Stephen Ford

Reviewed by Alissa Deann for Readers’ Favorite (5 stars)

Destiny of a Free Spirit by Stephen Ford is about a man named Peter Accrington. He finds a secret passage between two different realms, Ecologia and Economica. Economica is a realm controlled by a powerful AI organization called the Commission, while Ecologia is a realm where people live close to nature and follow a spiritual path tied to Gaia, the Earth mother. Peter moves between these two worlds, facing danger from wild animals, show more clashes of ideas, and complicated relationships. His experiences as he travels across these two realms make him think about what it really means to be free and what civilization truly is. Peter has to decide where he belongs and make a very important decision that shapes the course of his life.

One of the things I loved about this well-written book was how Stephen Ford touched on big questions about the future of humanity through Peter's story. The way he explained the two worlds, showing their perfect and flawed natures—the difference between Economica, which is safe but fake, and Ecologia, which is dangerous but real—helped in making the book more balanced and authentic. I kept wondering whether comfort and safety are worth losing freedom and spirit. Ford's writing is top-notch; the way the worlds, nature, control, wildlife, and technologies were described is very detailed and realistic. The actions, like when Peter fought a saber-toothed cat, were fun to read, and the discussions about Gaia, Commissum, and the meaning of life made it more philosophical and deep. Destiny of a Free Spirit maintained a seamless pace. I recommend it to readers who enjoy fiction that shows different cultures and talks about the future of human society and the influence of AI in the world. show less

Set against the background of a global pandemic, this is the story of Jim and Lily. Jim works for Vestral Energy, advising clients on how to install green energy equipment. Vestral Health is part of the Vestral Group and makes vaccines to help stop the spread of the pandemic. This leaves them open to conspiracy theories championed by the Truth Seekers, who allege the corporation is the cause of the pandemic, which is engineered for profit. Lily and her women's Dianic Coven seek to cast a show more spell on the owner to prevent him from spreading the virus, but to no effect. The man-hating coven at first accuses Jim of abducting Lilly and then captures her themselves in a bid to keep her safe. This farce then involves the police investigating both abductions with various arrests and Jim finally bargaining his release by becoming an informant. In the end, everything comes full circle with Jim returning to work for Vestral with a promotion.

Considering the seriousness of the subject matter, this is a lighthearted farce which highlights what happens when you give busybodies the power to police lockdown and how conspiracy theories spread. There is no real insight or analysis of the devastation caused by the disease. The blatant disregard for the rules appears to have very little consequences, with Jim carrying on as normal. His choices appear to be based on his own interests rather than any deeply held convictions. In the end, Jim is rewarded for doing very little. show less

A short descriptive booklet assembled from previously published material to accompany the visit to the Welshpool & Llanfair of the Zillertalbahn 0-6-2T No.2. It gives brief details of the Zillertalbahn and No.2 (one of the iconic Class U locomotives found across the Austro-Hungarian narrow gauge network before World War I), and then continues to tell the story of the Welshpool & Llanfair's 'Austrian train', comprised mainly of four-wheeled balcony coaches donated to the Welsh line by the show more Zillertal in 1968. Finally, it details the story of the Welshpool's resident Austrian locomotive, No.10 'Sir Drefaldwyn'. show less

Fun book about polymer clay caning. Various kinds of projects and colourful examples. Included the famous butterfly cane instrucions ;)