It's April, and time for the fourth incarnation of the Doctor to take centre stage in this series of anniversary short stories celebrating fifty years...moreIt's April, and time for the fourth incarnation of the Doctor to take centre stage in this series of anniversary short stories celebrating fifty years of Doctor Who. This is easily the best of the line so far. The Doctor on perfect Tom Baker teeth-and-curls form, a giant orbital space station that's a tree, and an entire civilization that's been waiting nine hundred years to punish the Doctor for something he won't do for another seven regenerations. Inventive, fast-paced, funny and perfectly suited to the era while at the same time ramping up the pace to that of the modern TV show. Exactly what this little run of books should be, and a splendid introduction to one of the most enduring of Doctors for young readers.(less)
Another beautiful little chapbook from Spectral Press, containing an introduction from Sarah Pinborough, and a story of repressed memory and hauntings...moreAnother beautiful little chapbook from Spectral Press, containing an introduction from Sarah Pinborough, and a story of repressed memory and hauntings from Kane. Unfortunately, the story doesn't live up to the glowing foreword from Pinsborough. I've read Kane's work elsewhere, and he's a fine author, but this particular story isn't a great example of why he is so respected. The tale, in which a son confronts forgotten aspects of his childhood as he explores his deceased mother's home, doesn't actually do much wrong except for treading extremely familiar ground (and offering an awkward, contrived, and unnecessary aftermath to the main event), and would sit well enough in a decent horror anthology. As a standalone chapbook in a limited edition, with the reader's expectations that little bit higher, it doesn't have enough energy or voice to satisfy. It's good, but it's doesn't seem special enough for this line.(less)
A collection of chapters first published and still available on the author's website, and about as comprehensive as you could want. Although the book...more A collection of chapters first published and still available on the author's website, and about as comprehensive as you could want. Although the book talks generally and is intended for any and all prospective freelancers, the author draws continually from her own experience as a freelance writer of many years standing, and so this book is of even more value to writers. The first half of the book is invaluable, and should be mandatory reading for anybody looking to step out on their own. It's sensible, thorough, blunt, and inspiring. It won't guarantee you success, but it lays out the things that you should be thinking about even before you start. There are a few bits specific to self-employment in the USA, around tax and health insurance particularly, but the principles and ideas Rusch spends most of her time on are universal. The second half of the book is difficult to assess from where I am now, as it deals a lot with how to handle things you can't experience until you've reached a certain point. It's hard to think about the negative aspects of success before you've really got started at what you hope to be successful at, for example, but the book is in hand for when those questions arise.(less)
I went into this novel blind after it was recommended by a friend, and for a long time wasn't sure what genre I was reading. That's a good thing - the...moreI went into this novel blind after it was recommended by a friend, and for a long time wasn't sure what genre I was reading. That's a good thing - the novel is slow in revealing its hand, and I got the full benefit of the unraveling mystery.
