A Year's Best anthology of Australian horror, with a roundup of the year, and an overview of the history of Australian horror publishing, but the editors and Sean McMullen. A somewhat pitiful story it is, too, from the odd bush tale, to the protected pulp industry that has apparently pretty much crumbled away, to the pommie bastard publishers indifference. Things finally mproved in the 90s along with fantasy, sf, and of course the copyright laws, ensuring some competition for the do nothing poms.
For dedicated fans they list some novels, anthologies etc. of interest that you could go back and look at. So if a fan or scholar with that much interest, worth getting the book for that. Mentioning a bunch of kids books - e.g. the children's publishers were producing a broader range of material than the pathetic poms and locals for adults. Kids books weren't stamped with horror, so they could be sold to schools, presumably.
The editors point out mass market publishing for adults didn't exist at all until the eighties, and the literary writers were largely helped out by taxpayer generosity, desired by said taxpayers, or not.
The odd Olson story has gone online as a podcast, recently, too, interestingly.
Dedman's story is the best. Not too suprisingly,as, being easily the most accomplished of this batch.
Horror stories are usually in shorter supply than fantasy or sf, and this batch is only a 3.30.
Bonescribes : The Lady of Situations - Stephen Dedman
Bonescribes : Dead Set - Garry Disher
Bonescribes : Blind Seeking the Blind - K. J. McKenzie
Bonescribes : What the Stone of Ciparri Says - Francis Payne
Bonescribes : Entropy - Leanne Frahm
Bonescribes : Don't Move! - Renny Willins
Bonescribes : Conservatory - Carmel Bird
Bonescribes : Souls Along the Meridian - Jacci Olson
Bonescribes : Dead in the Glamour of Moonlight - Robert Hood
Bonescribes : The Corpse - Bill Congreve
Perfect physical memory leaves longterm boyfriends superfluous.
4 out of 5
Encyclopedia salesman, too.
3 out of 5
Nano core implant carrier interrogation.
3.5 out of 5
Brain, expose!
3.5 out of 5
Dirty voices.
3 out of 5
Do scratch though, or I'll shoot you.
3.5 out of 5
Semi-annual love dead.
2.5 out of 5
Tram driver kill ritual weird girl watch.
3.5 out of 5
All downhill after I killed her, personally and politically.
3.5 out of 5
Progression regression police permanent punishment.
3 out of 5
3.5 out of 5
Friday, July 17, 2009
Dead In the Glamour Of Moonlight - Robert Hood
All downhill after I killed her, personally and politically.
3.5 out of 5
3.5 out of 5
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Nekropolis - Tim Waggoner
A group of high powered mortally challenged types decide to make themselves a home in a new dimension.
Hence, Nekropolis.
Which turns out to be something a little like Simon R. Green's Nightside, just lacking in actual people, as opposed to vampires, lycanthropes, zombies, and other oddities. Certainly somewhat some low rent then John Meaney's Tristopolis.
Nekropolis has been around for a while before the start of this tale. It has to be magically sustained.
The protagonist of the piece is a private investigator type, and a zombie. Despite all the monsters, this is certainly more on the supernatural fantasy end as opposed to horror, although fans of the latter should enjoy it, too.
The vampire types are rather high and mighty in Nekropolis, it appears. The half-vampire daughter of the head lord bloodsucker comes to zombie Matt with a problem. When such a person needs the assistance of a declasse detective, you know something is up. Powerful magic item disappeared from dad's collection. In Nekropolis, dark is good. Magic item makes with the big light show, so a bit scary for all these shadow denizens.
Matt, himself, is not a depressive angst-ridden sex maniac booze hound, but a pretty good bloke willing to sacrifice to do the right thing. Being a zombie, that can mean when things fall apart, they can literally fall apart, for him. A much more upbeat personality.
Like John Taylor in the Nightside, he does know where a few bodies are buried (or not buried, perhaps more pertinently for Nekropolis).
The twist and final confrontation wasn't predictably obvious, but for the mystery fan there were some clues along the way.
A solidly entertaining fantasy, in a setting with plenty of whacky potential. There's a cyberpunk vampire gang etc. So presumably more will follow if this does ok.
This means the first four books from Angry Robot have averaged a 3.50, which is a pretty decent effort, straight out of the gate.
3.5 out of 5
Hence, Nekropolis.
Which turns out to be something a little like Simon R. Green's Nightside, just lacking in actual people, as opposed to vampires, lycanthropes, zombies, and other oddities. Certainly somewhat some low rent then John Meaney's Tristopolis.
Nekropolis has been around for a while before the start of this tale. It has to be magically sustained.
The protagonist of the piece is a private investigator type, and a zombie. Despite all the monsters, this is certainly more on the supernatural fantasy end as opposed to horror, although fans of the latter should enjoy it, too.
The vampire types are rather high and mighty in Nekropolis, it appears. The half-vampire daughter of the head lord bloodsucker comes to zombie Matt with a problem. When such a person needs the assistance of a declasse detective, you know something is up. Powerful magic item disappeared from dad's collection. In Nekropolis, dark is good. Magic item makes with the big light show, so a bit scary for all these shadow denizens.
Matt, himself, is not a depressive angst-ridden sex maniac booze hound, but a pretty good bloke willing to sacrifice to do the right thing. Being a zombie, that can mean when things fall apart, they can literally fall apart, for him. A much more upbeat personality.
Like John Taylor in the Nightside, he does know where a few bodies are buried (or not buried, perhaps more pertinently for Nekropolis).
The twist and final confrontation wasn't predictably obvious, but for the mystery fan there were some clues along the way.
A solidly entertaining fantasy, in a setting with plenty of whacky potential. There's a cyberpunk vampire gang etc. So presumably more will follow if this does ok.
This means the first four books from Angry Robot have averaged a 3.50, which is a pretty decent effort, straight out of the gate.
3.5 out of 5
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Book Of Secrets - Chris Roberson
The Book of Secrets starts out with a journalist deciding to pursue a story about a wealthy recluse, and gets progressively odder from there, to the point where you have pretty much ended up in something Simon R. Green might have come up with, Nightside style. Thanks to the title object, that is. Being a vaguely hardboiled journo, he likes the booze, of course.
