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ReviewsGene of IsisNever Seen by Waking EyesNylon Angel, Code Noir, Crash DeluxeCSFG GastronomiconRiver of GodsPrince of Christler-CokeThe Innocent Mage
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Gene of Isis : Traci Harding
Historical fiction is a genre I must confess a particular fondness for. For example, Mary Renault's retelling of the tales of ancient Hellenes and George McDonald's Flashman! series both provide a wealth of information that is cleverly included in the narrative and is backed up with a wealth of indexing and documentation to show historical authenticity. Such stories put flesh on the bare bones of historical facts, providing the actors and their actions with a structure of their psyche by which we can understand them better, witness their prejudices as well as understand their universal claims. Even historical fiction which includes a dash of the magical and mystical is more than acceptable (as any lover of legend and mythology should rightly state) as this helps elaborate the cognitive structures of the people of the appropriate time. Sad to say, Traci Harding's book provides a bit of paranormal activity, but little of the great qualities of historical fiction. The bibliography is sparse, consisting of a few works that could barely be considered scholarly. The glossary is likewise short in quantity of topics and deals with some difficult subjects in a fleeting manner. The language is often quite anachronistic. There is an enjoyable attempt in the opening pages to replicate some semblance of the writing style of Victorian England, but this is soon lost in the lightweight style of short paragraphs and trivial conversation. There are twenty or so pages relating to the Cathar setting which are enjoyable for similar reason, which then suffers the same fate. What historical references exist are clumsily dropped into the text and their importance mostly discarded. Likewise maladroit are the occassional sexual encounters and romantic threads. Similar criticisms can be made of the narrative. At no stage is the story even remotely captivating, or, for that matter, is there much of a discernable story at all. Events are largely contrived and there is little sense of narrative flow. To describe the treatment of esoteria and religions as "cavalier" would be an understatement. Characterisation likewise is almost non-existent. The personalities of the the three main characters are flat, sharing between them the one point of being women of a moderate degree of independence, and certainly show no development. The main male character, the fey Albray, has the task of protecting his female companions and alternates between being whimpering and slightly aggressive, but that's about the extent of it. Even the three settings, the most interesting and developed components of the novel, are utterly without feeling. There is no sense of the cold of England, the heat and dust of Egypt or the earthy muck of a medieval fort in southern France. Despite all these criticisms it is possible that the book has some worth, and not just as a door-stop. Young adults, who may need a more gentle introduction to the idea that paragraphs can have more three sentences, will find the chatty style to their taste, along with the additional bonus of looking intelligent for having such a large book. Those who are utterly unaware of religious history may find use in the all-too-brief introduction to the Cathar heresy and the scale of the crimes against humanity committed by the Roman Catholic Church against these pacifistic heretics. Some may find the three-story thread useful for their Nephilim roleplaying game.
In the media release for
Gene of Isis
("Genesis", get it?), Traci Harding highlights the fact that she received a "D" in fourth form, when she left school, and that her dyslexia or lack of training in story construction have not held her back in her desire to become a succesful published author. This much is commendable, indeed highly commendable, for the most important ingredients in
having
a good story is to have imagination and dedication. However, to
write
a good story it is requisite to know about such things as plot, characterisation, theme, style and how to develop these. Having imagination and dedication is not enough. It's time to put aside the experiences of the Catholic Ladies College, return to school, do that course and learn how to
write.
