Lee Allen's Blog - Posts Tagged "sci-fi"

This Perfect Day by Ira Levin

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A classic dystopian thriller from master of suspense Ira Levin.

In future human society, the world is run by a central supercomputer, known as UniComp. There is no crime, no war, no disease, none of the perils or the trials and tribulations of our own society. Life is seemingly perfect. But there is a darker side to UniComp’s regime – while people do not experience any of life’s pains, they do not experience its pleasures either; living an orderly life, following rules and regulations for the greater good of this society; most crucially, they do not have choices – their free will has been taken away.

As a child, Chip is shown the true face of UniComp by his grandfather and he begins to question this existence. What if he did have choices? But UniComp’s regime is tightly controlled – each member of their society undergoes regular treatments, while anyone who experiences 'unwell' thoughts is encouraged to seek help; anyone witnessed to be behaving strangely should be referred for help – thoughts and behaviours that go against UniComp’s ideals are symptoms of illness and UniComp wishes to cure them.

As an adult, Chip is drawn into a small group of rebels, who meet in secrecy and have found a way to trick UniComp’s treatment regime and experience the true reality of life. They engage in the pleasures of food, sex and tobacco, experience the pleasures of literature and art. But Chip soon begins to question – could there be more than this? Is there a chance they could escape UniComp entirely and live freely – free to choose, free to love?

With the chance of escape along with a fellow rebel, with whom he has fallen in love, Chip risks everything the rebels have. We follow his perilous journey and finally a plan to destroy UniComp entirely – leading him to the devastating truth at the heart of their society.

Ira Levin is a master of mystery and suspense, and lifting the veil on the darker side of humanity. I absolutely loved ‘This Perfect Day’, finding myself quickly immersed in the tale of a disturbing future and the rebellion against it. Well-written, with tightly-woven plotting and rich characterisation, Levin’s dystopian novel, written in 1969, is a classic of the genre and helped define its future (along with George Orwell’s ‘1984’, published 1949), featuring many of the themes and circumstances that would become genre classics.

Gripping, thrilling and unsettling, ‘This Perfect Day’ is a gem of a novel and not to be missed.



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The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Ira Levin’s chilling horror thriller, a satirical tale of patriarchy and latent misogyny, first published in 1972.

Joanna Eberhart has recently moved to the idyllic town of Stepford with her husband, Walter, and their two children. On the surface, Stepford is full of beauty – beautiful houses, beautiful gardens, beautiful neighbourhoods, beautiful women. Joanna hopes they can be happy here. She is a photographer and used to the bustle of city life. It isn’t long before feelings of discomfort creep in and she begins to believe that something sinister may lie beneath the veneer of Stepford.

Most of the women in town appear quite content with their roles as wives, mothers and domestic goddesses. Joanna despairs at the lack of independence, drive and substance to her female neighbours, while the men run the town from the heart of the Men’s Association. Still, she perseveres, continuing with her photography and becoming friends with two other women who thankfully are not the typical wives of Stepford.

Levin deftly builds on the underlying unease as Walter becomes more deeply involved with the activities of the Men’s Association. Tensions begin to develop in their marriage. Joanna meets some of the other members of the Men’s Association – amongst them an illustrator famous for drawing women to look their most (stereotypically) physically beautiful; a researcher of human speech; a pioneering designer of Disneyland robots. When the first of her friends undergoes a dramatic transformation over the course of a weekend spent with her husband, Joanna is both disturbed and suspicious.

Tension builds to terror as the truth about Stepford is revealed; Joanna desperately planning to escape before it is too late. The final scene is expertly disquieting, underscoring the satire in a way that is, of course, the most realistic for the time and still prevalent today.

Much like many of Levin’s novels, ‘The Stepford Wives’ has been adapted for the screen – first as a theatrical feature film in 1975, starring Katherine Ross. This spawned three television movie sequels – ‘Revenge of the Stepford Wives’ (1980); ‘The Stepford Children’ (1987); and ‘The Stepford Husbands’ (1996)’. A comedic remake, starring Nicole Kidman and Glenn Close, was released theatrically in 2004.

It has also inspired its own derogatory term – to call a woman a “Stepford Wife” is to label her submissive and conforming to the stereotypical subservient role where her husband’s needs, career and opinions come before her own. Indeed, “Stepford” has become more widely used as an adjective for anyone who appears to be blindly, almost robotically, obedient and conforms without question.

