Month: October 2020

Dr. Second

Dr. Second

by Adam Hargreaves (Puffin, 2017)

Hargreaves_Dr Second

Hargreaves’ mash-up of Doctor Who and Mr. Men remains more of a conceptual than an actual triumph, but on this occasion the characterisation—of Jamie, Victoria and the Doctor—is quite good, as are the illustrations and (to an extent) the storyline.

 

 

Psycho-Pass, Season 1

Psycho-Pass, Season 1

(Fuji TV, 2012-2013)

Psycho-Pass 1

Japanese anime that postulates the cyberpunk-esque tracking down and stamping out of latent criminals by state-sanctioned deviants and their police handlers. Dark, stylised, and graphically violent, Psycho-Pass spurns all hint of cutesy to deliver on its premise. A disturbingly plausible near-future dystopia.

 

 

Hexarchate Stories

Hexarchate Stories

by Yoon Ha Lee (Solaris, 2019); audiobook read by Emily Woo Zeller & Brian Nishii (Recorded Books, 2019)

Lee_Hexarchate Stories

A handful of longer pieces showcase the rich SF complexity of Lee’s Hexarchate universe (though even these suggest he should stick to novels). The collection’s remainder is unconscionable filler: random bits of prose—not even especially good prose—masquerading as short stories.

 

 

The Black Archive #38: The Sound of Drums / Last of the Time Lords

The Black Archive #38: The Sound of Drums / Last of the Time Lords

by James Mortimer (Obverse Books, 2019)

Mortimer_Sound Drums_Last Time Lords

Refreshingly, Mortimer doesn’t attempt to relate Series Three’s two-part finale to any particular body of theory, preferring to assess its dark themes as presented within the context of Russell T Davies’ helmsmanship. A short, accessible read, albeit occasionally gawky in its prose.

 

 

TIM: Defender of the Earth

TIM: Defender of the Earth

by Sam Enthoven (Doubleday, 2008)

Enthoven_TIM

This enthusiastically written but not especially accomplished middle-grade novel reads very much as if Enthoven is hoping someone will option the film rights. Remarkably, given the rampaging monsters plot, the most unbelievable character is the 14-year-old protagonist upon whom it all hinges.

 

 

Escape to Witch Mountain

Escape to Witch Mountain

by Alexander Key (Westminister Press, 1968); audiobook read by Marc Thompson (Playaway, 2010)

Key_Escape to Witch Mountain

A straightforward, somewhat odd, ultimately pointless yet still rather engaging middle-grade quest adventure in which two children with supernatural abilities go on the run. In the audiobook Marc Thompson’s character voices sound inexplicably as if they have been inspired by Fraggle Rock.

 

 

Spy vs Spy: Missions of Madness

Spy vs Spy: Missions of Madness

by Antonio Prohías (Watson-Guptill, 2009) [Reprinting “Fourth Mad Declassified Papers on Spy Versus Spy”, 1974]

Prohias_Missions of Madness

The formatting of this Spy vs Spy collection unfortunately does the comic few favours, enlarging each panel but spreading the stories out across many small (125x190mm) pages. Preserving the original layout at an enlarged Franco-Belgian size (210x300mm) would have made more sense.

 

 

Attica

Attica

by Garry Kilworth (ATOM, 2006); audiobook read by Simon Vance (Blackstone, 2013)

Kilworth_Attica

Alice in Wonderland meets Homer’s Odyssey. There’s a dark whimsy in Kilworth’s story of three children journeying through a boundless attic, yet it does not evoke wonder so much as despondency. The characters grow but afford too little payoff at journey’s end.

 

 

Derelict Space Sheep