The Quatermass Book-Reading Marathon Blog: Going Fourth

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And now, as my motivation is getting back to normal, it's that time again. The Quatermass book-reading blog is starting again soon.

Regulars to this part of the forum may remember my previous book-reading marathons. This has been around since 2009, with my first such review blog (link here) clocking up 22 books over 46 days. My second (here's a link) clocked up 76 books in 179 days, and my third and most recent one (a link here for the connosieur) clocked up 100 books in 177 days.

The rules are self-imposed, and are as follows:

*The books can be fiction, non-fiction, or graphic novels. However, some non-fiction categories must be excluded, such as games guides and screenplays, unless the latter is within a book that also has other subject material (ie, a 'making of' book). Novelisations and other adaptations are allowed, regardless of whether I have watched the original program. In all cases, I must not have read it all the way through prior to this.

*In the case of graphic novels, it has to be a volume I haven't read in a series, or else a stand-alone graphic novel.

*In all cases, a book that I have started previous to this blog, if I finish it (for the first time) during this, will count. Also, just skimming a book and reading pages randomly doesn't count, actually reading it, even if speed-reading it, does.

*I must write a quick review.

*I must finish at least one book per week. It doesn't matter if I started it more than a week ago, as long as I finish it within a week of the last one finished.

*The blog and time limit will start when I finish my first book.

Keep in mind that this blog is self-imposed to help me expand my reading horizons. I choose the reading material, and I rarely, if at all, take suggestions.

So, what have we got lined up this time?

Well, books in my collection that I hope to read, besides a crapload of Doctor Who novels this time around, include a large number of well-known books. These include Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens, Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, Artemis Fowl and the Lost Colony by Eoin Colfer, It by Stephen King, Redemption Ark by Alastair Reynolds, Hal Spacejock by Simon Haynes, and Claudius the God by Rupert Graves.

Notable Doctor Who stories that I wish to read include Legacy by Gary Russell, Bad Therapy by Matthew Jones, and The Coming of the Terraphiles by acclaimed author Michael Moorcock.

So, who knows how this will turn out?

Anyway, the first book review won't be out for a while. I intend to read and finish either Little Dorrit or It, the two biggest books on the above list, first. But watch this space...

Okay, so my hopes of finishing either Little Dorrit or It first were a little optimistic. I'm about an eighth through Little Dorrit and a fifth through It, but I have other shorter books being read, including The Andromeda Breakthrough and Doctor Who: Legacy.

I was kinda hoping to start this blog off with Stephen King's It, to have a little symmetry with the last book of the last book-reading blog, but that kinda got it in the shorts. Instead, we get an author that I have decided to try, British science fiction author John Wyndham. And the first book I have decided on? Well, both it and The Stand are apocalyptic novels, so I guess there's some symmetry there, but instead of a plague, there's fury from the deep...

Book 1...

REVIEW: The Kraken Wakes by John Wyndham


1953 was a seminal year for British science fiction. On the television, ambitious writer Nigel Kneale wrote a six-part science fiction thriller, The Quatermass Experiment, with Rudolph Cartier directing. Later, they would consider adapting a novel that had come out the very year they brought a new meaning to British science fiction television. This was John Wyndham's The Kraken Wakes.

Mysterious meteor falls herald the beginning of a strange new reign of terror. Mike and Phyllis Watson, working for a radio broadcaster, are on the frontlines as new and terrifying developments begin to take hold. For the meteors were truly spaceships, containing an unknown lifeform that has colonised the bottom of the ocean, and after disastrous attempts to contact or investigate the strange lifeforms, the beginning of a deadly war between humanity and an unknown underwater menace begins...

I have to admit that I have no prior knowledge of Wyndham, or at least reading his books. I have heard of his works before, ranging from his most famous work, The Day of the Triffids, to the strange Chocky. So coming to him was a fresh experience. This man has contributed as much, if not more, to British science fiction as HG Wells or Nigel Kneale. But how does The Kraken Wakes stand up to modern scrutiny?

The plot itself is a good one, with a lot about the aliens, later dubbed 'xenobaths', remaining ambiguous and unexplained. Many of the xenobath's attacks and strategies are disturbing and horrific, especially with the sea-tanks, and the final stage of their attacks will be especially disturbing to modern audiences given warnings about climate change.

There is a certain satirical edge to the novel as well, a sardonic look at the bickering or politicians and the Cold War belligerence. There are elements of dark, cynical humour that progresses throughout. One is also reminded of various other science fiction stories that involve the 'man on the street' mistakenly attributing the alien attacks to other sources, like the Russians.

