Do I need to introduce Neil Gaiman, Rock Star amongst Speculative Fiction writers? Thought so... Anyway, here is Anansi Boys, his follow-on offering to the Hugo-Award-winning novel 'American Gods'. Not exactly a sequel (it could also play beforehand for all we know), but definitely in the same universe, written in a similar style, and with one character (the eponymous Anansi of the title) in common. And a similar topic – it's a tough lot to be the son of a God...
This edition (Hardback 1st) contains the story itself, an interview with Neil, an extra 'out-take' chapter, the original hand-written notebooks, and book-group discussion questions. Basically the film and the extra disc, but all in one neat hardback format ;-P
The book is about Anansi's sons, with 'Fat Charlie' Nancy, an exile American living in London, taking the lead. You see, his father called him Fat Charlie, and what Anansi names keeps that name. He's embarrassing, like any proper parent, only more so... Anyway, Fat Charlie is engaged to Rosie, who's mother cannot stand him. And he doesn't want his father to come to the wedding – he's sure he would embarrass him beyond measure. When Rosie 'convinces' him to invite him nevertheless Charlie discovers that his father has just died (on a Karaoke stage – how embarrassing!).
A few words of praise for Charles Stross' first published novel,Singularity Sky, which left me positively surprised – for a first novel this is highly readable and in parts 'undownputable' (urgh, nu-English), despite some confusing time lines and lazy explanations. A Must Read.
Some history… in the mid-21st Century, in a post-singularity Earth, with humanity tinkering with FTL and time travel, the Eschaton arrived, and 90% of the population vanished. Just like that. And it left a message, in very clear words:
I am the Eschaton. I am not your god. I am descended from you, and I exist in your future. Thou shalt not violate causality within my historic light cone. Or else.
Here's my review of Making Money, the 2nd book in the Moist von Lipwig sequence (and 31st Discworld novel overall) by the inimitable Sir Terry Pratchett. Interesting, captivating, and very funny; if not as strong story-wise as its precursor, Going Postal. Recommended reading, both of them.
Moist von Lipwig (yes, that’s his real name, and no, he didn’t have a word in the selection) is Postmaster General, and the Post office is doing well (see Going Postal for how this came to be). And the thrill has gone: He’d done it. It all worked. It was the Post Office. And it wasn’t fun anymore It’s nothing but meetings, minutes, correspondence, committees, requisition forms, pension arrangements…
The Death of Bunny Munro, by Nick Cave, is a book which I received as a proof copy for review, which saved me buying it (thanks!). Nick Cave, of Bad Seeds (et al) fame, does not need introducing I hope. But, whilst most people have heard (of) his music, significantly fewer know that he also writes fiction. This here is his second book, after And the Ass Saw the Angel, his magnificent first.
It deals, as the title aptly suggests, with the death of Bunny Munro. Bunny (his real name) is a door-to-door salesman ('by appointment only!', he emphasizes) of beauty products, for the wonderfully named 'Eternity Enterprises'. And, when we see him in action, we learn that he has the social engineering that goes with the job as well as the pseudo-scientific sales patter down, er, pat. Bunny is also a sex addict. A compulsive seducer, who can pull most girls/women he's after, but who will harass all of them indiscriminately. But, despite (or because?) of his sexual prowess and success he is, at the end, a rather sad loser.
Now here's an unusual find - an SF book from Sri Lanka, written in English. Not sure about you, but it's a first for me!
Exodus 2300 is a religiously tinged Seeding/Uplifting story by Sri Lankan author Carl Muller. Carl is, apparently, the best-known author in Sri Lanka, and this is his first stab at SF. The book comes with an endorsement from A.C. Clarke; it is unusual, and interesting, but has parts that would have been in dire need of editing and potentially re-writing in my opinion.
It’s the end of the 22nd Century – Earth is slowly recovering from the impact of a star, only 36 million miles away, exploding into a Supernova and subsequently collapsing into a black hole, with our Solar System ‘barely out of reach’ of its gravitational pull. This, it will not surprise you to hear, has caused ‘elemental havoc’ on Earth, ‘like ten thousand nuclear wars’. Er.
The Death of Bunny Munro
