Tedwood's Book Review

TIMESCAPE By Gregory Benford

2009-06-30T19:43:00.001+01:00

Published : 1980
Pages : 412
Overall Mark : 7/10

When a young scientist in 1962 starts to receive interference in one of his experiments, he discovers that the interference actually contains messages from someone and someplace unknown to him. The truth that the messages are a warning from the future soon comes to light, but his peers find it hard to believe due to the inconsistency of the messages and he finds himself having to fight to prove the messages to be true.

This is an interesting idea, but the notion could have been explained in a more efficient way. Benford does an admirable job of describing the exact methods of scientists in all the time periods he describes, and keeps the story alive through its realism rather than using fantastic plot devices to further the story. Well worth reading, but only if you have the patients as the pacing is slow.

FATAL VOYAGE By Kathy Reichs

2009-06-19T15:41:00.001+01:00

Published : 2001
Pages : 432
Overall Mark : 8/10

Forensic anthropologist Dr Temperance Brennan is called on to help when a plane crash lands in the North Carolina mountains, killing everyone on board, but when some of the bodies raise questions in her mind she finds herself taken off the case and her career on the line.

This is probably one of Kathy Reichs stronger stories as there is a definite focus rather than moving back and forth between the investigations and Brennan's personal life. Here Brennan is faced with her biggest challenge as she is forced from her investigations and has to go over her superiors heads to find out the truth about the plane crash.

UBIK By Philip K Dick

2009-06-08T16:40:00.000+01:00

Published : 1969
Pages : 224
Overall Mark : 8/10

When Glen Runciter is killed in an explosion his colleagues start to receive strange messages about their own reality. As they investigate, they discover that they are slowly regressing through time, travelling back as far as the 1930s, and that the only solution to their predicament is a strange substance known simply as Ubik.

This is a completely confusing book, but once you get to the part where things start to get explained it becomes very enjoyable. There are a few set ups at the beginning which don't immediately make sense but, as with most Dick novels, things eventually come together for a very rewarding conclusion.

FLOWERS FOR ALGERNON By Daniel Keyes

2009-05-28T13:38:00.001+01:00

Published : 1966
Pages : 216
Overall Mark : 9/10

A mentally retarded man named Charlie Gordon takes part in a radical experiment to increase the intelligence of human beings. At first things go well but when Algernon, the original mouse that marked the success of the experiment, begins to exhibit strange symptoms and eventually dies, Charlie realises that his intelligence may be short lived.

The idea of this book being written as a journal - gradually making the voice of Charlie Gordon increase in intelligence - is a fantastic idea and, as you reach the conclusion it becomes a very touching and upsetting tale of a man who couldn't fit in no matter if he were intelligent or simple because people couldn't accept him when he tried to improve himself.

DUMA KEY By Stephen King

2009-05-20T15:22:00.001+01:00

Published : 2007
Pages : 689
Overall Mark : 9/10

Following an accident that leaves him with partial brain damage, Edgar Freemantle moves to the remote island of Duma Key to try and recover, but once there he's there he starts to hear strange whispered voices which inspire him to take up painting, a skill he never knew he had, and he begins to create the most extraordinary paintings, some of which have a drastic effect on reality. What he then discovers about the island's history leaves him in a terrified state which could mean the deaths of those he holds most dear.

This is one of Stephen King's best books in a long time. The characters are vivid and real, the pacing is dramatic, and the inevitable beast at the end doesn't feel as disappointing as they often can with King. Clearly he has lost none of his skills, and this book is a must for any fan, as well as anyone who's never so much as picked up one of his books.

THE TIME MACHINE AND THE WAR OF THE WORLDS By H G Wells

2009-04-23T15:18:00.002+01:00

Published : 1895 & 1898
Pages : 274
Overall Mark : 7/10

A scientist creates a time machine so that he can see what the future holds in store for humankind, but finds himself in a strange world where humanity has been split into two camps; the utopian Eloi and the cannibalistic Morlocks. And a man runs for his life when Martian tripods land in England and begin to wipe out all humans with their deadly advanced weaponry.

In spite of being well ahead of their time, and paving the way for all science fiction literature in the years following, these stories aren't that impressively written and can at times get a little repetitive and boring. Despite this weakness Wells does still manage to drag out what could otherwise be a few pages of scenery into an entire novella and comes up with some ingenious visuals.

THE BOOK OF SKULLS By Robert Silverberg

2009-04-14T13:56:00.001+01:00

Published : 1972
Pages : 222
Overall Mark : 7/10

Four students travel into the Arizona desert in search of a lost group of acolytes who possess the power of immortality, but in order to become immortal one of the four has to be killed by the others whilst another must volunteer to take their own life. As the group begin their training amongst the followers of The Book Of Skulls, they begin to decide who they think should die and which two should live forever.

Although this is an intersting book, I didn't like any of the characters and didn't think any of them deserved to live forever. However, this said, their avaricious tendencies and need for immortality to achieve all of their greedy goals soon proves to be something they may never achieve, even if they do become immortal. This is well worth reading, but be warned, there isn't anything redeaming about the characters therein.

HOW TO BE GOOD By Nick Hornby

2009-04-02T12:22:00.001+01:00

Published : 2001
Pages : 244
Overall Mark : 8/10

When Katie Carr's husband David visits a spiritual healer named DJ Goodnews, he suddenly takes on a new leaf in life and becomes a good person. Gone are the days of swearing and arguing and being basically miserable, and now Katie is faced with a David who is giving away her children's things and inviting homeless people to come and stay in their home.

This is a witty novel that shows that, even when someone tries to do good they will innevitably end up causing bad things to happen. From thieving homeless people to divorcing parents, this book gives us a great insight into the life of the Carr's and how they deal with their drastic changes from the norm.

BEHOLD THE MAN By Michael Moorcock

2009-03-23T17:19:00.002Z

Published : 1969
Pages : 124
Overall Mark : 8/10

Karl Glogauer, having lived a meaningless existence, decides to travel back in time to witness the death of Jesus Christ so he can at least say he's done one big thing, but when he gets there he discovers that Jesus couldn't possibly have done the things the Bible said he did, so he takes it upon himself to take his place.