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Never Seen by Waking Eyes : Stephen Dedman
It's been a long time between drinks for Stephen Dedman or, closer to the truth for teetotalling Mr Dedman, it's been six years between short story collections. Dedman's previous collection, The Lady of Situations (published by Ticonderoga Publications in 1999) captured a selection of Dedman's work, ranging from more traditional sf to horror and dark fantasy. Never Seen By Waking Eyes concentrates on Dedman's dark fantasy, leaning heavily towards the erotic, and this is the collection's greatest strength and largest weakness. Dedman is the author of 3 novels and over 90 stories in a career spanning more than 20 years. An even two-dozen feature in this new collection, stories first published between 1993 and 2005, with one original for the collection. Since first breaking into print Dedman has been a writer possessing an incredible raw artistic talent: occasionally inconsistent yet when he's running hot there are few who can match him. Never Seen By Waking Eyes reflects this talent, collecting some of Dedman's best and most incisive work. The title story is a corker, a tale of vampires and Lewis Carroll. Dedman doesn't sensationalise Dodgson's inclination to photograph prepubescent girls, instead portrays him in a sympathetic light against a backdrop of evils in the modern world. In "Never Seen By Waking Eyes" Dedman explores where hero worship and skeletons in the closet may lead. The short-short doesn't get much better than "Double Action", a story so believably evil the reader is left wondering if it really is fiction. And it asks the question: how far will corporations go in promoting their products. At just under 1,200 words, "Double Action" is four very disturbing pages. Dedman's interest in mythology and folklore is apparent in the collection. The Celtic ankou spirit makes an appearance in "Watch", a story original to the collection. The opening story, "A Single Shadow", concerns rikombyo, Japanese doppelgangers created by feelings of unrequited love. Both stories manage to involve their mythic elements in a creative way, essential to the story, without inundating the reader with didactic explanations, definitely one of Dedman's strengths. On the more erotic side, "Madly" is an exquisite ghost story: a writer's tale for writers. Dedman builds a web of intense characterisation, unfulfilment and unrequited passion, drawing the reader deeper into the story. A classic Sturgeounesque story of love. "Probable Cause" is a competent enough story, but was for me the weakest in the collection and certainly out of place as the second story of the collection. The story has a clever premise of an alternate history for Ted Bundy, but this gets confused in the telling. The final twist is undermined by the dense style of storytelling. Never Seen By Waking Eyes deserves a companion volume of Dedman's sf stories to give readers a balanced canon. The back cover portrays these stories as "disturbing, erotic, or amusing", presenting only a thematic selection from a prolific writer possessing a great talent for writing in a variety of genres. The collection's only other weakness lies in production. Its matt cover damages easily: indeed, removing the price-tag also removed some of the cover beneath it (though I have been informed that this should be corrected in the next print run). Dedman's second collection contains some of his best work, making landmark, lamentably out-of-print stories available in print for the first time in years. Reprint collections are important for allowing older readers of a writer to fill in the gaps, to obtain stories published in more elusive markets, while giving new readers an opportunity to lay their hands on a whole-lotta-Dedman between two convenient covers.
Never Seen by Waking Eyes
is a bar of rich, dark, bitter chocolate: exquisite in small doses and best savoured in small portions. Buy this block today.
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Nylon Angel, Code Noir, Crash Deluxe : Marianne de Pierres
Parrish Plessis: She's tall and feisty, handy with fists and heels, and she loves slinky clothes. If you like chick-lit in the style of Janet Evanovich or Kirsty Brooks, these books are for you. If you like cyberpunk like Neal Stephenson, these are for you. If you like chick-lit and cyberpunk, you simply must read these books for a good dose of fast-paced fun, thrills and ass-kicking. Parrish Plessis is fantastic. She's dressed to kill (literally, just ask where she keeps her garrotting filaments!) and out to regain her freedom from the downright nasty ganglord Jamon Mondo. Throughout the three novels (and more to come, judging by the cliffhanger ending of Crash Deluxe ) Parrish develops from being slightly more than run-of-the-mill gangster's moll slash bodyguard to become a honed and dangerous warlord with a finger in every pie. Parrish's outfits deserve a review of their own. Her first appearance in Aurealis Award-nominated Nylon Angel includes black nylon and leather, accessorised by poison pins and a g-string that should be renamed a g-wire. The second novel, Code Noir, has less of a focus on fashion. Parrish usually stalks around in combats and t-shirts in Episode 2, but in Crash Deluxe de Pierres moves clothing back into the spotlight when Parrish poses as a high class 'amorato'. She appears in a cheongsam that leaves little to the imagination, as well as see-through tops and the ever-present little leather number. Nice. Like her taste in clothing, Parrish's love life isn't much in the way of ordinary, either. At the beginning of Nylon Angel, Parrish is Doll Feast's lover, while trying to escape the perverted clutches of Jamon Mondo. There's also Teece, the 'nice guy' who just wants what's best for Parrish, and Glorious, who coaches Parrish in the secrets of the Amoratas. Then there's Loyl me Daac, who is basically sex personified. He's also completely off-limits for Parrish, being a bit obsessed with his family… It's not all slinky underwear and sex, no matter what it looks like so far! Parrish is intent on saving The Tert from being wiped out and stopping the Big Nasties in the media. She helps people left, right and centre, without thought for her own survival. She also happens to have a parasite in her body which is slowly taking over. The characterisation in these novels is realistic. Although Parrish is such a tough-guy on the surface, she still thinks like we do (and not just about clothes, either). Loyl's character about-faces confuse her just as much as they do the reader, and we sympathise more with each increasingly intricate situation Parrish gets herself in. The surprising and most involving thing is that she acts and thinks like a normal Aussie chick would, given the same conditions. The setting is post-apocalyptic (my favourite!) with a few tinges of the Mad Max-esque 'Australia gone bad'. Even though the land itself has gone through some pretty nasty experiences, there are still touches of recognisable Australianness, like the giant lizards and snakes on the edge of Dis.
