Shelf Sufficient

Harry Potter: The Half-Blood Prince

2009-07-22T17:26:00.001+01:00

What I really liked about this was the sensitivity with which it treated teenage love and infatuation. Compare the tenderness of Ginny and Harry, with the comedy of Ron-ron and Lavender; or Lavender's monumental sulk with Hermione's bitterly painful disappointment.

I also liked Slughorn -- I found him thoroughly unlikeable and snobbish in the book. In the film, he seems like a sentimental old man who is proud of his nose for rising stars.

Outlaw of Gor by John Norman

2009-07-20T15:14:00.000+01:00

The plot
Man finds himself back on parallel Earth where men are men and women are women. But his city -- and his woman -- have vanished and he finds himself set against a city where the world order has been turned on its head.

What I liked

The delicious naughtiness of reading a Gor book -- my mother firmly removed one of the books from my hands when I was 12.
The plot is actually very impelling: where else are you going to get a gladiator escapes because he is randomly set to fight against his own giant hawk? And what other hero would, in making his escape on the back of his GIANT HAWK, kidnap the queen from her seat in the arena? And then be BETRAYED and sent to the slave mines? And then escape by making the slaves wait in turn to eat like MEN? And then buy the queen as his SLAVE, because she LOVES him, even though she's a queen who hates men and he kidnapped her?
It has introduced into our domestic vocabulary the phases 'Scarlet Dancing Silks of Gor' and 'The Pleasure Rack of Gor'.

What I learnt

That forbidden fruit is the sweetest.
That logic and realism are not vital ingredients of a good story.

Interzone 223 (Dominic Green special issue)

2009-07-19T14:08:00.003+01:00

Butterfly Bomb by Dominic Green

Old man gets himself taken by slavers to rescue his granddaughter -- who is not the dear little thing she appears to be.

A stirring story set in an intriguing universe where technology doesn't work as it should -- the slavers are glad to take Krishna on board as an AI mediator because their computer is sulking.

I loved being in this universe, and wanted to spend more time there; and I admired Krishna and the limitations imposed on him by his frailty.

Coat of Many Colours by Dominic Green

Scientist annoys big business by trying to prove that a genetically engineered creature is too intelligent to farm for its skin.

Glister by Dominic Green

Stranded hunters get lucky in a goldrush con adventure.

I read this one a second time, and the start made a lot more sense once I knew what the twist was.

The Migration of Aishwarya Desai by Eric Gregory

Scholars argue about the nature and observing of alien creatures.

This flew right over my head philosophically, but it was very atmospheric. The claustrophobic luxury of living quarters on the the snow planet Ganesha was very well conveyed. And I liked the descriptions of Desai's physical reactions to the debate.

Silence and Roses by Suzanne Palmer

Robot carers discover first death and then hope.

This was lovely and played me like a lute. It's achingly sad, then hopeful and finally the end put a big smile on my face. I feel quite ashamed at being such a simple soul, but this was very skillfully written.

The Life of Martha Ballard, based on her diary 1785-1812: Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

2009-07-10T08:53:00.004+01:00

To continue the medical theme started by Thackery T. Lambshead...

Martha Ballard was a New England midwife whose practice straddled the turn of the 19th century. Unusually, she kept a diary. A fairly tedious diary, it must be said: endless lists of who visited and what was growing in the garden. But in the hands of skilled social historian Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, it comes alive.

Each chapter is headed by a short section of diary; and then the rest of the chapter discusses, explains and enlarges on Martha's terse prose, adding details from other documents (notably the diary of Henry Sewell, but also court and town records).

Some of the content is heart-breaking: one chapter covers the murder of a family by the father; another describes the death of a child from a scald. There are some gruesome details -- a lot of puking up and passing of worms.

Much of it is fascinating, too: Martha Ballard's love-hate relationships with the town's doctors; the use of medicinal herbs; a barter economy; as well as hints at unrest between settlers and land owners.

It reminds me rather of Anne Hughes' Diary (except the provenance of Martha Ballard's diary is impeccable).

Torchwood radio plays

2009-07-06T12:00:00.003+01:00

Asylum: A young girl with a strange way of speaking is arrested for shoplifting; and promptly picked up by Torchwood for carrying what looks like a lasergun.

I really enjoyed this: I thought Frieda's speech was fascinating, with its mix of Scandinavian and slang words.

I was interested in all the techniques the writer used to wind up the tension. Because Frieda is underage, the police get involved and stay involved; and their agenda for her is different to Torchwood's. Because she's a teenager (and she's frightened) she sometimes acted irratically, or illogically. She had lost her memory -- it returned gradually over the course of the show, but each fragment was more horrifying than the last.

Golden Age: Thousands of people have been disappearing in Delhi, and rift energy is apparently responsible. The team discovers that it centres on the Indian Torchwood -- which Jack thought he closed down 80 years ago.