Both the novel and original film inspired much controversy – many feminist groups found it sexist and called for boycotts, despite the sub-text being very much anti-male establishment. Others may have appreciated that subtext, yet described it as a rip-off of the women’s movement. But controversy has done nothing to dent its enduring popularity; both the book and original film have become cult classics. Much of Levin’s work is hailed as a blueprint for the future of their respective genres, and ‘The Stepford Wives’ is no exception.

When you’re seeking escapism, nothing achieves it better than an Ira Levin classic – ‘The Stepford Wives’ is a taut and thrilling slice of sinister satire.



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Our Dried Voices by Greg Hickey

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A dystopian fable of a human colony of the future and one man’s quest to answer questions that no one thinks to ask.

Humanity’s progress has accelerated in recent decades and continues to do so into the future, its population increasing exponentially. While human proclivity for warfare and aggression wipes out large chunks of the population during times of conflict, the population is growing too large to be sustained on planet Earth. Medical breakthroughs and cures for numerous diseases, including cancer and HIV/AIDS, mean that larger proportions of people are living for longer – the only killers being old age and violence. Meanwhile, we continue to suffocate the planet with the by-products and waste from our progress and it becomes clear that sustaining life on Earth is finite. Technological progress has us reaching out farther into the stars; first in unmanned missions, then manned missions, and finally the beginnings of colonisation of another planet suitable for sustaining life. This planet is Pearl. The year is 2325.

So, the stage is set for the action of this particular tale set within the colony of Pearl, presumably many years later. We find ourselves in an apparent utopia – green fields and blue waters, human beings living together in peace and harmony, eating together, sleeping together, like one community. They have no need for money – food, clothing and shelter is provided for them – they live idyllic, simple lives.

But, scratch the surface and quickly you realise this is no utopia for anyone with even the slightest intellectual or emotional capacity. People do not effectively communicate; they do not wonder; they do not question. They have no identity, no individuality; they have no names. There are no friendships, no emotional bonds. Sex is essentially anonymous. This is no true community and family is non-existent.

Inevitably, there are challenges that disrupt the mechanics of the colony. But these are soon resolved and life continues as if nothing has ever happened. But one man remembers. He recognises that a human hand was required to fix the problems, that these heroes took on an identity, but soon quickly disappeared from colony life. The day comes when he, who will come to be known as Samuel, finds himself striving to solve such problems and delving into the hidden mechanics of the colony.

He develops a friendship with another colonist – whom he comes to call Penny. Their relationship is the emotional heart of the story – there’s a sweetness to it like the friendship between children. Together, they continue to address problems facing the colony. But the challenges soon begin to resemble sabotage, the result of deliberate actions by some unseen other. As the danger to life in the colony mounts, Samuel becomes determined to face this manipulative force and discover the truth behind the colony of Pearl.

Once I’d started reading, I didn’t want to put this book down. Packed with multiple ingredients – dystopian sci-fi, intriguing mystery, a growing emotional bond – Hickey has skilfully written a tale of simplicity that simultaneously addresses many thought-provoking and timely themes. Most prevalent is how humanity’s progress can become counter-productive; technology so advanced that the majority of people no longer have use for their brains. Much like the structure of the colony itself, the story can be read on two levels: an enjoyable, breezy veneer, shrouding the deeper revelation that raises moral questions. This is a story that different readers will take different things away from. I thoroughly enjoyed it and hope to read more by Greg Hickey in the future – hopefully, one day, a return to Pearl.

Throughout the novel, I was struck by the story’s fable-like quality – like an Old Testament allusion. ‘Our Dried Voices’ is a glimpse of a possible future – here is the warning, but will the lesson be learned?



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The Institute by Stephen King

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Approximately 800,000 children are reported missing each year in the United States alone. Stephen King’s immersive thriller questions what may happen to the thousands of those children who are never found, lost forever within the walls of ‘The Institute’.

Chance circumstances lead ex-police officer Tim Jamieson to take up the job of Night Knocker in the small town of DuPray, a decision that leads him to stay longer than planned. Meanwhile, exceptionally bright Luke Ellis, only twelve years old, is already facing a crossroads in his life, having surpassed all the education his school can offer him. As well as his academic talents, Luke is also struggling to understand the hint of telekinetic ability he possesses.

One night, a team of strangers breaks into Luke’s home, murdering his parents and kidnapping him. He wakes in a secret, secluded facility, where experiments are conducted on children with the explanation that their purpose is to achieve a greater good. Luke befriends several of his fellow prisoners and it soon becomes clear that between them they possess telekinetic or telepathic abilities to varying degrees, something that those behind the Institute are attempting to enhance and harness for their own purposes.

