Warrior’s Return
by Robert Sheckley, Galaxy (November 1955); reprinted Galaxy UK 35 (February 1956), 91-103.
Heavy-handed short story capturing something of the two-faced treatment (admiration or contempt, fickly distinguished) so often dished out to returning soldiers by those who didn’t serve. The speculative element, when at last revealed, makes little to no sense. The ending is shambolic.
The Blandings Collection— P.G. Wodehouse, Volume 2
by P. G. Wodehouse; audiobook read by Stephen Fry (Audible, 2021)
A welcome anthology of audiobook readings by Stephen Fry, but a bizarre selection, comprising three (of eleven) Blandings novels plus seven (of nine) short stories, the editors with bovine stolidity including fourteen non-Blandings tales rather than exercise a modicum of due diligence.
For Love of Amanda
by Timothy Zahn, Analog (October 2002), 62-74.
SF short story. Zahn lays down what seems a standard time travel tale (the constraints of paradox, etc.), but arranges it in such a way as to work in both a romantic refrain and a gentle nod of encouragement to struggling artists.
The Deeds of the Disturber
by Elizabeth Peters (Atheneum Press, 1988)
audiobook read by Barbara Rosenblat (Recorded Books, 1993)
Amelia Peabody remains a feminist force to be reckoned with, albeit her investigative powers are filtered through unreliable self-narrative that both relegates the ostensible mystery and calls into question her aptitude: is it Poirot-like genius or the more bumbling competence of Clouseau?
Impossible Creatures
by Katherine Rundell; audiobook read by Samuel West (Bloomsbury, 2023)
A gently paced MG quest adventure, simple yet lyrical in delivery. Rundell crafts characters (both child and adult, human and fantastical) that are distinctive but also believable. High stakes and aching loss combine to lodge the magic deep in the reader’s heart.
The Yellow Bus
by Loren Long (Roaring Brook Press, 2024)
A tender reflection on life and change and finding joy in the moment. The formula is predictable (so often the case), and the grey/yellow contrast is overtly manipulative, courting the approval of reviewers as much as children. Still, it’s a nice book.
Highlander
dir. Russell Mulcahy (1986)
A decidedly 1980s cult fantasy film with sword-wielding immortals, near-orgastic beheadings, songs by Queen, and a certain, quotable, pop-culture allure. The villain (Clancy Brown) is sufficiently unhinged that Christopher Lambert’s creepy-eyed-stalker-vibe protagonist passes largely without comment. Sean Connery enjoys himself in support.
The Island Bus
by Elisabeth Beresford (Methuen, 1968); ill. Gavin Rowe (Magnet, 1977)
A gentle MG book that makes the most of its remote island setting. Themes of childhood idyll and disappointment, change, and appreciating what’s valuable in life, all emerge naturally, entwined with a notably indifferent/one-sided holiday friendship that develops between the two protagonists.
Doctor Who: Paper Cuts
by Marc Platt (Big Finish, 2009)
The Draconians make a welcome but unsatisfying return. While Platt does attempt to flesh out their society, the characters exhibit the usual species-generic traits/extremes and, in several cases, shift motivations purely to create or overcome plot hurdles. Colin Baker continues to impress.
Blandings Castle and Elsewhere
by P. G. Wodehouse (Herbert Jenkins, 1935)
audiobook read by Stephen Fry (Audible, 2021) [as part of “The Blandings Collection”]
![Book cover: “Blandings Castle and Elsewhere” by P. G. Wodehouse (Herbert Jenkins, 1935); audiobook read by Stephen Fry (Audible, 2021) [as part of “The Blandings Collection”]](https://www.derelictspacesheep.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Wodehouse_Blandings-Castle-and-Elsewhere.jpg)
Six quietly amusing Blandings stories, plus one Blandings-adjacent and five rather more droll ‘elsewhere’—in point of fact, Mulliner—tales, which take absurd, casually excoriative aim at Hollywood’s motion picture industry (‘The Castaways’ a standout). Stephen Fry’s narration adds to the charm.