Book Review: Out of Oz by Gregory Maguire

I have to admit that I haven't read any of The Wicked Series - But I certainly will now. I was asked to review this book for We Love This Book. If like me, you have been to see wicked and found it fantastic you will love the books. It's Maguire's sense of humour that flies from the pages into the fitting theatrical setting that makes the show come alive. You can see my review on We Love this Book - http://www.welovethisbook.com/reviews/out-oz Or simply read below.

Out of Oz is the fourth and final novel in Gregory Maguire's The Wicked Years series. Compared to the likes of Tolkien, Maguire holds high esteem with critics and high expectations with his loyal readers. Fortunately he delivers, completing his fantasy series the way it started - extraordinarily.

We return to OZ in a social upheaval as the Emerald City attacks Munchkinland. It is several years since we left its characters; Glinda is under house arrest, the Cowardly Lion is on the run, Liir is in hiding and Elphaba long dead, after a run in with Dorothy. The focus of the story now falls on a young girl called Rain - daughter of Liir and granddaughter of The Wicked Witch. Ultimately this story is Rain's - It is her legacy to Oz.

Readers of the series will know that it's Maguire's imagination, prose and delicious sense of wit that make the series so enchanting. True to form Maguire gives us an OZ far richer than F. L Braum could have dreamt. Supplying endless amusement, he frequently switches narratives, reacquainting the reader with favourite characters while introducing some new including a guest appearance from Dorothy herself. The book is slow to start, resembling its characters as they meander up the yellow brick road. However the journey is still enjoyable and picks up to deliver a wonderful adventure. A poignant and stunning end to one of the decade's most successful fantasy series.

Book Review: The Taker - Alma Katsu

Dr. Luke Findley is on the midnight shift in the emergency room when the police bring in a young woman. Few strangers come to this remote town in northernmost Maine in the winter, and this stranger is accused of a bizarre crime: killing a man and leaving his body in the Great North Woods. The young woman, Lanny, tells the doctor that she and the man in the woods lived in this town at its founding two hundred years ago, until fate sentenced them to an eternity of unhappiness until they atone for their sins.

The man in the woods is Jonathan, son of the town's founder, and the love of Lanny's life. After Lanny commits a terrible sin in the hope of claiming Jonathan for her own, she's banished from town and sent to Boston to serve her penance. In Boston, she falls in with a beguiling yet frightening man, Adair, who has otherworldly powers, including the ability to confer immortality. His world is one of unknown sensual pleasures and seemingly limitless power, but at what price?

Adair wants to add Jonathan to the collection of treacherous courtiers who do his bidding (but for unknown ends) and sends Lanny back to Maine to collect him. It seems like the answer to Lanny's deepest desire—to be with Jonathan forever—but once Jonathan has joined Adair's pack of immortals, she sees that Adair is not what he seems and his intentions toward Jonathan are far worse than she imagined. And now it is up to her to save her beloved—and herself—from a terrible fate designed to last for all eternity.

The Taker is a story of the power of love to corrupt, to drive us to do terrible things in its name, and the courage it takes to sacrifice in the name of love and ultimately be worthy of absolution.

Katsu is an accomplished writer and The Taker bridges the gap between classic and urban fantasy with its compelling tale of unrequited love, immortality and the dark art of alchemy.
Do not assume this is a paranormal romance as the Marie Claire and Cosmopolitan quotes may suggest. This is a novel well worth the attention of more traditional fantasy readers. I would highly recommend all fans of fantasy give this book a chance. Reminiscent of Anne Rice’s work (particularly Interview with a Vampire) The Taker begins in modern day Maine but soon travels back to the late 18th century as Lanore explains her tragic story.

Katsu's The Taker is not a story about romance; instead it delves into the darker side of love. The novel is hauntingly gothic and follows the genres focus on torment and terror. It is clear from the start of the novel that its characters’ have suffered for love and this emotion is constantly partnered with obsession, anguish and lust. Lanore suffers the most – making hopeless decisions and dark paths in hopes of reaching her love unrequited.

As a main character, Lanore is exquisite. Katsu has the gift of creating a character that you are compelled to embrace. Undoubtedly, she is far from innocent yet still endearing. Regardless of the mistakes she makes you cannot help but sympathise. Similarly Katsu creates a fantastic villain in Adair who is as horrifying as he is fascinating. An Alec D'Urberville type character – Adair is a ferocious energy throughout the novel who you feel afraid to approach but unable to walk away from.

There is a surprising twist in this novel and my only criticism is I found it a little too surprising. Lanore makes the discovery and I’m not sure if there were enough clues for her to manage it. Nevertheless, this is a small criticism and perhaps other readers and the characters themselves are more astute than myself!

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. It was engaging and harrowing and a brilliant example of how modern day literature can still create a gothic impression. I’m sure the author has great novel to come.

BUY THE TAKER NOW

Book Review: Science Fiction Stories - Chosen by Edward Blishen

I picked up this book at the local second-hand store and I would highly recommend it to anyone to can a wide selection of short stories and extracts from some of the best writers in Science Fiction including H.G.Wells, Jules Verne, Arthur C. Clarke, Ray Bradbury and Isaac Asimov.

