Ben Aaronovitch (Query for Mr Q)

pip · Apr 21, 2011

Question aimed at Q or anyone else who knows anything about him.
I had preordered a signed first edition book on London (London Under Peter Ackroyd) but the dealer screwed up and sent me a new book by Ben Aaronovitch , Moon Over Soho , first edition signed lined and dated.
Got on to them and they were highly apologetic and luckily still had a copy of the now sold out book which has now been sent to me.
As it was there screw up i've been allowed to keep the other one.
My question is is this guy any good. The book seems to be a crime/urban fantasy book about a cop whos a wizard.
It seems the author did a lot of DR Who fan fiction as well as the scripts for the recent Blake 7 radio programs . This all sounds like Q territory hence the question. I've a lot of books to get through and is this worthy of joining the pile :laugh:

Quatermass · Apr 21, 2011

pip said:

Hmmm...

Okay. Actually, Aaronovitch did a lot of official Doctor Who novels and even TV stories for the classic series. He novelised his own TV story Remembrance of the Daleks, which is considered to be one of the best novelisations in the series of all time, never mind the fact that the original TV story was pretty good. I recommend it. He also wrote (but didn't novelise) the TV story Battlefield.

He also wrote two and a half of the New Adventures spinoff stories, two of which I have read. Transit was pretty hardcore cyberpunk, filled with sex and violence (and was one of the first New Adventures that I read, go figure). Not sure whether I'd recommend it to you. But The Also People, which I read last year, was a pretty trippy take on Iain M Banks' the Culture, and I enjoyed it well enough. I haven't read his third New Adventure, So Vile A Sin, which he co-wrote with Aussie Kate Orman.

Ben Aaronovitch can be very good. But he can also be out-there and a little alienating to the casual reader, so treat with a little caution.

pip · Apr 21, 2011

cool. Cheers for that. Blurb seems interesting but worse case its a really nice edition for the shelf :laugh:

Quatermass · Apr 21, 2011

pip said:

You're welcome. Personally, if I had to recommend a book to ease you into his style, I would choose his novelisation of Remembrance of the Daleks. Very well done.

pip · Apr 21, 2011

its all a bit funny because the book i ordered was £13 and the one i got was £25 and i was going to say nothing but by being honest i get both for £13. :laugh:

its great

Bouncy Castle · Apr 21, 2011

Oddly enough, I've just discovered him.

I would suggest that you read them in order (I can lend you the first one, when I get it back from my friend, if you want) as it will make a lot more sense.

I enjoyed it. I thought it was very well written, and a bloody good laugh in places too.

pip · Apr 21, 2011

oddly enough they don't mention it as part of a series on the cover anywhere . Its only when i checked up i copped that its part of the rivers of london series .
The description on the iside cover is 'If Harry Potter grew up and became a cop this is what it would be like.' :laugh:

Bouncy Castle · Apr 21, 2011

If you want Wizardy books, Jim Butcher's series The Dresden Files are very good.

Most definitely Harry Potter for Grownups!!

pip · Apr 21, 2011

cool.

just have to work through the rest of the books now. :laugh:

Bouncy Castle · Apr 21, 2011

Dammit. I've just discovered that The Dresden Files was made into a TV series (only 1 season, sadly) so I've just HAD to buy them.

pip · Apr 21, 2011

you're a salespersons dream :laugh:

Quatermass · Apr 21, 2011

Bouncy Castle said:

Don't you have a local library that stocks them? Try before you buy...

Bouncy Castle · Apr 21, 2011

pip said:

I know!

Nah, Q. They were only £8.99 (free P&P). Mind you, the original price was £35, and that's for only 12 episodes.

pip · Apr 21, 2011

Bouncy Castle said:

big price difference

got the complete twin peaks for 20 euro down from 90 whicvh goes to show

Bouncy Castle · Apr 21, 2011

Doesn't it just?

I'm such a salesperson's dream that I rang the company that maintains our computers a few years ago, to order a toner for the printer.

By the time I'd put the phone down, I'd spent £400 of my own money buying a laptop and associated accessories.

Everytime I rang Judi after that, I started with the words "Don't sell me anything". :laugh:

pip · Apr 21, 2011

Bouncy Castle said:

Doesn't it just?

I'm such a salesperson's dream that I rang the company that maintains our computers a few years ago, to order a toner for the printer.

By the time I'd put the phone down, I'd spent £400 of my own money buying a laptop and associated accessories.

Everytime I rang Judi after that, I started with the words "Don't sell me anything". :laugh:

Was it her Judi mind tricks

Bouncy Castle · Apr 21, 2011

I'm guessing that's a Star Wars reference?

pip · Apr 21, 2011

Yep. And not a very good one

Quatermass · Apr 21, 2011

pip said:

It wasn't THAT bad. I smiled...

pip · Apr 21, 2011

6 out of ten on the Q scale

Ben Aaronovitch (Query for Mr Q)

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