April has roared in, and with it, autumn weather, comfort foods, and new books to read :-) At the end of the first full week, I've got three in the finished pile; here's my take on them all. (Note: I listened to the Doctor Who collection as an audiobook while cleaning, cooking and driving, otherwise I would definitely not be three down already).
Scalzi, for me, is a writer whose work I very much enjoy, but who I think is at his best in novels with one clear protagonist who we follow through the story. This is because his work is, for want of a better phrase, light entertainment - SFF, yes, but usually either comedic or parodic in some way, and not the deliverer of either beautiful prose or heart-clenching truths - and I think that kind of blend needs a followable MC to ground it and give it shape.
The reason I rate this book lower than his other recent novel, Starter Villain, is that unlike that book, this one did not have a clear protagonist, moving around between a vast cast of characters (many of which we only encounter once) and relying instead on the absurdist plot to carry the story. The premise of the book is silly but also entertaining - what if the moon just randomly turned into cheese one night? - and Scalzi makes the absolute most he can out of it.
However, I found the flip-flopping around between characters to be a negative for the book - I mean, not that Scalzi ever writes depth characters, but usually there is one person you can stick with and get to know at least a little. I also found the abrupt tonal shifts from slapstick (done excellently, Scalzi rules at this) to meme-adjacent comedy (I personally don't enjoy this kind of comedy but he does it pretty well) to barely-veiled commentary on current affairs and politics (struck me as a little cringey) to attempted pathos (unsuccessful in most instances for me) to be jarring and disruptive to my immersion in the story.
That said, is this book fun? Of course it is; it's *about the moon turning into cheese* and it's written by a clever, experienced practitioner of this kind of lighter SFF. I read it quickly and I enjoyed it, but I wouldn't rank it at or near the top of Scalzi's output. 6/10 for me.
I have previously only read two books by Garner, both of them non-fiction (The First Stone, which I found interesting but ultimately flawed, and Joe Cinque's Consolation, which was compellingly excellent and also made me extremely sad).
Diving into Garner's short fiction was therefore potentially a departure, but actually turned out to be less of one than I had expected. Her writing style is consistent and her strong authorial voice is very recognisable in the (in some cases I suspect thinly-veiled faction) short stories in this volume. This was great for me as a reader, as I have always really enjoyed Garner as a technician of writing prose.
The stories themselves are, of course, variable in effectiveness, as is always the case with a single-author collection, but most of them stick the landing, and several gut-punched me in that really good way that only meaningful fiction can. If there is a thematical or tonal relationship, I would say that it is the sense that each story is a snapshot, a postcard of a moment in time, extracted from a longer and more shaded tale that underlies it. This is reinforced by the repetition of some characters who appear in more than one story, a device that contemporary greats like Jennifer Egan use to great effect.
I have four favourite stories from the book:
- Postcards from Surfers (probably Garner's most famous short story), which was both familiar and poignant and completely Australian without engaging my cultural cringe reflex
- The Life of Art, which I enjoyed immensely for its rich descriptions and for the almost singsong quality of the prose (the repetition of "my friend" is incredibly effective)
- Did He Pay?, about a washed-up rock and roll star and the emptiness at the heart of his muse
And my absolute favourite...
- The Psychological Effects of Wearing Stripes, which is about several things but mostly about self-perception, beauty, what it is to be a not-beautiful woman, which is one of the short stories I have most related to on a visceral level in my life ("I actively dislike being looked at. I don't know how so-called beautiful women can stand it"; "The punishment for not being beautiful. This is a lifelong thing and begins early. 'No, dear, but you have a face full of character'"). The story's musings on what you feel you *should* be writing about instead of whatever-this-is absolutely engaged my poet's terror of urgently needing to write about the *wrong* thing, the unformed or shaded or slight thing, when there are so many other things that seem more worthy or important. Outstanding story.
Overall, for me, this is an 8.5/10. A really worthwhile read.
This is a collection of short stories by a range of well-known and lesser-known SFF writers that create new adventures for Doctor Who - one story per Doctor (up to 13).
I'm a Doctor Who watcher, but not a Doctor Who superfan. I have enjoyed some Doctors more than others, and I certainly haven't seen every episode or even every series.
Thus, I came to this collection with a good general knowledge of the concept and overarching storylines, but not an intricate connection to the lore, especially for the first three Doctors whose series predate my existence and which I have not seen any episodes of. (I'm also too young for both Tom Baker and Peter Davison's live runs, but I have seen some of their episodes on TV repeats). I have the most familiarity with Doctors Ten and Eleven, as that is when I was watching the show consistently and saw every episode. (Ten, ie David Tennant, is my favourite Doctor :-)
All of that preamble is to say that I listened to these stories not as an ignoramus, but without the fine distinctions of detail that people deeply into the fandom would bring!
With that basis, overall, I enjoyed the collection. I thought at least half of the stories did a really good job of capturing the feel of Doctor Who in terms of writing style, and most of the plots were interesting and suitably Whovian. (One caveat - I did not read the story for Eleven, written by Neil Gaiman, because ... well, Neil Gaiman).
The best stories in the collection, in my view, were:
1. A Big Hand for the Doctor, By Eoin Colfer (Doctor One)
I loved the Victoriana feel of this and I loved that the story featured Susan (the Doctor's granddaughter). Tying the plot to a new spin on Peter Pan was really clever and executed brilliantly. I would have enjoyed this story even without the Whovian link, but with it, magical.
2. The Roots of Evil by Philip Reeve (Doctor Four)
I read another review that said "This story was like a really good Doctor Who episode" and I must agree with that! The plot was tight and well-paced, the use of Leela was both effective and true to her character, and the device of the world tree was consistent with Doctor Who's usual schtick of 'things may not be quite what they seem'. It also has a banging ending.
3. The Beast of Babylon by Charlie Higson (Doctor Nine)
I thought this was one of the best in terms of capturing the personality of the particular Doctor. I also loved that the temporary companion (Ali) was non-human but very much a person, and I adored the tie-up with Babylon and ancient history and myth.
4. The Mystery of the Haunted Cottage by Derek Landy (Doctor Ten)
I enjoyed this one disproportionately to the quality of the story (which was, honestly, so-so), for two main reasons - I thought Landy did a perfect job with both Ten and Martha's voices, and I loved the sustained joke of the Famous Five pastiche that drove the set-up. One of the most purely entertaining of the stories, despite not having a killer plot.
5. Lights Out by Holly Black (Doctor Twelve)
This one was genuinely sad. It tugged at my heart, but in the best possible way, and I liked that it was one of the relatively few stories in the collection to engage the more serious aspect of the Doctor and the consequences of his interdimensional and inter-time gallivanting. I think the ending had some optimism in it, but I also appreciated that it was left open-ended. One of the thinkiest of the stories, and all the better for it.
Overall, a definite recommend for Doctor Who fans and casual watchers alike. 7.5/10 for me.
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