From de Pierres' website it looks like she's taking a break from Parrish for the moment to concentrate on other works. This is annoying, as I don't want to wait for the next instalment! The Parrish Plessis series is fantastic. Buy it, borrow it, steal it; just read it.
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CSFG Gastronomicon Stuart Barrow (ed.)
There is no great pretence at literary aspiration here. The stories are too short for that, and in line with most previous CSFG anthologies, the tone tends toward the light and fluffy. However, the demands of the length (nothing is longer than 1000 words, and some barely crest a page) have meant that the more experienced writers have risen to the top. Certainly, there is little to match Maxine McArthur's "Does The Spearmint Lose Its Flavour On The Bedpost Overnight" (with it's accompanying recipe for bubblegum ice-cream, or Lily Chrywenstrom's "Skeleton Tea". However, there are other delights to be had, if you recognise the book for what it is, a whimsy, and take it on its own merits. The pick of these are Conor Bendle's "Yes, Virginia" and Mik Bennett's "Inquisition". The latter, in particular, made me itchy to see it at a fuller length. Bennett packs a lot into a very brief tale of religious persecution and paranoia, and his theme deserves an extended treatment. It is a surprise, and a pleasant one, that with such a short length to play with, and the awkward directive to base their work around food, only Allan Price's "Killer Pie" disappoints as a humdrum werewolf tale with no fresh take upon the subject. Whilst a number of other stories start with well-worn tropes, they manage to create something fresh. Anyone with a reasonable reading history will find antecedents in Robbie Matthews' "Blobs" or Barbara Robson's "Not Like It Used To Be", but these writers have the skill to twist and turn their plots into something that feels new, and each one delights in their own small way. Likewise, the recipes are a mixed bunch, and each reader will find something to draw upon. Does the world need another recipe for pikelets or fairy bread? Probably not, yet it is a nice twist to the usual short story collection to add them to the tales. The short story scene in Australia is crowded at the moment. Call it value adding if you like, but I'm taken with Barrow's project. Whilst I might not end up making any of the recipes, it's a nice way to tie a collection together. And you never know: between this and my Dr Who Cookbook I could at least put together a meal with some interesting names at least (The Damsels In Distress & Fire Spice Paste would go well with Davros' Ribs of Revenge…)
It is obvious, from this and Barrow's work with the Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine collective, that he enjoys the lighter side of the SF spectrum, and this is an enjoyable way to spend an hour or so on a busy train (yeah, I travel that far to work).
The Gastronomicon
is recommended for those who like a light read with a sense of fun. And I promise, just to give him some rest, not to mention how a cocktails-themed book seems a natural follow-on.
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River of Gods : Ian McDonald
These tensions create a huge political, social and even physical changes within the world, especially India. The India created in the novel is also clearly depicted and believable. It is a curious mixture of old and new, of tradition and science and sex. Artificial intelligence and implants contrast with sacrifices and bodies disposed of in the river Ganges. India is a country reliant on the religious and social structures that have been prevalent for centuries, and also New India, a place where nutes, tivi stars and aeais jostle for prominence. The novel is well named. It contains many gods: the Hindu gods are present, the godlike Third Generation aeais, as well as the human gods who influence all those around them. The narrative itself is a river, each disparate character a mountain spring or tributary moving slowly to take a part in the rapids of the climax of the novel. The rushing rapids of the novel are its strength – the first section is slow to catch, but once the strings of characters twist and interact, the pacing picks up and the book is difficult to put down. The pacing of River of Gods accelerates exponentially, so by the compelling climax the narrative is travelling at a spanking pace. Introducing nine major players in the first part certainly confused this little black duck to begin with, but this was settled after the first section when the characters become more finely drawn and interact with each other. My initial confusion was also alleviated by the thoughtful inclusion of character names appearing in the chapter headings. The characters themselves are realistically constructed, and for the main part, sympathetic. Even though some of the characters act stupidly and maliciously, we are given enough of an insight into their psyches to understand their actions, however little we like them.
