[rating=5]
324 pages • McClelland and Stewart • 1985

Atwood’s great dystopian novel about a futuristic fundamentalist society is spellbinding and bewildering.

The Handmaid’s Tale is a virtuoso performance, and Atwood’s great definitive statement on the dangers inherent in the postmodern era.

[rating=1]
392 pages • Beautiful Books • November 6th, 2008 [HB]

The as-told-to autobiography of the voice behind “I’ve Never Been To Me” does not sit well with Christopher Bryant.

I’ve Never Been To Me is so unreal that it is like reading the autobiography of a fictional character who has orchestrated the writing of said biography through a second party. The fact that this second party has the unlikely name of Jordan Paramor only heightens the sense of that it is one step removed from everyday reality.

[rating=5]
544 pages • Faber & Faber • April 3rd, 2008 [HB]

Tim Bennett-Goodman is delighted by the exceptional Adam Mars-Jones.

While a bald outline of the plot would hardly be calculated to send one rushing out to buy the book, to describe the memoir of a bed-ridden disabled boy growing up in the 1950s and ‘60s as a gripping read might seem hyperbolic, if not actually a breach of the Trade Descriptions Act.

[rating=5]
US: 665 min • 20th Century Fox • DVD

This first-rate sci-fi show was cancelled after 14 episodes when it should have run for many years.

Firefly was much mourned, and rightly so. It is one of the finest Sci-Fi shows in the history of television.

[rating=4]
UK: 96 min • Red Union Films • 2009

A triumphant film about the lure of hooliganism.

What sets Awaydays apart from its peers are its inherent themes, such as unrequited burgeoning love, grief & isolation, culminating in a tragic denouement for the central pair that will change their lives forever.

[rating=4]
Released on October 21st, 1997

Nyman’s soundtrack is as intense and disturbing as the film it accompanies.

Nyman’s Gattaca is a focussed and consistent work of minimalist composing that does not stray from the message.

[rating=5]
Released on June 1st, 2009

A masterful album from a first-rate storyteller. Wolf is one of the most original singer-songwriters out there.

Wolf’s ability to forge the traditional with the contemporary renders his work with a timeless quality, and The Bachelor is an album which will undoubtedly endure.

[rating=4]
Released on May 18th, 2009

A wide-ranging album of diverse songs that explore the idea of what constitutes sin. Another remarkable outing from Tori Amos.

Abnormally Attracted to Sin is marked by songs that slowly build and gather a momentum to create a powerful, forceful statement. This is more of a noticeable trend than on any of Amos’ previous records. The soundscape she is creating is built around the message.

[rating=5]
US: 126 min • Paramount / Spyglass / Bad Robot • 2009

The Star Trek reboots kicks the increasingly antispectic elements of the franchise into the gutter.

The changes to the underlying scenario of the Trek universe enables it to start over. It is this audacity that is the key to Abrams’ achievement with this remarkable motion picture.

Religion, Politics and Sex in Battlestar Galactica

The 2003 reboot of Battlestar Galactica reconceived the possibility of Sci-Fi television, from the depth of the characters through to its engagement with sexuality. But on the subject of homosexuality it consistently faltered.

It is the complexity of the series, its darkness, and its willingness to deal with the questions of politics, sex and religion head on that make it such a landmark in television history.