The Quatermass Book-Reading Blog 10: Tenpenny Dreadfuls...

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Book 29...

REVIEW: The Mervyn Stone Mysteries: Geek Tragedy by Nev Fountain

Having enjoyed at least two of the Doctor Who audios written by Nev Fountain, I thought I'd try my hand at his Mervyn Stone series. This series, about the misadventures of a former script editor for a science fiction series, promised much. But following through is another matter, and my reading style isn't quite conducive to mysteries. So I tried my hand at Geek Tragedy, the first in the series...

Vixens of the Void, the epitome of cheesy late 80s sci-fi on the BBC. Mervyn Stone was its script editor, but even though the troubled series has long since been cancelled, it has just enough of a following to entrap Stone in a series of conventions attended by fans ranging from the pathetic to the lunatic. And he has to attend it with such people like Vanity Mycroft, a veritable diva's diva, Bernard Viner, former special effects man and someone with a bone to pick with Stone, and William 'Smurf' Smurfett, a dwarf known mainly for operating the key monsters of the series. At first, it seems that all Stone will have to deal with is crazy fans and old feuds being reheated into fresh fights. But when convention organiser and superfan Simon Josh is found dead in a prop monster car, things start to get interesting...

Okay, so let me get the bad stuff out of the way. I'm not fond of mysteries, partly because I perhaps don't pay as much attention to detail as I really should, and thus, I don't always see the lines of reasoning, and the final twist did seem to come out of left field, even though it was shown how it was slotted in. In addition, at times, Nev Fountain paints an extremely unflattering view of the fandoms of various shows through the fans of Vixens of the Void, with the character of John the Stalker being a very unflattering fan. It does sometimes get a bit less satirical and a bit more meanspirited. And it feels that not quite enough time is devoted to Stone's detection, and indeed, the novel as a whole is short.

And yet...this is really somewhat nitpicking. The biggest draw of Geek Tragedy for me is the aforementioned look at fandom, fans, and celebrities, particularly those of series like Doctor Who. While some elements of Fountain's satire are a bit much, on the whole, it is not only quite funny, but I daresay that some of it is frighteningly accurate. In addition, most of the characters at least are quite interesting, ranging from Stone himself, to the very aptly named Vanity Mycroft, the policeman fan Stuart, and the doddery and senile Roddy Burgess. Fountain succeeds in populating the novel with a universe of characters that, while exaggerated, seem familiar enough and, importantly, not tied to any specific fandom. And, of course, it's funny. One of my favourite lines is an early one: These were Vixens from the Void fans, and they were truly in their element. Teased by Trekkies and Time Lords, and jeered at by Jedi, Vixens fans were the oddest and dampest of them all: the science-fiction fans that put the 'sigh' into science and the 'ick' into fiction. It was an accepted fact that Vixens fans only existed so that Xena Warrior Princess fans had someone to pity. The mystery isn't quite as important, to me at least, as the satirical and observational humour that manages to nonetheless mesh well with the mystery itself.

While nowhere near perfect, Geek Tragedy certainly impressed me. Nev Fountain was one of my favourite script-writers for the Big Finish audios, and now, he has hooked me onto his books. And if you want a bit of a laugh at the fandom's expense, and don't mind some at your own, then read this book.


9/10

First words: Jesus Jones wrote a song about it, you know.

Last words: But that's another story.

Book 30...

REVIEW: William Shakespeare's Star Wars by Ian Doescher, from the screenplay by George Lucas

My interest in Star Wars has been rekindled of late thanks to the webcomic Darths & Droids, which reimagines the famous movie saga as a roleplaying game campaign. But there are more than that in the way of reimaginings of one of the most famous science fiction franchises of all time. William Shakespeare's Star Wars seems like a bizarre novelty, and yet, given how Lucas drew on universal story themes, somehow fitting. But how would it work out?

William Shakespeare's Star Wars reimagines the first movie of the saga ('Verily, A New Hope') as a Shakeaspearean play. With a chorus by our side, we watch the adventures of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, Obi Wan Kenobi, and Darth Vader unfurl on stage, so to speak. With dialogue in iambic pentameter and asides aplenty, this is an interesting reimagining indeed.

