Review Category: Books

BOOK REVIEW: DOCTOR WHO – THE OFFICIAL QUIZ BOOK / AUTHOR: JACQUELINE RAYNER / PUBLISHER: BBC BOOKS / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

If you want a Doctor Who quiz book, this is the one to look out for. It is an official BBC product and has been compiled by Jacqueline Rayner, who writes a regular column for Doctor Who Magazine and has also penned various books and audios.

The Official Quiz Book consists of 3,000 questions covering all aspects of the show, focused on the television episodes, not the plethora of books, audios or comics. Every episode has at least one associated question so there will be something for every single fan.

Questions are arranged by topics and include such delights as Initially (questions whose answer all begin with a specific letter), the companions of each Doctor, various monsters, behind the scenes questions, and Titles in Titles, where dialogue from pre-1996 Who is cited that includes the title of a post 2005 episode (and vice versa) – a fiendish idea that works well. Additionally, there is a whole host of other quiz staples such as anagrams, titles with missing vowels and everything in between. For each section there are 15 questions split into three sets of five: Jericho Street Junior (for casual fans), Coal Hill School (for more serious fans) and Time Lord Academy (you know who you are).

Quiz books are not for everybody, but there is plenty here for anyone looking to host a formal quiz on the Time Lord and all around him, and many Whovians will simply enjoy using this as a way of making new connections between elements of the show they love. Any fan picking up a copy will find much to engage their enthusiasm.

BOOK REVIEW: OUR LADY OF THE STREETS / AUTHOR: TOM POLLOCK / PUBLISHER: JO FLETCHER / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Some trilogies need to be read back to back to be truly enjoyed, as only when everything is fresh in the memory can one appreciate the scale of the work. Often this is a result of addictively paced writing and a clearly thought out world, sometimes the author is just very good at making it all join up at the end. Tom Pollock’s final instalment of the Skyscraper Throne Trilogy, Our Lady of The Streets, somehow manages to do both.

It is very difficult to discuss the finer details of this novel without scattering spoilers all over the place, so much so in fact that the blurb in the back gives away quite a bit of the story that begun in The City’s Son and was continued in The Glass Republic. However, the design of the these stories allows us to talk in sweeping statements which should not spoil the more interesting twists and turns too much.

These books are a tale of a romanticised modern London, turning the filth-soaked capital into a place that is majestic, supernatural and terrifying. Though the urban fantasy genre is over-stuffed with tales of how strange England’s greedy first city is, it’s difficult to fault Pollock for his choice; he treats the ancient metropolis with a mix of reverence and contempt that is both endearing and enthralling.

The narrative of this final instalment focuses yet again on Beth and Pen. Beth is enduring the consequences of her choices in previous instalments, and her suffering in this novel cleverly mirrors events from The City’s Son. Pen is as brilliantly evoked as ever and the result is a glorious finale to what has been a fantastic journey so far. Shattered mirrors and equally shattered reflections rebound across this series and lend a glorious anarchy to the entire affair. If you can, read them one after another. The result is an emotionally charged and powerful roller coaster that will both exhaust and delight you in equal measure.

Our Lady of the Streets is a fine ending to a very fine series, and we can’t wait to see what Tom Pollock produces next.

BOOK REVIEW: THE ART OF JOHN ALVIN / AUTHOR: ANDREA ALVIN / PUBLISHER: TITAN / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

If you watched a Disney or fantasy film from the mid ’70s to the late ’90s, the odds are you will be familiar with the art of the late John Alvin. Not from the films themselves, but from the lush poster art that accompanied them. Spaceballs, Batman and so many more are represented here.

In a way, the great tragedy of this book is that John is not here to tell us more about these works of art for himself. However, his widow Andrea does the best she can under the circumstances and gives a great deal of insight into the creative process (she would know, as she collaborated on several of the projects). This commentary adds a lot to the already magnificent images and really shows how well the couple worked together.

The book is not perfect. Among other things, it dedicates six pages to The Golden Child while giving just one to Blazing Saddles – although even there it’s notable how well Alvin captures Eddie Murphy’s grin in some of the concept sketches (the same goes for all of the actors on the Batman Forever concept poster, especially Jim Carrey). Nevertheless, Andrea does dedicate a fair bit of the book to Star Wars, including an absolutely phenomenal pod-racing image, which goes some way to make up for that. But honestly, the best way to put it is this: the first night we got the book, we stayed up until the wee hours, unable to put it down. This is a must read for any fan of film and is the most complete celebration of Alvin’s life and work you are going to find.

