Relative Dementias by Mark Michalowski

Relative Dementias
Mark Michalowski
2002, BBC Worldwide Ltd, London
0563538449
277p.

This is a Doctor Who novel featuring the Seventh Doctor and Ace. They receive a distress call in the shape of a postcard from an old UNIT member whose mother is receiving treatment for Alzheimer's in a mysterious clinic. Their investigation gets them into a spot of mischief, as per normal.

Haven't been reading a lot lately, but I've been able to read this at quite a steady pace. It was an interesting storyline, and shows a bit of the dark side of the Seventh Doctor. The time travel confusion was particularly interesting.

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1Q84 by Haruki Murakami

1Q84
Haruki Murakami
2011, Vintage, New York
9780307476463
1157p.

My review of this book is as follows: Haruki Murakami. That is all.

Deadpool, Vol 1: Secret Invasion by Daniel Way and Paco Medina

Deadpool, Vol. 1: Secret Invasion

Daniel Way and Paco Medina

2009, Marvel

0785132732

136p.

Marvel superhero Deadpool battles an invading army of aliens and goes on a mercenary mission to a zombie infested castle in this collection of five stories.

This was my first introduction to Deadpool and I really like him.  He's a bit of a crazy asshole, but he sure gets the job done!  This is a good first read as there's a lot of backstory contained within.  

PartnerShip by Anne McCaffrey and Margaret Ball

PartnerShip
Anne McCaffrey and Margaret Ball
1992, Baen Publishing, Riverdale
0671721097
323p.

Sequel to The Ship Who Sang, this is set in the same universe but with different characters.  Nancia is a Brainship - human-brain controlled spaceship (those humans who would not have survived much beyond birth)  - on her first mission out of Laboratory School.  She is to transport high-family young people to their first assignments and overhears some of their horrifying plans.

I really like this universe - imagine being a space ship!  The characters are really three-dimensional and I enjoyed the exploration of their motivations.  There could have been a little more science for my taste, but it was a good entry in the soft science fiction genre.

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Things You Get For Free by Michael McGirr

Things You Get For Free
Michael McGirr
2000, 2001, Picador, Sydney
0330362275
296p.

Part biography, part travel, part history, Things You Get for Free tells the story of a Jesuit priest and his European holiday with his mother.

I enjoyed this book - McGirr manages to be cynical without being snarky or sarcastic. Reading it was like being told a story while cuddled up in a doona in front of an open fire.

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The Next Queen of Heaven by Gregory Maguire

The Next Queen of Heaven
Gregory Maguire
2009, Concord Free Press, Concord
9780981782423
296p.

This is a novel published by Concord Free Press who publish books for free consumption on the proviso that the reader makes a donation to a charity of their choice.

Set in Thebes, New York, The Next Queen of Heaven tells the story of a family of misfits, a group of retired nuns and a gay singing group. Their lives entwine in small town life.

This book made me laugh out loud on a number of occasions. Maguire has a way with words. And I enjoyed the story too - it wasn't the tightest telling, but the loose narrative style suited the story.

Gasping for Airtime: Two Years in the Trenches of Saturday Night Live by Jay Mohr

Gasping for Airtime: Two Years in the Trenches of Saturday Night Live
Jay Mohr
2004, Hyperion, New York
1401308015
293p.

Jay Mohr is a comedian who wrote and performed for Saturday Night Live for two years in the 1990s. This is the story of his time at the show.

This was a very easy book to read, the writing just flowed and shone with honesty. It was fascinating to read about how dysfunctional that work environment is and how Jay coped despite it all. I have never seen Saturday Night Live of course, but I enjoyed the read very much - it made me laugh out loud.

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The Humans of Ziax II/The Drought on Ziax II by John Morressy

The Humans of Ziax II/The Drought on Ziax II
John Morressy
1974, 1978, Scholastic, New York
0590303821
49p. + 55p.

A volume of two children's science fiction stories from the seventies. Toren is a boy who was born in space after his parents left Earth following an unnamed disaster (possibly over-pollution). The humans resettle on a planet they call Ziax II which is inhabited by peaceful golden-furred aliens, and not so peaceful giant cockroach monsters and killer grass.

These stories have a simple message which is very relevant today. Quit messing with the eco-system and killing is not the solution to fear. The messages are not hidden in the subtext either. The stories themselves are exciting, if a bit short (entire sequences are left out and explained after the fact).

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The Distant Echo by Val McDermid

The Distant Echo
Val McDermid
2003, HarperCollinsPublishers, London
0007142846
561p.

A group of four university students coming home drunk from a party stumble across a dying girl lying in the snow. They become suspects in her rape and murder and live with the shadow of suspicion for the next twenty-five years. When the case is reopened due to new forensic testing techniques, two of them are murdered in separate incidents. The remaining two fear that someone has decided to take justice into their own hands.


This is a bit of a slow burn thriller and written really well. Sometimes it didn't come across as completely convincing which was a bit of a disappointment. But I liked how we became a part of the characters lives and the sting in the tail is rather cool.

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Stiff by Shane Maloney

Stiff
Shane Maloney
1994, 2004, Griffin Press, Melbourne
1920885188
276p.

Murray Whelan is a political fixer working for the Minister of Industry when an accident at a meat-packing plant threatens to put a spanner in the works of an Industrial Relations Bill. Investigating the incident, Whelan finds himself in the middle of something far more sinister.

