Description
For fans of The Princess Bride and Gideon the Ninth: a bloody lesbian revenge tale and political fantasy set in a glittering world transformed by industrial change - and simmering class warfare.
He who controls ichorite controls the world.
A malleable metal more durable than steel, ichorite is a toxic natural resource fueling national growth, and ambitious industrialist Yann Chauncey helms production of this miraculous ore. Working his foundry is an underclass of destitute workers, struggling to get better wages and proper medical treatment for those exposed to ichorite's debilitating effects since birth.
One of those luster-touched victims, the child worker Marney Honeycutt, is picketing with her family and best friend when a bloody tragedy unfolds. Chauncey's strikebreakers open fire.
Only Marney survives.
A decade later, as Yann Chauncey searches for a suitable political marriage for his ward, Marney sees the perfect opportunity for revenge. With the help of radical bandits and their stolen wealth, she must masquerade as an aristocrat to win over the calculating Gossamer Chauncey and kill the man who slaughtered her family and friends. But she is not the only suitor after Lady Gossamer's hand, leading her to play twisted elitist games of intrigue. And Marney's luster-touched connection to the mysterious resource and its foundry might put her in grave danger - or save her from it.
H. A. Clarke's adult fantasy debut, writing as August Clarke, Metal From Heaven is a caustic, dizzying eco-fantasy that addresses labor politics, corporate greed, and the relentless grind of capitalism, while also embodying a visceral lesbian revenge quest against the people and institutions who control and oppress the helpless.
"A riotous phantasmagoria that epitomizes the phrase 'be gay, do crime.'" - Melinda Borie, Collection Development Librarian, Floyd County Library (New Albany, IN)
About the Author
August Clarke is here and queer, etc. They have been published in PRISM international, Portland Review, and Eidolon. He was a 2019 Lambda Literary Fellow in Young Adult Fiction and a Locus Award, Dragon Award, and Pushcart nominee. They researched queerness, labor, and monstrosity at the University of Chicago. He is the author of the indie-bestselling series The Scapegracers, which he writes as H. A. Clarke.
Reviews
Praise for Metal from Heaven
"Metal from Heaven is a work of feral and furious imagination. It's pulpy, bloody, sexy, gleefully seditious and seditiously gleeful. It's a battle cry of a book; read it, and rise up."-Alix E. Harrow, Hugo Award winner and New York Times bestselling author of Reese's Book Club Pick Starling House
"Rich with lush prose, Metal from Heaven is a murderously good tale of highway robbery and sapphic revenge, that tackles important issues head on, and hits with a powerful ending that will stay with you long after the book is closed." -C.S. Pacat, New York Times Bestselling author of Dark Rise
"August Clarke is one of the most electrifying voices in genre fiction today. In Metal from Heaven, the volume is turned all the way up. This one will blow your hair back." -Sarah Gailey, Hugo Award winner and bestselling author of The Echo Wife
"I know comfort books are in, and yes, they have their place, but there's nothing quite like reading something dangerous. Something rich with ideas, something challenging, something transgressive, and revelatory, something that feels like it's pushing the genre forward, something punk in the true meaning of the word, something that truly does not give a f**k what you think of it. This is that book. Metal from Heaven is a thunderous, visceral, Sapphic fever dream of a book, thick with religion, myth, and revolutionary ideologies. The prose seduces, the worldbuilding astounds, and the heart bleeds pure. This one goes on my best of 2024 lists for sure." -Rebecca Roanhorse, New York Times Bestselling and LAMBDA Literary Award nominated author of Black Sun
"Surprising absolutely no one, Metal from Heaven is such an excellent book. I adored every heartbreak moment of Metal from Heaven. It's a bitter triumph with an oil-slick beauty. This one's for the dykes. It hits a lot of tender spots, beautifully done. If you trust me, read this book." -C. L Clark, author of The Unbroken and The Faithless
"This is industrial fantasy like you've never read before. With prose that drips like honey and burns like a forge, Metal from Heaven is all hungry revenge, human tenderness, and bloody political intrigue. August Clarke does something new here, and I can't wait for more!"-Bethany Jacobs, Philip K. Dick award-winning author of These Burning Stars
"Drenched in sex, blood, and hot pink ichorite, Metal from Heaven is a high-octane revenge story that doubles as a rallying cry for a better future. It's the chant of a picket line, the glory of a highway robbery, the heat of a lover's flesh. Clarke shoves you headfirst into unapologetic dykery as praxis, and it's worth every battle scar." -Lauren Ring, World Fantasy Award winner and Nebula finalist