However, there are a few major faults to The Kraken Wakes. The language doesn't spring easily off the page, being a little too dry, especially as it is supposed to be written in the first person. And the characters themselves seem rather too caricature-like. Not truly caricature-like, but they always seem to be in the right (or wrong) place at the appropriate time, at times stretching credulity. And there seems to be a datedness to the whole thing that unfortunately brings this fine novel down too much.

Still, I could have chosen worse books to start this book-reading blog with than The Kraken Wakes. And hopefully, some of the other Wyndham books to come will be rather more encouraging.



8/10

First words: The nearest iceberg looked firmly grounded.

Last words: 'And we got through last time...'

And now, let the marathon begin...

And hot on the heels of that is book 2...

REVIEW: The Andromeda Breakthrough by Fred Hoyle and John Elliot


Last book-reading blog, I read and reviewed A for Andromeda, a novelisation of the BBC serial created by Fred Hoyle and John Elliot (see the review on this page). Recently, I managed to find a copy of the sequel's novelisation, The Andromeda Breakthrough. A fitting choice, then, to follow on from The Kraken Wakes...

The computer at Thorness has been destroyed, and its artificial female servant, Andromeda, apparently drowned. But as Dr Fleming discovers, nothing is as it seems. Andromeda is still alive, and Fleming's attempt to flee with her ends up with both of them, along with biologist Madeline Dawnay, being abducted by agents working for the corporation group Intel, and its allies in the fledgling Middle East state of Azaran. In Azaran, Intel have rebuilt the computer, and intend to use it as a means to bring Azaran, and Intel, to world dominance. But the computer has other plans. While a coup d'etat is staged by Intel's allies in Azaran's military, weather around the world goes haywire, and Andromeda lays dying. Will Intel succeed in taking over Azaran, and the world? Can Dr Fleming, Andromeda, and Dawnay stop them? And is the wild weather really Dr Fleming's fault, as Andromeda claims? One thing's for sure, the world will be changed forever, one way or another...

While the original was a more slow-building sort of story, this sequel is far more fast-paced. While this dictates a certain sacrifice in character development, this is more than made up for in both excitement and plot development. That being said, we get some insight into the backgrounds of some characters, including the enigmatic Kaufman, who returns from the original story. And we have an interesting twist, that Dr Fleming's attacks on the machine in A for Andromeda have far-reaching consequences later.

While the sinister corporate entities and Middle Eastern coup d'etats that form part of the story were probably fresh then, they still form an uncomfortable echo when one considers the current power of corporations and the various conflicts in the Middle East. However, there are a number of sympathetic Muslim characters that prevent Azaran from being a complete stereotype. The subplot about extreme weather, again a novelty for the 1960s, heralds an uncomfortable but currently hard-hitting comparison to today's debates on climate change and its effects.

The plot, while good, does come across as a little thin on the ground, and perhaps the original television serial, being as it is at six 45 minute episodes, is more substantial. There isn't as much character development as in the original novel either, though Andromeda and Fleming both go through some of this. Certainly, there is some interesting challenging of Fleming's (and the reader's) assumptions about the original computer's intentions, some of which turn out to be incorrect, and others dead on. The writing style, while easy, does still have that dryness typical of this transition period of the 50s and 60s.

The Andromeda Breakthough, thus, is a pretty good thriller that is a worthy successor to the great A for Andromeda. With interesting twists and turns that will make you reconsider what you learnt in A for Andromeda, The Andromeda Breakthrough wraps up the story fairly neatly and tidily.



8.5/10

First words: The alarm signal buzzed quietly but insistently above Captain Pennington's head, a discreet echo of the bell jangling outside the guard room across the parade ground of the headquarters unit No. 173 Marine Commandos.

Last words: (Not recorded due to spoilers)

So, what next? I dunno.

Okay, so the next book may very well be On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers (the book that the recent Pirates of the Caribbean film took inspiration from), followed by, tentatively, Chocky by John Wyndham, and Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card.

Book 3...

REVIEW: On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers


Not long ago, I watched the fourth Pirates of the Caribbean film, On Stranger Tides. While entertaining enough, I felt it had not reached the high standards established by previous films in the franchise. Having heard that this film had elements taken from a book of the same name, I decided to give On Stranger Tides a go, and see if it would be more entertaining than the film.

