Changes

Those wanting a label could think of ''The Iron Dragon's Daughter'' as a punk fantasy, I have seen it called anti-fantasy for the way it subverts the classic Tolkienian motifs: it takes place in Faerie, but this alternative world runs on a combination of magic, alchemy and high technology. It reminded me of the famous saying by Arthur C. Clarke, about high technology being indistinguishable from magic - but even in a magical land, why wouldn't there be technology in the world in which magic is a reality, and alchemy rather than quantum physics explains the nature of things? And if yes, what it would be like? And there is technology indeed, with shopping malls in which you spend 2 days but emerge only few minutes after you entered, with iron dragons, sentient but manufactured war machines, an awesome fusion of the AI technology and alchemical magic.

The world in which Jane is growing up is brutal and nihilistic, more brutal than ours and this cyber-punk-like brutality is not due to the fact that it's more medieval, though the rigid social structure with the unpredictable, fickle, decadent elven lords at the pinnacle is reminiscent of feudal systems. But the school reeks of early 20th century regimentation, while the factory is a dark-satanic-mill incarnate, with hints of labour camps. The university is very modern, with academic in-fighting, sex, drugs, parties, clubbing and booze.