Aladdin and His Wonderfully Infernal Device

by Tee Morris

From the imagination behind the award-winning Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences series comes a steampunk novella to a legend from A Thousand and One Arabian Nights.

Aladdin is a street-wise thief that finds himself under the tutelage of a world-renown illusionist. He is escorted deep into the deserts in search of a treasure beyond his wildest dreams, and discovers instead something far more valuable—a destiny.

Genres: Steampunk, Fantasy, Fiction, Fairy Tales, Novella, Short Stories, Retellings

40 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 19, 2012

About the author

Tee Morris began his writing career with his 2002 historical epic fantasy, MOREVI The Chronicles of Rafe & Askana. In 2005 Tee took MOREVI into the then-unknown podosphere, making his novel the first book podcast in its entirety. That experience led to the founding of Podiobooks.com and collaborating with Evo Terra and Chuck Tomasi on Podcasting for Dummies and its follow-up, Expert Podcasting Practices for Dummies. He won acclaim and accolades for his cross-genre fantasy-detective Billibub Baddings Mysteries, the podcast of The Case of the Singing Sword winning him the 2008 Parsec Award for Best Audio Drama. Along with those titles, Tee has written articles and short stories for BenBella Books’s Farscape Forever: Sex, Drugs, and Killer Muppets, the podcast anthology VOICES: New Media Fiction, BenBella Books’ So Say We All: Collected Thoughts and Opinions of Battlestar Galactica, and Dragon Moon Press’ Podthology: The Pod Complex.

In 2011, Tee returned to his first love—fiction—with the steampunk romp Phoenix Rising: A Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Novel, co-authored with Philippa Ballantine. This debut novel from Harper Voyager won the 2011 Airship Award for Best Steampunk Literature. Now the series includes The Janus Affair (Harper Voyager), Dawn's Early Light (Ace Books), and the Ministry Protocol anthology (Imagine That! Studios). Find out more at ministryofpeculiaroccurrences.com.

When he is not writing, Tee enjoys life in Virginia alongside Philippa Ballantine, his daughter, and three cats.

Reviews

[ᴥ Irena ᴥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

It seems that you can actually rewrite a well-known fairy tale using most of its ideas and still make it new. What starts as a well-known fairy tale about Aladdin with some novelty thrown in turns into this lovely and beautifully written steampunkish story. While it follows the main storyline, it is well worth the read if nothing else but to see how the author managed to transform the old ideas to something original.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's not that great of a departure from Aladdin, but what I really enjoyed about it were the changes in the character of the mother and the princess. I also liked the genie's origin story.

[Mihir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review originally at Fantasy Book Critic.

Overview/Analysis: Aladdin’s story is one which is quite popular and with the awesome Disney movie, I’m sure most readers are definitely aware of its particulars. Tee Morris is quite a steampunk fan and is also the husband of Philippa Ballantine and they together write the Ministry of Peculiar Occurences, an alternate-historical, steampunk laced series. Thus with such a background it is not so strange to see the author come up with this interpretation of this beloved fable. I was also alerted to the particulars of this book by Melissa’s review that really made me want to read it so I went ahead and bought it.

The story opens rather excitingly as we get to see Aladdin as mentioned in all stories, a thief of slight build but a quick mind and even quicker skills. We see him doing what he does best and then are given a small tour of his habitats via a chase a la the original story. However the twist being that he soon meets someone purporting to be his lost family. Glad on rediscovering such bonds, Aladdin soon gets shunted on to a journey wherein he will discover the stuff of legends and perhaps his fame as well.

The best part of the story are how the author moulds the framework of the original tale to the steampunk elements and yet manages to give a tale which is fresh and funny. The addition of the genie is something which was very cool as his presence is integral to the storyline however it might not be in the way readers think it will be. The twist of the sciences present in the world that cause things to appear as magic is something not quite properly explained and remains the biggest flaw of the story. The story however simply runs with this concept and if the readers can let go of that preface then the story is quite enjoyable.

Aladdin’s character is not tinkered with much and is present as most of us remember from our childhood tales. The main character is shown to be quite a smart thinker and this trait is nicely showcased through out the story within various situations. What I liked best was the author’s twist on the story about the Genie and the world settings similar to the novella mentioned previously, is something which will intrigue the reader. There’s also a passing nod to the legend of Arabian Nights and I would love to see the author explore more in this milieu and give us longer stories featuring Aladdin and the genie.

The ending while precise also seems rather packaged conveniently and this perhaps is again due to the novella structure, with both stories I felt that the endings didn’t really match up to the whole story but this might be perceived differently by readers. All in all Tee Morris’ solo effort is definitely an exciting one and I hope he follows though with this story as well as provide life to other steampunk fairy tales as the scope illustrated in this one points to a rather engaging and funny imagination. I would easily recommend this novella to all steampunk lovers and those wanting to try something new from a relatively new author, heartily recommended!