The rural setting is very well used here, because this is a novel about isolation first and foremost. We have the widow trying to keep her husband's dream of running a big cat shelter alive, the recently unemployed journalist who can't bear to face his life without his beloved paper to obsess over, the policeman who has withdrawn from everything but his job since a near fatal wounding... all faces of isolation, through choice or incident. The thematic loneliness underpins the wilderness of the setting, and allows for some increasingly unnerving sequences as hints of the supernatural begin to flower through the narrative. When it does appear, it ties so closely to the theme of the book and nature of the characters and location that it feels organic rather than divergent, and the denouement is all the more thrilling for that. I haven't seen this sort of mystery enacted so well since first stumbling across John Connolly's Charile Parker books.(less)
A perfectly acceptable piece of Third Doctor froth, that (budget aside) could have slotted very easily into Pertwee's final seasons as the the Doctor....moreA perfectly acceptable piece of Third Doctor froth, that (budget aside) could have slotted very easily into Pertwee's final seasons as the the Doctor. The characters are spot on, and the era is captured well. If anything, that's the problem with the book. It's too slavish, reworking common themes from Pertwee's time and placing them in an only slightly different story. Fans of the era are likely to find it all too familiar. For new readers, it's a great romp. Does it matter that the appearance of a certain recurring villain is poorly explained, or that the background of the invadiing alien horde is underdeveloped? Not really - this is a slice of seventies Who that should be taken with a pinch of salt and enjoyed for the silliness it is.(less)
What this tiny celebration of the third era of Doctor Who does well lies in its tick box referencing of the tropes that defined the Pertwee years. The...moreWhat this tiny celebration of the third era of Doctor Who does well lies in its tick box referencing of the tropes that defined the Pertwee years. The characters are simply drawn but instantly recognisable, particularly Pertwee's Doctor. The Brigadier and UNIT flash by in the background, Bessie makes an appearance, the Master strokes his beard and cackles - if you know the show, you'll feel that all is present and correct. Where the story falters in its brevity. There are a lot of potentially interesting things thrown into the mix, and to a fault they're all dropped as soon as the Doctor races on to the next place he needs to be. A paramilitary force in a museum? Dropped. The Time Lords scooping up powerful artifacts? Dropped. The origins of Norse myth? Dropped. The actual reason why a spear has become a powerful artifact in the first place (is it something to do with the birth of Christianity, or is that just thrown in)? Dropped. None of that does this fast paced adventure any harm, but it feels like a bit of a waste, as though all the best bits of a brilliant novel have been sliced away to focus on the running around. Still, it's all good fun, very nicely revitalising the Doctor's third life for younger readers and hitting some nostalgic notes for fans who have been around for a bit longer.(less)
In my younger days I read a fair bit of fantasy, most of it set in worlds drawn from the myths and history of northern Europe. In seeking to dip back...moreIn my younger days I read a fair bit of fantasy, most of it set in worlds drawn from the myths and history of northern Europe. In seeking to dip back into the genre, it was refreshing to have an novel recommended to me that took inspiration from a different source. Ahmed's debut novel fuses pseudo-Muslim beliefs with other myths sourced from the Arabic world, and the dry lands that form the Kingdoms of the Crescent Moon are all the more pleasing for it. Unfortunately that's where the originality ends, and the well thought out backdrop does nothing to combat the over-familiarity of the characters. They're a plot-driven bunch with only enough complexity as is needed to keep the story going, and for all the quirks of the fresh mythos on show their natures echoed Dungeons & Dragons flavoured heroes and heroines I've long been familiar with. It's the same old stuff, in different packaging. That's not to say the book isn't enjoyable - it's a well-paced and smartly written little swashbuckler - but in failing to match content to concept it doesn't live up to the sheer potential of the Big Idea behind it.(less)
A lot of charity anthologies aren't very good. There, I've said it. A lot aren't bad either, but it's rare to find one that's actually a superior book...moreA lot of charity anthologies aren't very good. There, I've said it. A lot aren't bad either, but it's rare to find one that's actually a superior book in its own right. Chiral Mad is raising money to support Downs Syndrome charities, and while that's very worthy I don't recommend that you buy the book for that reason. Instead, I recommend it as that rarest of things - a vastly superior collection of smart, stylish modern horror. You should buy and read it, because it's a phenomenally good book. That's all the reason you need. These stories show just how intelligent and relevant the horror genre can be when it frees itself from shock, gore, and an obligation to actually scare you. These are stories that look at your life and the world you live in, peel back the edges, and say something about what's underneath. Like the best of science fiction, these are stories that comment on the world.
They're fun too, and constantly surprising. My own highlights start with Megan Arcuri's witty and disturbing 'Inevitable', which takes an entertaining body swap scenario and uses it to poke at what identity is. Gary McMahon delivers 'Some Pictures In An Album', in which photographs are examined for forgotten truths and tell a disturbing story full of blanks that you as the reader have to complete as you see fit. Gary A. Braunbeck gives snapshots of a different life that is rotting at the centre in 'Need'. There are many more I loved. Amidst the twenty-seven tales here there were perhaps five that didn't work for me at all, draping vast quantities of style over too little substance, but that's a a staggeringly good hit rate. It's a real pleasure finding the genre I love (but often get frustrated with, due to lack of ambition from so many practitioners) presented with such relevance and skill.
