix Rising
2380. Tales from the Archives


Collection Tags
Novel