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In the July issue: INTERVIEW: C. DAVID INGRAM PHYLLIS OWEN: THAT WOMAN! Roy of the Rovers special feature DOZENS OF NEW BOOK REVIEWS: FOLLOW THE LINKS |
Monthly Online Book Review and Listings Magazine ~ July 2009
Home page ::: Crime ::: Fantasy & SF ::: Popular ::: History ::: Nonfiction ::: Children's ::: Nostalgia
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stories & features |
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This title celebrates another momentous decade in the career of soccer's greatest player, Roy Race, as he competes to win the GBP 30,000 Goal Rush Challenge, teaches how to play American Football, tackles the problem of hooliganism head on and struggles to control Melchester's latest signing - the fiery, arrogant but highly talented Paco Diaz. This volume also features a selection of features and articles taken from the original "Roy of the Rover" comic, including a 2 page feature written by Eric Morecambe. Also included is a selection of period ads for legendary toys including Chopper, Dinky, Corgi and a variety of Kellogg's long defunct breakfast cereals. CONNECTIONS... I recently had a copy of the DVD of Stephen King's NIGHTMARES AND DREAMSCAPES given to me as an anniversary present; one of the episodes was called CROUCH END. Yesterday, Father's Day (June 21st) I received a CD of the Kinks, remastered by the wonderful Ray Davies, accompanied by the Crouch End Festival Chorus...
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Ashes to Ashes in Holby City...
Last Monday June 8th saw the final episode of the second series of ASHES TO ASHES starring the fantastic Philp Glenister and the gorgeous Keeley Hawes. Is it just me who wishes she was being treated by Ric Griffin in Holby City, maybe operated on by Derek Shepherd (McDreamy from Grey's Anatomy), and the whole mystery to be solved by Chief Inspector Foyle? I love the idea of my favourite TV series characters being linked together in some kind of fantasy world, where someone's mother from Eastenders turns out to be D.I. Hunt's long lost girlfriend from 1981, and the nurse from Holby City is on hand when Carl King in Emmerdale suffers an anxiety attack. After all, there is some talk of Keller Ward in Casualty, and frequent mention of Connie Beacham... oh yes, they are both set in Holby City hospital, aren't they? Though you could be forgiven for not realising that, as the sets are entirely different!
Back in the 1960s and 1970s, there wasn't a single TV series that didn't spawn a novel, or in most cases, a series of novels. What's happened to the novelisation of LIFE ON MARS and ASHES TO ASHES, two of the most popular crime-fantasy series ever shown on British TV? Why isn't there a series of paperback books following the adventures of Maria or Donna from Holby City, and maybe one chronicling the exploits of the fabulous Sam STrachan in his new life across the pond? Why no books about Inspector Foyle? I don't know if there are GREY'S ANATOMY novels in the US - I could find out - in fact I will find out before I cloose this rather strange and personal editorial - but then the Americans do go in for novelisations in a big way. The end credits of every film made in the US say "read the novelisation from Pocket Books" or any one of a dozen or more American publishing houses. I simply don't understand why there isn't a legion of people out there writing these books. I would read them - crikey, I would write them if I were an established writer! I would like nothing better. The only British TV show that has millions of novelisations associated with it, apart from all those great TV detectives which are loosely based on even greater original novels (Caroline Graham, Elizabeth George, Reginald Hill et al), is Doctor Who. I have to say I'm not a huge fan, particularly of the departing doctor, and even less of the silly teenaged boy who will succeed him (even though I nothing about him, I can tell he's not Doctor Who material). In fact, in my opinion, Doctor Who lost its edge when Tom Baker quit. But I digress.
There are, of course, novelisations of films. Take Gladiator - please. That novelisation is dire. But it's not what I want to read. I want to read the continuing adventures of Ric Griffin, D C I Hunt and D I Alex Drake, and Inspector Foyle. I want to see rows of novels about Holby City lined up like Emmerdale novels from the last century. Surely it's not too much to ask? Publishers please take note. They would sell like hot cakes. And if there really is no one out there with the energy and vision to write these stories, please, please, please can I have the job? How about this for an opening paragraph:
It seemed that Ric Griffin, Director of Surgery at Holby City Hospital, rarely smiled these days, and even on this bright sunny morning in June, Maria could see that his pursed lips and glowering face meant another directorial edict was on its way. She brushed a stray curl of hair behind her ear, took her hands from her pockets and rushed to meet him. 'Mr Griffin,' she said, 'everything's under control. Mr Cullen has been delayed but will be here in half an hour. Mark - er, Nurse Williams is in the treatment room with an RTA victim. Donna is...' Where was Donna? Third time late in as many days... 'Donna is emptying a bedpan.' Ric's eyebrows shot up. 'I know where Donna is, she's in reception nusring a hangover. Don't cover for her. Tell her to be in my office at nine thirty. I do not appreciate being lied to, Nurse Kendall!' He stormed off, leaving Maria flustered and miserable. Damn Donna! Why couldn't she leave her nights out till the weekend?
There, couldn't be easier, could it? And now, of course, we need Derek Shepherd again to save the fabulous Nick Jordan from his brain tumour in the excellent CASUALTY...
This month's mixed bag of new books includes an hilarious collection of short stories by Rich Hall (of QI fame), a stunning third from Marshall Karp, superlative fantasy from Tim Lebbon in THE ISLAND, and another batch of eye-catching coffee tablebooks from Dorling Kindersley and Carlton/Prion, including some extraordinarily fine titles to commemorate the fortieth anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. Two more gorgeous titles from Girls Gone By spearhead a strong nostalgia list.
I broke off from the normal read-to-review routine this month to take in Stephen King's ON WRITING. I'm hoping to kick-start my own writing career with some short stories, so I thought I should read what the master has to say on the subject, and by golly, it's well-written and fascinating stuff. Some of it is commonsense and comes naturally; other things, like adverbs, are less obvious until they're explained to you. This was the one King title missing from my collection, and I'm glad I got it. It's opened my eyes and will hopefully lead to my becoming a better writer. Please be aware that the Holby City paragraph above is not to be taken seriously, and in no way indicative of my prowess as a serious story writer...
Flaming June? Pah! Damp squib June is what it is here mid month, at least. Day after day of below-normal temperatures, days with the central heating on, hours and hours of rain, and the only thing to do is painting and decorating when we should be out in the garden! British summertime? Pah! As I write this, at 6.22am on June 28th, there's a blanket of dark grey fog over us while the rest of the country basks in bright sunlight...
Books Monthly is published on the first day of every month. If you'd like me to publish a story you've written, please e-mail me at editor@booksmonthly.com ~ no payment, I'm afraid, as I don't make any money from the magazine. The length of your story is no problem - long or full-length stories can be serialised. Similarly, if you have a feature article on a book, author or artist you would like me to publish, e-mail it to me and I'll fit it in. Deadline for inclusion in the next month's magazine is 15th of the month