Tor.com's Month of Cthulu...

If you're the kind of person who likes to holiday in Innsmouth (like me!) then you're the kind of person who'd get loads out of 'Cthulu-Mas' on Tor.com, a whole month dedicated to H.P. Lovecraft's most tentacled creation...

I'm definitely going to be hanging around to see what gets posted. Apparently, there are posts from 'Weird Tales' editorial director Stephen Segal and a comic, from Teetering Bulb, to look forward to amongst other things.
Here's a couple of links, to prior posts, to get you started...

For Lovecraftian monster drawings from Mike Mignola, Michael Whelan, John Jude Palencar, and Bob Eggleton just click Here.

Click Here for Patrick Nielsen Hayden's post on “H.P. Lovecraft, Founding Father of SF Fandom”.

Happy Reading...

‘Sinister Dexter: Money Shots’ – Dan Abnett, Simon Davis, Andy Clarke, Steve Roberts (Rebellion Books)

Just recently, it’s felt that whatever I pick up seems to have Dan Abnett’s name on it in one shape or another. That’s cool as far as I’m concerned because, as I’ve said elsewhere, I’ve yet to read a bad book by him. Despite this strange pattern of mine, I was still surprised to pick up ‘Money Shots’ and find that Abnett was the creator of ‘Sinister Dexter’, I didn’t know that he wrote comics as well! ‘Sinister Dexter’ is a series that has always managed to escape my notice when I’ve picked up 2000AD (there’s only so much time to read the comic before the newsagent notices that I’m not buying it!) so I was interested to see what it was all about. Having finished the book, I’m adding ‘Sinister Dexter’ to that list of works entitled ‘Why didn’t I read this sooner...?’

Finnigan R. Sinister and Ramone A. W. Dexter are the premier contract killers in the urban sprawl of Downlode; if something needs a bullet putting in it then these guys are the people you should be calling! ‘Money Shots’ collects some of the tales of Sinister & Dexter; where they came from, where they’re heading to and how many corpses they’ve left behind them on the way...

I had a great time reading ‘Money Shots’, one of those books where you feel like you’ve only been reading it for a few minutes until you realise that a couple of hours have passed and your stomach is wondering why you’re not feeding it.
The emphasis is very much on the ‘Killer’ in ‘Contract Killer’ and that’s how it should be. That’s the job and that’s the way that the job goes! Abnett chooses to inject his own brand of humour into the proceedings however and this was the bit that really hooked me. What does a hitman do to chill out when he’s not on a job? Have you ever wondered what it’s like for a hitman having a bad day on the job? Read ‘Money Shots’ and you’ll have answers to both of these questions (check out ‘Scene of the Crime’ and ‘Quality Time’); if you’re anything like me then the thought of these stories will still have you chuckling when you remember them...

There weren’t really any low points for me in this book; at least not as far as the plots go (I’ll mention the artwork in a bit). The highlights were ‘Gun Play’ (internet gaming taken to the next level), ‘Shrink Wrap’ (like ‘Analyse This’ but with more guns, also sheds light on how Sinister and Dexter teamed up) and ‘Bullet Time’ (easily the best story in the collection, looking at the true unsung heroes in a contract killer’s work). Like I said though, there isn’t really a bad story in the book. If you like hit men, explosions and fast dialogue then this is a comic book you really should be picking up.

The artwork isn’t bad, on the whole, but I found myself veering away from the art of Simon Davis (apparently the definitive artist for this series) and towards that of Andy Clarke instead. Davis’ work is cool but a little too messy for my tastes; Clarke is a lot tidier and more expressive. Again though, it’s all good!

Rebellion Books keep throwing out little surprises like ‘Money Shots’, books that I’ve never thought to pick up but am glad I did. If they can keep doing this then I’ll be sticking around for the ride...

Nine and a Half out of Ten

The Monday Morning 'I won the Lottery!' Competition Winner's Post.

Okay, it was only £20 (actually it £19.50...) but it all counts! :o) Still have to go into work though...

The following people will hopefully be just as happy as me as they won last week's competitions (they'll still have to go to work though...)

'My Dead Body' (Charlie Huston)

Asma Shafi, London, UK
Deborah Gandley, Solihull, UK
Matthew Popplewell, Hampshire, UK

'Small Miracles' (Edward Lerner)

Matt Paddock, Virginia, USA

Well done guys, your books will be on their way real soon! Better luck next time everyone else, there will be more chances to win stuff shortly (in fact there already are, scroll down a bit...)

What's that? What have I got coming up this week? I'm on a bit of a 'Black Library Binge' at the moment so it's fairly certain that you'll see some Warhammer or Warhammer 40K books getting a look in here. I still need to finish off 'Canticle' as well, hopefully that'll happen this week.

Stick around! ;o)

Giveaway! 'Imager's Challenge' (L.E. Modesitt jr)

Here's a series that I've been meaning to get into for a while, I'm not sure if this is the best place to jump in but I'm going for it anyway! In the meantime, how do you fancy winning a copy for yourself...? (This one is only open to people in the US and Canada though...)

