Burn Bright – Marianne de Pierres (The Night Creatures #1)
Random House, 2011
306 pages
RRP: AU$18.95
ISBN: 978-1-86471-988-8

Reviewed by Liz Grzyb

Burn Bright is the first of an exciting new young adult series from the multi-talented author Marianne de Pierres. Having adored her Parrish Plessis and Sentients of Orion series, and the Tara Sharp books written under her pseudonym Marianne Delacourt, I couldn’t wait to read her newest release, a foray into the young adult fantasy world. Burn Bright did not disappoint, creating a dark and intriguing world of different rules and parties, reminiscent of Scott Westerfeld’s Uglies series.

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The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch – Philip K Dick
Hachette Gollancz Orion, 2007
256 pages
RRP: AU$22.99
ISBN 978-0-575-07997-7

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? – Philip K Dick
Hachette Gollancz Orion, 2007
224 pages
RRP: AU$22.99
ISBN 978-0-575-07993-9

Review by Russell B Farr

Much as been written about Philip K. Dick, both about the man and his writing. There are probably hundreds of theses dealing with the themes explored in works such as these two classics. PKD was either well past barking mad, or a genius: probably both. His stories have inspired quite a few great Hollywood movies (and quite a few bad ones), including Blade Runner and its associated plethora of Director’s cuts.

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Changeless (Parasol Protectorate #2) – Gail Carriger
Hachette Grand Central, 2010
374 pages
RRP: $14.99
ISBN: 978-031-607414-8

Reviewed by Kate Smith

Changeless is the continuing story of Alexia Tarabotti, however Alexia’s role in life has changed.  From a wallflower resigned to a life outside mainstream society, Alexia is now wife of the Lord Maccon (and therefore of great interest to London society), female Alpha of the Woolsey Pack of werewolves, and Mujah on Queen Victoria’s Shadow Council.  Alexia stands up to all these challenges in her customary practical manner.  The shift of location to Scotland is something particularly new that Alexia has to cope with but she deals with her husband’s past and a lot of hairy men in skirts much better than her friend, Ivy, and the sister she finds herself encumbered by.

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Sourdough and other stories – Angela Slatter
Tartarus Press, 2010
238 pages
RRP: £30
ISBN: 9781905784

Reviewed by Liz Grzyb

If you haven’t read any of Angela Slatter’s stories, you are truly missing out. Go out and find some immediately. I am a particular fan of Slatter’s fairytale-esque stories, like those found in Sourdough and her other 2010 collection, The Girl With No Hands. These stories read like a new Angela Carter – we are thrust into a fairytale world which bears little resemblance to that we explored as children. The stories in Sourdough are mostly linked by character and place, which helps the collection build and flow.

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