Off To Be The Wizard
This is a comic science fiction novel about a hacker who discovers the secrets of controlling the universe via a garbage file on a server he’s broken into.
He quickly finds himself in trouble after changing reality to suit his own needs and he escapes into the past of medieval England.
The premise is more entertaining than the actual story and while I wouldn’t mind reading the sequel it’s certainly not something I’m super keen to acquire.
Nearlyweds
I saw bits of a film based on this on a Satellite channel the other day so I decided to check out the original novel.
This is a fun look at three women reassessing their relationships in light of their marriages being declared technically illegal after the paperwork doesn’t get completed.
The three lead characters have a bit of depth and are fun to spend time with. The secondary characters are all one-dimensional and mostly they’re despicable.
The best thing is that much of this is dealt with a degree of levity and only taking things seriously when getting to the heart of the issues with each couple.
The Portable Door
This book is the first of a series set in an around a firm of consulting magicians. Within that series this is the first of a trilogy starring Paul Carpenter.
We follow our uninspired and unremarkable hero as he interviews for and unexpectedly gets a job at a mysterious but seemingly ordinary business. He then goes on a series of increasingly fantastical misadventures before the real nature of the firm is revealed to him. All this while he nurtures a crush on his fellow new employee Sophie.
I enjoyed the book when I first read it back in 2004. What I can tell you now that I couldn’t then is that it’s a case of diminishing returns with the rest of the books in the series. I only stuck with it as far as I did because I wanted to find out what happened to Paul.
Recommended for lovers of comical fantasy especially those who know a bit of Gilbert and Sullivan (which I don’t but apparently it enhances the experience).
Hyperbole and a Half
This collection of posts and drawings from Brosh’s blog is the second funniest thing I’ve read all year (see Jenny Lawson’s biography for that).
It is also occasionally rather profound about the experience of being depressed and other mental health issues.
Highly recommended, especially if you love stories about stupid dogs.
Thief of Time
I came across the dust jacket for this book while hunting for something else in my flat. After reuniting the book with it’s jacket I found myself with a notion to read this book again. I’ve read it before on multiple occasions and I reviewed it in 2005 and 2009.
This is my favourite of the Susan Sto-Helit books for a few reasons but the main one is probably the presence of the Time Monks and in particular Lu Tze the Sweeper.
As with every Discworld book this is a fun read – it’s just not as good as the very best work in the series.
If you haven’t read any Pratchett before I recommend that you start as soon as possible. Now would be good…
Soulless
Soulless is a steampunk alternate history urban fantasy romance with both comedic and horror elements.
In a world where vampires, werewolves and ghosts are part of Victorian society we are introduced to the Soulless of the title, someone who can nullify the gifts of the supernatural, a high society spinster by the name of Alexia.
Highly intelligent and forthright with a great line in witty banter she’s a great character to spend time with.
The book overall is an entertaining confection. The plot is pretty obvious but it whips along at an enjoyable pace and kept me entertained.
It’s not a top class example of any of the genres it plays with but I’d still recommend it to anyone looking for a diverting piece of escapism.
Moon Over Soho
The second PC Grant book finds the characters still dealing with the repercussions of the events in the first book.
Physical and mental injuries to his colleagues mean that Grant is left on his own in the field for the first time as he investigates the deaths of jazz musicians that show telltale signs of magical influence and continues to try and find who’s been killing men by biting their penises off.
The book feels a bit less focussed than the first of the series and it annoyed me by having the lead character being stupid in a really obvious way for a good chunk of the tale.
I’d still recommend the book as it’s a really satisfying mix of humour, horror and police procedural.
How To Be A Woman
Moran’s book is a funny autobiographical feminist polemic.
Each chapter illustrates an aspect of growing up and living as a woman using events in her own life.
Her anecdotes are usually hilarious, occasionally moving and nearly always enlightening.
I found much to admire in her take on feminism, but that’s not too surprising given how well it chimes with my own views.
It’s currently available as a cheap paperback or ebook and is well worth buying.
Making Money
The second Moist von Lipwig book is a very entertaining romp. Not as powerful or as moving as the very top echelon of Pratchett’s work can be, but very much worth a read.
Previously reviewed in 2007 and 2009. This re-read was prompted by a showing of the Sky production of Going Postal over xmas. It’s probably the best of all the Discworld adaptations so far, with the performance by Claire Foy as Adora Belle Dearheart a particular standout.
Agent ToThe Stars
Scalzi’s first novel (written first, published later) is a fun romp set in Hollywood. Drawing on his experiences as a film critic and insider knowledge of the film business to tell the story of a showbiz agent who becomes the representative for visiting aliens.
It’s funny in the same sort of way as The Android’s Dream and at the same time has brilliant, genuinely SFnal, aliens. While being utterly different it kind of reminds me of Pratchett in that it uses humour as a foundation in order to philosophically explore real issues with a light touch.
Totally recommended if you’re looking for a fun, pacy bit of science fiction.
See here for my original review