"This book is a riotous phantasmagoria that epitomizes the phrase "be gay, do crime." The approach to gender, dystopia, and found family puts one in mind of the Penumbra Podcast's Juno Steel series or Sarah Gailey's Upright Women Wanted. Wholly original, Metal From Heaven is a love story, a revenge thriller, and a queer revolution all at once. It will stay with its readers long after they've followed it through its final evolution." -Melinda Borie, Collection Development Librarian, Floyd County Library (New Albany, IN)
"Metal From Heaven is a Molotov cocktail. It's a manifesto hauntingly delivered. It's a swashbuckling butch humming nineteenth-century labor songs to you while you come down from an acid trip. Let this extraordinary book light a fire in the parts of you left empty by selling your labor cheap. Then read it again, and again, and again." -Milo Michels, University Bookstore (Seattle, WA)
"Metal From Heaven is a blistering powerhouse of a book. A manifesto and an opus. By turns delightful, blood soaked and visceral, charming, and sexy as hell. A book to be devoured and savored, ideally multiple times. Fucking incredible, a pipe bomb of a book." -Emily Duncan, Hudson Library & Historical Society (Hudson, OH)
"A ravenous fantasy revolving around a malleable natural resource that kickstarts an industrial revolution and, ultimately, class warfare. Metal From Heaven weaves a story of the elite's insatiable hunger for more, always more, and a voracious revenge plot. Clarke's writing style is sharp, packing a punch; it was difficult for me to put down! It checks every one of my boxes for a powerful queer political fantasy, and it rightfully left its mark on me - I hope those who need this story can find it, and find themselves in it." -Mallory Sutton, Bard's Alley (Vienna, VA)
"Hell hath no fury like a lesbian seeking revenge. The survivor of a strikebreaking massacre, Marney Honeycutt, builds a life with a group of bandits aiming to dismantle the entire ichorite industry and kill its leader. Through devotion, violence, and the bonds of chosen family, Marney dedicates their life to building a better tomorrow by disrupting the oppressive systems of today. With complex queer characters and an emphasis on anti-capitalism, I was hooked from the first page and with a quarter of the book left, knew I would immediately read it again once I finished it." -Sarah Blanton, Bookmarks (Winston-Salem, NC)
"Immediately gripping, the world and characters of Clarke's Metal From Heaven are a fantasy fan's dream. With energy, humor, action, and breathtaking writing; Metal From Heaven moves breathlessly and tackles issues like the crushes of capitalism, the exploitation of labor, and the importance of standing up against those in power. I loved every minute of it!" -Caleb Masters, Bookmarks (Winston-Salem, NC)
"Metal From Heaven is a lesbian revenge story evocative of Victorian London's industrial age, with a sci-fi fantasy twist; this book is epic, sensual and filled with luster." -Lauren O'Connell, Friendly City Books (Columbus, MS)
Book Information
ISBN 9781645660989
Author august clarke
Format Hardback
Page Count 528
Imprint Erewhon Books
Publisher Erewhon Books
He who controls ichorite controls the world.
A malleable metal more durable than steel, ichorite is a toxic natural resource fueling national growth, and ambitious industrialist Yann Chauncey helms production of this miraculous ore. Working his foundry is an underclass of destitute workers, struggling to get better wages and proper medical treatment for those exposed to ichorite's debilitating effects since birth.
One of those luster-touched victims, the child worker Marney Honeycutt, is picketing with her family and best friend when a bloody tragedy unfolds. Chauncey's strikebreakers open fire.
Only Marney survives.
A decade later, as Yann Chauncey searches for a suitable political marriage for his ward, Marney sees the perfect opportunity for revenge. With the help of radical bandits and their stolen wealth, she must masquerade as an aristocrat to win over the calculating Gossamer Chauncey and kill the man who slaughtered her family and friends. But she is not the only suitor after Lady Gossamer's hand, leading her to play twisted elitist games of intrigue. And Marney's luster-touched connection to the mysterious resource and its foundry might put her in grave danger - or save her from it.
H. A. Clarke's adult fantasy debut, writing as August Clarke, Metal From Heaven is a caustic, dizzying eco-fantasy that addresses labor politics, corporate greed, and the relentless grind of capitalism, while also embodying a visceral lesbian revenge quest against the people and institutions who control and oppress the helpless.
"A riotous phantasmagoria that epitomizes the phrase 'be gay, do crime.'" - Melinda Borie, Collection Development Librarian, Floyd County Library (New Albany, IN)
About the Author
August Clarke is here and queer, etc. They have been published in PRISM international, Portland Review, and Eidolon. He was a 2019 Lambda Literary Fellow in Young Adult Fiction and a Locus Award, Dragon Award, and Pushcart nominee. They researched queerness, labor, and monstrosity at the University of Chicago. He is the author of the indie-bestselling series The Scapegracers, which he writes as H. A. Clarke.
