Review Category: Books

TRIGGER WARNING

BOOK REVIEW: TRIGGER WARNING / AUTHOR: NEIL GAIMAN / PUBLISHER: HEADLINE / RELEASE DATE: FEBRUARY 3RD

If you’re not an obsessive Neil Gaiman fan, you probably know one, and as the fantasy author’s cult following grows, so does his diverse bibliography, which includes novels, comics, Doctor Who episodes, and an appearance in The Simpsons. Those struggling to keep up with everything Gaiman should be pointed towards Trigger Warning, a collection bringing together many of his short stories from recent years, plus two original pieces.

The book also includes commentary giving fascinating context for each story and an introduction in which Gaiman explains the title, taken from the internet term used to warn viewers of potentially upsetting content – we all have our own triggers, he says, and these “monsters in our cupboards and our minds”, and what we learn from them, recurrently haunt his work. So be warned…

The big selling point of Trigger Warning is Black Dog, a new novella continuing the exploits of Shadow, the ex-convict with a supernatural secret from the author’s acclaimed novel American Gods. Shadow’s travels bring him to the Peak District, where a visit to the pub (as visits to rural pubs are wont to do) leads Shadow into a typically weird and wonderful mystery including jealous lovers, a Gateway to Hell, and mummified cats. Though nothing could quite live up to the Hugo and Nebula-winning American Gods, Black Dog is an intriguing progression of its world as well as a clever and meaningful story in its own right, with thought-provoking rumination on the nature of depression.

What else can be found in Trigger Warning? There’s Nothing O’Clock, the Doctor Who story Gaiman contributed to the 50th anniversary, in which he captures the Eleventh Doctor and Amy Pond perfectly as they come face to mask with the terrifying Kin. A Case of Death and Honey asks why Sherlock Holmes would really take up beekeeping in his old age. The Man Who Forgot Ray Bradbury is a touching tribute to the sci-fi legend who sadly died in 2012. There’s A Calendar of Tales, a social media experiment in which Gaiman adapted 12 tweets from his followers into very short stories, one for each month of the year. And so much more, which you’ll have to discover for yourself.

If there’s one thing to criticise, it’s that only two of the stories are original to this volume, and so Gaiman fans will be already familiar with much of the material (but then again, the true fan needs everything neatly collected in print, right?). Nevertheless, all the stories old and new showcase Gaiman’s masterful command of the English language, over themes as grand as mythology and as personal as heartbreak, and over what really keeps us awake at night, wondering about that word we can’t remember or that creaking in the floorboard.

WEIRDER SHADOWS OVER INNSMOUTH

BOOK REVIEW: WEIRDER SHADOWS OVER INNSMOUTH / EDITOR: STEPHEN JONES / PUBLISHER: TITAN BOOKS / RELEASE DATE: JANUARY 30TH

Fans of H.P. Lovecraft and horror will just love this latest collection of fiction compiled by Stephen Jones. A continuation of his work on previous collections; Shadows over Innsmouth and Weird shadows over Innsmouth; Weirder Shadows over Innsmouth sees a well thought-out and wonderfully curated homage to Lovecraft’s work.

Much like the previous books, Weirder Shadows over Innsmouth brings together a collection of short stories inspired by Lovecraft’s classic horror novella The Shadows over Innsmouth. Each one unique in its own way, but still retaining those crucial similarities that brings them all together in this compilation. Two selected works by the master himself round it off to a perfect collection of horror stories.

From military operations to secretive clans and even garish seafarers, each story takes on its own unique twist, whilst still paying a perfectly fitting homage to Lovecraft’s work.

Whether it’s a look at the horrors of the modern world interwoven with a heavy dose of cosmic horror in Brian Hodge’s The Same Deep Waters As You, or a light-hearted look at Lovecraft’s classic creatures seen through the eyes of a child in Kim Newman’s Richard Riddle, Boy Detective in ‘The Case of the French Spy’, each story has its own unique take on the classic story, with the authors’ own personal touches transfixing the reader with their tales of malignant horror.

Whilst this compilation of stories may have been somewhat of a struggle to come to light, it’s one that’s certainly been worth it, with the end result being a perfectly thought-out collection of tales that makes for a fitting homage to Lovecraft’s work. Each author breathes new life into the classic horror genre, making for an enjoyable read that’s a delight for fans; let’s just hope that they haven’t sprung a set of new gills in the process of compiling this magnificent compilation of horror stories.