BOOK REVIEW: PLAGUE WORLD / AUTHOR: DANA FREDSTI / PUBLISHER: TITAN BOOKS / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

The adventures of superannuated wildcard zombie-slayer Ashley Parker come to a page-turning conclusion in Plague World, the third of Dana Fredsti’s relentlessly enjoyable end-of-the-world horror trilogy. The second novel, Plague Nation, saw Ashley and her fellow wildcards infiltrate a zombie-invested San Francisco in their quest to track down the scientists who may just hold the key to mankind’s salvation in the form of a serum which might provide resistance to the ’Walker’s virus’ which has reanimated the dead. But all’s not gone well; the group has been ambushed and one of their number – Ashley’s putative love interest Gabriel – has been kidnapped by mysterious black-clad storm troopers and whisked off to a secret facility in San Diego.

Readers of the previous novels will know what to expect from Plague Nation and, in most regards, the book doesn’t disappoint. The action is as frenetic and adrenalised as ever, the text is studded with pop culture references (Shaun of the Dead, Doctor Who and Firefly all get a shout-out) and the book barrels along towards its action-packed conclusion. But the pace is a bit slower here, the text occasionally a bit more thoughtful. Ashley has some new problems to deal with; her bipolar fellow wildcard Lil desperately needs her meds to keep her balanced and rational and new boy Griff is a potential sex pest. There’s a lot more talking going on here, long scenes of characters sitting about in canteens and meeting rooms, before the book plunges headlong into its frantic finale as Ashley and co reach San Diego and find out the cause of and reasons for the virus which threatens to wipe out all mankind. We get a view of the bigger worldwide picture too, courtesy of regular vignettes depicting the viral outbreak in the UK, Japan, Venezuela and Saudi Arabia and the terror of those caught in the chaos and confusion; it never ends well.

For all the schlockiness of its storyline, Fredsti’s book is populated by four-square, well-developed characters, and its witty and naturalistic dialogue, throbbing action sequences and sky-rocketing high stakes ensure that Plague World is as effortlessly readable as the first two entries in the series. As the novel ends the world’s still turning – just about – and Ashley Parker’s still out there, fighting the good fight. The battle’s won but the war still rages. It’d be a shame if we weren’t invited along for the ride as Ashley continues her struggle with the undead hordes. Over to you, Dana…

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BOOK REVIEW: THE GODLESS / AUTHOR: BEN PEEK / PUBLISHER: TOR / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Fifteen thousand years ago, the gods went to war and eventually killed each other, with fragments of their divinity unpredictably cropping up in individuals who are subsequently rendered immortal and develop magical abilities. When Ayae, a young cartographer’s assistant, finds a mastery of fire awakened within her after a failed attempt on her life, she becomes a central part in an ongoing struggle over the remaining power of the dead gods.

The Godless is the first in a new trilogy called The Children, a term applied to the inheritors of the deceased deities’ power. Author Ben Peek makes an effort to fashion a setting distinct from the medieval Europe that is the basis of many fantasy novels, creating a world variously lit by the three fragments of a fractured sun and where the ocean is a lifeless expanse of black water. His views on diversity and equality are clear, with ‘white’ being a distinctive adjective for someone’s appearance, and woman are portrayed as being just as capable in positions of power and authority as men; and with only the most disposable of references to any kind of romance he avoids the common pitfall of reducing female characters to love interest.

The book is constructed to give as much information as possible about the events we see and everything that transpired to allow them to occur, but for all the detail in world-building, character interaction, history, backstories and scene-setting, it is unfortunately largely lacking in a novel’s most fundamental aspect: a plot. Yes, plans are made and talk is heard of encroaching war and Ayae begins to uncover the extent of her emerging powers, but despite all that there is apparently going on, very little actually happens in the scores of pages it takes to relate accounts of the characters not really doing anything.

As well as Ayae, the other viewpoint characters are Zaifyr, one of the first immortals, and Bueralan, the leader of a small band of mercenaries. The colourful pasts of each are related over lengthy sections, but really only act as window-dressing and add little to the ongoing proceedings. When the antagonists finally get a look in, they are revealed to be the kind of holy crusaders for whom reason and accountability have given way to the driving force of unquestioning faith, thereby absolving their beliefs from making any kind of logical sense and granting them justification for ignoring everyone else’s. Some of the overall plot of the remainder of the trilogy is actually divulged during these sequences, but when information is imparted by fundamentalist zealots it’s difficult to tell if we’re supposed to take it seriously, or blithely dismiss it as you would the hypocritical ravings of any religious oppressor.