His grandfather has also died, and left him a box of papers - which includes multiple adventures of a hero called The Black Hand - from the era of The Shadow, the Lone Ranger, pirates, highwaymen and more. Always a Black Hand, though, even if not as consistent as The Phantom down through the ages. Excerpts of these different styles of adventurers and stories are actually presented in the novel, which is fun.
The story only takes a week in novel time, and that is how it is broken down, day by day, as the protagonist tours Texas, Nevada, and Arizona looking into the mysterious book.
Flashbacks happen to his childhood, how he felt about his family, why he is where he is, the training his grandfather inflicted upon him from his point of view.
Throw in a mafia auction, and the weird accelerates from there, as, well, the secrets of the Book in the title are revealed.
The book mystery part is perhaps not as successful as the homage to the pulp adventurer family. Overall a solid book.
3.5 out of 5
His grandfather has also died, and left him a box of papers - which includes multiple adventures of a hero called The Black Hand - from the era of The Shadow, the Lone Ranger, pirates, highwaymen and more. Always a Black Hand, though, even if not as consistent as The Phantom down through the ages. Excerpts of these different styles of adventurers and stories are actually presented in the novel, which is fun.
The story only takes a week in novel time, and that is how it is broken down, day by day, as the protagonist tours Texas, Nevada, and Arizona looking into the mysterious book.
Flashbacks happen to his childhood, how he felt about his family, why he is where he is, the training his grandfather inflicted upon him from his point of view.
Throw in a mafia auction, and the weird accelerates from there, as, well, the secrets of the Book in the title are revealed.
The book mystery part is perhaps not as successful as the homage to the pulp adventurer family. Overall a solid book.
3.5 out of 5
The Chaos Engine Trilogy - Steven A. Roman
An omnibus of the entire X-Men Chaos Engine trilogy.
The first of the Chaos Engine trilogy.
The X-Men are with Roma and her underling, when the aforementioned notices something very wrong with the 616 Earth and surrounds, and it is centred on Psylocke, or Betsy Braddock.
The X-Men, sans Xavier are sent to investigate, and given a deadline of a week, or she wipes out that particular Earth instance and surrounding dimension.
Arriving, Westchester County has a prison camp, not a school for gifted mutants, and Von Doom is King of the World, with Storm his Queen. The only real resistance - is run by Magneto.
Doom has co-opted or destroyed most of the heroes and villains, so the X-Men are an unexpected wild card force thrown into his plans.
Quite good, I thought. Alternate history sort of story with different lives for some in this dystopia.
4 out of 5
The second book of the Chaos Engine trilogy finds Betsy Braddock and Professor Xavier desperately trying to come up with a solution that will stop Roma from having to destroy the 616 dimension and others that problems may spread to.
Magneto through the use of this unstable cosmic cube has remade the world as to how he wants it, his dead daughter and wife back alive.
His world is much nicer and far more utopian than Von Doom's fascist horror from the previous novel, so Xavier having to convince his old friend Erik to let it be destroyed because it isn't real, for the good of billions in other universe.
Then there's another nasty lurking around in the form of The Controller.
This isn't as good as the first, but still solid. Will also fill you in on bits and pieces of X-Men history at this point in time.
3.5 out of 5
The third of the Chaos Engine trilogy.
Rather sensibly, the Red Skull is used as the third villain. As, for a novel, he is really not that interesting, being a garden variety megalomaniac nazi butcher. Even if he has a funny red head.
Doom is attempting to take over the Omniverse, Magneto is a prisoner.
When the Earth variants of the X-Men start to take over or be made aware of the situation they are in in the bodies on this cube created Earth, we end up with a heroes vs bad guys and bad guys vs bad guys situation. With the Captain Britain Corps, too.
Heaps of explanation of the previous two books too, so this one is a bit longer. Fans could probably pick this up and work out what is going on easily enough.
3 out of 5
3.5 out of 5
The first of the Chaos Engine trilogy.
The X-Men are with Roma and her underling, when the aforementioned notices something very wrong with the 616 Earth and surrounds, and it is centred on Psylocke, or Betsy Braddock.
The X-Men, sans Xavier are sent to investigate, and given a deadline of a week, or she wipes out that particular Earth instance and surrounding dimension.
Arriving, Westchester County has a prison camp, not a school for gifted mutants, and Von Doom is King of the World, with Storm his Queen. The only real resistance - is run by Magneto.
Doom has co-opted or destroyed most of the heroes and villains, so the X-Men are an unexpected wild card force thrown into his plans.
Quite good, I thought. Alternate history sort of story with different lives for some in this dystopia.
4 out of 5
The second book of the Chaos Engine trilogy finds Betsy Braddock and Professor Xavier desperately trying to come up with a solution that will stop Roma from having to destroy the 616 dimension and others that problems may spread to.
Magneto through the use of this unstable cosmic cube has remade the world as to how he wants it, his dead daughter and wife back alive.
His world is much nicer and far more utopian than Von Doom's fascist horror from the previous novel, so Xavier having to convince his old friend Erik to let it be destroyed because it isn't real, for the good of billions in other universe.
Then there's another nasty lurking around in the form of The Controller.
This isn't as good as the first, but still solid. Will also fill you in on bits and pieces of X-Men history at this point in time.
3.5 out of 5
The third of the Chaos Engine trilogy.
Rather sensibly, the Red Skull is used as the third villain. As, for a novel, he is really not that interesting, being a garden variety megalomaniac nazi butcher. Even if he has a funny red head.
Doom is attempting to take over the Omniverse, Magneto is a prisoner.
When the Earth variants of the X-Men start to take over or be made aware of the situation they are in in the bodies on this cube created Earth, we end up with a heroes vs bad guys and bad guys vs bad guys situation. With the Captain Britain Corps, too.
Heaps of explanation of the previous two books too, so this one is a bit longer. Fans could probably pick this up and work out what is going on easily enough.
3 out of 5
3.5 out of 5
Red Skull - Steven A. Roman
The third of the Chaos Engine trilogy.
Rather sensibly, the Red Skull is used as the third villain. As, for a novel, he is really not that interesting, being a garden variety megalomaniac nazi butcher. Even if he has a funny red head.
Doom is attempting to take over the Omniverse, Magneto is a prisoner.
When the Earth variants of the X-Men start to take over or be made aware of the situation they are in in the bodies on this cube created Earth, we end up with a heroes vs bad guys and bad guys vs bad guys situation. With the Captain Britain Corps, too.