As noted above, Star Wars drew on many a universal story theme, including many used by Shakespeare, so despite the bizarreness of the mixing of these two things, it is actually quite fitting. This is clearly a labour of love by Ian Doescher, and his effort shows. Somehow, it feels very much like Shakespeare and Star Wars all together, but we also have little asides that allude to both the prequels and the later films, as well as some asides that shed some light on some character's motives, with R2D2 (of all people) and Obi Wan's asides being most enlightening.

And yet, the sheer novelty of this book also works against it. The Shakespearean prose feels old fashioned to my ears, and long-winded at times, making even Lucas' sometimes wooden dialogue seem the epitome of punchy literary prose (forgive that slightly bizarre turn of phrase). In addition, there is, frankly, little here that you haven't seen already. Although I mentioned the asides, which help spice up what could have been a more straightforward transcription and translation, they're not quite enough. And the utter absurdity of staging Star Wars on a theatre's stage on a budget for a Shakespeare play is also a mark against it, despite the novelty and the lack of serious suggestion to that effect.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, if only for its novelty value. However, I'm not sure whether any other people, or indeed Star Wars fans would get much out of it, although I dare say Shakespeare fans of a flexible enough mindset might get something out of it.


8/10

First words: It is a period of civil war.

Last words: This has been a labour of love, and I enjoyed every syllable.

Book 31...

REVIEW: Powers volume 1: Who Killed Retro Girl? by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming

Although I have something of an interest in superhero comics, it is rare that I decide to try and enter into the frankly soap-esque sagas of Marvel and DC. For me, I prefer generally limited, one-shot stories that can be appreciated on their own rather than trying to buy into a series that has been running for up to decades. So when I finally got the opportunity to try Powers, the Image Comics series created by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming, and with an unusual twist on the usual superhero sagas, I decided to take the plunge...

In a nameless city, superheroes and supervillains do battle on a regular basis. But the regular police also have their own jobs to do, and Homicide Detective Christian Walker is one of them. Resolving a hostage crisis and rescuing young Calista is all in a day's work, as is dealing with obnoxious coworkers. But when teamed up with rookie detective Deena Pilgrim, the two of them find themselves swiftly drawn into the high-profile murder of Retro Girl, one of the most beloved superheroes of the city. But even as Walker and Pilgrim struggle to find any leads, they find themselves hard-pressed to trust even each other. What secret is Walker hiding? Why do so many of the superheroes and supervillains seem to know him? And can the two detectives find out who murdered Retro Girl before distrust tears them apart?

Powers starts off with quite a promising premise, I do have to say. In a world with superheroes, what place is there for the police? Powers finds the answer. The story itself is an enjoyable one, but it's less about the whodunnit than it is about the worldbuilding, as well as the tenuous working relationship between Christian Walker and Deena Pilgrim. In fact, the biggest mystery is more about Walker, and the answer to that mystery is certainly hinted at very early on. The characters are all enjoyable, and the murderer's motives (or at least justifications) are certainly one of the more high concept ones. Another notable point is the distinctive artwork of Michael Avon Oeming, which could have gone badly given the dark subject matter, but still manages to feel right.

And yet, there are more than a few quibbles I have with Powers so far. The key to solving the mystery comes very late, and while this is actually probably quite realistic, it nonetheless scuppers something of the nature of mystery works. In addition, I found it a bit hard to warm up to both of the main characters, with Deena doing a ridiculously stupid thing to Walker early on, and Walker being somewhat too secretive about his former life. It also feels like this story was more about the worldbuilding and less about the actual story within the volume. In addition, I get the feeling of too many plot threads being left loose for later stories. What's with Calista, for example?

Overall, I did enjoy the first volume of Powers. Not as much as I had hoped, to be perfectly honest. But it was a good start, if not a great one, to a series I may continue with.


8.5/10

First words: Walker.

Last words: We will join them in a moment of silence.

Book 32...

