SOMETHING COMING THROUGH

BOOK REVIEW: SOMETHING COMING THROUGH / AUTHOR: PAUL MCAULEY / PUBLISHER: GOLLANCZ / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

The promising tagline welcoming the reader states ‘The aliens are here. And they want to help’. Well, or so they claim. Something Coming Through is the latest novel from Paul McAuley, who also penned Fairlyland and the Doctor Who novella Eye of the Tyger, as well as many other science fiction books and short stories.

The story features an alien species called the Jackaroo, who make first contact with Earth after the planet has been ruined by nuclear and environmental disaster. They offer to help the human race recover by giving humanity 15 habitable new planets and the technology to reach them without it taking a lifetime to get there. Jam packed full of ideas and excellent world building, the chapters alternate between investigations on Earth and a murder investigation on one of the colony planets.

Throughout the novel Paul McAuley does an excellent job at creating a sense of mystery and suspense, which is often missing from the alien invasion genre. After alien artefacts are found on the new worlds, the human characters are forced to question whether the Jackaroo really arrived to solve all of mankind’s environmental and geopolitical problems, or do they have other motives? What happened to the former inhabitants of the 15 planets mankind have colonised?

A big problem with creating a convincing alien species is making them completely different to anything on Earth but similar enough so that human characters can interact with them. The author, however, solves this problem by having the aliens make contact via quasi-organic avatars instead. The fact that we have no idea what they really look like adds to the mystery and suspense.

As well as James Cameron’s science fiction film Avatar, the novel also seems to have taken inspiration from Nigel Kneale’s Quatermass and the Pit, particularly the way McAuley mixes supernatural elements like ghosts with extraterrestrials. Full of exciting plot twists and an intriguing mix of human and non-human characters, this murder mystery set in a dystopian backdrop is future history at its very best.
 

NO LIFE BUT THIS

BOOK REVIEW: NO LIFE BUT THIS / AUTHOR: ANNA SHEEHAN / PUBLISHER: GOLLANCZ / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Anna Sheehan’s sequel to The Long, Long Sleep arrives three years later and is a ‘standalone’ sequel, meaning you don’t necessarily need to have read A Long, Long Sleep but it might help you gain a grounding of the complex sci-fi world Sheehan has created which features in both novels.

The Long, Long Sleep featured Rose Fitzroy who upon being awakened from a deep hyper sleep finds out that she is the heir to an empire and finds herself struggling to be relevant in a society so radically different from what she remembers. The futuristic world of A Long, Long Sleep and No Life But This span an entire galaxy. While No Life But This‘ focus is drawn to Otto Sextus and a group of survivors from the Europa Experiment. Otto is dying as a result of the experiment and the small chance he has to save his own life lies in the hands of Rose.

While lead character Otto can only communicate by touching people to telepathically talk or occasionally whisper, he is never the true focus, either to himself or to the reader. His love for Rose permeates through the book and Rose remains the central character which is an intriguing concept to pull off balancing both Otto’s struggle and Rose, who is maturing while trying to remain an integral part of the world 

While Sheehan has crafted a detailed, living futuristic world it is in her character’s complexities that there is the most interest in. For good sci-fi is always rooted in humanity. While some of the descriptions about the world grow tiresome, the characters never do. No Life But This starts off with an Emily Dickinson poem ‘I have no life but this, to lead it here, Nor any death but lest, Dispelled from there’ and it’s a stunningly astute correlation to the characters in the book. Otto’s struggle to fight his fate and find meaning with Rose and his life.

No Life But This focuses on the humanity (and lack thereof) of characters. Otto’s struggle to find his answers is bitter-sweet and the romance between Otto and Rose is compelling and well-drawn out. The prose has a natural flow and Otto’s perspective creates a great insight into the story and a unique perspective which differs from The Long, Long Sleep.

No Life But This is a deep and emotionally complex sci-fi novel, though it remains relevant with its unique perspective on humanity, hope and love grounding it’s characters in humanity while they daunted by this interplanetary empire.
 

