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Of Immunities & Wizardborn From Lois McMaster Bujold's 'Diplomatic Immunity' to David Farland's 'Wizardborn', the June book review sack has swollen large again. Read those SF/F novel reviews here.
Schild's Ladder by Greg Egan
It is a testament to Egan's creativity that he's managed to write as many entertaining books as he has under these conditions. His early books, I think, did many things that had never been done before. However, for me, Egan hit the wall with Diaspora. The ideas were uninteresting, and the book had little else to recommend it. Teranesia had more of an attempt at characterization than is usual for Egan, but he remains pretty bad at it. Unfortunately, Schild's Ladder doesn't represent an improvement. The plot of Schild's Ladder is very thin. A physics experiment sets off an explosion of something, a new sort of vacuum, that expands at half the speed of light. The rest of the novel is an exploration of this region, your basic Big Dumb Object really. As scaffolding for this scenario, Egan describes in a remarkable amount of detail a view of future physics, quantum graph theory, loosely based on loop quantum gravity. As with any story of this ilk, there are revelations about the nature of the BDO and what it tells the characters about their universe. Unfortunately, these revelations tend to involve things like decoherence and superselection rules. Now, I happen to think decoherence is a rather cool thing, but even as it's applied here, it does not make a particularly exciting revelation. I can't imagine how this would play to someone who hasn't taken a course or two in quantum mechanics. Perhaps it would evoke more of a sense of wonder than it did in me. Ultimately, I found none of the physical explorations here particularly interesting or enough to fuel the book by themselves. Having dispensed with the plot, the question becomes whether the society or the characters can drive the book. To his credit, Egan has significant ambition here, if one that he's attempted before. As in Diaspora and earlier books, he portrays a society where humanity can and is run on computers. He has abandoned some of the idealism of his earlier books, however, and portrays characters who act irrationally and even, gasp, have an attachment to a physical body. Still, while it's possible that our future selves might have dialogue like ... "My earliest memories are of CP^4 -- that's a Kaehler manifold that looks locally like a vector space with four complex dimensions, though the global topology's quite different. But I didn't really grow up there; I was moved around a lot when I was young, to keep my perceptions flexible. I only used to spend time in anything remotely like this" -- he motioned at the surrounding more-or-less-Euclidean space -- "for certain special kinds of physics problems. And even Newtonian mechanics is easier to grasp in a symplectic manifold; having a separate, visible coordinate for the position and momentum of every degree of freedom makes things much clearer than when you cram everything together in single, three-dimensional space." ... or give theorems (lovingly described in the text) as gifts, it doesn't make it interesting to read about them. Besides, I've spent a decent amount of time with CP^4 and it'd be a really dull place to spend any time. One can admire Egan's construction of a society from afar, but it completely fails to be engaging. Also, for much of the exposition, it feels as if Egan is showing off his knowledge, but failing to add anything to the narrative. I should mention at this point, for those that done know, I'm a physics graduate student. This may or may not be relevant; it's possible that I may only be finding certain things prosaic because I deal with them almost every day. Still, I think there's a skill to describing big physical revelations that Egan lacks. He concentrates too much on the details, on explaining rotating state vectors and superpositions, that he misses the big picture. The fact that Egan's physics is more grounded in real physics than most other science fiction cannot excuse the fact that he never graps that sense or awe of wonder that this sort of thing needs. I find little to recommend in this book other than its ambition. It bored me and was somewhat of a chore to finish. I don't read much short fiction, but I hope that Egan is still writing it and producing short stories of the same quality as those in his collections. Until he can develop his characterization and overcome the sense of distance that his work evinces, I don't think that he can any longer sustain my interest for the length of a novel. Aaron Bergman Diplomatic Immunity by Lois McMaster Bujold
In the Barrayaran legal system, that's kind of like Kenneth Star without all the bothersome legal and financial constraints. Basically, he investigates and solves problems for the Emperor (who happens to be Miles' childhood friend). This book starts with Miles on the way back to Barrayar after gallivanting about the galaxy with Ekaterin, his wife of one year, on a belated honeymoon. He receives an urgent message from Emperor Gregor, dispatching him to a station in a far corner of space to clean up a mess involving an impounded merchant fleet, its military escort, an officer who's gone missing under suspicious circumstances, all of which amounts to brewing intergalactic diplomatic incident. Miles' mission is to sort through the conflicting accounts of what happened, discover the truth, and extricate the impounded fleet with minimum cost (in political and financial capital) to the Empire. Additionally, he has a personal deadline: he and Ekaterin very much want to get home to be present at the birth of their children. (No, Ekaterin's not pregnant. You see, in the future, humans have been freed of the constraints of biological reproduction; babies