Their situation appears hopeless, their fates inevitable. But when a new resident arrives at the Institute – Avery Dixon, a young boy with exceptional telepathic abilities – Luke realises there is a glimmer of hope. Together, Luke and Avery devise an audacious escape plan; one that will, by chance, lead to both the town of DuPray and into the heart of the Institute itself, threatening this secret facility to its very foundations.

When you pick up a Stephen King novel, you are submerged in the life of the characters and, by the end, left with the sense of the journey those characters have experienced between the beginning and the end. Stories at their best conjure and provoke thoughts and feelings, blending them together in a way that allows the tale to touch your very soul. King is a master of telling such stories and ‘The Institute’ is another fine example – packed with well-developed characters and detailed plotting that sucks you in to the emotional and intellectual plights of each character and situation. Moral and ethical questions are raised throughout, while the main characters are thrown into peril, building to a dramatic climax.

With shades of sci-fi and conspiracy thrillers blended with horror, the novel shines in its characterisation of the imprisoned children and how, even in the most horrific and terrifying of circumstances, they build solid, emotional bonds with each other. This is a story about friendship, standing for justice, and putting trust and faith in others even when the odds are stacked against you.

Another intense, gripping and emotionally-resonant thriller in the ever-expanding bibliography of a master storyteller.



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Under the Dome by Stephen King

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


An immersive, thrilling epic from a master of the craft.

It was just an ordinary autumn day when the dome suddenly appeared around the town of Chester’s Mill. Invisible, impenetrable, unbreakable. Dale “Barbie” Barbara, on his way to departing Chester’s Mill, is amongst the first to witness the devastating impact of the dome’s presence, the borders with the neighbouring towns becoming the sites of carnage on both sides of the dome.

This is only the beginning. As the residents begin to realise the full extent of their predicament, the media and military response in the outside world heightens. But, despite the scrutiny, they are isolated and alone. As tensions escalate, some take advantage of the situation for their own ends, while others strive to do what little they can to help. Divisions are setting in and becoming more fraught, threatening not only the stability of the town but also the chances of survival.

For James “Big Jim” Rennie, all of this is just collateral damage as long as he emerges as the town’s saviour. Barbie, local newspaper editor Julia Shumway, and a small group of others, know they are rapidly running out of time. Striving to uncover the mystery of the dome’s existence, their quest becomes a fight for survival against a ticking timebomb of greed, power and corruption.

‘Under the Dome’ is sheer brilliance. It sucks you in from the first page and refuses to let you go until the very last. Bursting at the seams with a large cast of characters, criss-crossing plotting, descriptive detail, action-packed scenes and emotional moments, it has all the ingredients you would want from a sci-fi fantasy thriller, exploring the personal struggles against the canvas of the epic scale of a crisis.

This novel is, first and foremost, a character-driven story. There are many of them to keep track of, the core cast each with their own evolving sub-plots, that soon begin to cross, merge and combine as the dome’s invisible but constant presence proves a catalyst for the best and worst of human behaviour. Trapped, with no chance of escape, the residents of Chester’s Mill are all potential prey to the slow trickle of fear that spreads throughout the town. This is a story of a community under a microscope, exploring the dangers of a culture of fear and deprivation, and the compounding pressures posed by a crisis, characters emerging as either heroes or villains.

Amongst the many themes the novel explores – including the human relationships; resilience in the face of adversity; the abuse and corruption of power – is an awareness of the natural environment and our impact on it, as well as the use and availability of natural resources. Giving the novel a fable-like quality, the dome is the equivalent of a petri dish in a psychological, sociological and environmental study of concepts and issues that are often discussed on a scale that may be difficult to relate to.

Ahead of its crucial and thought-provoking themes, this is, most importantly, a gripping fictional narrative – an epic tale that hurtles relentlessly through every one of its almost nine-hundred pages. Rich in detail and imagery, be prepared to not want to put this book down for many days. Within its pages, you will become one the residents of Chester’s Mill and live this experience alongside them and through each of their stories. Stephen King has mastered many forms of storytelling, the epic amongst them – most notably with ‘The Stand’ – and once again he demonstrates his storytelling ability, the history of what occurred under the dome of Chester’s Mill standing resolutely alongside King’s masterpieces.