ENSNARED

BOOK REVIEW: ENSNARED / AUTHOR: A. G. HOWARD / PUBLISHER: AMULET BOOKS / RELEASE DATE: JANUARY 13TH

Ensnared is the third and final entry in A. G. Howard’s Splintered Trilogy, which saw the Texan-set author putting her own fevered spin on Lewis Carroll’s tapped-out nonsense novel. Although Alice in Wonderland should be off-limits to the next generation of creatives, Howard’s book is a sly and cunning end to an interesting series.

Having embraced madness after a battle at her prom, Alyssa Gardner (an ancestor of the real-life inspiration behind Carroll’s novel) must journey into a realm of magic and mayhem, and challenge Queen Red. Together with her compadres Jeb and Morpheus, it falls on Alyssa to save Wonderland from destruction.

The archaic quality to the prose harks back to the Victorian source material, but provides a wonderful respite from the loud-but-lazy voices of the genre (read: Stephanie Meyer et al). It’s obvious that Howard has a love of classic literature and language itself, infused throughout the novel, which is a great way to introduce impressionable readers to the magic of the written word, and we’re all for that.

There’s a teenage fanaticism to the story, an embarrassing romanticism of madness, and Alyssa can be an awkward narrator but she’s still one of the finer heroes to emerge from the YA literary pool for years.

One of the Howard’s greatest strengths, certainly with this series, is the exaggerated darkness extracted straight from the source material and blown up to near farcical extremes, and it’s pretty darn entertaining.

The front cover may mark it out as one with the dregs of the dark fantasy genre, but inside is an impassioned ode to Alice in Wonderland; an obsessive’s love letter. Ensnared bids a fond farewell to readers and puts two fingers up to naysayers.

MODERN SCI-FI FILMS FAQ

BOOK REVIEW: MODERN SCI-FI FILMS FAQ / AUTHOR: TOM DEMICHAEL / PUBLISHER: APPLAUSE BOOKS / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Author Tom DeMichael is pretty pleased with himself. As he frequently reminds the reader in the first chapters of his book on modern science fiction films, he has written this thick stack of pages and until you have your own book published, you have no right to challenge anything he writes.

Unfortunately, Modern Sci-Fi Films FAQ is so safe (and a little bland) that you definitely won’t feel the need to challenge or question anything DeMichael has written. The only thing you might wish to criticise is that completely misleading title. For this is not a list of Frequently Asked Questions about modern science fiction films at all. In fact, there are neither questions nor answers, and instead this is just another title in Applause Books’ series on a range of film and TV topics, that is inappropriately labelled as an FAQ book. Still how much fun could a list of questions and answers really be?

Instead, DeMichael gives a comprehensive overview of modern science fiction cinema from the 1970s onwards. Beginning with the literary greats who influenced and inspired filmmakers from Kubrick to Spielberg and ending with some of the most important people behind the special effects required to bring sci-fi stories to the big screen, it is an occasionally fascinating delve into one of the most entertaining and frequently experimental of film genres.

The real problem is that a huge chunk of this book is given over to detailing some of the most important films ever to have boldly gone where no films had gone before. While it should be a pleasure to read about some of your favourite sci-fi films, some others that you may not have seen, and possibly even a couple you may not have even heard of, the structure and focus of this book can be frustrating. For each film, DeMichael takes you through a synopsis of every single plot point from the first scene to the last; so if you’ve seen the film already, you will likely wish to skip this detailed retelling of the story and if you haven’t already had the pleasure of a viewing, then you sure as hell won’t want to read how it ends. DeMichael also includes some trivia about the films, which is more interesting and revealing, though major fans of the genre will likely have already read much of this before. Also the categories (e.g. future worlds, alternate worlds, time travel etc) occasionally have a tendency to overlap and some of the inclusions and exclusions are a little baffling.

While Modern Sci-Fi Films FAQ may not reach for the stars, the sections on seminal spaceships from Star Wars to Prometheus and SFX experts like Dennis Muren and Stan Winston are revealing enough to make this an illuminating read.