are gestated in "uterine replicators." Bujold is, as far as I know, unique among SF writers in portraying this as a good thing. Good for her.) If you haven't read any of the other books in the series, this is probably not the very best place to start, but as usual, Bujold includes enough background material to let the book stand on its own. People who have enjoyed the previous books in the series will enjoy this one - it's in keeping with the rest of the series, and features the return of one of my favorite characters of yore: the hermaphrodite Bel Thorne, formerly of the Denarii Mercenaries, currently portmaster of Graf Station (which is where Miles has been sent). It also features the return of the four-armed, no-legged "quaddies" from Falling Free, who have established a successful society over the last 200 years. The first half of the book moves along at a steady pace, following a police procedural model, with Miles sifting through witnesses and evidence, slowly constructing a picture of what's going on. Almost exactly halfway through, however, the plot kicks into high gear when the villain senses that the gig is about to be up, and takes desperate action, putting the lives of Miles, his compatriots, and about 50,000 civilians in great peril. Then, Detective Miles vanishes, and Covert Ops Maniac Miles reasserts himself, after having been on vacation for two or three books. The second half of the book is very exciting. I stayed up way past my bedtime last night to get to the end of the engrossing bit-- that is, the rest of the book, less two chapters. Those who were entranced with the notion that Bujold was going to turn Miles into Lord Peter Wimsey IN SPACE!!!, with Ekaterin playing the role of Harriet Vane, might be disappointed. Ekaterin plays only a supporting role in this book, much reduced from her prominence in the previous two books, which focussed on Miles' courtship of her. As far as I'm concerned, this is an improvement. Ekaterin is a nice lady, and she's the perfect wife for Miles, but she's a very boring character. There's no fire to her, no excitement. I guess she's supposed to act as a counterpoint to the volatile Miles, but this series is the most fun when Miles is at his most volatile. So, anyway, I was happy to see her get sent to protective seclusion on a military cruiser when the situation on the station became dicey. While this book doesn't reach the emotional depths of Memory or Mirror Dance (in my opinion, the best of the series), it is a good, fun adventure story which harks back to earlier books in the series, such as The Vor Game and Brothers in Arms. There's also a small bit of quality angst, which is a spoiler, so I'll put it at the end. However, I do feel that there's one respect in which the more recent books are lacking, when compared to the pre-Komarr books. Originally, this series was about an imperfect hero. Miles was physically infirm in a society which prizes strength. In addition to the difficulties du jour, he had to contend with his own self-doubt and the potential treachery of his weak, deformed body. That made him more interesting than your average space opera hero. Nowadays, Miles is too happy. At this point, his life is perfect. He's got everything he ever wanted: a position of respect and power among his people, a beautiful wife who loves him, his own genetically-perfect children. Even his physical problems have been solved, through years of surgery. All of his major problems are external, and (relatively) easily solved. Miles was a lot more compelling when he had all that angst. Bring back the angst!
Pam Korda The Book Of The Unicorn by Nigel Suckling and illustrated by Linda and Roger Garland (pub: Paper Tiger. 128 page softcover. Price: £14.99 (UK). ISBN: 1-85028-360-5) check out website: www.papertiger.co.uk Unusual for Paper Tiger, there is a strong emphasis on a textual history and legends of the unicorn from around the world than purely as an art-book. The western world isn’t the only culture to believe in this mythological beast. More oddly, different cultures also attribute it with the same abilities mostly associated with the medical properties of its singular horn. It is seen as an antidote for poisons and a water purifier when the unicorn comes to the lake edge to drink. A timid creature unless cornered, only a waiting virgin maiden could entice a unicorn to come close. This didn’t stop various people using this information to capture the unicorn for their own gain. Practically every creed and legend, from Arthur to Alexander, has had a unicorn in their sights. As author Suckling indicates, although the unicorn is noted and never had its fair share of popular legends compared to such other luminaries like mermaids and other such creatures. In many respects, the legendary unicorn has always been just out of our reach and we’ve had to settle for confusion caused by other such single horned beasts like the rhinoceros - excusable considering how the dugong was confused as a mermaid - and oryx. To supplement the text is the varied art talent of the Garlands. This isn’t a disparaging comment. Their styles vary widely throughout the book, no doubt fitting to the different world-wide representations which probably accounts for the sometimes jarring effect than a consistent style. Not all the pictures are of unicorns, but if you love the alicorn then you’re going to find enough here to satisfy that demand. If you’ve been waiting for the re-release of this book then you’ll be more than willing to pick this volume up. GF Willmetts The Treason Of Dortrean (The Arrandin Trilogy Book 2) by Marcus Herniman pub: Earthlight. 