Thanks to Tor Books, I have one copy of 'Imager's Challenge' to give away to one lucky winner. To be that lucky winner, all you have to do is drop me an email (address at the top right hand side of the screen) telling me who you are and what your mailing address is. I'll do everything else.

You get a little longer to enter this one too. I'm leaving it open until the 20th of December and will announce the winner on the 21st.

Good Luck!

Giveaway! 'Zombies: A Record of the Year of Infection'

I really enjoyed this book and if you're a zombie fan then I reckon you will too! If you're a zombie fan then keep reading as, thanks to Simon & Schuster, I have three copies of the book to give away... (only if you're in the UK though, sorry everyone else!)

To enter, all you need to do is drop me an email (address at the top right hand side of the screen) telling me who you are and what your mailing address is. I'll do everything else ;o)

You've got a little longer to enter this one, I'm letting it run until the 20th of December and will announce the winners on the 21st...

Good Luck!

‘Indiana Jones and the Army of the Dead’ – Steve Perry (Del Rey)

You all know the score by now, if there’s a book or film with zombies in it then the odds are that I’m either reading/watching it or will be very soon. The only noticeable exception was E. Van Lowe’s ‘Never Slow Dance with a Zombie’; I liked the title but even the presence of zombies was not enough to get me to read another tale of high school girls learning to accept themselves for who they are. Sorry but it’s just not going to happen, not on this blog!
In order to try and keep things a little fresh (I don’t want to read the same thing over and over again, even if it’s about zombies!) I try and look for zombie fiction that’s a little different; something that stands out from the rest of the herd. When I saw that Steve Perry had Indiana Jones going up against zombies I just knew that I had to give it a go. Indiana Jones is cool, so are zombies. What could possibly go wrong? As it turned out, ‘The Army of the Dead’ wasn’t all it could have been...

It’s World War Two and the attention of both German and Japanese intelligence agencies are focused on a small island just off Haiti. It’s here where the fabled ‘Heart of Darkness’ can be found, a black pearl reputed to give strange powers to those who hold it. Such an artefact could prove very useful to the war effort and must be captured at all costs. However, some people believe that the best place for the Black Pearl is in a museum where everyone can see it; this is where Indiana Jones comes in...
Along with his friend ‘Mac’ McHale, Indy must penetrate the Island of the Dead and reach the Black Pearl before the Germans or the Japanese. However, they are not alone on the island. A powerful Voodoo priest also has his eye on the pearl and will stop at nothing to claim it. The army of zombies at his command tips the balance in his favour, how can Indy kill something that is already dead...?

‘Indiana Jones and the Army of the Dead’ is a fun read, no doubt about it. Perry totally captures the spirit of the first three films (I haven’t seen the fourth so can’t really say what that one was like), bottles it and then transfers it to the written page in a blaze of gunfights, beautiful women, hair raising escapades... and the supernatural. Perry doesn’t overdose, and burn out, on it either. The pacing is well maintained throughout and there is always an ominous threat in the background (whether it’s the Nazis, Japanese or zombies) to keep things nice and tense. This is definitely a book that grabs the attention with a deft blend of pulp fiction and magic. You would have thought that Indy had seen it all already but there are still a few surprises left in store for him! If you’re a fan of the films then you are sure to find something that you will enjoy here.

As far as zombies go, I’ve never really read much about the Voodoo undead (the ‘Simon Garth’ tales are good, ‘Way of the Barefoot Zombie’... less so) so it was refreshing to finally give it a go. By way of preference, I’ll still stick with post apocalyptic corpses shambling through deserted streets but there is definitely something to be said for the zombies of Voodoo lore. Perry gives his reader a close encounter with the undead where the only thing scarier is the priest who controls them. When this is set against a backdrop of a bleak rain drenched island the result is an atmospheric piece that holds your attention and plays games with your nerves.

Perry has written a winner of a book so it’s a real shame then that his hands are tied by the limitations of the franchise that he is writing for. The bottom line is that we all know how this story has to end, especially seeing as it’s placed in between certain of the films. While we may not know the exact specifics of the conclusion we do that Indy will make it through alive, he has to. It would have been cool to see Perry able to really go for it and take some risks with the character. ‘Zombie Indiana Jones’ anyone?
This isn’t the case though and what we get as a result is an admittedly exciting tale that has the shine taken off by a foregone conclusion.

‘Indiana Jones and the Army of the Dead’ is a great addition to the canon that is ultimately hobbled by the sheer iconic success of the lead character. ‘If it ain’t broke then don’t try and fix it’ seems to be the rule here. Despite this though, it’s a fun read and a great way to spend a lazy afternoon...

Eight and a Quarter out of Ten

'3 for 2' offer at PS Publishing.

If you're stuck for Christmas present ideas then you might want to head over to the PS Publishing website and take advantage of their current '3 for 2' offer. We all know what a '3 for 2' offer is so I'm not going to go into all that; suffice it to say that there are some decent books to choose from so I wouldn't hang around if I were you!
Just so you know though, while the third book is free you will have to pay postage on it (it's only a couple of quid though)...

