NextRead

Title: Debatable Space
Author: Philip Palmer
Publisher: Orbit
Published: 24 Jan 08
Price: £10.00

A band of pirates kidnaps the daughter of the ruler of the universe and holds her for ransom. The trouble is ruler of the universe Cheo isn’t that receptive to their demands and their prisoner, Lena, isn’t what she first appears.

But this isn’t just a pirate story. It’s an exploration of 1000 years of human history. And what has happened? Human have travelled, colonised, enslaved, and turned into dolphins (well some of them have).

For a first novel it’s a big challenge and a bit of a balancing act. Palmer presents his story from multiple viewpoints. We delve into the minds of Lena, the pirate crew, occasionally others, but we get most of our information from Lena.

And this is where the balancing act comes in. How time do you spend with each character and how they appear will depend on their part of the story. As Lena is a big part of the story we spend a lot of time with her. As a main character she is a fascinating and a worthy companion. The problem is she goes on a bit.

Palmer through her retells how the current state of humanity came about. He does occasionally retell too much. This is slightly frustrating especially as events speed to a conclusion when we’re presented with a large chunk of history. It is relevant but maybe isn’t as vital or as enjoyable as Lena, or perhaps Palmer, thinks.

This is strange as I enjoyed most of the other tales and the asides and presentation of history. It’s probably because it takes too much time out of the current action at a point where it should be sprinting towards the finish.

This isn’t though a fatal flaw. The characters are varied and well formed; the story is well planned and interesting. And most of the time it works. When it doesn’t I’d put down to over enthusiasm on Palmers part to share the universe and history he’s created.

For a first novel and a story on such a wide scale Palmer keeps a good grip on the reins and where it does get away he pulls it back in. I look forward to seeing what tale Palmer tells next.

Tags: 7/10, debut, debut review, Orbit, Philip Palmer, review copy

I am a little behind with my reading pile, which should be no surprise really considering all the marvellous books that there and my reading rate of six books a month. So I might not get through this lot but I’m up for a challenge though it might not be in this exact order.

From last month’s reading pile I have The Ladies of Grace Adieu by Susanna Clarke. I have a feeling that this is going to stay on the shelf though I really should read this before going to see Stardust, which is itself based on a novel by Neil Gaiman, which itself is based on a comic collaboration between Gaiman and Charles Vess. The Ladies of Grace Adieu is a collection of short stories and I’m hoping that it’ll let me into her style gently before tackling the opus that is Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. Might have to read this is in sips.

I’ve previously mentioned Dead Men’s Boots here and I’ve had to wait a month for it to come near the top of the reading pile and I can’t wait any longer. So this is most likely the next review that is going to appear. The third in a the series featuring the exorcist Felix Castor. Mike Carey appears on camera here. You can find a review of the second book here but you really need to start with The Devil You Know. Thanks to Orbit.

Speaking of exorcists. I do have a soft spot for them. It all started when I spotted The Wine of Angels, which kicks off the Merrily Watkins Mysteries series. Merrily Watkins is a Deliverance Minister (exorcist) and parish priest for the town of Ledwardine as well as a single mother. The other thing that draws me into this series is it’s set a few miles from where I grew up on the English/Welsh border. The horror here is more human in nature even though there are supernatual elements. Phil Rickman has created a cast of strong characters and relationships that are the heart of this series. I’ve got The Ghost of a Smile and Remains of an Altar lined up and the ninth book (The Fabric of Sin) has just come out in Hardback.

Two books from Independent Publishers and both firmly English. Firstly, The Pools by debut writer Bethan Roberts and I think what interested me was ‘Middle England, mid-1980s. The kind of place where nothing ever happens. Except something has happened. A fifteen year old boy called Robert has been killed, down by the pools. And half a dozen lives will come unravelled’. Thanks to Serpent’s Tail.

The second is Gents reissued by The Friday Project. The blurb:

Ezekiel Murphy has been out of work for some time so starts up his new job as a toilet attendant with great optimism and enthusiasm. When his fellow workers have to explain to him why he will sometimes see two men leaving the same cubicle he is both shocked and bemused. And when the council clamp down on cottaging in the area they all support the campaign with gusto. However, one month later, with takings down alarmingly the three attendants find their jobs on the line, forcing a radical and quite surprising rethink.

