HOW TO BE GOOD By Nick Hornby

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.