Book Reviews

First published 1970.  Sphere paperback, 1989, pp 383, c.145,000 words. This is one of Master’s late works and a very unusual one.  It is a history of The Rock of Gibraltar told through a series of fictional stories, each of which is introduced...

First published 1866.  Penguin paperback, 1977, translated by David Magarshack, pp 559 including pp 9 introduction, c.245,000 words (main text). Dostoyevsky was brought up in a solid middle-class family in Moscow.  His father was murdered. ...

First published 1982.  Fontana paperback, 1985, pp 347, c.120,000 words. Usually with Innes novels, there is an underlying theme that connects to a topical news issue of the day in which it was written.  In this case it is the threat of oil...

First published 1984.  Fontana paperback, 1987, pp 314, c.100,000 words. Perhaps Bagley wanted to use the title Night of Terror, but then someone pointed out that this had been well-used for a couple of films (1933, 1972).  It would have been...

First published 1980.  Pan paperback, 1997, pp 442, c.125,000 words. As is often the case with Innes novels, there is some underlying theme connected to a topical issue of the day.  In this case it is the insurrection in the Pacific island of Bougainville...

First published 1974.  Fontana paperback, 1977, pp 256, c.95,000 words. As is often the case with Innes novels, there is some underlying theme connected to a topical issue of the day.  In this case it is the discovery and exploitation of large...

First published 1993.  Phoenix paperback, 1995, pp 549, c.190,000 words. The third part of this monster novel (total for all three volumes apparently 591,554 words – slightly longer than War and Peace) draws towards the inevitable conclusion of...

First published 1966.  Faber paperback, 1975, pp 252, c.85,000 words. The sixth volume of science fiction stories edited by Crispin contains work by some of the masters of the genre: names like Ray Bradbury, J. G. Ballard, Brian Aldiss, James Blish,...