[Melissa Hayden · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful remake of Aladdin with steampunk as the center of magic.

***Full review***

We meet Aladdin in the market place where he has his eye on a polished gear amongst other desk clock parts in one particular shop. A part he could use in his mechanical device he's creating at home. Aladdin waits for his most opportune moment and with his quick hand, Aladdin is on the run from being caught in a world where a man (or boy) of sticky fingers is caught, he will soon become a one-handed beggar. Aladdin's unknown, to him and his mother, "Uncle," Jaha, has called upon him, asking to take Aladdin on as an apprentice, in his world of illusions and "magic." Aladdin hopes his dreams may come true, illusionists need devices, and now he was going with a master illusionist with his device.

Foremost, I have to say I love the writing style of Tee! I was mesmerized by the ability to tell of Aladdin, his actions, and the world Aladdin exists in at the same time in his sentences. I love when authors have this ability, it's one I wish to be able to do as well.

So I wanted to share two sentences I loved while reading. (Although, there were several in this novella I enjoyed.)
"He was merely a shadow now, and soon he would be nothing but a wisp of sand disappearing in the wind."
"Karim recognized Aladdin straightaway (as Aladdin recognized him), but the cafe owner's outward disdain disappeared as water under the noonday sun, surrendering to confusion as his eyes went from Aladdin to the magician."

There is no time wasted in this novella. Tee has worked every word to his advantage, making it seem so easy. I love this style and word usage! Another wondrous feat is we see the town through Aladdin's actions, not just through descriptions of his eyes.

Now, I don't want to give to much away of the story as it is a novella. But it was enjoyable reading this refreshing and new twist to an old tale.

We meet Aladdin, an exceptional thief, quick and of his home town as well. We learn off the bat. this Aladdin is a tinker of sorts, with big dreams as all young have. We learn of Jaha, and his plans for Aladdin through Aladdin's eyes and what he is to do.

Now, this is a steampunk style read. So what would steampunk be without flying ships? Yep, we have one, briefly. AND... the flying carpet is present, with a twist, along with the genie. I have to say the 'magic' present here is all visible and thought of as illusions and mechanical. I loved the twist of mechanical to this story, Tee has made it all work and easy to believe.

I really loved the idea, and blend with steampunk here!

This book is well worth its price of $1.99. Currently, the novella is only available on Amazon for Kindle apps or readers. But being a Novella, and one you don't want to quit reading until done, it's a quick read.

[Annette · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've been reading and listening to Tee Morris since he podcasted Morevi: The Chronicles of Rafe and Askana. I've really enjoyed Phoenix Rising, The Janus Affair, and all of the MoPo podcasts, so much so that I automatically buy the printed collections on Nook and Kindle to support the authors (the podcasts are better though).

I avoided reading all of the other reviews of this story so I could approach it with an open mind. I am a huge fan of fairy tales, Grimm, Anderson, Arabian Nights, etc. I am also a huge Disney fan. I think this treatment of the story needs more fleshing out and a little more originality to separate it from its predecessors.

If I wasn't aware of (or maybe because I was aware of them) the slight pop-culture references, mixed with steampunk and a retelling of Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp was a very disconcerting experience. It didn't flow. I wasn't transported to a Middle Ages Middle East where science and magic blend into something awe-inspiring (which I think was the point of the story).

I've come to expect better storytelling from Tee. This seemed slapdash and rushed and left me disappointed, something that has never happened before when immersing myself in Tee's works.

The beginning is great, but it loses something around the middle and never regains it. I kept reading in hopes that the story would recover, but, to me, it never did.

[Cameron · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the idea of this... the mysterious illusionist who convinces Aladdin to follow him on a quest... the hidden chamber full of riches... and, of course, the magnificent genie in the lamp.

Tee wrote this in seemingly cinematic fashion. You could see the movie of this story in your mind. The setting was very romantic and at points very detailed, drawing you into the scene. The genie was very cleverly 'constructed,' and the story had a satisfying arc to it overall.

I do have to voice a significant criticism, though - this book was filled with grammar, spelling and various other usage errors. Point of view was unclear many times, and in many scenes there were important establishing details that were missing, making several passages confusing to read. This story needed some serious editing before it was published. If I had gotten it for free, I might not have minded as much. Like many others, however, I rushed to buy the ebook for $1.99 right away and support the author on Amazon. Not only was I disappointed in the quality of what I'd paid for, but I felt a little burned seeing it offered for free just a couple of days later.

All in all, I thought this was a great idea for a short story. I'd like to have seen it fleshed out more, but I expected a better quality product from someone I considered to be a professional author. Hopefully next time...

[Blodeuedd Finland]

eh, no

[Melanti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent story, dreadful formatting and typos.

[Anika Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review originally posted on The Oaken Bookcase, June 12 2012.

I love the story of Aladdin, and I’m not ashamed to admit that the Disney version is one of my favourite animated movies. Tee Morris’ steampunk’d version of the story has just enough mechanical contraptions to qualify for that label, while remaining fairly close to the first part of the commonly told version.