479 page paperback. Price: £5.99 (UK). ISBN: 0-7434-1513-2 check out website: www.earthlight.co.uk Kellarn then travels with the Emperor's army to rout out the surviving Easterners who have rallied together again. In an effort to avoid more fighting, they agree to the return of a valuable heirloom in exchange for them leaving peacefully. Instead of going back with the army Kellarn continues with his quest to find the parts of an ancient artifact that can defeat the demon Lo-Khuma. Meanwhile, the Magi council is trying to nominate a new Prime Councilor but there are many internal disputes and a lot of political machinations. Kellarn reaches the Whispering Forest where he learns more about the history of his land and receives another piece of the artifact. On returning to his home lands he learns of his brother's murder and suspects the treachery of the Emperor. This book is well-written and Herniman has a firm grasp of political intrigue but I found that there were too many characters. Although the main ones are likable you just don't feel involved with their individual tasks. Kellarn, the hero, just seems to tag along with other. He has the ideas but lets someone else follow through on them. I never read the first book and it would probably help before reading this one but you can pick up the gist of what happened as you go along. It may sound like I didn't like this book but most of it was enjoyable and the Fay were particularly intriguing. It just might be worth reading the first one! Jacqueline Kirk The Empire Of Fear by Brian Stableford This book was released in 1988 but still relatively easy to find care of ABEbooks.com (I’m really being spoilt in book hunting on this site). I have to confess that I wasn’t altogether happy with this novel especially as I’ve rather enjoyed some other Stableford stories in the past. A greater part of the story concerns the life of Noell Cordery as after his father kills his vampire lover, has to hide and then forced to flee with the pirate Langoisse and his band to Africa. Later, a large part of the book in fact, is spent finding and recovering from sickness in a place called Adamawara, the source of the vampire legend. Discovering what causes vampirism, members of the group themselves become vampires and return to Europe and take the reins of power from its current leadership of Richard the Lionheart. He in turn is forced to team his vampires up with Dragulya’s group for a battle to decide who rules the world. Descriptively, this sums up the plot. The problem lies with all the gaps. We don’t see enough of vampire England to appreciate how the vampires hold over the nation or why no one applies commonsense and attacks them during the daylight hours. Then again, it’s also hinted here that other than a taste for blood and virtual immortality except in serious body damage, the vampires aren’t that much different from humans and can go around during the day. There’s hints these vampires are despots but no worse than other rulers of this time period. Leaving the seclusion of a monastery with Cordery, we don’t really see much to see what this ‘empire of fear’ is all about. Much of the time, the vampires just have the occasional drink of blood without killing the humans. They don’t bite and just use a knife to open the chest a little to suck blood. In Africa, the contrast between their benevolent vampires to Europe’s hostile vampires is noted but never really illustrated why. These are much older vampires who get on well with their human followers although their great age shows a lack of interest in life as a whole. They will kill to protect their homeland but that’s about all. The upsurgence and removal of Richard the Norman aka Lionheart as ruler of England is noted only as a side-note and much has to be inferred. Considering this is a major aspect of the plot, this is really a vast disappointment. Whether this was a publisher decision to keep the book down to a manageable length or writer Stableford’s decision is unclear but it is a gaping hole that Dragulya’s attempt to win it back seems pale in comparison. This doesn’t mean to say this isn’t an interesting story in here. Stableford’s use of characters are three-dimensional enough to be interested in what happens to them. It’s just the background reality that hasn’t really been serviced sufficiently. There’s also the sly name humour. Phonetically, ‘Langoisse’ is obviously actor Bella. There’s no need to say who Dragulya is. No doubt vampire aficionados will recognise any other names dropped in. I didn’t read this book with any expectations other than seeing a world run by vampires. The opening sections gave no real hint that the story would swing so far from the cover hype. It’s almost as though Stableford had a change of mind as he wrote and winged it rather than give a real look at this world. It’s interesting to note that Stableford restored some semblance of SF rule structure at the end as to what causes the vampires to happen even if it is a little contrived. Vampire story lovers will probably get some enjoyment out of this book. Reality lovers beware. GF Willmetts
check out website: www.simonsays.co.uk To the authors featured in ‘Meditations On Middle Earth’, however, Tolkien was new and fresh. Writers attempt to explain why, without Tolkien, their own creations would never have happened. It charts the evolution from reader to writer and how, as Raymond Feist puts it, Tolkien is the grandfather of Fantasy. This book has some fantastic authors writing about a fantastic book. They are not Tolkien scholars and so this is not some dry dusty text but each essay shines with the knowledge and love that each author has about ‘Lord Of The Rings’. Yet the book fails to captivate and I found it hard to pick this book up and read it. Many of the authors had had similar experiences and while each was skillfully told the tale itself became repetitive. Terry Prachett and Harry Turtledove did stand out and were worth reading but I couldn't help wondering while reading it,'What was the point?' There wasn't anything that I got out of this text that I hadn't already got out