A – Page 7 – transmission

dwimmer?

Posted on February 23, 2007February 26, 2007 by Greig

The Pinhoe Egg

Diana Wynne Jones

The latest book in the revived Chrestomanci series is a sequel of sorts to the Guardian Award winning classic Charmed Life.
In this story Cat Chant (protagonist of Charmed Life) has settled into life at Chrestomanci Castle and finds himself drawn into events caused by a dark secret held by the magical families living in the surrounding villages.
Typically of DWJ this is a thoroughly enjoyable book, with engaging characters and a twisty and fun plot.
The simple fact is that there’s not a better writer of children’s fantasy out there and for my money she may well be the very best ever.
Thoroughly recommended.

Rating: A

bufpuf?

Posted on February 20, 2007February 21, 2007 by Greig

Only Forward

Michael Marshall Smith

Smith’s debut novel is one of my favourite science fiction books of all time.
It starts of as a far future noir detective story with the lead character, Stark, full of wisecracks and “I’m smarter than you” confidence. That it ends up being an incredibly moving piece is testament of Smith’s ability to shift the story around underneath the reader without them ever feeling cheated.
Part of that is the fact that it is made plain within the first couple of pages that Stark is a rather unreliable narrator, more than willing to lie, omit facts or completely fabricate things if he thinks it’s amusing or suits his needs.
By the end when the layers have been stripped away and there are no more falsehoods you are in no doubt of how brilliantly the tale has been told.
After more than a decade, after numerous re-reads, this is still a remarkable piece of work.
I have no hesitation whatsoever in recommending it to anyone to read.

Rating: A

crocus?

Posted on December 10, 2006February 16, 2007 by Greig

The Dragon Waiting

John M Ford

Ford’s masterful alternative history retells the story of Richard III’s ascension in a world where the Byzantine Romans never fell, where Vampires, Wizards and Witches are real.
As hokey as that sounds the book feels grounded in truth, with impressively crafted characters and a beautifully layered and nuanced plot.
Reading it makes you miss Mr. Ford even more.
One of an unfortunately small number of writers who could really write that worked almost exclusively within the realms of fantasy and science fiction his death earlier this year is something that I could have done without.
Anyway I recommend this book without hesitation to anyone with an interest in Fantasy.

Rating: A

boffo?

Posted on October 3, 2006November 18, 2008 by Greig

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

kovacs?

Posted on August 5, 2006January 4, 2012 by Greig

Watchmen

Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons

I 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

blue bell?

Posted on July 19, 2006January 4, 2012 by Greig

All Fun And Games Until Somebody Loses An Eye

Christopher Brookmyre

This is one of Brookmyre’s novels where an ordinary Scot finds themself in the middle of a full out Hollywood movie situation.
It’s a blast from beginning to end and features one of the best characters that Brookmyre’s ever come up with. Jane Fleming is an East Kilbride based grandmother that feels resigned to the scrapheap of life.
Except she’s not yet 50, and there’s still a spark of the girl that was a punk in ’77. When her engineer son goes on the run for his life after he falls foul of the arms industry, that spark is fanned into flame.
Recruited by a team of mercenaries to help in locating and protecting her son, she transforms from a dowdy grandmother/housewife into an asskicking undercover operative.
Sure it’s totally unbelievable, but that’s pretty much the point.
If you’re not looking for realism but rather for a really fun read for the summer holidays then I totally recommend this book.

Rating: A

minifigs?

Posted on June 25, 2006January 4, 2012 by Greig

Microserfs

Douglas Coupland

I last read this book in 2003.
As I said then, it’s one of my favourite books to re-read from time to time. I re-read it this time to prepare for reading his latest novel JPod, which is meant to be a more cynical take on the same world.
It’s a funny and moving tale of a bunch of tech workers who leave behind the tech monoculture of Microsoft to work in a start up in Silicon Valley.
It contains a lot of very interesting and some valid ideas about geek life. It’s a pity that as technology has raced ahead it’s made a lot of the tech observations obsolete.
I still recommend this book and especially to anyone who works in IT or similar geek workplace.

Rating: A

goooooooool?

Posted on May 26, 2006June 25, 2007 by Greig

Futebol

Alex Bellos

Fabulous history of Brazilian football and an examination of Brazil through it’s relationship with football.
Everyone knows about Brazil’s national team and the skillful game they personify, but I’ve never known much about the history of football in Brazil – even though I’ve always wondered how they got to be so good.
This book is a fascinating introduction to the way football became the Brazilian obsession and so tightly bound up with national identity and pride.
By looking not only at their World Cup teams and players (fascinating chapter about Garrincha by the way), but at club football, grassroots football, the Brazilian ‘mystique’ and how politics and religion all tie in together to create potent mix in this giant country.
It was mind blowing to realize that the most supported club in Brazil, Flamengo, has a support somewhere in the region of five times the population of Scotland.
If you’ve ever wanted to know more about Brazil or Brazilian football I would highly recommend this book.

Rating: A

clown assassin?

Posted on May 11, 2006June 19, 2007 by Greig

Iron Sunrise

Charles Stross

Iron Sunrise is the sequel to Singularity Sky . This is a significant improvement over that work.
The main plot revolves around young girl known as Wednesday who uncovers proof of a plot by a group called the ReMastered that resulted in the destruction of New Moscow, a relatively low tech planetary system. As the ReMastered set events in motion to cover their tracks, Wednesday goes on the run. Rachel Mansour and Martin Springfield (from Singularity Sky) appear in another plot thread – New Moscow?s revenge against the (wrongly) suspected New Dresden government was to send slower-than-light
weaponry to destroy the planet. These ships can be recalled, or set on an irrevocable course by the remaining Muscovite Ambassadors – except they are being assassinated one by one and their authority keys taken.
Wednesday ends up on a cruise ship and in the company of Frank Johnson, a warblogger with reason to hate the ReMastered. Gradually these plots are drawn together with the realization that the cruise ship has been in port at every location that a Muscovite ambassador has been killed and Mansour & Springfield board the ship to investigate.
This is a well written and well plotted book. I really enjoyed it.
I’d recommend it to anyone would likes their science fiction.

Rating: A

hot dust?

Posted on May 5, 2006January 5, 2012 by Greig

Revelation Space

Alastair Reynolds

This is Reynolds’ debut novel and what a remarkable debut it is.
He takes three separate story threads taking part in completely different environments, gives you taste of them and their cultures. He stretches events across decades, gives you flashbacks hundreds of years in the past. Then he sets events in motion that draws these threads together with minimal clunkiness.
There are some fabulous pieces of alien tech, some remarkably plausible extrapolations of past galactic history and future human development.
There’s really interesting characters, great set pieces and it’s all done with real style.
I think I’ll be buying more of his books.
I’d recommend this to anyone starved for a genuinely great piece of hard SF in the current market of post-geek Singularity science fiction.

Rating: A