Heaps of explanation of the previous two books too, so this one is a bit longer. Fans could probably pick this up and work out what is going on easily enough.
3 out of 5
Rather sensibly, the Red Skull is used as the third villain. As, for a novel, he is really not that interesting, being a garden variety megalomaniac nazi butcher. Even if he has a funny red head.
Doom is attempting to take over the Omniverse, Magneto is a prisoner.
When the Earth variants of the X-Men start to take over or be made aware of the situation they are in in the bodies on this cube created Earth, we end up with a heroes vs bad guys and bad guys vs bad guys situation. With the Captain Britain Corps, too.
Heaps of explanation of the previous two books too, so this one is a bit longer. Fans could probably pick this up and work out what is going on easily enough.
3 out of 5
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Australian Science Fiction 2 - John Baxter
The second of the first set of Australian SF anthologies. Just a 3.18 here, so certainly not in the class of the first.
Pacific Book of ASF2 : The Immortal - Olaf Ruhen
Pacific Book of ASF2 : Siren Singers - Robyn Tracey
Pacific Book of ASF2 : The Case of the Perjured Planet - Martin Loran
Pacific Book of ASF2 : Robinson - David Rome
Pacific Book of ASF2 : No Sale - John Williams
Pacific Book of ASF2 : The Man of Slow Feeling - Michael Wilding
Pacific Book of ASF2 : Vale Pollini! - George Johnston
Pacific Book of ASF2 : Apple - John Baxter
Pacific Book of ASF2 : A Happening - Frank Roberts
Pacific Book of ASF2 : Dancing Gerontius - Lee Harding
Pacific Book of ASF2 : Whatever Happened to Suderov? - Steve Kaldor
Club it to death return.
3 out of 5
Battle cry.
3 out of 5
Colonist coverup.
3 out of 5
Space war is for kids.
3.5 out of 5
Just want a small tank, you used car bastards.
3 out of 5
Nerves of sloth.
4 out of 5
Superficial philosophy.
2 out of 5
Nuclear megaflora mutant moth murder.
4 out of 5
Birdman prison too literal.
3 out of 5
Year Day cull lead.
3.5 out of 5
Blood water political sacrifice.
3 out of 5
3 out of 5
Pacific Book of ASF2 : The Immortal - Olaf Ruhen
Pacific Book of ASF2 : Siren Singers - Robyn Tracey
Pacific Book of ASF2 : The Case of the Perjured Planet - Martin Loran
Pacific Book of ASF2 : Robinson - David Rome
Pacific Book of ASF2 : No Sale - John Williams
Pacific Book of ASF2 : The Man of Slow Feeling - Michael Wilding
Pacific Book of ASF2 : Vale Pollini! - George Johnston
Pacific Book of ASF2 : Apple - John Baxter
Pacific Book of ASF2 : A Happening - Frank Roberts
Pacific Book of ASF2 : Dancing Gerontius - Lee Harding
Pacific Book of ASF2 : Whatever Happened to Suderov? - Steve Kaldor
Club it to death return.
3 out of 5
Battle cry.
3 out of 5
Colonist coverup.
3 out of 5
Space war is for kids.
3.5 out of 5
Just want a small tank, you used car bastards.
3 out of 5
Nerves of sloth.
4 out of 5
Superficial philosophy.
2 out of 5
Nuclear megaflora mutant moth murder.
4 out of 5
Birdman prison too literal.
3 out of 5
Year Day cull lead.
3.5 out of 5
Blood water political sacrifice.
3 out of 5
3 out of 5
The Second Pacific Book Of Australian Science Fiction - John Baxter
The second of the first set of Australian SF anthologies. Just a 3.18 here, so certainly not in the class of the first.
Pacific Book of ASF2 : The Immortal - Olaf Ruhen
Pacific Book of ASF2 : Siren Singers - Robyn Tracey
Pacific Book of ASF2 : The Case of the Perjured Planet - Martin Loran
Pacific Book of ASF2 : Robinson - David Rome
Pacific Book of ASF2 : No Sale - John Williams
Pacific Book of ASF2 : The Man of Slow Feeling - Michael Wilding
Pacific Book of ASF2 : Vale Pollini! - George Johnston
Pacific Book of ASF2 : Apple - John Baxter
Pacific Book of ASF2 : A Happening - Frank Roberts
Pacific Book of ASF2 : Dancing Gerontius - Lee Harding
Pacific Book of ASF2 : Whatever Happened to Suderov? - Steve Kaldor
Club it to death return.
3 out of 5
Battle cry.
3 out of 5
Colonist coverup.
3 out of 5
Space war is for kids.
3.5 out of 5
Just want a small tank, you used car bastards.
3 out of 5
Nerves of sloth.
4 out of 5
Superficial philosophy.
2 out of 5
Nuclear megaflora mutant moth murder.
4 out of 5
Birdman prison too literal.
3 out of 5
Year Day cull lead.
3.5 out of 5
Blood water political sacrifice.
3 out of 5
3 out of 5
Pacific Book of ASF2 : The Immortal - Olaf Ruhen
Pacific Book of ASF2 : Siren Singers - Robyn Tracey
Pacific Book of ASF2 : The Case of the Perjured Planet - Martin Loran
Pacific Book of ASF2 : Robinson - David Rome
Pacific Book of ASF2 : No Sale - John Williams
Pacific Book of ASF2 : The Man of Slow Feeling - Michael Wilding
Pacific Book of ASF2 : Vale Pollini! - George Johnston
Pacific Book of ASF2 : Apple - John Baxter
Pacific Book of ASF2 : A Happening - Frank Roberts
Pacific Book of ASF2 : Dancing Gerontius - Lee Harding
Pacific Book of ASF2 : Whatever Happened to Suderov? - Steve Kaldor
Club it to death return.
3 out of 5
Battle cry.
3 out of 5
Colonist coverup.
3 out of 5
Space war is for kids.
3.5 out of 5
Just want a small tank, you used car bastards.
3 out of 5
Nerves of sloth.
4 out of 5
Superficial philosophy.
2 out of 5
Nuclear megaflora mutant moth murder.
4 out of 5
Birdman prison too literal.
3 out of 5
Year Day cull lead.
3.5 out of 5
Blood water political sacrifice.