THE AVENGERS VAULT

BOOK REVIEW: THE AVENGERS VAULT / AUTHOR: PETER A. DAVID / PUBLISHER: AURUM PRESS / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW 

Those of you familiar with Marvel’s Avengers and those familiar with the recent ‘vault’ genre of coffee table book will be pleased to learn that the two have now intersected, resulting in a book that will please many a fan of the long running franchise. (Although we wouldn’t suggest spending full retail price on a book about a franchise you couldn’t care less about; that’s just masochistic.) Sadly, those of us who were hoping for a vault book about the other famous team of Avengers (John Steed and Emma Peel; ask your mum) are out of luck. Alas, we must review this well-written and informative book. Woe is us.

Fortunately, the author of the book that will be used to induct newbies into the Avengers franchise is written by an author of pedigree, Peter David (ably assisted by Bob Greenberger, who by David’s admission wrote the first chapter completely uncredited). Having written a bunch of Star Trek novels and the Amazing Spider-Man Vault book a few years back, not to mention 12 years on the Incredible Hulk comic, he’s one of the best people that Marvel could’ve picked to write this book. David’s witty and humorous style, as well as his extensive memory of Marvel trivia, makes sure this isn’t just a bunch of hastily rewritten Wikipedia articles cobbled together.

Real care and attention has gone into making this the best guide you can have. As usual for a ‘vault’ style book, it comes with fun little bits and pieces you can pull out and look at, including a reproduction of an old Avengers membership card. Having said that, we would’ve appreciated some more of them. Having only ten pieces of memorabilia (two per hero, two for the gang as a whole) in the whole book seems a bit stingy; there must have been a lot to choose from, surely?

All the same, if you aren’t fans of the Avengers, you’ll probably still enjoy the book.

Long story short, we enjoyed it hugely. ‘Nuff said!
 

DOCTOR WHO – TIME TRIPS (THE COLLECTION)

BOOK REVIEW: DOCTOR WHO – TIME TRIPS (THE COLLECTION) / AUTHOR: VARIOUS / PUBLISHER: BBC BOOKS / RELEASE DATE: MARCH 5TH

Time Trips was a series of short Doctor Who eBooks released throughout 2014, authored by successful novelists with a Doctor of their choice. All eight are now available in a handy hardcover, along with a bonus Twelfth Doctor tale.

The collection opens strongly with A. L. Kennedy’s The Death Pit, a hilarious adventure in which the Fourth Doctor tracks a dangerous creature around an Arbroath spa hotel. As well as the finest description of a man being eaten by a golf bunker you’ll ever read, there’s a great one-off companion in frustrated receptionist Bryony.

In Jenny Colgan’s Into the Nowhere, the Eleventh Doctor and Clara land on an unknown planet. Though not all the imagery works (a certain biblical metaphor doesn’t make much sense), the dangers they face are magnificently spooky, including animated skeletons and sinister woods.

Nick Harkaway’s Keeping Up With The Joneses sees the Tenth Doctor’s TARDIS hit by a temporal mine and the appearance of an enigmatic character who resembles Christina de Souza. Despite some laugh-out-loud funny insights into this Doctor’s mind, the ambitiously grand plot becomes confusing.

Another Tenth Doctor adventure, Cecilia Ahern’s The Bog Warrior, is the weakest of the lot. A weird Cinderella-in-space story featuring a beautiful princess and a superweapon disguised as a pair of shoes, it’s full of awkward clichés, the dialogue is clunky, and the Doctor acts horribly out of character.

The Third Doctor also gets two goes; in Trudi Canavan’s Salt of the Earth, he and Jo investigate an evil salt in Australia. It’s a nicely plotted mystery with a lovely sequence from the perspective of a dog.

And in Joanne Harris’ The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Time Traveller, he finds himself in an Oxfordshire village with a suspiciously childish parade. The reveal stretches suspension of disbelief but is nonetheless heartbreaking.

The Sixth Doctor and Peri meet Elizabethan astronomer John Dee in Jake Arnott’s A Handful of Stardust, but the Master shows up with a characteristically silly plan. Despite an overly generic plot, it’s a fun romp that feels like a Tennant-era celebrity historical.