Of the three, I enjoyed this the least -- I found it hard to sympathise with the illusive Duchess; and I found all the 'Have you got anything weird here?' 'Let me show you the kitchen' building search a bit tedious. It pulled no punches where British Empire views on women were concerned (Gissing's patronising treatement of Gwen) and on India and Indians. I wasn't emotionally engaged by the team's efforts; I felt as if they were going after the Duchess, not trying to save the vanished people.

The Dead Line: Answering the phone puts people in a coma-like trance. Torchwood's investigation becomes personal when Jack picks up his phone.

This was very exciting -- I loved Gwen's efforts to protect Rhys; and the confusion this causes. It's interesting how a plot can hinge around a phone call (or not being able to make a phone call). A phone ringing is the ultimate aural cue, as well. It dominates everything -- you can't ignore it -- and to have it induce fear in people is very effective.

I liked how the scene in the abandoned Cardiff and West office was set using a foul smell -- not visual, but it gets the characters talking.

You can catch the three Torchwood plays on BBC Radio 4.

And Tim over at Heropress has reviewed them in his post Torchwood for the Ears.

The Thackery T. Lambshead Pocket Guide to Eccentric and Discredited Diseases

2009-07-06T11:42:00.003+01:00

The human body is strange; and when it goes wrong, it gets stranger. These encyclopedia entries tell sad stories of case studies, rivalries between scientists and doomed expeditions.

I particularly liked Printer's Evil, which has infected its own page; and Delusions of Universal Grandeur (apparently invented to snipe at people who hold a theory with which the contributor disagrees).

There are entries by some of my favourite writers: Neil Gaiman (Disease-maker's Croup), China Mieville (Buscard's Murrain) and Alan Moore (Fuseli's Disease). I'm also a fan of Jeff Vandermeer's anthologies.

I read this from cover-to-cover, but it's the sort of book that you can dip into again and find something wholly new.

Interzone 222

2009-06-29T10:06:00.004+01:00

Johnny and Emmie-Lou get Married by Kim Lakin-Smith

Greaserpunk gang love story. This is a small and perfect story set in an original universe. Read it and tell others.

Unexpected Outcomes by Tim Pratt

Mellow apocolypse story that questions the nature of reality. I liked the slackerish main character who responds other people, rather than acting for himself.

Lady of the White-Spired City by Sarah L. Edwards

An emissary visits a primative colony to find the family she left behind. This had a really good mountainy feel to it -- it had a fresh air and bright cold sun and splintery grey wood atmosphere reminded me of Alpine holidays. It explores the effects of extending life spans by deep sleep space travel.

Microcosmos by Nina Allan

A child puzzles out adult relationships in a resource-starved landscape. This is beautifully written, so atmospheric. I felt the heat; I thirsted with Melodie. I was fascinated by the view down the microscope. I stood with her looking over the shore of the lake and wondered: 'What happened here?'

But the end of this story had me rearing up Godzilla-like 20 storeys high, breathing fire, head in the sky.

It stopped. Short. With a hint at foul experiments and a lost love; with no explanation of why Melodie's parents are so angry with the scientist, and yet so keen to help him.

I'm guessing that this feeling of deprivation mirrors the helplessness and water-starvation felt by the characters. I've been well and truly manipulated. Nina Allan, I hope you're satisfied. Now please get back to work and write some more stories to tell me more about this landscape.

Ys by Aliette de Bodard

Unwillingly impregnated woman goes head-to-head with cruel goddess. Aliette de Bodard always comes up with the goods as far as I'm concerned, and I'm always excited to see her stories in Interzone. This is a tense salty tale, stinking of ozone and seaweed, of a woman -- or maybe two women -- who refuse to walk the set paths. I liked it very much.

Mother of Champions by Sean McMullen

Conservation thriller that explores non-human intelligence. I was intrigued by the narrative voice, so I kept reading despite the clunky dialogue. I'm thinking now, having finished the story, that the dialogue clunked along for a good reason -- the narrator thinks the speakers are morons; and she was hearing the talk, but not seeing any actions that could be used as dialogue tags.

It's very cleverly written, and has a lot to give on a second read: once you know the ending, you can see all the clues that point to it.

Read more about Interzone on the TTA Press website.

Decline and Fall - Evelyn Waugh

2008-07-21T17:09:00.002+01:00

I read it pretty quickly -- it was light and funny.

I sent this one off to bookcrossing.

Holy Fools -- Joanne Harris

2008-07-21T17:01:00.002+01:00

Holy Fools -- really enjoyed this. I picked it up while I was on holiday in Turkey (I left a couple of my own books in return). I like the way Joanne Harris builds up the atmosphere using the weather. And I love how previously harmless characters suddenly become threatening. And how do you set an unreliable person up as a reliable narrator? LaMerle tells the truth because he is so proud of his scheme and is a showman.

Troll Mill -- Katherine Langrish

2008-07-21T16:45:00.002+01:00

Another brilliant installment set three years after the first.