ROBOT OVERLORDS

BOOK REVIEW: ROBOT OVERLORDS / AUTHOR: MARK STAY / PUBLISHER: GOLLANCZ / RELEASE DATE: FEBRUARY 12TH

Robot Overlords – Robots Never Lie is the novel adaptation of the motion picture Robot Overlords, a feature about an invading force of alien robots who oppress humanity and the four plucky teens who oppose them. A good novel adaptation of a movie concentrates on doing things that can’t be done with CGI. A good Young Adult novel isn’t afraid to pull punches for the sake of its readership, and Robots Never Lie achieves both in spades.

Author Mark Stays (who also wrote the screenplay) evokes the oppressive terror of post-invasion Earth using the broadest strokes, whilst zeroing in on the things common to everybody’s childhood. This is one part boy’s own adventure and one part dystopian nightmare. There is a strong thread of innocence and youthful pluck throughout the tale, as well as a dire warning about the dangers of technology and surveillance. It’s the sort of thing that makes for a memorable read, and the sort of thing that would delight readers both young and old.

Stay focuses on the emotional journey of the characters as well, and it’s easy to relate to the protagonists situation, despite it being (quite literally) alien. This heady mix of innocence and terror makes for a thrilling and page-turning read. It’s refreshing to see a novel pitched at kids where teenagers actually speak like teenagers; all too often we get a sanitised version of childhood which bears little resemblance to anything one would encounter in the playground. The kids in Robots Never Lie are the survivors of an alien invasion after all, so they’re inclined to a spot of salty language. They’re also motivated the way the inexperienced are, with a mix of optimism and naivety that makes the gang’s improbable adventure very believable indeed.

Robot Overlords – Robots Never Lie is an easy read, but it’s not a light tale. Deliciously scary in all the right places, it’s a compelling book. Like all good novelisations, it adds an extra dimension to a story already told in another medium. Recommended, especially if you like giant robot-driven dystopias.

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THE FIRE SERMON

BOOK REVIEW: THE FIRE SERMON / AUTHOR: FRANCESCA HAIG / PUBLISHER: HARPER VOYAGER / RELEASE DATE: FEBRUARY 26TH

Several generations ago, the Blast decimated the human population, destroyed the machines and ended that legendary power source called ‘Electricity’. In the years that followed, the few survivors who were capable of bearing children always bore twins – a boy and a girl, one perfect and the other deformed. Sometimes the deformation wasn’t immediately obvious but once it was finally clear which twin was they were brutally separated – the perfect Alpha would remain with the parents, receiving a life of privilege, and the imperfect Omega would be exiled to a village that was more like a ghetto, sentenced to a harsh existence made even worse by the Alpha-class’s tyranny.

Cass is one of those Omegas whose deformity is on the inside: she is a seer, a kind of psychic-empath, who is often treated with suspicion even by her own kind. But Cass has a darker secret – her Alpha brother is now one of the most feared members of the Alpha Council. As a child his name was Zach but now he is ‘The Reformer’, dedicated to stamping out the Omega menace and, rumour has it, performing some cruel experiments on the side.

When Cass escapes the fortress where her brother has kept her imprisoned, she rescues an Omega boy who was one of her brother’s experiments. The boy has no memory of his past, not even his name. Together they begin a dangerous journey, seeking out a mythical island where Omegas supposedly live in freedom, but even if they find it will they be as free as they hope? As Cass’s vicious twin and his dreaded seer-aide, The Confessor, are never far behind. Before The Fire Sermon ends, cities will fall, hundreds will die, and Cass and her companion will be forced into a collision course with the dreadful truth of who they really are.

Words like ‘masterpiece’ and ‘instant classic’ are cliché, but in the case of Francesca Haig’s astounding The Fire Sermon, they’re the only words to use. It’s a breath-taking, passionate, absolutely sensational work of imagination, perfectly structured, beautifully written, populated with fabulous characters (especially the young hero and heroine) and packed with intrigue, violence, compassion and underlined by a very important human message that is always present without ever becoming homily. Before I started reading, The Hunger Games-esque cover on my uncorrected publishers copy made me worried, but this isn’t yet another rehash of that all-too-familiar story. The Fire Sermon is completely without equal – it leaves Hunger Games, Divergence, Twilight blah blah-yawn twitching in the dust.

Read it immediately, before the anticipated film version brands its visuals into your head. It is wonderful.

