#49. A FALL OF MOONDUST By Arthur C Clarke

Published : 1961
Pages : 224
Overall Mark : 8/10

Time is running out for the passengers and crew of the tourist-cruiser Selene, incarcerated in a sea of choking lunar dust while, on the surface, her rescuers find their resources stretched to the limit by the mercilessly unpredictable conditions of a totally alien environment. A brilliantly imagined story of human ingenuity and survival, A Fall Of Moondust is a tour-de-force of psychological suspense and sustained dramatic tension.

ARTHUR C. CLARKE (1917-2008)
Born in Somerset in 1917, but a long-time resident of Sri Lanka, Sir Arthur Clarke is the world's most famous living SF writer: author of the scientific paper which established the principle of communications satellites, collaborator with Stanley Kubrick on 2001, and winner of numerous awards for his novels, including Childhood's End, The City And The Stars and Rendezvous With Rama.

VERDICT
This novel manages to keep the tension rising right up until the last page, and proves to be one of Clarke's most suspenseful books. Packed with enough action to make a Hollywood blockbuster jealous, this short yet detailed take is a must read for any SF or Clarke fan, and will not disappoint, though the epilogue did feel a little unnecessary.

#48. GRASS By Sheri S Tepper

Published : 1989
Pages : 540
Overall Mark : 7/10

Generations ago, humans fled to the cosmic anomaly known as Grass. But before humanity arrived, another species had already claimed Grass for its own. It too had developed a culture... Now a deadly plague is spreading across the stars, leaving no planet untouched, save for Grass. But the secret of the planet's immunity hides a truth so shattering it could mean the end of life itself.

SHERI S. TEPPER (1929-)
'One of SF's premier world builders' (The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction), Sheri Tepper is a prolific American writer of science fiction, fantasy, horror, mystery, crime and poetry. Her first SF novel, The Awakeners, was originally published in two volumes in 1987, Beauty (1991), winner of the Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel, is a Fantasy Masterwork.

VERDICT
Tepper is a capable writer, and this is a decent book, it just isn't very memorable. I struggled to remember anything about the characters in this book, and though I can recall the overarching premise of the story it is difficult to determine what parts were most impressive and which were weak and in need of work.

#47. THE INVISIBLE MAN By H G Wells

Published : 1897
Pages : 138
Overall Mark : 8/10

Wells's great novel describes a man cast out of society by his own terrifying discovery. Griffin is a brilliant and obsessed scientist diedicated to achieving invisibility. Taking whatever action is necessary to keep his discovery safe, he terrorises the local village where he has sought refuge. Wells skillfully weaves together the elements of the story as the invisible Griffin gradually loses his sanity and, ultimately, his humanity.

H. G. WELLS (1866-1946)
The son of a shopkeeper, Wells began to publish fiction in the 1890s. The Time Machine, published in 1895, heralded an extraordinary period of 6 years in which he published almost all the 'scientific romances' which made his fame. An early member of the Fabian Society (from which developed the Labour Party), he was for the last four decades of his life a world-famous writer and thinker.

VERDICT
For those who have seen the many horror versions of this classic sci-fi novel, you might be surprised to read this, as it is more of a flat drama than anything else. Granted, Griffin’s obsession with invisibility does have elements of horror, but the main draw of this book is the psychosis that affects him, rather than the attacks on those who might discover his secret.

#46. FLOW MY TEARS, THE POLICEMAN SAID By Philip K Dick

Published : 1974
Pages : 204
Overall Mark : 7/10

Jason Taverner is a Six, the product of top secret government experiments forty years earlier which produced a handful of unnaturally bright and beautiful people. He is also a TV star, the prime idol of millions... until, inexplicably, all record of him disappears from the data banks. Now he is a man with no identity, in a police state where everybody's records are monitored. Can he ever be rich and famous again... if, indeed, those memories are not illusions.