REVIEW: Gunnerkrigg Court volume 3: Reason by Thomas Siddell

Normally, I don't read consecutive graphic novels if I can help it, but it's not an official rule of the book-reading blogs. Therefore, my next book, the third volume of Gunnerkrigg Court, will be breaking this usual tradition. Having gone through two volumes so far, I wonder how the next will pan out of the hard copy of this excellent webcomic series now in print? The proof of the pudding is in the eating...

Antimony Carver's schooling at Gunnerkrigg Court continues, but learning is getting a whole lot weirder. School camps and burgeoning romances are one thing, even if the former involves dryads and the latter involving mages. But Annie and her friend Kat are about to discover a dark secret about the Court's beginnings, one that may have a direct bearing on her. Annie also has to deal with fellow student Jack, who is acting weird, and the whims of Coyote. But between an encounter with the embittered ghost Jeanne and a revelation about her own past, Annie may learn the hardest lessons of all...

After the mild disappointment of the second volume, it seems that with this third volume, the series has kicked it up a notch. We learn far more about the Court than ever before, and some of it, including the past of the mysterious ghost Jeanne, is very disturbing. In this volume, we're getting more of a sense of the larger story arc, which promises much for the future. My only real complaint is that so much is being left up in the air. That, and a few pieces of drama here and there (like Kat being cold to so many people) feels slightly contrived. But one part, the revelation of Annie's true nature, is surprising and wonderful.

Annie and Kat show many signs of character development throughout, and indeed, this shows with many of the characters. Ysengrin shows far more of a better nature than he has so far, and more is revealed of Renard and Coyote. The student Jack is also shown to go through some development via a two-chapter story. Even minor characters are interesting, with one chapter being devoted to characters from the Court's past.

Overall, I really enjoyed the third volume of Gunnerkrigg Court. Not perfect, but I intend to return for the fourt (and to date, final) published hard copy volume of this webcomic series.


9.5/10

First words: Our intrepid adventurers have travelled to the farthest reaches of space: Jupiter's moon, Ganymede!

Last words: Show them you are not afraid.

Book 33...

REVIEW: The New Adventures: Tempest by Christopher Bulis

Once more, I return to the New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield, a Doctor Who spinoff. I have a number of these books in my collection, but until now, I haven't really started reading them in earnest. Certainly, these book-reading blogs should be a good opportunity to catch up, and so I turn to Tempest...

Tempest, a planet with a chaotic, poisonous atmosphere, with valuable plants and fungi for the medical industry. With planes and spacecraft too dangerous except at the calmer poles, the only decent transport across this world are a series of monorails. Bernice Summerfield, after giving a lecture and attending a reception held by rich magnate Nathan Costermann, is travelling on the Polar Express to the spaceport. But Costermann is also onboard, along with his most prized possession: the Drell Innulate, a religious idol of immense beauty and value. But soon, Costermann is gassed, his bodyguard murdered, and the idol stolen. With the exception of Bernice and a few others, everyone else in the first class area of the train has a reason for stealing the idol...or a grudge against Costermann. Murder on the Polar Express, so to speak. As the bodycount mounts, Benny, deputised into the investigation, finds that there is more to this than meets the eye. Between fanatical cultists, thieves, con artists, and the vicious mercenary known as Mr Smith, Benny will be lucky to arrive at her destination, never mind finding the culprit...

Okay, so this is a bit like Murder on the Orient Express with sci-fi and thriller bits added on. This is by no means a bad thing, but the murder mystery element does hamper my enjoyment of the book. Indeed, it's a point against it, as is the story, very similar in elements to Dragons' Wrath reviewed above. The twists and turns are nonetheless very enjoyable all the same, and Christopher Bulis at least retains my interest, especially with his worldbuilding regarding Tempest itself. And certainly the revelation of the murderer is a damned good one.

Benny is, as usual, a good protagonist, a real person who nonetheless manages to get into these sort of scrapes. The various characters making up the passengers have interesting traits, though I find Costermann and Tyne to be the most interesting and fleshed-out. I am disappointed by the main villain of Mr Smith, though. He seems merely like a cipher who has just come out of nowhere, and I feel there was more that could have been said of him.

Overall, while not great, Tempest was nonetheless an enjoyable enough story with enough twists and turns to keep one engaged.