English Author, Edward Blishen hand selects the stories himself which range from time travel to mind control - scientific exploration to space invasion.

The best think about it, is you get it on Amazon for £0.01p (used)

BUY NOW

Book Review: Zoo City - Lauren Beukes

I’m off to the British Library this Saturday for another trip around the Out of This World Science-Fiction Exhibition and this time, I have got myself tickets to the ZOO CITY at the British Library. Considering Zoo City by Lauren Beurke has been my favorite read of the year (and winner of the Arthur C Clarke Award) it’s time to write a review!
"Zinzi December has a Sloth on her back, a dirty 419 scam habit, and a talent for finding lost things. But when a little old lady turns up dead and the cops confiscate her last paycheck, she's forced to take on her least favourite kind of job - missing persons."

Set in the gritty underbelly of a fantastical Johannesburg of the future, Zoo City would be a Sprawl if this was a SF - but it’s not, it’s an urban fantasy. Furthermore, it’s not a YA urban fantasy, it’s an adult fantasy – well written, edgy and brilliant. Thank God. Lauren Beurke has put the credibility back in a genre that has recently been tainted by too many badly written and overhyped paranormal romances.

Zinzi December is a down and out ex-druggie, ex-journalist with a Sloth on her back and a rare ability to find lost items. In Zoo City, criminals are lumbered with animals – a manifestation of their guilt to constantly and shamefully bear. The Zoo Plague, or AAF (Acquired Aposymbiotic Familiarism) reads like a clever rework of Pullmans daemons (His Dark Materials) and like Pullmans daemon you secretly really want one - even if it’s a cannibal penguin and particularly if it’s a Sloth.

The whole book reads like a noir thriller as Zinzi is forced to take on a dodgy job finding a missing person. Her investigation gets darker and more sordid the further she looks and ultimately she must consult her, sketchy conscious and moral code to decide whether she is going to follow through.

BUY ZOO CITY NOW

Book Review: Surface Detail - Ian M Banks

I went into the only book store in Jersey to grab some books. I was slightly horrified to find Ian M Bank’s Matter in the science fiction, new releases section. Matter was actually published in 2008 as the 8th novel in Bank’s Culture series. Surface Detail (released 2010) is the 9th and latest novel. This too was in Jersey’s new releases section and is still high on the current best seller list – so far enough! But reluctant to be behind the times (or at least as behind as Jersey), I thought it best to write a review now.



As I’ve mentioned previously in this blog, certain Culture books can be read without much knowledge of the series – some cannot. I would consider this the latter. Banks explains in a technology intricacy the details of the functioning fighter ships and the fundamentals of new age safety suit but assumes the reader is already up to date on the Culture. I think the Culture novels, particularly Surface Detail has the complexity and traditional theatrics of a space opera that can be lost on the less hard core SF fan. Banks has the credentials’ and themes that reach into literary success but sometimes the operatic drama can damage Bank’s true potential and credibility as the serious writer that you see in Wasp Factory. Personally, I think this is one of the most entertaining Culture novels I have read. And the space opera is brilliant. But then, I’m a space opera fan.

It begins in the realm of the Real, where matter still matters.

It begins with a murder.

And it will not end until the Culture has gone to war with death itself.
Lededje Y'breq is one of the Intagliated, her marked body bearing witness to a family shame, her life belonging to a man whose lust for power is without limit. Prepared to risk everything for her freedom, her release, when it comes, is at a price, and to put things right she will need the help of the Culture.

Benevolent, enlightened and almost infinitely resourceful though it may be, the Culture can only do so much for any individual. With the assistance of one of its most powerful - and arguably deranged - warships, Lededje finds herself heading into a combat zone not even sure which side the Culture is really on. A war - brutal, far-reaching - is already raging within the digital realms that store the souls of the dead, and it's about to erupt into reality.

It started in the realm of the Real and that is where it will end. It will touch countless lives and affect entire civilizations, but at the center of it all is a young woman whose need for revenge masks another motive altogether.

Surface Detail as the blurb suggests, begins in the real. We are introduced to three great characters who we like. Each one is immediately killed. Suddenly we are placed in the reality of Bank’s new world, where it doesn’t really matter. With the use of a neural lace that is placed in your brain, minds are backed up like a computer hard drive - stored and saved. Your body can be replicated and replaced. Death is no longer irreversible.

The technology within Bank’s world is extremely advanced and his techno-galactic world building is what makes him stand out as a good SF author. Virtual realities are the main focus of the novel. Minds are poured into virtual simulations, scenarios and realities to the point where whole lives and wars are fulfilled within these fake realities.

The novel following five different plots that centre around the concept, or in this case, the reality of Hell. In Bank’s super-advanced future, virtual realities are common place. These are civilisations where minds never die and virtual realities have been created as after lives for the disembodied. Sadistically, and all too plausibly, some civilisations have decided it necessary to create not only a heaven afterlife but a hell. The result in Bank’s novel is perversion of Dante’s hell; biblical torture carried out by monstrous and alien demons that destroy their victims in countlessly atrocious ways, endless lives filled with pain.