The slight (and mostly true) story of Red Dog, a wandering hound who became a local celebrity due to his wanderings across Western Australia's Pilbara...moreThe slight (and mostly true) story of Red Dog, a wandering hound who became a local celebrity due to his wanderings across Western Australia's Pilbara region. The story is written in a simplistic manner, almost as you'd find in a children's book, but that adds considerably to its personality. There's not a great deal more to it - Red Dog's independent spirit reflects the region, and through him we meet several characters along the way, but there isn't a great deal of character exploration, and Red Dog didn't stick around anywhere for long enough that I connected with anybody. A pleasant read, that substitutes weight with charm and, much like the title character, doesn't outstay its welcome.(less)
Part two of a trilogy that started with The Passage, a book that was among my favourite discoveries of 2010. Despite that, I entered into The Twelve a...morePart two of a trilogy that started with The Passage, a book that was among my favourite discoveries of 2010. Despite that, I entered into The Twelve a little nervous. Why? Because I can barely remember what happened in the last volume. I read a lot of books. 2010 was a long time ago, in book years. I needn't have worried. Within a few chapters I had everything I needed to pick up where I left off. As with the previous book, The Twelve covers two main periods of time - the beginning of a genetically engineered vampire outbreak, and the repercussions in a devastated North America a century later. Vampires are all well and good, but as with all apocalypse novels it's the human stories that make or break the tale, and Cronin delivers these with a deft touch in both eras. There's heartbreak to be plucked from the grim trials of humanity in a dying world, and the author handles these deftly and to tremendous effect. The vast time span of the novel is also made good use of here, as it was before, and there is satisfaction to be had in watching the seeds sown in the near future flower abruptly a century later. Finally, Cronin shows that he's more than willing to mess with your expectations in all manner of ways, and the devastating ends of several threads and characters along the way ratchet up the tension and left me eager for the final installment. I'm a sucker for an apocalypse at the best of times, and it's been a while since anybody delivered one as effective as Cronin does here. To offset all of that, The Twelve shows perhaps a little less invention than The Passage before it, as though all the best tricks have been used up, but there remains a real pleasure in watching this world unfold.(less)
An adventure featuring Patrick Troughton's second incarnation of the Doctor that's so faithful to the era it even thoughtfully includes whole episodes...moreAn adventure featuring Patrick Troughton's second incarnation of the Doctor that's so faithful to the era it even thoughtfully includes whole episodes worth of unnecessary padding (Jamie and some kids escape to a moon, mostly so that they can gad about a bit and come back). The Doctor is reasonably portrayed, and his companions Jamie and Zoe are particularly well captured and expanded on. The yarn itself rattles along pleasantly despite several random acts of repetition (numerous expeditions to the same place and back to pick up extra bits of information - one would possibly have done). Baxter gives sound science, and his wheel in space is a very credible technological wonder, but the base under siege hijinks fizzle out with a damp squib of an ending that isn't clever enough to make confounding the reader's expectations worthwhile. A mixed bag then, but an affectionate and entertaining one.(less)
After last month's appalling attempt to rewrite the First Doctor as a superhero cyborg, I was rather put off this series of short ebooks. That book se...moreAfter last month's appalling attempt to rewrite the First Doctor as a superhero cyborg, I was rather put off this series of short ebooks. That book seemed less concerned with celebrating the history of the character and introducing his previous iterations to a new generation readers than it was with scrapping everything and starting from scratch. Thankfully, Michael Scott appears not only to know the Second Doctor, but also to like him. This is a short, sweet novelette, accessible to kids without being childish. This is what I thought such a series should be - finding out how other Doctors would have worked in the fast-paced forty-five minute format we know today. And it works brilliantly. The Second Doctor here is Troughton through and through, the scruffy cosmic hobo, and his highlander companion Jamie McCrimmon is easily recognisable. There's a guest slot from an unnamed foe who fans will recognise and newer readers will be able to take a fair guess at the identity of, and a huge dose of Lovecraftian homage as the Doctor and Jamie are thrown against an ancient enemy. The cosmic horror this suggests is toned down, but the tropes are well used, and the tentacled, clawed THINGS of Lovecraft's fictional universe suit the Second Doctor's era very well. Scott zips the reader through the adventure, plucking out the best loved elements of Troughton's era on the show, and makes excellent use of them. For older fans, this is a welcome return for the Second Doctor and Jamie, and younger readers are going to love them.(less)
I felt an overwhelming sense of crushing disappointment as I started working through the first few stories and articles in this book. I love Pratchett...moreI felt an overwhelming sense of crushing disappointment as I started working through the first few stories and articles in this book. I love Pratchett, and had high hopes. However, the pedestrian comic tales I found, with nothing to distinguish them from any decent (but not great) humourist, let me down in a way Pratchett never had before. They weren't stories that really deserved to be collected together - this was obviously a vanity project, riding off his name rather than the worth of the content.
