Clik here to view.
Thoughts on Loups-Garous, first half: the novel
Imagine walking up a high, steep hill on a hot summer’s day to reach a bar or restaurant: the journey’s long, dry and arduous but if what’s on the menu is your thing, the hard slog is worth it in the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Mardock Scramble by Tow Ubukata: zawa-zawas, eggs and excellence
I must admit that getting through a 700+ page novel in little more than a week is a rare thing, even when it’s something I really enjoy. This time I think it was because I’ve been impatiently waiting...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Next Continent: hard science and a warm heart
I was planning to write a bit about Lord of the Sands of Time but as engaging and imaginative as it is, the whole affair is a bit short so I can’t really think of much to say about it. It’s an...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Contact and conflict in Macross and Good Luck, Yukikaze
Super Dimensional Fortress Macross and Good Luck Yukikaze are two offerings in the diverse and well-trodden region of speculative fiction in which humanity tries to come to terms with, and survive, an...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Fuka-Eri left me behind in the Town of Cats
The hardback edition of 1Q84 was always going to be one of the highlights of this year’s reading list, so however good or bad it turned out to be I was going to make a big deal about picking it up and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Summer of the Ubume
My introduction to Natsuhiko Kyogoku was the anime adaptation of his second novel of the Kyogokudou series, Mouryou no Hako. Then there was the sci-fi-themed Loups Garous. The first novel of his...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Haikasoru: The Future is Japanese
Viz have been very savvy in their selection of novels to translate and publish in the English-speaking world, with the end result of the Haikasoru imprint being a range of books that I’ve thoroughly...
View ArticleClik here to view.
On China Miéville, Miyuki Miyabe and genre conventions
Yesterday I finished China Miéville’s Perdido Street Station. It’s a prime example of his ‘New Weird’ brand of fantasy fiction, and my opinion of it reminded me of an old draft of a post I had...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Kara no Kyoukai revisited, part 1: “like suicide”
The process of adapting a novel for the screen fascinates me, if not as much as the writing process itself. On those rare and wonderful occasions where there’s no “…the book was better…” sensation, the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Kara no Kyoukai revisited, part 2: “undisclosed desires”
The second chapter of KnK may seem like one of the weaker sections since it’s so heavy on exposition and concepts that don’t gain much from the transition from print to screen; even in novel form it...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Kara no Kyoukai revisited, part 3: “comfortably numb”
Although I was intrigued by the first two Kara no Kyoukai movie outings I wasn’t totally sold until I’d seen the third one. The brutal and shocking opening scene made me sit up and take notice, but the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Aku no Hana, lily of the Uncanny Valley
Now that the initial controversy has subsided I finally feel able to form and voice an opinion on Aku no Hana. The art style didn’t put me off, surprisingly. I actually had reservations about whether...
View Article