John Chandagnac, a young puppeteer, is forced to join a group of pirates when they attack the ship he was travelling on to Jamaica. Said pirates are allies of the infamous Blackbeard, who, along with Benjamin Hurwood, are searching for the Fountain of Youth somewhere in Florida. However, John, now given the pirate name of Jack Shandy, has fallen for Hurwood's daughter, the frail Elizabeth, and is determined to fight to save her from the horrible fate her own father, and her father's associate, Leo Friend, have in store for her. Piracy and voodoo magic mix in an adventure on stranger tides that will test Shandy to the limits, but can he stop Hurwood, and save Elizabeth from a fate much worse than death?

There are surprisingly few things the book On Stranger Tides has in common with the Pirates of the Caribbean film. The Fountain of Youth, the exploitation of a young woman to use it, and Blackbeard using voodoo is about all that goes through. This, however, is by no means a bad thing, as the book On Stranger Tides thus needs to stand or fall on its own merits. But does it have any?

I have read quite a few things about pirates, and while I am not quite certain about the correct timing of a few of the real life events involved, it is interesting to see them happening on the page. The pirates, real and fictional, are colourful and rich in personality, and all the characters are interesting enough that any flaws in their character construction are easily overlooked. Jack Shandy himself undergoes an interesting transition from puppeteer seeking revenge on his uncle for stealing his inheritance, but otherwise relatively naive, to a seasoned pirate. The villains are mostly good, though events around Shandy's uncle are a bit too coincidental, and Leo Friend seems more repulsive to be true, even if his intentions are perhaps as bad as Benjamin Hurwood's.

The plot is interesting and woven well, with foreshadowing of various elements put in, even if some of those elements take a bit of scrutiny to put together. This is a book that favours multiple reads to understand. However, the plot seems to be remarkably singular, and some elements are a little obscure.

Still, On Stranger Tides is a damned fine read, even if it might take a while to put things together. Historical fantasy isn't usually my thing, but believe me, it's better than the movie.



9/10

First words: Though the evening breeze had chilled his back on the way across, it hadn't yet begun its nightly job of sweeping out from among the island's clustered vines and palm boles the humid air that the day left behind, and Benjamin Hurwood's face was gleaming with sweat before the black man had led him even a dozen yards into the jungle.

Last words: (Not recorded due to spoilers)

For anyone still interested, the next book is looking to be Doctor Who: Human Nature, by Paul Cornell, the novel that the TV episodes were based on...

Book 4...

REVIEW: Chocky by John Wyndham


With The Kraken Wakes, I began my first step into the novels of John Wyndham. But it left me feeling a little dissatisfied. Good story, but the character wasn't quite there. I wondered if my next foray into Wyndham, Chocky, would fare any better. Well, the verdict is in...

When the 12 year-old son of David and Mary Gore starts talking to an apparently invisible being called Chocky, they assume Matthew has an imaginary friend, much like their daughter used to. But things start to become stranger and stranger, when Matthew starts displaying new abilities that he hasn't before, including enhanced physical abilities and intelligence, they begin to wonder if there isn't something more...

Chocky is a surprisingly inventive story, even by today's standards, despite being over four decades old. The concept of an imaginary friend becoming far more real than one would like is a fresh one even today, and while hints are dropped throughout the book as to Chocky's real nature, the ending is interesting and surprising enough, albeit in a subdued kind of way. The parents' concerns and fears about their son and Chocky are very real indeed, and there is a chilling sequence at the end that would be every parent's nightmare.

While the story concept itself is interesting, and the storyline engages the interest, on closer inspection, it begins to fall apart. The characters are, if anything, less well drawn out than those in The Kraken Wakes, and the plot, while engaging, is rather singular and thin. It could have been far more complex and engaging, and Chocky has a half-done feel to it. The only reason why this is rated as highly as The Kraken Wakes is that the story concept, by comparison to The Kraken Wakes, is a more original one.

In the end, Chocky is entertaining and relatively original, but not substantial enough science fiction. It passes the test, but it's not quite what I was hoping, and I feel that there is more to tell from this story than was done in the end.


8/10

First words: It was in the spring of the year that Matthew reached twelve that I first became aware of Chocky.

Last words: (Not recorded due to spoilers)

Book 5...