Kersten thrusts her baby into Peer's arms and throws herself into the sea, leaving Peer with doubts about her husband, his friend Bjorn. Worse is to come -- there are rumours that the Grimmerson's mill is running again by night. But the millers who so badly mistreated Peer in the first book are trolls, so who is operating the mill, and what is the strange gritty flour that they are milling?

Nothing much has changed from the first book -- Peer is still worried about everything; and wishes Hilde would take more notice of him, while Hilde is determined to keep him at arm's-length in case her feelings for him result in a family and no more adventures.

I'm going to pass this and the first book on to my cousins.

Troll Mill (Troll, book 2) at Fantastic Fiction

Spinsters Abroad -- Dea Birkett

2008-07-21T16:41:00.002+01:00

An examination of what drove Victorian lady explorers -- and many of them were driven, trying to escape from their own illness, or that of their families.

Most of them seem to have died wretched deaths -- alone and frustrated by their infirmity.

Philosopher turns detective

2008-03-13T07:49:00.002Z

The Sunday Philosophy Club -- Alexander McCall Smith

A self-sufficient lady philosopher witnesses a young man's death and decides that something isn't right and that she needs to investigate.

Isabel Dalhousie takes advantage of the tight-knit nature of the Edinburgh arts scene to find out more -- everyone knows someone you know so it's possible to dig around like this. I keep expecting the residents of 44 Scotland Street to pitch up.

She justifies her nosiness by claiming that it helps her recover from the trauma of witnessing someone dying.

I like McCall Smith's precise, correct language. It suits Isabel's side of the story. I find it harder to keep up with her neice Cat -- the head voice is slightly too old (although she's a very engaging character, and I, like Isabel, care about her.

The marriage bed

2008-03-11T10:32:00.004Z

TV: Malcolm in the middle
Dewey's Opera

I love shows where elements of fantasy blend into the action. In this one, Dewey watches an opera on TV and is reduced to tears. He is inspired to write his own -- his snoozing special needs teacher gives him plenty of opportunity to do this. But he needs a plot worthy of his music -- and Hal and Lois' quarrels over a new bed is perfect. When they argue, they gradually slip into song, then into costume and finally on to the stage, complete with supporting choruses.

In between, baby Jamie has his own opera going on -- he conducts a silent love affair with the toddler next door based on glimpses on her eyes over the windowsill.

And as if that's not enough, Malcolm and Reese take up street luge (a craze so dangerous that the police are nostalgic for crack) and find themselves humiliated again and again by a mysterious rider -- who turns out to be wheelchair bound Stevie. This was revealed to the viewers early on.

Black birds

2008-03-11T10:17:00.004Z

Another few chapters of A Feast For Crows.

The Maid of Tarth's story continues. Brienne is strong as you like, but she's still so vulnerable because she's a woman. Always afraid that someone is going to attack her; and the taunts of the Bloody Mummers are almost unbearable. I want to watch out and see if I feel the same way when a man is taunted by the people he is fighting. And Brienne's paranoia makes her judgement poor; although perhaps she was right, and Dick Crabbe was only good compared with the Mummers. She is afraid, and then feels guilty for being afraid of someone. How very womanly.

Victarion is another difficult character to like -- he's hard as rock; and mentions having killed his wife... and then goes on to make me feel sorry for him. Gah. I enjoy the Ironmen threads because they are relatively straight forward people who are not losing their grip on reality. This was a tense chapter -- I genuinely didn't know who was going to win. I hoped it would be Asha; but then I suppose to move a story on, you need to have the worst, most terrifying outcome possible. There was a quote in this chapter, which shows where the book got its title: "After every battle, the crows come in their hundreds and their thousands to feast upon the falled. A crow can espy death from afar. And I say that all of Westeros is dying. Those who follow me will feast until the end of their days."

Poor Arianne -- I'm starting to get the feeling that she's way out of her depth here. But she is lucky in a way; because of who she is, she will never lose everything. It might almost be a game for her.

Lark Rise to Candleford

2008-03-10T11:54:00.003Z

This was a funny little episode. Once again the theme of love that can never be acted upon appears -- poor Miss Lane. Mystical yokel Queenie finds a tapestry in the graveyard and she and her husband Twister are overwhelmed by its beauty. And also by the possibility that it might be worth a fortune. The Misses Pratt come over all psychic.

Meanwhile, Philip and Alf go head to head, but is it about poaching, or about Laura? I love this thread -- although I'm pretty sure I know who's going to win in the end.

And Mrs Arless comes home determined to be a better person, cue a very funny scene where she can't stop saying 'arse' ('we all has one, and some of us has two') in front of the vicar's daughter. Her character seems a lot deeper and slightly more interesting now she's been to prison.

