Lirios: A Tale of the Quintana Roo
by James Tiptree, Jr.
Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine (September 28, 1981), pp. 140-167.
Dreamy fantasy novelette set in a post(mid?)-apocalyptic imagining of the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico. Tiptree Jr’s languorous, lyrical style and the story within a story make for pleasant enough reading, though the ocean tale is actually quite slight when stripped of cultural exoticism.
Enid Blyton’s Secret Seven Annual: Well Done, Secret Seven
(Purnell, 1979)
Blyton’s novel, reworked and competently re-illustrated with half the chapters in (b&w) comic-book form, interspersed with games and activities. The artwork is inconsistent in depicting character ages, and overcluttered—especially when squeezing seven (or occasionally a miscounted eight!) children into treehouse scenes.
The Lyran Case
by Bill Pronzini & Barry N. Malzberg, Analog (March 1980), pp. 110-114.
Flash fiction mystery that establishes a SF scenario (shape-changing alien terrorist attempting to smuggle a bomb through customs), lays its clues in very short order and then twists the ending, only to tack on a blow-by-blow explanation for the hard of understanding.
The Time Dissolver
by Jerry Sohl (Avon, 1957; reprinted Sphere, 1967)
An amnesiac ex-scientist investigates his own memory loss. Sohl favours gentle SF intrigue in pursuing his premise, working in a low-key human element rather than driving forward with the psychological breakdown/conspiracy thrills of, say, Eric Frank Russell’s “With a Strange Device” (1964).
The Collector
by John Fowles (Jonathan Cape, 1963)
audiobook read by James Wilby (Bolinda, 2015)
Chilling only insomuch that it lays bare the knowledge that such people exist, more or less integrated into society. Wilby puts real emotion into his audiobook reading but it’s still just half a novel of pure ick, inadequately countervailed by Miranda’s reminiscences.
Arne Dahl: Many Waters
dir. Tova Magnusson (SVT, 2012 / BBC, 2013)
[subtitled] [originally “De största vatten”]
![TV poster: “Arne Dahl: Many Waters” dir. Tova Magnusson (SVT, 2012 / BBC, 2013) [subtitled] [originally “De största vatten”]](https://www.derelictspacesheep.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Arne-Dahl_Many-Waters.png)
Disappointing as a self-contained story. Kerstin Holm (Malin Mases Arvidsson) is left by herself to silently emote while the rest of A-group dabble in their own personal problems and the plot threads grow increasingly tangled… leaving the original murder more than half-unexplained!
Flash Gordon, Season 2
(NBC, 1982)
Perfunctory and pointless. With Ming defeated, Flash Gordon and a playfully feminist Dale adopt the baby dragon Gremlin (irredeemably annoying) and embark upon 16 non-episodic, half-length action adventures all of which start with them playing happy families and end with demented laughter.
Batman: Wayne Family Adventures, Volume One
by CRC Payne; ill. Starbite (DC Comics, 2023)
Slice-of-life vignettes featuring Batman and his various children living together at Wayne Manor. Very low-key humour, leaning less into high-powered escalation and more towards superhero teens living regular lives. Clear art, polaroid storytelling. Bat-Cow and Alfred the cat share a nice moment.
The Closest Thing to Crazy: My Life of Musical Adventures
by Mike Batt (Bonnier, 2024); audiobook read by Mike Batt (Nine Eight Books, 2024)
An engaging account of Batt’s long career in the volatile world of songwriting, performance and music production. Whereas many autobiographies skew heavily towards the early years and then drop into a perfunctory void, Batt provides even coverage most of the way through.
The Nargun and the Stars
by Patricia Wrightson (Hutchison Junior, 1973 / Puffin, 1975)
Wrightson’s MG fantasy makes the most of its Australian setting and Aboriginal Dreamtime influences while sneaking in a tale of bereavement and found family. The plot moves at its own pace, in its own direction, while the characters find their way forward.