The Box of Tricks

by Alistair Potter

Now available in Paperback!

Multiverse spanning action and adventure, with eye-popping special effects (requires reader input). To prevent catastrophe Earth needs the ultimate eco-warrior, but is mild-mannered Edinburgh taxi driver Tom Mathers up to the challenge?

Exploring questions of ethics, resource management, and caring for our planet, this hilarious, yet sobering journey through the multiverse hides deep philosophical questions beneath a veneer of joviality and witty sarcasm.

290 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 13, 2014

About the author

A writer of Science Fiction and Fantasy, Alistair Potter lives and works in the Scottish seaside town of Portobello, just outside of Edinburgh.
 
Alistair has been writing since 1993 and placing  short stories, cartoons and poetry in small publications. His work has been read on the BBC Radio4, Scottish Shorts series, and he is former recipient of a Scottish Arts Council New Writer's Bursary.
 
"I hope readers find my books as enjoyable to read as it was for me to write them. When people ask what I do all day I can honestly say I'm probably on another planet, and meeting the most amazing characters while I visit!"

Reviews

[Heena Rathore Rathore-Pardeshi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Box Of Tricks by Alistair Potter is an explosive sci-fi novel that has something to offer to all of its readers. It has a great storyline that is executed well and a brilliantly created world that made reading this book a complete delight. The characterisation was excellent and I was able to feel a connection with the main characters, Tom, Caroline and Fanshawe and felt that the secondary characters were also very believable.

The writing was good and easy to read. The tightness of exposition made it a really pleasant read for me as I always appreciate brief yet informative exposition over unnecessarily lengthy one, so this book made for a really smooth and quick read. Author's humour really shone through the prose and went a long way in making this book both entertaining as well as light as it had some emotional and moral themes that could have, otherwise, made the plot very weighty. 

Overall, I really enjoyed the book and waiting eagerly to get started with the next book by Mr Potter. I'd recommend this book to all sci-fi readers.

You can also read this review on www.thereadingbud.com

[M.J. Lau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tom Mathers opens a letter left behind by his recently deceased uncle, containing a few instructions and a strange little card. Remembering his uncle as a bit of jokester, he expected some amusing little trick. What unfolds is certainly amusing, but no mean trick at all.

The Box of Tricks is such a joyride I’d hate to spoil anything for the soon-to-be-delighted reader. I was hooked by the second page, and Alistair Potter’s deft storytelling never flags. He has gift for describing characters and places vividly in the briefest terms possible. While this story has a science fiction backbone, the heart of it all are the thoughtful reflections on space, time, and the fate of our struggling planet. There’s no shortage of clever futuristic technology to liven up the action sequences, again described with impressive economy. The cast of characters – brought to life with terrific dialogue – keeps the plot moving and the reader’s heart engaged. The strokes of humor lighten the tone, but never undermine the seriousness of the overall message: our planet is getting frailer every day, and time is running out.

Every time I read an Alistair Potter novel, I am immediately convinced by his writing. His prose is deceptively easy to read – so fluid, lively, and fresh that he makes this level of writing look as natural as breathing. It is not. His skill at bringing fantastical elements to life, combined with his rollicking wit, reminds me of Terry Pratchett. However successful or widely read Mr. Potter is, I’m sure he deserves more.

If you like unique premises, vibrant characters, and a seemingly inexhaustible supply of sci fi wizardry, open up The Box of Tricks… you won’t regret it!

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read and I think it would make a good movie. The conceit at the bottom of it all, the reason the planet Earth appears to be going to Helena Handbasket, was a nice touch, and something I hadn't seen before. Similarly, several of the SF/fantasy elements around time, such as unaging, crop enhancement, collecting, etc. are unexpectedly and wittily rendered. Comparisons to Douglas Adams are well deserved.

I was not as enamored of the character development and pacing of this novel as some other readers were, however. I thought it took the action too long to get started and too long to finish, although the scene in which our heroes thwart an assassination attempt on the Federation President was excellent and was an exception. More scenes like that one, please! More to the point, I didn't find Tom Mathers all that memorable, especially as a viewpoint character, and the secondary characters were a little hit or miss as well. I read the book over a couple of weeks and when I picked it back up again after putting it down, I had forgotten who some of the minor characters were and ended up being surprised when they showed up again. Susie, Caroline, and Fanshawe, who are all over 100 years old and have interesting histories, have more developed character arcs than Tom. And the action that set all the rest of the plot in motion, Tom's reckless decision, didn't really make sense. Even as it was happening, I was thinking, WTF dude! Leave it alone!