And Robert accuses his son Edmund of lying -- lots of opportunities for them to glare darkly at each other. But since I'd had no indication that Robert's own brother had been a bad'un, until I was told in an exposition, I found it hard to be sympathetic. I loved Laura's quote: '...you walk down the road as if you own one half of it and are thinking of buying the other.'

I find the reactions of the Misses Pratt to the tapestry very... out of character. I suppose, being fashionistas, they'd know what they were talking about, but to have them go all mystic about it doesn't seem right. I think, given that Queenie already has a relationship with them through her lacemaking, I would have been inclined to have her go to them first; I would have had them take it off her in a flurry of excitement (just like they took the schoolmaster's French books from Thomas Brown) and then I would have had Miss Lane and Sir Timothy intervene. But who knows the minds of other writers, eh?

Other points I liked: The baby box, which I remember from the book; and the music; and Emma's felt hat.

BBC website: Lark Rise to Candleford

A Feast for Crows

2008-03-10T11:44:00.004Z

I'm still munching away at George R. R. Martin's epic, and loving it. Pod has appeared again -- he's one of my favourite characters.

And there's been a startling revelation about the baby Samwell Tarly is escorting -- I guessed there was something of this nature up. Samwell, as usual, is suffering and uncomfortable -- seasick, stuck in a cabin with a miserable woman and her puking, shitting baby and the bard he is travelling with is bullying him. Poor Sam seems to attract bullies.

Cerys gets madder by the chapter -- I'm observing closely how she is being unravelled, as it's done very effectively. Paranoia, and an obsession with her son. She is afraid to trust anyone, and is gradually alienating all her supporters.

Myrcella -- previously a rather sketchy character -- is developing (developing is a good word, because it's very like watching a picture appear). I'm liking the Sunspear threads -- this story is being told through many different characters, which is interesting.

Poor Sansa is losing her identity -- I've glanced ahead, and all her chapters now have her new name. It's strange how suffering can make you like some characters more -- I hated Sansa at first -- and other characters less -- I used to be a huge Cerys fan, and now I'm just waiting for the end.

I'm dying to hear more about Tyrion; and Jon Snow, but I won't get that until I start the next volume. I really, really wish this could have been a massive book with all the stories mixed up.

Women underfoot

2008-03-10T10:39:00.005Z

Quality Women's Fiction -- July 2007, issue 51.

This just goes to show how behind I am on my magazines...

I love QWF; but one thing struck me about this issue -- it's full of stories about victim women -- wives who have to wear a pair of denim shorts to bed; wives whose husbands have affairs with their sisters (the wife's sister, I mean); wives forced to put themselves in danger from violent exes because they need money etc etc. Sometimes it feels as though to be a women is to carry an unbearable burden, and a lot of these stories are about the consequences of laying down that burden.

Then again, I love the widow experimenting with carrots; and the mother who was pissed off at having to attend an awards ceremony for her autistic son who 'takes up a whole eight and a half by eleven piece of paper to write his four-letter name'.

Website: Quality Women's Fiction

Crows and Gumshoes

2008-03-06T10:30:00.008Z

A Feast For Crows -- George R. R. Martin.
I love this series, and have been working at it for almost ten years. I was sent the first book as a review copy when I was at uni -- I read it, reviewed it and gave it away. It was too dark, too gory for me. But the plot kept tugging at me -- particularly the story of resourceful born survivor Arya Stark; and her bitter bastard brother Jon Snow; and the erotic tales of Daenrys, Queen across the water. I love the way character push and push at making me recoil with disgust until I can't understand why I want to read more about them.

So far this installment is going well. Jon has had a go at Samwell for whining on about being craven (good for you, Jon, I've been wanting to give fat boy a shaking since he first rolled into the story). Arya has made yet another new start in a new place, swallowing her doubts and fears in the usual way -- I'm afraid at some point she is going to have a breakdown, but who knows... There was a good slice of travelogue in this chapter, too. I'm enjoying the Damphair chapters too -- the idea of a religion that drowns and resuscitates people to baptise them is splendid.

Interzone 213
I am behind on my magazine reading, and I found this half-read in a box by my bed. There was one story still to go, and the reviews section. The Lost Xuyan Bride is a gumshoe story set in a world of a Chinese / South American empire. Aliette de Bodard must have had fun with the details -- loved the Mexica border officials in feathered regalia.

I didn't feel as if Brooks (the detective) was as trapped as he should have been into taking on this assignment. The love of his life was dead; he was a hard-up immigrant with no-where to run, but I sort of felt that there wasn't enough to force his hand. He just seemed to be going through the motions, somehow. I think perhaps he needed something more to spur him on, to make the case burn into him. Having said that, I kept reading -- I wanted the girl to be safe. And I loved the ending, and the way the resolution echoed Brooks' own sad life.

Book reviews -- saw a book I'd recommend to Katie, but the description on Amazon makes it sound like hard sci fi instead of a bodice ripper. Sigh. Plus, she's so busy these days that I don't suppose she'll want a fat epic series -- Queen of Candesce by Karl Schroeder. Also thought that Cat might appreciate the YA Dragonhaven by good old Robin McKinley.

