The Singular Adventures of Mr. Sherlock Holmes. Alan Stockwell. Diggory Press (2006)

This is a good collection of non Conan Doyle Sherlock Holmes stories. There is a substantial industry involved in publishing non Conan Doyle Sherlock Holmes stories and they vary enormously in quality from the execrable to the excellent, this collection is good, not excellent. Alan Stockwell takes a very straightforward approach, the stories are all within the general outlines used by Conan Doyle, there are no unlikely match ups nor does the author use any of the left dangling by Conan Doyle in the originals as starting points. The author does not try to imitate Conan Doyle too slavishly which is a god thing, the stories are clearly written with his own versions of Dr. Watson and Sherlock Holmes. This works very well as he does not make the maddening mistake of treating Dr. Watson as cretin or a buffoon as other writers have done. He is a foil to Sherlock Holmes not a fool.

What is missing from these stories is the moment of revelation where Sherlock Holmes displayed the line of deduction that he followed to his conclusion, the the theatrical flourish which which he showed off. For these stories this is the dog that did not bark. The episodes are fine in themselves, there is enjoyable questions raised and the resolutions are fair and thoughtful, the spark that makes Sherlock Holmes the icon that he is does not ignite. A pleasant read for fans.

The English Civil War. A People's History. Diane Purkiss. Harper Perennial (2007)

This is a very well written, detailed and thought provoking book that lives up to its sub-title. As an Irishman, for me the English Civil war was lost in the shadow cast by Oliver Cromwell, a shadow long enough to still appear in current political rhetoric here. This book provides a context for Cromwell and the others who followed him that makes much more sense of his actions in Ireland that a straightforward military history or a biography of Cromwell would have. This book explores the social and religious forces that lead to the war and were reinforced and amplified by the war. The two themes of the book are God and hunger, hunger for salvation and the presence of God, hunger as means of getting closer to God, hunger as a political act, hunger as a result of shortages created by the war and the impact of hunger on the conduct of the war and probably the aftermath of the war. Diane Purkiss shows in splendid detail, by drawing on the details of a wide range of lives how the intersection between religion and politics is unstable and explosive. They are fundamentally opposed to each other, the absolutism that has to lie at the roots of religion conflicts directly with the naturally compromising and accommodating methods of politics. The force of certainty takes over politics and power is given force by moral certainty. The way the "papists" transformed from being strictly Catholics into anyone who did not strictly worship as you did is vividly described in the book.

The impact of hunger, spiritual and physical is traced very clearly, it was the most visible and longest lasting aspect of the war on the population at large and on the soldiers doing the fighting. Not only did the actual fighting disrupt the growing and distribution of food, the armies ravaged the countryside in search of food and left communities in states of semi-starvation behind them. Diane Purkiss details some of the effects of starvation on people and the long term effects it can have, it gave an extra edge to the battles and helped extend the growing bitterness and division within the communities.

What I found most interesting, as I usually do when I read history, is how easily an alternative result could have come about. I am always cheered to find out just how important individuals are, how they become the hinges of history without intending or meaning to be, simply by being themselves. Sometimes history can seem like an faceless tide of economic or political forces moving populations without intervention, there are always people at the centre making decisions and being bound by their own personalities. Reading history always reminds me of the National Lottery ad, " It could be you!!"

This is a detailed and densely written book, Diane Purkiss presents a vivid and compelling view of a huge upheaval and how it effected the the lives of those who suffered for it and through it, a great read.

Hellboy Animated, Sword of Storms. Starz Media (2006)

A very enjoyable, original animated Hellboy film. As ever with the extended Hellboy franchise the quality control is very high and the story is allowed to develop according to its own logic without being constrained by continuity issues from other branches. In Japan a scholar opens a scroll that tells the story of how a brave samurai warrior trapped the demons, Thunder & Lightning in a sword and lost his beloved to the wrath of her father. The scholar becomes possessed and tracks down the sword and starts a process to release the demons and their brothers the dragons. The B.P.R.D., in this case Hellboy and Kate Corrigan and some others go to Japan to investigate the theft of the sword while Abe Sapien and Liz Sherman remain at the base. Hellboy soon finds himself trapped in a parallel space where he has to journey home with the sword,facing a number of challanges along the way as well as having some ambigious help, while in the real Earth dragons are coming to life in countries all over the world. In a very nice touch all the dragons are the ones that are particular to the traditions of that country. Abe and Liz are caught in a storm and a plane crash at sea and find themselves battling a very fierce creature from the deep. Hellboy crosses a mythical Japanese landscape, returns to modern Tokyo with trouble in tow and the smashing conclusion is delivered.

Some of the scenes in this film are drawn directly from Hellboy stories, others are freshly minted for this story. The animation is excellent, the Japanese flavour is clear without being insulting or intrusive. The various monsters are inventive and the fights are forceful and effective. With the same cast as the live action films providing the voices and a witty polished script, this is a quality production with plenty to interest a non-Hellboy fan.