Things pick up a little in the book’s final quarter or so, once the invading army actually arrives and a siege gets under way, but it all ends rather abruptly and with little in the way of resolution, as though The Godless as a whole is merely 560 pages of set-up for the story Peek actually wants to tell.

BOOK REVIEW: WORLD WAR CTHULHU – A COLLECTION OF LOVECRAFTIAN WAR STORIES / AUTHOR: BRIAN M. SAMMONS, GLYNN OWEN BARRASS / PUBLISHER: DARK REGIONS PRESS / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Seeking to explore the idea of the Cthulhu mythos’ impact upon a world in conflict, World War Cthulhu is a collection of twenty-two tales of eldritch creatures drawn into human battles. Covering a variety of settings from ancient Greece to the near future, each story asks itself what might be unleashed in the event of humanity going too far.

The variety of stories on offer is easily World War Cthulhu’s greatest strength. Each author furnishes a different kind of Lovecraftian monstrosity, ranging from unknowable horrors, to unstoppable beings of war and even creatures the world has somewhat adjusted to. As a result, each story plays out differently, with some following a far more conventional horror route while others offer a more action-orientated style. There’s a nice mixed bag of foes to choose from, with the Mi-Go, the Deep Ones and the squid-faced sleeper all putting in appearances.

Unfortunately, the tales vary in quality too. Some only retain trappings of the Cthulhu universe rather than truly embracing it, with the monsters serving as generic doomsday creatures. Similarly, few authors attempt to replicate the purple prose which made Lovecraft’s works so chillingly memorable, opting instead for more modern styles. In combination, these problems make certain tales far too generic for such a unique world.

Despite this, Word War Cthulhu remains an intriguing anthology. Any fan of the setting with an open mind should definitely take a gander at this one.

BOOK REVIEW: ACCEPTANCE / AUTHOR: JEFF VANDERMEER / PUBLISHER: FOURTH ESTATE / RELEASE DATE: SEPTEMBER 2ND

Acceptance is the third in Jeff VanderMeer’s masterful, genre-hopping Southern Reach Trilogy. Perhaps the strongest of the three, it is concise but never robotic, intelligent yet never pretentious and frightening but always beautiful. As well as bringing the ambitious story arc to a conclusion, it provides a fresh context with which to consider the previous two novels, like a scientific discovery undermining a commonly held belief.

One of VanderMeer’s strengths, and indeed one of the highlights of the novel, is the balance between the metaphysical and personal. As in its predecessors, the character development is both subtle and devastating, making you contemplate many of the protagonists in different ways.

This time around, however, the novel makes room for a wider cast of characters instead of following a single unreliable narrator, painting a broader picture of Area X and the Southern Reach. The chapters are headed by characters’ names, opening up with a second person narrative. While it’s often a poorly deployed gimmick, VanderMeer uses second person to its fullest effect, just as Iain Banks did in Complicity.

Despite the Phycologist, Ghost Bird and Control all being absorbing characters, it’s the lighthouse keeper, Saul, who is perhaps the most compelling of the entire trilogy. The grace and pathos with which VanderMeer tells Saul’s story is enviable.

Acceptance is the most expansive of the trilogy, revisiting the past, pre-Annihilation, and going some way to explaining the strange phenomenon of Area X. Anyone expecting an out-and-out conclusion will be disappointed. It’s a bold and daring novel which spits in the face of traditional structure, and it drives home the fact that The Southern Reach Trilogy is as much a concept as it is a fulfilling read; part H.P. Lovecraft, part J.G. Ballard, all VanderMeer.

 

REVIEW: BOWL OF HEAVEN / AUTHOR: GREGORY BENFORD, LARRY NIVEN / PUBLISHER: TITAN BOOKS / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Bowl of Heaven is a collaboration between two of the genre’s biggest names: Gregory Benford and Larry Niven. It tells the story of the crew of the SunSeeker who have left Earth for a planet called Glory. En route, they encounter a Brobdingnagian object – a vast bowl travelling through space with its own star in the centre. It has a surface area millions of times that of the Earth and the crew divert to explore and begin a journey that will lead to alien encounters, danger and mystery.

The book is divided into various parts. It starts in hard SF style, serving up lots of engineering info about both the SunSeeker and the enormous wok-in-space that is the bowl. Once the ship takes up orbit inside the bowl, a shuttle lands and its crew splits into two parties led by Cliff and Beth. Cliff’s party avoid capture and become our eyes as they explore the surface of the bowl and attempt to stay alive. Beth’s party gets caught, then escapes and they too seek to survive in this alien landscape. Occasionally Beth or Cliff makes contact with the rest of the crew back on the SunSeeker, who act as a balance to the more active parts of the story.

