The Iron Dragon's Daughter

Michael Swanwick

May 2016 · Open Road Media

About this ebook

A New York Times Notable Book: “Combining cyberpunk’s grit with dystopic fantasy, this iconoclastic hybrid is a standout piece of storytelling” (Library Journal).

Jane is trapped as a changeling in an industrialized Faerie ruled by aristocratic high elves and populated by ogres, dwarves, night-gaunts, and hags. She is the only human in a factory where underage forced labor builds cybernetic, magical dragons that are weaponized and sent off to war. When the damaged dragon Melanchthon tempts Jane with promises of freedom, the stage is set for a daring escape that will shake the foundations of existence.
 
Combining alchemy and technology, a coming-of-age story like no other, The Iron Dragon’s Daughter takes place against a dystopic mindscape of dark challenges and class struggles that force Jane to make costly decisions at every turn.
 
A finalist for the Arthur C. Clarke Award, the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel, and the 1994 Locus Award, The Iron Dragon’s Daughter a is one-of-a-kind melding of grimdark fantasy and cyberpunk grit from the Nebula Award–winning author of Stations of the Tide. It engages the reader in a nihilistic world in which nothing is as it seems and everything comes at a steep and often horrific price.

Ratings and reviews

Some things just went over my head I guess. Some of the reviews seemed that they understood everything. At times I would be at a loss of what was going on, then finally later it would come together and make sense, but other things were just never explained and were just left hanging. The end confused the heck out of me, it did not make much sense. Lots of violence and drug use and some sex scenes. Not a bad book, but not one I would search for a sequel for and read.

I read this book as a teenager in the 90s and immediately was drawn in by this universe, wherein contemporary race, class, and gender dynamics are applied to fantasy tropes. To me, it sits alongside some of the most vital art created in that era, taking these tropes and destroying them by contextualizing them with the world around us. Much like some of my favorite works in other media from that era, there's a nihilistic undercurrent throughout. As a teen, it really caused me to question a lot of the fantasy and sci-fi i had enjoyed previously.

If the archetypes contained within this book resonate, you will absolutely love this book. Swanwick, his writing, and the depth to which he goes isn't for everyone; but if you are a seeker, then the gems you uncover from reading to reading will be very satisfying.

About the author

Michael Swanwick has received the Hugo, Nebula, World Fantasy, and Theodore Sturgeon awards for his work. His short fiction has appeared in Omni, Penthouse, Asimov’s, High Times, and numerous other publications, and many pieces have been reprinted in best-of-the-year anthologies. He has written nine novels, among them In the Drift, Stations of the Tide, the New York Times Notable Book The Iron Dragon’s Daughter, Jack Faust, and, most recently, Chasing the Phoenix. Swanwick lives in Philadelphia with his wife, Marianne Porter, and their son, Sean.