REVIEW: Doctor Who: Human Nature by Paul Cornell


Some time ago, the BBC released on its website a number of Doctor Who novels as ebooks. However, recently, they took those offline. I have decided to try and track these books down via book exchanges and the Lifeline Bookfest, and at my most recent Bookfest, I hit paydirt. Finally, I got what is considered to be one of the best Doctor Who novels of all time...

Bernice Summerfield is suffering from the loss of a man she fell in love with, and the Doctor is struggling to comprehend her very human grief. He thus sets a course to the market planet Crex, and after purchasing something there, heads to Earth, 1914, where the Doctor is changed into human Dr John Smith, a teacher at a local school cum military officer academy, while Bernice enjoys a well-earned rest from time travel. But the means the Doctor used to change from a Time Lord to a human was a trap by the shapeshifting Aubertides, who wish to capture the essence of a Time Lord in order to conquer Gallifrey, and thus, the universe. With the Pod containing the Time Lord essence in the possession of a schoolboy, John Smith falling in love, and the Aubertides bringing the First World War to the town early, is there any way for the day to be saved?

If the title didn't give it away, then fans of the TV show would recognise elements of the plot as being that of Human Nature/The Family of Blood, a story in the third season of the Doctor Who revival. Indeed, Paul Cornell adapted the novel, written in 1995 as part of the New Adventures series of original books, to the TV show. Comparisons, while inevitable, will be kept to a minimum.

While the TV show had an interesting premise, the original novel has a much better reason for the Doctor wanting to become human, and the Aubertides, who have a lot more personality and complexity than the Family of Blood, have to be given kudos for laying a trap for a Time Lord like the Doctor. The other characters are, for the most part, interesting, if at times a little flat. Tim Dean is perhaps the most interesting of the schoolboys, considering that he ends up absorbing more than a little of the Doctor's essences.

At the heart of this story, however, is the charming relationship between the Doctor and Joan Redfern, which has an interesting and ultimately satisfying conclusion. And the Doctor, even as a human, manages to retain elements of his Doctor-nature, even though John Smith is often a different entity from the Doctor. Bernice Summerfield's decisions through this story also drive it forward, as she struggles to get John Smith to become the Doctor again.

There are two main faults to this otherwise excellent story. Many of the human supporting characters are a little flat. And the story, at times, lacks energy when it comes to the human drama, which is a real pity, as the human drama is where Human Nature really should be at its strongest.

Still, while far from perfect, Human Nature is an excellent example of a Doctor Who novel, and perhaps the only Doctor Who novel to ever be turned into a TV show, and not the other way around. If you can get a hold of it, regardless of whether you're a fan or not, just try to read it. You won't be disappointed.


9/10

First words: 'they seem, in places, to address me so directly it's
almost uncomfortable'

Last words: Long ago in an English spring.

Book 6...

REVIEW: The Courtyard by Alan Moore et al


In recent years, my attention has been brought to the works of Alan Moore and HP Lovecraft. Both are highly provocative authors who seem unafraid to push the boundaries of the media they work in. So coming to a book which brings Alan Moore to write a Lovecraftian work, would I enjoy it? I might as well try it, just for the fhtagn of it.

Aldo Sax, FBI agent, has the unusual ability to see anomalous facts in otherwise baffling cases, facts that have allowed him to solve apparently unsolvable cases. But when he is brought in to solve a mysterious serial killings case, where three originally normal people have turned into serial killers, he finds his skills tested to the limit. What does the drug all three took, DMT, have to do with anything? And what does the mysterious Johnny Carcosa have to do with it all?

This was a pretty short graphic novel, and unfortunately, so is the review. Alan Moore is...I hesitate, as I often do with people call this, to call him a genius, but he is certainly one of the master storytellers of our time. This comic was based on a story of his. While rather too short, the story at least packs much into what it has. The characters, if not quite having enough time to develop for my liking, are at least striking enough. Aldo Sax's noirish narration has the echo of Rorschach about it, but is its own beast.

The art seems typical for comics nowadays, glossy and colourful, even when it is dark subject matter. Of course, the artwork is quite good. But I would have preferred something more discordant during the hallucination sequences towards the end, more weirdly colourful, to try and get more of a sense of what Lovecraft and, presumably, Moore wrote about.

The story itself is short and singular, but the twist at the end is worth reading, as is the genesis of the murders. However, I was left wanting for more Moore. Not actually disappointing per se, but I wanted more, and didn't get it. Oh well.



8/10

First words: 2004, Farrakhan Day.

Last words: Fhtagn.

Great video Quater.

Soon, Doctor Who: Bad Therapy.