3 out of 5
3 out of 5
Magneto - Steven A. Roman
The second book of the Chaos Engine trilogy finds Betsy Braddock and Professor Xavier desperately trying to come up with a solution that will stop Roma from having to destroy the 616 dimension and others that problems may spread to.
Magneto through the use of this unstable cosmic cube has remade the world as to how he wants it, his dead daughter and wife back alive.
His world is much nicer and far more utopian than Von Doom's fascist horror from the previous novel, so Xavier having to convince his old friend Erik to let it be destroyed because it isn't real, for the good of billions in other universe.
Then there's another nasty lurking around in the form of The Controller.
This isn't as good as the first, but still solid. Will also fill you in on bits and pieces of X-Men history at this point in time.
3.5 out of 5
Magneto through the use of this unstable cosmic cube has remade the world as to how he wants it, his dead daughter and wife back alive.
His world is much nicer and far more utopian than Von Doom's fascist horror from the previous novel, so Xavier having to convince his old friend Erik to let it be destroyed because it isn't real, for the good of billions in other universe.
Then there's another nasty lurking around in the form of The Controller.
This isn't as good as the first, but still solid. Will also fill you in on bits and pieces of X-Men history at this point in time.
3.5 out of 5
Asimov's 403 - Sheila Williams
There's a review of Anathem, and Stross' fifth Merchant Princes book. Robert Silverberg has a decidedly different sort of column. On collecting work in foreign editions. His own! If there was an author I wouldn't want to do this for given the amazing amount of stuff produced, he'd be right at the top of the list. It is apparently keeping him well entertained.
Readers Awards list and James Patrick Kelly gives a rundown of SF awards on the web.
Damien Broderick is the class of this issue which is right around the usual 3.43 type number.
ASIMOVS403 : THE QUALIA ENGINE - Damien Broderick
ASIMOVS403 : CREATURES OF WELL-DEFINED HABITS - Robert Reed
ASIMOVS403 : BLUE - Derek Zumsteg
ASIMOVS403 : THE CONSCIOUSNESS PROBLEM - Mary Robinette Kowal
ASIMOVS403 : TWO BOYS - Steven Popkes
ASIMOVS403 : TURBULENCE - Kristine Kathryn Rusch
ASIMOVS403 : CALIFORNIA BURNING - Michael Blumlein
Grandchildren Of The Atom not so smart, but more quantum.
4 out of 5
Old part animal tales.
3.5 out of 5
Chicken fried black hole people.
3.5 out of 5
Clone hubster gone, wife, maybe.
3.5 out of 5
Neanderthal saviour authority.
3.5 out of 5
Flight now scary.
3 out of 5
Not toasting me dead.
3 out of 5
4 out of 5
Readers Awards list and James Patrick Kelly gives a rundown of SF awards on the web.
Damien Broderick is the class of this issue which is right around the usual 3.43 type number.
ASIMOVS403 : THE QUALIA ENGINE - Damien Broderick
ASIMOVS403 : CREATURES OF WELL-DEFINED HABITS - Robert Reed
ASIMOVS403 : BLUE - Derek Zumsteg
ASIMOVS403 : THE CONSCIOUSNESS PROBLEM - Mary Robinette Kowal
ASIMOVS403 : TWO BOYS - Steven Popkes
ASIMOVS403 : TURBULENCE - Kristine Kathryn Rusch
ASIMOVS403 : CALIFORNIA BURNING - Michael Blumlein
Grandchildren Of The Atom not so smart, but more quantum.
4 out of 5
Old part animal tales.
3.5 out of 5
Chicken fried black hole people.
3.5 out of 5
Clone hubster gone, wife, maybe.
3.5 out of 5
Neanderthal saviour authority.
3.5 out of 5
Flight now scary.
3 out of 5
Not toasting me dead.
3 out of 5
4 out of 5
The Qualia Engine - Damien Broderick
Grandchildren Of The Atom not so smart, but more quantum.
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Private Wars - Greg Rucka
The second Queen and Country novel.
Tara Chace has quit after discovering she is pregnant with her dead lover and former colleague's child.
Machinations in SIS over leadership positions and the upcoming change of leadership in Uzbekistan with an ailing president draw her back into the game in a rather dodgy mission.
However, she is back to doing what she does best, while the SIS Director Of Operations fights to work out what is going on, keep them their jobs, and find out who the hell is playing who on his own side, as well as the Americans. Plus a little matter of some lost munitions.
Then there's a little boy to save, and keeping herself alive so her own daughter has a parent.
Another absorbing spy thriller from Rucka.
4 out 5
Tara Chace has quit after discovering she is pregnant with her dead lover and former colleague's child.
Machinations in SIS over leadership positions and the upcoming change of leadership in Uzbekistan with an ailing president draw her back into the game in a rather dodgy mission.
However, she is back to doing what she does best, while the SIS Director Of Operations fights to work out what is going on, keep them their jobs, and find out who the hell is playing who on his own side, as well as the Americans. Plus a little matter of some lost munitions.
Then there's a little boy to save, and keeping herself alive so her own daughter has a parent.
Another absorbing spy thriller from Rucka.
4 out 5
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Analog 942 - Stanley Schmidt
A couple of ok articles here, and a lot of this is taken up with the second part of a serial. Just a 3.20 average.
ANALOG942 : EVERGREEN - Shane Tourtellotte
ANALOG942 : FROM THE GROUND UP - Marie DesJardin
ANALOG942 : ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT - Eric James Stone
ANALOG942 : THE LAST RESORT - Alec Nevala-Lee
ANALOG942 : Turning the Grain 2 - Barry B. Longyear
Infantile freezing relationship.
3.5 out of 5
Grass crash site.
3 out of 5
Moonskimmer inertia.
3 out of 5
Carbon dioxide lake boom.
3.5 out of 5
3 out of 5
ANALOG942 : EVERGREEN - Shane Tourtellotte
ANALOG942 : FROM THE GROUND UP - Marie DesJardin
ANALOG942 : ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT - Eric James Stone
ANALOG942 : THE LAST RESORT - Alec Nevala-Lee
ANALOG942 : Turning the Grain 2 - Barry B. Longyear
Infantile freezing relationship.
3.5 out of 5
Grass crash site.
3 out of 5
Moonskimmer inertia.
