Author: Greig

Professional Librarian from Fife who likes books and music.

lancer?

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The Final Reflection

John M. Ford

The Final ReflectionMike Ford died aged 49 on September 25, a man of prodigious talent, formidable intelligence and remarkable wit. I only knew him from a few online forums that we happened to both frequent. In my own small way this re-read is my tribute to the man. Other re-reads may follow.
This is one of the most remarkable Star Trek books ever written, being the first written from the Klingon perspective and the first to portray Klingons as more than bloodthirsty warriors.
The book barely qualifies as a Star Trek novel, spending so much time outside of the canon and only spending a handful of pages on the Enterprise with Kirk & co as a framing device.
It’s a thoroughly enjoyable book that makes you wish that men of such imagination were responsible for more of Star Trek’s output – being prone to bland platitudes as it is.
I’d recommend it as a nice piece of science fiction, especially to more Trek skeptical audience and as an eye-opener to how it could be done better to die hard trekkies/trekkers out there.

Rating: B

dover?

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M*A*S*H

Richard Hooker

M*A*S*HThe original source material for the film and subequently the very long running sitcom.
Set during the Korean war in a mobile army hospital this book follows Hawkeye Pierce, Duke Forrest and Trapper John as they try to stay sane working as field surgeons.
The book is funny, laugh out loud in places, but also satisfyingly dark at times. The only flaw is it’s brevity.
I’d recommend this one if you find dark humour particularly appealing, or are just curious about the starting point of a cultural phenomenon.

Rating: B+

dora?

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Time Enough For Love

Robert A Heinlein

Time Enough For LoveThis is late period Heinlein. That means lots of right-wing libertarian politics, sex and glorification of the pioneer.
This is less of a novel than a series of short stories and novellas about the life of Lazarus Long – an incredibly long lived human being.
It takes in far-future human colonization and the First World War as part of it’s sprawling mess.
It’s quite mental and has no real focus to it, but it’s still one of the more enjoyable reads that Heinlein produced in his later years. I mean in comparison to I Will Fear No Evil it’s a top notch book!
If you loved Heinlein circa The Moon’s A Harsh Mistress then this is something worth checking out. Otherwise I couldn’t honestly recommend it to anyone.

Rating: B+

boffo?

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Wintersmith

Terry Pratchett

This is the third of the Tiffany Aching books.
In this one she steps into a dance she shouldn’t and the Wintersmith – the spirit of winter – falls in love with her.
So somehow Tiffany has to save the Discworld from perpetual winter while continuing her novice witch training.
This continues the high standards set in the previous Aching books, The Wee Free Men & A Hat Full of Sky.
Pratchett continues to be on beautifully bittersweet and humourous form while Tiffany grows up to fulfill her destiny as a witch of remarkable power.
I wouldn’t read it as a stand-alone (though you probably could) it really does work best as part of the sequence.
In that case I wouldn’t give a moment’s hesitation in recommending anyone to read this book

Rating: A

rhino?

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The Salmon of Doubt

Douglas Adams

The Salmon of DoubtThis posthumous cash in contains random articles, essays, speeches and letters written by Adams before he died as well as a hitchhiker’s based short story and the chunk of a Dirk Gently book that never was that gives this volume a title.
No single part of this book is worth buying it for, but as a whole it is a nice reminder of who Douglas Adams was, what he stood for and the work he was capable of.
I bought this book not long after it made paperback for less than half price in a supermarket. I don’t know I would have bothered if it wasn’t so cheap. That I only just got round to reading it speaks volumes as far as I’m concerned.
My recommendation, unless you’re a Hitchhiker’s nut, is that you don’t buy this for less than a bargain price.

Rating: C

four digit prime?

