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Turn-of-the-Century Toughs is a cycle of historical fantasy novels by Dusk Peterson about disreputable men on the margins of society, and the men and women who love them.
The novels are set in a world based on the late Victorian and Edwardian Eras.
This series is part of Dusk Peterson's High Bookshelf | More fiction by Dusk Peterson | About the author | Contact information | Parental supervision is strongly suggested for this site. See the site content labels of the individual series.
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Currently the cycle consists of the following series:
In a cool, dark cavern, guarded by men and by vows, lies a dungeon where prisoners fearfully await the inevitable. The inevitable will be replaced by the unexpected.
The Eternal Dungeon, a historical fantasy series set in a land where the psychologists wield whips.
They are imprisoned until death, and their lives cannot get worse . . . or so they think. But when an unlikely alliance forms against their captors, the reformers risk losing what little comforts they possess.
Life Prison, a historical fantasy series about male desire and determination in Victorian prisons.
In a world where temples are dying and sacred theaters have been replaced by brothels, what will happen when a hard-headed businessman joins forces with an idealist?
Michael's House, a historical fantasy series set in an Edwardian slum.
The societies in Turn-of-the-Century Toughs combine English and American features, along with features from other English-speaking countries, mixed in with a goodly dose of the author's own imagination.
The stories are set in three neighboring countries:
Yclau. Technologically advanced, the queendom of Yclau espouses ideals of egalitarianism and encourages humane treatment of commoners and criminals. It is the birthplace of various reform movements. However, Yclau struggles with class divisions that are reflected in its punitive justice system. Yclau folk are believers in eternal rebirth, a concept that foreigners find puzzling.
Vovim. Considered the epitome of barbaric violence and ignorance by its neighbors, the kingdom of Vovim is a multiracial home for various cultures who are united by their love of the gods and their devotion to the arts, especially theater. Vovim is located to the west of Yclau. Its ancient system of government finds itself under strain at the beginning of the cycle, leading to social upheavals.
Mip. This tiny nation, northwest of Yclau and northeast of Vovim, has long been the battleground for Vovimian and Yclau troops who try to control it. As a result, Vovimian and Yclau culture play a strong role in this land. Virtually ignored is Mip's own native tribe, which is on the verge of extinction. However, the poor people of Mip take heart from the tales of the tribe's struggle to free itself from its oppressors.
In Turn-of-the-Century Toughs, the period in our world between 1880 and 1914 is spread out to cover a century. (In the time scale of the imaginary world, the stories are set approximately between the years 350 and 450.)
In the United States of America, the first two decades of the twentieth century are referred to as the Progressive Era. In England, the same period is called the Edwardian Era. In both countries and in other English-speaking countries, this period and the two decades preceding it was a time of intense interest in social reform. The social reformers sometimes looked to the past for inspiration and sometimes strove to depart from the past through new technologies and through changes in social structure. This era of social reform would climax in World War One, when traditional values eroded in trench warfare.
Turn-of-the-Century Toughs takes the social concerns and outward appearance of the late Victorian and Edwardian Eras and applies them to events in a different world.
A timeline is available for the series. It includes spoilers for political events but not for events in the lives of individual characters.
Masculinity, Crime, and Everyday Life in Victorian and Edwardian Times is a list of books, articles, Websites, and museums that the author consulted while researching Turn-of-the-Century Toughs.
Topics covered: General Social History | Boys' Books | Clothing | Homosexuality | Masculinities (Male Culture) | Military (including the Boer War) | Poverty and Crime | Prisons | Technology and Domestic Science | Theater and Cinema | Transport and Streets.
The True Master. A novella set in the same world as Turn-of-the-Century Toughs, but in an earlier time period and a different country.
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as part of the novel cycle Turn-of-the-Century Toughs. Copyright ©
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