This is such a tongue in cheek idea, yet Moorcock approaches it in a deadly serious manner. I'm surprised the Church didn't get ahold of this and ban it, but I guess the innocuous title kept it below the radar, unlike the Satanic Verses. The very idea that Jesus was a jibbering idiot might offend some, but this novella, which can easily be read in one sitting, is a must read that proves that even a nobody can do something wonderful with their lives.

STAR MAKER By Olaf Stapledon

2009-03-17T13:15:00.003Z

Published : 1937
Pages : 254
Overall Mark : 7/10

An ordinary man finds himself whisked into the depths of space, where he travels to various distant worlds to experience how the alien beings that inhabit thos worlds live. As he continues through space, continually making new friends and having new experiences, he finds himself being drawn closer and closer to the mythical godlike creature, The Starmaker.

This is an imaginative novel, something of an expansion of Last And First Men that moves on from the planet Earth and ventures into the realms of space. Stapledon manages to use his mind to envisage whole new species of beings, yet only looks at them for a couple of pages before moving into to more of the same. This has plenty of wonderful imagination and enough thought provoking ideas to keep even the most doubtful SF fan intrigued.

ODD HOURS By Dean Koontz

2009-03-06T10:14:00.001Z

Published : 2008
Pages : 404
Overall Mark : 6/10

Odd Thomas has travelled to Magic Beach in California to help a woman named Annamaria who has been in his dreams, as well as scenes of death and destruction. As Odd joins forces with the mysterious woman, he discovers that his visions were of a nuclear explosion, and the there are people in the area planning on stealing some nuclear weaponry and using it to their own evil ends.

This is very similar to Koontz's other recent novel, The Good Guy, and doesn't really progress well with The Odd Thomas series. I enjoy these novels, but this was the least interesting and least memorable so far, and if there are any more I hope Koontz has some sparkling ideas up his sleeve.

A SCANNER DARKLY By Philip K Dick

2009-02-25T14:38:00.002Z

Published : 1977
Pages : 217
Overall Mark : 8/10

Bob Arctor has been sent deep undercover to infiltrate a small group of drug dealers so that he can find the source of their product, but soon he finds himself addicted to Substance D, a drug that causes disorientation and irreversible brain damage, and his odd behaviour leads his bosses, who aren't actually aware of which of the group is their agent, to think that Arctor himself may be the brains behind the operation.

This is a great novel, and the movie didn't really do it justice. There are some great ideas embedded in the plot, and the characters are lively and full of humour and imagination. Clearly this is something of an important story for Dick to tell, and this was written shortly after he discovered that he himself had done his body serious damage through drug abuse and he dedicates it to the memory of many of his dead friends. This book is a must, which although it doesn't really have an actual ending, it does end on a note that indicates that the makers of Substance D will soon meet with their comeuppance.

EMPHYRIO By Jack Vance

2009-02-17T12:17:00.001Z

Published : 1969
Pages : 208
Overall Mark : 6/10

In the distant future it has become illegal on the planet Halma to mass produce any object, and to do so is punishable by death. When his father Amiante is executed for using a camera to process ancient documents detailing the legend of Emphyrio, Ghyl Tarvoke decides to find out the full story about the legend and try to use it to bring down the elite of his planet and bring an end to the oppressive system that controls everyone's lives.

This is a nice idea, but the execution is a little sketchy. The first half of the book seems quite confused, but thankfully everything seems to come together at the end with some much needed explanation. Once you can see passed the confusing start, and the habit of leaping about in the anrrative, this is an enjoyable novel which could easily be used as Communist propoganda.

DEADLY DECISIONS By Kathy Reichs

2009-02-09T15:35:00.002Z

Published : 2000
Pages : 382
Overall Mark : 8/10

Dr Temperance Brennan, an expert on identifying bones, is brought in to investigate the deaths of a set of twins whose murder may be connected to a local biker gang. She discovers that the deaths are related to the death of a young girl, a death she investigated years before. Things take a turn for the worse when her nephew Kit comes to visit and becomes obsessed with the world of biking gangs and put his own life in danger by befriending members of the gangs.

Kathy Reichs has the uncanny ability of writing what is essentially a soap opera like story and giving it a forensic twist that makes it twice as entertaining. She gives us insights into the life of Tempe that prevent her from turning into a lifeless character and instead make her all the more real, and her situation all the more dangerous. This series of novels seems to be going from strength to strength, and I hope that they get even better over time.

THE SIRENS OF TITAN By Kurt Vonnegut

2009-01-30T15:25:00.004Z

Published : 1959
Pages : 224
Overall Mark : 9/10

Winston Niles Rumfoord is the victim of a bizarre accident which has transformed him into pure energy that can exist atmany different points in both time and space. He is only able to travel home for one hour every 59 days, and during once of these visists he tells a man named Malachi Constant what his future holds. Soon, Malachi finds his whole world turned around as he is manipulated into various situations just so that Rumfoord's predictions can be fulfilled.

This is a great sci-fi novel by a writer who seems to have greatly inspired the writings of Douglas Adams. His characters have the strange quirk of being both sympathetic and hateful, and Vonnegut's ability to manipulate his characters in such a way that, in spite of any initial feelings of dislike you may have for any of them, we can instantly take a liking to them simply based on the terrible situations they find themselves in. This is a must for any fan of The Hitchhiker's Guide who may actually find themselves preferring this tale of Godless religion pointless destiny.

THE DROWNED WORLD By J G Ballard

2009-01-22T16:46:00.003Z

Published : 1962
Pages : 175
Overall Mark : 7/10

Kerans has spent most if not all of his life living on a version of the planet Earth where ecological disaster has lead to the tides rising, and the majority of the world's continents are now under water. A solution to this problem would be ideal, but when a possible solution arises in the form of a man named Strangman, Kerans starts to wonder if he wants his world to change or if he's happy with the way things are.

This is a fascinating novel, on a par with Lord Of The Flies in it's ability to give us a terrible scenario that somehow feels right for the people involved. Although many of the characters are flat and lifeless, the character of Strangman has enough character to make up for this, and his manic egomaniacal ways soon have us thinking whether or not he is in fact in the right in his assertions.

