Karsa Orlong

Within Temptation - The Unforgiving

UFO - Lights Out

161 Your Kindle battery can only last about three hours at a time

Storm Front (Dresden Files 1) by Jim Butcher So, I came to this book, finally, having known about the tv series and having seen the books on the shelves whenever I was perusing, but not really taking an interest until I recently read people on the Malazan forums raving about the later novels in the series. With Pickle's recommendation (thanks Pickle!) I bought this, the first in the series, and raced (well, for me it was racing, anyway!) through it in a couple of days. Storm Front introduces Harry Dresden, wizard. As his advert in the Yellow Pages says "Lost Items Found - Paranormal Investigations - Consulting - Advice - Reasonable Rates - No Love Potions, Endless Purses, Parties or Other Entertainment." In typical film noir fashion, Dresden is a down-at-heel private investigator-type, who is a consultant to the Chicago police department's Special Investigations unit - but, seeing as they don't pay very regularly and Harry has bills to pay - he also takes on private cases. Storm Front starts with a double murder that the police want his input on, and then he takes on a missing persons case to pay the rent he's far behind on. It all sounds very familiar, and it is. But it's told from a laconic first-person viewpoint, with a winning, self-deprecating sense of humour, and it's easy to read and fast-paced with it, with some well-realised action sequences and a couple of scenes with genuine suspense. It does contradict itself at times (for instance, Dresden tells us that normal people don't know about wizards or magic, but then everyone knows to avoid eye-contact with him - perhaps this is just the rough edges of an author's first novel), and it's not ground-breaking, controversial, or in any way thought-provoking. But it's Fun, with a capital F. I finished it with a smile on my face, and downloaded the second book to my Kindle straight away. After all, I'm told it gets better and betters as the series goes along. And I know I'm onto a winner when the first chapter contains a line like: "Paranoid? Probably. But just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean that there isn’t an invisible demon about to eat your face." 8/10

I'm the opposite - I think I Am Legend is a fabulous book, with one of the most memorable and satisfying endings (which I keep going back to re-read). The film versions, on the other hand, are dreadful.

I think, in 99.9% of cases of the ones I've read, I agree. The one that sticks in my memory, though, is Orson Scott Card's novelisation of James Cameron's The Abyss. What stood out about that one was that it was so much more than just the story of the film. It went back in time and told how the main two characters, Bud and Lyndsey, became the people we saw in the film, and how their relationship had descended to the point it reached at the start of the movie. It fleshed out a lot of the other characters, too. It also explained a lot more about the aliens, and why they did what they did. It's actually a lot better book than it is a film - but that really is the only occasion I can remember when I've thought that, and I think it says more about Card as a writer than anything else.

I finished Storm Front last night. A very quick, enjoyable read, I thought - fast-paced, funny and quite exciting. Shall be getting the next one soon Well - not from personal experience, obviously - but over on the Malazan forums they say it gets better and better, and they are currently raving about the latest book. I asked them if I'd taken the first step on a slippery slope, and the kind of answer I got was: "Yes, but it's a gravity-defying upward-trending slippery slope of goodness." and "the dresdencrack... it slopes!!!" and my personal favourite "Dresden is going to cause me to buy a cushy toilet seat one of these days."

Kylie, for the first time ever I totally agree with you about something cricket-related

Sssshhhhh! You'll upset Sir Alex

I think he was stupid, and I think he realised what he'd done when he stuttered halfway down the pitch as the ball was coming back in - although, as you say, umpire Rauf should have made it clearer, or Bell should at least have had the sense to check with him. I thought the Indian team handled it all superbly, not just Dhoni, but the likes of Dravid in subsequent interviews as well. Sadly, I just couldn't see any other team, including England, being as generous, especially with the way the game was going.