3 out of 5
Carbon dioxide lake boom.
3.5 out of 5
3 out of 5
Friday, July 10, 2009
A Gentleman's Game - Greg Rucka
A Queen and Country novel.
An Islamic terrorist attack kills several hundred people on London's Underground, so, of course, the government wants payback. Their target is the religious inspirational head of the particular group responsible. Special Operations is tasked to put together a plan to assassinate him, and Minder One, Tara Chace, wants the job. Trouble is, she has to do it Yemen.
The mission leads to complications, and a three way tangle between the CIA, MI5, Mossad with Special Operations and Chace's head literally in the middle.
The only way out is to remove the terrorist group in question's base of operations in terminal fashion.
A well done superspy thriller.
4 out of 5
An Islamic terrorist attack kills several hundred people on London's Underground, so, of course, the government wants payback. Their target is the religious inspirational head of the particular group responsible. Special Operations is tasked to put together a plan to assassinate him, and Minder One, Tara Chace, wants the job. Trouble is, she has to do it Yemen.
The mission leads to complications, and a three way tangle between the CIA, MI5, Mossad with Special Operations and Chace's head literally in the middle.
The only way out is to remove the terrorist group in question's base of operations in terminal fashion.
A well done superspy thriller.
4 out of 5
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Slaine the Exile - Steven Savile
An episodic sword and sorcery novel, adapted from some of the material in 2000 AD over the decades. Having first come across Slaine there in the eighties, it was certainly a surprise to discover a novel - and a pleasant one, along with all the other 2000 AD novels.
The beginning shows Slaine as a youth, growing up in his clan - and an evolving enmity with another kid who also fancies himself as a future elite warrior.
There is perhaps a bit much time spent on this kid-era setup of betrayal and 'Exile', until you learn that this was supposed to be a trilogy that never eventuated. A standalone would probably have had that element reduced I'd imagine.
It does highlight Slaine's relationship with the Earth Goddess Danu in her three guises, Mother, Maiden, Crone, and his evolving berserk 'warp spasm' power. In fact, the three facets of the goddess are the three sections of the novel, in that order.
Killing warriors that attack him is ok by the king, if justified. Messing around with the royal spousal unit, not so much. Hence Exile, and some wandering adventures.
These are generally in pursuit of the skull-sword warriors who raided his town and slaughtered many. In the process he learns of a dark sorcerer who is corrupting the Earth power along the ley lines for his own uses. Plenty of human sacrifice and all that sort of thing. Wicker men, even. Slaine takes a dim view of this corruption of the innocent, and like all good sword and sorcery heroes takes the view that 'kill them all' is the appropriate response to evil sorcerers and their bestial minions.
Slaine's major problem is that he certainly isn't as smart as Conan and company in general, and is easily blindsided, being rather reliant on the whole superstrength rip you limb from limb Mr. Hyde type action his warp spasm can produce.
In one of the stories, while in prison he makes a friend - the dwarf Ukko. A dodgy chancer, who is definitely a bit cleverer than the big berserk barbarian.
Things get grimmer and crazier as they make their way into the Drune sorcery infested territory of Slough Feg. Naked evil priestess martial artists, zombies, flying ships, that sort of thing.
A pretty decent book. Those interested in sword and sorcery style stories, or Celtic mythos fantasy of the less gowns and garlands variety could happily give this a shot. Because Slaine has an axe named Brainbiter.
3.5 out of 5
The beginning shows Slaine as a youth, growing up in his clan - and an evolving enmity with another kid who also fancies himself as a future elite warrior.
There is perhaps a bit much time spent on this kid-era setup of betrayal and 'Exile', until you learn that this was supposed to be a trilogy that never eventuated. A standalone would probably have had that element reduced I'd imagine.
It does highlight Slaine's relationship with the Earth Goddess Danu in her three guises, Mother, Maiden, Crone, and his evolving berserk 'warp spasm' power. In fact, the three facets of the goddess are the three sections of the novel, in that order.
Killing warriors that attack him is ok by the king, if justified. Messing around with the royal spousal unit, not so much. Hence Exile, and some wandering adventures.
These are generally in pursuit of the skull-sword warriors who raided his town and slaughtered many. In the process he learns of a dark sorcerer who is corrupting the Earth power along the ley lines for his own uses. Plenty of human sacrifice and all that sort of thing. Wicker men, even. Slaine takes a dim view of this corruption of the innocent, and like all good sword and sorcery heroes takes the view that 'kill them all' is the appropriate response to evil sorcerers and their bestial minions.
Slaine's major problem is that he certainly isn't as smart as Conan and company in general, and is easily blindsided, being rather reliant on the whole superstrength rip you limb from limb Mr. Hyde type action his warp spasm can produce.
In one of the stories, while in prison he makes a friend - the dwarf Ukko. A dodgy chancer, who is definitely a bit cleverer than the big berserk barbarian.
Things get grimmer and crazier as they make their way into the Drune sorcery infested territory of Slough Feg. Naked evil priestess martial artists, zombies, flying ships, that sort of thing.
A pretty decent book. Those interested in sword and sorcery style stories, or Celtic mythos fantasy of the less gowns and garlands variety could happily give this a shot. Because Slaine has an axe named Brainbiter.
3.5 out of 5
Robots Have No Tails - Henry Kuttner
A collection of stories about a whacky future inventor who can invent crazy stuff like time machines, but only when he is drunk enough to let his subconscious come out and take a crack at it. The problem is that he is the get so smashed he can't remembers what he has done kind of drunk.
The future as seen from the 1940s, of course. So, you have 3-D tv, computers, but nothing like communications now. Retina printing, though.
Time machines, annoying robots, little furry guys from the future who want to take over the world, and other silliness is to be found here.
I find them amusing, but not hilarious.
Robots Have No Tails : Time Locker - Henry Kuttner
Robots Have No Tails : The World is Mine - Henry Kuttner
Robots Have No Tails : The Proud Robot - Henry Kuttner
Robots Have No Tails : Gallegher Plus - Henry Kuttner
Robots Have No Tails : Ex Machina - Henry Kuttner
Storage expansion crusher.
3.5 out of 5
Even if I'm short, furry, and my milk guy keeps finding corpses of himself in the garden.
4 out of 5
Bootleg theatre botsense.
3.5 out of 5
Drunk credit device.