Reviews
Praise for Metal from Heaven
"Metal from Heaven is a work of feral and furious imagination. It's pulpy, bloody, sexy, gleefully seditious and seditiously gleeful. It's a battle cry of a book; read it, and rise up."-Alix E. Harrow, Hugo Award winner and New York Times bestselling author of Reese's Book Club Pick Starling House
"Rich with lush prose, Metal from Heaven is a murderously good tale of highway robbery and sapphic revenge, that tackles important issues head on, and hits with a powerful ending that will stay with you long after the book is closed." -C.S. Pacat, New York Times Bestselling author of Dark Rise
"August Clarke is one of the most electrifying voices in genre fiction today. In Metal from Heaven, the volume is turned all the way up. This one will blow your hair back." -Sarah Gailey, Hugo Award winner and bestselling author of The Echo Wife
"I know comfort books are in, and yes, they have their place, but there's nothing quite like reading something dangerous. Something rich with ideas, something challenging, something transgressive, and revelatory, something that feels like it's pushing the genre forward, something punk in the true meaning of the word, something that truly does not give a f**k what you think of it. This is that book. Metal from Heaven is a thunderous, visceral, Sapphic fever dream of a book, thick with religion, myth, and revolutionary ideologies. The prose seduces, the worldbuilding astounds, and the heart bleeds pure. This one goes on my best of 2024 lists for sure." -Rebecca Roanhorse, New York Times Bestselling and LAMBDA Literary Award nominated author of Black Sun
"Surprising absolutely no one, Metal from Heaven is such an excellent book. I adored every heartbreak moment of Metal from Heaven. It's a bitter triumph with an oil-slick beauty. This one's for the dykes. It hits a lot of tender spots, beautifully done. If you trust me, read this book." -C. L Clark, author of The Unbroken and The Faithless
"This is industrial fantasy like you've never read before. With prose that drips like honey and burns like a forge, Metal from Heaven is all hungry revenge, human tenderness, and bloody political intrigue. August Clarke does something new here, and I can't wait for more!"-Bethany Jacobs, Philip K. Dick award-winning author of These Burning Stars
"Drenched in sex, blood, and hot pink ichorite, Metal from Heaven is a high-octane revenge story that doubles as a rallying cry for a better future. It's the chant of a picket line, the glory of a highway robbery, the heat of a lover's flesh. Clarke shoves you headfirst into unapologetic dykery as praxis, and it's worth every battle scar." -Lauren Ring, World Fantasy Award winner and Nebula finalist
"This book is a riotous phantasmagoria that epitomizes the phrase "be gay, do crime." The approach to gender, dystopia, and found family puts one in mind of the Penumbra Podcast's Juno Steel series or Sarah Gailey's Upright Women Wanted. Wholly original, Metal From Heaven is a love story, a revenge thriller, and a queer revolution all at once. It will stay with its readers long after they've followed it through its final evolution." -Melinda Borie, Collection Development Librarian, Floyd County Library (New Albany, IN)
"Metal From Heaven is a Molotov cocktail. It's a manifesto hauntingly delivered. It's a swashbuckling butch humming nineteenth-century labor songs to you while you come down from an acid trip. Let this extraordinary book light a fire in the parts of you left empty by selling your labor cheap. Then read it again, and again, and again." -Milo Michels, University Bookstore (Seattle, WA)
"Metal From Heaven is a blistering powerhouse of a book. A manifesto and an opus. By turns delightful, blood soaked and visceral, charming, and sexy as hell. A book to be devoured and savored, ideally multiple times. Fucking incredible, a pipe bomb of a book." -Emily Duncan, Hudson Library & Historical Society (Hudson, OH)
"A ravenous fantasy revolving around a malleable natural resource that kickstarts an industrial revolution and, ultimately, class warfare. Metal From Heaven weaves a story of the elite's insatiable hunger for more, always more, and a voracious revenge plot. Clarke's writing style is sharp, packing a punch; it was difficult for me to put down! It checks every one of my boxes for a powerful queer political fantasy, and it rightfully left its mark on me - I hope those who need this story can find it, and find themselves in it." -Mallory Sutton, Bard's Alley (Vienna, VA)
"Hell hath no fury like a lesbian seeking revenge. The survivor of a strikebreaking massacre, Marney Honeycutt, builds a life with a group of bandits aiming to dismantle the entire ichorite industry and kill its leader. Through devotion, violence, and the bonds of chosen family, Marney dedicates their life to building a better tomorrow by disrupting the oppressive systems of today. With complex queer characters and an emphasis on anti-capitalism, I was hooked from the first page and with a quarter of the book left, knew I would immediately read it again once I finished it." -Sarah Blanton, Bookmarks (Winston-Salem, NC)
"Immediately gripping, the world and characters of Clarke's Metal From Heaven are a fantasy fan's dream. With energy, humor, action, and breathtaking writing; Metal From Heaven moves breathlessly and tackles issues like the crushes of capitalism, the exploitation of labor, and the importance of standing up against those in power. I loved every minute of it!" -Caleb Masters, Bookmarks (Winston-Salem, NC)
"Metal From Heaven is a lesbian revenge story evocative of Victorian London's industrial age, with a sci-fi fantasy twist; this book is epic, sensual and filled with luster." -Lauren O'Connell, Friendly City Books (Columbus, MS)
Book Information
ISBN 9781645660989
Author august clarke
Format Hardback
Page Count 528
Imprint Erewhon Books
Publisher Erewhon Books