Thanks, Kylie. Hope you both enjoy it

To be fair, they were 150 in the lead before the third wicket went down, and 250 in the lead by the time the fourth did, then they had a mini-collapse before Prior, Bresnan and Broad cut loose Fantastic performance. Hope it's not too overshadowed by the Bell incident (he was stupid, he was out, and should have stayed out, imo - India did nothing wrong at all), but those extra 22 runs he scored afterwards made no difference at all in the end. India, lacklustre again. If they get Sehwag, Gambir and Zaheer back for the next test it could get interesting. Bresnan should stay in the team ahead of Tremlett, providing the pitch suits. If Strauss and Cook contribute some runs we could be unstoppable.

The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula Le Guin This is a story about a man - George Orr - whose dreams can change reality, and the psychiatrist who sets out to cure him but, having realised he can control George's dreams through hypnosis, then decides to change the world using his ideas of how things should be. It's a great idea - although George's ability is never really explained, as a starting point it's brilliant. At the start, George is a mess. Le Guin's idea of a future world (the book was written in 1971) that is overpopulated, over-industrialised and polluted is all too real. George has realised that his nightmares are making the world worse, and has been taking drugs to try and prevent sleep. When it's discovered that he has been obtaining the medication illegally he is forced to see a psychiatrist. In steps Dr Haber, who quickly becomes obsessed with the possibilities and the power George's ability provides him with. As the story progresses, Haber uses George to change the world. At first the changes are small, and only noticeable to the two of them. But, as Haber's lust for power begins to take over ... well, that would be spoiling it. I didn't know much about this book before reading it, but the idea obviously came from the philosophies of the Far East, given the quotes from the likes of Tao Te Ching at the beginnings of chapters. I really liked the way Le Guin wove the changes into the narrative in such a natural way. From the start, she throws in little details about the existing world then - without whacking you around the head with a big sign saying "THIS HAS CHANGED!" - you find you're reading about the same people and places, but they are different. I also liked that, once George's dreams altered things, they also changed history, so people around him remembered events going back years that had formed the new world as they saw it now. A very interesting and enjoyable read, and it doesn't overstay its welcome. 8/10

Gollancz is to release thousands of SF classics, many out-of-print, in all the main ebook formats, starting in September. From The Guardian website: "The SF Gateway launches this autumn with more than 1,000 titles by almost 100 authors, with plans to increase this to 3,000 titles by the end of 2012 and 5,000 by 2014. Wow. "Wherever possible, the SF Gateway will offer the complete backlist of the authors included," says Gollancz in its announcement. A complete list of the authors already signed up – they're negotiating with many more – [...] it's basically the great and the good of science fiction and fantasy, and they're all going to be available at the click of a button (pricing is yet to be revealed, but will be "in line with prevailing market trend, but competitive and value for money", apparently)." Links: SF Gateway website PDF with list of authors currently included Guardian article Fantastic news!

Finished The Man in the High Castle and started on The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula Le Guin. Also, in a total display of fanboy-ishness, I ordered the first eight of Steven Erikson's Malazan books - which I already own in their UK editions - with the different US covers. Yes, I know - mad.

Finished The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick. I'm not sure I can post a review of it at the moment because I'm not sure I entirely understood the ending. It was a very good read, and I got the themes about realities and fictions within fiction, and that the characters were reading a book that was closer to reality than the fiction they were living, but if there's anyone here who's read it and can explain it to/confirm it for me I'd be very grateful!

Storm Front is the first book, I believe - at least, it's the one I've just Kindled It was a (very brief) tv series, yes - although I've no idea how close it was to the books.

The Killing Floor Although, tbh, I don't think it really matters what order they're read in as they're all self-contained stories (although 61 Hours and Worth Dying For are probably best read one after the other).

Wonderful, wonderful book - my favourite that I read last year, I think <<points at signature>> I'm hoping to finish The Man in the High Castle today.

There's a new one out now - Ghost Story

I've been reading a lot of people raving about this series over on the Malazan forums. Might have to give them a go. Sample sent to Kindle ...

I'll second this - I'm reading it at the moment and it's brill