For more information, click right Here.

‘Titanicus’ – Dan Abnett (Black Library)

Can Dan Abnett write a bad book? Maybe... I’ve got a long way to go before I’ve read all his stuff so can’t say for certain. What I can say though is that while I’ve only read a few of his books (‘Triumff’, ‘Horus Rising’ and ‘Blood Pact’), and some short stories, he hasn’t written a bad book so far and I’ll pick up his stuff on sight. Both Abnett and Karen Traviss seem to just know what it’s like to be that soldier stuck in a warzone with no idea if they’ll make it out, let alone what direction they should be advancing in. Not only do they know this but they’re both well versed in delivering these experiences in the best possible way for the reader.
With this in mind, when Abnett’s ‘Titanicus’ came through the door I immediately did some reshuffling of the ‘reading pile’ to make sure that I read this as soon as possible. I wasn’t disappointed either.

War is the only constant in the Warhammer 40,000 universe and the vital forge world of Orestes is about to get first hand experience of this. A legion of Chaos Titans (think huge robots bristling with firepower, crewed by humans) have made planet fall and is slowly chewing its way through the hive cities towards the capitol Orestes Principal. The beleaguered planet’s only hope is the loyalist Titans of Legio Invicta; they’re fresh from combat (and in desperate need of repairs) but are more than willing to take up the struggle and dislodge the forces of the Archenemy. When such mighty machines fight however, what will be left of the world they are fighting over? And will the resurgence of an ancient schism throw everyone’s efforts into jeopardy at precisely the wrong moment...?

Those who command the Titans (the Princeps) are connected to the machine in such a way that they feel every earth shaking footstep, every round that leaves the gigantic mega bolter cannon and the raging heart of the reactor core. You will feel it to. We all know that there is nothing cooler than two gigantic robots slugging it out; Abnett knows this as well and brings his vision of such warfare to us in such a way that the reader is right at the heart of the action. I wouldn’t be surprised if you end up wincing at some of the moments these Titans go through, I did!

It’s not all about the Titans though, this is a planetary war involving everyone (to some degree) and Abnett takes a broad cross section of the populace in order to examine how the war affects them. You don’t have to be in the front line to be at war; your wife could be called up for active service, you could be assigned to strategic planning, you could even see the outbreak of war as an opportunity to invigorate a failing business. Abnett gives his reader one of the broadest pictures I’ve ever seen of a world at war, a picture that is compelling in the sheer level of detail that he manages to pack in.

It’s also interesting to see how Abnett treats the combatants as the war progresses. Abnett has a special affection for the little guy on the field and this is no more apparent when you see the actions of regular foot soldiers placed in comparison with the actions of the Titans and their crew. While anyone can sit in a giant war machine and fire at targets that are kilometres away, the real heroes are those who must ply their trade in the shadow of these mighty beasts even while they wait for the next footstep to come crashing down. When you’re staring death in the face, the only thing you can do is to try and take his head off with a well aimed las-bolt; this is where the real heroism comes to the fore and some of the resulting actions are pretty humbling to say the least.

Abnett also shows his readers that a desire for advancement and power will always be at the forefront of humanity’s thinking, even thirty eight thousand years into the future. The discussion over matters of theology, in the fortieth millennium, may only be of interest to long term fans of the game but the ramifications of this information being exposed in the middle of a war will be of interest to everyone reading it. Talk about going to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory! What is a foregone conclusion suddenly takes on a whole new dimension and the tension is racked up in a landscape where civil war is suddenly a very real option... While the outcome might not really be in doubt (Is Games Workshop ready for another civil war in the Imperium? I don’t think so...) there’s no question that the ensuing chain of events makes for some great reading!

As a final sobering note, Abnett reminds his readers that war has after affects that make their presence felt long after the final shot has been fired. I had one of those moments where I had to pretend that there was some dust in my eye... (What? Imaginary dust makes my eyes water...)

‘Titanicus’ is another sterling effort from the Black Library’s most eminent scribe, I’m looking forward to reading Abnett’s work for a long time to come.

Nine and a Half out of Ten

‘Ghost Monster’ – Simon Clark

A quick ‘reminder’ glance at Amazon told me that the last book I read, by Simon Clark, was the apocalyptic ‘King Blood’ (just over ten years ago now). Amazon also tells me that this book has a reading level for between ages four to eight years old. If you have a child between four and eight, don’t give them ‘King Blood’ to read. Trust me on this...
Anyway... Not only was ‘King Blood’ the last book of Clark’s that I read it’s also the only one of his books that I’ve read. I don’t know what happened there as there was a time when I planned to read a lot more of his stuff. ‘Ghost Monster’ seemed like as good a place as any to jump back on board and see what Simon Clark is all about so I figured I’d give it a go. Having finished the book however, I’m not so sure...