The story is set in Baghdad, with the thief Aladdin on the run from the law. A sorcerer claiming to be Aladdin’s long-lost Uncle finds him and takes him off to make his fortune, but what he’s really after is an old lamp, buried in a mystical cave in the desert. What adventures lie in wait for Aladdin in the cave?

The novella of Aladdin and His Wonderfully Infernal Device is fast-paced and reads just like a screenplay, and the mechanical devices are delightful and are a great addition to the story. My only gripe is that it’s too short – I would love to hear what the Sultan’s palace and the Princess are like in this Baghdad!

[Ame · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun, quick romp with a genie automaton. I noted a few typos, and there were instances where I was confused and the establishing details weren't all there (Example: Aladdin's in the water, then BOOM! He's on the roof.). Also, there are some moments of just plain bad judgement. Aladdin escapes from the guards by rushing into a random building, spots a large fellow, he doesn't know who the fellow is, but he goes ahead and follows him back into the marketplace? What? But he was just being pursued for stealing? And what about that performance in front of the Sultan? Aladdin and Giles simply waltz onto the stage. Hey royal guard, your guarding sucks!

I think this story needed an extra scene to take us from the sand dunes to Jaha's performance as well, because everything about Aladdin's destiny and his plan to get back at Jaha is known to him and Giles, but not the audience. Heck, a few extra scenes were warranted because there's plenty of potential here!

[Scott Kinkade · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm torn on this one. Normally I'm more than fine with sending steampunk to settings it hasn't been to before, but in this case I don't think it does enough to advance or enhance the Aladdin story. It's pretty much the same story you remember, just with a little bit of steampunk thrown in. Also, I didn't particularly care what happened to Aladdin. He and his mother show remarkably bad judgment in regards to the obvious imposter uncle. Granted, the same thing happens in Japanese RPGs, but at least with them you get a 60-hour journey filled with interesting characters that you become attached to. With Aladdin and His Wonderfully Infernal Device, you just get a novella with only a few characters. If Morris had taken the Aladdin story as the foundation, added a lot more colorful characters and sent the story off into other directions, we could have had a hit here.

[Shaun Brady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tee Morris has taken the classic Aladdin story and steampunk'd it. This novella packs a mighty punch in just a few short pages. The characters really stood out to me. Giles the lamp and Aladdin, I wasn't expecting much in the character development, were developed really well. The steampunk elements were kept light and smartly incorporated into the tale.

The one major issue I had with the novella is that it seemed more of a first draft than that of a final work. Editing mistakes, spelling errors and weird sentences were quiet common, I would put this novella somewhere in the 3.5 range because it just didn't have the polish you would expect.

[Dan Shaurette · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful steampunk retelling of one of my all-time favorite stories. The magic carpet was a treat, and unlike other adaptations (I'm looking at you, Disney), the genie does not steal the show. Aladdin is the star of this tale and rightfully so. It is also a fully realized setting and I was pulled in almost instantly.

I get the feeling this is set up for either another novella or perhaps the beginning of a full tale. I hope I am correct because I would love to see where this goes next.

[Britt Marczak · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely steampunk story. At first, it was hard for me to shake the Disney Aladdin out of my head, but Morris' language and really brilliant additions of steampunk, magic, and sciences to the story really makes it its own!

A great quick read. :)

[Fern · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute steampunk take on Aladdin. Fun to see tech introduced in the mediaeval setting. But ends a tad abruptly in the middle of the Aladdin story. Perhaps just as well since novelty of the concept can only get you so far.

[AH]

Kindle free download 2/27/12

[Matt Kelland · Rating 2 out of 5]

This had a lot of potential, but I found it disappointing.

[Colin Forbes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable re-telling of the Aladdin story with some steam-punkish tropes thrown at it. Short, but worth a read.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful short twist on the Aladdin story with technology. A unique use of Clarke's law (sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic)in a steampunk setting.

[Tibbi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cool steampunkish retelling of the tale.

[Dave Etherton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this short story and feel it has potential to go forward i would love to hear of the futher adventures of 'Aladdin and his wornderful infernal device'

[Green Fabre · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read. I love how the elements of the original story were retrofitted into steampunk. Genie rocks!

[Mark Junk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this take on a classic.

[Daniel · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was very disappointing. A cute idea, cute story, marred by an absolutely horrible writing style. I'm not talking about typos or grammatical errors some of the other reviewers are complaining about either. The writing lacked any kind of internal logic. It jumped, lacked clarity, and descriptions in particular were absolutely terrible with later lines clashing what came before or seeming to imply something had previously been described when it had not. I can enjoy a good idea wrapped in mediocre writing well enough, but this goes beyond that and no amount of good ideas could overcome this style for me. If this is representative of the author's work I will never be reading anything else he writes.