The descriptive language relies a bit too heavily on cultural references that the reader may or may not know about. For example, London is a fascinating city, but I had to draw on mental images I have from watching James Bond movies and having been a tourist there; the setting did not come alive for me based on the author's descriptions. Again, as with the assassination scene, there are flashes of brilliant writing that bring the reader up short and make you want more: the scene where Fanshawe is injured and Tom has to rely on his own wits to save them both had me on the edge of my seat. At least one of Susie's fashionable outfits, and the reactions to it, are hilarious. And some of the descriptions of dead and dying planets hint at a sense of tragedy and something larger than the usual time-travel frolic. These bright spots are islands in the middle of long stretches of more workman-like, serviceable prose. There is nothing really wrong with the writing here, but knowing what the author is capable of, one wishes he could have kept it up more evenly through the whole book.

I'm guessing there may be a sequel in the works. The gadgets and time travel system are too cool to be used in just one book. It will be interesting to learn more about the characters and to see if Tom will be given more of an arc to grow in the next installment.

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I’ve found a gem of the British humour style here, a gallivanting and smartly entertaining roam through time and space with likeable characters, courteous threats and a temporal twist that leaks the occasional hint that it’s all under the control of a well-prepared story telling mind.

Let’s talk about Fanshawe, a secondary character who could have equivalent status with Flashman or Raffles if the public got behind him. He’s a charming, lawful rascal with quick wits, a forgiving nature and when he makes firm friends they stay loyal to him for centuries. That’s because he’s a collector, a retriever of objects that have been transported incorrectly and ended up in the wrong parallel reality; and they pay him in time, which is used to extend one’s life. In my mind he looks like the hunter from Jumanji but that adds to the charm. Although the everyman Tom Mathers and, strangely, Caroline Lamb are the other main characters, Fanshawe eclipses them with ease and I think actors would be queuing around the block to play this pioneer adventurer if the author converted it into a screenplay or radio script. When the contract goes out to catch Fanshawe, run rabbit run rabbit run run run, you know he’s far too smart to ever get trapped. It’s as if the Stainless Steel Rat was one of the good guys in a boy’s own adventure and we’re cheering him on.

Format is a problem. I read the Kindle and felt attached it so much that I went online to buy a paper copy for my shelf but there isn’t one. That seems casual and careless to me because if an author is good enough to write one of the best books ever to include the word ‘Potter’ on the cover, that’s a formidable rival to more celebrated work by the likes of Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, then he only runs it out as an ebook, it’s as if he doesn’t mind if it doesn’t get noticed. This is a stand-out book and I’m not making that recommendation lightly because I read a lot of science fiction and am quite sarcastic when a story is weak or unimaginative. I have given one star ratings but this is a genuine high flier.

The Box of Tricks is a memorable milestone in Scottish science fiction and it should be recognised and noted as such. More people should be talking about it and there should be sequels in the same tone because it’s a wide Universe out there and he’s opened a door in time and space that can jump around his vision of it with smooth contempt for the physical laws. The author seems to be writing fantasy elsewhere but someone needs to tell him this is where it’s at, science fiction.

I haven’t read any of his other books but I recommend this one as an introduction to a creator who provides entertainment value and surprising ideas, all set out in an uncomplicated, easy sailing way that is accessible to anybody, whether casual nomadic browsers across genres or time-travel fiction freaks. This book is good. Good. Good. Sorry, that was a time loop. Carry on, Fanshawe.

[Bruce Perrin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Witty Sci-Fi with a Message

The Box of Tricks has the mind-boggling technology one expects in a sci-fi book, along with the battle between good and evil. But under all the expected sci-fi trappings, Alistair Potter still delivers well-developed characters and even a message to his readers, all wrapped in humor and wit.

The story centers around Tom Mathers, a mild-mannered, somewhat socially inept taxi driver from Edinburgh. Thrust into his strange new reality, Tom matures. But even by the end of the book, his timidity is often the appropriate trait and common sense is generally the correct tactic. Other than a strong sense of loyalty to friends and a desire to do right, Tom was an everyday hero, and I appreciated that fact. Romantic interest Suzie and co-protagonist Fanshawe also come across as believable, although toward the riskier end of the scale.

Pacing is also excellent. The author moves steadily through challenges revealed, skirmishes waged, and alliances formed, saving a few unexpected twists for the end. The aptness of the pacing is also apparent in Potter’s treatment of his social message about our stewardship of the planet. It would be easy for that message to become overbearing…but it doesn’t. The author maintains a velocity that keeps us engrossed and entertained.

I wouldn’t say the book is a laugh-a-minute tome – what American reader would say that about humor from across the pond? But it does have a tongue-in-cheek witticism that was very appealing. If you want to take the possible end of planet earth completely seriously, you may need to look elsewhere.

Overall, The Book of Tricks felt like storytelling at its best, with solid characters, good pacing, a touch of humor, and a broader message. It’s well worth the read.

[Adam Ingle · Rating 5 out of 5]

With The Box of Tricks, author Alistair Potter manages to deftly combine elements of hard, military, and tongue-in-cheek Douglas Adams science fiction into a fast-paced adventure with a cast of engaging and entertaining characters. At times I felt like I was reading something akin to an old swashbuckling or globe-trotting Indiana Jones style adventure, just spanning a universe of planets and throwing in a fun and functional time manipulation mechanic that's as integral to the story as it is the characters. My only complaint is when I got to the end, I still wanted there to be a little more left.