All the children in Crowdale know about the ‘Ghost Monster’; a disturbing mosaic on the mausoleum wall that has been the object of childhood dares going back years. The story behind the mosaic has almost been forgotten though and it’s one that the people of Crowdale should pay heed to... The ‘Ghost Monster’ mosaic keeps the ghosts of the notorious Justice Murrain and his henchmen imprisoned; if the mosaic was to be damaged or lost then they would escape and run riot once more.
The mosaic has been stolen and Crowdale is about to drown in an orgy of blood. How can anyone be safe when their friends and neighbours can be possessed without warning? Will anyone make it through the days and nights to come?

Something I really hate are books that aren’t consistent. I don’t care if a book is consistently bad as that lets me know that it’s time to move on. Books that are consistently good speak for themselves! Even ‘consistently average’ works on that score. If a book is neither one nor the other though... I’m left with a tale that promises goodness only to drag me back into a morass that is anything but. This is what happened to me with ‘Ghost Monster’.

It was all looking good to start off with. I’m a big fan of the whole concept of possession; there’s so much scope for things that a possessed person can do and, to be fair, Clark explores all these options with gusto. It’s moments like this where the horror leaps off the page, grabbing you by the eyeballs and dragging you along for a rather nasty ride. When someone is possessed by the spirit of a former asylum inmate anything can happen and it generally does! Clark isn’t afraid to let his readers know exactly what is going on and spares no details in the process. It’s not just the possessed causing havoc either; Clark shows us that the normal residents of Crowdale can be just as vicious...

Clark also comes up trumps with the setting, a brooding coastal village where the cliff tops are slowly being reclaimed by the sea. Crowdale’s history looms large over the village and sets the rest of the villagers against the Murrain family; things are about to explode and no-one knows where the explosion will happen. Clark certainly does well to keep the tension on a knife edge for as long as he does. When things do kick off it’s worth the wait.

If only the wait hadn’t been so... awkward.

I found that I couldn’t really get interested in any of the characters, it felt like they were there to do a job (get killed, kill others etc) but actually develop as individuals. It was very much a case of ‘go to Point A, get in a situation, get out of situation and then move to Point B etc’. If there had been a little more to the characters then the moments of horror would have had a little more intensity, more reason for me to get involved in it. As it was, while the horror did scare me I wasn’t too bothered about who it was happening to... Clark's characters are also prone to lots of introspective moments (I found), something which had a habit of slowing things down when they really needed to be speeding up.

I also wasn’t too keen on the way that Clark has Jacob Murrain go on about how he’s not too worried about Justice Murrain because he thinks that things will go a certain way with him (and then they do). The sheer vitality of Justice’s evil is diminished by an ending that’s made all to clear and the tension was stifled by my waiting for the inevitable ending to take place...

While I would probably give Simon Clark’s work at least one more go (can anyone recommend a good book of his?) ‘Ghost Monster’ hasn’t filled with me with confidence for the future. I liked the concept, it’s just a shame about the execution.

Six and Three Quarters out of Ten

One to look out for in 2010? Gollancz signs debut adult novel by the co-creator of ‘The Spiderwick Chronicles'

From the press release...

Gollancz, the SF and fantasy imprint of The Orion Publishing Group, has bought three adult novels by bestselling young adult author Holly Black, one of the co-creators of the hugely successful ‘The Spiderwick Chronicles’. The first title, “The White Cat”, will be published as a lead title in June 2010.

Simon Spanton, deputy Publishing Director at Gollancz, bought the three titles from Nancy Miles at The Miles Stott Literary Agency, acting on behalf of Barry Goldblatt, for a good six-figure sum in a hotly fought auction.

The Spiderwick Chronicles, co-created by Tony DiTerlizzi, have become an international children’s publishing phenomenon, spawning computer game adaptations and a major motion picture, released in 2008.

“The White Cat” is a contemporary fantasy set in a world where magic has been outlawed since 1929 and the small number that practice it have been driven underground and into crime. Cassel is a part of one of America ’s biggest crime families, but the only member who can’t perform magic. Cursed by the memory of the girl he murdered, he finds school a trial and home life much worse. His brothers hate him, his mother is in prison and no one will ever let him forget that he isn’t a magic worker. But Cassel is about to discover the secrets at the heart of his family and the lies that surround his life.

“It’s rare to find a book that combines being so totally engaging with being so utterly disquieting,” said Simon Spanton. “Holly manages that balancing act with aplomb. She also pulls off another extraordinary sleight of hand by combining a darkly drawn picture of life in a dysfunctional family with a fable of magic and the price we must pay for it. The world building is subtle but rich and deep, the characters pull you in and the magic is properly scary. Holly is going to delight her existing readers with this book but the exciting thing for me is the prospect of winning her a whole new readership – readers who are going to fall in love with Cassel but who are also going to be fearful for him and fearful of him. I can’t wait to publish this book and I’m delighted to be able to welcome Holly Black to the Gollancz list.”

“The White Cat” is published on June 17, 2010 by Gollancz

Magic and the Mafia? Sounds like something I'd be interested in reading...

‘Zombies: A Record of the Year of Infection’: Field Notes by Dr. Robert Twombly (Simon & Schuster)

Zombies are such slow moving (and incredibly stupid) creatures that it’s a real surprise more people haven’t kept diaries of their experiences during zombie infestations. Having said that though, such journals could have the potential to be very boring indeed. For example...