Stella Duffy’s The Anti-Hero is another historical tale, in which the Second Doctor, Jamie and Zoe visit the Musaeum of Alexandria, circa 60AD. The setting is vividly captured and there’s an intriguing mystery revolving around the Muses – though it’s let down by a rushed climax.

Finally, the new Twelfth Doctor and Clara story, Jenny Colgan’s A Long Way Down, revolves neatly around its gimmick – as the Doctor falls towards a planet, the writing spirals around the book’s dust jacket, which you must remove to get the whole story.

Overall, this collection’s a mixed bag, with too many disappointments and the problem of some Doctors getting two stories while others are left out. But, thanks to a few standouts, you won’t regret getting onboard for these trips.
 

A DARKER SIDE OF MAGIC

BOOK REVIEW: A DARKER SHADE OF MAGIC / AUTHOR: V.E. SCHWAB / PUBLISHER: TOR BOOKS / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

There is a lot going on in V. E. Schwab’s new novel A Darker Shade of Magic. There are dashing princes, aspiring pirates, murderers and miscreants and a great deal of magic. To cap it all there are also four Londons; Grey London is bland and drab and the least magical of the quartet; Red London is beautiful and idyllic, ruled over by a benevolent Royal Family; White London is harsh and foreboding where the throne is held by whoever fights the dirtiest; and there is Black London, sealed off from the rest and almost forgotten about altogether. Virtually unique in his ability to travel between these parallel worlds is Kell, one of the last of the Antari; human’s with magic running through their blood. Kell’s life is pretty damn good until after a moment of weakness he finds himself fighting for his life and reluctantly must rely on the help of Lila, a young woman with a lifetime spent on the run.

A Darker Shade of Magic is a spellbinding (pun intended) mix of fantasy adventure and exciting intrigue that captivates the reader with striking imagery and surprisingly relatable characters. There is also a sublime effortlessness to the way in which Schwab introduces each element of her created world, trusting the reader to follow the twists and turns of the story without ever falling into the trap of overloading you with too much information. Instead, you simply find yourself accompanying these characters on their perilously exciting journey and in the end wish you had more time with them.

If this is to be the beginning of a series then it is a fantastic introduction to a world that demands further exploration. The possibilities would seem to be endless, with a multitude of stories hiding down the grim alleys of Grey London or within the dens of the cutthroats and thieves that populate White London. At a time when fantasy literature falls too easily into dystopia Schwab has created a novel that ends all too quickly leaving you pining for the next.

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BLACK WINGS OF CTHULHU VOLUME 3

BOOK REVIEW: BLACK WINGS OF CTHULHU VOLUME 3 / AUTHOR: VARIOUS / EDITOR: S.T. JOSHI / PUBLISHER: TITAN BOOKS / RELEASE DATE: MARCH 6TH

S. T. Joshi, adored by fans of H.P Lovecraft for his continual efforts to uncover rising authors in the genre of weird fiction, has returned with the third instalment in the Black Wings of Cthulhu series. He is known as a leading figure in the editing and revisions of Lovecraft’s work, and the Black Wings of Cthulhu series has been critically acclaimed for gathering well written stories inspired by Lovecraft.

The third instalment contains seventeen stories written by a variety of authors. This is less than the previous instalments, but is still worth the purchase for any Lovecraft fan. Joshi has ensured that he picks the correct tales to enable themes within Lovecraft’s work to still be a crucial part of the story, including the insignificance of humans and the terror that is minutes away from awakening. Many of the tales pay homage to Lovecraft by being set within Rhode Island. Perhaps the most important reason Lovecraft fans are so enthralled by the Black Wings series is the way characters can now be explored for the modern audience. The distinguishing feature of Lovecraft’s work was the absence of character building, which was completely effective and defined his stories. However, modern audiences want a loveable character that they can follow throughout a story, and S.T Joshi has allowed this to be accomplished.