PHILIP K. DICK (1928-1982)
'One of the two or three most important figures in 20th century US SF' (The Encyclopedia Of Science Fiction). Born one of twins - his sister died in infancy - he lived most of his life in California, and wrote more than fifty books in a career of prodigious productivity and achievement. The films Blade Runner and Total Recall are both based on his stories.

VERDICT
Although not one of his most memorable efforts, this riches to rags dystopian tale benefits from Dick's ability to create a world rich with plausablity and characters that are believable. Even when his concepts are far-fetched, which is most of the time, you can really feel yourself being drawn in to the tale and the trials that the characters are forced to face.

#45. THE COMPLETE RODERICK By John Sladek

Published : 1980 & 1983
Pages : 609
Overall Mark : 8/10

Roderick is a robot who learns. He begins life looking like a toy tank, thinking like a child, and knowing nothing whatever of human ways. But as he will discover, growing up and becoming fully human is no easy task in a world where many people seem to have little difficulty giving up their humanity and descending to other levels. Published here for the first time in one volume, the two novels which comprise The Complete Roderick are John Sladek's satirical masterpiece.

JOHN SLADEK (1937-2000)
Born in the USA, John Sladek moved to Britain in 1966 and became closely involved with the British New Wave movement and New Worlds magazine, sometimes collaborating with his childhood frined Thomas M. Disch. His other novels include The Reproductive System, The Muller-Fokker Effect and Tik-Tok.

VERDICT
This is an incredibly witty, incredibly touching novel that portrays the life of a robt named Roderick and how he copes with life and essentially goring up. As an allegory for the human condition this manages to be largely successful and really shows us how people treat each other because of their differences. Those who expect thsi to be a serious discussion may be disappointed, in spite of the serious topic the novel attempts to address.

#44. THE LATHE OF HEAVEN By Ursula Le Guin

Published : 1971
Pages : 184
Overall Mark : 7/10

George Orr is in most respects a mild and unremarkable man, but he has an ability with which he can transform the world around him, for George's dreams alter reality. His psychiatrist, William Haber, at first sceptical, cannot resist using George's powers once he sees their effects - initially just to advance his own career, but then, gaining confidence, to try to change their overcrowded world into a more attractive place.

URSULA LE GUIN (1929-)
Born in 1929, daughter of a famous anthropologist, Le Guin published her first novel in 1966. Her reputation as one of the world's leading SF and fantasy writers was established with the publication of A Wizard Of Earthsea (1968) followed by The Left Hand Of Darkness (1969) and The Dispossessed, both of which won both the Hugo and Nebula awards.

VERDICT
This is an interesting story - taking the idea of a man whose dreams come true, and using the theory of the genie's wishes that always go wrong no matter how philanthropic the intent might be - and showing how even the simplest wish can make matters worse. Sadly it becomes too far fetched, with an opening sequence that creates an idea that you start to belive in until the dream worlds become increasingly unrealistic.

#43. VALIS By Philip K Dick

Published : 1981
Pages : 256
Overall Mark : 8/10

It began with a blinding light. A divine revelation from a mysterious intelligence that called itself VALIS (Vast Active Living Intelligence System). And with that, the fabric of reality was torn apart and laid bare so that anything seemed possible but nothing seemed quite right. It was madness, pure and simple. But what if it were true?

PHILIP K. DICK (1928-1982)
'One of the two or three most important figures in 20th century US SF' (The Encyclopedia Of Science Fiction). Born one of twins - his sister died in infancy - he lived most of his life in California, and wrote more than fifty books in a career of prodigious productivity and achievement. The films Blade Runner and Total Recall are both based on his stories.

VERDICT
As one of the last books Dick ever saw published, this is his usual mixture of theology and drug induced schizophrenia. What makes this so good is the fact that as the book progresses it sort of devolves into a paranoid delusion, mirroring Dick's life at the time, and giving us a further glimpse into the mind of one of Science Fictions all times great authors.