June 3rd: A zombie has started to walk towards me.
June 4th: The zombie is still walking towards me. It’s very slow. Read newspaper in the meantime.
June 5th: The zombie almost reached me but I got up and walked down to the end of the street. Sat down again and read the paper.

Luckily for us (but not necessarily for him...), Dr. Robert Twombly’s experiences during a zombie outbreak make for a lot more entertaining reading...

Dr. Robert Twombly is a blood specialist caught in Seattle as the city collapses under the weight of the undead hordes. With his food supplies running out, Twombly must leave the safety of his building and make for... where? Is there such a place as safe shelter? And if there is, how long will it be safe for? Twombly’s journal gives us all the answers...

Don Roff and Chris Lane combine their talents to give the reader a window into a zombie apocalypse that is gorgeous both on a visual and narrative level. Check this out from artist Lane....



Isn’t it great? Rough and raw, just the sort of sketches you might expect from a man with nothing else to do but sit and watch zombies (chowing down on humans) all day. I like the way that certain sketches are annotated as well, emphasising the scientific side to Twombly’s character as well as his desire to collect information that may prove useful in the coming days.

Don Roff takes us on the zombie trip itself as well as a trip through Twombly’s state of mind at the same time. Both trips are more than worth the time although the short and punchy tone of the journal entries can leave you feeling that there is more going on in the background that would be cool to find out about. You can’t blame Twombly for keeping things short and sweet, he probably didn’t have that much time to write stuff, but the wider world hinted at could only really be covered in either a full scale novel or a film; you’re not going to get it here.

The journal itself details Twombly’s journey through an apocalyptic landscape teeming with zombies and if you’re a fan of zombie fiction then you will have seen similar characters making similar choices. Should Twombly stay where he is or seek shelter elsewhere? Should he hook up with people or travel alone? You know the drill...
Don’t worry though; you’re not going to be reading ‘The Walking Dead’ all over again. ‘Zombies’ sees Twombly’s scientific turn of mind send him on a trip to determine the cause behind the outbreak. I’d normally rather see the root cause remain a mystery (and just concentrate on the zombies!) but it is very refreshing to see someone try to tackle the underlying issue for a change. As it turns out, we’re given a possible reason for the zombie outbreak and then left to decide for ourselves whether this is the truth or not...

Twombly is an interesting character to follow through his journal. As well as his aforementioned scientific nature lending a more analytical air to the piece, it’s fascinating to see how he copes mentally with the phenomenon. He’s as scared as the next man but it feels like he then discovers strength that he never knew he had. This isn’t just a journey through a zombie infested landscape; it’s a journey through his mind as well. Twombly completes both journeys, to a point... In the best tradition of zombie fiction, the ending is abrupt and is open ended enough to have you pondering for a good while afterwards.

I didn’t expect to get into ‘Zombies’ as much as I did. An initial browse turned into a full on read that didn’t stop until I was finished. This book’s a keeper as far as I’m concerned, if you’re a zombie fan then you should definitely give this one a go!

Eight and Three Quarters out of Ten

RIP Robert Holdstock

I’m usually busy at the weekends so end up scheduling stuff for the blog and not really going online. It was a really nasty surprise then to come in this morning and find out that Robert Holdstock passed away, on Sunday, after complications arising from an Ecoli infection.

I’d met Robert a couple of times and found him to be a great guy to hang out and have a drink with. Here was a man who had no problems telling it exactly how it was when talking about his writing and it was fascinating to hear such brutal honesty about the whole process.
I only really got into his books this year and will be reading more of his work. I can’t believe that I didn’t read ‘Mythago Wood’ a lot sooner than I did, an amazing book. ‘Avillion’ was superb as well. People are saying a lot of good things about ‘Lavondyss’ so I reckon that will be the one I try next.

RIP Robert. If you’re heading into Ryhope Wood now, remember to follow the stream...

The Monday Morning 'Stupid Rain...' Competition Winners Post

Going into work on a Monday morning is bad enough; having to do it in the pouring rain just adds insult to injury really... :o( Anyway, it may be raining but the following people won't mind as much as they won last weekend's competitions! The lucky folk were...

'By the Mountain Bound' (Elizabeth Bear)

Amber Perreca, Vancouver, Canada


'The Cole Protocol' (Tobias Buckell)

Carrie Hobbs, Martham, UK
Cathy Gordon, Southampton, UK
Rick Smith, Dorking, UK
Maria Elliott, Newport, UK
Mark Shaw, London, UK

Well done guys! Your books should be on their way very soon. Better luck next time everyone else...

Giveaway! 'Small Miracles' (Edward Lerner)

Here's one that is sat near the top of the pile and I hope to get to it very soon. Take a look at the blurb...

Garner Nanotechnology is developing nanotech-enhanced protective suits and autonomous first-aid nanobots. It’s cutting-edge stuff, and when it saves Brent Cleary from a pipeline explosion that killed hundreds, the Army takes notice.

