E. V. Odle (1890–1942)

The Clockwork Man is a overlooked science fiction novel, the first to use a cyborg sort of character, that was initially published in 1923, and is being brought back to life by MIT Press.

The title character is exactly what he sounds like - a human male with a clockwork brain. He somehow accidentally travels back in time about 8000 years, landing in the midst of a cricket game in England. While there are some humorous moments when he first appears, the book then becomes more serious and more philosophical about what the future of mankind may bring. Though somewhat dated in its style, the book was a fascinating look back at early twentieth century SF.

My thanks to MIT Press and to Netgalley for providing an ARC of the book.… (altro)