LAST AND FIRST MEN By Olaf Stapledon

Published : 1930
Pages : 307
Overall Mark : 6/10

Mankind is coming to an end, and the last of them have decided to send a message back through time to warn us, the First Men, of what is yet to come. Through a conduit who is inspired to write down their words, the Last Men invite us to witness a future where man is continually brought to the brink of extinction before resurfacing in a similar, yet distinctly dissimilar way.

This book reads more as a history of the future than an actual novel. Fans of science fiction may not enjoy it, but those who enjoy the works of AJP Taylor will find it insightful and filled with interesting theories on the future. Although the writing is imaginative, it can get repetitive and become boring at points, but toward the end things speed up and it becomes a far more enjoyable read.

DEATH DU JOUR By Kathy Reichs

Published : 1999
Pages : 436
Overall Mark : 8/10

When Dr Temperance Brennan is called upon to help investigate a crime scene where a suspected arson attack has killed a young couple and their children, she finds connections to a strange and nameless cult lead by the mysterious Dom Owens. On further investigation she discovers that her own sister, Harry, has gone missing and might be in danger from the self same cult, who are far more far reaching than Temperance first suspected.

Although the connections between the various events involved by Temperance in this novel did seem a little convoluted and simply constructed to further the narrative, the story was still thoroughly engaging and kept me interested right up until the final page. This is a great edition to the series of novels and, although I’ve only read the first two, I look forward to continuing with the series to the end.

THE REDISCOVERY OF MAN By Cordwainer Smith

Published : 1975
Pages : 377
Overall Mark : 8/10

The Instrumentality, the central government of humanity, have created a form of human called Scanners, who for most of the time are without emotion and can feel no pain, their primary use being to pilot ships through interstellar space. As the years go by, the Instrumentality decides to also utilise animals – mixed with human DNA – to further their works in space to an exponential degree.

In this series of short stories, loosely held together through a future where humans have been split into subgroups, partly made up from genetically engineered animals, an incredibly descriptive future landscape has been designed which is rich in character and design. Every story herein can be read on its own, but it makes for a great read to go through each one and experience the vast parabola of characters and situations that unfold.