Near-death experience changes a person, so no one is entirely surprised when easy-going Brent turns somber and studious, focused and cold. Not at first. But Kim O’Donnell, Brent’s best friend, cannot get past some of the changes. This just isn’t her friend, and she wonders what’s gotten into him.

With an Army field trial imminent and the company’s future at stake, possible nanotech side effects aren’t something anyone wants to discuss. The bad news is, Kim’s right. Something has gotten into Brent – and he isn’t the only one changing.

If Kim can’t stop them … maybe we’ll all change...

Looks interesting... fancy winning a copy? Thanks to Tor, I have one copy of 'Small Miracles' to give away to one lucky reader (US and Canadian entries only though). To enter, just drop me an email (address in the top right hand corner) telling me who you are and what your mailing address is. I'll do the rest :o)

I'll let this one run until the 6th of December and will announce the winner on the 7th...

Good Luck!

Giveaway! 'My Dead Body' (Charlie Huston)

I love the 'Joe Pitt' books and so do Orbit. This mutual love in could only result in a giveaway on the blog (but only for UK readers though, sorry...) and that's just what's happening today!

Thanks to Orbit, I have three copies of 'My Dead Body' to give away to three lucky readers. Entering is horribly complicated this time round... Actually, no it's not, it's really simple ;o) Just drop me an email (address at the top right hand side of the screen) telling me who you are and what your mailing address is. I'll do everything else.

I'm letting this one run until Sunday 6th of December and will announce the winners on the 7th.

Good Luck!

One Signing, Five Authors...

When Gollancz set their authors loose in Forbidden Planet there’s only one way it can go down for this blogger. The reason this is being posted in the afternoon is because I’ve just recovered from a monstrous hangover (chicken and chips followed by a Snickers Ice Cream is a great hangover cure by the way) and am now able to look at my computer screen without wincing! It was worth it though, even though I know what the next Gollancz signing means for my poor head I will do it all over again...

Last night saw Justine Robson signing copies of her latest book, ‘Chasing the Dragon’, at Forbidden Planet. If Royal Mail had got its act together then I would have got my copy signed. As it was, I only picked it up this morning... Next time!
Gollancz don’t tend to do things by halves though and gave the public extra added David Devereux, Adam Roberts, Chris Wooding and Paul McAuley for their money (although it didn’t actually cost anything but you know what I mean... I’m still hungover!)

I’d really enjoyed ‘I am Scrooge’ so made sure that I got my copy signed by Adam Roberts, here’s the photographic evidence...



I didn’t get anything else signed, instead choosing to have a wander and take pictures when people weren’t looking :o) Apologies for the poor camera phone pics...



David Devereux decided to interview someone interviewing him interviewing someone interviewing him interviewing... (You get the idea). I got caught by the camera and have been threatened with an appearance on YouTube (it won’t be the first time!)



Chris Wooding talks an unsuspecting bystander into buying some of his books. (There were loads of them to choose from, how can someone so young looking have written so many books? Makes me wonder what I’ve been doing with my life...)



Justine Robson looks like she might be taking tips on how Paul McAuley holds court with nothing but a pile of books and a winning smile.

Not only were there authors all over the place but I also got to hang out with Saxon Bullock (who’s great), Liz from My Favourite Books and Gav from NextRead (goes without saying that he’s great too).
With the signing done, it was onto the Phoenix Bar for plenty of drinks and talking about books (I am not ashamed of the Brian Lumley book that was in my bag!) There was a lot of ‘falling off the wagon’ going on, you had to be there...

Another great night out and I’m hoping for another one very soon...

Two for 2010?

Gollancz seem to think so and, having read the first few pages of each (I'll be reviewing them a little nearer the time), I think they just might be onto something :o)
Here's the blurb for Sam Sykes' 'Tome of the Undergates' and Justin Cronin's 'The Passage'...



Lenk can barely keep control of his mismatched adventurer band at the best of times (Gariath the dragon man sees humans as little more than prey, Kataria the shict despises most humans and the humans in the band are little better). When they're not insulting each other's religions they're arguing about pay and conditions. So when the ship they are travelling on is attacked by pirates things don't go very well. They go a whole lot worse when an invincible demon joins the fray. The demon steals the Tome of the Undergates - a manuscript that contains all you need to open the undergates. And whichever god you believe in you don't want the undergates open. On the other side are countless more invincible demons, the manifestation of all the evil of the gods, and they want out. Full of razor-sharp wit, characters who leap off the page (and into trouble) and plunging the reader into a vivid world of adventure this is a fantasy that kicks off a series that could dominate the second decade of the century.

Look out for this one in February next year.



Amy Harper Bellafonte is six years old and her mother thinks she's the most important person in the whole world. She is. Anthony Carter doesn't think he could ever be in a worse place than Death Row. He's wrong. FBI agent Brad Wolgast thinks something beyond imagination is coming. It is. THE PASSAGE...

Look out for this one in June next year.

For some reason it makes me laugh that the thickest book has the shortest blurb to accompany it. It's got me intrigued though so I'll be checking it out at some point. While we're here, what books are you looking forward to in 2010?

