The Suspect Genome by Peter F Hamilton, SSM - Interzone

We are so chuffed to complete our Short Story Month with a guest review by Mark Chitty from Walker of Worlds. Now, I have a lot of respect for Mark - the guy knows his sci fi. Between him and Gav and MFB's Mark, they do encourage me to read outside my comfort zone, and I've yet to be disappointed. Here is his review he submitted to MFB for SSM.

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The Suspect Genome is a short story by Peter F Hamilton, published in Interzone and winner of the British Science Fiction Association Award for best short in 2000. It’s a Greg Mandel story, the main character from his first three novels (Mindstar Rising, A Quantum Murder and The Nano Flower), and set just after the events of A Quantum Murder.

While the story features psychic former soldier Greg Mandel (he can essentially see when people lie), and I label it as such, it doesn’t focus solely on him, but rather on both him and Detective Amanda Patterson, a character that also featured in A Quantum Murder. The Suspect Genome is a detective story that follows the investigation into the death of Byrne Tyler, a c-list celebrity who was found dead at the foot of his stairs with the skin of an unknown attacker under his fingernails. The story follows Amanda’s investigation into the murder and also the story of Greg and his wife Eleanor whose father was killed in a hit and run accident.

First things first, the story is set out in such a manner that we see different aspects at different times. It’s split into three parts: The Dodgy Deal, A Suspicious Fall and Degrees of Guilt, each focusing on different aspects of the story. The first part sets the scene with a set up being made, while part two introduces the actual investigation, and part three contains the explanations and various other bits of important information. Of course, as such stories go it’s very difficult to balance what I say so not to give away the ending to anyone wanting to read it but hasn’t as yet. So, if you don’t want to know the specifics then just skip the next paragraph…

Byrne Tyler has been found dead, and while it looks like an accident the forensic report throws up the skin of an unknown person under his fingernails. He’s in a relationship with Tamzin Sullivan, another minor celebrity, but is also sleeping with her younger sister Claire on the side, and unbeknownst to anyone else. Tyler not only limits his relations to these two women, but has slept with a string of celebrities - and filmed each one. Claire was the last person to see Tyler the night he died and protests her innocence, her sister and mother think she’s responsible, while she is left to look after her younger, and very visibly upset, 10 year old brother. Meanwhile, Richard Townsend is trying to get hold of the land that Eleanor’s father and family live on as part of a kibbutz, but her father refuses all offers made. After an apparent accident her father is seriously injured and dies later on. With me so far? As there is no direct evidence that Townsend had her father killed, but him being the obvious suspect, Greg manages to come to an arrangement with the agency that he can set him up to take the wrap for Tyler’s murder, with a little trickery and conning going on to cement the evidence. However, Amanda knows that Greg is playing her, but doesn’t know why – until the final line of the novel reveals the identity of the true murderer.

Okay, spoilers now over! What Peter F Hamilton has done with The Suspect Genome is create a very interesting and well plotted detective novel. That’s not to say it doesn’t have its bad points, but on the whole it was a very satisfying read. The suspect genome of the title is that little bit of evidence that they find under Tyler’s fingernails, and with advanced techniques the DNA from this evidence can be used to provide an image of the murderer. It can show the person at different ages throughout their life and the tests they run can’t identify him at all. It’s all pretty good stuff, but ultimately it leads to some dubious moral questions, perhaps the biggest downside to this story.

This is where I have issues with The Suspect Genome – it just feels wrong that things go the way they do. I doubt I’d do it any differently if I was in the same position, but after reading the three Greg Mandel books I didn’t put his character down as doing what he does, to me it feels slightly wrong.

However, despite this concern I thoroughly enjoyed The Suspect Genome and it’s written with such precision, always laying everything in front of you and letting them drop into place. Fans of Peter’s Greg Mandel novels should pick this up, but it’s also short enough and self contained enough that not having read the two novels that are set before this time is not a drawback at all. Definitely recommended from me!

