Street Thieves and Artful Dodgers is a novel being revised by Morwen Edhelwen which reinterprets the story of Oliver Twist and sets it in a steampunk post-apocalyptic New York City. The plot focuses on Jack Dawkins, known as Dodger, who is an African American boy in a gang of thieves for hire led by a fence, Benjamin Fagin. Fagin's partner is a woman called Hannah Knibb, who works as a prostitute, seamstress and baby farmer and is also Dodger's mother. The kids in the gang support their family by stealing and helping to fence secondhand and stolen goods.
When Oliver, a boy about Dodger's age, joins the group, the gang's life change drastically with Monks, a cyborg specialising in forensic genetics and synthetic biology, demanding tight controls on their operations.
This work contains examples of the following tropes:'
The Artful Dodger: Dodger, obviously, although he's partly a deconstruction. It's even in the title.
Bio Punk: Implants melded to the gang's bodies and back-alley genetic modification make them faster and more alert.
Fostering for Profit: Hannah is a baby farmer, although a kinder and more sympathetic one who doesn't murder the babies, but uses them as thieves and beggars once they get old enough.
Gadgeteer Genius: Brownlow owns an automaton company (financed by his protection racket) and enjoys tinkering with things.
Greedy Jew: Fagin. Justified by the fact that he's desperate. He hides his received items in underground chambers before selling them.
I Am X, Son of Y: Icelanders like Snorri Bollason and Agnes Thorhallsson (Haflidadottir) Oliver's mother
I Have No Daughter: Fagin was furious with Nancy for getting together with Bill.
- Meaningful Name: Agnes' father was called Hafliði which means "sea-farer."
Orphanage of Fear: The almshouse where Oliver's born and brought up run by Mrs. Carey and Mr. Bumble.
Steampunk: Airships powered by solar energy with infrared locators.