The war that brings the novel together is the war is to decide whether to destroy or keep these hell-realities within the galaxy. Vateuil is a soldier fighting in this never ending war. Chay, is trapped in hell after attempting to expose it’s horror to influence a sympathetic vote . Special Circumstance agent Yime Nsokyi, is assigned to find Lededje who may change the conclusion of the war. And, Lededje herself, completely unaware of the consequences is embarking on a revenge mission that may be pivotal to the fighting’s end.

The Surface Detail in the title works itself throughout the novel, most notably a reference to Lededje's fractal tattoo. The main way in which Bank’s illustrates the detail is by moving from the micro view and actions of his characters to the macro movement of the whole galaxy. The story becomes the age old question of whether one person’s plights is as important as the greater good. Is Lededje's revenge worth the war against Hells failing? Is Chay’s salvation worth every other soul in hells suffering?

I really enjoyed Surface Detail It has been criticized for mixing serious SF with the more traditional and frivolous which quite frankly Bank’s does well and is entertaining. I loved the Abominator class ship called the "Falling Outside the Normal Moral Constraints". The names are ridiculous. But with an eternity or intelligence and time in front of you – why wouldn’t you get a little silly? Falling Out of the Normal Constraints is hilarious and has some brilliant one liners. It is the first Culture novel where I have genuinely liked the characters apart from Yime, who is pretty much pointless. Although, apparently that’s the point? So it becomes a little pedantic to complain. It’s got an interesting and well thought out concept behind it and in my opinion, well worth the read.

BUY SURFACE DETAIL

Book Review: Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children

A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. And a strange collection of very curious photographs.



The front cover’s picture – a haunting photograph of a young girl – makes me shudder and open the cover quickly. It takes me a long time to shut it again.

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is (contrary to the haunting cover) not so much a horror but a fantastical mystery and adventure. Riggs writes in a refreshing classical style that reminds me of CS Lewis or H G Wells. Similar to CS Lewis, this young adult book can be enjoyed equally by adults or children.

A horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote
island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss
Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms
and hallways, it becomes clear that the children who once lived here - one of
whom was his own grandfather - were more than just peculiar. They may have been
dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a desolate island for good reason.
And somehow - impossible though it seems - they may still be alive.

The main character Jacob is a regular, down to earth sixteen year old who unfortunately must deal with a set of extremely irregular occurrences – the first being his Grandfathers murder. In a wonderfully adventurous decision, Jacob travels to his Grandfather’s childhood orphanage to gain some closure and dispel any of the fairytales fuelling his dreams. Little does he know, he will journey to discover the reality of his nightmares.

The book is full of adventure, monsters and msytery. Jason himself describes the monsters 'like something out of David Lynch's nightmares' showing Riggs great perception for popular culture and modern day humour. I particularly enjoyed the Welsh’s childrens use of ‘taking the piss’. A phrase which baffled American Jacob but entertained me!

You can also tell Rigg's past as a geographical journalist as he describes the little welsh island - standing strong against in the sailor's grave sea and pounding British weather. A great setting for the story.

The other notablable gleem of this book are the pictures scattered throughout the movel. Each are original vintage photos from personal collections and really add to the sense of eerie mystery.

This is a brilliantly written book and a original plot which is a breath of fresh ait in the current YA book market. The peculiar children are true characters - each and everyone of them. You are definitely left intriqued to read more about them. And considering the book is left open ended, hopefully we will.

MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN

Read George Orwell's 1984... Then go buy it!

1984 was published today in 1949. This book is one of my favourite reads of all time and I would strongly recommend it to anyone and everyone! Penguin are currently have the first chapter online - to read for free! Not to mention several interesting articles about the book and author.

http://theorwellprize.co.uk/george-orwell/by-orwell/nineteen-eighty-four/

Your Favourite Authors' - Favourite Books!

Who better to recommend your new book than your favourite authors??

The Guardian had a brilliant Sci-Fi special features on the weekend to promote the British Library's science fiction exhibit. There was a great section which including a number of well know science fiction authors explaining what their favourite novel or who their favourite author of the genre is. It is well worth a read and for all those who missed it - a summary below!

Brian Aldiss
Star Maker by Olaf Stapledon (1937)

Margaret Atwood
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (1953)

Stephen Baxter
Hothouse by Brian Aldiss (1961)

Lauren Beukes
Watchmen by Alan Moore (1986-7)

John Clute
City by Clifford D Simak (1952)

Jon Courtenay Grimwood
Light by M John Harrison (2002)

Andrew Crumey
The Brick Moon by Edward Everett Hale (1870)

William Gibson
The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester (1957)

Ursula K Le Guin
Virginia Woolf (1882 – 1941)

Russell Hoban
HP Lovecraft (1890 – 1937)

Liz Jensen
The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham (1951)

Hari Kunzru
Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky (1972)

Kelly Link
Diana Wynne Jones (1934 – 2011)

Ken Macleod
A Canticle for Liebowitz by Walter M Miller Jr (1960)

China Mieville
The Island of Doctor Moreau by HG Wells (1896)

Michael Moorcock
The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester (1956)

Patrick Ness
Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson (2003)

Audrey Niffenegger
Time and Again: An Illustrated Novel by Jack Finney (1970)

Christopher Priest
The Voices of Time by JG Ballard (1960)

Alastair Reynolds
The City and the Stars by Arthur C Clarke (1956)

Adam Roberts
Dune by Frank Herbert (1965)

Kim Stanley Robinson
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K Le Guin (1968)

Tricia Sullivan
Octavia E Butler (1947-2006)

Scarlett Thomas
Neuromancer by William Golding (1984)

Eliza Dushku returns to Sci-FI

I watched Who Am I? last night - the very Faith centric Buffy Episode so I am very pleased by this news! We need some Eliza Dushku back in our lives!

