Avsnitt
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John Christopher’s 1977 children’s novel about the end of the world is as grim as anything on a similar theme that he wrote for adults, just toned down for language and “themes.” In this episode I take a closer look at what it’s all about and why it enjoyed a bit of a renaissance just a few years ago.
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A wonderfully bookish biography of a bookish person by another bookish person. This book is a delight for those who are fans of Lewis or even if you re not. Wilson is a fabulously erudite reteller of Lewis’s life and inspirations.
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Saknas det avsnitt?
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Galaxy Quest is a 1999 science fiction comedy starring Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver and Alan Rickman. It’s an utter delight and a favourite of mine. Riffing more than slightly off the real-life experiences of the actors in Star Trek, it’s a hilarious trip across the galaxy with a wonderful heart.
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Collaborations aren’t normally something that I enjoy but when they work they are an absolute delight (see episode 1 of this series for more proof). This 1980s classic by two giants of the field is a fantastic depiction of a manned expedition to explore Halley’s Comet. Full of adventure and tragedy and wonderful science-y ideas, it’s a thumping good tale.
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Episode 25: Illusion by Paula Volsky
Illusion is a brilliant novel that tells a fantasy version of the French Revolution. It’s a delight to read despite covering fairly grim material and I absolutely love it.
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Helene Hanff rose to international prominence with 84, Charing Cross Road, but she had been a writer all her life. This frequently hilarious memoir details how that writing life began…
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James Bolivar diGriz is a career criminal in a universe that barely acknowledges his existence. He is also the hero of a series spanning 50 years of the life of Harry Harrison. Funny, smart and exciting, this is a set of adventures that I’ve enjoyed for most of my life.
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Arthurian literature has fallen off my radar a little in recent years, pretty much because of real world issues influencing how I feel about it. Beloved Exile is, however, a genuinely superb novel about what happens after Arthur dies…
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The story of Reyhnard, Prince turned itinerant labourer, is a wonderfully grim tale about the son of a brutally pragmatic king and how his life turns out. It’s a superb meditation on power and who deserves to hold on to it. Published when the author was only 24 it’s a much more polished novel than experienced writers can dream of and a wondrous experience to read. Find out more at Stuffianlikes.com
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Susan Townsend chronicled life in the late 20th/early 21st Centuries hilariously in the Adrian Mole books. Funny and touching, they are a wonderful look at how we all changed during that time.
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We visit the very far future and a quite degenerate Earth in this month’s episode. We also look at what sort of choices are made when dividing up a long book into smaller chunks for publication.
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The Rocketeer started life as a serialised comic before become a bestselling graphic novel before becoming a fun movie. There have been other incarnations of the story but these are the two I love the most. Find out why in this month’s episode.
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Iain Banks’s fifth novel is one of my favourites by him, with or without the M. It’s a witty, clever and utterly charming story of a guy who decides to use music as a way of fitting in to his life and succeeds beyond anyone’s wildest dreams.
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Stephen Baxter’s 1997 novel Titan is occasionally eerily prophetic, sometimes quite depressing, but always a great read. I love it for his incredible near-misses on what the future looked,like and for the amazing story it tells.
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The Fey was one of the last multi-volume fantasy epics that I managed to successfully engage with until the conclusion. It’s also a wonderful fantasy soap opera that succeeds in ways that so many others fail. Like a lot of 90s fantasies it tries for a sense of realpolitik rather than inspiring awe and wonder, but it manages to invite you into its world nonetheless. And, violent and grim though it might be, it’s a wonderful way to lose yourself for several hours at a time.
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Spotswood is a 1991 movie starring Anthony Hopkins, Ben Mendelsohn, Tony Collette and Russell Crowe. It’s a charming, clever, touching film about helping other people.
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I only read it for the first time in 2021 but it’s been one of my favourite stories for many more years than that due to an excellent BBC adaptation that I had on video… although without the title sequence. Some notes… Saturday Night Clive was a magazine-style show hosted by Clive James… Tom Chabon was in the excellent Blakes 7 episode Countdown, where he played the brother of Avon’s dead girlfriend… Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas was one of the subjects of Episode 6.
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This quartet of fantasy novels appeared during the 1980s and has been begging for a sequel ever since. It’s witty and gripping, making it a perfect piece of entertainment for me. You’ll also have to excuse my voice in this episode as I was grappling with a dose of flu making me sound like The Hoarse Lord #sorrynotsorry
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Nancy Springer and R. A. MacAvoy are names that aren’t spoken about these days as much as I wish they were. They produced many wonderful books and I take a look at two of them here.
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Michael’s Shea’s 1982 World Fantasy Award-winning novel is an absolute gem. It’s funny, grim, scary and horrific - frequently all in the same sentence. It’s a brilliant look at eldritch horrors existing side-by-side in a richly-painted fantasy world.
- Visa fler