THUG by Gail Simone, Masked Anthology, Lou Anders

THUG by Gail Simone, Masked

Reading Gail Simone's offering in the Lou Anders edited Masked really blew me away.

We meet Alvin Becker who is a particularly large young man - in tallness and in muscle. The story is written in Alvin's words, and we read it in journal format. The writing is painstakingly detailed and is a feat of genius on Ms. Simone's behalf.

Opening two sentences:

hello, my name is alvin becker but i guess you know that already becuz i am the only one that will read. my pee oh said i wasn't learning from my mistakes so I should keep a JOURNAL.

In just thirteen pages we are told the deep and complex story of Alvin's life and how he came to be THUG. Viewed from the outside, without the benefit of his story, we would see him as a bad guy, a bruiser, not a pleasant person, someone always in trouble, bullying others, someone who will only work as a heavy for an Evil Villain.

Yet, Alvin doesn't hold back when telling his story. The simplicity of his language, his utter guilelessness, all serve to give us an insight into the mind of what outsiders would view as a monster. What we find instead is a young man who has a strict code which he holds within himself and one that he never ever lets go of. His dedication to the memory of his mother and that one girl he didn't manage to help when he was only a kid, forms the basis of the rest of his life.

THUG is an extremely likable and intense short story that both lifted me up and made me sniffle into a hankie - as a reader I felt deeply about Alvin within a short space of time. I felt invested in him, his actions and I hoped that things would go well for him.

Ms. Simone proves in this short story that she understands the dynamics of creating an engaging and sympathetic character, but also effortlessly draws the reader into the character's world, showing you the other side of the coin and making you root for the THUG.

Winter's Wife by Elizabeth Hand - Dark Alchemy (SSM)

Wizards and witches have lived in the human imagination for centuries. From ancient to modern times they have held great power in our literary lives. Here for a brand new audience is a collection of electrifying stories that show us benign and evil, ambivalent and determined characters that will stalk our imaginations and thoughts for some time to come. From the pens of Eoin Colfer, Garth Nix, Neil Gaiman, Jane Yolen and many more spring an incredible array of stories that will thrill readers young and old.

Includes stories by Neil Gaiman, Garth Nix, Mary Rosenblum, Kage Baker, Eoin Colfer, Jane Yolen, Orson Scott Card, Patricia A. McKillip, Elizabeth Hand, Andy Duncan, Peter S. Beagle, Nancy Kress, Tanith Lee, Terry Bisson, Terry Dowling, Gene Wolfe, Tad Williams and Jeffrey Ford.

I've chosen to review Winter's Wife by Elizabeth Hand because I am in love with it. Also, because she is in theory a new to me author to read. Although Elizabeth Hand has been an author whose books I've seen often, I've never for no reason other than laziness and overcrowded shelves, picked them up. I now want to read her back-catalogue, because of this short story.

There is nothing over the top in Ms. Hand's writing. Justin's voice as a young boy is spot on, as are his observations about Winter, the area they live in, and subsequently, Winter's wife which he goes and fetches from Iceland.

Vala sounds fantastically odd and quirky and the second she shows up in the short story, you know things have changed, you're just not sure if it's for the better or worse.

Justin is employed by Winter to help them build a decent house as Vala is pregnant. Progress is good but then Winter discovers that his neighbour has sold his land to a developer and all-round nasty piece of work. Things kick up a further notch and come to blows when the developer guy starts chopping down ancient trees in the forest.

It's Vala who steps forward and acts. I'm not revealing what happens, but it's pretty twisty and scary and you will fistpunch the air...just a tiny bit.

Why this works is because Winter and Vala are so patently suited to one another. Ms. Hand does an amazing job of creating a new mythology here and it held me rapt. I've read the short story maybe five times now, it is that good. And I'm thinking to myself that if she ever wrote the rest of Vala and Winter's story, I'd be there in a flash, cash in hand.

