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

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

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

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.