Then, about a 100 pages in, I reached 'The High Meggas', a tale of infinite parallel earths that would later develop further into the novel The Long Earth. It's brilliant. Smart, incisive, funny, exciting, and best of all - it matters. The characters matter. Their struggles matter. It grips. From out of nowhere, the book suddenly stands alongside the best of Pratchett, and it doesn't look back.
With the book arranged to chart Pratchett's career from early, formative stuff that isn't quite 'there yet', to what we recognise instantly as the humanist humourist who gave us the Discworld, a law of expanding returns kicks in. If you're a fan of his novels, you have to wait for that writer to turn up in this book, but when he does he's on top form. I don't recommend that anybody wanting to know why Pratchett is brilliant starts here (they might lose patience, and never find out), but everyone who already knows will enjoy this (eventually).(less)
A book that shares a spirit with 'Born To Run', this is follows the author as he uproots his wife and three small children from the UK and settles the...moreA book that shares a spirit with 'Born To Run', this is follows the author as he uproots his wife and three small children from the UK and settles them for six months in a Kenyan village. He's gone in search of the secrets of the Kenyan running story, why this tiny percentage of the world's running population has consistently won most of the major distance running prizes in the last thirty years. There must be a secret, buried somewhere in their genes or lifestyle, and he wants to find out what it is.
The answers are simple, and either disappointing or reassuring depending on how you look at it, but the book succeeds not on that basis, but as a travelogue and personal adventure. As he trains, immersing himself in the running life of Kenya's athletes (who run, mostly, because it's the only escape they can envisage from poverty - a level of motivation and necessity we don't have in the West) he sets his eye on putting together a team for the Lewa marathon - where apart from the usual running hazards, there are lions to contend with - and it is this personal mission that gives the book guts. Runners should love this book, as it puts you back in touch with some of the thrill of the sport that you can lose track of in the weekly grind of training. It's also a book that will entertain those seeking some vicarious travel and adventure, more authentically told than the sometimes hyperbolic "Born To Run" and just as inspiring.(less)
I've never read the author before, but won't hesitate to do so again. This is an entertaining and spooky novelette that knows that the enjoyment is in...moreI've never read the author before, but won't hesitate to do so again. This is an entertaining and spooky novelette that knows that the enjoyment is in the tension before the reveal (the reader knows what's going on almost from the start of the book - it's watching the inevitable catch up with the main protagonist that's half the fun here). The story made me nostalgic for Stephen King's earlier works, and reminds me a lot of his immediately engaging characters, and the slow mashing of a detailed and recognisable real world with things that should not be. A very solid story.(less)
Firstly, if this wasn't supposed to be a Doctor Who book, it would be a perfectly functional (though workmanlike) kids adventure story. The glaring pr...moreFirstly, if this wasn't supposed to be a Doctor Who book, it would be a perfectly functional (though workmanlike) kids adventure story. The glaring problem is that it's supposed to be about the First Doctor, and he is entirely absent. Instead of the slightly frightening, selfish, frail old genius kids met for the first time in the sixties, we have here a heroic righter of wrongs, who strides into one on one combat with armed killers, and swan dives off rooftops to save little children.
