Losing it[1]

Music: Julian Cope - Trampolene   

Charles Stross is a rapidly rising sf writer who is well worth watching. Iron Sunrise is the follow-up to Singularity Sky[1], which was a lot of fun[2]. If you haven’t read the earlier book, there’s no problem starting here[3].

It’s a multi-viewpoint story, with several threads eventually coming together to a suitably dramatic conclusion. In a future that has been thoroughly scrambled by the actions of an enormously powerful artificial intelligence known as the Eschaton, human societies are scattered through a large volume of space.

Wednesday Shadowmist (well, her real name is Victoria Strowger, but she’s a bit of a Goth type… ) and her family are refugees from the destruction of the New Moscow system, whose sun was destroyed by a forbidden weapon. Before leaving the space station, she found something that will prove to be significant. Significant enough for her parents and brother to be murdered by someone.

Rachel Mansour, the UN agent who featured in Singularity Sky is sent on a mission. When New Moscow was destroyed, the system’s retaliatory weapons were launched towards the presumed attacker. The weapons will destroy all life on the target planet, unless they can be recalled. But someone has been systematically murdering the ambassadors who have the recall codes.

U. Portia Hoechst is an an ambitious and ruthless officer for an expanding faction known as the ReMastered. She reminded me of Servalan in the classic Blakes 7 series, which I suspect may be deliberate.

Everything builds to a climax back at the station that Wednesday started at, overseen by the glow of the Iron Sunrise - the nebula formed from the destruction of New Moscow’s sun. Can the missiles be stopped? Is anyone who they seem to be?

It’s all good stuff - sprinkled with popular culture references, gags and excitement. Stross has done a fine job in developing his characters, and getting inside the heads of them all.

[1]


[2] Hmm, I didn’t get round to reviewing it when I read it last year. I might rectify that at some point.
[3] But you may well want to go back and read it

For some reason or other, this book, the first in a series named A Time Odyssey[1], had been sitting on my pile of things to read for a long time. But a few days ago, I noticed that the second volume[2] in the series is out, which prompted me to pick up Time’s Eye.[3]

The Earth has been fragmented in time. People from different periods in history find themselves cut off from their societies and thrown together. A British garrison on the North West Frontier[4] in the nineteenth century is joined by the crew of a helicopter from 2037, and also encounter a pre-human hominid and her child[5]. Scouting parties find an army not far away, whose soldiers speak ancient Greek, and whose leader is revered as a god-king. Yes, it’s Alexander…

Meanwhile, the crew of a Soyuz capsule that has just left the International Space Station, having made radio contact with the helicopter crew, make a landing in central Asia, where they are captured by Genghis Khan’s Mongol horde.

Both armies and their 21st century additions converge on Babylon, where battle is joined.

Overseeing all of this are unmovable and apparently alien reflective spheres that are soon given the name “Eyes”. As the battle begins, more Eyes gather, suggesting that they are indeed there to observe what the displaced humans will do.

Bisesa Dutt, one of the helicopter crew manages to communicate with the biggest Eye of them all, located in the Temple of Marduk, in Babylon, and finds herself returned to her own time. But she takes with her the knowledge that the world may not have much time left - while there are groups of people from widely scattered periods, there is nobody from later than 2037.

And that’s where the first volume ends. I’ll be reviewing Sunstorm in a month or two, but until then, I’m happy to recommend this. There are some intriguing ideas - even if it is a kind of remix of earlier ideas, such as vastly superior alien wossnames manipulating humanity for unguessable reasons.

There’s also the thought that the fragmenting of time idea was done nearly 40 years ago by Fred Hoyle in October the First is too Late[7], but Clarke and Baxter are doing their own thing with the concept, so I think we can let them off.

[1] A not so subtle indicator that this relates in an oblique fashion to Clarke’s classic 2001: A Space Odyssey and its sequels.
[2]


[3] Note: not “A Time’s Eye”, as Amazon currently show it
[4] Including a young journalist called Rudyard Kipling[6]
[5] A nod in the direction of Moonwatcher in 2001, and at some of Baxter’s solo work…
[6] Q: Do you like Kipling? A: I don’t know, I’ve never kipled
[7] Which I haven’t read in, err, well a lot of years

It’s taken me a while to get round to this one, which was first published about four years ago. But it was inevitable that I would read it sooner or later - there’s something irresistible about a Raymond Chandler style private detective thriller with a very heavy dose of black humour, set in a warped version of 1980s Aberystwyth.

Louie Knight is a traditional down-at-heel private eye of the kind we’ve seen in far too many film noir classics. His town is run by the Druids, who have abandoned the robes in favour of sharp suits, and don’t seem that interested in poetry any more.

Myfanwy Moore, a traditionally no better than she should be nightclub singer asks Louie to investigate the disappearance of her young cousin, Evans the Boot. In the usual way, Louie is reluctant to get involved - Evans was involved with some rather unpleasant people, and Louie would rather not find himself going missing.