8.5/10

First words: 'My friends, followers in the Way of the Drell, I bring you the most wonderful news!'

Last words: (Not recorded due to spoilers.)

Book 33...

REVIEW: Puella Magi Madoka Magica, volume 1 by Magica Quartet, illustrated by Hanokage

Although I could be said to enjoy a number of anime and manga series, I confess that I never really got into the genre known as the magical girl genre. Sailor Moon never aroused my interest, and Cardcaptors only briefly. But I have heard so much about a series that deconstructs the magical girl stories, Puella Magi Madoka Magica, which, despite the frankly bizarre name (par for the course for manga and anime, frankly), was said to be quite good. Having obtained the first manga volume, I wanted to see whether this was true...

Madoka Kaname is a normal teenager, albeit one who dreams of many things. But when a new transfer student arrives, Madoka believes that she's from a dream, a dream where a mysterious creature offers her a contract. Soon, she and her friend Sayaka find the transfer student, Homura, attacking the creature, Kyubey, while a fellow student, Mami, attacks strange eldritch creatures nearby. Having rescued Kyubey from Homura, Madoka and Sayaka are given the chance to become magical girls, in exchange for a single wish. But Homura warns them against entering into this pact. And the life of a magical girl isn't easy at all. But why does Homura distrust Kyubey so much? Where do the Witches, monstrous beings that the magical girls fight, come from? And will Madoka and Sayaka agree to a contract that may give them everything they ever wanted?

It's probably because of the serial nature of the work, but this volume of Puella Magi Madoka Magica didn't quite deliver what I wanted. To be sure, it's a rather dark and confronting work, and while I'm unfamiliar with the general tone of magical girl series, it does feel darker, and explores the consequences more, so far, anyway. It just didn't have the meat I expected to the story, though to be fair, what is shown is intriguing enough for me to want to continue. Just be warned that it's a pretty dark story.

Madoka is a pretty flat protagonist, at least so far, though she has some understandable reactions to her situation, while Homura is a perhaps more interesting character in that her darker personality hides a more altruistic side than she first lets on. Kyubey is intriguing, being somewhat pushy in its agenda and surprisingly reasonable, despite being basically a cute alien cat-thing. Sayaka and Mami, well, I'm not sure what to make of them thus far, so I'll reserve judgement.

Overall, while not brilliant, I certainly am intrigued enough by the first volume of Puella Magi Madoka Magica to give the rest of the series a go in the future. Of course, whether it'll change for the better, we will see...


8/10

First words: It was too big a job for her to handle alone.

Last words: (Not recorded due to spoilers)

Book 35 (the last one should be 34! Damn!)...

REVIEW: Dodger's Guide to London: Based on Original Notes Penned by Jack Dodger himself by Terry and Lyn Pratchett

About a year and a half ago, I read one of Terry Pratchett's rare non-Discworld novels, Dodger. An adventure set during Victorian times, and involving very different characters to what Dickens wrote, Dodger was enjoyable enough. But now, some time late, I come to a spinoff from that very book, a guide to London at the time of the novel, and the sordid and squalid nature of life on the streets...

Dodger's Guide to London is not a map, or a guidebook per se. Rather, it's a series of observations and facts about what life in London, for the rich and the poor, was like. From the squalid world of the tosh-fakers, to the life of Queen Victoria and her consort Albert, and every bit inbetween, we get a sense of life in Victorian London.

When reading this book, I am reminded of the Horrible Histories books by another Terry, Terry Deary, which are, admittedly, tailored towards a slightly younger audience. This book is meant for somewhat older children, early teens and so on, although it is nonetheless interesting for adults as well. It certainly is an interesting starting point for anyone interested in further research into London of the 1800s. The pages are peppered with satirical cartoons of the era, along with advertisements that sound ridiculous to modern eyes, and yet are, presumably, entirely genuine. And there's some interesting original illustrations provided by Paul Kidby.

If I have a big complaint about this book, it's that it spends too little time on many portions of its subject matter. This is a complaint that could be applied to many of the Horrible Histories books as well. It flits from topic to topic in a manner of a bee with ADHD. Brevity may be the soul of wit, but I am left hungry for more, and I believe that Pratchett could have provided. In addition, those who haven't read Dodger may be lost at sea when it comes to references specific to that novel. They may wonder who Simplicity, Solomon, or Onan may be. However, with the exceptions of some understandable censorship, Pratchett doesn't talk down to the audience.