I was looking forward to how a modern children's writer might fuse the energy of the current TV show with the first incarnation of the character, and was hugely disappointed to find that the author went for the easiest solution - write a story with the Eleventh Doctor in it, but make him a bit older and give him white hair. It doesn't celebrate the show's history, but rather ignores it, which seems contrary to the point of these little books. Ah well. Kids who have never met the First Doctor won't have these problems I suppose, and will just enjoy what's written. As a slightly bigger kid though, this reads as an ill-judged comic parody of the character and the show.(less)
Warning - this is another book I can't claim to be unbiased about. Having been fortunate enough to be asked write a short story based in the city of t...moreWarning - this is another book I can't claim to be unbiased about. Having been fortunate enough to be asked write a short story based in the city of the title, I picked this book up to get to the know the place. I'd been aware of the novel's reputation for a while, but it had yet to end up on my TBR pile. So with that in mind...
The City is a galaxy sized habitat at the end of time, where every human who ever was or ever might have been lives a resurrected life of immortality. That simplifies things somewhat, but it gives you the idea - a vast non-secular Heaven of sorts, where cultures clash, history's personalities have built new lives, and politics are infinitely more complex than they have ever been. It shouldn't be possible to murder somebody in a world where immortality is the norm, but when somebody manages to do so it sets off a chain reaction of violence and consequence that brings change to what should have been immutable, and rewrites the balance of power.
The plot is, to be honest, the least of this book. The City itself is overbearing, a fascinating world where cultures we know have evolved and new ones sprouted up, and the book swoops around the place plunging you in and out of a handful of its infinite combinations and possibilities. Each of the many central characters is written differently, the author switching styles (sometimes inventing new ones) to represent the vast array of cultures and backgrounds on offer. It's a heady brew, initially disorientating, and those styles are so disparate that the book occasionally feels like four or five different novels (by different authors) woven together. While this is one of the novel's greatest strengths, it also prevented the book from being a wholly immersive read for me, as each point of view switch demanded a mental reset that pushed me out of the story and forced me to work my way back into it. The problem vanishes with practice, so that by the time the plot was charging towards revelation and resolution I was able to follow more fluidly.
And it was worth doing so. This is a Faction Paradox novel - I still don't know much about the Faction, but everything you need for this particular story (where the Faction works slightly differently than usual anyway) is seeded into the plot. The City is bigger than the Faction though, and makes its mark so strikingly that it's clear why new stories set there are in demand. The ambition and scale of the setting is remarkable, and the dizzying range of stylistic approaches used by the author sets this apart from anything I've picked up in a long time. It's neither an easy nor a light read, asking a level of engagement from the reader that few books equal, but it's a tremendously unique and rewarding one, and will leave images and ideas with me that will stick for a long, long time.(less)
This smartly presented little chapbook is my introduction to the acclaimed catalogue of Spectral Press, and a nice way to begin what seems a promising...moreThis smartly presented little chapbook is my introduction to the acclaimed catalogue of Spectral Press, and a nice way to begin what seems a promising relationship. The story is a deliciously creepy English tale of old legends intruding on the present day, as two children find things in a secret barrow best left undisturbed. Tallerman's short tale is loaded with loss, presented simply and sweetly, which nicely counterpoints a genuine sense of dread that builds through explorations of dark places. The horrors are of the soul, with the supernatural present but mostly off camera, and this prods the imagination very sharply indeed.(less)
It's Doctor Who's fiftieth anniversary this year, and as a lifelong fan of the show I'm indulging it even more than usual, including spending time wit...moreIt's Doctor Who's fiftieth anniversary this year, and as a lifelong fan of the show I'm indulging it even more than usual, including spending time with each Doctor in print leading up to November's celebrations. Ten Little Aliens sees the first Doctor and his companions Ben and Polly trapped inside a strange asteroid with some space marines on a training mission. It turns out, they're not the only ones there. This is a book with too many ideas for its own good, and the result is a horrible mash up. The Doctor and companions are very well captured, and there's no discord jumping from their screen incarnations to the page. The space marines are also a lively and well drawn bunch, and