Andrew M. Butler

This slender volume was first published in 2003, and so only contains papers on MacLeod's Fall Revolution Quartet and the trilogy Engines of Light. Although very erudite, it it not written in the sort of dense language normally associated either with Marxist theory or literary criticism, although fairly obviously, it contains both. It also has a piece by MacLeod on his friend Iain Banks (the introduction to a German edition of IMB's Consider Phlebas), and another of the papers contrasts show more political themes in Macleod's and Banks' work (though be aware that Banks was still alive at this point and so the comparison is incomplete).

There were matters of fact in one of the papers that I dispute - fairly straightforward ones, at that - but otherwise I found this book enlightening and indeed, it made me want to re-read MacLeod's Fall Revolution novels, even though I only read them within the last ten years.

Be aware that anyone reading this will not only gain insights into Ken MacLeod's first seven novels, but they will also be given something of a crash course in radical politics, mainly of the British Left, but also of libertarian thought as this is a secondary strand in MacLeod's writings. These themes have continued in his writing since the early 2000s, although never in an uncritical way. Perhaps one of the most interesting things about the novels of Ken MacLeod is that just when you think he has exhausted all the possibilities that radical Leftist politics has to offer, there will be a new book that at least touches upon, if not relies upon, another aspect of socialist thought or experience. This book will prepare readers for the depth of MacLeod's political engagement in all of his works, based on the analysis of the first seven novels. show less

Some of the material is more interesting and useful, particularly the interviews with MacLeod and the essays he has contributed to the volume. Some of the critical essays are insightful, but others are less accessible, get hung up on plot details that don't always match my recollections of the novel, or concentrate on aspects of MacLeod's writing that I was less interested in. The best of the critical writing concentrates on the politics.

I skipped around a bit, but the essays in the historical section are solid as are the brief introductions/overviews about critical race theory, feminism, marxism, postcolonialism, and queer theory (and yay for suggested reading lists).

This collection of essays spans Pratchett's career from the 1971 publication of _The Carpet People_ to his the second Tiffany Aching book, _Hat Full of Sky_ in 2004. The various authors focus on themes, such as coming of age, the development of the geography of Discworld, and the treatment of the academic world; or on characters, such as Death and Sam Vines. Some of the essays are clearly aimed at an academic audience, others may be appreciated by any reader interested in in-depth discussion show more of the works. This work, is not, however, essential to a fan library.

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