‘Retromancer’ – Robert Rankin (Gollancz)

I’ve been a fan of Robert Rankin ever since college when I realised that the ‘Brentford’ books were a lot more fun to read than what was on the official reading list for the course (so were a lot of books actually but that’s an entirely different story...) Ever since then I’ve made it my mission to read as many books of his as possible, I’m not quite there yet but I’ll keep on going! I still haven’t read last year’s book, ‘Necrophenia’, and that was originally going to be the subject of this post... until I saw the gorgeously pink cover for ‘Retromancer’ (although the cover image on Amazon is purple...) and knew that there was no option but to pick the book up and get reading. I have to say that I wasn’t too sure about ‘Retromancer’ to begin with but, yet again, Rankin totally does the business as far as I’m concerned!

Something is badly wrong in the Brentford of 1967. Could it be the SS officers patrolling the streets and torturing the unemployed? Could it be that the ‘Wife’s Legs’ cafe is serving Bratwurst rather than bangers? Could it be that this is a world where Nazi Germany won the Second World War and the whole of North America is a nuclear wasteland...?
If something is this badly wrong, and needs setting to rights straight away, then there’s only (perfect) man and his acolyte who could possibly take the job on. Hugo Rune offers the world his genius, all he asks in return is that the world covers his expenses and that he is allowed to visit dire retribution on cab drivers everywhere. With his acolyte Rizla, Hugo Rune must travel back to war-torn London and solve twelve cosmic conundra so that the future can be set straight. At the same time, there is a veritable horde of spies, robots, death rays, creatures of myth (and the one and only Count Otto Von Black) to get the better off...

Opening up a new Robert Rankin book is like getting back in touch with old friends after years apart. All your favourite characters are there, doing what they do best, all wrapped lovingly within the same old puns and in-jokes that somehow never stop being funny. It must be a tradition, or an old charter, or something :o) This, of course, may prove a problem if you’re picking up Rankin’s work for the first time. Half the fun of reading these books are the running gags that appear time after time (up to a point though, I’ll go into that more later on). If you’re reading Rankin for the first time then you’ll either get it or you won’t, it’s that simple. As far as I’m concerned, I ‘get it’ and Rankin shows that he still has it in ‘Retromancer’ with choice cuts like...

‘It seemed that we had just caught her as she was on her way out, and her face was flushed and pink.
Mr. Rune made faces at me and introduced himself.
“I know who you are,” I told him.
“I am introducing myself to this lady,” he said.’

Like I said, you’ll either get it or you won’t. Personally, I couldn’t stop laughing the whole way through.

Rankin’s writing is the work of a man who has got so many ideas in his head that he has to keep writing in order to get them all onto paper before his head explodes under the pressure. Inevitably, this can lead to moments that are more ‘miss’ than ‘hit’ in quality but there is so much coming out all at once that things balance themselves out by the end and you’ve got a book that hits the spot. It’s also a pleasure to see the man’s thoughts take him from A to B, sometimes by way of Q and Z. You may not quite know how you got there but the beauty of Rankin is that you always get there somehow. Just sit down and let the book take you where it has to go...

That’s not to say it’s all good though. ‘Retromancer’ is the sequel to ‘The Brightonomicon’ but sometimes comes across as feeling a little too similar in terms of plot structure to really stand out in its own right. Personally, as I’ve already said, that’s not what I read Rankin’s books for and I certainly got what I was after this time round. There were marked similarities though and I found myself wondering if there was some deliberate plot recycling going on... Ultimately it didn’t matter but it was a niggling thought that never quite went away.

Long standing fans of Robert Rankin should love his latest work. Despite small misgivings I couldn’t help but love it too. When an author is enjoying himself this much you can’t help but go along for the ride and what a ride it is! (Look out for 'Retromancer' in December) Now for a spot of ‘Necrophenia’...

Eight and Three Quarters out of Ten

'Chickenhare Vol.3' - Free Online!

I'd never heard of this title until now but it looks like it could be worth checking out, especially as it's free online! :o) Here's the press release...

The third volume of Chris Grine's Eisner Award-nominated graphic novel series Chickenhare debuts November 27 in an all-new format -- free, online, and in full color!

In Chickenhare Vol. 3: Fish & Grymps, Grine's delightfully odd cast of characters -- Chickenhare, Abe, Meg, Banjo, and Scabby -- find themselves trapped on a mysterious island where danger lurks around every bend, and where a crazed scientist conducts unnatural, sinister experiments as a way of "making" new friends. The new webcomic will be published twice a week, every Tuesday and Friday, at Chickenhare.com.

After publishing the first two volumes of Chickenhare as original black and white graphic novels with Dark Horse comics, Grine is refocusing his publishing efforts online in hopes of broadening the audience of his critically acclaimed series. "As a physical book," he said, "I always wanted Chickenhare to find its way into the hands of more readers. By publishing the new series free and online, I can not only reach a much wider audience -- I get to enjoy the ride with Chickenhare fans as each new installment is posted."

