Synopsis:
In the heart of the industrial revolution an English expedition discovers anti-ice - a fuel source that gives the Victorian age England access to anti-matter power. They head for the moon, all the while smoking cigars and drinking spheres of finest brandy.

Comments:
All in all an enjoyable read, an amusing idea. As long as you take it as a bit of fun, otherwise too much depends on this single genius Traveller - I had real problems with this one guy inventing everything from the anti-matter based rockets to the air reclamation system, to the guidance clockwork. Still it is very amusing to hear the description of how they'd do a space suit with Victorian technology.
An early Stephen Baxter and it shows, but this is a positive thing in many ways - always good to see the genesis of authors. ( )

Stephen Baxter here gives us a reprieve from his other speculations on the shape of the future, one gazillion (give or take) years from now. The alternate history Anti-Ice is more, so to speak, down to earth: what if Great Britain had had a weapon of mass-destruction (though, not a nuke) during the Crimean War? Entertaining and short. ( )

An enjoyable Victorian-era alternate history. ( )