Who Would Like This Book:
This is a wildly imaginative mashup of Western, fantasy, and steampunk that creates a world where literal forces of chaos and order battle it out in an ever-shifting frontier. Felix Gilman’s worldbuilding is top-notch, with demon-possessed guns, sentient locomotives, fragile dreams of democracy, and a landscape that’s still forming as you read. If you love inventive worlds, complex antiheroes, and a setting that feels like The Dark Tower meets Firefly with a twist of New Weird, you’ll feel right at home here. It’s especially recommended for those who enjoy literary adventure, strong but unconventional characters, and genre-bending storytelling.
Who May Not Like This Book:
If you want your fantasy fast-paced or need a tidy wrap-up at the end, this one might test your patience. Some readers found the middle section slow, the narrative a bit meandering, and certain characters hard to emotionally connect with. The prose is rich and densely detailed, which can feel sluggish if you prefer leaner, action-oriented writing. And if you dislike open-ended stories or need your world-building thoroughly explained, you might come away wanting more closure or clarity.
About:
In The Half-Made World by Felix Gilman, the story is set in a world resembling America's Wild West but with a twist - the West is untamed and unmade, filled with demons, magic, and supernatural beings. The narrative follows the power struggles between two factions, the Gun and the Line, representing industrialization and conformity, and the wilderness frontier, respectively. The book explores themes of conflict, allegory, and the clash between technology and faith, all while creating a darkly fantastical version of the American frontier.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings include themes of war, violence, mental illness, and the depiction of demons and possession.
From The Publisher:
The world is still only half-made. Between the wild shores of uncreation, and the ancient lands of the East lies the vast expanse of the West-young, chaotic, magnificent, war-torn.
Thirty years ago, the Red Republic fought to remake the West-fought gloriously, and failed. The world that now exists has been carved out amid a war between two rival factions: the Line, enslaving the world with industry, and the Gun, a cult of terror and violence. The Republic is now history, and the last of its generals sits forgotten and nameless in a madhouse on the edge of creation. But locked in his memories is a secret that could change the West forever, and the world's warring powers would do anything to take it from him.
Now Liv Alverhuysen, a doctor of the new science of psychology, travels west, hoping to heal the general's shattered mind. John Creedmoor, reluctant Agent of the Gun and would-be gentleman of leisure, travels west, too, looking to steal the secret or die trying. And the servants of the Line are on the march.
Ratings (3)
Incredible (1) | |
Liked It (1) | |
Hated It (1) |
Reader Stats (18):
Read It (4) | |
Want To Read (11) | |
Not Interested (3) |
1 comment(s)
I'm having a REALLY hard time rating this because I absolutely loved it but, to be extremely basic, I just didn't feel good about the ending. Everything about the characters and the world and the atmosphere of the book was gripping and incredible, and the horrors very real. In a struggle between Order and Chaos, a Wild West-esque setting is a good ones, and here it seems relevant that Order and Chaos are basically both amoral forces of total destruction, chewing up the world between them. It's a fantastic setting. I just wanted more closure at the end, more of a payoff to all that wonderful buildup.
What can you read after
The Half-Made World?
About the Author:
Felix Gilman has been nominated for the John W. Campbell Award and the Crawford Award for best new writer, and the Locus Award for best first novel. He is the author of the critically acclaimed Thunderer and Gears of the City. He lives with his wife in New York City.
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