BACK LIST
.. - Writing’.
Susan Sellers informs us in her preface that she compiled the ‘notebook' with the intention of ‘encouraging more women to write'. Whether or not she succeeds is debatable. Writing about writing is like watching someone else winning Wimbledon - it‘s a pretty second-hand experience. How Carol Rumens fits her writing in with shopping at Sainsbury's is probably ofno interest to anyone. save possibly herself. The book‘s main problem is its subject matter but. that aside. the pieces themselves are on the whole second-rate.
As a DIY manual on creative writing it also fails dismally. The writers seem to hoard the secrets of their writing techniques and only divulge stolen tips.
Delighting the Heart is certainly a promising title (filched from Sylvia Plath). and sports an enticing cover for such a dreary book. Better to save your money and get the real thing. (Ann Vinnicombe)
SCIENCE FICTION
Mike Calder rounds up the latest sci-ti titles.
I The Forge of God Greg Bear (Legend £3.99) Hard SF novel in which Earth is invaded by alien robots who seem to be friendly, but there are more to come . . .
I The Main Event Chris Beebee (Orbit £2.99) British Cyberpunk! (almost) — this is the second novel in
years in space Turner finds he has to relearn how to cope with Earth‘s frenetic lifestyles and also has to track down some mysterious computer programs.
I Demon Lord ol Karanda David Eddings (Bantam £6.95) Part Three ofthe Malloreon. There is an explanatory prologue but it‘s best to read the earlier books.
I The Diamond Throne David Eddings (Grafton £12.95) Part One of a new trilogy (nothing to do with his ongoing Malloreon series). with lots of political and religious manoeuvring to save the queen from a lingering death.
I Glory Lane Alan Dean Foster (NEL £2.99) Three teenagers get involved in a galaxy-wide chase and mystery when one of them helps an alien escape with a kidnapped bowling ball. Lightweight but amusing.
I To the Vanishing Point Alan Dean Foster (Sphere £3.50) A family driving West pick up a hitch-hiking angel and rapidly find themselves thoroughly confused and helping to save the Universe.
I Waiting lorthe Galactic Bus Parke Godwin (Bantam £2.99) Two stranded aliens invent evolution and find humanity a bit hard to handle — especially when it comes to religion. so they invent ‘topside‘ and ‘below stairs’.
I Metrophage Richard Kadrey
(Gollancz £3.50) In a near-future. decaying Los Angeles. Jonny Qabbala has to find a purpose in life and has to try to understand the seemingly unconnected events destroying the city. Excellent. one of the best cyberpunk novels.
I The Evolution Man Roy Lewis (Corgi £3.99) Ernest the Apeman‘s father singlehandedly discovers fire. domesticates dogs and generally makes life more comfortable for cavemen everywhere.
I The Warlord's Domain Peter Morwood (Legend £5.95) In this fourth volume. which can be read alone. Aldric enters the hostile Drusalan Empire in order to recover a talisman. now in the possesson of the Grand Warlord.
I Antares Dawn Michael Mc(‘ollum (Grafton £3.50) A lost space-colony regains star-flight and finds war raging around them. Quite entertaining space opera. with a sequel due in August.
I Bimbos ol the Death Sun Sharyn McCrumb (Penguin £2.99) ()ver-the-top goings—on. incluidng a murder. at a SF Convention. Best appreciated if you‘ve been to a convention and met the types caricatured.
I Monsters ed. Asimov. Waugh. Greenbcrg (Robinson £2.99) The latest in a series of theme anthologies. this one features fiction from Silverberg. Tenn. Zelazny. Farmer and others. The stories date
from 1939 to 1969.
I The Mask Dean R. Koontz (Headline £2.99) This is a reprint of an earlier book which appeared under a pseudonym and is much more in the traditional horror vein than his recent books. A young amnesiac doesn't seem to have a past and is befriended by the woman who knocked her down.
I Sorcery Terry Pratchett (Gollancz £1 1.95) The seventh Discworld novel focuses on a skewed version of Ancient Egypt. with Pharaohs. mummies. Trojan Horses. etc.
I Next at Kin Eric Frank Russell (Mandarin £2.99) A classic reprint from 1959 of how Earth wins a space war by one scout pilot lying very implausably.
I The Web Between the Worlds (‘harles Sheffield (Sphere £3.50) Rob Merlin is hired to build the first skyhook or beanstalk from Earth into space but finds his employer has several unsavoury secrets. which he investigates.
I Moon Dreams Brad Strickland (Headline £3.50) An advertising executive finds himself in a fantasy world where magic works and discovers that his skills are not as useless as you might expect.
I The Further Adventures of Batman ((Torgi £2.99) Fourteen new stories by authors such as Effinger. Landsdale and Sheckley. to celebrate Batman‘s 50th birthday.
Meet
Colin Baxter
for audio visual presentations on
"West Highland Landscapes'
& "St Kilda" at 7.00 pm. on Wed 9 August, the Assembly Hall, Strathclyde University, John St, Glasgow
Tickets £1 from: John Smith & Son (Glasgow) Ltd 57 St Vincent Street,
252 Byres Road &
The John McIntyre Building, University Avenue, Glasgow
Meet
Margaret Thomson Da vis
Signing copies of her new book
"Daughters & Mothers" at 12.30 pm. onThur 3 August
james Herbert
Signing copies of his new book
"Haunted" at 12.30 pm. on Wed 9 August
80th at 57 St Vincent Street, Glasgow
The List 28 July — 10 August 1989 61