Interview with Gary Gibson. I was struck by a para about how Gibson wrote most of his last book while forced to be off work. He talked about how Douglas Adams started his career being homeless so that he didn't have to get a 'proper' job: '...while friends who were initially as ambitious to be successful writers did the 'sensible thing' and got decent day jobs in order to support themselves: they were never heard of again.' Thank you.

Fire of the Dragon

2008-01-15T21:36:00.000Z

The plot
A young husband reluctantly leave his pregnant wife to go to war. Five years later, he is holed up in a beseiged castle, and finds himself torn between staying faithful to his wife and a pie.

What I liked
Medieval war is not the usual setting for gentle comedy about a put-upon man; but this was handled very well. Huw ap Dafydd is a likeable character, with very human failings and fears.

The Welsh accents.

The gentle humour -- it relied on situations, rather than word play. The more Huw tried to improve his lot, the worse things got; and following his heart in pursuing the princess nearly got him punished.

A lot of the action went on in his head -- he tortured himself with thoughts about what his wife was up to at home.

What I learnt
Watching someone struggling in a situation they have landed in because of their failings is funny.

Website: BBC Radio Wales

Broadcast BBC Radio Wales on Sunday 13 January.

Saturday Play: A Passion Play

2008-01-15T21:02:00.000Z

The plot
A middle-aged couple are blown apart by the younger widow of an old friend.

What I liked
The contrast of the head voice and the real voice -- this play reflected what the character was saying and what they were thinking. All you have to go on is a slight difference in quality of the two voices.

Kate's annoying 'riiiighht' -- this was pointed out later in the play.

What I learnt
It is, apparently, possible to get away with lines where a wife says to a husband: 'but she's the same age as our daughters Rowena and Sally' (or whatever).

Website: Saturday Play

Broadcast BBC Radio 4 on Saturday 12 January.

Making Money by Terry Pratchett

2008-01-15T20:22:00.000Z

The plot
Moist von Lipwig has sorted out the Ankh Morpork Post Office and now he is bored. The Patrician insists that the bank needs taking in hand, and Moist is the man to do it. But Moist is not enthralled by this -- it sounds like the sort of job that could get a man killed.

But he is moved into place when the chairman, Mrs Topsy Lavish, leaves her 50 per cent share to her lap dog (who already has one share) and leaves the dog to Moist.

Moist is right about it being a dangerous job: The chief cashier is not happy; nor are the men of the mint, particularly when Moist suggests paper money; and nor are the hateful Lavish family, who own the other 49 per cent of the bank.

And what is Moist's girlfriend Adora Belle Dearheart, representing the Golem Trust, excavating in the Dwarfs' desert?

What I liked
It's Terry Pratchett, for a start.

I like Moist as a character -- he has a certain 3Dness to him. It's sweet seeing him trying to come to terms with loving the spikey, chain-smoking Adora Belle.

Cribbins is a superb villain. His false teeth make his speech... characteristic.

I liked the Glooper -- this is a water powered computer model of the city's money.

I'm always glad to see Igors -- interesting strand of racial tension there, as both Igors and Moist come for Uberwald.

What I learnt
Terry Pratchett usually starts out with a very mysterious opening -- that I promptly forget about because it doesn't make sense. If I remembered it, it would probably enhance my reading experience. Perhaps it should be printed on a bookmark given away free with every book.

I spotted that a big deal was made of Miss Lavish's ginger hair, and of Hubert's hair, too -- I felt very smug when Moist (as a clever character) asked about this.

Before I Die by Jenny Downham

2008-01-06T09:56:00.000Z

The plot
A sixteen-year-old girl dying of cancer makes a list of things she would like to do before she dies, and does them.

What I liked
It made me cry -- books never make me cry.

I loved the relationship between Tessa and her brother -- she is by turns irritated and overwhelmed with love for him.

I liked how selfish she was -- no saintly invalid. It was fascinating to see how she views the affect she has on her father, and while she accepts that she is driving him up the wall, continues to do what she wants to do.

I liked the contrasts between Tessa the little girl and Tessa the woman in her.

What I learnt
Because she is not going to live long, things that might seem self-destructive in a normal teenager don't have to be dealt with on a moral level. A quick web search turned up no-one with a bad word to say about her behaviour -- one person remarked that the sex and drugs content would keep it off school reading lists. It would create an interesting discussion point: Is it OK for Tess to do these things? Why? Why is it not OK for me to do these things.

A dying character can be selfish without being unlikeable -- or at least, the reader can understand why they are doing it, and I suppose forgive them.

From Fact to Fiction: Girl power by Katie Mosse

2007-12-20T13:32:00.000Z

The Plot
A journalist who built her career on the rise and fall of the Spice Girls travels penitant to their reunion concert.