Gents is a genuinely life-affirming novel which addresses the serious issues of race, sexuality and tolerance with skill and humour. Originally published in 1997, it deserves to be viewed as a modern classic.

The Electric Church I’ve also mentioned before. It’s had a lot of reviews already - here, here and here . If I’m honest I’m a little apprehensive as I’m not sure the hype can live up to the book. The blurb:

The fastest growing religion is The Electric Church, and their army of Monks and assassins slowly convert the populus. Unknown to them, this is actually a death sentence. When hit man Avery Cates is tapped for “conversion” he must find a way to slip under the Church’s all-encompassing radar.

There are a couple of others The Waking, also mentioned here. I’ve got the sequel to the wonderful Already Dead, No Dominion, which I’m also excited about. There is more but I’ve run out of time with this post.

More soon.

Tags: 7/10, reading lists, shelf copy

Title: Murder Most Fab
Author: Julian Clary
Publisher: Ebury Press
Published: 16 August 2007
Price: £16.99
Review Copy

The first thing you notice about Julian Clary’s debut novel, Murder Most Fab, is the bright pink cover. It lights up shelf. If you want a book to standout then this is the way to go and as its author isn’t known for being subtle it suites him perfectly. The question is how does the cover match the contents of the book?

I have mixed feelings about MMF. It wasn’t what I was expecting. I thought it was going to a light-hearted, joke-ridden-romp through the life of a TV star from rising star to fallen angel. But instead we have an outrageous exploration of fame that sucks the life out of someone who can’t escape his first love and has no way out of the life he lives.

The whole book is Jonny D’s retelling of his rise and fall. His life as a country boy who turns to prostitution in London and then finds fame on children’s TV. This though cannot be done without the help of enough coke to keep his audience high for life, lots of man-on-man sex and a few unfortunate deaths alone the way.

It’s a fun read. The voice of Jonny is enjoyable and easy to get on with. The writing is clean and crisp giving enough information to keep everything moving along, not lingering on the sticky details, with just enough of a flavour so you know what’s going on.

For me it’s let down slightly in some of the stranger plot twists and turns but I’ll forgive that for the emotional journey that Clarey took me on. And I’m always more forgiving of first novels than ones by more seasoned writers. Plotting takes practice.

It’s not going to win any literary prizes but it’s a surprisingly fun way to spend an evening or two. It’s also an interesting commentary from the other side on the realities of celebrity as what you see isn’t really what you get. And if I was Jonny I’d have pushed Catherine off a bridge round about page 181.

As Mr Clary can definately write and has a way with words I have high hopes that he’ll florish even more with his next book.

Tags: 7/10

Title: From A Buick 8
Author: Stephen King
Publisher: New English Library
Published: 2003
Price: 7.99
Shelf Copy

Stephen King has written a lot of books and I’ve only delved shallowly into his deep well. For me the strength of Kings comes from the voice he uses. It has a sense of place and a confidence that makes for a pleasant reading.

This voice is put to good use in From A Buick 8 as various members of Troop D lets a young Ned Wilcox into the family secret about  what the Buick Roadmaster in Shed B could possibly be and like his dead father he has more questions than there are answers.

Several of King’s stories start on a ‘what if …’ and this one is no exception. What if something that looks like a ’54 blue Buick Roadmaster is actually something alien and something to be scared of? King’s starts off with this ‘what if…’ and then explores that idea throughout the novel. The downside of this technique is that there is a fine line between exploration and rambling and King mostly stays on the right side of the line.  

This isn’t the best King I’ve ever read. It’s more subtle than I’d like and more reflective though that is the story from the outset so you have to accept it for what it is.  The horrific moments, such as they are, lack a sense of danger even though you can understand the characters reactions it’s hard to feel them.

Each part of the story snaps into place like a badly formed jigsaw puzzle. Each of the characters is solidly recreated and feels as real as the Buick itself. There is a sense of the extraordinary happening to ordinary people. I’d say if you’re in a reflective mood and thinking about the meaning of life then this is a great read. If you need something with a bit more action you might find it a bit too slow going.

Tags: 7/10, horror, shelf copy