Agatha H. and the Airship City: Girl Genius, Book 1

I have just the one complaint about "Agatha H and the Airship City"...and it's the fact that the next novel isn't even in the works yet, as far as I know. (Well, it could be, but the authors haven't announced it yet.)Having followed the webcomic, I was expecting the text novel to be a plain rehash of the graphic novels. Instead, I found the prose version quite enjoyable on its own, seasoned with the occasional extra scene which added more depth to the original story...and it does so without crossing the greatest sin of visual-to-text and text-to-visual versions: Deviations From The Original.This book doesn't have any of that. It is penned by the creators of "Girl Genius", not by some other writer working with them, so they were able to write out the details of the actual story as they themselves intended it to be told (not just "the original story" as so many co-authors manage when they attempt this, but the actual story), and just added more. Like a second helping at a feast. Thankfully, they have the skills to write the story in prose version, as well as in Hugo Award winning graphic novel style.For those of you who may have purchased the graphic novel versions, "Agatha H and the Airship City" covers the first three graphic novel compilations, being "Agatha Heterodyne and the Beetleburg Clank", "Agatha Heterodyne and the Airship City", and "Agatha Heterodyne and the Monster Engine". All three of these are connected by the Airship City referenced, Castle Wulfenbach, and the characters who live and work on it. Without going into spoilers for either graphic or text versions, I'll simply say this: the story (I can safely refer to both as the same entity, the Foglios did that good a job translating one to the other) may start out slow, but it is like a train.Yes, a train, as in a steam-engine locomotive on tracks, pulling cars loaded with passengers and freight. (An apt image for steampunk & gaslamp fantasy.) It sits there on the tracks, looking innocuous, yet has so much weight behind it, you wonder how it'll being to move. As soon as you start reading, however, it starts smoothly, builds momentum, and soon makes you breathless from the ride as soon as it reaches speed...and by the end of "Agatha H and the Airship City", you've only just left the city with its multitude of road crosses, and can finally start picking up to cross-country speeds....Except, as I said, they haven't produced the second text book yet. I suspect the next text novel will also cover a similar amount of same-with-extra-helpings ground, but until it comes out, I'll just have to wait.On the bright side, if you want to know more, they do have nine graphic novels available right now, and if you want to read the full story up to the current moment (the Foglios produce a full page every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday), just look up "Girl Genius" online.Now for the big question, which most review readers will be wondering: With the graphic novels so readily available, why should anyone bother buying this book?Well, I ask you this: Why would anyone bother going to a live baseball game when they could watch it on television? Both versions are good, and it is the exact same game, but you get more at the ballpark when you go in person: The roar of the crowd, the organist's incidental music, and of course, those tasty, traditional hotdogs. You can't get all of that at home. Conversely, sometimes it's just easier to stay home and watch the game from the comfort of your living room, with your favorite snacks in the fridge, no huge lineup for the restroom, and no hard plastic seat to sit in.If you aren't sure which version to get, graphic or text...go with the kind of reading you prefer. You'll get a great story either way!

Agatha H. and the Airship City (the novel) is a second look at the Agatha Heterodyne "Girl Genius" story now being developed in the authors' graphic novels, the most recent two of which have won the Hugo for Best Graphic Story. As such, it should be taken as a secondary source.This volume covers the story we met in the first three volumes of the graphic story: Agatha Heterodyne and the Beetleburg Clank, Agatha Heterodyne and the Airship City, and Agatha Heterodyne and the Monster Engine.Phil Foglio has stated in interviews that one part of the Girl Genius story is what happens to legends over time. The legends about Agatha's parents and uncle have grown with time; should we not expect the same of the legends about Agatha? In fact, there are some details changed and snippets of story added. A prologue tantalizes with glimpses of history and historical characters and perturbs the historical timeline developed by fans, hinting at clues or vital constraints. Other changes deepen and richen the character development without, so far as I can tell, damaging the story. We learn a few new things and are reminded of some old ones. Some lines of fan speculation are cut off, leaving us to focus on better questions.The Girl Genius story is all about the backstory. Bit by bit through the graphic novels we've gotten history, found questions in it, and gotten answers that have provided fascinating and bigger questions. That essential story dimension does not change.The Foglio humor still glows. Much of it revolves around the Jaegermonsters. If you are a fan, you probably know that the Jaegermonsters were a late addition; Phil was already drawing the comic books in which the first part of the story appeared when they were invented. By now they are deeply woven through both story and backstory. Among their narrative duties, they serve as clowns whose antics conceal both foreshadowing and backstory. A few new incidents near the start of the novel had me laughing out loud. (Clowns or not, they are capable of noble action and sacrifice.)Is this as good a novel as the graphic story is a graphic story? No, it is not. That's not bad news: the graphic story's artwork, pacing, and working out of story details are so good that it would be a wonder if the novel could match it. The most apparent weakness is that details of the milieu that can be background in graphic form must be explained, and sometimes the explanation pauses the story for detail that might better be given elsewhere. This is a matter of technique and a basic problem for all SF&F writing, and unless the Foglios choose not to improve (for the sake of style, perhaps) they surely will.It is possible that writing this novel required the Foglios to make another pass over their story notes. The overall plot and the key characters were written before the first published page was drawn, promising a tightly woven story. Phil and Kaja Foglio have delivered magnificently on that promise. This novel may help them continue to do so.If you want the primary source for the Girl Genius story, continue to buy the graphic novels and read the eponymous web site. That's what they are for. If you are already a fan of the story, or cannot bear the long graphic form, then buy this book. But if you skip the graphic novels, you are missing an awful lot of richness, depth, and fun.

I love this book,i love Agatha and she is so clueless at the beginning it was sad and sweet. I love how scary she becomes when angry!!!Read this it's great. Then read the Graphic novels,they are the best.

Very enjoyable adaption!