Overall, Dodger's Guide to London is, in its own way, a good companion to the book Dodger, or else an interesting stand-alone piece. Not perfect by any means, but interesting enough despite the short length.


9/10

First words: Way back in the late 1840s- in the time of Victoria and Albert- a young nobody by the name of Dodger (a name he gained solely due to hia bility to dodge trouble)- rose from the sewers to become a hero of London.

Last words: London isn't all that big when you think about it: a square mile of mazes, surrounded by even more streets and people and...opportunities.

Book 36...

REVIEW: The Making of Return of the Jedi by J.W Rinzler

Over the course of other book-reading blogs, I read and reviewed two making-of books by a man called J.W Rinzler, on the making of the first two Star Wars films. It was inevitable that a third be released, on the third and final installment of the original Star Wars trilogy. But would it work out at all well?

The Making of Return of the Jedi is the story of how Lucas returned to complete the final chapter of his space fantasy saga. But even though it was built on everything that had gone on before, it wasn't anywhere near a cakewalk. Fans, leaks, and troubles in production still conspire to complicate the making of an already complex conclusion...

Perhaps it's because I am getting weary of reading at the moment. But this book certainly didn't quite have the same impact as the previous installment. Nonetheless, it's a fascinating look into the making of one of the most famous films of all time. We get an insight into how long it took Lucas to finalise many of the story elements, as well as some of the trials and travails of filming (like the pseudonym of Blue Harvest being used to deter fans and any gouging for locations). It's certainly sure to appeal to the Star Wars fan in general, with information laid on thick.

Overall, though, I found the tone less exciting. Making-of books are generally a triumph of style over substance, with glossy photos acting as a substitute for information. While this isn't quite as much the case with this book, it's nonetheless a point. I also found the writing style drier than normal. A shame, really.

Even so, The Making of Return of the Jedi was a pretty good journey through the making of the final installment of the original Star Wars saga. Fans will enjoy it, and even those with a casual interest could do worse.


9/10

First words: The making of each Star Wars film has mirrored the general mood of its respective cinematic chapter.

Last words: At the time this book goes to press, nothing else is known about the upcoming movies, though as Lucasfilm hums with excitement and a new end to the Skywalker saga is fashioned, all is being readied...

Book 37...

REVIEW: Gunnerkrigg Court volume 4: Materia by Thomas Siddell

To date, I have read three of the current four physically published volumes of the fantasy webcomic Gunnerkrigg Court. I have been impressed so far by its engrossing storyline that blurs the boundaries between magic and science. But while my association with this webcomic may not end with this printed volume, it may end for the time being, so here's hoping that it's good...

Having spent a long time in Gillitie Forest after learning the devastating truth about her heritage, Antimony 'Annie' Carver has returned to Gunnerkrigg Court. Making up with her friend Kat turns out to be harder than she thought, and investigating the origins of the robots, as well as seeing how the former fairies are doing takes up some of her time. And an unexpected call from her father leads Annie to confront her own feelings. But Annie pushing the boundaries of life at Gunnerkrigg Court are soon to have consequences, especially once the trickster Coyote and the mysterious Jones divulge secrets. And soon, Annie is soon going to learn that not everyone in the Court is on her side...

Once again, Thomas Siddell manages to pull off an enjoyable and intriguing story. More and more pieces of the puzzle are revealed, and some intriguing hints are given as to the Court's real purpose. Antimony's character is explored, and she is shown not to be a perfect heroine by any means, something a number of characters point out. The last three chapters, in particular, have revelation after revelation in rapid fire, with Coyote and Jones revealing their respective secret pasts being most intriguing.

However, I have to confess that after the brilliant third volume, this volume is brought down a notch. Not that much: it's still an excellent story. I think Kat's attitude in the first chapter of this volume isn't explained well enough, and seems artificially written-in. And there's no hint of why Annie is in the state she is in in the chapter titled Divine before or since, though it may be setting up a new subplot. And there's a few minor things here and there that leave things frustratingly vague and dissatisfactory.

