Bad dream - John Christopher

Part three of three: Everything boils over. The anti-EU theme, although topical (see the recent results in EU elections), becomes unrealistic: would the EU ever use force? Likewise, Total is hinted at having a 'dark' potential 'but it is never used in this novel to any great effect. All in all, rather disappointing: the themes in the novel are weak individually and never come together.

First to the Moon! - Stephen Baxter and Simon Bradshaw

Britain stays out of World War Two and lets the Nazis and the Japanese conquer Europe, Russia and Asia. In true 'belt and braces' style, a spinning rocket, powered by solid fuel, is built to claim back some national pride by trying to reach the moon first in 1950. Flown with dash by an public school boy, the brainy, but socially inferior, engineer has to use observation and a slide rule to navigate. One of the best alternate space exploration stories around, it gets the technology and social milieux just right.

Eternity-Magic - David Redd

A tangled tale of a time-travelling woman, her daughter, and a mage, who schools the daughter in magic. They take the side of a king (himself an ex-time traveller) threatened by the rightful heir. However the resolution is never in doubt given their powers.

Instructions for surviving the destruction of Star Probe X-11-57 - Eric Brown

The title gives the context for a story consisting of messages from the on-board emergency AI. There is a nasty twist.

Mehitabel's memories - Michael Coney

Another 'Peninsula' locale story like Poppy Day. Joe Sagar witnesses a ferocious 'land shark' fleeing from a cuddly telepathic alien, a Borkan. The Borkan has been brought as part of Mehitabel's entourage, to witness the annual transfer of her memories to her clone daughter, Rhiannon. While events take an unexpected course, there is considerable humour in the story, especially directed at Mehitabel's gullible 'worshippers. ( )