Eliza Dushku will be starring in an online, animated, Torchwood series scripted by Jane Espenson (Buffy, Dollhouse)
Sounds AWESOME:

Titled Torchwood: Web of Lies, Dushku will be front and center in the short-form story, which will also have voice appearances by Torchwood stars John Barrowman as Capt. Jack Harkness and Eve Myles as Gwen Cooper.

The series, developed by BBC Worldwide Productions, will consist of 10 three-minute videos, a bit like Starz previous online graphic novel animated series for Spartacus. It’s expected to launch before Torchwood premieres July 8, and new installments will go online after each new Miracle Day episode.

The British Library Goes Out of This World: Science Fiction Exhibition

The British Library science fiction exhibition has been open since 20th May and ends 25th Sept.

The exhibition explores the history of science fiction and examines how sci-fi has influenced scientific discovery and captured our imaginations.

The exhibition is divided into Alien Worlds; Future Worlds; Parallel Worlds; Virtual Worlds; the End of the World and the Perfect World.

A number of events have been arranged as highlights to the exhibit. Talks from well known authors including Iain M Banks, Michael Moorcock and Stephen Baxter. For a full list of events check the official page. .

The exhibition is free so well worth checking out whereas the events have a small admission fee and tickets are already selling out!

2010 Nebula Awards Announced

The Nebula Awards are given each year by the Science Fiction Writers of America for outstanding works of science fiction, fantasy, or related fiction genre. Announced this weekend,the 2010 winners:


SHORT STORY

WINNER: “Ponies,” Kij Johnson (Tor.com 1/17/10)
WINNER: “How Interesting: A Tiny Man,” Harlan Ellison® (Realms of Fantasy 2/10)
“Arvies,” Adam-Troy Castro (Lightspeed 8/10)
“I’m Alive, I Love You, I’ll See You in Reno,” Vylar Kaftan (Lightspeed 6/10)
“The Green Book,” Amal El-Mohtar (Apex 11/1/10)
“Ghosts of New York,” Jennifer Pelland (Dark Faith)
“Conditional Love,” Felicity Shoulders (Asimov’s 1/10)


NOVELETTE

WINNER: “That Leviathan, Whom Thou Hast Made,” Eric James Stone (Analog 9/10)
“Map of Seventeen,” Christopher Barzak (The Beastly Bride)
“The Jaguar House, in Shadow,” Aliette de Bodard (Asimov’s 7/10)
“Plus or Minus,” James Patrick Kelly (Asimov’s 12/10)
“Pishaach,” Shweta Narayan (The Beastly Bride)
“The Fortuitous Meeting of Gerard van Oost and Oludara,” Christopher Kastensmidt (Realms of Fantasy 4/10)
“Stone Wall Truth,” Caroline M. Yoachim (Asimov’s 2/10)


NOVELLA

WINNER: “The Lady Who Plucked Red Flowers Beneath the Queen’s Window,” Rachel Swirsky (Subterranean Summer 2010)
The Alchemist, Paolo Bacigalupi (Audible; Subterranean)
“Iron Shoes,” J. Kathleen Cheney (Alembical 2)
The Lifecycle of Software Objects, Ted Chiang (Subterranean)
“The Sultan of the Clouds,” Geoffrey A. Landis (Asimov’s 9/10)
“Ghosts Doing the Orange Dance,” Paul Park (F&SF 1-2/10)


NOVEL

WINNER: Blackout / All Clear, Connie Willis (Spectra)
The Native Star, M.K. Hobson (Spectra)
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, N.K. Jemisin (Orbit UK; Orbit US)
Shades of Milk and Honey, Mary Robinette Kowal (Tor)
Echo, Jack McDevitt (Ace)
Who Fears Death, Nnedi Okorafor (DAW)


BRADBURY AWARD BEST DRAMATIC PRODUCTION

WINNER: Inception, Christopher Nolan (director), Christopher Nolan (screenplay) (Warner)
Despicable Me, Pierre Coffin & Chris Renaud (directors), Ken Daurio & Cinco Paul (screenplay), Sergio Pablos (story) (Illumination Entertainment)
Doctor Who: “Vincent and the Doctor,” Richard Curtis (writer), Jonny Campbell (director)
How to Train Your Dragon, Dean DeBlois & Chris Sanders (directors), William Davies, Dean DeBlois, & Chris Sanders (screenplay) (DreamWorks Animation)
Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World, Edgar Wright (director), Michael Bacall & Edgar Wright (screenplay) (Universal)
Toy Story 3, Lee Unkrich (director), Michael Arndt (screenplay), John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, & Lee Unkrich (story) (Pixar/Disney)