of ‘Lord Of The Rings’. This book is like listening to one of today's Top 40 songs. The song itself is good with a skilled team behind it and the original ideal, on paper sounds like a winner, and yet somehow it fails and while reading it you wish for something with a little more soul, like the ‘Lord Of the Rings’ itself. Katie McGivern Thorns of Nature edited by Doyle Eldon Wilmoth Jr pub: http://www.specficworld.com Electronic book (.pdf), 49 pages. Price: Free! Often listed in the same sentence as erotica by editors in their guidelines - 'We do *not* accept submissions of erotica, poetry or pornographic works' - finding high-grade speculative poetry on the Web can be difficult. Although a few beacons stand proud of the electronic soup - ‘Strange Horizons’, ‘Chiaroscuro’ and ‘Speculon’ being but three - there is a definite lack of enthusiasm for poetic forms, which is why it was an absolute pleasure to explore this free book from SpecFic World. Containing the work of thirty modern poets, 'Thorns Of Nature' contains work in many different styles - structured, loose, haiku, rhyming - so whatever your personal preferences, there will no doubt be something here to please you. The authors include such notables as Bruce Boston ('Grand Master of Science Fiction Poetry'), David Kopaska-Merkel (editor of ‘Dreams And Nightmares’ - http://home.earthlink.net/~dragontea/index.html), Kate Hill (Anxiety Publications) and Cathy Burburuz (artist and editor of ‘Champagne Shivers’) plus many more respectable talents. The best bit about this book, apart from its price tag, is that it may encourage wary readers to experiment with the exciting developments in modern forms of poetry. Under scrutiny, most people I've met that don't like poetry usually confess that the last thing they read was something like 'I Wish I'd Looked After My Teeth' by Pam Ayres. Poetry has so much more to offer than popular, jocular ditties. The first poem in the book, 'Gaea's Revenge In The Mutant Rain Forest' by Bruce Boston, describes the response to human intrusion offered by 'angry Gaea, a fresh umbilical necklace/ coiling the pillared tendons of her neck'. 'Eon One' by SC. Virtes is a refreshingly original poem about Creation with great lines like 'creature factories painted the sky / with soft vapors becoming clouds' and raises an interesting point about the persistent existence of hunger. 'Gloria' by Sandy DeLuca, confronts unexpected death using fuzzy, rural imagery. With such diversity of style and content, you are also almost guaranteed not to enjoy some works too - I personally don't enjoy the brevity of haiku, so 'Thunderstorm' by Kate Hill and 'Windstorm' by David Bain didn't grab me, although they are well-written. I didn't enjoy the themes of 'Warm' by John B. Rosenman (lap-dancing á’la necrophilia) - and 'Payback' by Brian Rosenberger either ('man sees nature as a whore / with her legs spread wide'). I did like ‘Dark Garden' by Michelle Scalise and 'Mother' by Tim Amzen, but again they were a little short for my tastes. Conversely, I felt that 'Tarantulas Hawk' by Ann K. Schwader and 'Poison' by Christina-Marie Umscheid were short works complemented by their brevity - the first uses snipped and stabbing language to enhance the impression of a nasty spider-bird beast, the latter is delicate with the splendor and practicality of a Victorian doctor's showcase. No works contained between the virtual covers are entirely without merit but I definitely had favorites. 'The Breath of Giants' by David Kopaska-Merkel was a fabulous poem about shifting stones that gave me shivers and made me wish that John Carpenter had read it before making his 'Ghosts of Mars' film. It shares a contained mood of panic with Carpenter's 'Prince of Darkness', occult elements convincingly braided with science. 'Axis' by Charlee Jacob was relatively long and evocative of Ted Hughes' work. Jacob's sense of rhythm and pace is superb and crisp imagery creates a beautiful/disturbing apocalyptic atmosphere. 'The Rush of Flood' by William P. Robertson and 'The Mystery of Jasper Dome' by Kurt Newton, focus on natural disasters affecting communities in exciting, but very different ways. Finally, 'A Daimon Hesitates at the Waters' by Ward Kelley and 'The Summons' by Cathy Burburuz, both add powerful, image-rich twists to ritual worship. Hearty congratulations to the editor, Doyle Eldon Wilmoth Jr, for creating such a worthy tome and offering it freely to the public. I sincerely hope it is the first of many such anthologies to emerge from SpecFic World. Lucy AE Ward The Warrior Miramax Films, distribution by Film Four. Certificate 12, subtitles. Director: Asif Kapadia. Cast: Irfan Khan, Puru Chibber, Mandakini Goswami, Sunita Sharma, Noor Mani, Damayanti Marfatia If you're looking for death-defying feats performed by super warriors, much like ‘The Scorpion King’ as reviewed in the last update, then stop right here. You'll find none of that in this film. This is believable stuff. The pace is slower but the events are more powerful, more emotionally effective. Lafcadia lives with his son in the semi-desert. It is a quiet, sombre life, free from the violence that awaits him in the main town where tax collections are being made. In the UK and other countries, tax isn't usually a voluntary matter otherwise none of us would pay it. Evasion is a crime which has harsh penalties and so it was in India all these years ago, except that the penalty then was decapitation. It's observed that Lafcadia doesn't like what he has to do in cutting off a village elder's head merely because the poor chap couldn't pay his tax bill. The Lord wants an example made of the village. The other warriors look forward to a bit of rape, pillage, destruction and burning are dismayed when Lafcadia doesn't wish to partake of the party spirit, something he'd done in the past many times before. It's in this