3 out of 5
Ideal quarry.
3 out of 5
3.5 out of 5
The future as seen from the 1940s, of course. So, you have 3-D tv, computers, but nothing like communications now. Retina printing, though.
Time machines, annoying robots, little furry guys from the future who want to take over the world, and other silliness is to be found here.
I find them amusing, but not hilarious.
Robots Have No Tails : Time Locker - Henry Kuttner
Robots Have No Tails : The World is Mine - Henry Kuttner
Robots Have No Tails : The Proud Robot - Henry Kuttner
Robots Have No Tails : Gallegher Plus - Henry Kuttner
Robots Have No Tails : Ex Machina - Henry Kuttner
Storage expansion crusher.
3.5 out of 5
Even if I'm short, furry, and my milk guy keeps finding corpses of himself in the garden.
4 out of 5
Bootleg theatre botsense.
3.5 out of 5
Drunk credit device.
3 out of 5
Ideal quarry.
3 out of 5
3.5 out of 5
The World Is Mine - Henry Kuttner
Even if I'm short, furry, and my milk guy keeps finding corpses of himself in the garden.
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Earthman Beware! and Others - Poul Anderson
I probably would have called this Duel On Syrtis and others, as that is clearly the best story. In fact, Leigh Brackett chose than for her Best Of Planet Stories anthology. The transplanting into animal body element in Star Beast is of interest, but not much else.
Earthman Beware and Others : EARTHMAN BEWARE! - Poul Anderson
Earthman Beware and Others : DUEL ON SYRTIS - Poul Anderson
Earthman Beware and Others : STAR BEAST - Poul Anderson
I'm a feral child. Of the alien psi variety
2.5 out of 5
Bagging a Martian is hard.
4 out of 5
A bit of that Tiger, Tiger, action for me.
3 out of 5
2.5 out of 5
Earthman Beware and Others : EARTHMAN BEWARE! - Poul Anderson
Earthman Beware and Others : DUEL ON SYRTIS - Poul Anderson
Earthman Beware and Others : STAR BEAST - Poul Anderson
I'm a feral child. Of the alien psi variety
2.5 out of 5
Bagging a Martian is hard.
4 out of 5
A bit of that Tiger, Tiger, action for me.
3 out of 5
2.5 out of 5
Monday, July 6, 2009
Moxyland - Lauren Beukes
What if Stroctorow grew up in Africa? Or perhaps, given the outlook, one of Pat Cadigan's Synners did, as Moxyland is perhaps more along those lines.
The story posits the existence of an Africa that has come out the other side of the decimation of a generation by AIDs - and the large numbers of parentless young people as a result - and also a cleanup of the dangerous crime levels, at least in terms of the area this tale takes place in.
However, to do so has required a definite tilt to corporate fascist dystopia. The behaviour of these companies is leaning somewhat Richard Morganatic.
Average people do lots of daily business through their mobile phones - and can hence easily be disconnected as a punishment, or even worse. Worse being is that the cops can literally zap people through their phones, so no unwieldy tasers needed, just call down the lightning, so to speak. Through in some genemod tracker dogs, too. No-one running around blowing people away with automatic weapons, burning people as witches, or other such to be seen here, though. Chemical and biological tagging of offenders is used so that the dogs can hunt them down later. Low-tech biosolutions compared to what might be employed in the wealthier west.
The Rural areas, capitalised as such, still seem to be severely disadvantaged, and other countries still worse off than South Africa.
Cape Town's technology level is such that MMO games are popular, as are fancy-mobile-phone assisted Live Action ARG/RPGs along with that. Doesn't change the fact that there are street kids galore, and people that don't have access to the network, and plenty of refugees from elsewhere.
The novel follows four characters. A rich kid that is an independent media producer, a walking corporate advertisement addicted photographer, a street activist, and a corporate programmer with subversive sympathies. All of whom think they can make a difference, or at least get ahead. In for a shock, this lot.
This is a very good, and very polished first novel. Well done.
4 out of 5
The story posits the existence of an Africa that has come out the other side of the decimation of a generation by AIDs - and the large numbers of parentless young people as a result - and also a cleanup of the dangerous crime levels, at least in terms of the area this tale takes place in.
However, to do so has required a definite tilt to corporate fascist dystopia. The behaviour of these companies is leaning somewhat Richard Morganatic.
Average people do lots of daily business through their mobile phones - and can hence easily be disconnected as a punishment, or even worse. Worse being is that the cops can literally zap people through their phones, so no unwieldy tasers needed, just call down the lightning, so to speak. Through in some genemod tracker dogs, too. No-one running around blowing people away with automatic weapons, burning people as witches, or other such to be seen here, though. Chemical and biological tagging of offenders is used so that the dogs can hunt them down later. Low-tech biosolutions compared to what might be employed in the wealthier west.
The Rural areas, capitalised as such, still seem to be severely disadvantaged, and other countries still worse off than South Africa.
Cape Town's technology level is such that MMO games are popular, as are fancy-mobile-phone assisted Live Action ARG/RPGs along with that. Doesn't change the fact that there are street kids galore, and people that don't have access to the network, and plenty of refugees from elsewhere.
The novel follows four characters. A rich kid that is an independent media producer, a walking corporate advertisement addicted photographer, a street activist, and a corporate programmer with subversive sympathies. All of whom think they can make a difference, or at least get ahead. In for a shock, this lot.
This is a very good, and very polished first novel. Well done.
4 out of 5
Slights - Kaaron Warren
A disturbed young woman becomes obsessed with death after being in a car accident that kills her mother.
The story follows her at different ages, as she does some death inducing on ohters. Her family wasn't too normal to start with.
For this sort of book to work I think it has to creep you out or shock. This dead neither and her descent seemed pretty predictably. Having been an horror reader since about one hand's full of fingers, this didn't work for me. Well written, but too slow and didn't really matter to me.
3 out of 5
The story follows her at different ages, as she does some death inducing on ohters. Her family wasn't too normal to start with.
For this sort of book to work I think it has to creep you out or shock. This dead neither and her descent seemed pretty predictably. Having been an horror reader since about one hand's full of fingers, this didn't work for me. Well written, but too slow and didn't really matter to me.