FAT By Rob Grant

2009-01-14T14:45:00.001Z

Published : 2006
Pages : 318
Overall Mark : 8/10

When Jeremy Slank is called to see the Prime Minister, he soon discovers that he is wanted to work on a government project that intends to help overweight people to lose weight. The setting for the camp is like something out of Aushwitz, and Jeremy is expected to try to market this project to the general public, members of the public like celebrity chef Grenville Roberts, who has recently lost his job due to getting arrested for dangerous driving, and Hayleigh, a young school girl who can't so much as look in a mirror without being disgusted by what she sees.

This is a great little page turner from one of the co-creators of Red Dwarf, filled with colourful characters that the reader will soon grow to love. In spite of all their faults, the characters are appealing and make us as readers want to find out what will happen to them as we become ebgaged by their life stories. Hopefully Rob Grant will have another novel out soon, they are a little few and far between.

THE DISPOSSESSED By Ursula Le Guin

2009-01-05T16:45:00.002Z

Published : 1974
Pages : 319
Overall Mark : 5/10

Shevek is a scientist from the planet of Anarres, a planet without a government or any real leadership, who believes he has discovered the secret to instantaneous communication and space flight. His colleagues on his home world are trying to block Shevek from publishing his work as they believe they directly contradict their planets anarchistic beliefs, so he travels to the nearby planet of Urras, an orderly world of rules and regulations, in the hope of finding the freedom to continue his work.

This is a very confusing novel, which goes back and forth through time without really explaining what's happening and leaving it to the reader to figure out for themselves. Once this is figured out, the book does improve, andhas some interesting theories about communism and dictatorism, but the overall confusing tone does tend to get in the way of any potential enjoyment.

STAND ON ZANZIBAR By John Brunner

2008-12-23T15:12:00.001Z

Published : 1968
Pages : 648
Overall Mark : 7/10

In a future world where only those whose genes are deemed to be perfect are allowed to reproduce, and even then there's a limit on how many children people can have due to overpopulation, a doctor has made a genetic breakthrough by which any abnormalities in a foetus can be fixed, basically leading to the introduction of a possible perfect human. This discovery leads the American government to investigate the claims, taking them to the Australasian country of Yatakang where they set about trying to gain this breakthrough for themselves.

This is a very confusing book, which has various sections which intersperse with each other and provide both background information for the reader as well as a continuing narrative. This is a lengthy novel which could have been far shorter if much of the descriptive chapters had been removed, but this would have lost the novel it's distinctive feel. This novel is not for those who want a quick fix when reading, but the whole idea of the book ios fascinating and leaves a lot to be thought about, especially as the future in this novel is less than two years away.

TIMELINE By Michael Crichton

2008-12-08T11:10:00.001Z

Published : 1999
Pages : 489
Overall Mark : 9/10

When a man is found wandering in the desert, a group of young scientists find themselves lead into a search for a missing professor. When they discover that he's actually missing 600 years in the past, they are sent on a dangerous mission back through time to medieval France to find him and bring him back, but the company that have discovered this means of time travel have neglected to give the scientists some important information which could mean the difference between life and death.

This is an extremely well researched novel, which manages to blend science fiction flawlessly with historical accuracy. Crichton once again proves that he is able to jump from one genre to the next without losing any of the detail or the love for the subject, and here he gives us an almost flawless example of his work. If you haven’t read Crichton’s work before, I recommend starting with either this or Disclosure, which are about as different as two books can get but are both just as enjoyable as the other.

THE DEMOLISHED MAN By Alfred Bester

2008-11-24T12:05:00.001Z

Published : 1953
Pages : 250
Overall Mark : 9/10

Ben Reich is the owner of the second most powerful conglomerate in the entire solar system, but that's not enough for him. When he thinks he's been turned down by his business rival Craye D'Courtney when he asks for their two companies to merge, he decides to murder his rival, but because of the presence of peepers, mind readers who can invade the head of anyone, Reich is forced to commit the crime in such a way that no-one can ever find out about it.

There's something sneakingly clever about this novel, with the introduction of a code and the answers to all our questions almost from the get go. The character of Ben Reich is one of the saddest and most self defeating characters I think I've ever seen outside of a Shakespeare play, and the final twist almost trumps the main twist of the entire novel.

THE GOOD GUY By Dean Koontz

2008-11-14T16:01:00.001Z

Published : 2006
Pages : 438
Overall Mark : 8/10

When Tim Carrier is mistaken for a hitman for hire, he decides to seek out the subject of the hit and warn her of her impending murder. When he meets the subject of the hit, Linda Paqette, she claims to have no idea who would want her dead, so Tim decides to help her set out on the run, but the hitman whose job it was to kill her has figured out the mix up and is hot on both their trails with murder on his mind.

It's nice to read a novel that looks at things from the perspective of both the good guy and the bad. Tim Carrier isn't the most interesting of characters - I think Koontz may have planned this on purpose - and he feels like too much of a goody-goody at times, but it's Krait that makes the story, with his unorthodox approach to rectifying government mess ups and his thirst for murder and revenge. Worth checking out if you enjoy James Patterson's Alex Cross stories.

MARTIAN TIME-SLIP By Philip K Dick

2008-11-06T13:12:00.002Z

Published : 1975
Pages : 226
Overall Mark : 7/10

Arnie Kott is one of the wealthiest men on Mars, running the plumbing union who have vitrual control over all of the canals on the planet, but greed leads him to desire even more power of the Martian people. So when he hears a theory that connects autism weith time travel, he decides to use the aid of a young autistic boy so that he can travel back in time and buy some land that Earth's government plan to build housing on.

This is a very intricate and intriguing story. The characters become intertwined in the most unlikely ways, and the notion of time travel is approached in an original and wholly unusual way. The ending is a little to quickly wrapped up for my liking, but overall this is a fine example of Dick's expertise as one of the most accessible sci-fi writers of the recent past.

