Books: Four Paperbacks, Two Hardcovers, and Two Comics Collections

The Holmes-Dracula File by Fred Saberhagen

A quick crossover novel about, well, Holmes and Dracula, told in alternating chapters by the Count and Watson. Set in London in 1897, it revolves around the leads becoming embroiled in stopping a heinous crime . . . if they can trust each other. A lot of fun, though some of the backstory strikes me as contrived. It's nice to see Dracula written as an antihero. Quite recommended.

Billenium by J.G. Ballard

I'd only read Ballard's non-fiction before (User's Guide to the Millenium), and as a result thought of him as a bit of a stuffy bore. His SF is actually quite good, and he excels at presenting dystopian futures, as in the title story, where overpopulation has reduced everyone's guaranteed living space to 4 square meters. Excuse me, 3.5. No, 3 meters . . . Plus, worlds where psychiatry is illegal, where clocks are illegal, and where the world is one big city, in all directions, forever. Very recommended.

Three Witnesses by Rex Stout

More very reliable Nero Wolfe short stories, steeped in witty dialogue, rich food, and mid-twentieth-century ambience.

The Mask of Apollo by Mary Renault

Historical fiction about a (made-up) actor, whose life repeatedly intersects that of Dion of Syracuse, friend to Plato, and tragic hero. Again, I was surprised at how much I like Renault's writing. She does an excellent job of portraying the era, and in particular the theater of the era, with its masks and limited casts. Recommended.

M is for Magic by Neil Gaiman

A quick read, as many of the stories here have been collected elsewhere. I particularly liked "Ponti Bridge" (which feels like events around the edges of a Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser tale) and "Sunbird" (mm, tastes like chicken). Plus, there are all the excellent stories in here I've read before, like "Chivalry". Highly recommended.

Rogue Moon by Algis Budrys

An odd little SF novel, ostensibly about an alien device on the Moon, and the attempts to explore it using some strange human technology. (It strongly reminded me of "Diamond Dogs" by Alastair Reynolds.) However, it's really mostly about psychology, and the warped psyches of the men and women involved in the project. It definitely has a 1950s vibe to the mindsets of its characters, who are all broken in some way. Mildly recommended.

Ultimate Fantastic Four, Volume 5: Crossover by Millar, Land

The first half of this volume is the prelude to Marvel Zombies, and is nicely creepy, though not deep. (That's the problem with a lot of the new "widescreen" comics; they have spectacle, but not enough words to really tell a tale.) The second half is about Ultimate Namor, and is only interesting in a, "Oh look, a new twist on an old character. Just like Exiles does every month," way. Plus, Greg Land's art? He needs to learn how to draw for himself, and stop tracing pictures he finds on the web. And he really needs to stop tracing O-faces; no one opens their mouth that wide when surprised. If you need more zombies, recommended, otherwise, not.

Transformers Beast Wars: The Gathering by Furman, Figueroa

Set at the same time as the Beast Wars TV show, but not involving any of the same characters (except very briefly), this mostly feels like an attempt to write a story including every BW toy that didn't make it onto the show. It had a few nice moments, but overall I was underwhelmed. Not recommended.