3 out of 5
Sunday, July 5, 2009
The New Space Opera 2 - Gardner Dozois and Jonathan Strahan
The second volume has turned out about how I expected, not as good as the first. This is to be expected when the best exponents of the form are mostly excluded - these authors are all different to the first book. So no Reynolds, Baxter, Reed, Egan, McDonald, Simmons, etc.
So, rather than being outstanding, this anthology is excellent. Which is still a great result. A 3.68 average as opposed to 3.83. The high end not being there, as such. Still, a bunch of good stories to be found, in a fair variety.
It would seem at the moment you could order a Black Beauty, Superman, or any other sort of story from Bruce Sterling, and you'd end up getting an urban planning screed, currently. No idea why they kept this one, other than Sterling's name probably sells books. It is just an ok story, and neither space opera or adventure.
The pick of this lot is John Barnes layered con story, then Watts, Rusch, Lake, (doing a passable Alastair Reynolds style - and apparently the same setting for a novel he is working on, which would appear to be very promising), Williams and Williams.
A class anthology, just not one for the 5 star best ever list. A right on 4.5, in fact.
New Space Opera 2 : Utriusque Cosmi - Robert Charles Wilson
New Space Opera 2 : The Island - Peter Watts
New Space Opera 2 : Events Preceding the Helvetican Renaissance - John Kessel
New Space Opera 2 : To Go Boldly - Cory Doctorow
New Space Opera 2 : The Lost Princess Man - John Barnes
New Space Opera 2 : Defect - Kristine Kathryn Rusch
New Space Opera 2 : To Raise A Mutiny Betwixt Yourselves - Jay Lake
New Space Opera 2 : Shell Game - Neal Asher
New Space Opera 2 : Punctuality - Garth Nix
New Space Opera 2 : Inevitable - Sean Williams
New Space Opera 2 : Join The Navy and See the Worlds - Bruce Sterling
New Space Opera 2 : Fearless Space Pirates of the Outer Rings - Bill Willingham
New Space Opera 2 : From the Heart - John Meaney
New Space Opera 2 : Chameleons - Elizabeth Moon
New Space Opera 2 : The Tenth Muse - Tad Williams
New Space Opera 2 : Cracklegrackle - Justina Robson
New Space Opera 2 : The Tale of the Wicked - John Scalzi
New Space Opera 2 : Catastrophe Baker and a Canticle for Leibowitz - Mike Resnick
New Space Opera 2 : The Far End of History - John C. Wright
Dark matter universe jumping Invisible Enemy Rapture, go fast, kid.
3.5 out of 5
Gate Mission live Dyson sphere violence Chimp conflict.
4 out of 5
Monk play nicking folded soldier escape.
3.5 out of 5
Space navies? You guys are crazy. No to mention inefficient.
3.5 out of 5
We'll find the right conman for this Empress thing, yet.
4.5 out of 5
Son's a killer combo.
4 out of 5
One posthuman captain ahead of another, Ship.
4 out of 5
Straightening out an alien religious conflict revenge.
3.5 out of 5
There's a gene for the intergalactic transport version.
3.5 out of 5
I'm safe till we loop, enemy woman.
4 out of 5
Just not in this story.
3 out of 5
No human bosses, so now superheroes.
4 out of 5
Spying sneaky Pilot stuff for you, Candidate.
4 out of 5
Dad, filthy rich or not, hiring bad men = bad.
3.5 out of 5
Construct killer space libretto.
4 out of 5
Ghost energy Forged daughter hunt.
3.5 out of 5
Ship Brain independence spread.
3.5 out of 5
Voluptua playing around.
3 out of 5
A new mental model for lots of the two of us via the Atkins methods.
3.5 out of 5
4.5 out of 5
So, rather than being outstanding, this anthology is excellent. Which is still a great result. A 3.68 average as opposed to 3.83. The high end not being there, as such. Still, a bunch of good stories to be found, in a fair variety.
It would seem at the moment you could order a Black Beauty, Superman, or any other sort of story from Bruce Sterling, and you'd end up getting an urban planning screed, currently. No idea why they kept this one, other than Sterling's name probably sells books. It is just an ok story, and neither space opera or adventure.
The pick of this lot is John Barnes layered con story, then Watts, Rusch, Lake, (doing a passable Alastair Reynolds style - and apparently the same setting for a novel he is working on, which would appear to be very promising), Williams and Williams.
A class anthology, just not one for the 5 star best ever list. A right on 4.5, in fact.
New Space Opera 2 : Utriusque Cosmi - Robert Charles Wilson
New Space Opera 2 : The Island - Peter Watts
New Space Opera 2 : Events Preceding the Helvetican Renaissance - John Kessel
New Space Opera 2 : To Go Boldly - Cory Doctorow
New Space Opera 2 : The Lost Princess Man - John Barnes
New Space Opera 2 : Defect - Kristine Kathryn Rusch
New Space Opera 2 : To Raise A Mutiny Betwixt Yourselves - Jay Lake
New Space Opera 2 : Shell Game - Neal Asher
New Space Opera 2 : Punctuality - Garth Nix
New Space Opera 2 : Inevitable - Sean Williams
New Space Opera 2 : Join The Navy and See the Worlds - Bruce Sterling
New Space Opera 2 : Fearless Space Pirates of the Outer Rings - Bill Willingham
New Space Opera 2 : From the Heart - John Meaney
New Space Opera 2 : Chameleons - Elizabeth Moon
New Space Opera 2 : The Tenth Muse - Tad Williams
New Space Opera 2 : Cracklegrackle - Justina Robson
New Space Opera 2 : The Tale of the Wicked - John Scalzi
New Space Opera 2 : Catastrophe Baker and a Canticle for Leibowitz - Mike Resnick
New Space Opera 2 : The Far End of History - John C. Wright
Dark matter universe jumping Invisible Enemy Rapture, go fast, kid.
3.5 out of 5
Gate Mission live Dyson sphere violence Chimp conflict.
4 out of 5
Monk play nicking folded soldier escape.
3.5 out of 5
Space navies? You guys are crazy. No to mention inefficient.
3.5 out of 5
We'll find the right conman for this Empress thing, yet.
4.5 out of 5
Son's a killer combo.
4 out of 5
One posthuman captain ahead of another, Ship.
4 out of 5
Straightening out an alien religious conflict revenge.
3.5 out of 5
There's a gene for the intergalactic transport version.
