1848, England has grown fat on the labour of the Lilliputians discovered by Gulliver. The old enemy, France, enlist the help of the giant Brobdingnagians to finally take England once and for all. In London, Abraham Bates worries about the plight of the enslaved Lilliputians and tries to ignore the base temptation of sin that the married Eleanor Burton represents. As war rages across the British Isles, Bates must try to find a position he can live with in a rapidly changing world just as humanity must try to find its way in a universe far stranger than they ever imagined.

I struggle to know where to begin with this review.

Taking Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels it dances its way through a menagerie of SF tropes and ideas as it twists round on itself. Indeed, if I have any criticism it is that there is too much shoehorned into what isn’t the longest novel in the world. However, those many ideas colliding are what provide - for this reviewer anyway - the macro theme against which Bates’s story makes sense. By which convoluted ramblings I mean to highlight that the collection of threats to humanity seemed to work well with Bates’ personal journey through his own hypocrisy to some kind of acceptance of who he is.

At its core is the story of Bates and Burton; two well drawn and equally hard to like central characters whom are nevertheless compelling. A great deal of care and attention has been taken with the language and attitudes of the protagonists. Although this is hardly a surprise given Roberts’ background (Roberts is an Academic by day), it does lend the novel an authentic voice that I’ve seen trip other authors up.

The structure of the book creaks a little in places as Roberts bends and twists the novel format to the limits of breaking point but always pulling it back just in time. Swiftly was written over a much longer period than Roberts’ work normally takes to produce.  I suspect this longer gestation period has encouraged Roberts to play with structure and it paid off: the results are impressive.

I have no doubt that this novel is a success both as an intellectual exercise and as a piece of art. As for commercial appeal: I’d like to think it would find a wider audience but I suspect it may be misunderstood outside of the SF genre. If that is the case it will be a crying shame for readers will be missing out on what is a damned fine book and one of Roberts’ best.

I recommend it with gusto.

4/5