This has all the usual ingredients, with some slightly unusual variations. Louie’s confidant is an ice-cream seller[1] rather than the usual barkeeper, but the principle is the same. There’s a convoluted conspiracy, with its roots in a war that most people would rather forget, and Louie reluctantly acquires a sidekick.

It’s not perfect - the big pay-off is the identity of the mysterious Gwenno Guevara, which is ever-so-slightly obvious, but apart from that, this is a lot of fun. Some nice weirdness, gratuitous violence, frame-ups, and much much more.

If you like your fiction with an added dose of silliness[2], you might just enjoy this. Being Welsh isn’t essential, but it probably helps

There are a couple of sequels out, and I’ll be getting hold of them soon - watch out for the reviews!

[1] Aberystwyth is a seaside town, you know
[2] And regular readers will have gathered that I do

Fforde’s previous books[1] featured literary detective Thursday Next, and were set in a world where fiction is altogether real. They’re quite unlike anything else I’ve ever read, and are a lot of fun. But now, Fforde is beginning a new series. And he’s still playing with the borders of reality[2]. What we have here is a police procedural thriller[3] set in a world ever so slightly different from our own.

Detective Inspector Jack Spratt[4] is head of the NCD (Nursery Crimes Division) in Reading. Passed over for promotion, generally sidelined and about to have his division wound up, Jack’s not happy. He’s even less happy that he failed to secure a conviction in the case of the killing of Mr Wolff by the three Pigs.

Detective Sergeant Mary Mary isn’t too happy, either. She’s transferred from Basingstoke, and with an eye on her career, she’d rather be working for the glamorous Detective Chief Inspector Freidland Chymes[5], who’s well up in the Guild of Detectives and who always gets a good write-up in Amazing Crime Stories. But instead, she finds herself assigned to Jack and his small group of misfits.

Then the Big Case comes in, and nothing will ever be the same again[6]. Humpty Dumpty has had a fall, and it’s going to take a more than some King’s horses and men to put him together again. But did he fall, or was he pushed? But Humpty has been depressed lately - could he have killed himself? Or is something more sinister going on?

Why was Humpty buying shares in a footcare company on the verge of collapse? Why does Chymes want to take the case away from Jack? Is any giant (or tall person) safe near Jack? Will Mary fit in with Jack and his staff?

All this, plus a beanstalk and much more.

Madder than Robert Rankin on one of his really good days. Very silly, very funny, and yet still manages to be an involving story with sympathetic characters.

A sequel is promised. I’m looking forward to it already.

[1]






[2] Or something like that, anyway
[3] Sort of
[4] Who doesn’t eat fat, and has an unearned reputation for killing giants
[5] OK, warning time. A lot of Fforde’s humour comes from characters with silly names. Friedland Chymes is one of many. Personally, I like that kind of thing
[6] Fforde is deliberately playing every cliché in the detective story book…

Hmmm, this review is a wee bit late, but here goes….

This is a continuation of the story told in Revelation Space and Redemption Ark, but leads us into some new territory.

As usual, there are several threads, which eventually come together. Refugees from the war with the Inhibitors[1] are looking for a haven. Their leader, Clavain has retreated into himself, leaving their colony to be led by a genetically modified pig named Scorpio.

And on the planet Hela, enormous “cathedrals” travel endlessly around the world, waiting to observe a recurring miracle.

Everything comes together in a suitably dramatic manner, and a decision has to be made that will have far-reaching consequences for humanity.

In typical Reynolds fashion, very few things are as they first seem, and it takes a while before events become clear.

It’s big, it’s bold, it’s Reynolds. If you’ve read his other books, you’ll want to read this one, too.

[1] Ancient machines designed to “inhibit” intelligent life by destroying anyone and anything that develops interstellar travel

Oh good, it’s another Robert Rankin book. Rankin, who I’ve mentioned before is one of a small number of authors whose books I always buy in hardback as soon as they appear. Waiting nearly a year for the paperback is not an option. Just for a change, the latest novel isn’t the sixth in a trilogy, or part of any of his ongoing series. But on the other hand, it does cross reference with events, people and ideas from many of Rankin’s other stories, so it’s not strictly a stand-alone novel.

So, what’s it about then? Ah, well. Asking that about a Rankin novel is missing the point, somehow. I mean, there is a plot, and I could give you a synopsis[1], but that wouldn’t really tell you much. But there again, perhaps I should…

It’s the 1960s[2], and our teenage hero has taken his girlfriend to Brighton with the intention of having what I believe is known as a “dirty weekend”. Unfortunately, this is interrupted when he is thrown into the sea and (so he believes) drowns.

He is pulled from the sea by none other than Hugo Rune, a towering and mysterious presence in many of Rankin’s books. Having lost his memory, Rune gives him the name “Rizla”, which might ring a faint bell with regular Rankin readers. Rune employs Rizla to assist him in a bizarre series of exploits centred around the “Brighton Zodiac”[3]. At stake is the future of the world. Can Rune and Rizla prevent the evil Count Otto Black from gaining control of the Chronovision[4] and becoming World Dictator? Well, yes. Of course they can, but there’s a lot of extreme silliness and fun on the way.