The stories, like Lovecraft’s original work, vary in variety and setting and bring more to the story than previous neo- lovecraftian writers have achieved. Black Wings of Cthulhu Volume 3 has enabled writers to showcase their passion for Lovecraft’s work through the use of original ideas and placing them within Lovecraft’s distinctive themes. Highlights of the book include the stories Dimply Doll Doofy, a short story that explores a truly psychologically terrifying situation, and Hotel Del Lago, in which a stop in a hotel is a truly mysterious situation.

This entry into the Black Wings series is just as good as its predecessors. However, although the publisher has included ‘Cthulhu’ within the title due to its wide popularity and distinctive name, the book is unlikely to attract any readers other than diehard Lovecraft fans. S. T. Joshi, has, however, managed to gather and edit stories that will thrill Lovecraft fans and enable a modern audience to see the relevance that Lovecraft’s themes have in modern literature. All the stories have distinguishing features and truly reflect Lovecraft’s themes.

A superb entry into a series that is leading the way for writers of weird fiction. The Black Wings of Cthulhu series is likely to go on for many more years as it grows in popularity, and we eagerly await more neo- Lovecraftian tales of terrifying cosmic horror in 2016.
 

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GUNS OF THE DAWN

BOOK REVIEW: GUNS OF THE DAWN / AUTHOR: ADRIAN TCHAIKOVSKY / PUBLISHER: TOR / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Adrian Tchaikovsky is better known for his vast and sweeping Shadows of the Apt fantasy series, a set of novels that gained a cult following partially due to their clever use of simple ideas implemented in complex ways. His latest work, Guns of the Dawn is a flintlock fantasy adventure that can easily be described as Pride and Prejudice versus Sharpe.

To put it another way, Guns of the Dawn is the story of Emily Marshwic, a high society lady with wit and pragmatism (much like Elizabeth Bennet from Austen’s famous book). She had a pretty good life until the neighbouring nation decided to rid itself of their monarchy and have violent and bloody revolution.  With all the men in her family either dead, at the front, or both, the state demands that she pick up a flintlock and go to war. This she does, and doing so, is plunged into a world of violence and intrigue that far surpasses anything one finds in a Sunday tea-time period drama.

World building is steady and relentless; this is a fantasy novel with muskets, magic, war machines and social hierarchies. The reader is never overwhelmed with exposition, but it is a dense world and it’s a credit to the skill of the author that both the world and the characters contain plenty of surprises.

Guns of the Dawn does have its flaws, though. Tchaikovsky’s flowing style gets carried away sometimes and, with this being a book that is just shy of 700 pages long, some scenes could be shorter. There are two scenes, one physical and the other psychological, which might be a little bit too much for more sensitive tastes, though we recommend ploughing on as they are both worth the pay-off.

Guns of the Dawn is one of those books that you should set aside a quiet evening for; it’s a standalone story written in a linear sort of way. Combined with the author’s style, this means you’ll want to swallow it in one gulp. This is a book to enjoy as part of an evening’s self-indulgence and is strongly recommended.
 

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ANTI-HERO

BOOK REVIEW: ANTI-HERO / AUTHOR: JONATHAN WOOD / PUBLISHER: TITAN BOOKS / RELEASE DATE: MARCH 13TH

Life at MI37 is certainly never dull, and before you can say “But didn’t I save the world yesterday?” another terror is looming for Arthur Wallace and his co-workers, as they fight against the mystical, the supernatural, and the downright weird, to save humankind once again.

Anti-Hero is the latest instalment in author Jonathan Wood’s Arthur Wallace series that once again sees the team at MI37 chasing unspeakable horrors, and this time it’s a little too close to home as his co-workers threaten both his sanity and the world.

Our heroes, or should that be anti-heroes, are fighting one of the weirdest enemies yet, joining forces with a rather unlikely ally to save humanity and facing a few rather unusual threats along the way. It’s certainly not your everyday occurrence at the office when you find yourself battling against spore zombies, psychotic computer programmes and even rather questionable gigantic mushrooms, but it’s just another day at the office for the workers at MI37, and one that sees them take on their toughest challenge yet.

