The Skin Map by Stephen R Lawhead

There are unlimited alternative realities and some people can move between them along a network of ley lines. Most of those people seem to be searching for a map of that network, a map that is tattooed into a man's skin.

This is the opening salvo in Stephen R. Lawhead's Bright Empires series, entitled THE SKIN MAP. The initial set up might call to mind that of other books or TV shows (THE LONG EARTH by Pratchett and Baxter for example, or SLIDERS on the cathode ray tube machine), but then it's a conceit that's been around for a long time. It's not what the idea is, it's what you do with it.

Stephen Lawhead tells a boy's own action adventure story of a young man who meets an ancestor who shows him how to travel across the multiple realities. He also introduces him to the dangers, mainly in the shape of those who would use the ley lines and the travelling for their own, evil purposes. An innocently bystanding girlfriend gets caught up in the plot and lost in time space and the man with the map meets a girl that he likes.

First off, be warned that THE SKIN MAP is the first book in a series and it is not a self-contained story. This is a the opening book and nothing is resolved. In fact, several plotlines that seem to be going nowhere close to converging are jammed together in the final chapters to make for some kind of episode-ending cliffhanger, but that leaves so many questions left open that will only be answered (hopefully) in the later books. If you're not willing to read the rest of the series then don't start the first.

Stephen Lawhead's writing is very easy on the eye and this book is so very easy to read. The time just slips by and before you know it you're at the end, but even during this time it somehow feels less than fully satisfying. This is brought to a head at the end where things get rushed and aren't explained all that well (or perhaps I just wasn't engaged enough to pay attention). The main plot of the young man finding his way in this new multiverse is fine and provides a strong backbone to the book, but the missing girlfriend gets a plot about setting up a bakery and then a coffee shop (no, seriously) that never approaches any sort of significance before suddenly taking a leap that serves only to help with the cliffhanger. Perhaps that will all get sorted out in the other books as well.

People move around a lot, but there isn't that much action to be getting on with. The characters are easy to get on with and are appealing enough to paper over many of the cracks.

THE SKIN MAP is less than satisfying starter that might turn into a good meal with the addition of the extra courses. If someone were to give the other parts to read, I would happily do so, but I won't be finding myself going out to buy them any time soon.

Crab Monsters, Teenage Cavemen and Candy Stripe Nurses - Roger Corman: King of the B Movie

Now that's a title and a half for a book.

But that's fair enough because it's a lovely book, both to look at and to read. It's lavishly illustrated with movie stills, film posters and behind the scenes photographs, all illustrating the story of a quite remarkable man.

In case you don't know, Roger Corman is a hugely prolific film-maker who produced enough films to make him practically a studio. He's the man who shot THE LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS in two days, but also made my favourite THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH, which is just a gorgeous film.

This is not a critical biography of the man, though. The story is told in interview snippets from so many people that worked with (and for, let's be honest) Roger Corman and other movie luminaries. John Landis, Jack Nicholson, Joe Dante, Jonathan Demme, James Cameron and many more all put in their penny's worth.

And pennies seems to have been Corman's ethos. Pay as little as you can get away with and make a profit on everything that you put out. Some of the films were outright exploitative rubbish, but others were bona fide masterpieces.

If only through the people whose careers he helped to kickstart, Roger Corman has been a huge influence on the movie industry and this bright, cheerful and fun read seems just the right way to celebrate him.

100 Science Fiction Films from the BFI

When it comes to movies, the British Film Institute knows a thing or two, so when they choose to produce a book giving you the top 100 entries into a genre then you'd expect to sit up and take notice.

As a result of those expectations, 100 Science Fiction Films by Barry Keith Grant is something of a puzzle.

Now, don't get me wrong - the author knows his science fiction films. Whilst all the usual suspects are there (Metropolis, Blade Runner, Star Wars) there are a few less obvious entries. Nobody could argue with La Jetee, for example, but it's a bit on less well-known side as are Born In Flames and Tribulation 99: Alien Anomalies Under America (what do you mean, everyone has heard of that one?).

No, the reason for puzzlement is the form of the book. Nobody would expect a book from the BFI to be a vapid picture gallery, but the assessment that goes with each film proves to be mainly a precis of the storyline (and yes, spoilers ahoy!) with only a small amount of time spent on why the film is notable. Each film only gets two pages and that's reduced to only a page and a half when you take into account the single image that goes with it. This really doesn't give enough space for the author to go into any great depth.

So, here's the rub - who is this book for? True, if you are a newcomer taking on the genre for the first time, then this might be the book to guide you on your way, but there are plenty of 'best of' lists online. For the the experienced sci-fi moviegoer, there really isn't enough here to make it even a worthwhile gift from a loved one.