STARDUST By Neil Gaiman

2008-10-29T13:11:00.001Z

Published : 1998
Pages : 194
Overall Mark : 9/10

Tristran Thorn is madly in love with Victoria Forester, who he thinks is the most beautiful girl in the village of Wall, so when they witness a shooting star falling from the sky and landing in the magical realm of Stormhold he agrees to go in search of it and bring it back to her in return for her hand in marriage. However, when he finds the star, he discovers that it has taken human form as a young woman called Yvaine, and that a coven of witches are after the star so that they can eat her heart and rejuvinate their youth.

This novel, also available as a graphic novel, is probably the best modern fairy tale I've read in a long time. The characters are rich and vibrate and the scenarios are original and come together in a brilliant medly of twists. The ending is both happy and sad, so there's something for everyone in this wonderful tale of love, betrayal, and evil.

EARTH ABIDES By George R Stewart

2008-10-21T15:25:00.002+01:00

Published : 1949
Pages : 312
Overall Mark : 8/10

Isherwood Williams fins himself one of the few survivors of an unknown eppidemic that has wiped out most of the human race. He soon meets some other survivors, and together they prepare to rebuild the human race, but after years of bringing up a new generation without the ability to teach them or train them to do anything that could be of benefit, such as the ability to repair damaged buildings or to hunt for food, Ish questions his standing as the leader of the group.

Clearly the influence for Stephen King's The Stand, this post apocalyptic novel doesn't go down the road of giving us an unbelievable view of the future but instead gives a view that seems frightening belieavable and very probable. None of the characters have ridiculous abilities that make their lives easier, and they don't have a moral code that precludes them from exacting punishment against those they distrust. This novel is simply put a wonderful example of survivalism set against a nautral or unnatural disaster of epic proportions.

DEXTER IN THE DARK By Jeff Lindsay

2008-10-09T15:22:00.001+01:00

Published : 2007
Pages : 376
Overall Mark : 8/10

Dexter Morgan is faced with a terrifying concept - being seperated from his Dark Passenger, the part of him that allows him to kill truly evil people without remorse. Now he may have to live the rest of his life with a conscience, making it very difficult for him to act out his murderous tendencies. What's more, there's a killer on the loose - a killer who is so deadly and evil that they even frighten Dexter himself.

The Dexter novels appear to be going from strength to strength, with Jeff lIndsay continually evolving the character into an ever more likeable and loveable rogue. Here we are shown that it isn't just Dexter's Dark Passanger that possesses a blood lust, but that Dexter himself feels incomplete without thatpart of himself. This installment is very different from the previous two, but still gives us some funny situations mixed with some truly terrifying concepts, bordering almost on the supernatural.

LAST AND FIRST MEN By Olaf Stapledon

2008-09-29T11:53:00.001+01:00

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

2008-09-17T17:11:00.001+01:00

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

2008-09-05T17:08:00.000+01:00

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.

A LONG WAY DOWN By Nick Hornby

2008-08-25T16:14:00.000+01:00

Published : 2005
Pages : 257
Overall Mark : 8/10

Martin, Maureen, Jess and JJ have nothing in common, except they all tried to commit suicide at the same time in the same place on New Year’s Eve. When they all decide not to kill themselves, but instead stay alive until Valentine’s Day to see if anything gets better, their lives become irrevocably intertwined to the point that they slowly and grudgingly become friends. The question is; will their friendship last past February 14th?

Considering the subject matter, this was a very entertaining and very amusing novel. As usual Hornby has the right level of comedy and pathos and combines them in such a way that they sneak up on you in the narrative. The characters are unique from each other which furthers the story greatly, and the notion of telling the story from each of their perspectives in alternating chapters gives us a better insight into what each character is thinking.

GATEWAY By Frederik Pohl

2008-08-13T16:08:00.001+01:00

Published : 1976
Pages : 313
Overall Mark : 9/10

Bob Broadhead is lucky enough to win the lottery, and he uses his winnings to buy a one-way ticket to Gateway, a spaceport where people can take salvaged vessels from the mysterious alien race known as the Heechee and take risks in using them to travel through space in search of wealth. Following one disastrous journey, Bob finds himself talking over the events with an artificial psychiatrist, feeling responsible for the events that transpired on the trip.

This is one of the better science fiction novels I’ve read of late, with Robinette "Bob" Broadhead portrayed as possibly one of the most complex characters I’ve ever seen in fiction. He is neither heroic in his actions, nor actually evil in any way, but his endeavours and his attitude towards them make for a great read.

MAKING MONEY By Terry Pratchett

2008-07-31T15:58:00.000+01:00

Published : 2007
Pages : 474
Overall Mark : 9/10

Moist von Lipwig, only having just got used to changing from a life of crime to being in charge of the Ankh-Morpork Post Office, now finds himself the inheritor of a controlling claim in the Ankh-Morpork mint. Now, using the popularity of his stamps, and their increased use as legal tender, Moist decides to convert Ankh-Morpork onto paper money, an idea which makes him a target of the Lavish family, who had only recently been expecting to run the mint!

Pratchett does it again with another tightly woven tale about Moist von Lipwig. Every moment in Pratchett’s books are there for a reason, and always lead to a satisfying ending which brings all the trails together and wraps them up into its wonderful completion. I look forward to seeing what Pratchett has in store next with the publication of his first non-Discworld novel in years, Nation.

THE FIFTH HEAD OF CERBERUS By Gene Wolfe

2008-07-21T15:32:00.000+01:00

Published : 1972
Pages : 252
Overall Mark : 8/10

A young boy, the narrator, whose name is not known has been brought up in relative seclusion with his younger brother David. Together they have been treated to a barrage of psychological tests by their father for reasons they do not know, and the narrator is given the new name of Number 5. He later breaks into a slave trader’s warehouse where he finds a mutated slave who looks like his father, and from there he starts to question his very existence.

This is a fascinating story, which takes the idea that humans are an alien race that have invaded another species world and makes it into something truly remarkable. The other stories in the book, telling a tale of the original planets inhabitants and what happened to them, as well as a story of the consequences met by the anthropolgist from the first story, John Marsch, are not quite as good but are still well worth reading and lend a lot of substance to the original tale.