Bowl of Heaven bears inevitable comparison with Niven’s Ringworld and to his collaboration with Jerry Pournelle, The Mote in God’s Eye. The story starts with a lot of science, then moves to a more action adventure style. The bowl is a clever idea – a dirigible star that drags its inhabitants behind it. The main aliens are well conceived in that they have very different minds to ours and will be fascinating to anyone with an interest in psychology. There is plenty of mystery and slow reveals of a deeper story, and all in all it is a decent read.

But while enjoyable, Bowl of Heaven is very much a throwback to 1970s/’80s science fiction, and it’s too focused on setting up a series (it carries advertising for the next book, ShipStar) to deliver a satisfying, self-contained story in its own right. This is a letdown and, considering that it took Niven 26 years to complete his Ringworld trilogy, fans could be in for a long wait for future instalments.

REVIEW: GLAZE / AUTHOR: KIM CURRAN / PUBLISHER: SELF-PUBLISHED / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Young adult author Kim Curran has taken the plunge that so many authors seem to be considering these days: she’s self-publishing. After releasing her Shift trilogy on the sadly discontinued Strange Chemistry imprint of Angry Robot Books, she has decided to go solo.

Petri is eagerly awaiting the day she turns sixteen, when she can join all her friends and most of the adult population in the world of Glaze, the most popular social media application ever, accessed through a chip in the back of the neck. Even though her mother is the well-known publicity guru behind Glaze, she still can’t get online early and she’s had to watch enviously as most of her friends are hooked up before her. But when she attends a protest against the closure of a local school that turns violent, she sees how Glaze is used for sinister crowd control, and she and an unchipped friend are forced to go on the run.

Glaze is great YA science fiction, brimming with strong enough ideas to entertain young and old, albeit with slightly more appeal to females as it is written from a fifteen-year-old girl’s perspective. Although Petri crushes on one of the main characters – a masked rioter who comes to her rescue – it’s not the romance plot that grabs the reader but the overwhelming control of Glaze. One step on from Google Glasses, Glaze is an easily imaginable piece of technology and its abuse is a scary idea that’s superbly played out. Glaze is a hugely enjoyable read that pushes the idea of social media to its limits and is Curran’s finest piece of work yet.

BOOK REVIEW: KILL BAXTER / AUTHOR: CHARLIE HUMAN / PUBLISHER: CENTURY / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

So how do you follow up saving the world in an interdimensional battle with an octopus? It’s a question which not only hangs over author Charlie Human, but also his protagonist Baxter Zevcenko in the sequel to the jubilantly violent Apocalypse Now Now. Deprived of a hero’s welcome and attending rehab for his dealings with pornography, Baxter decides to leave behind his manipulative sociopath desires and open a new, positive chapter in his life.

It’s an ambition which soon seems out of reach after he’s whisked to the magical training school, Hexpoort. More military camp than Hogwarts, here students are faced with spirit-crushing physical workouts, a thriving drug network and magical spells which are used to initiate sexual fantasies. Human even subverts Potter’s ‘chosen one’ credentials through Hekka, a classic school bully whose prophecy-inflated ego feels threatened by Baxter’s reputation and his own claims of saving the world.

Luckily, Kill Baxter doesn’t unfold like a rock ’n’ roll entry in the boy wizard saga. While these comical pop culture riffs are deployed cleverly at the outset, it’s only when Human’s own twisted imagination is unshackled that the fun really begins, delivering spectacles such as fashion shows populated by morphing skinsects and ‘faeries’ which aren’t so much Disney wish-granters as winged killers from a parallel nightmare, “the one where Sleeping Beauty gets nailed in her sleep by the prince and wakes up having already borne three kids,” as bounty hunter Ronin puts it.

Moments of glorious distaste come thicker and faster in Kill Baxter, with goblin fights and hysterical trips into the protagonist’s warped psyche filling the pages at every turn. The supporting characters are more memorable this time too, from Uzi-wielding conjoined twins, Faith and Chastity, to Baxter’s own personal pet, Gigli, a snake-like dragon who possesses a stubborn attitude to match his conflicted partner.

Even after brushing with the apocalypse, this emerging series hasn’t lost its frenzied bite. Kill Baxter is leaner, meaner and shows an unrestrained zest for dizzying, carnivalesque violence. It won’t win over the unconverted, but if you haven’t been introduced to Charlie Human’s South Africa, this is an irresistible ride which has lost all control of the brakes. Either cling to the handrail or be splattered in the dust.