And Put Away Childish Things by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Published by Rebellion Publishing Ltd
Age Group: Adult
Format: Novella
Genres and Categories: British Authors, Mental Health Representation, Mental Health, Modern Fantasy, Portal Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Supernatural, Science Fantasy, Pop Culture
Series: Terrible Worlds: Destinations
My Rating:
Published on: 28th March 2023
Pages: 192
Disability Representation: Anxiety, Depression, Hallucinations, Mental Health, Pandemic
Buy this Book! Amazon UK / Amazon US / Barnes & Noble / Blackwells / Bookshop.org US / Bookshop.org UK / Waterstones
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All roads lead to Underhill, where it’s always winter, and never nice.

Harry Bodie has a famous grandmother, who wrote beloved children’s books set in the delightful world of Underhill. Harry himself is a failing kids’ TV presenter whose every attempt to advance his career ends in self-sabotage. His family history seems to be nothing but an impediment.

An impediment... or worse. What if Underhill is real? What if it has been waiting decades for a promised child to visit? What if it isn’t delightful at all? And what if its denizens have run out of patience and are taking matters into their own hands?

This book was provided for free by NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book!

Content Warnings:

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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.

About Adrian Tchaikovsky

Adrian Tchaikovsky is the author of the acclaimed Shadows of the Apt fantasy series, from the first volume, Empire In Black and Gold in 2008 to the final book, Seal of the Worm, in 2014, with a new series and a standalone science fiction novel scheduled for 2015. He has been nominated for the David Gemmell Legend Award and a British Fantasy Society Award. In civilian life, he is a lawyer, gamer and amateur entomologist.

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Thanks for reading my review for And Put Away Childish Things by Adrian Tchaikovsky! If you’re new to Tchaikovsky’s work then this novella is a great introduction to his style. It’s available to pre-order from anyone of the links in this review and is out on March 28th 2023!

You may also want to check out my review for another of his books, The Doors of Eden, and my interview with Adrian Tchaikovsky!

Don’t forget to check out the rest of my reviews if you’re looking for some more book recommendations 🙂 You can also now sign up for my newsletter to get an email each month with a list of my new reviews!

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