Grine also welcomes the efficiency of publishing online: "When Volume 3 is complete, I can roll right into the next Chickenhare story, and readers won't have to wait to find out what the next adventure will be."

Beautifully illustrated, filled with thrilling adventure, and written with great imagination and humor, Chickenhare is a kids' book series that discerning readers of all ages can enjoy. Stan Sakai, creator of Usagi Yojimbo said, "Chris Grine has a delightfully deranged imagination, and he knows how to tell one heck of a good story."

Jeff Smith, the creator of the epic masterpiece Bone, said "Fun, witty characters and sharp drawings bring Chickenhare to life, but something dark lurks just beneath the surface . . . a mysterious and quirky adventure."

Don't miss your chance to experience the wonderfully weird world of Chickenhare when Chickenhare Vol. 3: Fish & Grymps debuts online November 27! Visit www.chickenhare.com for more details.

I'll give this one a go and let you know what I think...

‘The Resurrectionist’ – Wrath James White

Some people are born with a name that just cries out to go on the front of a work of horror fiction and Wrath James White is one of those people... I’d never read his work before but comments left on this very blog suggested that I wouldn’t be wasting my time if I did. Everything stops by ‘Graeme’s Fantasy Book Review’ sooner or later and, sure enough, Wrath James White’s ‘The Resurrectionist’ came through the door last week. It’s been a while since we’ve had some horror on the blog so I was eager to give this book and go and see if it matched up to all the good things I’d heard about the author. It did, and then some...

No-one knows what little gifts life is going to throw their way; the whole thing is totally random and that can sometimes mean immense power ending up in the wrong hands... Dale McCarthy is a healer, able to bring the dead back to life so that they have no memory of their death. When girls aren’t attracted to you however, and you saw your father rape and murder your mother (before you bought her back to life), then there’s only really one way that you can use your gift to get what you want...
Ever since her new neighbour moved in across the street, Sarah Lincoln has been having the most terrifying nightmares. Every night she dreams of her own rape and murder, sometimes her husband dies too. This wouldn’t be so bad if it wasn’t for the fact that she wakes up to find bloodstains on her mattress and bloody sheets in the laundry. No-one else is prepared to take her seriously but Sarah knows that something is horribly wrong here. Sarah also knows that she is the only one who can save herself from being murdered again, again and again...

Life is full of things that you will hopefully never have to see outside of horror fiction. They could be happening in that dark alley at the end of your street; they might even be happening in your neighbour’s house while you’re asleep... Things like this happen everywhere and horror fiction is the best way to experience them; you get that surge of full on terror but you can always close the book whenever you want and get on with something that sits a little easier. This wasn’t the case with ‘The Resurrectionist’ but only because I found myself wanting to keep reading... Wrath James White rubs your face in the basest elements of humanity right from the start (seriously, if you’re in the slightest bit queasy then be warned that this may not be for you!) and goes on to show how this shapes Dale in later years. You won’t necessarily like Dale but you will understand why he’s the person that he is. Adding this element of humanity (to a very sinister character) rounds Dale out and makes him a person where you want to read more about him and find out what makes him tick; I did anyway.

Then we proceed onto Sarah and Josh Lincoln and see how their life gradually falls apart after Dale moves in across the street. You may have seen this scenario before (couple terrorised by sinister neighbour) but White really ramps things up to give his reader a tale that buzzes with tension and fear.
While other horror books establish a set of preliminaries events, leading up to a climactic ending, White skips all of that to repeatedly go straight for the jugular. The only thing worse than dying is dying all over again; White gets this and by the end of the book so will you... Again, White doesn’t spare any of the details for his readers so be warned that Dale McCarthy is one depraved individual who will stoop to pretty much anything in order to get his kicks.

The gradual crumbling of Sarah Lincoln (contrasting with her urge to fight back), in the face of Dale’s onslaught, also makes for some compelling reading. We see this woman fight to understand what is happening to her even though it can’t be... can it? There is no escape (and little help from a sceptical police force) either and this helps Sarah to focus on what she has to do if she is ever going to get through this. What we get is a narrative where the main characters spend the day dreading nightfall and what will bring. The tension grows to unbearable heights, explodes... and then starts growing all over again. I loved it.

I wasn’t a hundred percent sure about the ending though. On the one hand it works well at wrong footing you just when you think there’s no way back and there’s a definite surprise in store for characters who thought that things had been taken care of. They have been taken care of, just not in the way you might think. On the other hand though, Dale’s final actions didn’t quite fit for me; especially given his fear when caught at the wrong end of a gun earlier in the book...

This is only a small issue though (although it was a shame that it surfaced right at the end of the book...). ‘The Resurrectionist’ is a piece of horror that may well have you wondering whether the nightmare you had last night was just a dream after all...

Nine out of Ten

P.S. (Several days later...) After chatting with Wrath, online, the ending makes more sense to me now. It's definitely more about wrongfooting people than raising awkward questions about Dale and what he can do! I'm not bumping the score up (as the score is always based on that initial read) but if/when I read it again it would get a higher mark.