Intense and deeply engrossing, ‘Under the Dome’ is a superlative high-concept thriller, an epic with a beating human heart.



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Spin by Patricia Cornwell

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Captain Calli Chase returns in the second in Patricia Cornwell’s space-science thriller series.

After averting disaster following a NASA rocket launch gone wrong, Calli is finally returning home when she is diverted to an isolated location and finds herself targeted by an assassin. Coming face to face with her twin sister Carme, Calli is about to discover that they have unknowingly been part of a top-secret programme that is now in jeopardy.

While adjusting to newfound technological advancements, Calli finds herself both pursued by and in pursuit of a dangerous and powerful adversary, who will stop at nothing to achieve their ends. Calli and everyone she knows are in danger – yet, she fears she knows too little to be able to prevent personal and potentially international catastrophe.

As the true extent if their foe’s scheme becomes clear, Calli discovers she may have to undertake her own perilous mission in order to prevent a terror event with ramifications for the entire planet and beyond it.

Picking up in the immediate aftermath of the events of ‘Quantum’, ‘Spin’ continues the story of NASA cybercrime investigator and Space Force pilot Captain Calli Chase, who faces personal demons and family skeletons while unearthing a criminal conspiracy on a political scale. Calli is highly skilled and knowledgeable, as one would expect in her field of expertise, and her work is both her life and her passion. As with the first novel in the series, the story is told from her perspective, the reader plugged into her internal monologue, experiencing her thoughts and feelings as she blindly navigates a path others have chosen, kept largely in the dark by those around her, including those whom she trusts.

Cornwell brings her forensic attention to detail to this series, which is impeccably researched, including detailed insights into procedures and technology (some of which we hope is entirely fictional and/or firmly rooted in the research phase of such a project). Cornwell’s fascination with technology has been evident throughout her Scarpetta series – in recent novels, technological advancements having taken centre-stage alongside the detailed forensics and procedural details. The Calli Chase series feels like the natural evolution of Cornwell’s passion and research.

This is on some levels a crime thriller, on others a political thriller, with elements of sci-fi at its core. The beauty of the advanced technology of sci-fi is how it expands on concepts which may or may not be based in reality, while being highly sought after by governments and large corporations, either to further human civilisation and/or the planet, or for pure financial gain. The Machiavellian schemes and aspirations of the central villains can become chillingly realistic, psychologically if not always technologically. Cornwell plays with those concepts in this novel, crafting realistic scenarios playing alongside the sci-fi elements to create a thriller that may be more plausible than we care to be comfortable with.

Culminating in an intense launch into space, we are left with many answers to questions raised throughout both ‘Quantum’ and ‘Spin’, but, with the conspiracy at play seemingly far from resolution and justice not yet done, left hanging as if in the vacuum of space for more to come.

While a third novel has not yet been confirmed, the narrative feels as if it will run to at least a trilogy. In the meantime, we have the highly anticipated return of Kay Scarpetta to look forward to in ‘Autopsy’ – which, as well as a return to the sharp-edged forensics, promises more crime and intrigue in space.



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Doctor Who: The Ruby's Curse by Alex Kingston

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


From the universe of ‘Doctor Who’, archaeologist Professor River Song must hunt down a reality-altering weapon and solve the mystery of ‘The Ruby’s Curse’.

AD 5147. River breaks back into intergalactic high-security prison Stormcage, seeking peace and quiet to finish writing her new novel.

AD 1939. Based in New York, the novel’s heroine and River’s alter ego Melody Malone is hired to track down a priceless Egyptian ruby, purported to hold the secret to the location of Cleopatra’s tomb, only to find herself embroiled in a case of murder.

From a fellow inmate of Stormcage, River hears about a dangerous new weapon and soon finds herself hunting it, travelling back to 30 BCE Egypt and into her own fiction to find the answers and prevent further death and destruction.

River Song is one of my favourite characters in Doctor Who’s 58-year history. Created by Steven Moffat, who also created some of the modern series’ most memorable characters and monsters, as well as having written some of my favourite episodes, River is a mysterious time-traveller with a dark past and knowledge of the Doctor’s future, one of those rare recurring companion-esque characters who possess as much mystery and alien otherness as the Doctor themselves.