ANDRE NORTON AWARD

WINNER: I Shall Wear Midnight, Terry Pratchett (Gollancz; Harper)
Ship Breaker, Paolo Bacigalupi (Little, Brown)
White Cat, Holly Black (McElderry)
Mockingjay, Suzanne Collins (Scholastic Press; Scholastic UK)
Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword, Barry Deutsch (Amulet)
The Boy from Ilysies, Pearl North (Tor Teen)
A Conspiracy of Kings, Megan Whalen Turner (Greenwillow)
Behemoth, Scott Westerfield (Simon Pulse; Simon & Schuster UK)



THE SOLSTICE AWARD (for impact on the field)

WINNER: Alice Sheldon/James Tiptree, JR.
WINNER: Michael Whelan SERVICE TO SFWA
WINNER: John E. Johnston III

First Look at Spielberg's Terra Nova

Book Review: The House of Night Series – The Awakened

I want to keep this review quite short as it’s the eighth in the series and I have never reviewed the other books.

The House of Night Series is a bit of a guilty pleasure for me… Particularly because eight books later, I feel I have grown out of the age bracket for the reader. This is my first criticism of the book and the series. Whereas, most series develop their characters and plot to mature with the reader, this series has failed to keep up with its audience. Cringing as I dive back into the books, it takes me a couple of chapters to re-adjust to the teenage slang (like, oh my gawwwd) and random conversation about pure drivel that makes me question the heroes intelligence. PC Cast teamed with her daughter Kristen Cast for this teen fantasy series with the aim to produce books from a real teenage perceptive. I thought this was great in the first few novels where Zoey (the main character) who is a normal high school teenager is swept into the House of Night. Eight books on, she is an adjusted fledging and high priestess… Should she not have grown up a bit? She is supposed to be one most powerful fledging in the world. In my opinion there is nothing admirable or powerful about a heroine who refuses to swear and still uses the term ‘Bullpoopie’.

There are some great pop culture references throughout the series that set the book as a good urban fantasy; creating clever one liner’s and good comic moments that readers can really appreciate. I did enjoy the glee mention in this series and Jacks scene singing along to ‘Defying Gravity’ but these moments are equaled by moments that trivialize the plot and make you feel the characters are not taking their situation seriously.

What made me continue reading the House of Night series was the plot. In theory, it has a lot of components to an epic fantasy. There are vampires, gods, ancient mythological creatures and ancient magic. The ongoing conflict between Zoey and Neferet (the villain of the story) is essentially a battle between good and evil. I like the plot but it dismally lost its punch in this novel. And unfortunately, I can’t see it getting it back. It is incredible hard to feel a sense of danger and doom when the characters themselves seem to be underrating the whole situation. The inane childish commentary continues as does the pathetic teenage rivalry between characters (surely differences are set aside when people start dying?)

This being said, I think my main problem with this book was the deaths… or lack of. The sixth and seventh book focused on the dramatic death of Heath (Zoey’s first love) the trauma of which caused her soul to shatter. Heath’s death was sudden and shocking and suddenly the plot got serious. In the Eighth novel however, PC Cast has deemed to bring Heath back to life. It seems that Cast enjoys bring all significant deaths back to life in some shape of form (Stevie Ray, Zoey, Heath…) which makes me, as the reader no longer care if any character dies because I feel they will turn up again – Yawn. It ruins any sense of threat from Nerefet. Or evil. To me, Cast has proven she will never be brutal. She will only truly kill off the secondary characters who we have little emotional connection to. This series will finish as PG as it started and I fear everyone will live happily ever after. Nice…But, definitely not exciting.

This is quite a negative review for me. I am disappointed with the House of Night series because I feel it had potential. It has a strong and interesting plot which most vampire teen fantasy’s lack. Also, unlike Twilight, it has strong sense of matriarchal empowerment which is refreshing. It is also tackles a lot of social issues. It’s the only teen fantasy I have read lead characters who are gay and brings up racial issues. Not that it is a pinnacle point of topic in the book, but you can tell Cast has deliberately set up a theme of equality that is done effectively and positively.
All in all, if you are young this is a good book. If you are looking for light hearted fantasy this is what you are going to get. It isn’t going to bridge the gap to adults though and as much as I wish it would, it’s not going to get dark and poignant.

BUY AWAKENED: A HOUSE OF NIGHT NOVEL

Big Congrats to Lauren Beukes - 2011 Winner of the Arthur C Clarke Award

The awards were announced while I was back home basking in the lovely sunshine! I was upset to miss the sci-fi festival on my doorstep. Lauren's novel, Zoo City took the award in what judge and author Jon Courtenay Grimwood described as the "clear winner".

"Zoo City filters brutal social honesty through a stunning imagination to produce a world recognisably ours and obviously different," he said. "The plotting is tight, the characterisation strong and the writing superb."

Published by Angry Robot (the small but impressive UK publishing house), Zoo City is set in South Africa in the Zoo City slum where urban magic prowls. While Zinzi December searches for missing pop starlet Songweza, he uncovers secrets that the local crime lord and dark magician wants to stay hidden.