village that he has a strange Damascene experience - with his sword to the jugular of a young girl, he has a vision of the Himalayan mountains. He also sees his son's amulet around her neck. From this moment, his life has changed forever. Throwing aside your sword is an easy matter but redemption isn't so simple. Murderous crimes of the past still echo through to the future. The Lord isn't pleased. He says to the other warriors that nobody leaves his service in such a manner. Either his head or yours, that's the choice he gives them. Finding Lafcadia proved a difficult task so, taking the head of someone resembling him, they present this to the Lord. They also capture the son and ask him to identify his father. This he does but, with shocking casualness, the boy's throat is cut. From the crowd, Lafcadia sees this act. There is no roar of anger, no taking of the sword to cut down the villains, no brutal act of revenge. He is traumatised and only the action of a kindly blacksmith saves him from the warriors. A journey begins that will take him from the desert to the Himalayan foothills. He meets a young thief, a man he'd made into an orphan many years before, and a blind mystical woman who seems to be able to discern the real nature of people, just by touching their faces. The warriors pursue him, leaving a trail of death. This blood is indirectly on Lafcadia's hands. There are no special effects in this film but who needs them when the real thing is better. No computer or camera trickery could possibly match the expansive desert, the majestic mountains, the twisting path over which the oxen-driven cart trundles. You see a waterfall in the distance and then, for what seems to be an eternity, the camera moves upwards until the white mountain tops are reached. This landscape is bigger than any human, including the powerful Lord. High up in the foothills there is a restaurant with outside tables, adjacent to a fast flowing mountain stream, where people are served chapattis and tea. The tables are a bit ramshackle but who cares? Something tells you that you'd love to be there. The young thief and the owner's daughter seem to hit it off and it isn't long before he has his feet under the table too. There is an end to the journey. Lafcadia's vision begins to make sense but he has to face the last warrior and end the trail of death that emanated from the Lord. We don't have terrible revenge extracted from this tyrant: he'll die eventually, this is certain, but he's as much a part of the system as the peasants and Lafcadia himself. The warrior hasn't tried to change the system. He's tried to get out and, in the white snows of the Himalayan mountains, seeks to atone for his past crimes against humanity. Does he gain salvation? If so, has the terrible price to himself, his family and the many innocent people on the journey made this a worthwhile exercise? Maybe he would have been better killing himself before it all started but then, it seems that his course of action has been directed by someone or something else. This is an enjoyable film if a bit unnerving at times. In watching it, I was transported to medieval India for an hour and a half, such is its absorbing nature, and I could identify with the characters who were real people and not two-dimensional cutouts. If conventional Bollywood isn't your cup of Darjeeling, don't worry, this isn't remotely connected to anything like that. The director is new to the world scene and I think he'll go far. Rod MacDonald Richard Matheson’s The Twilight Zone Scripts
Volume Two edited by Stanley Wiater check out website: www.gauntletpress.com This book presents the last six episode scripts that Matheson wrote for the series and includes gems such as ‘Nightmare At 20,000 Feet’, ‘Steel’ and ‘Night Call’ - the latter having a slightly less menacing ending to how it was presented on screen (wasn’t it done again in the new Twilight Zone series?). In many respects, episodes like ‘Mute’, ‘Spur Of The Moment’ and even ‘Death Ship’ appear dated these days. With the first two, it is more to do and illustrates how the American health and care services have changed in the past 40 years. The best way to learn how to become a scriptwriter is to study successful scripts. With two hour and four half-hour stories here, the astute reader should be able to grasp some of Matheson’s artistry as to how they were done. The visuals come across quite strongly here. Between each episode, there are footnotes by Matheson plus information as to the original cast. I quite forgotten that Lee Marvin was the boxer in ‘Steel’ although everyone remembers it was Bill Shatner seeing a gremlin attacking the aircraft engine in ‘Nightmare’. Although the book hasn’t been given a UK release, the ardent readers amongst you should know how to pull the book from the States. The promotion I was given with the book also indicates this publisher is going to be releasing a lot more of Matheson’s work so worth adding a ‘Favourites’ link to keep up to date. GF Willmetts Wizardborn (The Runelords Book