Rating:

ULTIMA

BOOK REVIEW: ULTIMA / AUTHOR: STEPHEN BAXTER / PUBLISHER: GOLLANCZ / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Yuri Eden and Stef Kalinski step through an enigmatic Hatch that takes them to a far-flung planet in an alternative universe where human civilisation has followed a different line of history. Here they find the place over-run by Roman legionaries, and find that due to the discovery of Kernels human history has taken a completely different course, where three great powers are in a constant power struggle. Besides the Romans the other two significant powers are the (Asian) Xin and the (British) Brikanti. The Kernels are living entries that belch out enough power to make them awesome weapons of mass destruction, or they can be harnessed to send spaceships through interstellar space. The Romans are also compelled to use the Kernels to create new Hatches, though they do not know their meaning or purpose.

Since this is a follow-up to Proxima, readers of that will be familiar with the characters and their history, and will no doubt enjoy finding out the significance of the Hatches to the fate of the Universe and humanity. Ultima can be enjoyed even if you haven’t read Proxima, and in its 500 plus pages it describes in detail the progress of humanity in the future and in the alternative timeline. It also lovingly describes the technology of the Romans, this is particularly true of Baxter’s vivid description of the Roman ‘Malleus Jesu’ star vessel. It is a very crude vessel without computers or other hi-tech gadgets. Its many levels reflect a microcosm of Roman society, with the slaves huddled together in the lowest deck and the top dome of the ship is one giant bathhouse for the exclusive use of the most senior officers.

The central characters are strong women like Stef Kalinski, but they are in the shadow of the techno-porn of the description of the gadgets and history that dominates their lives. At times it’s like a mash-up of magazines like ‘How It Works’ and ‘All About History’ (other similarly themed magazines are available) and it takes time for the story to pick up any pace.

This is a perfect book for those who take the time to wallow and savour its detailed construction of alternative and future histories. I’d certainly take it with me if I had to take a four year three hundred and thirty-six day interstellar journey on-board the ‘Malleus Jesu’, which Stef and Yuri have to endure.

Rating:

HALF THE WORLD

BOOK REVIEW: HALF THE WORLD / AUTHOR: JOE ABERCROMBIE / PUBLISHER: GOLLANCZ / RELEASE DATE: FEBRUARY 12TH

Half the World is the second book in Joe Abercrombie’s young adult series, The Shattered Sea. The previous novel, Half a King, told the tale of a young prince who became a slave and fought to find his place in the world. This latest instalment picks up from the events of the last book, and though it features much of the cast from book one, it focuses on two new characters; the slow yet noble Brand and the violent yet determined Thorn Bhatu.

The Shattered Sea books are set in a fantasy world in which elves and magic are long gone, lost to some poorly understood calamity, and focuses on the inhabitants of Gettland, a Viking-like civilisation attempting to fend off the political machinations of its allies whilst keeping a wary eye on its Gaul-like neighbours. We are first introduced to the main characters in the training grounds, where the well-intentioned actions of Brand lead to Thorn becoming set up for murder. Things are not easy for Thorn; sexism is part of Gettland’s traditions and this extends to any woman looking to become a warrior. Events conspire to send the two on an epic quest across half the world, under the guidance of the characters from the previous novel.

Abercrombie’s writing is compelling and addictive. Not one to shy away from harsh realities, the author creates a grimy world in which heroes do not win because they have a destiny or any special quality; just hard work, practice and determination. Both Thorn and Brand are sympathetic and engaging characters. Thorn is especially amusing, partially because she has no idea when she’s on to a good thing, but mostly because she has a spectacular capacity for violence and this makes for rather thrilling fight scenes. Brand will appeal to anyone who has ever been shy and lacking in confidence, which is probably everyone.

As always, Joe Abercrombie doesn’t pull his punches, delivering exquisite action on every page. Half the World explores The Shattered Sea setting even further than before, and much like his characters, what seems simple on surface is rich and engaging once you dig into the details. The book works fine as a standalone novel (though it contains spoilers for the previous book) and we look forward to the next instalment.

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GERRY ANDERSON’S GEMINI FORCE ONE: BLACK HORIZON

BOOK REVIEW: GERRY ANDERSON’S GEMINI FORCE ONE: BLACK HORIZON / AUTHOR: M.G. HARRIS / PUBLISHER: GOLLANCZ / RELEASE DATE: APRIL 2ND

There’s a distinct lack of Young Adult fiction that serves as a mix of action adventure and inspiration to work in the emergency services. Gerry Anderson’s Gemini Force One: Black Horizon does exactly that, being a tale of a secretive international rescue agency, told from the perspective of a young boy growing into adulthood.