THE NANNY DIARIES By Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus

2008-07-10T15:19:00.000+01:00

Published : 2002
Pages : 306
Overall Mark : 9/10

Nan is a nanny who takes a job working for Mr and Mrs X, taking care of their son Grayer, but Nan soon realises that the X’s consider themselves to have employed not only a nanny but their own personal slave, expecting her to work all the hours that God sends and setting her tasks which are outside of her job description. Lump on top of this the fact that Nan has accidentally discovered that Mr X is having an affair with his secretary, and you’ll find that Nan is in one of the least favourable positions imaginable.

This is a great novel, full of quick wit and fast pacing and the kind of characters you can only despise. The relationship between Nan and her employees makes for a great structure to work around, and the conflicts that interfere throughout the novel make for entertaining reading. I’m glad the movie was just as good as the novel, because it really does make it seem even better.

LORD OF LIGHT By Roger Zelazny

2008-06-30T15:09:00.002+01:00

Published : 1967
Pages : 317
Overall Mark : 6/10

Sam is a being whose soul is taken from Nirvana and returned to the planet he once lived on under the name of Buddha. There are a number of other beings on this world, seeming immortals with the ability for reincarnation who name themselves after Eastern Gods, and Sam has taken it upon himself to defeat their hunger for power and put an end to their limitless rule through the undermining their ways by making reincarnation either available for all or for none.

This is a very strange novel and is sometimes difficult to read. It takes most of its ideas from Buddhism as well as the Hindu religion, and each chapter feels more like a parable or morality tale than part of a cohesive whole. The basic ideas of the story have been copied on occasion in such movies as Stargate, but the idea of a renegade God who wants to destroy his fellow beings has a feel to it that is both timeless and powerful as it gives us a lead character who must be either very brave or very stupid, but in any case has a firm grip on what he believes is right and wrong.

BROTHER ODD By Dean Koontz

2008-06-18T13:16:00.001+01:00

Published : 2006
Pages : 438
Overall Mark : 9/10

Odd Thomas has taken up residence in a monastery which tends to disables children in the hope that the seclusion from the outside world will free him of his cursed visions of ghosts of the dead. Unfortunately the monastery has ghosts of its own, one of which takes the form of a giant skeletal creature! It’s now left down to Odd to rally the troops and defend the monastery against the creature, whatever it’s origins may be…

This was far better than Forever Odd. Where that novel sort of lingered on the same situation, which didn’t seem to go anywhere, this novel was far more action packed and left me with a feeling of far more satisfaction. It’s good to see Koontz back on form, though I fear he may start to meander a bit with his apparent obsession with dogs being a possible plotline for Odd Hours, what with Boo the ghost dog becoming something of a lingering presence.

CITIES IN FLIGHT By James Blish

2008-06-09T16:26:00.000+01:00

Published : 1970
Pages : 607
Overall Mark : 6/10

Colonel Paige Russell is hired by a large company to find soil samples on distant planets and bring them back to the company for study. His investigations soon lead him to discover some unusual facts about the bridges being built on Jupiter and an odd connection to an anti-gravity device called a spindizzy. Many years later, the spindizzies are being used to transport entire cities across the Universe in an attempt to both colonise other planets and also to get away from the Earth.

This is an odd science fiction novel to say the least. It seems to come from a political stand point and gives a lot of information without actually telling the reader a whole lot. It feels a lot longer than its 600+ pages, but can be entertaining in parts. I’d skim read the first section if I were you, the remainder of the books are a vast improvement.

BLAZE By Stephen King

2008-05-20T16:51:00.001+01:00

Published : 2007
Pages : 309
Overall Mark : 9/10

Clayton Blaisdell Jr, aka Blaze, is a simple man who turned to crime as something of a last resort because he wasn’t clever enough to do anything else. His best friend and partner in crime, George, had died whilst they were coming up with a plan to make one final big wad of cash, so Blaze decides to try out the plan on his own: the plan being to kidnap the child of a rich family and hold it to ransom. Unfortunately Blaze finds himself forming a bond with the baby and decided he doesn’t really want to give the child back.

This is a nice novel because it actually has the reader sympathising with someone who, in the best sense of the word, is the villain of the piece, and turns them into something of a hero. Blaze is a likeable character, and the reasons for his criminal behaviour are explained in the many flashback sequences which pepper this novel. Stephen King is back on form here, and it’s surprising that this novel got turned down for publication over thirty years ago.

BABEL-17 By Samuel R Delany

2008-05-02T16:37:00.000+01:00

Published : 1967
Pages : 193
Overall Mark : 6/10

Rydra Wong, a famous poet and more importantly an expert in languages, is hired to investigate a language, known by the name Babel-17, which is being used by an alien race as a communication tool for a number of terrorist attacks. She puts together a crew and travels in search of more information, but as she starts to learn the language through the aid of a murder known only as The Butcher, she discovers that the language itself may be used as a weapon, as it can control people’s perceptions and thoughts by forcing parts of their brain to shut down.

I wasn’t particularly impressed with this novel, although the idea it is based around is a very interesting and original one. Some of the characters do prove to be interesting as, in her search for the key to Babel-17, Rydra Wong meets a number of people who all have drastically different perceptions of reality themselves, proving to be a nice counterpoint to the subject of the novel itself.

HIGH FIDELITY By Nick Hornby

2008-04-22T13:05:00.000+01:00

Published : 1995
Pages : 253
Overall Mark : 9/10

After his girlfriend Laura leaves him for another man, Rob Fleming decides to look back at his top five relationships and try to figure out where he’s been going wrong. As he meets up with his exes one by one, he starts to realise that many of the relationships didn’t just fail because of him, and that with each failure there were two people to blame. So, when Laura’s father dies, Rob takes the opportunity to try and be the better man and attempts to face his fear of death which has lead to his fear of commitment.

This is a great little book, and not just because we’re given the skewed view of a sole individual whose opinions soon begin to become our own. Rob’s belief that his only failing is his fear of commitment sounds like a small thing, but this fear impacts on not just his relationships but his work situation as well. Mixed in with his musical snobbery, this makes for a fun filled yet emotional rollercoaster which we are invited to take part in, and also given the opportunity to reach some of our own conclusions thanks to the partly open ended ending.