3) by David Farland check out website: www.earthlight.co.uk The threat of the reavers grows as they show new levels of ingenuity and intelligence, changing their strategy with each battle. Desperate to find anyway to stop them Gaborn seeks council in a young 9-year-old girl Averan. She is the wizardborn apprentice of Binnesman, who seeks to train her in the powers of the earth and shows an unusual insight into the behavior and world of the reavers. The girl is the key to finding the route to the underworld and Gaborn has to convince her to help him in his quest. Meanwhile, the war torn Raj Ahten races to save his homeland from the destruction of the reavers. Slowly losing his humanity even with all his endowments and vectors, he meets his ultimate battle at the reavers stronghold. This is the third book in this huge ‘Runelord’ fantasy series. I must admit I'm new to this and at first I was worried if I could pick up the major threads and story lines but David Farland beautifully reinforces major plot lines without dwelling on them. To me this is always a good sign of a major fantasy series as it can be easy to forget important details of previous books. The characters are beautifully crafted and with the growing sense of danger you really care about what happens to them. This book and I assume the rest of the series is the same, does not fall into the usual trap of black and white/good vs evil. The ‘good’ earth king has lost his powers due to previous indiscretions but unlike most modern forms of entertainment the author does not just make everything OK again. Garborn is stuck with this lost of his earth powers. The Earth is falling apart and there is no easy solution - no quick fix. It explores the consequences of not only actions but also the use of magic and endowments, as with Raj Ahten who is nearly unbreakable in stature, strength and ability but still starts to lose his humanity. This book also has a good dose of political intrigue. Gaborn's neighbouring countries eye up the advantage they now have because of the loss of his ‘earth powers’. The main thrust though of this book is the huge often-violent battles with the reavers. The reader's knowledge of the reaver's world is also expanded. They consume people and decimate the land with runes and magic. Averan provides a window to the eye less world of smell the reavers inhabit. This book only covers two days but raises the tension to almost unbearable levels. There is no easing of the threat to the main characters. This book is building up to what could be a spectacular finale, perhaps on reflection the book felt a bit short even though it’s over 500 pages in length. I don't think readers of this series will be disappointed. Perhaps the young girl, Averan, is a bit clichéd - it depends how cynical you are I suppose. Even new readers will enjoy this book I certainly did and look forward to reading the previous two books: - ‘The Sum of All Men’ and ‘Brotherhood of the Wolf’. Phil Jones Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone Video: Warner Bros: S022658. Time: 146 minutes plus about 10 minutes of alternative scenes. Price: £10.99 - it varies so shop around. Stars: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grant and Emma Watson, not to mention a troop of some of great British thespians. check out websites: www.warnerbros.com and www.harrypotter.com In many ways, this is a very stylish film cross-blending an imaginary UK with an even more imaginary school for trainee witches. Orphaned baby Harry Potter is left with his relatives until he is the right age to be enrolled at the school. By then, his relatives have been treating him rather cruelly - where’s child welfare when you need them? - and try to avoid the continuous invitation letters that bombard their house. All this is forgotten when Harry finally gets to the school and makes new friends and enemies and has his first adventure protecting the philosopher’s stone. Into this mix is the witches equivalent of the Buckingham ‘Jennings’ boarding school stories. This is not demeaning the film. I was a great fan of ‘Jennings’ when I was young and I’m sure that it’s hitting a similar chord in today’s youngsters. Kids who feel isolated feel a bond with such characters. The massive sales amongst today’s kids probably indicates that isolation is increasing rather than the opposite. If nothing else, it looks like Rowling’s material is getting kids reading and talking again which is no mean feat. The more adult cast tend to be more cameo than big scene. When the credits rolled, I was surprised to see John Cleese mentioned cos I didn’t spot him playing one of the ghosts. As the other adults roles are going to expand over the following films, no doubt we’ll see more of their talents beside Robbie Coltrane, Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman and Richard Harris. With Industrial Light and Magic providing the effects, it is a credit to director Chris Columbus that he’s got a film that will have lasting appeal and likely to be on the Christmas TV film circuit for a long time to come. Another not demeaning comment as it means we could be spared having the ‘Wizard Of Oz’ out every year for a change. Even my Mother likes the film and wants to see it again to spot things she missed the first time. Can’t get a better accolade than that, can you? GF Willmetts The Jonah Kit by Ian Watson Evidently the renowned JG Ballard once called Ian Watson 'the most interesting British SF writer of ideas.' What Ian Watson does is to put the reader straight into the mind and thought processes of the principal character, a whale - 'Jonah ' geddit?! But this whale ain't no ordinary whale. A mutant, an alien, a bearer of news, a portent of doom to humans. It and its fellow beings. Or is it an experiment gone dreadfully wrong? The repercussions to both man and whale are immense. But to add to the complicated plot a research project by a Nobel prize winner shows that what we perceive as the Universe is no more than the ghost of the real thing. Signals received indicate it no longer exists. So are the whales from a parallel universe giving humanity just one more chance and has the experiment gone far beyond the boundaries of the known universe? Read 'The Jonah Kit' and be prepared to get into some interesting concepts or just read it as a satisfying SF novel. My favourite Ian Watson novel is 'The Fire Worm' published by Gollancz in 1988 - but that's another story. By the way, Ian Watson has also written the screen story for Spielberg's ‘AI’. Phil Stoyle Dark Thane (The Last Clansman
