I really wanted to like this novel. It starts out with a powerfully evocative writing style, with an opening scene that promises wonderful world building. It is a story about myth and faith and the power of the individual against all odds. This story is partly set in an alien post-apocalyptic reality, and partly in […]
“The Quest for the Holy Hummus” by James Allinson
There is a particularly British form of humour that society does better than anyone else, involving equal parts creativity, wit, and just plain silliness. Terry Pratchett and Rowan Atkinson come to mind as the bookends for the spectrum, with Monty Python filling all the gaps. This Quest falls somewhere in the middle, with great creativity, […]
Days of Clear Light: A Festschrift in Honour of Jessie Lendennie, in Celebration of Salmon Poetry at 40
It is important that you don’t get turned away by the wordy title or the academese of the presentation of these poems: “The Salmon, a journal of poetry and prose, as an alternative voice in Irish Literature.” With a foreword by the President of Ireland, no less. We are moving in a rarefied atmosphere, here. […]
“The Cautionary Tales: Reimagined Nursery Rhymes for a Post-Trump World” by Linus Bryn
Nursery rhymes are famous for their hidden political commentary, so making parodies of them would seem to be a fine source for ironic humour. Enter the Post-Trump World. This looks like a kid’s book of rhymes, and the best part of it is the polished, professional and creative artwork. The best use of parody is […]