New Green Lantern Trailer

Looks like the extra time they are putting into special effects are really paying off!

Such a giggle on a wednesday afternoon...

Arthur C Clarke Award - 25th Anniversary

Check out the short list for the Arthur C Clarke Award which is celebrating its 25th Anniversary this year. If you fancy a decent sci-fi novel you can't go wrong with a novel nominated for this prestigious award:

The six shortlisted books are:

• Zoo City – Lauren Beukes (Angry Robot)
• The Dervish House – Ian McDonald (Gollancz)
• Monsters of Men – Patrick Ness (Walker Books)
• Generosity – Richard Powers (Atlantic Books)
• Declare – Tim Powers (Corvus)
• Lightborn – Tricia Sullivan (Orbit)

Commenting on this years shortlist, Award Director Tom Hunter said:

“The twenty-fifth anniversary of the Arthur C. Clarke Award was always going to be a landmark year, and we couldn’t have asked for a more fascinating and exciting shortlist to get the celebrations started.

“Fifty-four eligible books is one of the highest submission years we’ve ever had, and when you look at all of the reviews, debate and online commentary that’s surrounded many of these titles you can see just how hard the judges’ deliberations were this year.

“For me this list is a great indication of just how deep, rich and complex the literature of science fiction can be. I think this list is a definite keeper, as they say, and my hope is that twenty-five years from now people will still be coming back to it as a representation of everything that’s best about the diversity and strength of our genre.”

As mentioned in my last blog, the winner will be announced on Wednesday 27th April 2011 at the Sci-Fi Film Festival.

Get ready for a Sci-Fi Bank Holiday...

The tenth annual Sci-Fi London Film Festival is kicking off on April 23rd and running throughout the two easter bank holidays.

The full line up can been seen on the wesbite Sci-Fi London Festival

The event looks set to showcase a brilliant selection of Sci-Fi movies from around the globe at The Apollo Piccadilly Circus Cinema and the BFI Southbank. Not to mention they will be hosting the Arthur C. Clarke Awards on April 27th.

SFX Weekender - A brief summary

It has been a while...

I was hoping to delight people with a illustrated account of my time at the SFX Weekender but unfortunately my camera broke! Apparently that's what happens if you leave it in a pool of alcohol? My mistake.

Anyway, I thought I would still write up a little summary, generally just to say nice things about various people!

After a hectic journery I turned up just in time to meet the lovely ladies Emily and Emily from Simon and Schuster end their day with Kevin J Anderson who had been on panels all day discussing various things including his new novel 'Hell Hole' which is sitting on my book shelf ready to read. Anyway, after a hectic and tiring day he agreed to a couple inpromptu interviews with some big fans and I after seeing him off in a taxi I was left thinking... 'What a nice man!' He mentioned, of the day, that it is not often you have a stranger quoting the words you wrote twenty years ago.

Because I arrived late the only thing to do after seeing Kevin off was to eat a rushed dinner of Dorito’s and get down the pub! Several wines later we struck up conversation with various chaps from Rebellion, 2000 AD and other darks corners and had a jolly good night!

Saturday started far too early for my liking but I enjoyed various talks...
Highlights for Saturday were:
Being Human actor Russell Tovey and creator Toby Whithouse discussing the show. Have never watched it but they were so entertaining I thought I would give it a go… Plus, I needed to find out why anyone would take a dead chicken for a walk?

Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter discussing their new book together. Although it was a strange hour of them talking about something they couldn’t really talk about? And didn’t seem as original a concept as first led to believe…
Writer

Titan the Robot. He is amazing. Especially singing Muse. Here’s a clip I found:

Book Review - The Good Man Jesus and The Scoundrel Christ by Philip Pullman

Philip Pullman's Jesus and Christ

The Times reviewer Ronald Hutton describes Pullman's new work as a postmodern fiction, from which different readers can take the messages they choose. I would have to agree. And it is extremely relevant when discussing religion and myth because, more than ever, people are taking a post modern view of these subjects and interpreting text as they perceive. This includes myself. The novel’s purpose is not to explore the history of Christianity. It is a story which explores the teachings of Jesus, the problems of organised religion the nature of storytelling.




Growing up in a very catholic schooling (two convent school to be precise) and being a huge Pullman fan from childhood, I was eager to read The Good Man Jesus and The Scoundrel Christ. To be honest, my experience with Christianity have left me cynical of religion and I was looking forward to Pullman (well known for his criticism of organized religions) to give it to them! However, what I read was much more thoughtful and tactful then expected and I am surprised so many took offence. Underlying this novel, is actually a very well meaning perception of the message of Jesus. There is a difference in the belief of the divinity of Jesus of Nazareth and belief in the virtue of his teachings. And I don’t believe there is anything wrong with holding value in the former without the later.

The books premise is that Mary does not give birth to one son, but twins; Jesus and Christ. Jesus is the one to walk into the desert and preach the word of God, whereas Christ stays in the shadows but has loftier dreams for his brother. He listens to the childhood prophecy’s and is obsessed with the thought of his brother being chosen by God to change the world and perform miracles. He is encouraged by a mysterious stranger to help his brother become this messiah by recording events, but editing and changing them to lead a religion from his preaching. However, Christ realizes too late that in order to create this religion the most miraculous thing must happen; Jesus must die and rise again. Furthermore, it is he who must carry out the events. It is then the reader realizes that ‘Christ’ is actually Judas. He must forever console himself that his actions were necessary to create the church and that although he killed Jesus, the memory of him as a savior will live forever.

