Tintin: King Ottokar’s Sceptre
by Hergé (Le Petit Vingtième, 1938-1939); re-drawn in colour (Casterman, 1947); trans. Leslie Lonsdale-Cooper & Michael Turner (Methuen, 1958)
Not as coherent as some of the later Tintin stories, nor as sublimely threaded with humour—though the Thom(p)son twins do offer some light relief from the conspiracy plot and death-defying Boy’s Own antics. Hergé’s attention to artistic detail continues to amaze.
The Empire Strikes Back
dir. Irvin Kershner (1980)
A remarkably satisfying feature, given that it’s mostly set-up for Return of the Jedi. The few thematic developments seem rushed, but the crises are compelling and the action and humour remain on-point. Yoda debuts as one of the all-time great film characters.
The Clock Strikes Twelve
by Patricia Wentworth (J. B. Lippincott, 1944)
audiobook read by Diana Bishop (Isis, 2010)
Wentworth cheats a little by employing an expurgated omniscient narrative to deflect attention. The ever-coughing Miss Silver is like a cuddly Miss Marple, and has the distinction of solving the murder as she goes, rather than keeping mum for a big reveal.
A Monstrous Regiment of Women
by Laurie R. King (St. Martin’s Press, 1995)
audiobook read by Jenny Sterlin (Clipper, 1996)
King presents an earnest and edifying depiction of women’s struggle for recognition, rights and self-governance after the First World War. This backdrop, however, comes rather at the expense of Mary, who exchanges precocious Sherlockian competence for a dubious arc of emotional growth.
Faust Eric
by Terry Pratchett; ill. Josh Kirby (Victor Gollancz, 1990)
audiobook read by Stephen Briggs (Transworld, 2007)
A novella-length Discworld offering that seems to have been written more as a showcase of Josh Kirby’s artwork than as a narrative of any great purpose or coherence. Rincewind is well past his sell-by date. The story comes across as leftover brainstorming.
Star Wars
dir. George Lucas (1977)
Objectively not as good as nostalgia would suggest, but still a trailblazing masterpiece. Star Wars is oddly paced, surprisingly dark, yet also straightforward (a forgotten virtue) and packed with character humour. A dramatic and action-packed audio/visual extravaganza, perfectly cast and eminently quotable.
Bodies from the Library 5
Selected Lost Stories of Mystery and Suspense by Masters of the Golden Age
ed. Tony Medawar (Collins Crime Club, 2019); audiobook read by Philip Bretherton (HarperCollins, 2022)
The written equivalent of a b-sides collection. Anthony Boucher and Julian Symons are worth reading, but mostly the author biographies prove more diverting than the stories. John Bude’s (only ever) novella ‘Murder in Montparnasse’ is a laborious slog through the patently obvious.
The Frighteners
dir. Peter Jackson (1996)
While impossible to pigeonhole (there’s no doubt it left the Universal Pictures marketing team perplexed), The Frighteners remains a creepy, funny, offbeat and overdone treat for those on its wavelength. The effects stand up well without ever constituting the be-all and end-all.
All the Things You Are
by Robert Sheckley, Galaxy (July 1956); UK edition no. 42 (September 1956), 118-128.
A humorous if inconsequential short story from that once-thriving SF subgenre wherein civilised Earth crews in their technologically advanced ships go rocketing about the galaxy, abjectly messing up first contact with more primitive peoples. Funny enough, without rising to any great heights.
Ernie
by Timothy Zahn, Analog (September 1979), 155-166.
A young man from disadvantaged circumstances develops a near-minuscule superheroic talent, but can’t immediately think of any better use for it than to become a boxer. There is, of course, and so he finds the (self)respect he craves. A gentle short story.