The Non-Event by Mike Carey from Masked, edited by Lou Anders (SSM)

Superheroes have come a long way since the "Man of Steel" was introduced in 1938. This brilliant new collection features original stories and novellas from some of today's most exciting voices in comics, science fiction, and fantasy. Each marvelously inventive tale shows us just how far our classic crusaders have evolved—and how the greatest of heroes are, much like ourselves, all too human.

As a big fan of comics and to a lesser extent superheroes (I'm just weird that way) I became very excited when I saw that Lou Anders was releasing an anthology called Masked. I became near hysterical when I saw the line-up contained within: Liu, Chadbourn, Willingham, Simone, Carey, Cornell, Sturges. My gods man, it was like a geeky wet dream.

I read Mike Carey's The Non Event over breakfast this morning. We are introduced to the tough talking Lockjaw who relates to us a story of a robbery attempt in London of the DeJong's bank on Aldwych. A handful of superpowered humans decide to stroll into a vault and empty out a lot of its contents, jewellery, bearer bonds, gold bullion etc. To fight their way clear of the superpowered cops and heroes who would no doubt answer the silent alarms.

It's a bit Oceans 11 without such a big cast and without Danny Ocean's charisma. Lockjaw's voice is matter of fact, veering into dislike and bitterness on occasion as he recounts how he agreed to bring in Gallo, the man he subsequently shot dead at the scene of the crime. We learn how they get into the vault, we learn how the almost pull it off and get as far as the main bank foyer when things go more than just pearshaped.

I liked the The Non-Event as Carey brings home the difficulty of being a superhuman with powers, using Lockjaw's stark retelling of the botched burglary attempt to reflect on how one small action, one of their number, tripping over a bucket and broom, completely changed how the entire game should have played out. How one thing managed to escalate the action into a truly unpleasant event with a very unpleasant outcome.

Sad, poignant and thoughtful, The Non Event is summed up by this excellent phrase on page 81 of the anthology: "Funny, huh? How you can be dead and buried and still keep right on walking, not knowing you took the hit."

Tasty Teeth by Guilermo Del Toro & Matthew Robbins, Odder Jobs (SSM)

In 1994, Mike Mignola created one of the most unique and visually arresting comics series to ever see print: Hellboy. Tens of thousands have followed the exploits of “the World’s Greatest Paranormal Investigator” in comics form and novels. In 2004, writer/director Guillermo del Toro made Hellboy the number one film in the country, reaching millions more fans. Now see Mike Mignola’s creation as seen through the eyes of some of today’s best writers in film and literature.

The above is the write-up from the back of the anthology: Odder Jobs as edited by that amazing man, Christopher Golden.

This is one of my favourite anthologies of all time. Not just because it's about Hellboy whom I love, but because Mr. Golden has pulled together some fantastic names to write some of the short stories including friend of MFB, Tim Lebbon, Frank Darrabont, Charles de Lint (swoon) to name but three of the big names. He also managed to entirce Del Toro and Robbins on board to play in the sandbox and their offering Tasty Teeth is both creepy and surreal and I loved it.

It's right at the end of the anthology and much shorter than I would have liked, but if you have seen Hellboy II (I loved loved Prince Nuada) you may remember that the team fight against a bunch of small creatures called the tooth fairies. This short story is very much the precursor to that scene.

In the story Hellboy is on the trail of some missing kids. He finds only dry bones within the lair of some kind of monster...soon he discovers two kids locked up and instead of being scared of Big Red the stare at the things behind him. It's the tooth fairies and they like nothing more than eating your bones.

Needless to say, Hellboy does things his way and with a giant explosion he saves the day, rescuing two of the missing kids.

The story is short, as I mentioned before. In fact, it's more a scene / vignette, but it's a pretty cool way for the anthology to end regardless. Stay tuned for other reviews from Odder Jobs.

In beauty, like the night - Norman Partridge - The Living Dead (SSM)

One of the 34 short stories comprising ‘The Living Dead’, I chose to read this more or lessly at random, although it’s safe to say the title played a part in the decision making process.