Pullman wrote this novel as a contribution to the Canongate Myths series, which invited prominent writers to retell famous imaginary tales in a personal way. Controversial as always, Pullman chose to tackle the myth of Jesus Christ. The novel has strong similarities to Brecht, not only in title but form. The novel is broken up into a series of self-contained dramatic episodes, making it difficult to just enjoy the flow of the story; it forces you to think. The narrative is written similarly to most religious texts, with a dispassionate and dull narrative voice giving the novel satire.

Like Graham Swifts’ Water Lands the novel takes on the theme of storytelling, particularly storytelling about history. As we know, the bible is a historical account. But how much can we trust a historian or narrator? Has he told us the true events of the story? In Pullman’s story, Christ writes down the account of Jesus’ life that will one day become the bible. There is a difference between the events in the novel and what he writes down and names ‘the truth’. This is particularly true of the miracles performed by Jesus. Whereas, Christ lists the many miracles Jesus performs during his teachings, in truth, he never accomplishes anything miraculous. For example, the story of Jesus turning a few fish and wine into a feast for thousands was actually resolved by Jesus asking everyone to share what food they had until the whole crowd was nourished.

When studying the bible I remember challenging the gospels myself. Each gospel is written by a different Disciple and describes different events in the lead up to Jesus’ crucifixion. There has been much debate as to which disciples’ version of history is the most accurate. It is natural to turn to the new testament for evidence and answers about Jesus. But the thing is, the New Testament does not prove anything but what Jesus’ disciples believed and saw in his actions – each testament is their own personal viewpoint. Also, we must remember by the time these testaments were written, the actions had long past and the myth of Jesus had already begun which undoubtedly influenced the texts.

The most controversial part of The Good Man Jesus and The Scoundrel Christ is how Pullman criticizes organized religion. When Jesus takes a walk alone in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night of his arrest he thinks about the dangers of an organized religion with power; the wars that would be created; the corruptions that would be overlooked.
The one criticism I have with this book is Jesus’ lapse of faith also during this soliloquy. He admits that although he prays to God, he hears no answer and questions whether God is listening at all. Although it is an important concept to think about (prayer without answer), Jesus had never received any words from God. I didn’t understand why he thought they would come? Or why he thought they were important? I was hoping for a liberating story where one no longer had to achieve some miraculous sign to have some faith; that the point of the text was to prove that you did not need to wait for words from above to follow a good path. It was also a shock because Jesus’ faith had never been questioned before during the novel. As a reader, it left me stunned and unsure of how to react. Did Jesus regret all the teachings he was so sure of throughout the novel? Something about this soliloquy rang untrue to the plot and was disappointing.

All in all I did enjoy the book. The importance of controversy is it shocks the reader into looking deeper into stories and fables told so often the mind pays little attention anymore. There is alot of criticism of organised religion in the modern day and Pullman makes a good point with Christ that although secular identities may cause alot of problem in society, the meanings and teaching that religious people try to follow and well meaning and good.

Angels and Airways Sci-Fi Music Video

This video is pretty awesome. The group commissioned, sci-fi director William Eubank to create this film called love. I like it. Doesn't sound very much like Angels and Airways? Sounds a bit Mr. Scruff to me!

The Time I Met William Gibson...

Ok, Ok! I was too much of a chicken to get my photo taken with him. But i shook his hand, he signed my book and we had a little laugh about his grafitti 'tag' signature... Hes so cool.

Short Story: Standard Loneliness by Charles Yu

I have decided to post a link every so often to a Science Fiction Short Story I like that can be read free online. Feel free to follow through and enjoy.

Charles Yu is more widenly known for his novel How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe

Standard Loneliness Package

This story reminded me a bit of those very emo pencil cartoons where you just wait for someone to slowing rub out the warm hearts from their chests. Its got a little bit of Tom Holt's depressing hopelessness and none of the humour which makes it even more sad. But a good read!

I found this story by http://bestsciencefictionstories.com/ if you want to look up your own reads.

Two Hobbit Movies? How the Hell?!

Obviously I was excited when I heard there would be an adaptation of The Hobbit, although I must admit, the book fails in comparision to the Lord of The Rings which completely out shone in my eyes.

Which is the main reason why I can't understand how they expect the make TWO movies out of it? For all those wondering how some many people found all the walking in Lord of The Rings dire... well! Imagine that. But with no side plots whatsoever? I really don't know how they are going to pull it off!

For the moment I shall keep my faith in Peter Jackson and Ian Mckellan.

For a much more detailed account of the unfathomable possibility of two movies is a great article in the Las Vegas Review by Mark Davis. The most interesting part is the idea that parts of Tolkien’s work “The Silmarillion” being incorporated into the script. “The Silmarillion” was a collection of written work published after the authors death and includes deeper description of Middle Earth and all its characters.

