Blindsight – Peter Watts
Blindsight is the novel to read if you’re looking for a fast-paced, science-focussed/ hard (but totally accessible) sf novel. This is a great novel to give to someone who is interested in tech but poo-poos the idea of sf. They’ll love it.
Death most definite – Trent Jamieson
This book is just good fun. It’s a high-spirited tale of a hostile takeover of Death’s operations in Australia. It’s set in Brisbane – hilarious for anyone who knows the city (and sometimes quite painful as Steve has to traverse the city by bus – truly horrible.)
John Fowles – The Collector
What is your worst nightmare? Being held captive by some psychopath? Well, that’s what John Fowles – one of the great English writers of the 1960s – focuses on in The Collector. You might think this plot line has been done to death, but this classic from 1963 probably invented ...
The Shining – Stephen King
I’ll never forget the scene in the movie where the blood comes pouring out of the lifts into the lobby of the evil Overlook Hotel. This movie scared the bejesus out of me for years as a kid, but I only got around to reading it recently. For horror fans, ...
What would make a society burn all its books? Farenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
“Fahrenheit 451 is the temperature at which book paper catches fire and burns.” Guy Montag knows this only too well. He’s a fireman, tasked with burning any books that Americans are hiding in this alternative future, for the good of humanity.
Let’s play ball! Summerland by Michael Chabon
Pulitzer prize-winning author Michael Chabon creates an incredible fantasy world where an unlikely hero has to save the world … with baseball. This is on my list as a must-read for young and adult readers. In Summerland, Chabon sets his literary sights on creating an American fairytale, it’s like a ...
The stuff of nightmares – Malorie Blackman
Nightmares are horrific and terrifying, but at least you always wake up. What if the only way to escape Death was by experiencing nightmare after nightmare? This is a great book for both old and young readers.
'Fahrenheit 451' has texture
“Do you know why books such as this are so important? Because they have quality. And what does the word quality mean? To me it means texture. This book has pores.”
‘Interesting Times’ will make you LOL
The ancient curse goes: “May you live in interesting times.” This is a classic Pratchett, inspired by China in the early 20th century.
“Pig’s ear soup, eh? Now what does that tell you about the place, eh?” Rincewind shrugged, “Very provident people?”
Well worth it – The Knife of Never Letting go by Patrick Ness
This book has one of the best first lines ever: “The first thing you find out when yer dog learns to talk is that dogs don’t got nothing much to say. About anything.” “Need a poo, Todd.”
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