42 Word Retrospectives – Page 12 – Derelict Space Sheep

Bodies from the Library 2

by Derelict Space Sheep on March 24, 2023 in 42 Word Retrospectives • 0 Comments

Bodies from the Library 2: Forgotten Stories of Mystery and Suspense by the Queens of Crime and other Masters of Golden Age Detection

ed. Tony Medawar (Collins Crime Club, 2019)

audiobook read by Philip Bretherton (HarperCollins, 2019)

A collection of unpublished or obscurely published and never before reprinted detective stories from some famous names in the genre. While these include pieces featuring, respectively, Gervase Fen and Lord Peter Wimsey, most of these tales have gathered dust for good reason.

Her Smoke Rose Up Forever

by Derelict Space Sheep on March 14, 2023 in 42 Word Retrospectives • 0 Comments

Her Smoke Rose Up Forever

by James Tiptree, Jr (Arkham House, 1990)

SF Masterworks Edition (Gollancz, 2014)

A 500-page collection of dark, dreamy, dense, often dismal short stories. Tiptree (aka Alice Sheldon) wrote challenging SF that juxtaposed male POVs with uncensored, damning depictions of how men treat women. Plenty of big ideas. Highly regarded though not always pleasant reading.

Uncle Fred in the Springtime

by Derelict Space Sheep on March 8, 2023 in 42 Word Retrospectives • 0 Comments

Uncle Fred in the Springtime

by P.G. Wodehouse (Doubleday, Doran, 1939)

audiobook read by Stephen Fry (Audible, 2021) [as part of “The Blandings Collection”]

Perhaps the most twisted and entwined plot that Wodehouse ever laid down. If anything, the Gordian Knot is perhaps too great, for the sheer effort of describing it leaves Wodehouse a bit short of his usual sparkle, the pitfalls not so precarious.

Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me

by Derelict Space Sheep on March 1, 2023 in 42 Word Retrospectives • 0 Comments

Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me

dir. Jay Roach (1999)

Whereas the original Austin Powers film had a mad, flamboyant charm, ‘The Spy Who Shagged Me’ is slow-moving and painfully inane, not unlike a collection of cut scenes. There’s not much here to love, save Seth Green and the Jerry Springer sequence.

Masters of the Universe

by Derelict Space Sheep on February 26, 2023 in 42 Word Retrospectives • 0 Comments

Masters of the Universe

dir. Gary Goddard (1987)

What Star Wars could have been if given twice the budget but a clueless director, a deadweight lead (Dolph Lundgren) and a script written by someone pitting actual Mattel toys against each other. Meg Foster (Evil-Lin) and Frank Langella (Skeletor) aren’t terrible.

The Story of the Terrible Scar

by Derelict Space Sheep on February 25, 2023 in 42 Word Retrospectives • 0 Comments

The Story of the Terrible Scar

by Catherine Storr; ill. Gerald Rose (Faber and Faber, 1976)

Four tall tales, none of them particularly exciting (but each serving the premise well), told by Jim’s uncle to explain how his father got the scar on his arm. A surprisingly effective fix-up chapter book, greater than the sum of its parts.

Raffles: The Amateur Cracksman

by Derelict Space Sheep on February 23, 2023 in 42 Word Retrospectives • 0 Comments

Raffles: The Amateur Cracksman

by E.W. Hornung (Methuen, 1899)

audiobook read by David Rintoul (Paul Kent, 2013)

A collection of sequentially linked short stories featuring roguish gentleman thief A.J. Raffles and his accomplice ‘Bunny’, who narrates. The dynamic is very Holmes/Watson (perhaps unsurprisingly, as Hornung was Conan Doyle’s brother-in-law) but the escapades themselves fall flat, despite Hornung’s accomplished prose.

Appleby Talks Again

by Derelict Space Sheep on February 17, 2023 in 42 Word Retrospectives • 0 Comments

Appleby Talks Again

by Michael Innes (Victor Gollancz, 1956)

audiobook read by Matt Addis (Brilliance Audio, 2015)

A pleasantly diverting collection of murder mystery tales. Appleby has more prominence and presence in the short form, though many of these stories give the impression of being little more than too-good-to-throw-away ideas that Innes dismissed as lacking substance for a novel.

Doctor Who: Delta and the Bannermen

by Derelict Space Sheep on February 13, 2023 in 42 Word Retrospectives • 0 Comments

Doctor Who: Delta and the Bannermen

by Malcolm Kohll (Target, 1989)

audiobook read by Bonnie Langford (BBC, 2017)

An ambitious story, in that it pairs manifestly serious themes (not least, genocide) with a feel-good, late-1950s rock ‘n’ roll vibe. Kohll opts for blithe exuberance in the novelisation, and, regrettably, not to excise the American agents. Langford’s reading is pure Mel.

The Summer of the Dinosaur

by Derelict Space Sheep on February 11, 2023 in 42 Word Retrospectives • 0 Comments

The Summer of the Dinosaur

by Willis Hall; ill. John Griffiths (Bodley Head, 1977)

A middle-grade adventure that would have been excellent at half the length and with more attention paid to Henry and the dinosaur. Instead, Hall belabours the one-dimensional adults and their tiresome quirks. The ceaseless repetition in no way serves as actual humour.