Speaking of all things Tolkien.. I reccomend a great thriller that investigates the possibility of a real 'Ring' that Tolkien uncovered and then wrote about. Set in Iceland and incorporating Icelandic Sagas, I'd describe it as Stieg Larsson meets C.S Lewis... Or something like that! Its called Where the Shadows Lie by Michael Ridpath

“A clever blend of murder mystery, myth and up-to-the-minute mayhem … Whether you’re a fan of orcs, Gimli and Legolas or Elmore Leonard and The Sopranos, there’s something in this quixotic, atmospheric alternative thriller for you.”
Peter Millar, The Times.

Monthly Novels? Interesting...

Catherine Fisher, author of Incarceron may change the face of Young Adult Fantasy by publishing her new series Relic Master in monthly intervals, much like comic books. This might be quite interesting considering whenever I delve into a young adult novel I usually read it within a weekend anyway! Its oh so infuriating waiting a whole year for another two days reading for the sequel!

The four novels will be coming out monthly starting in May.

Relic Master - Synposis

Anara is a world mysteriously crumbling to devastation. Nothing is what it seems: Ancient relics emit technologically advanced powers, members of the old Order are hunted by the governing Watch yet revered by the people, and the great energy that connects all seems to also be destroying all. The only hope for the world lies in Galen, a man of the old Order and a Keeper of relics, and his 16-year-old apprentice, Raffi. They know of a secret relic with great power that has been hidden for centuries. As they search for it, they will be hunted, spied on, and tested beyond their limits. For there are monsters – some human, some not – that also want the relic's power and will stop at nothing to get it.

Book Review: The Wind Up Girl - Bacigalupi

When you haven't blogged in a while you need to come back with a bang?

So what do I want to come back with? Probably the next big science fiction writer.



It is such a great feeling when you finish a book and realize it was not just a great read but a phenomenal read. The Wind Up Girl is crafted perfectly and complements its authors ingenious ideas with superb writing.

This was my most eagerly anticipated read of 2010. The novel is one of the most critically acclaimed of the year (extraordinarily for a debut novel). It won two of the genres biggest awards, the Hugo and Nebula award. It also won the John W Campbell and the Locus first novel.

The Wind Up girl is set in a future Thailand struggling for survival; survival from the flood waters that skim it’s protective walls, survival against the incurable gene plagues ravaging the world and survival from the genetics that hack down food crops and destroy the vital calories needed to keep the population. There is a battle in the city between the money hungry traders who are eager to ignore environmental legislations and the environmental white shirts who struggle with the balance between the contraband gene tampering and the government, tampering themselves, to survive. Then there are the Thai rulers, struggling to maintain their culture and spirit in a new world that butchers it.

It was a breath of fresh air to read a future sci-fi set in Thailand. The future Thailand is a steam-punk dystopia energized by its factions - each struggling for dominance. It’s clear that the energy of the city is bubbling to a violent climax. Notoriously compared to William Gibson's seminal cyberpunk novel Neuromancer the plot has the darkness and violence of a noir - with multiple corrupt characters and plot twists.

It’s also an environmental Sci-Fi. What makes it a good one is that the plights of The Wind Up Girls Thailand have roots in today’s society. Bacigalupi creates a haunting world because its believable. He mixes this with the fanciful, from evaporating Cheshire cats to terrifying armoured megathons.

Defying the majority of environmental sci-fis, Bacigalupi leaves his story open ended and without defining the ‘right’ and ‘wrong’. You are left with a feeling of resolution but no clear idea who was right; who won and who lost. Follow this lack of decisiveness; there are no outright heroes or villains in the novel. For example, Jaidee the head of the white shirts (the environmental military entrusted with keeping the genetic terrors at bay) should be a hero but in the first scenes he is seen accepting bribes from traders. He then destroys their shipments, ignoring the illicit money he has just received to protect them. He terrorizes and threatens all who stand in the white shirts path, considering it a lesser wrong for protecting his country. He reminded me of Jack Bauer, but instead of protecting his country against terrorists, he protects it from the biological threats. There is also Kanya; his deputy who is really a double agent. She struggles between choosing between which of her masters is really providing justice and helping the nation. Is there really an answer when both are shedding blood?

The Wind Up girl is a key character and a metaphor of the books message. She is a new person; a Japanese creation. She is created with human modification. She has immunity from disease, strength and quicker reflexes. However, because she is designed to serve and delight others she is also built with flaws such as no pores to give her perfectly smooth skin. This causes her to overheat if she moves too fast. She is also designed to move in wind up, stutter stop motions: a deliberate feature to ensure she can be spotted from a real person. She has also been built with innate psychological qualities - like a labrador she craves a master and to serve. The Thai’s regard her as an abomination – unnatural and dangerous. She is constantly treated as inferior, when she herself points out; really she is superiorly designed in every way. The doctor Gi Bu Sen (a master at gene hacking) comments the world could be much better off if we all gave in and became new people ourselves.

The novel is a tremendous read that is never predicable and leaves you turning each page eager for more. The characters are engaging and you long to know what will happen next. Is there a sequel? Only time will tell! All I know is, after reading this book you know that Paolo Bacigalupi is the next big thing in Sci-Fi.