The Translated Man and Other Stories

This book was interesting, dark, and extremely imaginative. Even with the fre-quent ran-dom hyphen-ations, I could hardly put it down! I wanted to transport myself there to look around--the visuals were just that incredible. Looking forward to reading the next book. Good work, Mr. Braak.

If that title makes any sense to you whatsoever, do yourself a favor and buy this book immediately--and then clear your schedule for however long it takes you to read it. The author has created a mischievous and dense world of his own, seemingly drawn from the aspects of the Cthulhu mythos, Edwardian-era boys adventure stories, and light-hearted fantasy a la Terry Pratchett. A first-rate debut, and I for one look forward to the next installments in the series. And for the record, no, I am not the author.

I went into this book intrigued by the description, but knowing nothing else about it. If I had one qualm it would be the introduction to unfamiliar races and terms named in an almost alien fashion that I found initially to be a stumbling block - once I was acclimated to these then the story flowed smoothly. This is a very well-written narrative, even facing the first okay, what does *that* mean moments I had a hard time putting the book down. Four stars for me - as I did stumble over the beginning, establishing different races, families, hierarchies etc - this might not be a problem for someone else (I do not normally need to have different concepts spelled out for me when an author is world-building) or it might; and its certainly not a reason to sway from purchasing and enjoying the story!

If theres such a thing as steampunk noir, these wonderfully gritty, mesmerizing and moving works perfectly embody the sub-genre. Think some junkie, near burned out Harry Potter as a dying yet noble master detective inhabiting some dark, dystopic alternate world rife with political intrigue, a permanent war economy and racism, and you have just a starting point. Make no mistake: Mr. Braak can write very, very well. This is stand-out dystopian, alternate universe noir fiction.

As a big fan of Lovecraft, and a new Kindle owner, I was recommended this book and I enjoyed it very much. The mythology created is rich and interesting -- an entire alternate world of geopolitics, metaphysics, and some very strange diseases. It was no surprise to me to hear that the author is working on more stories set in this world -- there are so many concepts thrown about, almost offhand, that could function as entire fantasy cycles in their own right (I REALLY want to know more about the nature of Cross the Water and the City of Brass) that it can almost cause ones head to spin. The writing in itself is not particularly Lovecraftian; its descriptions of the world of Trowth, are extraordinary in their detail, whereas HPL would be more likely to just use lots of disturbing adjectives and let you sort it out yourself. But when horror strikes, and it does, the way Braak leaves just enough to the imagination to let you freak yourself out is deftly handled and worthy of the association. A fast, fascinating read, and a steal at only five bucks, if youre a fan of fantasy, thrillers, and/or horror, you dont have a good reason not to pick this up. My copy had some formatting problems, but apparently thats fixed and Ill be taking the author up on his offer to sort that out.

I read this some time ago but its imagery, characters and unique themes come to mind over and over. So often books like this veer off into faeries and wizards, which is where I stop reading. But Chris Braak builds a believable and enjoyable world for his characters to act within. He does this quite skillfully, never beating the reader to death with endless description or forced passages. If you just want to take a trip and enjoy a world that is immediately recognizable but still delightfully foreign to our own, and ride shotgun with some memorable characters, this book is for you.

Chris Braaks Translated Man is pretty good! His fictional world is a fresh and eclectic mixture. It has a dark 1800s feel, with a hint of a modern British gritty cop drama. Imagine if the discoveries in physics and chemistry for the last 200 odd years never happened. Now imagine the scientists of this world marched on anyway without the periodic table of elements, without quantum mechanics, etc. Take this world of dark stone streets, airships, and Aether, throw in a few non-human races, a few man-made abominations, and a good murder mystery, and youre just starting to get the picture. If you really want to get the picture, read book! There was a typo or two. And yes, Translated Man may not turn the highbrow heads at the Atlantic or the New Yorker. Very little science fiction or fantasy ever does. But Translated Man is a crisp, well-spun yarn, and a darned good read! Theres a lot of drivel in the world of sci-fi and fantasy, and the bottom line is: this isnt it.

Theres a passage here that has stayed with me since reading it 7 years ago, filed prominently in my brains storage of macho stories. When the young deputy witnesses the kind of trauma that tends to wreck a man, he feels a minuscule sliver of himself self ripped away, then quickly filled with cold steel, able to feel that much less but operate that much stronger. I recall thinking Hmmmm, thats pretty badass. Dang.

I had one of the weirdly formatted ones but it didnt matter. Its a textured read with layers of stories and styles interwoven. Its dark but also has a flawed hero who keeps trying and winning when he should fade away, a blind girl with almost supernatural powers, a 13 year old mathematical genius an a bunch of odd and nasty characters. I loved it - 6/5 from me. Cant wait for episode 2

I purchased this book for my Kindle and enjoyed the read a great deal. Chris Braak creates strong characters in fully realized world. The writing is crisp. There is some dry wit to the story as well, particularly the main character. the supporting cast is excellent. i would love to see more works in this setting. highly recommended.