Gail Carriger Answers Questions Five

The Parasol Protectorate series by Gail Carriger is a fun mix of urban fantasy, alternative history, steampunk, and paranormal romance set in Victorian-era London. The tag-line for the books is ‘A Novel of Vampires, Werewolves, and Dirigibles’. It’s certainly a fun sounding concept, but what makes it work for me is infusion of self-aware humor throughout – yes it goes too far at times, just like its supposed to. Soulless (Book Depository, Powell’s Books, Indiebound) is the first book in the series (which I enjoyed), followed by the just-released Changeless (Book Depository, Powell’s Books, Indiebound), which just made the New York Times Best Seller list. Forthcoming Blameless (Book Depository, Powell’s Books, Indiebound) is set for release in September, 2010.

Thanks again to Gail for taking the time to answer Questions Five.



What is the perfect cup of tea for writing your books? Do ever need something a bit more…leaded? How is said cup of coffee (and/or leaded beverage) reflected in your writing?

GC: I drink Twinings English Breakfast gold label tea imported from London. It's difficult to get hold of. So far, I've not needed to imbibe anything more stringent to survive my word count. That could change in the future. There is so much tea in Soulless I actually had to change it to a different beverage in one scene because it was getting totally ridiculous.

Far into the future, the equivalent of an archaeologist from a significantly advanced culture (not necessarily a human culture) unearths a set of THE PARASOL PROTECTORATE. What theories about us might they come up with?

GC: Americans were weirdly fascinated with vampires, fashion, and the British. They may have had some serious humor issues as well.

If Soulless were a fortune cookie, what would its fortune be? How about Changeless?

GC: Soulless: Hold on to your parasol, there's a wax man in your future.
Changeless: Don't look under the kilts.

How would you interpret these fortunes if they were your own?

GC: Soulless: Wear lots of sunscreen and shave.
Changeless: Don't look under the kilts. Duh.

Why should Soulless (and then Changeless) be the next thing that everyone reads?

Everyone needs a little frivolity in their lives.

Bonus question for inclusion in The SFF Literary Pub Crawl:

Please recommend a favorite pub or similar establishment – it doesn’t have to be local to you, but that is encouraged and if you can’t limit to just one, recommend more, but try to keep it to 3 or less. And don’t forget to say why it’s so great.

Well, this is me, so you're getting tea houses instead. My favorite is Bloomsbury Tea Room, in Capitola. If you're ever out driving Hwy 1 up the California coast you should stop in. It's a wonderful fusion of fresh California style ingredients coupled with a cozy British high tea aesthetic.

Then there's Fiorini's cafe off the square in Sonoma, wine country. Real, authentic Italian pastries, tea in a proper pot, and wonderful coffee if you bend in that direction.

Review: Soulless by Gail Carriger

Victorian high-society full of vampires, werewolves, dirigibles, and tea-drinking. A description much like the one above intrigued me – just a bit tongue-in-cheek, but also self-aware enough to earn a smile. Soulless by Gail Carriger (Book Depository, Powell’s Books, Indiebound) does indeed meet that description…and more (there is even…wait for it…romance).

Alexia Tarabotti is an aging spinster in the high-society of Victorian London. She has a sharp tongue, independent mind, and is cursed with the Italian blood, complexion and name of her long-dead father. She spends her days tolerating family and chaperoning her younger half-sisters, who have real potential in the game of society, to one social event or another. Miss Tarabotti is also registered with the estimable Bureau of Unnatural Registry (BUR), a division of Her Majesty’s Civil Service, as a preternatural, the yin to the yang of supernatural creatures like vampires, werewolves, and ghosts. An assault by a horribly rude and mannerless vampire sets the stage for the adventures to come.

Soulless is a fun mix of Victorian romance, steampunk, alternative history, and urban fantasy. While there is a more than adequate plot to add mystery and suspense, Soulless is a romance at its heart. Lord Maccon is the Scottish fourth Earl of Woolsey, head of the BUR and the Alpha male of the Woolsey Werewolf Pack. Miss Tarabotti and Lord Maccon engage in the standard dance of antagonizing love-hate banter, beginning with the latter and ending with the former.

Carriger utilizes an almost flippant humor throughout Soulless. Soulless is snarky – well, it’s at least witty, but the self-awareness of the wit leads me to call it snark. And it’s the self-aware aspect to the humor that works – like it works for Buffy the Vampire Slayer. While the dialogue is often too witty, it obviously isn’t taking itself overly seriously either, making the comedy of romance much more enjoyable. Carriger also peppers dialogue and thoughts with language that feels much more modern than Victorian English – I took this yet another sign of the self-aware, tongue-in-cheek quality underlying much of Soulless.

On a related note, Carriger seems to have a strong understanding of the underlying sexual metaphor behind supernatural creatures such as vampires and werewolves – she embraces the metaphor in not a wholly proper way and then embellishes. Vampires are all style and effeminate beauty (even gay) as well as the inspiration for Victorian social structure. Werewolves are all testosterone, barely-controlled animal virility, and the brains behind the military might of the British Empire. The underlying sexual tension of Victorian prudishness is brilliantly balanced against the metaphor, and Miss Tarabotti’s innocence, curiosity, and sharp tongue lead to some rather humorous moments, even if a bit overboard.

Unfortunately, Carriger’s style of writing also suffers from one of my biggest pet peeves – unclear breaks in point of view. The point of view often jumps from character to character, regardless of them being major or minor characters, without warning or break. This is often confusing, always annoying, and slows down pace of the narrative.

Carriger combines a sense of the modern world with Sense and Sensibility in Victorian England with a dash of steampunk and a healthy dose of the supernatural. The aware, confident whit and self-deferential humor help make Soulless a fun and quick read with a rather clever premise. And the adventures of Miss Tarabotti continue in The Parasol Protectorate series with Changeless (Book Depository, Powell’s Books, Indiebound) and forthcoming Blameless (Book Depository, Powell’s Books, Indiebound). 7.5/10

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