3.5 out of 5
I'm safe till we loop, enemy woman.
4 out of 5
Just not in this story.
3 out of 5
No human bosses, so now superheroes.
4 out of 5
Spying sneaky Pilot stuff for you, Candidate.
4 out of 5
Dad, filthy rich or not, hiring bad men = bad.
3.5 out of 5
Construct killer space libretto.
4 out of 5
Ghost energy Forged daughter hunt.
3.5 out of 5
Ship Brain independence spread.
3.5 out of 5
Voluptua playing around.
3 out of 5
A new mental model for lots of the two of us via the Atkins methods.
3.5 out of 5
4.5 out of 5
Inferno - Ellen Datlow
A rather good original anthology, having a 3.58 average. Not surprising to get an award, then.
The standout is easily Laird Barron's 'The Forest'. The opposite being Jeffrey Ford, who has never really struck me as a horror writer, and goes a bit Arthur C. Clarke here, even.
Other good stories from Ballingrud, Grant, Finch, Bestwick, Cadigan, with Hirshberg's the second best of all.
The introduction specifically says there are no 'werewolves, vampires, witches, zombies, etc.'
Inferno : Riding Bitch - K.W. Jeter
Inferno : Misadventure - Stephen Gallagher
Inferno : The Forest - Laird Barron
Inferno : The Monsters of Heaven - Nathan Ballingrud
Inferno : Inelastic Collisions - Elizabeth Bear
Inferno : The Uninvited - Christopher Fowler
Inferno : 13 O'clock - Mike O’Driscoll
Inferno : Lives - John Grant
Inferno : Ghorla - Mark Samuels
Inferno : Face - Joyce Carol Oates
Inferno : An Apiary of White Bees - Lee Thomas
Inferno : The Keeper - P. D. Cacek
Inferno : Bethany's Wood - Paul Finch
Inferno : The Ease With Which We Freed The Beast - Lucius Shepard
Inferno : Hushabye - Simon Bestwick
Inferno : Perhaps the Last - Conrad Williams
Inferno : Stilled Life - Pat Cadigan
Inferno : The Janus Tree - Glen Hirshberg
Inferno : The Bedroom Light - Jeffrey Ford
Inferno : The Suits at Auderlene - Terry Dowling
Dead girlfriend handcuffed nitrobike dirtnap.
3.5 out of 5
Ghost kid pool alert.
3 out of 5
Dying of cancer won't bug me, at least until the sun goes out, anyway.
4.5 out of 5
Limp angel bloody love.
4 out of 5
Poolroom angel meatpuppet dinner frogman revelation.
3.5 out of 5
Serial killer gatecrash gang.
3.5 out of 5
Bad dreams, dad.
3.5 out of 5
Might have to go a bit Rasputin to end the son's.
4 out of 5
Brother sister freaky third eye transfer.
3 out of 5
Growing parasite.
3 out of 5
Fancy booze stash, sex, revenge.
3.5 out of 5
What's all the dead burned kid stuff, then?
3 out of 5
Insane pagan murder mobile statue mum.Insane pagan murder mobile statue mum.
4 out of 5
Insane pagan murder mobile statue mum.Insane pagan murder mobile statue mum.
3.5 out of 5
Shoot and toast the serial killer, hopefully will work.
4 out of 5
Guard too late.
3.5 out of 5
Busted friendsihp's rocky end.
4 out of 5
Not falling fall from the old Family (or friends.
4.5 out of 5
Not so scary cat.
2.5 out of 5
Singing armour meteor maiden trap.
3.5 out of 5
4 out of 5
The standout is easily Laird Barron's 'The Forest'. The opposite being Jeffrey Ford, who has never really struck me as a horror writer, and goes a bit Arthur C. Clarke here, even.
Other good stories from Ballingrud, Grant, Finch, Bestwick, Cadigan, with Hirshberg's the second best of all.
The introduction specifically says there are no 'werewolves, vampires, witches, zombies, etc.'
Inferno : Riding Bitch - K.W. Jeter
Inferno : Misadventure - Stephen Gallagher
Inferno : The Forest - Laird Barron
Inferno : The Monsters of Heaven - Nathan Ballingrud
Inferno : Inelastic Collisions - Elizabeth Bear
Inferno : The Uninvited - Christopher Fowler
Inferno : 13 O'clock - Mike O’Driscoll
Inferno : Lives - John Grant
Inferno : Ghorla - Mark Samuels
Inferno : Face - Joyce Carol Oates
Inferno : An Apiary of White Bees - Lee Thomas
Inferno : The Keeper - P. D. Cacek
Inferno : Bethany's Wood - Paul Finch
Inferno : The Ease With Which We Freed The Beast - Lucius Shepard
Inferno : Hushabye - Simon Bestwick
Inferno : Perhaps the Last - Conrad Williams
Inferno : Stilled Life - Pat Cadigan
Inferno : The Janus Tree - Glen Hirshberg
Inferno : The Bedroom Light - Jeffrey Ford
Inferno : The Suits at Auderlene - Terry Dowling
Dead girlfriend handcuffed nitrobike dirtnap.
3.5 out of 5
Ghost kid pool alert.
3 out of 5
Dying of cancer won't bug me, at least until the sun goes out, anyway.
4.5 out of 5
Limp angel bloody love.
4 out of 5
Poolroom angel meatpuppet dinner frogman revelation.
3.5 out of 5
Serial killer gatecrash gang.
3.5 out of 5
Bad dreams, dad.
3.5 out of 5
Might have to go a bit Rasputin to end the son's.
4 out of 5
Brother sister freaky third eye transfer.
3 out of 5
Growing parasite.
3 out of 5
Fancy booze stash, sex, revenge.
3.5 out of 5
What's all the dead burned kid stuff, then?
3 out of 5
Insane pagan murder mobile statue mum.Insane pagan murder mobile statue mum.
4 out of 5
Insane pagan murder mobile statue mum.Insane pagan murder mobile statue mum.
3.5 out of 5
Shoot and toast the serial killer, hopefully will work.
4 out of 5
Guard too late.
3.5 out of 5
Busted friendsihp's rocky end.
4 out of 5
Not falling fall from the old Family (or friends.
4.5 out of 5
Not so scary cat.
2.5 out of 5
Singing armour meteor maiden trap.
3.5 out of 5
4 out of 5
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