This book is very Victorian. I'm not sure how accurate it is, as I wasn't in Melbourne in the early 1980s, but the reader certainly gets a feel for the culture. Whelan is a great character, he's just trying to do a good job, to stay on top of everything, yet gets himself in deeper and deeper.

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Star Trek: The Next Generation: Imbalance by VE Mitchell

Star Trek: The Next Generation: Imbalance
VE Mitchell
1992, Pocket Books, New York
0671775715
280p.

The Enterprise is sent on a diplomatic mission to review the possible entry of the Jarada people into the Federation of Planets. While on an away mission, Riker, Crusher, Worf and Keiko become separated and trapped without contact with the ship.

This was a solid little entry into the Star Trek universe. It followed all the conventions and introduced some interesting xenobiology concepts. I really liked the way the author gave each of the aliens an individual personality, which a lot of Trek fiction fails to do even remotely.

Covet by Tara Moss

Covet
Tara Moss
2004, 2005, HarperCollins, Sydney
073227673X
434p.

Makedde is a Canadian model whose best friend was murdered in Australia by the notorious Stiletto Killer. When she comes to testify at the trial, the killer escapes from custody and comes after her.

This was a bit of a pedestrian thriller, but quick to read. The characters and their motivations were unbelievable at the start, however, as the story continued, they became more real. I'm not sure if that's because they were more fully fleshed out, or because I was just getting used to them.

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The Truth About Past Life Regression by Florence Wagner McClain

The Truth about Past Life Regression
Florence Wagner McClain
1989, 1994, Llewellyn, St. Paul
0875423590
50p.

A very short overview of past life regression - theories concerning the phenomenon and its implications.

I guess this was a good little guide - but way too short! I wanted more information - more practical things to do, and more exploration into the phenomenon. I suppose this book is just to whet your appetite, but I think it would be more successful if they put more in this volume instead of assuming you'll go out and pick up another.

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Abduction by John E. Mack

Abduction: Human encounters with aliens
John E. Mack
1994, Macmillan, New York
0684195399
422p.

John Mack is a psychologist who has been investigating the alien abduction phenomenon. In this book, he interviews 13 people under hypnosis about their experiences of abduction.

I like how the people Mack chose for this book are from diverse backgrounds and have diverse encounters with aliens. It is interesting to read each person's reaction to and interpretation of events. As the author is a psychologist, the book did get a little dry at time. But overall, it has given me some new perspectives on the issue to ponder over.

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Blood Heat by Jim Mortimore

Blood Heat
Jim Mortimore
1993, Doctor Who Books, London
0426203992
307p.

The TARDIS goes haywire, taking The Doctor, Ace and Bernice to what appears to be pre-historic Earth. But it turns out to be modern-day Earth, and the Silurians are ruling.

This was an action-packed story, and I enjoyed the premise of alternate timelines. The Silurians are great characters, it was interesting to see what a different outcome for them would look like.

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The Way to Dusty Death by Alistair Maclean

The Way to Dusty Death
Alistair Maclean
1973, 1975, Fontana, London
0006138357
190p.

Grand Prix champion Johnny Marlow is involved in an accident in which another driver is killed. The world blames Marlow for the death, but he knows it was not his fault and goes after those who are truly responsible.

My first foray into Alistair Maclean and I rather enjoyed it. It reads like a James Bond novel, car chases and everything. However, the book is a little dated in both attitude and writing style. Maclean uses a large vocabulary and sure does have an interesting way with words.

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Verdigris by Paul Magrs

Verdigris
Paul Magrs
2000, BBC, London
0563555920
244p.

The third Doctor and Jo Grant are visited by another (maybe)Time Lord, Iris Wildthyme and her assistant Tom in their red double-decker bus TARDIS. They have an adventure involving trains full of literary characters, evil sheep and a strange creature named Verdigris.

The writing style of this book suits the weirdness of Doctor Who, without being too weird as to impede reading. I loved all the self-referring references! Iris Wildthyme is an interesting character, she seems to be a reverso-Doctor.

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Star Struck by Val McDermid

Star Struck
Val McDermid
1998, 1999, HarperCollins, London
0006498329
240p.

Kate Brannigan is a Manchester-based PI who takes on a body guarding job for one of the country's most popular soap stars. However, when a clairvoyant is murdered just after seeing her client, Kate is drawn into the investigation.

When I started this, I didn't realise it was a 'cozy', but I enjoyed it nevertheless. It's a solid mystery story with plenty of interesting characters, and enough depth to keep you guessing.

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The Ship Who Searched by Anne McCaffrey and Mercedes Lackey

The Ship Who Searched
Anne McCaffrey and Mercedes Lackey
1992, Baen Books, New York
0671721291
312p.

Tia, a child of exo-archaeologists is struck down by a mysterious ailment which leaves her paralysed. She chooses to become a 'shellperson', one of a group of humans without functioning bodies who put their minds into spaceships with full sensory input and output.

I enjoyed this read. I really like the premise of the shellpersons Universe, and the brain-and-brawn ships. The characterisations are all done really well, without going too much into sop territory. Perhaps a little episodic at times, but there was plenty of action and enough interesting science to keep it moving.

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