Gemini Force One was the brainchild of Thunderbirds creator Gerry Anderson, and he was working on the project shortly before his death in 2012. Gerry’s son, Jamie, raised the cash via crowdfunding to have the project realised and Black Horizon is the first book in the series and truly feels like a classic Anderson project in the making.

The story begins with a funeral for a great and well-regarded man; the father of the main character, Ben Carrington. A freak accident leads Ben and his mother to conduct a thrilling rescue on the top of a skyscraper, and after this point the action doesn’t stop. Events conspire to lead this sixteen-year-old boy to become a member of the elite Gemini Force One rescue agency. Ben is an interesting choice of protagonist; as the son of a millionaire he’s hardly the typical teenager. This works quite well, making him an obvious fish-out-of-water and an easy way for the reader to access the world of Gemini Force One.

As you might expect, this organisation not only has a hidden floating base, it also has a fleet of highly specialised rescue vehicles and an elite team of lifesaving experts. There’s even a sinister bad guy and a glamorous spy. Thirty pages in and you may well be humming the Thunderbirds theme tune under your breath.

M.G. Harris is a very skilled storyteller, weaving together narrative strands into one compelling experience. Black Horizon is a fantastic thriller for adrenaline junkies of all ages. It does suffer from being the first book in the series; there’s a lot of set-up here and we really don’t get to the main plot until half way through. Harris produces a cinematic experience throughout, keeping the reader on edge. The supporting cast is also very well portrayed, though it’s clear early on that the character of Rigel is going to be the fan favourite.

Overall, Gerry Anderson’s Gemini Force One: Black Horizon is a fine start to what we hope will be an ongoing and highly popular series of novels.

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BLOODSTONE

BOOK REVIEW: BLOODSTONE / AUTHOR: ALLAN BOROUGHS / PUBLISHER: MACMILLAN CHILDREN’S BOOK / RELEASE DATE: JANUARY 1ST

According to his bio, Bloodstone author Allan Boroughs is a traveller with a passion for classic adventure stories. Bloodstone is his second novel, continuing the adventures of young India Bentley and her mentor Verity Brown as they travel a near-future Earth that has been drowned in a great flood, ‘tech-hunting’ for whatever old technology they can sell on the black market. His debut novel, Ironheart, was inspired by Boroughs’ travels to Siberia and Bloodstone apparently took him to the Antarctic. It also seems to have taken him to the movies because, coincidentally or not, most of his ideas have been lifted wholesale from some much better films.

After India and Verity arrive in Sing City, India is embroiled in an assassination attempt on a local Priest and discovers the ‘Bloodstone,’ an ancient artefact which, when reunited with its other two parts, will become a force of terrifying power.

Unfortunately, the sinister Lady Fang wants the Bloodstone too, and she is backed-up by a thug who drinks rats’ blood, a homicidal android with a speech impediment, and a robot Hellhound that has been programmed to track India all the way to the lost city of Atlantis where the Bloodstone will be activated, an awesome secret from the dawn of mankind will be revealed, and India Bentley will be confronted by a choice that will change her destiny forever.

Bloodstone moves at a terrific pace. It is well written, has some colourful characters and locations, and its target audience, presumably 12 years and upwards, will probably tear through it like a velociraptor at an ‘all the Sam Neill’s you can eat’ buffet.

Which is where it gets frustrating.

Although he’s a talented writer, Allan Boroughs’ novel ‘borrows’ from so many other well-known sources that even the youngest of readers will probably catch themselves thinking, “Hold on, haven’t I read / seen / heard / played this before?” There’s Tomb Raider, Indiana Jones and Romancing the Stone, a shameless dialogue (ahem) ‘homage’ from The Empire Strikes Back and so many structural nods towards the classic Ray Harryhausen movies that reviewing this book made me want to stop reading and watch Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger instead. There’s also so much Jules Verne in here that Captain Nemo should be slapping Boroughs with a plagiarism suit.

More unforgivably than that, Bloodstone also feels like it’s been designed with both eyes on the film adaptation, which leaves what could have at least been a decent adventure yarn feeling mechanical and soulless. It’s a pity really. The character of India Bentley deserves better handling, just as her creator needs to conceal his inspirations more carefully.