I’m here to review a book about a 16-year-old girl (Hazel) with terminal cancer who falls in love with another cancer sufferer (Augustus). Sounds rather cheery doesn’t it? But if there is one thing that you need to know about The Fault in our Stars it is this: Hazel does […]

‘Original material is a topic that concerns all aspects of the arts.’ Ideas, concepts, styles and genres are so quickly taken-up, run-ragged and exhausted in the high-tech age. It’s depressing to think that whatever you’re doing, someone has probably already done it better. But such a defeatist viewpoint isn’t helpful. […]

The Quantum Thief is the debut novel from Finnish author, Hannu Rajaniemi. A shining example of ‘hard science fiction’, The Quantum Thief is a crime caper, set in the far future of our solar system, which is now populated with a host of bizarre, post-human entities. The hero, Jean Le […]

In typical high fantasy fiction there is an obvious lack of female protagonists compared to other genres. While there may be female characters, they are rarely ever the heroine, let alone a heroine who conquers and vanquishes Evil. Daughter of the Empire is an exception, and is intriguing enough to […]

  You might think you heard a lot about this sexy, kinky book but chances are you haven’t. This is not the erotic novel by British author E. L. James but rather a young adult novel about mass suffering under communist regimes written by American novelist Ruta Sepetys. Between Shades […]

Dan Abnett is one prolific author. He’s worked for the world’s leading comic book publishers, Marvel and DC, and published dozens of books within the Warhammer and Doctor Who franchises, amongst others. What is rare is an original novel, a work of fiction that is pure Abnett. Embedded, published by […]

“Personal example carries more weight than preaching”, says a Chinese proverb. This sentence best summarizes the aim of David Randall’s The Great Reporters. The book is suitable not only for people interested in journalism. The style is easy to follow even if you don’t have background knowledge. The introductions are […]

Beckett scholars be damned. Besides, you can’t approach Beckett’s existential body of writing academically, or in anything but a philosophical frame of mind, unless you wish your assumptions and conclusions to die of malnutrition. So, yes, damn you scholars, Beckett never appreciated your invasive categorisations and stumbling notions of meaning […]