Tuesday 25 December 2012

The Strange Affair of Spring-Heeled Jack

The Strange Affair of Spring-Heeled Jack by Mark Hodder is a great book. Richard Burton (the explorer not the actor) has had his destiny change by a time-traveller who comes to change the actions of one of his ancestors and ends up doing a lot more. This is the first in the series (previously I reviewed the second book http://scott-turner.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/curious-case-of-clockwork-man.html ).Richard Burton the explorer as a Sherlock Holmes-style private detective is an great idea, giving the character a reason to be an action hero. What genre to put this book is curious steam-punk or alternative history (a time-traveller had previously changed history), with well-known scientific heroes revealing a potentially darker alternative side.

Read this book first. It helps with understanding some of the issues in the second book, but also a great read that is hard to put down which is not bad for a 479 page book.

To read other reviews:


Friday 21 December 2012

The Fractal Prince

The Fractal Prince by Hannu Rajaniemi continues on from the earlier book Quantum Thief. Advance technology and post singularity humanity taking on god-like qualities and even people calling them gods and goddesses. War between the 'gods' is a central theme.

This is a good read, and enjoyed it but it is not an easy read the perspectives that the story is written from flips mid chapter and that can take some getting use to it. What exactly the thief Jean le Flambeur actually is, is not entirely clear. The war between the gods element is not some throw back to ancient Greece (though the temples are there) but a war of post-singularity entities.

Both this and Quantum Thief are really good hard sci-fi reads, that also works as a fast paced adventure. I look forward to the next Jean le Flambeur book the character is so good it would be a pity if more didn't follow.

To read other reviews:

Sunday 9 December 2012

Apache Dawn

Apache Dawn by Damien Lewis is concerned with the experience of four British Army Air Corp pilots during their time in Afganistan during 2007.

This a book, written by a skilled journalist, it shows as far a possible  the thoughts an experiences of four pilots in Ugly flight. The respect that the pilots have the ground crew and the importance they play comes out in the book. The Soldiers first philosophy, that the Army Air Corp are first and foremost soldiers is clear in the book. It is very positive book, with little criticism of anything other than Health and Safety officials and possibly public reaction in 2007 to returning soldiers.

The problem for this the book, is  Apache by Ed Macy came out at the same time and that was a more personal account, first account of what is takes to be an Apache pilot.