the book just about gets away with putting them and the TARDIS crew in the same story. After that, things start to creak at the seams. Two wildly different alien menaces turn up, one of which bears an unfortunate passing resemblance to the Weeping Angels from the modern show, while the other... is it odd to say that aliens in a novel look cheap? These do. The body horror aspects they bring into play are well written, but all the visuals invoke Doctor Who at its worst. Added to that, the book traps the whole cast in a series of cave tunnels for the whole story. It might effectively recreate the era, in which the same tunnel set could be reused endlessly for budgetary reasons, but books don't have the same financial issue as a small TV show in the 1960s, and the locale is boring. Add to that some odd extras - one chapter is in a choose your own adventure format that while interesting, jars with the flow of the novel - and you have a book that never quite merges its different tones to tell a consistent story. Cole can write, and delivers the TARDIS crew effectively, but this falls short as a novel.(less)
Another three horror novellas set throughout history. More than half of the book is taken up with the first of these, a tale of a Norman family starin...moreAnother three horror novellas set throughout history. More than half of the book is taken up with the first of these, a tale of a Norman family staring down the consequences of their aggressive pacification of Britain. Detailed and compelling, this story actually suffers for the inclusion of a supernatural 'horror' - as a tale of a family at war, it's electrifying, and the grim tone is horrific enough to suit the genre without any need for the presence of an ancient killing machine. The second tale, Amphibians, is a runaround in which creatures from the deep stalk a mad sailor who has absconded with something they consider theirs. It's good fun, but lightweight. Only the final tale, effectively a Roman retelling of an Exorcist style haunting, fully lives up to the promise of the tales in the previous volume, and in doing so gave me chills. Finch does this horror historical subgenre better than anybody else I've read, and the collection is both fun and readable, but it's not his very best.(less)
One of the strongest and most consistent UK horror writers, Finch also has a penchant for the historical. In these three unconnected novellas he gives...moreOne of the strongest and most consistent UK horror writers, Finch also has a penchant for the historical. In these three unconnected novellas he gives us takes of Vikings, Elizabethan spycatchers, and an outmatched unit of Romans attempting to civilise the UK. In each, he manages the difficult trick of immediately immersing you in a detailed and crisply realised era without throwing his research in your face. The credible settings allow the otherness of the horrors he pits his characters against to properly chill, subverting the natural order as all good horror stories must. In these tales, those characters are tough and capable, able to pit wits and brawn against the things in the darkness, and the struggles are rich and compelling. (less)
Rowling's big novel about a little town has a lot more in common with Harry Potter than you might immediately think. In slowly detailing the personali...moreRowling's big novel about a little town has a lot more in common with Harry Potter than you might immediately think. In slowly detailing the personalities and geography of the superficially picturesque town of Pagford, peeling away a layer here, colouring in a detail there, she again puts her greatest gift as a storyteller front and centre - Rowling is a world-builder, creating immense and immersive imaginary landscapes that you can lose yourself in entirely. Her characterisation also shows the same approach as the Potterverse - on introduction, most of the inhabitants of Pagford and its grubby appendage The Fields are archetypes and caricatures. It's as the pages pass that Rowling adds the little depths, one at a time, that open them up in surprisingly ways, until you feel like you know them intimately. I got lost in this enthralling novel, which both begins and ends in tragic death, and scrubs the gloss from a pretty world until the rot beneath pokes through.(less)
I picked this book up while researching a short story, and found it engaging and well laid out. It's dense with names and dates in places, and outside...moreI picked this book up while researching a short story, and found it engaging and well laid out. It's dense with names and dates in places, and outside of the central question it tries to answer (at what point did Richard decide that he wanted to be king?) glosses over a lot of details, but there's just enough to follow along with the arguments, which are sourced and cogent. In the end, I didn't use a jot of what I discovered here, but I enjoyed following the detective work and sound reasoning of the author a great deal.(less)
