Wool shows how to develop enthralling plots and sharp, believable characters. Howey colours his world well; the scenario is satisfyingly rich. The book will reward re-reading, thanks to its depth of detail.
Stumble into imagination
Sometimes writing is about listening. I was strolling along Oxford’s Cowley Road. A young man walked past me, and turned, asking why I used crutches. Having a brain cyst and balance problems makes them useful, so I let him know this. That’s when the dialogue veered into the unfamiliar.
Review: Dark Eden, by Chris Beckett
A novel showing survival isn’t enough. Dark Eden describes a culture born from ours, but one where time has turned technology into relics, stamped its mark on the language, and turned adult minds stagnant. People appear content to scrabble for survival in a world of dwindling resource, unwilling and unable to plan for any…
Review: Children of Time, by Adrian Tchaikovsky
A superb example of what science fiction can achieve. Tchaikovsky takes us on two different journeys, and deftly interweaves the story threads in a way which would make a spider envious. We’re shown one species slow ascent to consciousness and technology, while another struggles through a chaotic journey, never able to leave the mistakes of…