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An interesting blend of SF and what over here in the UK is called, somewhat derogatorily 'Aga Saga' [wikipedia] - that is to say, stories which closely follow several generations of a middle class family and their liaisons and mores.

Certainly, the balance of this story is such that it might sit better on the shelves of libraries and bookshops alongside Joanna Trollope's latest rather than the fat SF of Peter F. Hamilton or Alastair Reynolds.

The family whom we are introduced to are a very affluent one, the head of whom is Sir Edgar Laurence. And it is his visitation by an alien intelligence which sets the story off, as the lauded pianist is in the middle of a performance at the Albert Hall, when the sudden appearance of an alien presence in his mind puts him off completely. The alien visitation is select one, affecting only a small number of people in small geographic areas across the SE of England, the USA, Canada and France. The alien 'beings' embed themselves in the brains of their putative hosts, and are able to strike up internal conversations with them.

Laura is the member of the family whom we follow most closely. She is a novelist, and her alien presence is inquisitive as to what it is to be human.

Aldiss explores the different approaches to the alien menace - with the USA and France taking entirely diffent views (the USA terminating the perceived threat within their borders the utmost severity).

As the danger to Laura grows, we find out the true nature of the aliens, and the 'special relationship' between the USA and the UK. After a couple of romantic liaisons, Laura chooses the protection of a French colleague and after a dramatic kidnap/car chase which felt a little '101 Dalmations' the narrative stops dead. We are then fast forwarded a couple of decades to an epilogue, and given a short glimpse of the two worlds in which we will live - one world which has embraced the message of the visitors and where everyone is equal(ly mired in squalor), and another where those within Fortress USA are able to maintain their standard of living at the expense of everyone else.

Aldiss makes some pointed political comment, although the alien visitors are really no more than a simple plot device to enable internal dialogue to be relayed, and consequently there isn't a huge sfnal element therein. However, it is an entertaining read, although many non-Brits may find the middle-class goings-on of the extended family more alien than the average BEM in a lot of SF. And what a difference a few months makes : Aldiss provides a few news headlines from the TV, which invariable include news of an England batting collapse in cricket - this would have been sadly believable earlier this year, but a strong England cricketing performance rather dates this element of the story! (Mind you, give it a few more months, and it will doubtless be appropriate again).

A mellow, mature consideration of what it is to be human, which doubtless Aldiss, now in his eighties, feels can be done from the perspective of experience, rather than plot devices involving far-future forest worlds or generation starships.

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Earlier in 2005, Eric Brown co-edited, with Mike Ashley, 'The Mammoth Book of New Jules Verne Adventures', published in the UK by Constable & Robinson (amazon.co.uk) and by Carroll & Graf in the USA (amazon.com). That featured over 20 stories, mostly by British writers of high repute (ie Stephen Baxter, Brian Stableford, Ian Watson, Adam Roberts), although some by overseas-types of high repute (ie Paul Di Filippo), and some by others (ie F Gwynplaine MacIntyre).

One contribution was by Peter Crowther, of PS Publishing, so he is obviously a Verne afficianado, and hence would not have needed much persuading to publish a longer homage than might otherwise have been possible in the Mammoth collection.

Whilst the majority (perhaps all, as I have yet to read it) of the stories in the Mammoth collection featured Verne's (now out of copyright) characters in new adventures, in this PS Publishing chapbook, Brown posits an adventure for Jules Verne himself.

Ian Watson provides a short introduction, which looks at the contrasting cases of Verne and Wells for the title of Father of Science Fiction, and then Brown then takes the reader on an adventure as seen through Verne's young eyes.

True to life, Verne starts the story in a relatively menial job in Paris in his early 20s. However, a chance meeting in a bar leads to Verne embarking on a most strange journey.

Not being a Verne scholar, I could not vouchsafe accurately for the extent to which all the characters draw on Verne's, although it is possible to ascertain that the fictional Verne is transported to the future to meet, Robur, the Master of the World, is indeed one of the real Verne's creations link

Verne has been summoned to the far future by none other then M Robur, who is desirous of having Verne write his biography. Why? Because M Leroux was so inspired by reading Verne's tales of Leroux, that he grew up deterimined to become Master of the World, and took that name. A perplexing conundrum approachs, as this fictional Verne realises that Robur is an egotistical mass murderer - what has he created, albeit unwittingly through his own writing? And what of the fact that he has yet to have begun writing his stories in his own time line?

Brown resolves the problem through the use of quantum alternate Vernes, and not only does Verne get the girl, but also the meek, or rather, the alien Keem, do inherit the Earth. (Did Verne have a penchant for awful puns, or is this purely down to Brown?)

Whilst I have a suspicion that the 498 pages of the Mammoth Book of New Jules Verne Adventures may well never get read, I can confirm that the slimmer volume in hand was a most enjoyable read (concluding pun notwithstanding) in which Brown gives a convincing impersonation of M Verne. Certainly a better showpiece of Brown's ability than his recent 'Approaching Omega'

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I have only read a couple of Joyce's stories, and TWOC is similar to his 'Black Dust' which appeared in F&SF in February 2002, in that both are excellent, although the genre elements are modest.

TWOC is an acronym used by the British police and judiciary for Taking Without Owner's Consent - with reference to cars. The story follows Matt Norris, whose life has taken a downturn after a car crash in which he was badbly burnt on the hands, his brother was killed, and his brother's girlfriend badly scarred. That, however, is his recollection, and he's not the most reliable of characters. He is suffering some post-traumatic stress, but the big bummer is the fact that his dead brother is haunting him - bizarrely invariably wearing some very odd clothes of one kind or another. (Interestingly, at one point wearing a red gingham dress with hair in bunches, as did Arnold Rimmer in one episode of Red Dwarf - and the intro to the book is by co-writer of Red Dwarf, Rob Grant).

The story follows Matt's path to redemption. He has to overcome a lot of obstacles - a female probation office who other than her hairy legs is quite attractive, a trip to a remote location for an activity-based bit of therapy in which he teams up with a female goth arsonist and an acned graffiti artist. But most of all it is his brother, his guilt, and his faulty recollection of the actual events of the night of the crash wo which he has to face up.

With the help of his erstwhile partners in crime, he is able to face down his demons, rid himself of the haunting brother and memories, and finally make the right choice at the right time.

The aforementioned F&SF story was a memorable one, with an acutely painful ending (the ghost of a miner father looking for his son), and this story will stick in the mind, with Joyce creating some eminently solid three-dimensional characters. I'm going to have to dig out some of the unread issues of Interzone to read some of his stories therein. The other story of his I have read, appeared in Interzone #165 March 2001, was actually a reprint (they didn't mention it) of 'Partial Eclipse' from SCI FICTION in 2000. That's well worth a read.

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