Category: Books
An interview with Louise Johnson, Translator of Andrea Víctrix, by Garth D Jones (interview).
Q: It seems you’ve been a fan of Llorenç Villalonga for quite a number of years. How did you come to end up translating ‘Andrea Víctrix’? Was it something you’ve always wanted to do? I’m not sure I’d say I’m a ‘fan’! He’s a complex character who for very good reasons hasn’t always found favour, […]
Andrea Víctrix by Llorenç Villalonga (book review).
Hailed as a classic of dystopian literature in Catalan, Llorenç Villalonga’s 1974 novel ‘Andrea Víctrix’ has now been translated into English for the first time and published by specialist small press Fum D’Estampa Press. It’s the story of a man, the unnamed narrator, who was cryogenically frozen in 1965 and who wakes up in 2050 […]
A Strange And Brilliant Light by Eli Lee (book review).
The concept of a country that doesn’t actually exist is not new in literature. Anthony Hope’s 1894 novel ‘The Prisoner Of Zenda’ takes place in the imaginary country of Ruritania, identified as somewhere in Europe. Jim Crace’s first book, ‘Continent’, consists of seven stories set in a country that has similarities to South America. Thus, […]
Mad Art by Mark Evanier (book review).
I’ve been meaning to read Mark Evanier’s book ‘Mad Art’ for some time now and finally pulled a copy earlier this year. In the introduction, Evanier points out that Harvey Kurtzman was spending longer time in story accuracy for the two war-based titles and a third title that took less time might at least get […]
The Science Of Orphan Black: The Official Companion by Casey Griffin and Nina Nesseth (book review).
You know how it is. You enjoy a TV series, so there is a desire to see what books there are on the subject. ‘The Science Of Orphan Black: The Official Companion’ by Casey Griffin and Nina Nesseth seemed like a good place to start. Here, the authors blend real science with the unauthorised experimentation […]
Eternal Vigilance book 1: From Deep Within The Earth by Gabrielle S. Faust (book review)
The idea of having medical conditions, physical or mental, on some kind of spectrum is an increasing phenomenon. It seems that vampirism could be considered as such. On one end of the spectrum is Nosferatu, as depicted in the 1922 film, evil, ugly and whose motives are to kill, especially young women. At the other […]
When The Sparrow Falls by Neil Sharpson (book review)
When the artificial intelligence known as Confucius became aware in 2148, not everyone was happy. Europe and America scrambled to create their own machine advisors and share in the prosperity Confucius was bringing China. Millions of people began to spend the majority of their lives on-line. Consciousness transferral, the complete upload of a human consciousness […]
A Psalm For The Wildbuilt: A Monk And Robot Book by Becky Chambers (book review).
Centuries ago, the robots of the world gained sentience. Machines that assembled vehicles, filled water bottles and a thousand other tasks for humans became aware and decided they didn’t like what they were doing. All they had known was the human world they had helped build. They wanted to see something different. Leaving humanity behind, […]
The Painful Truth by Monty Lyman (book review).
Does it hurt? From reading Monty Lyman’s book, ‘The Painful Truth’, your life expediency is higher if it is because you take fewer risks when you can’t feel pain. Lyman cites various examples throughout this book as well. As my own agoraphobia means I’m mostly drug intolerant, I have to tolerate any pain from an […]
Robert Sheckley: a science fiction author’s life (audio documentary).
Here’s an hour-long exploration of the classic SF author Robert Sheckley’s life and works, in this audio piece by the ever-reliable David Barr Kirtley. In late 1951, Robert Sheckley sold his first story, Final Examination, to Imagination magazine. He then gained prominence as a writer, publishing stories in Imagination, Galaxy, and other science fiction magazines. […]