In 2012, the old gods returned. All of them. The Olympians, the Celtic, the Norse, The Native American and Mexican... this anthology of stories is set...moreIn 2012, the old gods returned. All of them. The Olympians, the Celtic, the Norse, The Native American and Mexican... this anthology of stories is set against the background of a world redefined by the return of the ancient powers, and their demand to be worshipped. The book reminds me most of the Wild Cards anthologies, but without a framing story. Each tale introduces different characters and scenarios against the backdrop, and adds new layers to an altered world. I enjoyed the smaller stories the most, little moments in little lives redefined by the return of the gods, while bigger tales of extraordinary events left me a little disinterested, but overall the standard of the stories is consistently high. My only complaint is that several of the most interesting seem to be the start of something that doesn't conclude here - character introductions and origins that set up possibilities to be explored later, but which are never returned to. It could be that a further volume will revisit them, but it's annoying that some of these potentially intriguing tales offer little by way of an interim conclusion, and so leave the anthology on its own feeling incomplete. (less)
A book I picked up for research purposes,and abandoned after a couple of days. I suspect this would be a far more interesting book for those who are a...moreA book I picked up for research purposes,and abandoned after a couple of days. I suspect this would be a far more interesting book for those who are already familiar with the period, politics, and history of Richard III, but it's far too unforgiving on the reader who doesn't have that background. That's not to criticise it in any way, as it is a book with a qualified intended audience, and I may come back to it when I've found some better introductory texts.(less)
A seasonal offering from Obverse books, collecting some new and old tales about Mann's steam punk investigative duo. I read this on a plane to Thailan...moreA seasonal offering from Obverse books, collecting some new and old tales about Mann's steam punk investigative duo. I read this on a plane to Thailand in the run up to Xmas, and particularly enjoyed the chance to bring some snow and Victoriana to my holiday. As well as fiction, there are crossword puzzles, cut and and keep stand up pictures, and more - captured the Xmas annuals of my youth splendidly. Much of the fiction is reprinted, though there's some new stuff propping it up, but this is perfect Xmas fun. (less)
A splendid surprise, is this collection. Although it's marketed loosely as horror, it comes as no surprise to learn from her biography that Halbert ha...moreA splendid surprise, is this collection. Although it's marketed loosely as horror, it comes as no surprise to learn from her biography that Halbert has stronger links to mystery and crime fiction. For the most part, that's what this collection is - a series of whodunits given fresh life using the trappings of the horror genre. It's a delight too, with each polished tale punching above its weight on matters of plot and emotional wallop. I often struggle with collections and anthologies, but the variety here kept me engaged throughout.(less)
As an author tentatively exploring the merits of Indie publishing I'm a fan of Rusch's excellent blog, in which she breaks down the new business model...moreAs an author tentatively exploring the merits of Indie publishing I'm a fan of Rusch's excellent blog, in which she breaks down the new business model in sensible details. That said, this book isn't really for me - it speaks directly to existing mid-list writers at traditional publishing houses, and talks them through the reasons they might consider publishing themselves, and the pitfalls they might hit if they do. All seems very sensible, though in the end I'm not the target audience. (less)
Back in Edinburgh after a sourness in London, with John Rebus finally finding his unique place among the fictional detectives of the shelves, this boo...moreBack in Edinburgh after a sourness in London, with John Rebus finally finding his unique place among the fictional detectives of the shelves, this book finally feels like a 'Rebus' book, something with its own shape and form. It's a shame then that it's built around a mystery that's hard to engage with, and has little momentum until the very closing pages.(less)
I picked up the Rebus books mostly because I wanted to enjoy some fiction set in Edinburgh. It's curious then that it takes removing Rebus from his us...moreI picked up the Rebus books mostly because I wanted to enjoy some fiction set in Edinburgh. It's curious then that it takes removing Rebus from his usual city of operation to give him room to develop, almost as the author gets so distracted by one that he can't concentrate on the other. Sent to London to consult on a serial killer, a fish out of water with limited authority, Rebus finally shapes up. The plot is over the top, and the author himself concedes that he was influenced by the serial killer fiction coming out of the US at that time, but it's still a thrilling chase. Rebus's dogged determination finally comes into its own.(less)
![Throne of the Crescent Moon (The Crescent Moon Kingdoms) [Kindle Edition]](http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1358994989s/17281777.jpg "Throne of the Crescent Moon (The Crescent Moon Kingdoms) [Kindle Edition]")
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