[Ian Oultram · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good read

A most enjoyable read, my sort of book with an exceptionally original storyline. I found this to be a real page-turner something Lee Child hasn’t been able to do with his last few novels!

[Robby Charters · Rating 5 out of 5]

He started out thinking it was a practical joke on the part of his late uncle. However, following his posthumous instructions pulls Tom into an alien environment, and face to face with his late uncle's employer. There, he learns that he's been recommended for the vacant position. At first, it's just a job of fetching mysterious gray boxes located at various locations on earth, and tele-porting them to their intended destination by shooting a glass "gun" at them. Strange and wonderful, and a lot more lucrative than driving an Edinburgh taxi, but suddenly things get strange. He realises that things aren't as they seem. He meets others, including Fanshawe, who looks about 30, but has combat experience spanning hundreds of years, who introduces him to the network of alternate earths -- think of them as parallel universes.

Most of the "earths" are a part of a federation, and through the narrative we discover the politics, powerful inter-world organisations, underground groups, and worlds in various states of progress and/or decay. Being peopled by humans (no aliens or interstellar travel), there's also the corruption, greed, "inconvenient truths" that seem too pervasive to rectify; but also good-hearted people who simply want to see justice and mercy. Our own earth isn't a part of the Federation, and is in trouble.

Alistair Potter plunges us into this world with a style that, though one couldn't exactly call it witty, it invites the reader to not take things too seriously. He pulls us straight into the story, and doesn't let us stop unless we really have to fix dinner, or get some sleep. It's great storytelling. One does notice one or two things, one being that everyone seems to speak English but there's no mention of a "babble fish" or whatever technology they use on Star Trek to understand aliens on first contact. But the story is so good, it's easy to ignore that factor.

Over all, it's a great story, definitely worth a read.

I got my copy free in exchange for a fair honest review, which wasn't difficult to give because it deserves five stars anyway.

[Kayti Raet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed for readers favorite


In The Box of Tricks, Alistair Potter's tale of science fiction action adventure, Tom Mathers is a mild mannered taxi driver who discovers that he has inherited a curious blend of items from his recently deceased uncle. One of the most unique items is a simple grey card that a letter of his uncle promises to give him the adventure of a lifetime.
Touching the card tranports him to another world where he finds out that his uncle is a sort of intergalactic item retriever, returning objects misplaced as they are transported between planets.
Accepting his uncle's role transforms Tom's life in ways that he never could imagine.
Full of a unique cast of characters, a driving narrative filled with action not to mention a few double and triple crosses as in space, not everyone is as they appear.
With an underlying environmentalist theme, The Box of Tricks by Alistair Potter sees Tom grow from a mild-mannered shrinking violet to a self assured, if occasionally bumbling planetary traveler and hero.
I really enjoyed reading The Box of Tricks by Alistair Potter, it's a unique unexpected read, with a sort of dry humor liberally dispersed throughout the action.
While I did wish that the world building was a little more diverse (most of the planets seemed very similar) The Box of Tricks gave me a distinct Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy vibe that I really liked. A light science fiction read that works as a great introduction to the genre and Potter's work at large.

[Charles Remington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tom Mathers is a fairly typical British hero, rather shy, tongue-tied around attractive women, but stout-hearted, loyal, brave and always determined to do the right thing. The Box Of Tricks by Alistair Potter chronicles his adventures resulting from his inheritance of a small antique box from his Uncle Jim. Following the instructions contained in a brief accompanying note, he is catapulted into another dimension and invited by a somewhat shady character to continue with his uncle’s past employment of collecting random objects which have been misrouted, and returning them to their correct world or location within the multiverse. After a little hesitation Tom accepts the challenge and after some routine but quite exciting tasks things start to get a little more complicated. Receiving an assignment to track down and transfer a person as opposed to an object, he drops rapidly out of his depth until he meets and subsequently teams up with a fellow collector, the gung-ho, swashbuckling, James Fanshaw. Aided and sometimes inhibited by the hugely attractive Susie, who Tom finds almost impossible to talk to, and Lady Caroline Lamb (the original) with whom James had once shared his life, they charge through the planets and dimensions of the multiverse in a series of adventures which culminate in their dramatic attempt to put an end to the tampering and misuse of time itself by an ancient race.
The Box Of Tricks is the best science fiction book I have read for a very long time. It reminded me very much of the works of the late Douglas Adams. Well-structured in short punchy sections, the narrative moves along at a brisk pace taking us through a series of strange but believable planets and thrilling encounters. Alistair Potter writes with a light hand, the plot contains a serious message but no point is laboured and there is a good deal of humour along the way. Written in the best tradition of British science fiction, I strongly recommend this book and urge you to read it. Personally I will be sampling more of Mr Potter’s published works very soon.