THE STARS MY DESTINATION By Alfred Bester

2008-04-10T15:16:00.002+01:00

Published : 1956
Pages : 258
Overall Mark : 8/10

After drifting in space for a number of weeks as the only survivor of his ship, the Nomad, Gully Foyle is rescued by a group of people who set about tattooing his face with stripes similar to that of a tiger. Foyle soon decides to seek revenge on the crew of a spacecraft named the Vorga, which passed him by and ignored his distress call, by using his ability to teleport – a universal ability which most of the population can perform – to find them and kill them, but as his journey brings him ever closer to those responsible, he starts to discover some interesting facts about both them and himself.

This is a great little sci-fi novel, with a lead character which you sympathise with whilst also taking an instant disliking to. Bester manages with expert ease to build a framework around Gully Foyle and the rest of the supporting characters which is both believable and strangely accessible, whilst creating scenarios and settings which are both fantastic and highly imaginative.

A SIMPLE PLAN By Scott Smith

2008-03-25T12:07:00.000Z

Published : 1993
Pages : 416
Overall Mark : 8/10

Hank and Jacob Mitchell discover a crashed plane on their way to visit their father’s grave site. Along with Jacob’s friend Lou, they find a dead pilot and a large quantity of money on board, and Hank comes up with the idea of holding the money in secret until they can be sure that the police aren’t looking for it, then split it three ways. But as Lou becomes increasingly eager for his share in the money, Hank realises he may have to resort to drastic action to ensure they can keep the money.

This is a very well paced book, which slowly but surely changes Hank Mitchell’s character into something of a mad man. There are a few moments that didn’t really flow very well, such as the chapter where Hank tries to retrieve some of the money from a shop, but other than these small moments where the story seems to be going off on a tangent, this is a very well written first novel.

THE FOREVER WAR By Joe Haldeman

2008-02-29T16:15:00.001Z

Published : 1974
Pages : 253
Overall Mark : 9/10

William Mandella is a soldier fighting in a war against an alien race known as the Taurans, a war that may not seem to him to go on forever, but does none the less. In order to travel to their rendezvous to fight the aliens, the soldiers are shipped through worm holes which cause time to seem to stand still for them, and consequently many years pass for them back on Earth. Each trip Mandella is faced with the prospect of coming back to a new and vastly transformed world, ranging from an Earth that promotes homosexuality as the norm to stop the population from booming, to a world entirely made up of clones, all the while hoping to meet up again with fellow soldier and love interest Marygay Potter.

This is a great novel, and I’m glad I picked it up. The characters are solid and believable, and the book flows beautifully from start to finish. Some people believe that this novel is based on Haldeman’s tour of duty in Vietnam, and the sense of not belonging that Mandella feels each time he returns to Earth, coupled with the idea of the government not even knowing anything much about their enemy, makes me believe that this could well be the case.

DEARLY DEVOTED DEXTER By Jeff Lindsay

2008-02-18T12:03:00.000Z

Published : 2005
Pages : 296
Overall Mark : 8/10

Dexter finds life increasingly difficult as he is stalked at every turn by Sergeant Doakes, who suspects Dexter of being up to something sinister, maybe even suspecting he’s a killer. Dexter finds himself having to retreat further into his “fake” life with Rita, and even goes as far as to get engaged to her. Things do start to become easier for him though when a criminal from Doakes’s past shows up, a criminal known as Dr Danco who brutally mutilates his victims by chopping off their arms, legs and genitals, and cuts off their eyelids and tongue, but leaves them alive, earning them the slightly evil nickname of the Singing Potatoes. This killer could spell a reprive for Dexter because he’s after all the members of the Black Ops team of which Doakes was a member.

With all of the character’s already introduced in the first novel, this left us with a lot more time to get to know the criminal in this novel, as well as focus on fewer characters. The criminal here, Dr Danco, is a lot more gruesome than the Ice Truck Killer in the first novel, and it would have been interesting to see him transferred to the small screen in the Dexter TV show, but sadly it doesn’t look like this will be happening. I look forward to Jeff Lindsay’s next installemtn, Dexter After Dark, which I’ll hopefully be reading soon.

WINTERSMITH By Terry Pratchett

2008-01-31T10:44:00.002Z

Published : 2006
Pages : 400
Overall Mark : 8.5/10

Tiffany Aching finds her world turned upside down once again when she decides to dance at the Wintersmith celebrations. This simple action attracts the attention of the Wintersmith himself, who mistakes Tiffany for the spirit of Summer, and due to Tiffany’s interference, it appears that winter may now never come end! Eventually, realising what a danger this new, more human version of the Wintersmith might be, Granny Weatherwax decides to get the Nac Mac Feegles to find Roland, Tiffany’s sort-of love interest, and send him into the underworld to find the real spirit of Summer so that Tiffany can again swap places with her and then the world can be saved.

In many ways this novel is a significant improvement on the previous instalment. The plot flows smoothly and keeps the reader thoroughly interested in what will happen next. I’m happy to her that another Tiffany Aching novel is in the offing, as I can only imagine the characters and situations will continue to go from strength to strength.

FOREVER ODD By Dean Koontz

2008-01-16T16:17:00.000Z

Published : 2005
Pages : 420
Overall Mark : 7/10

When Odd Thomas’s childhood friend is kidnapped, Odd finds himself having to deal with a crazy woman who thinks Odd can show her the dead. As he ventures to an abandoned hotel to meet with the woman and try to save his friend, he discovers that many of the people who died in the hotel’s infamous fire have remained as spirits

I didn’t like this as much as the original book, but it was still pretty good. Odd has grown since the first novel, but he feels like more of a loner as he doesn’t have anyone to share his life with. The ending also gives the perfect in for the third novel, which I’m sure I’ll get around to reading one day…

DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP? By Philip K Dick

2008-01-07T11:04:00.002Z

Published : 1968
Pages : 210
Overall Mark : 9/10

Bounty hunter Rick Deckard can’t believe his luck when Dave Holden, one of his fellow bounty hunters, is injured in the line of duty by an android called a Nexus-6, one of the most advanced androids built to date, and he is handed his current list of rogue androids to hunt down and collect the rewards. As he begins his search for the dangerous automatons, he realises that perhaps they’re not so different from humans when he meets a woman named Rachael Rosen, who turns out to be an android herself, and he finds himself falling for her.