Book 2) by Miller Lau check out websites: www.earthlight.co.uk and www.millerlau.com Talisker, the eponymous hero of book one, is now retired quietly with Regan his strong-willed daughter and his crippled stepson Tristan, who is nephew to the Thane of Soulis Mor. His beloved wife Una has died in circumstances where, it is hinted, Regan might have done more to save her. This sours relations between father and daughter. When riders arrive to announce that the Thane has died and Tristan will take the throne, Regan tells them she is his twin sister and, likewise, heir. She isn't! Thinking that Tristan might need help in his new role, Talisker does not reveal the lie. They are made co-rulers but Regan is the stronger character and so dominates the realm. She falls under the influence of Jahl, a scheming demi-god. He exploits her arrogance and her innate hatred of the Sidhe beast men who share the realm. Soon there is torture, corruption, and war. Tristan flees to Edinburgh, Talisker's home town, where a dangerous young man called Knox has taken over a religious cult. Jahl becomes more powerful and begins to influence events there as well. The two plots intertwine. Talisker and others from Sutra cross over to Edinburgh. From a low-key beginning the story develops into a rich, ambitious saga with two worlds in peril. There is no single central character in the story but rather three or four key figures whose point of view we share. Like a modern thriller writer, Lau switches scenes from one place to another to keep the tension mounting. The technique works. It is a long book (is there such a thing as a short fantasy novel nowadays?) but I was never bored. As to the writing, I never noticed it. Not a word jarred, not a sentence had to be read twice. The author's own voice was never heard. For this kind of book - pure story - that is perfect. Like Stephen King's ‘The Mist’ this is basically a ripping yarn - a B-movie of a book. It has some memorable characters and a strong sense of place. You find yourself casting the film as you read: Sean Connery as Talisker! Christopher Walken as Jahl! It is sufficiently gripping that I will probably go forth and buy Talisker, book one in the series, with my own hard earned loot. That, I suppose, is meaningful praise. Eamonn Murphy Fortress Of Grey Ice (Book Two
Sword Of Shadows) by J V Jones check out website: www.orbitbooks.co.uk At this village, Raif is drugged and Ash leaves with the Sull warriors Ark Veinsplitter and Mal Naysayer as she is now also Sull. The Sull are a mysterious and ancient race that live in the far North and are feared for their fighting abilities and magic. With her Reach power, Ash is able to sense when demons are close and as she failed to dispel her power properly a crack has appeared in the ice through which these demons are slowly breaking through. Raif, meanwhile, heads North where he stumbles upon the bodies of some Knights who have been slain and their souls taken by some unknown assailant. Only one is barely alive and gives Raif a gift of a Forsworn sword and an arrow. He tells him they were searching for the Fortress of Grey Ice which is where the first breach will appear into a shadow world and the nine horsemen will escape. Raif, uncertain of what to do, joins the Maimed Men - exiled clansmen. After a short stay, he realizes that he doesn't belong there and heads North to find the Fortress of Grey Ice. Meanwhile, the clans are fighting amongst themselves. Mace Blackhail's wife, Raina, has decided that her treacherous husband is going to bring about the ruin of the Blackhail clan and had to be removed from power. Robbie Dun Dhoone has declared himself the Thorn King and vows to take back the Dhoone House from the Dog Lord. The Dog Lord is abandoned by his sons who have ridden off to face the Southeners leaving the Dhoone House practically defenceless. The Southener army is led by Marafice Eye, right hand man to Penthero Iss the Surlord of Spire Vanis. The Surlord attempts to manipulate all his enemies, including Marafice Eye, so he can retain his position. He uses the powers of the Bound One, a powerful sorcerer he has imprisoned for many years. However, things are set to change when the Bound One is rescued. I enjoyed this book as much as I did the first. Jones has created some very memorable characters particularly the villians. Especially Penthero Iss and Marafice Eye, the interplay between the two is handled very convincingly. The Clan structure she has created is detailed and each Clan has it's own honour system and varying ways. The Sull are also intriguing and she has provided them with many strange customs that flesh out these characters well. The only complaint I have is that it jumps between every group of characters every new chapter. Just as you're getting well into a certain event it shifts to another character which of course is a good way of keeping people reading! The ending was a culmination of several events which set it up well for the third installment. Can't wait! Jacqueline Kirk Paper Tiger Fantasy Art Gallery
edited by Paul Barnett check out website: www.papertiger.co.uk I only really read book release schedules to help me to anticipate the distribution of workload. As our reviewers read everything they’re sent we can end up being a little behind on heavy months. I remember this book was supposed to be released in April and remembered we hadn’t received a copy. A quick email to Paper Tiger and was told it was coming out in June (thanks Anne) and I had a copy within the week. Just in time for this month’s review column in fact. So here we are then in the present. Unlike many of Paper Tiger’s books, this one is really text intensive, featuring the first 25 artist interviews ran on their website column, The Paper Snarl, from 1999-2000. Of the 25 artists, 11 have seen print by Paper Tiger. I couldn’t help wondering if Paper Tiger commissioning editor Paul Barnett isn’t sizing the others up as potential book material? One only has to compare the art from those Paper Tiger