Pat Murphy (1) (1955–)

Pat Murphy’s There and Back Again, by Max Merriwell adapts J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit in the style of space opera, focusing on a norbit named Bailey Beldon living in an asteroid who finds himself on a quest with a group of clones and a pataphysicist named Gitana, traveling through a series of wormholes in search of the ultimate Snark, a piece of alien technology left behind by the mysterious alien civilization that built the wormholes. In addition to The Hobbit, Murphy incorporates show more elements of Lewis Carroll’s The Hunting of the Snark as a form of old Earth popular culture that shapes the cultural touchstones people use, similar to memes in our own society. Murphy’s writing blends humor and heart, following the general beats of The Hobbit while creating her own world such that the events she references only become clear after the fact. There and Back Again is a delightful read and will entertain fans of space opera, Tolkien, or both. show less

The Adventures of Mary Darling is an absolute delight, perfect for summer reading or any time you want an escapist moment. The book is a mash-up of Peter Pan and the Sherlock Holmes stories, presenting new perspectives on both.

The overlap between these two casts of characters are Mary Darling and her uncle, John Watson. Mary is the daughter of Watson's brother, who had moved to Australia hoping to strike it rich in the gold fields. When her father died, Mary became Watson's ward. When Mary's show more three children disappear one night—with no footprints on the snowy ground and the nursery windows left wide open—Watson pulls Holmes into the search.

Holmes, Watson, Mary, Mary's two brothers, her husband, Peter Pan, "Tiger Lily," a fairy, pirates, bloodthirsty mermaids, a brothel owner, also the dog Nana who runs the nursery all have parts to play. Some rise to the moment; others don't. Seeing them all come into their own, for better or for worse, makes for a mix of hilarity, tensions, adventure, and the unexpected.

If you have any fondness for either Holmes or Peter Pan and company, you're in for a treat with this title. Keep an eye out for it. I promise you'll be glad you did.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via Edelweiss; the opinions are my own. show less

The transformative power of friendship, storytelling, and writing are the themes of this insightful and rewarding coming-of-age novel for older girls. It’s 1972, and twelve-year-old Joan has just moved to California from Connecticut. Her dad has started a new job in San Francisco, while Joan, her brother, and her mother attempt to settle in at their new home. It’s a challenge for all of them. Joan’s dad is an irritable, driven, and generally angry guy, more committed to his job than show more his family. He may have been eager to move from one coast to the other, but no one else apparently was. There’s a lot of tension in this family, and Joan’s parents argue a lot, ostensibly over money. Author Pat Murphy doesn’t overdo the dysfunction, however. Both parents show concern for Joan, and though dad is a less sympathetic character than mum, there’s nuance in the portrayal of each.

Joan tries to assist her mother with unpacking boxes and getting the new house in order, but when she breaks a glass tumbler, her mum sends her out to explore the neighbourhood. There’s a wild area at the back of the property, including an old orchard, a wooded space, and a creek. Joan goes down an old dirt road and encounters something else: a very unusual “wild girl” Not quite a feral child, Sarah, refers to herself as “The Queen of All the Foxes” or “Fox”, for short—not in the informal North American sense of an attractive young girl, but in a kind of imaginative identification with a light, clever creature of nature.

Joan and Fox hit it off right from the start. Fox paints Joan’s face with the same clay markings that she wears. For Fox, “war paint” sends the signal that she’s not to be messed with. She sees this as necessary because neighbourhood kids taunt her and vandalize her “outdoor living room” with its armchair and shelves for crockery positioned in the lower branches of nearby trees. Reticent, obedient Joan, who has learned over time to blend in (mostly so she won’t set off her angry dad), is emboldened by the clay face markings. She also takes the name of a wild creature, a mutable one: “Newt”.

Fox has family troubles of her own. Some years back, her mum abandoned her and her dad, Gus, a pierced and tattooed sci-fi writer. Not long after, father and daughter moved to the ramshackle old house left to them by Gus’s uncle. Gus is an easygoing philosophical guy, who offers Joan another type of parental support. He introduces her to the idea of keeping a journal. Writing things down, he tells her, helps a person figure out how she feels.

When the girls start school in the fall, Joan sees just how far on the periphery Fox is. Joan is a good student and she takes Fox under her wing, helping to integrate her a little more into school life. The two write a fantasy story together, based on their own biographies. Their work is noticed by a Berkeley creative writing teacher, and a summer course with this eccentric young woman helps the two understand how observing and thinking like a writer can help them negotiate the challenges in their own lives. Noticing, questioning, and recognizing the subtext in the things people argue about prove to be very helpful skills.

I think this is a fine piece of work. Obviously geared towards girls from about ten to thirteen, like the best children’s literature, it resonates for older readers, too. I’ve had this book sitting on my shelf for years. I’m glad I finally got to it. show less

Pat Murphy is so brilliant. Seriously, everything she's ever written is a joy to read.
This one takes place in and around San Francisco after a global plague has wiped out the majority of the population. The cast of characters who remain in the city consist of "Books" who keeps up the library; "The Machine" who makes crazy robot sculptures; Danny-boy, who wants to paint the whole Golden Gate blue; and others who are mostly focused on using the remnants of what's been left behind to create show more art or advance knowledge. Unfortunately, there are also survivors who want to amass power and 'save society'. An unbelievably repugnant man who calls himself General Fourstar has built himself a little army, mostly leads by fear, and has decided he's going to bring the City under his dominion. The citizens get really creative in an effort to fight back. show less