And at the end of the quest, Rizla regains his memory, and we find that he’s a very old friend[5].

Completely nuts, very, very silly, and highly recommended.

Or you could wait for the paperback.

[1] I’ve always wanted to say “synopsis”. I may have to say it again at some point.
[2] Mostly. Many quite outrageous anachronisms and the like are to be found here
[3] You’ll have to read the book to find out about that
[4] Which has also been mentioned in other Rankin books…
[5] To anyone who’s been reading Rankin for a long time, anyway

You’ve seen (and possibly worn) the wristbands, now read the book. It’s short and to the point, explaining the aims of the Make Poverty History movement. It covers the causes of poverty, the action that a lot of people believe must be taken, and suggestions for what people in general can do to help.

It also gives some answers to the questions some people might have. I’m not going into the details here - you’ll find it all in the book, or on the website. Read it, and make up your own minds.

And just to clarify one thing - yes, that is an Amazon affiliate link. If anyone happens to buy the book, I will pass on the small amount of money I’ll get from Amazon to one of the charities involved in the campaign.

Yes, it’s Alastair Reynolds again. But not another big novel this time. Diamond Dogs, Turquoise Days is a much smaller book containing two previously published shorter works set in the same universe as Revelation Space, Chasm City and Redemption Ark.

Diamond Dogs involves a group who explore an alien structure dubbed Blood Spire, which rather in the manner of an adventure game, involves solving mathematical puzzles to open doors. While solving the puzzles would be enough of a problem, Blood Spire punishes failure with extreme force. As the group progresses through the many rooms, the survivors have to modify themselves in order to pass through as each door is slightly smaller than the last. Nasty things happen, deceptions are uncovered, and some changes are more permanent than expected. As Reynolds acknowledges on his website, this was inspired by the Algis Budrys classic Rogue Moon. And a nod to David Bowie for the title, of course.

Turquoise Days, which I’ve read before, possibly in an anthology, but I can’t remember when, gives more insight into the Pattern Jugglers, aquatic aliens mentioned indirectly in the novels. The work of researchers on Turquoise, an isolated water planet, is disrupted by unexpected visitors with a hidden agenda. (There’s a lot of those in Reynolds’ books).

This is Reynolds’ third novel, and is a sequel to Revelation Space. There are also some links to Chasm City - while it’s never explicitly stated, a character known as “H” seems to be none other than Tanner Mirabel from the earlier book.

In this book, more background to the story is revealed. We get to learn a lot more about some of the factions humanity has split into - more about the Conjoiners in particular. The Conjoiners are a group who, with the aid of brain implants are able to share each other’s thoughts.

Thanks to an experimental system called Exordium, the Conjoiners are receiving messages from the future, warning them of the danger that humanity is in. A century before the action of this book, they stopped manufacturing their starship engines because they were drawing the attention of terrible destructive entities that they have come to know as the Wolves. It becomes clear that the Wolves are the same as the Inhibitors - the intelligent machines that have been wiping out starfaring civilisations for millions of years, and which were alerted by the actions of Dan Sylveste in Revelation Space.

As is generally the case with Reynolds’ books, there are several threads which eventually come together. On Resurgam, Ana Khouri is working undercover in the government and keeping in contact with Ilia Volyova, who is the official hate figure of the local regime. Volyova was in effective command of the lighthugger Nostalgia for Infinity, whose arrival at Resurgam in Revelation Space led to Sylveste alerting the Inhibitors. And now the Inhibitors have arrived, and it is clear that they are aiming to destroy all life on Resurgam. Khouri and Volyova devise a plan to evacuate the colony on their ship.

Decades earlier, the Conjoiners decide that something has to be done about the Inhibitor menace. A secret inner faction has built a fleet of ships, intending to flee to a distant part of the galaxy. Nevil Clavain, who originally defected to the Conjoiners four centuries earlier learns of the plan, and defects again. He heads to Chasm City, and then on to Resurgam. Both Clavain and the Conjoiners chasing him are after the same thing - the centuries old “Hell Class” weapons that are on board the Nostalgia for Infinity - stolen centuries earlier by the lighthugger’s crew, and originally made using information from the future.

Clavain and his crew arrive at Resurgam while the evacuation is in progress. And then things get really interesting.

Yes, it’s another long, detailed, complicated and above all fun novel from Alastair Reynolds.

Once I’ve read the rest of the books (reviews soon), I’ll be going through my back issues of Interzone to re-read some of the man’s short stories.

BBC News reports that some people just can’t wait for the new Harry Potter book. Well, I’m rather looking foward to it myself, but I don’t think I’d try to do a dodgy deal with gun wielding book poachers. I’ve got it on order from those Amazon people.