have published to those he hasn’t to realise this is an ideal sampler to test the water. The interviews follow a pretty much standard format of how the artist starting painting (or in some cases, sculpturing), any formal training, career and whether they were going to use computer graphic software if they weren’t already. Under normal circumstances, I would probably have spread such a book over a couple weeks between everything else than read in a couple doses. Saying that, the repetition areas is reasonably disguised to prevent boredom. It’s helped enormously that each artist has different opinions and thoughts and weren’t afraid to express them. The list is like a who’s who of SF artists: Tom Abba, Brom, Jim Burns, Ciruelo Cabral, Judith Clute, Steve Crisp, Joe de Vito, Vincent Di Fate, Bob Eggleton, Fangorn, Kelly Freas, Fred Gambino, John Harris, Jael, Ron Miller, Chris Moore, Martina Pilcerova, Marc Potts, Lisa Snellings, Nick Stathopoulos, Anne Sudworh, Ron Tiner, Ron Walotsky and AB Word. Many of whom, especially where their books are concerned, I’ve covered in this column already. If I was out to pick the artists yet to have books then Cabrel, Crisp, Fangorn, Pilcerovan and Stathopoulos deserve such an honour. The others are mainly sculptors and in the case of Tiner, have books out elsewhere. The only two main criticisms I have are to do with presentation than content. Having the artists listed spread from front to back cover leaves open the possibility some people will think the list doesn’t include their favourites on the front. It would also have been nice to have included a small photo of each artist to acquaint the reader with the people behind their paintings and sculpture. If you have a passion for Science Fiction artists, then you’ll be buying this book to have a hardcopy version of said interviews you’ve been reading on their website. As many of these people attend SF conventions, this book will also serve as a guide to their work. More so, as at the back, there’s a complete list of their websites and book releases making it an essential book to own. So what are you waiting for?? GF Willmetts
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OTHER CONTENT - June 2002
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More
than any modern writer I can think of Egan's books have always relied
almost exclusively on the Big Idea. This is a very precarious position,
however. For one, Big Ideas are hard to come by. For another, they
cannot always carry a novel by themselves. 
back
to top
This
is the latest book in Bujold's long-running series concerning the
adventures of Miles Vorkosigan. Miles used to be the commander of
an interstellar mercenary company, and an agent of the Barrayaran
Empire, but he settled down several books ago to become an "Imperial
Auditor."
Everything
you ever wanted to know about unicorns but didn’t know where to
look is probably the best way to sum this book up. 
The
Emperor's advisor, Rinnekh, makes an uneasy truce with the souther
ambassador in his liege's absence. After the siege, Kellarn of Dortrean
suggests taking back the mage's manor house from the invading Easterners.
With help from some of the surviving mages and a well-timed entrance
from the Fay they succeed.
You
know how it is. You hear that a British writer once did a novel
about vampires ruling the world and there’s a sudden need to investigate
the interpretation.
‘Meditations
On Middle Earth’ aims to understand the initial impact that JRR
Tolkien had on writers and the fantasy genre. This was an interesting
angle to me as I had always assumed that Tolkien was akin to Shakespeare
or Dickens - in that they had been around for so long that their
ideas and styles of writing had permeated their genre. 
When
I download free books, I am usually prepared for flimsy disappointment
but this is a remarkably good anthology of contemporary speculative
poetry.
Irrespective
of how miserable a land may be, drought, pestilence, famine and
poverty notwithstanding, there's always got to be a bigwig lording
it over the rest. In this mythical medieval tale taking place in
the fictitious northern Indian state of Rajastanto, a Hindu Lord
holds power over his subjects with the assistance of a band of warriors
led by Lafcadia, the main character played by Irfan Khan.
Matheson’s
name is synonymous with the original TV anthology series ‘The Twilight
Zone’ despite the fact that he only wrote 14 scripts for the series.
This was no doubt because they struck such a sympathetic chord with
the viewers and were a sharp contrast to Rod Serling’s own material.
After
the huge battle at Carris, Gaborn - the
earth king - is stripped of most of his ‘earth powers’. He can no
longer protect his people and is now unable to warn his people remotely
of danger. Although the reavers are defeated at Carris, Gaborn feels
the impending doom of the earth combined with the renewed sense
of danger his people now face. 
I’d
be the first person to admit I haven’t got around to reading JK
Rowling’s books. So many books, only one lifetime and you’re seeing
about 80% of my current reading here in the review roadtests. With
all the hype around about this film and it falling under our remit,
watching the video seemed inevitable.
This
science fiction novel, first published in 1975, and the author's
second novel (he's now written 20+ besides numerous short stories)
could be described as an Arthur C. Clarke story with interesting
characters. 
Miller
Lau does not have a lot to say about the human condition. He is
eloquent, however, on the condition of Gods, demi-gods, magicians,
beast-men, warriors and gigantic black flying scorpions from the
void.
After
the events of ‘Cavern Of Black Ice’ where Raif and Ash failed to
safely dispel Ash's powers, they follow the trail left by their
Sull guides back to a village.
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