Every once in a while, we come across a novel so impressive and so mesmerising, that we find it offers up our own sense of reflection, or an opportunity for us to consider the stories we ourselves would like to put out into the world. For me, Below Deck was just that. Throughout reading, I
The Earth is healed and humans have been extinct for 500 years. Those two things are connected. In the dying days of human civilisation a scientist created a better species, the Erta. Human-like but with none of their physical and emotional flaws. They are walking problem solvers with one purpose – to fix the Earth.
Reading Stephen King for me is a type of therapy; one that is good for the soul and mind. When I get a new book from him it’s like sliding on a pair of comfy slippers, pouring myself a hot steaming cup of coffee and disappearing for a while into the world and characters he’s
You know how some books just sell themselves? They have that comfy kind of mass appeal – a little light and shade, a little wholesome, a character for everyone? Well, how does a work of autofiction with a semi stream-of-consciousness narrative about a doom-drone band, the specifications of guitar amps, edibles, the echo chamber and
I have to say that I’m not a huge crime fan, I’ve read my fare share of books in this field but it’s a genre that doesn’t really excite me, that was until I discovered John Bowie’s first book Untethered (review can be read at the bottom of this post) part one of the Black
Dive into steam-punk Japan with Natasha Pulley’s highly anticipated sequel, The Lost Future of Pepperharrow. Favourite characters return for an exciting, daring adventure, which perfectly blends the worlds of science and mythology. New additions help keep the story fresh, and Pulley’s decision to shift the setting to some lesser-known areas of Japan allows for some
Beth an artist is a woman harassed in life, torn between her American partner Sol, thirteen year old daughter Fern – art and the disappearance of her mother when she was just thirteen. Beth is a complicated and highly anxious protagonist, who is encouraged by Sol, so seek therapy with Dr Tamara Bywater – who
Delving into Diary of a Murderer, one is filled with a curious sense of unease. Despite holding short stories of definite direction and plots, one wanders around inside them as if in a David Lynch movie. We have characters, progressions and plot twists, but they somehow the tone of these stories supersedes their storylines. There
A novel which shows the reader the magic of science, The Watchmaker of Filigree Street is captivating, gripping and thoroughly enjoyable. A blend of tones bring this unique story to life, bouncing around time-zones and character point of views to give us a well-rounded narrative. Pulley’s alternative portrayal of Victorian Britain is an added twist
Jules Archer is the author of the chapbook All the Ghosts We’ve Always Had, published by Thirty West and regularly publishes flash fiction in a variety of magazines. This tiny collection of nineteen flash fictions features a ‘menu’ instead of a contents list and is focussed on tales of hunger, appetites and cravings. Many of