This is possibly one of the most well known science fiction pieces ever written, and definitely Dick’s most widely read work. Famously made into Blade Runner by Ridley Scott in 1982, this is actually in many ways superior to the movie, concentrating more on the story as a sort of parable on race relations than an out and out action piece.

LISEY’S STORY By Stephen King

2007-12-28T12:19:00.000Z

Published : 2006
Pages : 667
Overall Mark : 7/10

Lisey Landon is the widow of famed author Scott Landon, and deeply misses her dead husband. As she tries to cope with her husband’s death, she is confronted by a number of people who want to get their hands on his unpublished work, including a man named Dooley who threatens Lisey with violence if he is not given the remaining works, but as Lisey looks through Scott’s remaining works, she discovers some long forgotten secrets about him, including a dead brother and a fantasy world which is far more real than she first believed.

This is another of King’s weirder stories, slightly reminiscent of such works as "Secret Window, Secret Garden" and "From A Buick 8". The characters here are engaging and well thought out, and the seemingly simple scenario is stretched to near breaking point in it’s complexities, which just goes to show that King is getting back on track with some of his earlier works.

MEN OF TOMORROW By Gerard Jones

2007-11-26T14:03:00.000Z

Published : 2004
Pages : 340
Overall Mark : 6/10

Starting in war time America, this book takes a look at the history of the modern comic book, with its history coming from such diverse areas as the Jewish science fiction writing community to the gangsters of the 20s and 30s. This looks at the differing levels of success had by many of the key figures in comic book history, from the creators of Superman and their struggle to retain creative control and ownership, right up to the inception of Marvel comics and their more fun loving approach to the business.

This was an interesting read, with lots of worrying aspects pointed out about the early life of the comic book maker. Much of the focus of this book is on the monetary gains and losses caused by comic books in their early years of manufacture, and the notion that people who follow their dream may find it soon turns into something of a nightmare.

DARKLY DREAMING DEXTER By Jeff Lindsay

2007-11-08T11:47:00.000Z

Published : 2004
Pages : 275
Overall Mark : 9/10

Dexter Morgan works for the Miami police force as a lab technician, but in his spare time he harbours a dark secret. Dexter is a serial killer, specialising in torturing and murdering people who truly deserve to die, and he manages to cope with all the killings by distancing himself from other people by putting on a façade to hide his natural uncaring state. But when a new serial killer comes to town, one whose techniques Dexter finds attractive and fascinating, he realises that perhaps his murders have gone too far and that this new killer may actually be him acting without his own knowledge…

For a first novel, Jeff Lindsay does done an amazing job with the character of Dexter. By creating a truly likeable lead, despite his penchant for murder, Lindsay has given us a uniquely fascinating insight into the mind of a killer who is actually very likeable, and you’ll even find yourself routing for him at times.

I, ROBOT By Isaac Asimov

2007-10-24T15:09:00.000+01:00

Published : 1950
Pages : 249
Overall Mark : 8.5/10

Dr Susan Calvin recounts some of her more memorable experiences with robots, largely focussing on the innate problems people are faced with by the three laws of robotics. Her stories span from tales of little girls and their pet robots, robots forming gangs or unions, robots choosing self preservation over that of a human, and their sometimes eventual conclusions that they know what’s best for society more than humanity does!

This is an interesting collection of short stories, in which Asimov has clearly thought through the relative merits and problems of his invented three laws. It seems to me that he genuinely believes that they would not work, and that any attempt to make them work would lead to anarchy. The writing is simple and entertaining, and Asimov at no point tries to blind the reader with science but instead leads them by the hand, explaining everything along the way.

ODD THOMAS By Dean Koontz

2007-10-16T13:09:00.000+01:00

Published : 2004
Pages : 420
Overall Mark : 8/10

Odd Thomas lives in the little town of Pico Mundo, and possessed the uncanny ability to sense creatures called bodachs, spirits who hang around with those who are either soon to be dead or are soon to kill! When he sees a man named Robert Robertson, aka. "Fungus Man", being followed around town with his own entourage of bodachs, and is then threatened by the man, Odd decides to confide in the Chief of Police who keeps his house under careful watched. But when Fungus Man turns up dead in Odd’s bathtub, he realises that something worse than he could possibly imagine maybe about to happen!

This is possibly one of Koontz’s most original novels - although there is a slight underlying feeling of Stephen King’s The Dead Zone - and clearly this was popular as it has two sequels already. This book flows very quickly and very fluidly, with only one or two chapters that felt like filler, and it has a nice surprise double-bluff ending.

DEJA DEAD By Kathy Reichs

2007-10-02T14:39:00.001+01:00

Published : 1998
Pages : 509
Overall Mark : 7/10

Dr Temperance Brennan, the Director of Forensic Anthropology for the province of Quebec, believes that she has a serial killer on her hands. A number of dead female bodies have turned up, mutilated with the hands chopped off and foreign objects inserted into them. Temperance’s belief that the killers are all the same person is refuted by her colleagues and the investigating detectives, particularly Detective Claudel, so she takes it upon herself to investigate the murders with startling results.

This is the first of Kathy Reichs’ Temperance Brennan novels, and a fine first stab at the thriller genre. Although many of the characters don’t seem to possess more than one dimension, Temperance remains a likeable key person in the novel, though sometimes she veers off into sounding like a bit of a desperate case, which doesn’t really suit her character that much.