River of Gods
is a compelling and fascinating read. It was nominated for the Hugo Awards 2005 and the Arthur C. Clarke Awards 2005. Ian McDonald has written a substantial number of novels and short stories, and has been nominated for the Nebula and World Fantasy Awards. He's also been published in many a
Years Best.
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Prince of Christler-Coke : Neal Barrett, Jnr
In Prince of Christler-Coke Barrett Jr takes us into the far-flung future of American capitalism, where corporations have merged to the point of being vast territorial empires engaged in little short of war with each other. Gone are chief executives, replaced by in-bred royalty so completely removed from reality they can barely feed themselves without the help of "flunks". On the day Asel, Prince of Christler-Coke, marries the Pepsicoma-Dodge Princesss Loreli, the black helicopters of Disney-Dow disrupt the festivities in a hostile takeover. Asel is banished to the National Executive Rehabilitation Facility (NERF) where he soon finds himself forced to dress, cook and open doors himself. Finding this much to his displeasure, Asel soon contrives to escape with Sylvan Lee McCree, former High Earl of Dixie-Datadog, setting up a classic white man and black man road movie, because every road movie has encounters with mechanical bears, robot shoppers, machine-gun toting nuns and the evil Jackie Cee, Lord of Califoggy State. Prince of Christler-Coke is, a fast-paced stylistic romp through a future America. Barrett is a wordsmith of the highest calibre, using a unique voice to tell a remarkable tale of unusual friendships and human desires. Barrett sets up the unlikely pairing of Asel and Sylvan and manages to keep their relationship out of the realm of cliché, through exquisite characterisation and a storyline full of unusual solutions to unusual challenges. While the Nicholas Jainschigg cover may appear dark and drab, don't let this fool you as to the book's contents. Look a little closer at the cover, it is full of intricate detail not apparent at a glance, ideally matched to a novel that defies easy categorisation. Prince of Christler-Coke is a tale of intense colour and form, a speculative extrapolation, an unusual road movie, and a fine read too. Prince of Christler-Coke is no regular, run of the mill story. Then again, little of Barrett's work is. Golden Gryphon have done a remarkable thing in publishing this work, in getting behind original, unconventional material and presenting it in an elegant package.
Barrett, Jr is the author of the great American novel,
The Hereafter Gang, a 20th Century classic without peer. If you're looking for another
Hereafter Gang
in
The Prince of Christler-Coke
you may be disappointed, but you're still in for a fine treat.
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Kingmaker, Kingbreaker: The Innocent Mage : Karen Miller
The Innocent Mage is the first book in a duology by new author Karen Miller. Of her work, Miller writes: “I'm attracted to emotionally lavish stories, with big stakes and big emotions and big consequences.” This influence certainly appears to be true in Miller's break out novel. Miller has written strong characters with strong backgrounds and placed them in strong situations. The principle characters include Asher, who has lost his mother and watched his father slowly weaken. As with most fantasy novels, the hero is mistreated by his own family, in this case his brothers. Asher decides to leave his family home in Restharven Harbour to seek his fortune. We also meet Dathne, who has been thrust into her destiny as Jervale's Heir, a destiny that carries the prophecy of the Innocent Mage. This destiny does not include the weakness of love. Faced with adversity, Dathne learns just how far she will go to protect the prophecy. She is friend to Matt, friendly and reliable to all who need him. Prince Gar, the prince without magic, uses common sense and justice to carry out the tasks given to him in order to cover up his disability. When the Olken man, Timon Spake, is accused of using illegal magic, Asher is forced to face his own opinions by attending the trial and execution of the man he condemned. Prince Gar is forced to mete out justice against the man, a job he finds no pleasure in. It is through their friendships with each other that the characters find the strength and courage needed to embrace magic rather than fear it. This story moves well. It's not too fast to absorb, but certainly fast enough to leave me breathless and wanting more. It leaves questions too. Will the second part of the story teach Dathne that love builds, not weakens? Will Asher's brother, Zeth, get what he deserves? Will Asher embrace his destiny? I can't wait to find out. The Innocent Mage can be purchased from Slowglass Books.
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HarperCollins Voyager, 2005
Prime Books, 2005
Nylon Angel
Code Noir
Crash Deluxe
Canberra Speculative Fiction Guild, 2005
Simon & Schuster, 2004
Golden Gryphon, 2004
Harper Collins, 2005