Set in the aftermath of a zombie outbreak, it’s the story of a young media type named Nathan who, on the verge of having the perfect apocalypse hideaway, finds that the zombies he’s inadvertently sharing the island with have a very different agenda.

Nathan’s character is quickly established, and the situation is built with successive strokes, before it’s all shaken up as the zombies make themselves known. And they’re the stars of the show, defying expectations and being suitably bitey. They rock Nathan’s world, and his descent into the legion of the living dead begins.

It’s quick, gripping and fun – everything a short story needs to be. Now to read the rest!

Chivalry - Smoke & Mirrors by Neil Gaiman (SSM)

Mrs. Whitaker found the Holy Grail; it was under a fur coat.

In Chivalry by Neil Gaiman from his anthology Smoke & Mirrors, we meet Mrs. Whitaker, a lonely widow, with no children of her own. We assume she leads a quiet and uneventful life - she collects her pension, visits Oxfam to buy various bits of bric a brac and the occasional Mills & Boon novel for a few pence. She has tea with an equally elderly lady and visits a friend with a damaged hip in hospital. She is unremarkable in every way. An elderly person none of us would like twice at.

Yet, she manages to find the Holy Grail in Oxfam. Her reaction is one of quiet surprise and she buys it, along with two M&B novels and she takes it home, where she washes out the red dusty stuff in the cup (!!!) and then lets it soak for a bit, before polishing it to a high sheen. She places it on her mantelpiece along with an old photo of her husband (now deceased) and a small soulful china basset hound.

Sir Galaad appears at her door, a knight in shining armour, on a Right High and Noble Quest, to procure the Holy Grail. Behind him his giant horse is tethered to her gate. Mrs. Whitaker takes to the young man, but only after she sees his credentials to make sure he is who he is. Sir Galaad spots the Holy Grail, the Sangreal, and begs Mrs. Whitaker to let him have it. She refuses. She is kindly but refuses.

Galaad visits a few more times. He offers her an amazing sword in return for the cup but she turns him down. He visits again, and he is a bit more battle weary than before. This time around her the Philospher's Stone and the Egg of a Phoenix. But he also offers her the Apple of Life. As Mrs. W holds the apple in her hand, some of the juice leaks onto her fingers and she licks it. She remembers what it was like being young, being married to her husband and to feel the eyes of handsome young men on her. She carefully places the apple back down, handing it back to Galaad. She gives him the grail and keeps the egg and stone, replacing the grail on the mantelpiece.

Galaad rides off on his giant horse, still a paragon of beauty and youth, grail quest fulfilled. Mrs. W visits Oxfam again shortly thereafter and notices that the young girl behind the till was no longer in attendance. Turns out she had run off with some handsome youth on a horse. She smiles to herself and putters around the shop and finds an ancient looking lamp...she looks at it carefully, considers it. Then puts it back, only buying the single paperback romance novel.

Wonderfully descriptive, this has to be one of my favourite shorts by Mr. Gaiman. It is humorous and filled with pathos. Overall it works so well as a keyhole view into the life of a solitary elderly woman who is, despite her advanced age, still very able, still very much aware of a bigger picture, even if she lives a small life and has become all but invisible to everyone else.

Sweet and hopeful this short story never fails to make me smile. Definitely a favourite and one that I enjoy re-reading for the sheer pleasure of the storytelling and tongue in cheek humour.

August is Short Story Month

Completely and utterly stealing Nextread's fabulous idea from a few months ago, MFB have decided to host our own Short Story Month.

There will be short story reviews up each day for this month - just because they are fun and we felt the need to celebrate the importance of short stories in general. These vignettes and novellas are glimpses of greatness and have inspired me greatly in the past.

Short Story Month also means that all four of us here at MFB get the chance to share with you some of our favourite authors who have contributed to a large variety of really good anthologies. We will be doing science fiction, literary, new weird, horror, romance, YA and some kids fantasy anthologies, as well as some magical realism/urban fantasy stuff. A plethora of goodness in short form.

We hope you enjoy this feature as much as we will.

Long live anthologies and short stories!