The Prestige

This is a contemporary tale, but most of it is told in the journals of two stage magicians, the final entries of which are made just after the turn of the twentieth century. The prose is in a Victorian style, even the parts that happen in the present day, but it's well written, not too stodgy. For the longest time there really is no hint of why this book would be classified as science fiction. Finally, it is the role of Nicola Tesla, who is engaged by Rupert Angier, one of the magicians, to create a device to transport a man from one place to another, for his magical act. It is Tesla's creation of this device that is the science fiction. At the end of the tale it is revealed that Tesla's device doesn't just transport a man from one place to another, but there is another unexpected morbid aspect.

This book is well written and pleasant enough to read, but the climax falls short of expectation after the overly protracted build-up.