Alex Kingston absolutely owned the character and shone in every episode in which she appeared. If anyone can know River as much as Moffat, and even more so than the Doctor, it is Alex Kingston – and here she presents the first full-length River Song novel, with the timey-wimey, futuristic/historical blend of mystery and adventure and all-out bonkers storytelling that ‘Doctor Who’ (and perhaps only ‘Doctor Who’) does so well. Packed with allusions and a seasoning of spoilers and cameos, ‘The Ruby’s Curse’ is a fun, clever and thrilling journey that blurs fiction and reality, taking us from a space prison of the 52nd century to 20th century inter-war old New York, Earth, and further back in time to the mystery and grandeur of Ancient Egypt.

Much like ‘Doctor Who’ itself, the story is accessible to all ages and will prove a delight to fans. There is an edge to River that, much like John Barrowman’s Captain Jack Harkness, gives her a more adult appeal than many other characters may do, with much darkness and moral ambiguity to explore. River could seamlessly carry a more mature series alongside her appearances for a wider audience, as was so successfully done with ‘Torchwood’. But there is already so much River material to enjoy: Alex Kingston also stars in the Big Finish audio series ‘The Diary of River Song’ – much like the novel, set somewhere prior to her final and first appearances on TV, as well as featuring in some other audio adventures led by other characters. For more Melody Malone, we also have the novella ‘The Angel’s Kiss’ – River’s second book.

Due to the nature of River and the Doctor’s convoluted timelines, if you’re ahead, behind or somewhere in between River’s TV episodes, I’d recommend watching them all before diving into this gem – it always pays to avoid those pesky spoilers!

An absolute thrill to read, ‘The Ruby’s Curse’ does not fail to entertain. More please, sweetie!



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The Dead Zone by Stephen King

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A classic thriller from horror master Stephen King.

Since suffering an injury as a child, Johnny has experienced moments when he can see and feel with such clarity almost as if with a view into the future. Yet it’s affected his life little up to this point. Now a dedicated teacher, he is delighted when fellow teacher Sarah agrees to a date. Yet their night is due to end tragically, with Johnny left comatose and barely clinging to life.

Almost everyone has given up on Johnny, when, four and a half years later, he wakes from his coma. His precognitive abilities are now far more powerful – with the briefest touch, he can see into someone’s life with terrifying clarity. Johnny’s road to recovery is a difficult one, while his newfound abilities become evermore heavy to bear.

He wants nothing more than to be able to recover and live a quiet life, to get back into teaching and move on from the past. But others will not allow him to rest, while Johnny wrestles with his internal struggle between intervening in the lives of others to offer help and moving on to live his own. But the presence of evil is impossible to ignore and, against his better judgement, threatens to become an obsession that will ultimately consume him.

‘The Dead Zone’ is a gripping, character-driven horror thriller; spanning several years and told from the perspective of a core cast of characters, it has the feel of an epic whilst brimming with elements of supernatural horror and science fiction, with moral questions at its core. I felt a lot of empathy for Johnny, not only through his injuries and recovery, but also in his personal relationships and the increasing burden of his moral struggle. I loved his relationship with Sarah, one that becomes tinged with tragedy, a piece of their life stolen from them before it could be fully realised. There are some relationships you never truly move on from and the novel deals poignantly with that concept. Johnny, Sarah and Herb are developed particularly well, with glimpses into many of the secondary and minor characters, some of which become far more significant as the novel progresses.

King explores themes he has explored in previous novels and would explore again in the future – notably forms of psychic phenomena and the dark side of power, both political and preternatural. I could see shades of Randall Flagg in Greg Stillson and his fascist politics, while Johnny’s precognition presents similar challenges to one who might discover the ability to time travel, which King later explored superbly in '11.22.63’. The novel is also notable for being the first to feature fictional town Castle Rock, the town’s serial killer, whose apprehension is recorded here, often referenced in future novels and TV series.

The novel has twice been adapted for the screen, the first as a film released in 1983, and the second for television as a series which began airing in 2002 and lasted for six seasons. It is a story that lends itself perfectly for adaption to the screen; the novel itself is fast-paced, at times intense and emotionally resonating, with both plot and characters blended perfectly to form a thrilling narrative that builds to an almost inevitable, but satisfying, denouement.

Engrossing and moving, ‘The Dead Zone’ hooks from beginning to end, posing thought-provoking questions and telling a thrilling tale.



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Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A sci-fi epic charting the destiny of a new Earth.

A failed experiment to terraform a new planet to sustain human life nonetheless results in unforeseen and accelerated invertebrate evolution.

The dying remnants of the human race have escaped a desecrated Earth, searching among the stars for a new home. But their promised land is now the planet of the spiders.