What I liked
The sparse sound effects -- travel announcements, the odd burst of Spice Girls music.

What I learnt
This was written in response to the week's news, so it would have been put together very quickly.

I like the idea of a total unknown weaving their own story in and out of that of someone famous. I guess the 'someone famous' has to be very famous, otherwise people won't take to the story, however.

Broadcast BBC Radio 4 on Saturday 15 December.

Website: Fact or Fiction

Doctor Finlay: The Further Adventures of a Black Bag. The Fever: Sue Rodwell's adaptation of AJ Cronin's tales

2007-12-19T13:38:00.000Z

Plot
Dr Finlay discovers the source of a scarlet fever outbreak, but no-one believes him, including the area's medical officer, who puts his political ambitions before the safety of the community.

What I liked
The element of 'What would I have done' -- closing the farm to prevent the fever spreading, would have ruins the farmer's livelihood and reputation.

Medical drama -- medics are exciting because they are forced to make life-or-death decisions that most of us never face. It can offer a lot in the way of human interest, too.

Regional voices -- apparently it's not hard to sell a play with regional accents. These sounded OK to me -- but I'm not very familiar with the niceties of Scottish accents.

What I learnt
That thing with the names again -- small boy called Robbie; the farmer was called Rob. It's such a tiny thing and pretty easy to change.

I would have made the farmer and his wife more sympathetic -- the real 'baddie' here was the medical officer. I think their anger, quite understandable and believeable in the circumstances, would have offered a good dramatic point. But perhaps having them as pretty unlikeable characters made it all the more interesting when Dr Finlay had to talk about the fever in the milk.

Sense of place -- I really didn't get much sense of place from the sound effects (my teacher talks a lot about this in writing radio plays). Mostly dialogue was used; people making effort noises, or commenting on their work to show they were outside; someone serving food to show they were inside. Feverish mutterings to indicate a bedside scene. I'm not sure if this is bad -- the play didn't not work because it didn't go all out to make a soundscape.

The ending was very abrupt, but incredibly touching. The Medical Officer coming in at the wrong time with the test results; and the ruined farm a place that Dr Finlay always avoids.

Compare to...
Sector General; The Archers; All Creature Great and Small

Broadcast: BBC 7, 17 December 2007

Marvel: Wolverine -- Origin

2007-12-18T19:30:00.000Z

The plot

Where did Wolverine originally come from? Did he slip in from an alternate Earth? Is he really a mutated Wolverine? Did he land in a meteorite? Is he a failed experiment?

It would appear not. A village girl is sent up to the big house to amuse a sickly child. When the sickly child turns out to have strange powers, they are driven from the house by enraged relations. They end up in the Canadian backwoods, and tragedy drives the young Wolverine on.

What I liked
The dark illustrations; The pages are laid out on black -- which makes the colours vivid; and some pages and spreads show dramatic hot / cold contrasts.

The finality of the ending.

What I learnt
One of the writers claims that he discussed the book with his children six and nine, talking over what kind of kid Wolverine would have been to grow up the way he did. I guess: don't do this. Because I can't see any of the Wolverine I know in the boy in this book. The boy is a personalityless little... he's not even a little whiner. I suppose he could explain Wolverine's gentlemanly streak, but only because he grew up in a rich house with a charming father.I know Wolverine has had his memory wiped a few times, but even so...

The story leaves stacks of questions unanwered, and closes the whole thing off at the end.

I'm probably just cranky because I wanted scientific reasoning and a proper story as to why Wolverine is the way he is. Instead, all I've been given is a hint that his mother suffered Wolverine-claw injuries at some point and an idea that his father is probably not his mother's husband.

Lindsay Davis -- A Body in the Bath House

2007-05-28T17:02:00.000+01:00

The plot
Roman gumshoe Falco hasn't had a chance to enjoy his new position in the middle class. His sister is being stalked by a psycho spymaster; he has acquired two incompetant assistants; and there's putrid smell in his new bath house, suggesting that the builders have left more mess than usual. Suddenly, the emperor's polite suggestion that Falco should leave the sunny comforts of Rome and go to the cold shores of Britain to investigate irregularities and sudden deaths on a palace building site is a little less unattractive.

What I liked

Historical whodunnits, for a start -- Lindsay Davis is funnier and less predictable than Ellis Peters, the Cadfael lady.

Falco -- he is cynical and curmudgeonly and well aware of his own failings; yet he has a certain honour, he loves his girl and his family, and he is interestingly observant.

The setting -- the British part of the story is at a fascinating site on the south coast, Fishbourne Palace. These days, there are foundations and floors left. I thought it was interesting that Lindsay Davis chose to write about it half-built, as in some ways it feels similiar walking round an excavation to walking round a building site.

