Bits and Pieces

Posted by Colin Harvey May 3, 2009

Back in November, I posted a blog featuring a number of mini-reviews, on the grounds that I don't have time to review everything.

Well, the backlog's been building up again and with my in-laws visiting, it seems a good time for a quick blog featuring some more bits and pieces of reviews.

Department of Old and Out of Print:

Greybeard by Brian Aldiss meanders through its narrative in as roundabout a fashion as the chapter titles (places along the River Thames) would suggest. The story of mankind reduced to sterility by the side-effects of nuclear testing, its internal chronology is sometimes wonky, it's one of those alternate futures I like to refer to, and its so bleak that it made me almost suicidal at times, yet there's something grandiloquent about Aldiss that makes me recommend it, although it's really one for the completists.

Department of Conflicted Loyalties:

Larian Wills has Evil Reflection out from Swimming Kangaroo Books. It's not as good as 13 Souls which was a storming narrative, but this saga of Sara and her dream lover is short and spare, and well worth a read for those into paranormal romance.

Department of Small Press:

Jupiter, edited by Ian Redmond has reached its 24th issue, no mean feat for an independant press out of the UK. Made up of 56 A5 pages, its focus is on the old-school British SF content rather than the presentation, but with authors from around the world including Gareth D Jones, Gustavo Bondoni and David Conyers it's well worth spending a few pounds on a good old-fashioned, unpretentious SF magazine. Keep the issues coming, Ian Redman.