The Dammed. Volume 1. Three Days Dead.Cullen Bunn (Writer), Brian Hurtt (Artist) Oni Press (2007)

Excellent idea support by a very skillful and effective execution. This very smart story is set in a Prohibition era style America where in the background of the underworld, demons are running the gangs and rackets, with the biggest racket being the trade in mortal souls. The protagonist of the story, Eddie, has been cursed by a set of demons, when he is killed, if he is touched by another that person dies in the same way and Eddie comes back to life, with a fresh scar to mark the passage. Eddie is called back from lying dead for three days by a major demon, Alphonse Aligheri, who needs Eddie to do some investigating for him. Aligheri and his main opponent had proposed a deal, to seal it required a third party, another high ranking demon, who had now gone missing. Eddie was to find the missing demon and that would clear his debts to Aligheri. The story unfolds in a very thoughtful and interesting way, the mix between the supernatural and the grim reality of the mortal world with it mixed cast of demons, gangsters and the cursed being skillfully drawn.

Critically the creative team have captured the cynical, mean-spirited core of the novels by W.R. Burnett as well as the style of the films that were made from them. Eddie is unpleasant man, what makes him work so well as a character is both his self knowledge and his feeling for a woman who has left him. These human traits make him a great flawed hero and give the book enough emotional weight to catch and involve the reader. The art is excellent, a suitably moody black and white that captures the shadows that hang over everyone even in broad daylight. The demons are just differentiated enough from the mortal cast that they could plausibly be existing in the same world, they are not overdone. The differences between most of them and the mortals they deal with is one of degree rather than absolutes. Skillful comics from a very talented team.

Aliens Vs Predator Omnibus Volume 1.Dark Horse Comics ( 2007)

Surprisingly good and excellent value. This is virtually the definition of "High Concept", take the monsters from two very successful science fiction film franchises and have them go head to head, the rest should be simple. As anyone who was unfortunate enough to have seen the film will know it is possible to make a complete hash of the concept. The stories in this book, for the most part, get it right, the creative teams have realised that it is neither the Aliens nor the Predators who are interesting, it is the human cast that has to carry the story. The first and longest story in the book, Blood Time, sets up the essential concepts very well. The Predators seed planets with Alien eggs, they come back to hunt the Aliens. This time there is a small human colony on the planet Ryushi and they are caught in the middle. It is essentially the same story arc as the film, except it is done with intelligence, care, craft and most importantly, the unlimited budget available to comics. The escalating fight between the Aliens and the Predators, with the struggling human group fighting both is excellent. It gives enough scope to the human cast to allow the reader to care, and in the person of Machiko Noguchi an excellent action heroine.

Other stories in the book are a bit variable as the writers try to grapple with the essential limitations of the concept, Eternal, is the best of the rest, a clever and nasty twist on the concept that has a real bite. The omnibus is well produced, the stories are reprinted in colour and it is satisfyingly hefty,Dark Horse have developed a very smart way to capitalise on their back catalogue.

Melissa Etheridge. Gtreatest Hits. The Road Less Travelled. Island (2005)

Subtlety is not Melissa Etheridge's strong suit, the songs on this collection could win Plain English awards, they are direct and played at full tilt and all the better for it. Musically, vocally and emotionally these songs all benefit from the full bore treatment they receive. They are songs about tumultuous emotions and tangled, uncertain situations where feelings are running high and frequently ragged. Low key would betray them by not honouring the force they represent.

Melissa Etheridge has a great voice, she can sing at volume, not shout nor loose any element of musicality, it is a rare gift. I love the sweep of the music and her voice, the clear articulation of the laden words is a pleasure, the emotions are loud and proud.

The stand out song on this collection for me is track 11, "I Want To Come Over", unrequited love has never been more forceful and despairing, it is a punch to the heart. This is a great open hearted collection of songs, turn the volume up to 11 and let them sweep you away.

Brak the Barbarian. John Jakes. Tandem (1976)

A Conan the Barbarian clone that stands firmly on its own feet and an excellent example of the genre. I bought this book long before I had ever heard of Conan, either in the comics or the original stories by Robert E. Howard and it has been a favourite of mine since I first read it thirty odd years ago. I was reminded of it while reading the reprints from Dark Horse of the various Marvel Conan comics from the 1970s. It has stood the test of time very well, re-reading it does provide a sharp antidote to nostalgia, the stories retain their flavour and strength. The opening story, The Unspeakable Shrine, sets the stage for the rest of the stories and introduces the key characters. Brak, a barbarian from the northern wastes has been exiled for mocking his peoples gods to much and has decided to make his way to Khurdisan the Golden, the richest kingdom in the world where the sun shines on beautiful women and easy plunder. In the first town he encounters, Brak is kidnapped to become a living sacrifice to the Dark One, Yob-Haggoth along with two others. Brak attracts the attention of Ariane, the daughter of Septegundus, the High Priest of Yob-Haggoth. Brak fights for his life on the alter of Yob-Haggoth with literally explosive results and gains the undying enmity of both Septegundus and Ariane. The rest of the stories are more adventures of Brak as he continues on the road to Khurdisan.

In any genre, originality is not at a premium, they key to success if how effectively the writer works within the constrains of the form. John Jakes delivers great sword and sorcery stories, they fit exactly into the mould, they are as predictable as they should be and mightily satisfying for the fan of the genre. They are a very precious thing, excellent sword and sorcery stories, the prose is loud and purple in the extreme, evil is vivid and horrible to see, a savage is more civilised than most city dwellers, more honourable in his dealings and ultimately has the courage to fight when it counts. This is high quality modern pulp and worth getting if you should come across it lurking in the depths of a second-hand bookshop.