What I learnt

Don't let your research show -- I am a complete sucker for historical detail. I imagine that if I ever wrote a historical, it would be very difficult for me not to show off what I've found out. Although this book is rich in detail, you never feel that you are being told things un-naturally. This is partly because of Falco's character -- he's investigating; and he's not entirely familiar with the building trade. Having a character who is naturally observant and has a good reason to nose around makes writing a historical (or a fantasy) much easier.

I always had this dim idea in the back of my head that the romance stops short when the hero gets his girl. But I've been taking note lately of what a good writer does with an ongoing relationship. Falco still thinks Helena is wonderful, and she is plainly dotty about him; he is a tiny bit insecure -- he is always secretly convinced that someone is going to take Helena away from him.

More information: Lindsay Davis' website

Preachers -- Tim Lees (Interzone 210)

2007-05-24T13:34:00.000+01:00

The plot
A boy watches his father cling to science in a post-holocaust world where faith in a vengeful god is a better survival tactic.

What I liked
It reminded me immediately of Steinbeck's novella Of Mice and Men because of the migrant labourer setting and two male characters who take care of each other.

The irony of a science fiction story in which science does not appear to be the answer to society's ills. Or at least, not in the protagonist's mind.

This story says so much in few words (I reckon 4,500).

What I learnt

The holocaust is unexplained, so there was no need for a tiresome info dump. It's hard to present pre-story history in a first person viewpoint -- particularly if the viewpoint character has no reason to believe he is being read by a c.21 sci-fi lover. The whys of the holocaust are not needed. All we need to know is that things are bad and getting worse.

Two characters desperate for each other's approval makes for top notch conflict.

You can write from a child's point of view as a child; or you can write from a child's point of view as an adult. These are two different things.

Interzone

Dr Abernathy's Dream Theater -- David Ira Cleary (Interzone 210)

2007-05-22T13:33:00.000+01:00

Plot
A drug addict scientist floundering in among social norms that are forcing him into a conventional life finds fulfilment in a mystical dream theatre.

What I liked
Steampunk is very much in favour as far as I am concerned. Steam cars; brass and pipes. Strange contraptions. Society matrons wearing telescopic lenses.

I love the changes of pace that the protagonist's different states of mind allow.

There are some hilarious details delivered in a splendid deadpan manner -- a set of false teeth falling out; a rude drug dealer; a horrifying lullabye.

I like stories that contain titles of songs that never were -- I like to imagine what the music might be like.

What I learnt
Addiction is a fantastic quality to give a character. Immediately, you've got something that they really, really need, will do anything to get. When I was playing Knight City, I mentioned that my character drank a lot of coffee. The gamesmaster put her down as a caffeine addict and as I played, a whole set of possibilities opened up as she struggled to function when deprived of coffee, panicked if she thought she couldn't get any, and did desperate things to hold of a cup. In real life, an addiction is a burden and a trial. To a storyteller, it's a gift. The protagonist of this story is addicted to kuuf -- a white powder that helps him stay awake. His addiction must be hidden for fear of social disapproval -- there is a wonderful dinner party scene where he accidently dyes his soup blue with it.

Another great thing about kuuf addiction is that it appears to heighten the protagonist's senses, which allows the writer to embroider the story with rich details.

I was interested by my reaction to the addiction theme. The protagonist is very pro-kuuf -- he believes it helps him to 'operate efficiently'. I, however, did not approve. I felt as if he was in denial about his 'problem' and riding for a fall. Is this something I have brought to the story, or is it something the writer has put in?

Interzone

Six Lights Off Green Scar -- Gareth L. Powell

2007-05-21T13:20:00.000+01:00

The plot
FTL travel is achieved in roulette ships by jumping to a random point in space. A haunted and washed-up roulette pilot is lured by a story-hungry journalist's promise of enough money to retire into doing one last jump.

What I liked
I love the concept. Per aspera ad astra -- it's a rough road to the stars. No space travel without paying a price. The setting is vivid -- it calls to mind descriptions of rough towns in the Arctic circle. I liked the description of Kate -- it tells of a hard engineer who needs nothing from anyone, and then blam, hits you with something very soft and sensual.

What I learnt
I felt cheated by the ending -- maybe this is a problem with me, rather than with the story. I think it was because the story made me care a lot about the characters -- I'd invested quite a bit because I'd been learning about what drove them, where they were coming from, where they hoped to go; and I'd travelled with them through a terrifying experience. The story ends in a way that left me unsure what became of them -- I imagine nothing good, but there is a peep of a chance they might have survived. Perhaps this mirrors the experience of the roulette pilots.

I'm not sure if it's a bad thing to make readers feel cheated. I know the rules say you shouldn't, but at least it's a reaction. I am going to look out for other stories that make me feel this way and see if I can work out why it's happened.

The story could have ended in a different way to make me not feel cheated. I guess an act of self-sacrifice on the part of one character to save the other would have felt right -- but it wouldn't have left me wondering about the possibilities.

Six Lights Off Green Scar on Infinity Plus.
Gareth L. Powell's blog.

