Genesis, aliens, Inkheart and the website

19 April 2009

Gerard Wood

What a relief that the rebuild of the website is over! While the end result makes the time and effort worthwhile, it's taken way too long. Now, finally, we can get back to writing articles.

Although writing a review of Inkheart is nowhere close to the top of my list. We saw the movie last night and were underwhelmed to say the least. The problem I think is plausibility. If you're going to set a fantasy novel (or movie) in the real world, there needs to be a fit between the fantasy elements and the "real" world: in Inkheart there are individuals called silvertongues who can draw out from a novel (make it real) anything that they read: such power would make them gods amongst men and yet none of them appear to have succumbed to the desire to use their power for personal gain (or to rule the world for that matter).

Imagine what would happen if they read the Bible!!!

A review of Bernard Beckett's Genesis is forthcoming however - this is a gem of a novel, science fiction at its very best. And I'm reading James Murdoch's Gray Apocalypse for review. Although I enjoyed watching the X-Files, alien conspiracy fiction isn't really my cup of java; that said - and despite the inclusion of all the familiar / tired ingredients you'd expect from an alien conspiracy - Murdoch has written a compelling story. If you expect polished and sophisticated writing, you'd be disappointed, If you want a page-turner, Murdoch delivers.