Nonetheless, I am enjoying Gunnerkrigg Court immensely, and I intend to continue with the series for some time yet.


9/10

First words: Renard...

Last words: It's written to you.

This may very well be the last book for this particular blog. Who knows?

I might just be able to read and review one more book, if I'm lucky: The Fat Duck Cookbook by Heston Blumenthal.

Book 38...

REVIEW: The Fat Duck Cookbook by Heston Blumenthal, with illustrations by Dave McKean, and essays edited by Tony Blake

Normally, there would be no way in hell that I would read and review a cookbook for this book-reading blog. But if said cookbook is by Heston Blumenthal, then I'd make an exception, obviously. After all, Heston is the cooking equivalent of a mad scientist, absolutely insane in the best possible way, intelligent to boot, combining ingredients and strange and unusual cooking techniques that nonetheless produce stellar results. And it helps that The Fat Duck Cookbook is not your standard cookbook...

The Fat Duck Cookbook isn't quite a book of recipes. Rather, it is a combination of cookbook, an autobiography of Heston Blumenthal, a history of his restaurant, The Fat Duck, a treatise on the techniques of molecular gastronomy, as well as a collection of essays on the same. It is, in short, as much an experience as doubtless eating at The Fat Duck itself would be...

What can I say about this book? It is called a cookbook, but it is more a book about a cook, and cooking, than an actual cookbook. The wonderful anecdotes of Heston Blumenthal are entertaining, enthralling, and educational, and are lavishly illustrated by Dave McKean (of The Sandman fame). I've glossed over the recipes while reading this (I can't obviously cook and try them myself, partly because of my unadventurous nature and partly because the recipes are also out of the reach of your average kitchen cook), but the recipes themselves are prefaced by interesting anecdotes as to how they were created that give an insight into Heston's thoughts as he makes them. A discussion of the techniques and methods of molecular gastronomy is also present, and for those with enough scientific know-how, the collection of essays in the back make for fascinating reading.

Do I have any faults to mention? Very few, although I'm not even sure they can be called faults at all. I did mention that the recipes will probably be out of reach for many a cook who'd want to try these things at home, especially given the techniques used. And to be perfectly honest, the essays in the back, while fascinating to me, would no doubt not appeal to people without a scientific background, or at least seem like gibberish. But to me, these aren't faults to me, not personally.

Overall, if The Fat Duck Cookbook turns out to be the last book I read for this particular book-reading blog, then it's a good book to go out on. To me, virtually perfect, highly interesting and engrossing, and giving an insight into the mind of a true culinary genius.


10/10

First words: I know something interesting is sure to happen whenever I eat or drink anything.

Last words: He turned it into a hill.

Book 39...

REVIEW: The Mervyn Stone Mysteries: Cursed Among Sequels by Nev Fountain

Having started on the Mervyn Stone Mysteries earlier in this book-reading blog, it was only a matter of time before I came back to this trilogy of comedy-mysteries by Nev Fountain, better known for his work on Dead Ringers and Big Finish's Doctor Who audio dramas. Geek Tragedy was enjoyable and interesting and perversely funny, so I was impatient for more Mervyn Stone. And now, the lines between reality and fiction are becoming ever more blurred...

Mervyn Stone is not exactly happy. He's stuck in a crappy pub in Cornwall where the mounted badger's head hanging on his bedroom wall keeps falling on him as he sleeps. The reason? Vixens from the Void is following in the footsteps of Doctor Who, and being revived, and they want him partly as a consultant, but also because they want to use his creations, the Styrax. All very well and good, but the script is crap, the director is worse (and has a grudge against Stone from when he worked on the original series), and problems plague the production daily. Glyn Trelawney, showrunner, is a mental chameleon who may be on the wrong side of a split personality disorder, the main characters are played by the ambitious but unproven Stepford Wagz pop group, and fans are clamouring for the show's revival to be stopped. But soon, those will pall into insignificance, for someone is out to murder Mervyn Stone...