Tearing Down Tuesday -- Steven Francis Murphy (Interzone 210)

2007-05-20T08:43:00.000+01:00

Plot
A stigmatised young man in a post-holocaust small town has to face his demons in order to raise enough money to save the robot he loves.

What I liked
I enjoy post-holocaust stories. I like stories where technology doesn't work properly. There appears to be a shortage of petrol. Robots have AI, but they are from pre-holocaust times and need to be patched up again and again.

Kyle, the viewpoint character, is easy to like. The values of his community make him an outcast, but our values make him someone who has a right to our compassion.

The story challenged me, because I have a horrible feeling that perhaps the values of Circeville might not be so different to our own.

What I learnt
The holocaust appears to have been caused by a singularity -- I'm not sure what a singularity is -- my understanding is that it's the point at which something stops being well-behaved.

Failing technology conveys a lot more information about the world than technology that works.

A stigmatised outcast character can look into and comment on society.

I feel as if the town name Circeville has some significance, but I can't imagine what. Circe is the sorceress in the Odyssey who turns me into pigs, and detains Odysseus as her lover. I don't see the relevance, unless it's to do with small town mentality and denial of evils in our midst. It could also be something to do with the robot and Kyle sticking around in a place (geographical and psychological) they hate because they love each other. I might be missing something here, but I would be inclined not to use loaded place names without a very good reason, as they are a distraction.

Much of the dialogue is untagged (lacking 'he said' etc) -- this is a sign of a masterly writer, I think. It shows you have confidence in your character's voices.

This story deals with murder and sexual assault -- in both cases, the author leaves Kyle to go there by himself, returning at the end of the scene. There are good reasons for doing this:
1. The incidents are part of something the viewpoint character hates and fears about himself.
2. It would be impossible to write the scenes without sensationalising them. For my part, I would be afraid that someone might get off on such a scene. I would be afraid of colluding in someone's violent fantasies, perhaps normalising their feelings. I feel that a writer has a responsibility not to do this. But then again, exploring these themes could illuminate the wrongness of violence for someone.
3. Nothing that I can write will be as horrific as what a reader can imagine, or will imagine that they are avoiding imagining.

Interzone

Heartstrung -- Rachel Swirsky (Interzone 210)

2007-05-19T23:26:00.000+01:00

Plot
A fable in which a mother prepares her daughter for adulthood by sewing her heart on to her sleeve.

What I liked
It's a very neat and spare little tale, full of metaphor and very open to interpretation.

What I learnt
Tales of strange lands can be used to criticise our own country. And a good way to force the reader feel what you want them to feel is to use a memory to make a bright picture.

Interzone

The Final Voyage of La Riaza -- Jayme Lynn Blaschke (Interzone 210)

2007-05-19T22:57:00.000+01:00

The Plot
A swashbuckle set in an airship.

What I liked
I very much enjoy stories where the technology is not explained -- just alluded to. It makes me want more more more from the writer. The balloons in this story appear to be made from spider silk -- the spiders live on the ship, making repairs as necessary. The ship is powered by creatures called gigapedes. I am intrigued.

What I learnt
I am easily confused by foreign names, although I loved the exotic colour it lends. The hero is called Diego Brazos, and is referred to using both or either of these names. Characters occasionally appeal to 'Dios', and I got mixed up with that and Diego. Senor Brazos is a hard character to like -- brutal, harsh and unpopular. But you've got to admire his style; and it is easy to sympathise with him.

The reader really does not need to understand the technology to enjoy a story -- but a damaged ship is a good opportunity to share a little info in a natural way.

Interzone

The Cosmic Puppets -- Philip K. Dick

2007-05-19T21:27:00.000+01:00

I picked this off my shelf because I wanted something familiar and slim -- it's not a long haul at 141 pages.

Plot
Ted Barton blunders into the town where he grew up, but it's not as he remembers. This is a town where Barton died aged nine and where transparent figures wander through walls. When his landlady's sinister son prevents Barton from leaving, Barton enlists the town drunk to help him retrieve the town he remembers.

I liked...
Barton isn't a specially engaging character -- he is slovenly, not particularly heroic and very careless of his wife Peg. But there is something about his determination to find his town that made me want to know how his story turns out; and I kept reading because the mystery intrigued me. Dick has worked in a strong sense of place. I found the town and the hills very alive -- really got a feel for the dry heat of the place.

The story's tension tightens up towards the end, suddenly exploding in a huge showdown. There are some horrific and vivid scenes in the final battle.

Lessons learnt
When something happens that is outside the reader's experience (the battle against the tiny golems, the rats and the spiders) Dick zooms right in with the detailed description. For more everyday things, perhaps the reader can fill in the gaps. When something important to the plot is about to happen, the level of detail goes up again -- I wonder if this slows the reader down so they take in the story better. It could also increase tension by making them wait for the plot point.

The Cosmic Puppets at Amazon