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Miss Wyoming

Douglas Coupland

Miss WyomingSusan Colgate and John Lodge Johnson, an ex-child star and big time Hollywood film producer, are the lead characters in this book.
Not the most promising start, but Coupland beautifully realises these cliches as real people with all the neuroses, strengths, flaws and past history that you could ever wish for.
Told as usual with his fabulous style, I really enjoy this book, but the plot is pointless and inconsequential and rests on the strength of the characters. If you can’t enjoy the characters then the book will mean nothing to you. I recommend this if you already like Coupland’s work.

Rating: B+

boston crab?

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The Wrestling

Simon Garfield

Excellent look at British professional wrestling, told essentially in the words of the participants. Professional wrestling is remembered in the British collective memory as a naff spectacle of deeply unfit men participating in obviously fake matches in the afternoon on ITV. It was like that, but also it was home to some intriguing personalities and an interesting mat based style in comparison to the major US promotions. British wrestlers knew their stuff even if the stars ended up being big fat men like Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks who won through their sheer size. This book gives an historical overview of the wrestling and a personal view of the business as told in the wrestlers, promoters and managers own words. Highly recommended to anyone with a passing interest in professional wrestling.

Rating: B+

pocket potato?

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Tony Benn
Saint Jude’s Infirmary
Nick Doody
Richard Herring
Get Up Stand Up, The Three Tuns, Edinburgh

It’s not often you find yourself at the very epicentre of extreme cognitive dissonance but I managed it last night.
As mentioned before I’m friends with the guys in Saint Jude’s Infirmary and I went along to this gig because of the early start and finish suiting my commuting schedule. I knew it was a night of comedy, music and politics, but I really wasn’t prepared for how weird it was to watch your friends be supported by Tony Benn?
First off they showed a trite and overly simplistic film pushing the anti-WMD agenda. I happen to agree with that agenda but I do wish that they didn’t talk down to people so much.
Then Tony Benn wanders up to the stage and for the next 45 minutes or so talks about politics. The man is still pretty sharp for 81 years old, but his talk was filled with crowd pleasing rhetoric and very little of actual substance. He took some questions but they were all soft soap stuff. Mind you it wasn’t really the kind of crowd where you could ask him difficult questions about his role in government, etc.
Next, Saint Jude’s Infirmary, who I continue to have no perspective on. It’s hard to be objective when you know people quite that well.
The first comedian was Nick Doody, who was really quite funny with his drink and relationships stuff, I quite enjoyed it.
Last act was ex TV comedian Richard Herring, who did a blue act with an absurd interlude about potatoes, apples, French and English – the pedantic little bugger. I laughed but it wasn’t that great.
So yeah, from left-wing politics to knob jokes via the music of friends in the space of a couple of hours. Really weird experience.

kovacs?

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Watchmen

Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons

WatchmenI normally don’t blog about comics since, strictly speaking, even in trade paperback form they’re not novels. Even the majestic Sandman series consists of short stories and novellas. Moore and Gibbon’s classic, however, is beyond all doubt a true graphic novel.
Watchmen is about a subtly different version of now, where “superheroes” or masked vigilantes really existed, and the consequences of their existence for every living person.
It’s a densely layered piece making the best of a medium that is both visual and written. The central narrative unwinds beautifully, the characters are exquisitely portrayed, and the questions asked resonate in your mind for years.
It’s a piece I have read many times, and yet I continue to find new details in it even today.
I recommend this book to anyone, with no hesitation.

Rating: A

koma?

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Margrave Of The Marshes

John Peel & Sheila Ravenscroft

Margrave Of The MarshesJohn Peel’s autobiography was posthumously completed by his Wife and children.
A fascinating, if scattershot, telling of Peel’s life up until shortly before he married his first wife and his radio career took off in the USA, is as much as he completed before his death of a heart attack in Peru in October 2004.
The rest of the book is related by his wife, Sheila (also known as Pig), and is a bittersweet reminiscence of her life with him and an honest telling of the obsessiveness that drove Peel in doing his job.
It made me miss Peel very much.
If you ever spent time listening to the man’s radio shows, you have to read this book.

Rating: B