Making for an entertaining read, the story takes the team at MI37 to some of the toughest places yet as they make some incredibly difficult decisions to save humankind from an amusing but deadly threat that’s unlike any they’ve ever faced before. It’s a gripping story of dark humour and paranormal horror that’s certainly unlike any other you’ve read before. This horrific story of the supernatural, complete with plenty of dark humour, is almost like the result of a rather amusing collaboration between Douglas Adams and H.P Lovecraft (if such a thing were possible); an amusing read but with plenty of horrific notes laced throughout.

Anti-Hero makes for a gripping tale of dark comedic horror that’s hard to put down, an entertainingly dark and amusing read that will certainly be tough to follow. With the next instalment in the series due out later this year, you can only wonder what horrific calamities Arthur and his co-workers will face next.
 

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COMPANION PIECE (DOCTOR WHO)

BOOK REVIEW: COMPANION PIECE / AUTHOR: VARIOUS / EDITOR: L.M. MYLES, LIZ BARR / PUBLISHER: MAD NORWEGIAN PRESS / RELEASE DATE: APRIL 7TH

Companion Piece is a collection of more than thirty essays on the theme of the companions of Doctor Who. The writers are all women and L.M. Myles (Chicks Unravel Time) and Liz Barr edited the various contributions (and also added some insight of their own). The contributions cover as many angles on Doctor Who companions as there are writers, making for an intriguing collection.

With a wealth of choice, there will definitely be something for every reader and the essays range from a few pages to around half-a-dozen. The themes are equally varied, covering personal views on writers’ favourite companions, more erudite discussions of the thematics of various women (and men) who have travelled in the TARDIS and, of course, K9 and Kamelion.

Of course, we all differ and will have different favourites amongst such a rich mix of essays. Some are merely I like X because but many of those give in insight into the power of the show and its influence on its fans. And the writers are all fans (and in same cases, such as Una McCormack, have written for the show in various media).

The book focuses on the television continuity, though other forms such as audio, comic and novel get mentioned. The various essays are written for a knowledgeable audience, but not anything more obscure.

While some essays don’t pass the so what? test, as a collection this is an admirable set. Even if individual pieces don’t add much to your personal repertory of Whovian obscurata, they do present or argue their points of view well, and there is plenty here to interest any fan.

If you’ve ever considered contributing an essay on Doctor Who to any publication you would do well to consider how these are written, and if you are in the position of producing a publication of your own look here and admire the seamless way Myles and Barr have combined these varied contributions into a whole.
 

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ELEMENTARY – THE GHOST LINE

BOOK REVIEW: ELEMENTARY – THE GHOST LINE / ADAM CHRISTOPHER / PUBLISHER: TITAN BOOKS / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Good news for any American fans who may be jonesing for their weekly Elementary fix in the absence of an episode this week: Titan Books have employed the services of their own consulting writer, Adam Christopher, to pen the first in a series of tie-in novels. Based on this one, we hope they retain his services for a long while to come. Failing that, we hope there’s a secret stash of new ones that they release shortly after this one hits shelves.

The premise of the novel (Sherlock Holmes and his partner Watson going down into the dark and dank Victorian tunnels beneath the city to investigate a crime) is one that fits the classic Holmes iconography down to a tee. So much so that we deliberately didn’t specify which Watson it was. Set somewhere around the time of the first and second seasons, this book sees Holmes and Joan Watson summoned to an apartment in Hell’s Kitchen to investigate a sloppy execution of a man who had Colombian connections.

We must admit that for a Sherlock Holmes story it is surprisingly easy for genre-savvy readers to work out the broad strokes of the grand scheme, although this could be a result of our ‘suspect everything and everyone’ style of reading. Fortunately this doesn’t detract from a good tale, finely told.

For our money, the real selling point of this book is how superbly the author has captured the voices of the characters. All of the regulars sound exactly like they do in the series, but in particular Sherlock’s voice has been nailed so well it’s practically buried in the ground. This is where the novel really shines; like all the best tie-in fiction it’s like we’re watching an episode of the TV show. If for whatever reason Christopher decides that writing novels is no longer for him, we’re sure that he’d be able to get himself a job on the Elementary writing staff. But screenwriting’s gain would very much be the reader’s loss.
 

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