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A review by justgeekingby
And Put Away Childish Things by Adrian Tchaikovsky
4.0
Originally posted on Just Geeking by.
Content warnings:
And Put Away Childish Things by Adrian Tchaikovsky is a delightfully clever and creepy read, and is Tchaikovsky’s take on an adult revisiting childhood magical adventures. In the same vein as Josh Winning’s The Shadow Glass and Dan Hank’s Swashbucklers, his male protagonist is taken back to the tales of his childhood and finds out that what he thought was fiction is actually very very real. In true Tchaikovsky style that reality is a science fiction, horror and fairytale mish-mash masterpiece that only he can pull off.
Harry Bodie is a failed children’s presenter whose attempt to announce a family secret on a genealogy TV show goes seriously wrong. Instead of finding fame by hinting that he’s related to long-lost royalty, he ends up catching the attention of people who believe his story in a way he could never see coming. Harry’s grandmother wrote a series of children’s books set in a world called Underhill. Beloved by many, Harry didn’t realise just how beloved until he’s kidnapped by a group who are convinced that he’s royalty – Underhill royalty. They don’t just believe that Underhill is a real place, but Harry’s the heir, and he’s the key to them getting to the place of their dreams.
Ever the cynic, Harry doesn’t believe a word of it. He escapes the clutches of his kidnappers only to find himself facing even more bizarre experiences that lead him to the very conclusion he laughed off. Underhill is real and it’s in trouble.
With characters that feel as though they’ve just been plucked off the street, And Put Away Childish Things is more than just a portal adventure about childhood nostalgia and responsibility. It’s set during the pandemic and Harry has mental health conditions, which he struggles with even more when the new reality of lockdown sets in. I was particularly impressed with how Tchaikovsky described Harry’s zoom session with his therapist and how difficult it was for him to connect with her over a video call.
There are elements of traditional storytelling and fairytales interwoven with science fiction, and a healthy dose of horror. While being about children’s stories this novella is most definitely not for children and the wickedly imaginative descriptions will lurk in your nightmares for a long time after you’ve finished reading. Serious scientific theories are discussed side by side with children’s literary discourse as the main characters uncover the shocking true nature of Underhill. The juxtaposition of the real world of science and the real world of the stories proposes certain questions of realism. However, the question at the heart of And Put Away Childish Things isn’t ‘what is real?’, rather it’s ‘what is possible?’ and with that Tchaikovsky bridges the gap between fiction and science. This is science fiction at its best, pushing at the boundaries of fiction and once again it is a superb tale that showcases Tchaikovsky’s award-winning talent brilliantly.
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Content warnings:
Spoiler
This book contains scenes of violence, blood, gore and death, including plans for a blood ritual which is discussed on page. The book takes place during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, and talks about what it was like in lockdown especially for people in the entertainment industry and people with mental health conditions.And Put Away Childish Things by Adrian Tchaikovsky is a delightfully clever and creepy read, and is Tchaikovsky’s take on an adult revisiting childhood magical adventures. In the same vein as Josh Winning’s The Shadow Glass and Dan Hank’s Swashbucklers, his male protagonist is taken back to the tales of his childhood and finds out that what he thought was fiction is actually very very real. In true Tchaikovsky style that reality is a science fiction, horror and fairytale mish-mash masterpiece that only he can pull off.
Harry Bodie is a failed children’s presenter whose attempt to announce a family secret on a genealogy TV show goes seriously wrong. Instead of finding fame by hinting that he’s related to long-lost royalty, he ends up catching the attention of people who believe his story in a way he could never see coming. Harry’s grandmother wrote a series of children’s books set in a world called Underhill. Beloved by many, Harry didn’t realise just how beloved until he’s kidnapped by a group who are convinced that he’s royalty – Underhill royalty. They don’t just believe that Underhill is a real place, but Harry’s the heir, and he’s the key to them getting to the place of their dreams.
Ever the cynic, Harry doesn’t believe a word of it. He escapes the clutches of his kidnappers only to find himself facing even more bizarre experiences that lead him to the very conclusion he laughed off. Underhill is real and it’s in trouble.
With characters that feel as though they’ve just been plucked off the street, And Put Away Childish Things is more than just a portal adventure about childhood nostalgia and responsibility. It’s set during the pandemic and Harry has mental health conditions, which he struggles with even more when the new reality of lockdown sets in. I was particularly impressed with how Tchaikovsky described Harry’s zoom session with his therapist and how difficult it was for him to connect with her over a video call.
There are elements of traditional storytelling and fairytales interwoven with science fiction, and a healthy dose of horror. While being about children’s stories this novella is most definitely not for children and the wickedly imaginative descriptions will lurk in your nightmares for a long time after you’ve finished reading. Serious scientific theories are discussed side by side with children’s literary discourse as the main characters uncover the shocking true nature of Underhill. The juxtaposition of the real world of science and the real world of the stories proposes certain questions of realism. However, the question at the heart of And Put Away Childish Things isn’t ‘what is real?’, rather it’s ‘what is possible?’ and with that Tchaikovsky bridges the gap between fiction and science. This is science fiction at its best, pushing at the boundaries of fiction and once again it is a superb tale that showcases Tchaikovsky’s award-winning talent brilliantly.