A HAT FULL OF SKY By Terry Pratchett

2007-09-18T11:38:00.000+01:00

Published : 2004
Pages : 350
Overall Mark : 8/10

Tiffany Aching has left home is now preparing to become a fully fledged witch with her new teacher, Miss Level, who is fortunate enough to possess two bodies, but upon arriving at Miss Level’s cottage Tiffany starts to sense a strange presence which lurks in her room, tidying up after her. When she is then possessed by a creature called a Hiver, the Nac Mac Feegle return, with the help of Mistress Weatherwax, to try and rid Tiffany of the invasive presence which allows Tiffany to act without conscience and do things she wouldn’t ordinarily do, such as kill!

This follow up to Pratchett’s 2003 novel The Wee Free Men is every bit as good, with the characters having actually progressed and grown over the two year gap in narration. Pratchett is in no way slowing down as he gets older, and in many cases his books are going from strength to strength, with this one – though primarily aimed at children – showing he is not growing short of ideas.

MARY MARY By James Patterson

2007-09-07T14:40:00.000+01:00

Published : 2005
Pages : 435
Overall Mark : 7/10

Alex Cross is called in to help investigate the mysterious serial killer known as Mary Smith, who is apparently murdering random A-List celebrities whose only seeming connection is that they are all young women and good parents. As he becomes more and more involved in the case, his personal life takes a beating as his one time partner and mother of his youngest child fights him for custody, whilst all the while the FBI find themselves having to contend with a very secretive LAPD.

Almost from the very first page Patterson manages to confuse the reader by filling this novel with red herrings and misdirection. A number of the characters are there simply to lead the reader away from discovering who the real killer is, and it’s interesting in hind sight that the killer is introduced reasonably early on without it being entirely obvious who they are.

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS By J K Rowling

2007-08-24T16:45:00.000+01:00

Published : 2007
Pages : 607
Overall Mark : 8/10

Harry Potter finds himself on the run from the Ministry Of Magic and the evil Death Eater’s of Lord Voldemort. Along with his friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, they go in search of the horcruxes which Voldemort has used to store pieces of his soul in the vain hope of destroying him once and for all, but when they discover along the way that some of the horcruxes are far more than they first appear to be.

This is the last Harry Potter novel, apparently, and I’m actually quite glad it’s finally come to an end. Some series of books outstay their welcome, but thankfully this has ended on a high, following a rather poor fifth instalment, and a very good sixth! JK Rowling will no doubt either come up with a new character who will in no way be as good as Potter and his friends, but she won’t care because she’s made more than enough money already. Overall this book was a little too slow paced for my liking, with the ending feeling a bit too rushed for my liking, but it’s still one of the best children’s books out there at the moment, and has managed to achieve the unthinkable; crossing over into adult fiction.

CELL By Stephen King

2007-08-16T16:11:00.001+01:00

Published : 2006
Pages : 473
Overall Mark : 7/10

While in Boston on a business trip to try and sell his new comic book, Clayton Riddell finds himself one of the few people in the USA not to be affected by a telephone pulse which has been sent through the phone networks, transforming anyone who used the phone into a seemingly mindless zombie. Realising that his family might be at risk, Clay decides to try to make the journey home, little realising that his home state of Maine could well be where the pulse originated from.

This novel was extremely similar to King’s earlier novel, The Stand, which in turn takes a lot from Richard Matheson’s I Am Legend. King’s usual originality is missing here, instead he seems to be taking elements from his other works and mixing them around in the hope that he’ll come up with something new. Despite the feeling of being there before when I read this, I still found it to be an enjoyable read, and hope that King can keep up the good, though now not that original, work.

I AM LEGEND By Richard Matheson

2007-08-02T14:56:00.000+01:00

Published : 1954
Pages : 160
Overall Mark : 9/10

Robert Neville is the last human alive on Earth. The rest of humanity, and indeed the animal kingdom, has succumbed to a terrible disease which transforms them into vampire-like creatures of the night. Finding himself scared and alone, Neville barricades himself in his house and prepares for an inevitable future of non-stop terror and alertness, trying to protect himself from the creatures who were once his friends and neighbours. But when he meets a young woman who appears, like himself, to be free of the illness, things start to look up for Robert Neville.

I was surprised at how modern this book felt. Richard Matheson manages to make this book feel contemporary even by today’s standards and, as this is supposed to be set in the late 70s, that’s not an easy task! This novel has been imitated by many, most recently in Stephen King’s Cell, but will always remain one of the original and the best of the modern vampire novels, up there with the likes of Dracula!

CROSS By James Patterson

2007-07-18T14:53:00.000+01:00

Published : 2006
Pages : 436
Overall Mark : 7.5/10

When a series of sexual attacks take place throughout Washington, Alex Cross finds himself having to come out of retirement from the FBI to help investigate the terrible crimes. He is asked to use his skills as a psychologist to try to get any of the victims to describe their attacker, and to explain why all the victims are so afraid to talk to the police about the assaults. Alex soon finds that there are mob connections to the attacks and a possible link to the unsolved murder of his own wife many years before…

I do enjoy James Patterson’s books – the chapters are so short they make the perfect light-read on the way to and from work. Once again Patterson has managed to keep me engrossed until the final page, and this time around he’s really gone all out with the violence, something he usually would keep to a psychological level. Probably not as good as some of his previous offerings, such as Kiss The Girls, but far better than The Big Bad Wolf.

THE RUINS By Scott Smith

2007-07-09T14:05:00.000+01:00

Published : 2007
Pages : 528
Overall Mark : 7/10

While on holiday in Cancun, four American tourists, Eric, Jeff, Amy and Stacy meet some Greek and German tourists. The German tourist, Mathias, invites them to help find his brother who has gone missing while investigating some ancient ruins. The Americans and one of the Greeks agree to join him in his search but, once they arrive at the ruins, they find themselves being held prisoner by the local Mayan tribe, who refuse to let them leave the hill where the ruins lie. As they discover that the previous visitors have all been killed, seemingly by the tribe, they slowly begin to fear for their lives!

Although this starts off very slowly, I stuck with it at the recommendation of a friend, and I'm glad I did. Although predominently a downbeat piece with everything really going from bad to worse for the characters, I found myself chuckling about many of the scenarios, even using the terms "nazi.. boyscout" in everyday conversation. This is definitely not the best book I've ever read, but it does have a lot going for it in terms of entertainment value.