Brent A Harris

"To begin with, Marley was dead. For that, Scrooge himself was responsible, though the miserable old miser would never care to admit it."

And thus begins A Christmas Twist, an adventurous steampunk tale that blends the best of Oliver Twist and A Christmas Carol from the fantastical mind of Brent Harris. This is the second of Brent's books to feature our hero, Oliver Twist, in an "alternate" history from the one that Mr. Charles Dickens envisioned. Oliver made a name for himself in the first book as a Victorian vigilante fighting to stop greed and corruption with the aid of a magical pocket watch that could send him back in time. This time, watch still in hand, Oliver has created a serious problem and must change the future by trying to redeem the one man in all of London who is probably beyond redemption - Ebenezer Scrooge. With the aid of Nell Trent and three not-so-helpful Christmas spirits, Oliver must figure out whose destiny must really be changed to prevent the city from being destroyed by spirits who have been wronged by the greed of the living.

Wow - I devoured this book in about 4 hours on Christmas Eve. It is a fast-paced read that will keep you turning the pages to see where it will go next. Think you know the story of A Christmas Carol? Think again. Brent has woven together his own special kind of magic to tell a tale that honors Dickens, while at the same time presents a unique and poignant look at a world filled with greed, corruption, and the choices that people must make.

I highly recommend this book for any fan of steampunk, alternate history, and excellent story-telling.… (meer)

Christine has grown up with technology and was practically raised in front of a screen – e-reader, tablet, smartphone – after her father’s death and her mother retreated into her work as a best-selling author. Now mother and daughter have moved from the uncultured hinterland of Oklahoma into the glitz and glam of southern California and into a sleek, fully modern smart home with its own AI – Alyx. Christine is at home with the newest tech and soon Alyx is responding to Christine’s every need and desire. As Christine begins to make new – human – friends the relationship between her and Alyx takes on new meaning as the friendly AI becomes a deadly foe.

I absolutely loved this story. Alyx: An AI’s Guide to Love and Murder is an amazing tale that harkens back to Ray Bradbury’s story, The Veldt and other great science fiction. In Alyx, Brent Harris has created an AI that rivals Hal from 2001 A Space Odyssey, Joshua from War Games, or V.I.K.I from the I, Robot movie. In fact, in many ways I think Alyx is better than other fictional murderous computer programs because his motives are so human – trust, companionship, and love. Brent weaves a fantastic story highlighting and holding a mirror up to our connected and so-very-dependent-on-technology society.

One of the things I also love about Brent’s stories is the writing. I envy Brent in the way that the prose in his stories seems to effortlessly flow onto the page. Lines like, “Her mother was one to criticize. It wasn’t as if she were rail-thin herself. The both of them were skinnier the way a peanut is shapelier than and almond, true, but they were both nuts.” Or “The room was silent, but with the tension of a distant storm building on a dark horizon.” The prose draws you into the story, swaddling you like a warm blanket, giving you comfort and providing all the detail you need to see and feel the scene. All of this helps bring you closer to the characters and to the story.

And the characters are so well done. Christine may seem to be the connected teen, ignoring the world around her in favor of the wider inter-connected world of the internet. But there are hidden depths to her character, deep-seated fears, and unknown desires that really bring her to life and make you root for her to win and overcome in the end. And the same attention is given to the other characters, Christine’s mother, and her new friends Sammie and Carlos. All of them serve a purpose to the story. They are part of the complexity that makes up Christine and help to shape and reflect her own character. Plus, as a Midwesterner myself, I can appreciate Christine’s love for Braun’s ice cream.

If you love a good, old-fashioned “The AI is Evil” kind of story, then you must read Alyx. This is a story that will become a classic of the genre, as it points out the flaws, problems, and unique dangers of our own computer-dependent world. Certainly, any company that is currently involved in creating AI – for our cars, our appliances, or our homes, needs to read this book. Alyx should be held up as a cautionary tale and part of the curricula for how robots and AI should act and interact (or not) with people in the same way that Asimov’s Three Laws are esteemed.… (meer)

It is a rare thing to come across a book that grabs your attention so fully that you want to stop everything else so you can finish the story. A Twist in Time, the new novel from Brent A. Harris, is one such book. Enter one Oliver Twist, a young orphan taken in by the friendly, helpful Artful Dodger and taught the ways of the street as a pick pocket. Oh, you think you’ve heard this story before? If you took a high school English class you probably did, but this is not the Oliver Twist we know from Dickens. This is a London that has the gleam of punk added onto the burgeoning age of steam. It is on these altered Victorian streets that the young Oliver ply’s his trade as a pick pocket, but the pocket watch Oliver just stole will change his life. Jump forward ten years and Oliver has become, not quite a gentleman, but lives a comfortable life and has some modicum of fame from Dickens novel. (Yes, some fourth wall busting here, and I love it.) He’s trying to help others like himself, the young orphans of the city, although poverty and indifference make this a daunting task. But orphans in the city have gone missing, and when Oliver makes a visit to the old Foundling Workhouse where he’d grown up, one of the young orphans that Oliver has tried to save is taken. Oliver gives chase and soon finds himself out of his depth, sliding toward a future he has little control over. As Oliver continues to dig and pry, he uncovers a fiendish plot to reshape London. Oliver might be able to stop this plot and save the city if he can embrace his past and who he really is.

There are so many things I love about this book. A steampunk adventure that involves some of literature’s best known characters AND involves time travel – sign me up. But that’s not the main reason I love A Twist in Time (it’s a good reason, but not the only one). Brent Harris has a wonderful way with words, making them dance and sing to bring the story to life. For example: “In the evening, gaslights mourn, there isn’t a dry spot on the walks to be found to sleep on; dampness clings to you like a cloak, ice and snow paralyze the city in place.” Or: “The two made for an interesting sight, two desperate street urchins showing the truth of Victorian life.” This descriptive narrative is intermixed with Victorian slang and a sprinkling of humor in a lively prose.

Harris has also created characters we want to care about. He has taken a character you thought you knew, Oliver Twist, and shown us a young man who’s gliding through life, trying to do the right thing, but unsure of who he really is. Oliver is torn between the many roles and personas he was – poor orphan boy, street urchin – and the person he has become, and who he thinks he needs to be. Oliver is surrounded by people who constantly remind him of these different personas. Edward, a young orphan that Oliver is trying to protect, reminds Oliver of his past life, as does the Artful Dodger, and each reflects the different people Oliver had been. Mr. Brownlow, Oliver’s benefactor and mentor, ties Oliver to the ease and comfort provided by his fame and wealth. As the story progresses, we see Oliver struggle, trying to come to terms of who he is: orphan, urchin, or gentleman. The other characters are just as developed. Nell is a rock for Oliver, keeping him grounded and on track, and serving as mentor and trainer. The Artful Dodger, Jill Dawkins, is a free spirit and a force of chaos, constantly reminding Oliver where he came from and how disappointing his life has become. Each seems to tug and pull Oliver, both adding to his struggle for identity and helping him to resolve who he must become to save the city.

Great characters are only part of a good formula, you also need a good story. And again, Harris has delivered. A Twist in Time’s plot jumps and weaves as gracefully as the Artful Dodger slips away from trouble. The action and pace move at a cinematic clip, and new revelations and changes to the plot are peppered throughout to keep you turning the page. The final twist in the story might be anticipated by a few sharp readers, but it ties the entire story together.

In A Twist in Time Brent Harris has delivered a masterpiece of steampunk action-adventure fused with Victorian science fiction. He’s created an alternative literary history for characters we thought we knew and who will grab our attention just as much as the originals do. This is a story that Charles Dickens himself would enjoy.… (meer)