As two civilisations collide, these children of time are caught up in their own battle of the titans, fighting for the survival of their species and the inheritance of the earth.

Craving sci-fi to get lost in, I found 'Children of Time' in my search and couldn't wait to plummet into a novel of futuristic space travel and alien life. The world-building is sublime, especially in the evolution of the spiders, told across generations. Not only exploring the science of ecosystems and evolution, we witness many aspects that come with the development of an advanced species and the building of a civilisation, including sociological and psychological perspectives developed from the starting point of the nature of spiders as we would recognise them. There are also elements of spirituality and how these questioning beings develop a faith system - a story of reaching inside oneself at the same time as reaching for the stars and searching for God.

In the society of the spiders, we recognise parallels and a reflection of human society - the class structure, gender inequality, the acceptance of certain behaviours as normal when directed at certain groups. In just one striking scene, a dominant female in a lofty position of power and prestige argues that this is simply the way things are. A brave and rebellious male responds that things are the way we make them. This is also a story about conquest and revolution; about how history (perhaps herstory would best describe this arachnid equivalent) is formed and how it becomes legend, and how a culture should learn from that history to better itself.

Meanwhile, the final frontier of humanity strives on, surviving, determined in their mission, while forever in the shadow of the darker side of their nature, one that reached out from the relic of humanity's past to destroy them once again. Alas, our predilection for destruction maintains throughout millennia. Yet, there remains hope for survival. Though, in the end, it may actually be the spiders who teach humanity how to be human.

The core characters, both human and spider, are the driving force behind the evolving plot. For all the fascination that comes with travelling into the future amongst the stars, and witnessing the birth and growth of life, the development of these sentient and intelligent arachnids on this alien yet familiar planet, it is the character development that truly strikes the chord throughout this remarkable and imaginative novel. When science fiction has a heart, when it has a soul, it combines emotional depth with a gripping story on an epic scale to create something truly magical, a tale that speaks a deeper truth than can be achieved through a narrower lens. This was what I was searching for and I found it in this superlative space saga.

Deeply immersive, endlessly fascinating, and surprisingly moving, 'Children of Time' is a sci-fi masterpiece - one that continues into the second novel, 'Children of Ruin'.



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Firestarter by Stephen King

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A searing and captivating sci-fi horror thriller.

Andy is on the run from the authorities with his daughter, Charlie. He'd thought her secret would be safe. But, horrifyingly, he has realised, she will always be in danger.

For Charlie possesses a gift - the psychic ability to conjure fire, one she cannot yet control. A gift that may be a curse.

People learn to fear Charlie - and wish to weaponise her ability. At all costs, Andy must protect her, though he fears they are on an inevitable collision course into an inferno.

'Firestarter' is Stephen King's sixth novel, a thriller fused with elements of both sci-fi and horror, the relationship between a father and daughter at its heart. There is a classic, cinematic feel to the theme of the secret government programme and the pursuit of a child with mutant abilities. Like its predecessor, 'The Dead Zone', and King's first novel, 'Carrie', 'Firestarter' explores psychic phenomena, in this story specifically pyrokinesis and telepathy.

Stephen King has a particular knack for writing children leading as protagonists in adult novels. Charlie is a shining example of this; we witness the innocent little girl mature and become battle-scarred through the ordeals she suffers. Her father, Andy, strives to protect her, prepared to sacrifice himself if necessary, while fearing for her if he were no longer there to protect her. There are hidden depths to this story, with many universal concepts drawing on our empathy for such extraordinary circumstances.

The novel smoulders with suspense, both slow-burning and in sudden flashovers, with dramatic action sequences, emotional moments, supernatural and sci-fi themes, and moral and political philosophy. The villainy portrayed is chilling - both in the demonstration of power we can recognise around us every day on a close or widespread scale, and in the more acute and insidious evil of Rainbird. With a large cast of friends and foes, the characters’ interweaving and overlapping story arcs form a riveting and immersive narrative; this is undoubtedly a classic Stephen King novel. I would love to read a sequel, in the same way we got 'Doctor Sleep' so many years after 'The Shining'.

There have been several screen adaptations, first with a film version of the novel in 1984. A belated TV sequel to the film followed in 2002, featuring a grown-up Charlie in 'Firestarter: Rekindled’. A remake of the original film was released in 2022, with whispers that this may develop into a franchise.

Gripping and emotive, 'Firestarter' is an intense and provocative thriller that you won’t want to end.



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