The Book Plank

The Hive Construct by Alexander Maskill Situated deep in the Sahara Desert, New Cairo is a city built on technology – from the huge, life-giving solar panels that keep it functioning in a radically changed, resource-scarce world to the artificial implants that have become the answer to all and any of mankind's medical problems. But it is also a divided city, dominated by a handful of omnipotent corporate dynasties. And when a devastating new computer virus begins to spread through the poorest districts, shutting down the life-giving implants that enable so many to survive, the city begins to slide into the anarchy of violent class struggle. Hiding amidst the chaos is Zala Ulora. A gifted hacker and fugitive from justice, she believes she might be able to earn her life back by tracing the virus to its source and destroying it before it destroys the city. Or before the city destroys itself . . . Who doesn't like a good near future, dystopian, computer tech focu...

Raising Steam by Terry Pratchett, Discworld #40 To the consternation of the patrician, Lord Vetinari, a new invention has arrived in Ankh-Morpork - a great clanging monster of a machine that harnesses the power of all the elements: earth, air, fire and water. This being Ankh-Morpork, it's soon drawing astonished crowds, some of whom caught the zeitgeist early and arrive armed with notepads and very sensible rainwear. Moist von Lipwig is not a man who enjoys hard work - as master of the Post Office, the Mint and the Royal Bank his input is, of course, vital... but largely dependent on words, which are fortunately not very heavy and don't always need greasing. However, he does enjoy being alive, which makes a new job offer from Vetinari hard to refuse... Steam is rising over Discworld, driven by Mister Simnel, the man wi' t'flat cap and sliding rule who has an interesting arrangement with the sine and cosine. Moist will have to grapple with gallons of gr...

Author interview with Henry Venmore-Rowland By chance I stumbeld upon The Last Ceasar of Henry Venmore-Rowland while browsing the Transworld/Bantam Press catalogue. But on the first go I knew it was a book for me. I have been catching up with a lot of Roman fiction lately and I am pleased to see how these stories are told. What makes Henry Venmore-Rowlands books even more impressive is the fact that when his first book was acquired he was only 21. From the writing style he uses this is hardly noticeable. The books are written with a clear confidence and a very strong narration. If these are just his first books, be sure to keep an eye out for future works! I know I will.   Author bio:  Aside from the occasional family holiday, often to Italy, his only escape from school and village life was in the pages of historical fiction. His fascination with military and political history, the kings and battles approach, somehow got him into Oxford to read Ancient & M...