As noted before, I'm not fond of mysteries, as I tend to miss the clues. But I think this time around, I did pick some up. Even so, there were a few elements that didn't make sense to me. And there seemed to be less humour this time around, as well as less worldbuilding. Even so, Cursed Among Sequels is a pretty damned good book. Besides having more than a few entertaining scenarios, it also serves, intentionally or not, as a wake-up call to fans of the classic series of Doctor Who who whinge about the new series. This book's message in that regard is blunt: it could have been a lot worse. And there's some weird and funny incidents, including one of the most bizarre and hilarious hostage situations ever committed to print.

In addition, the characters populating the story are certainly interesting, ranging from real to grotesque. Besides Stone himself, there is Glyn Trelawney, an executive producer and head writer who is something of a headcase, with a personality so chameleonic due to his job, he's ended up with a form of split personality disorder. And then, you have Ken Roche, a director who sounds vaguely like a mix of more than a few Doctor Who directors from the classic series, and with no charm or saving graces. We have yet another superfan, introduced late in the story, to replace the one from Geek Tragedy.

Though heavier on the satire, and lighter on the humour, Cursed Among Sequels certainly keeps up the quality of the Mervyn Stone Mysteries. Here's hoping that the last (second published, but last to be read by me) one will be as enjoyable...


9/10

First words: Ah yes, Vixens from the Void.

Last words: It was never a good idea, recreating the past.

Book 40...

REVIEW: The QI Book of the Dead by John Lloyd and John Mitchison

Recently, I got into the famous British panel show QI. QI, or Quite Interesting, is a show where interesting and bizarre facts are posited and discussed, and where contestants get points for being interesting with their answers, and they (usually Alan Davies) get penalised for obvious, boring, and (often only from certain points of view) wrong answers. But even if the facts aren't always accurate or else manipulated to the ends of the production team (CRUITHNE IS NOT A MOON!), it is still entertaining, and that is what I expected from The QI Book of the Dead...

Death is an inevitable part of life, and the dead of the human race, at 90 billion or so, outnumber the living by many factors. The QI Book of the Dead take a selection of some 60 or so of the dead, famous, not so famous, and downright obscure. Through their life stories, from Genghis Khan to George Washington Carver, from Mary Seacole to Tuesday Lobsang Rampa, we see success, failure, joy, misery, life, and death. And, most importantly, interesting lives...

Okay, so let's get the bad stuff out of the way. For something that goes by the title Quite Interesting, there are times when the details of some peoples' lives bore me. This may be partly due to the writing style, which, while not bad, doesn't quite do it for me. The categories also seem fairly arbitrary, vaguely reminding me of the categories used for the Darwin Awards. I have to wonder who thought it up. It doesn't emulate the wit and pace of the TV show well enough, IMO.

But these are, while not very minor quibbles, still fairly small ones. Each biography is interesting enough, even for the people I hadn't heard of, or else didn't give enough of a damn about. It's entertaining, has some good wit (not quite at the laugh-out-loud level of the TV series, but still), and informative. Certainly this is the sort of trivia/fact book that should be on many people's shelves.

Overall, The QI Book of the Dead was enjoyable. Maybe it should be on every person's shelf. Who knows?


9/10

First words: George Street in Edinburgh is one of the most elegant thoroughfares in one of the best-designed cities in the world.

Last words: The one who is not dead still has a chance.

Book 41...

REVIEW: Bimbos of the Death Sun by Sharyn McCrumb

Although I read and reviewed Nev Fountain's Mervyn Stone series before reading this book, it was what I learned about the plot of Bimbos of the Death Sun that inspired me to read those. Despite the bizarre, trashy title, it was billed as a murder mystery set in a science fiction convention, with the main character being a science fiction writer, and being satirical towards fans. Having read Geek Tragedy, which has the same premise if not the same plot, the bar had been set high for the story which I finally read...

