The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

This modern work of philosophy is a must-read for anyone who reads. No, really, it’s that good. It is the world seen through the eyes of a child re-told by an author with a child-like view of the world.

The Little Prince has a great deal of charm, with the occasional sting, just so you know. From the stupidity of bureaucracy through to self-destructive behaviour, expressions of love and the vanity of greed and power, this book provides a welcome, gentle poke at society in all its strange forms.

The author urges us to be more like the Prince, and you can tell this is something he wants for himself too. de Saint-Exupery died in 1944, probably shot down over the Mediterranean (he loved the solitude of flying), fortunately for us, his work lives on.

Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson

This book could be considered the fourth book in the Baroque Cycle, although it was actually written first. One character features across all four books, but telling you who would count as a spoiler, so I won’t.

Cryptonomicon takes place partly in World War Two, partly in the 1990s. Two stories, each gripping in their own way, gradually connect on the Philippines in a search for Japanese war gold, looted from Asia and hidden away for decades.

As you might expect from the title, a lot of the World War Two action focuses on the codebreaking efforts of the allies, as they race to decode German and Japanese transmissions while also hiding from the enemy their successes.

As with Neal’s other books in this cycle the research has been meticulous and every location is describes briefly, but with incredible authenticity. From the Philippines of the 1990s to Sweden in World War Two, each location becomes almost a character in its own right. I love Neal’s writing so this book was a real treat for me. Highly recommended, along with the three Baroque Cycle books.

The New Penguin Atlas of Medieval History by Colin McEveedy

I agree; not the most inspiring book title in the world. However this one is on my list of recommendations with good reason.

Well told, and well laid out, this book follows a format of a one-page map opposite a one-page explanation of what was going on at the time. The maps show shifting borders and empires and nations rise and fall, and new migrations give rise to new nationalities.

This is no dry list of kings and battles. The social and political systems get their airing, and the maps also show trade routes and resources, population centres, and the boundaries of religion.

In describing the book I feel like I am doing it a disservice. If you’ve ever wondered where things came from, why certain things are so, or why some countries have a mixed religion and others just one, many of the answers lie in this book. So much useful and engaging information packed into one compact package.

Plague Year by Jeff Carlson

I liked this book a lot. An intelligent novel about a nanotechnology-driven disaster needed to be written, after the neo-Luddite nonsense that was Prey.

Short version; medical nanobots run amok and render every part of Earth below 6,000 metres uninhabitable. Traumatised survivors squat on a mountaintop in the Sierra Ranges. When food runs low, they begin eating one another.

That is just the introduction, mind you. The actual tale of Plague Year begins right after this. It’s a good one.

Bones of the Hills by Conn Iggulden

The Genghis Khan trilogy wraps up with this book. That was a shame from my perspective as I was hoping for more books. Personal bias there, as I find the Mongols of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries quite fascinating.

The saga of the Mongols in their conflict with one of the pre-eminent military powers of the day, the arrogant Khwarizm takes centre stage in this book. All is not well at home for Genghis and his close family members are either under threat, or a threat to Genghis. Conn Iggulden ends a great series with a neat twist.

Charley’s War by Pat Mills

I am a sometime participant into the practice of having my childhood repackaged and sold back to me at today’s prices. Charley’s War is one such. Originally published between 1978 and 1986, this comic series really blew me away, and I only originally read the last 3 years’ worth.

Titan Books has begun a collection starting from the first episode and working through the story. I certainly hope they go all the way through. Adding to the value of the product are commentaries on the series by Pat Mills, and each volume has an article about the period of history, or from someone giving another view into how the series came to light.

Charley’s War remains a wonderful anomaly. An anti-war war story about The Great War appearing in a boys’ comic about how great war is. It’s a gritty, unrelenting examination of a truly horrendous period of history. Better yet, it’s well told, full of characters to love and pity and hate, and brought to life with incredible artwork from Joe Colquhoun.

The books are being released at the rate of one per year, in October. The sixth is coming soon. Mark your calendars!

When I’m not Reading, I’m Writing

I like to write too, but curiously I find that I cannot read and write over the same period of time. If I’m lost in a good book, I don’t have the mindspace to write, and when I’m going through the process of creating a story, picking up a book will only interrupt that.

There’s a backlog of books to cover, since blog writing doesn’t count as story writing (sorry!)

In a piece of news, my short story Salvage Rights came runner-up in a competition run through Irregular Magazine and was printed in Issue 2. Check it out!

Lords of the Bow by Conn Iggulden

The second Mongol book by Iggulden shows first hand just how ruthless and effective their way of war was. With an army comprised of hardened men, all mounted, all expert archers, the Mongols lay waste to the armies of the more civilised and advanced Chinese. With their defeat of the main foreign power on their borders, it seems the Mongols are free to expand until their empire is bordered by the sea on all sides.

As he has done with Caesar before this, Iggulden vividly brings to life this period of history. Turning historical account and tribal memories into characters and events to keep the pages turning is no mean feat, and Iggulden excels here. Lovers of history and fiction alike will find this series to be a great read. Readers of historical fiction may believe they have died and gone to heaven. You haven’t it’s just a very good series. The final, Bones of the Hills is out now.

The Watchmen by Alan Moore

Alan’s Moore’s tale of costumed heroes grown old revolutionised the comics industry when it was published in the 80s. Writers like Moore and Frank Miller made comics something people had a reason to read.

Revisiting the series, it does not disappoint. It strikes me this time round that the story is principally about what happens when life moves on and leaves you behind. Where do you go?

This is a question asked by the original heroes, now ageing and dying, and also their generational replacements. The story starts and ends with the murder of one costumed hero by another.

For me the best moment of the tale is on Mars when Laurie finally learns the truth of her parentage, a truth she has known her whole life but never consciously admitted to herself. As Jon helps her bring the truth to the surface, it’s very moving.

If you’ve never read The Watchmen before, now is the time to do so. If you’ve never read a graphic novel before, The Watchmen is an excellent place to start.

Foundling by D.M. Cornish

Foundling starts off being a little too Harry Potter. Rossamund, young orpan boy, bullied by the bigger boys, mysterious origins, odd adults are inexplicably kind to him, etc. Luckily this all stops quite quickly and we find Rossamund travelling the road through strange lands.

As a travelling book this one travels extremely well.

The lands are permanently menaced by monsters, and the brave monster hunters travel the lands to hunt them down and keep people safe. As Rossamund travels, he discovers this isn’t quite as straightforward as he grew up believing and there is fairness to be found in the so-called monsters, and it is often people who offer the greater threat.

This fantasy novel is firmly on the technology side of things, with firearms, optics, chemistry, and even electricity playing their part in the tale.

This is the first book in a trilogy so there is no ending as such, more a ‘to be continued…’ The last hundred or so pages are taken up with an illustrated glossary to introduce us to the world and its odd names for things. Which is nice.