Jan Lars Jensen is a Canadian writer, Shiva 3000 was his first published novel - a very promising debut, too. Since its publication in 2000 he has not published any further works of fiction (although one website mentions that he has apparently written another novel), but has instead released a book charting his experiences/battle with mental illness (Nervous System: or, Losing My Mind In Literature), which might well explain the lack off follow-up. And I hope that this situation will change in the years to come, as I'd love to hear more from this writer!
Shiva 3000 is playing in a future world (it never specifies exactly when, but the 3000 in the title provides a strong hint) and in a regressed, post-high civilization India, a lot of which we recognize, frequently in slightly warped form. After an introduction which tells the story of a group of Buddhist visitors (missionaries?) to India, and the first appearance of the Baboon Warrior (a national hero with the head of a Baboon) we meet Rakesh, our main protagonist. We find him in the town of Sholapur, which is just about to be destroyed by the Jagannath, a huge, war-machine like (mechanical) god mounted on a giant chariot, which was called in by Brahmins to restore moral order. There he meets Vasant, the former (?) Royal Chief Engineer, who has betrayed his Sovereign by sleeping with the First Wife (it's all a Kamasutran plot, he insists). Together, unwillingly (at least on the part of Vasant) they travel this India, guided by Rakesh's dharma (he believes that it's his holy duty to kill the Baboon Warrior) and Vasant's urge for revenge.
Lauren Beukes has a new 'short' story (it's not all that short) - Unathi Battles The Black Hairballs - out on SFX.
The story is a firework of ideas and concepts and cultural cross-linkages and styles (the approach is reminiscent of Tom Holt, but much more modern, and much more fun to read) - even the opening sequence starts as it means to go on, ie cross-cultural and full of allusions :
Unathi was singing karaoke when the creature attacked Tokyo. Or rather, she was about to sing karaoke. Was, in fact, about to be the very first person in Shibuya’s Big Echo to break in the newly uploaded Britney come-back hip-hop remix of the Spice Girls’ classic ‘Tell Me What You Want (What You Really Really Want)’.
So - very much recommended! The full story can be found here.
And I want more stories about Flight Sergeant Unathi Mathabane, her mecha, and her whale penis leather boots. Please?
Selling Out is the 2nd book inJustina Robson's Quantum Gravity series (running to a – final? - 5 books), and is a good step forwards, even if the near-future-scientific-explanation-for-magic stick still doesn't really gel (or fully satisfy) for me. Nevertheless, in terms of storytelling and characterization this is much better than its predecessor, Keeping It Real.
A word of warning – this is the 2nd book in a series, and depends on the first book. From here onwards there will be spoilers which might affects your enjoyment of earlier books in the series. You were warned...
The book kicks off where Keeping It Real left off, with the exception that we don't get the description of what Lila (part human, part machine, dead Elf in her chest) and Zal (Half Elf, half Demon, Rockstar on Earth aka Otopia) got up to for 3 days after her return. For which we are thankful.
Anyway, Lila does a minimum-time debriefing, re-plenishes drugs, weapons, and ammunition for her cyborg parts, and is off again, to Demonia this time; attached to Sorcha, Zal's Demon 'sister'. Her task, at least as far as she's told (hey, she works for Incom, the human secret service messing about with the new parallel universes) is to figure out how Zal could become half-Demon, given that Elf and Demons are considered rather incompatible on any level.
A few (old) words on Eye of the Labyrinth, the 2nd book in the Second Sons Trilogy by Jennifer Fallon; a series I had a rather ambivalent relationship with at the time of review. This was a free review copy from the publisher... I don't think I'd have picked up the book/series otherwise.
Ok, let’s get the important part out of the way from the beginning. If you’ve read the first book, or my review thereof then be advised that this book is infinitely better than the first instalment, so much better that it’s nearly readable and enjoyable. Yes, that's faint praise. Jennifer Fallon still uses co-incidence as the main plot driver, and the ‘bad soap opera feeling’ of the first book is still here, but in contrast to ‘The Lion of Senet’ we’re getting a developing story, with the elements that made the first book nearly unbearable to read toned down a lot.
The book picks up with Morna Provin, Dirk’s (the main protagonist of the series) Mother, being arrested at the funeral of her former husband who protected her from the Lion of Senet. Now she is to have her sentence for treason (death, in case you were wondering) - which was put on hold per Wallin Provin’s request - fulfilled, and be burnt alive at the next Landfall festival. Dirk, meanwhile, is still in Mil with the Pirates who hide the fugitives from the Senetian rule, trying to learn the secret of the next ‘Age of Shadows’ from Neris Veran, who figured it out in the first place, and went mad over it (and the drugs he used to drive himself on). Finally, after some more of the usual incredible co-incidences that seem to happen all the time in this world, he decides to go to Omaxin and learn the secret that gives ultimate power on this world for himself, only accompanied by Tia Veran, Neris’ daughter, who doesn’t trust him one iota…