Rubicon, one of the best annual science fiction and fantasy conventions in America. Host to a horde of fans, a number of dealers and roleplayers, and two celebrity writers. One, Jay Omega, is the alter ego of mild-mannered engineering Doctor James Owens Mega, whose serious, hard science fiction novel got an unfortunate cover and the even more unfortunate title of Bimbos of the Death Sun thanks to the publishers. The other is Appin Dungannon, who writes the popular Runewind novels, a man with an ego in inverse proportion to his height and a volatile temper, a man who detests almost all of his fans, and delights in angering them. Jay Omega, new to this world, is bemused enough by fandom and his fellow author, but then the weekend heats up when Dungannon, working on his latest novel, is murdered...

Bimbos of the Death Sun, despite the title, is nonetheless not too bad a read. It was written at a time when science fiction fandom was still relatively obscure. There's some good humour there, there's a few interesting characters here and there, the mystery gets resolved fairly neatly and fairly well, and overall, it was enjoyable enough.

But, well, it seems too disdainful towards science fiction fandom. The satire is more cruel than in Mervyn Stone, which was itself written by a fan anyway. Not only that, but it's barely a murder mystery. The murder itself doesn't happen until over halfway, and there's barely any mystery, with only one real red herring. The characters, for the most part, save for Dungannon, his murderer and Marion, are frankly boring non-entities. I'm sorry Sharyn McCrumb, but they didn't work for me. And the whole thing feels too American, in a not good way.

Bimbos of the Death Sun was fine enough, and enjoyable, but I was left badly wanting by the experience. A real shame, that, as I had high hopes...


8/10

First words: The visiting Scottish folksinger peered out of the elevator into the hotel lobby.

Last words: Bonnenburger stopped listening, and went back to his book.

There'll be another review up soon, of Doctor Who: Shakedown...

Book 42...

REVIEW: Doctor Who: Shakedown by Terrance Dicks

Back in 1995, former Doctor Who script editor and writer Terrance Dicks was approached by Dreamwatch Media, to write a direct-to-video short film featuring only the Sontarans, which were the only things they had the licence for. Shakedown: Return of the Sontarans was the result, starring many former Doctor Who and Blake's 7 actors. Later that year, Dicks was approached by Virgin Publishing to novelise Shakedown as part of their New Adventures range. Taking the story of Shakedown as a base, he wrote a story with the Doctor that would encompass the video's plot, and expand on it as well...

On the world of Jekkar, a chance meeting between a smuggler called Kurt, and the Doctor, and Sontaran Commander Steg would have repercussions years later. While Bernice Summerfield investigates the world of Sentarion, at great peril to her life, Roz Forrester and Chris Cwej try to track down a serial killer on the mean streets of Megarra's Megacity. And the Doctor tries to warn the Rutans, age-old enemies of the Sontarans, that the Sontarans may know a secret. But a damaged Rutan agent knows, and it stows away onboard the Tiger Moth solar yacht as it departs on its shakedown cruise. There, a confrontation between Rutans and Sontarans, with humans caught in the middle, may escalate...

Okay, so let me get the criticisms out of the way. Terrance Dicks may have been fond of the beige prose quite a bit when he did the novelisations, but here, that's not a problem. What is a problem is a lack of characterisation for more than a few characters, particularly during the Shakedown sequence proper. He also seems to fixate rather too readily on the visceral and the sexual (not that this is unusual for the New Adventures, but it seems a touch much), almost like it was a rebellion against the more squeaky-clean prose of the novelisations, and the latter seems somewhat disconcerting at times.

And yet, one thing that Dicks is really good at, in the end, is writing a rollicking good yarn. He manages to slip the story of the Shakedown video proper into a framing story featuring the Doctor, and while the joins aren't exactly clean, he should nonetheless be applauded for managing to do it well at all. In fact, he should be applauded for coming up with good reasons why the Rutan stowed away on the Tiger Moth, and the Sontarans for pursuing it. The story is a thrill ride from beginning to end, enjoyable to the last, though I wish a bit more was made of Sentarion.

Overall, Shakedown was a good story. Entertaining is all I need, and that's what I got.


9/10

First words: Kurt was on the run.

Last words: 'The rest of the crew were unavailable for comment.'

I'm probably going to stop this book-reading blog here and now. It may be back later on, but at the moment, I'm just tired of reading at the moment. I've been doing this particular book-reading blog since October last year, just over five months.

When I do the next one, I'll use the new scoring system I started using in a different review thread on WP.