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Derelict Space Sheep

Speculative Fiction, Retrofitted Fact. Micropublishing tomorrow's salvage.

15/01/2026

42 WORD RETROSPECTIVE:

While Maigret’s second outing works as a period piece, affording a dismal though not unkind picture of those who navigated boats through the French canals and locks in the early 1930s, his brooding personality plays little role in shaping the (non-event) investigation.

Review of “Le Charretier de la Providence” by Georges Simenon (1931); trans. David Coward (as ‘The Carter of La Providence’); audiobook read by Gareth Armstrong (Bolinda, 2015)

14/01/2026

42 WORD RETROSPECTIVE:

This has the makings of a good film. Neeson is excellent. Portman and McGregor bring class (even if underused). But Palpatine’s machinations contribute nothing immediate, Lucas draws a grating correlation between accent and intelligence, and Darth Maul dies an unforgivably insipid death.

Review of “Star Wars: The Phantom Menace” dir. George Lucas (1999)

13/01/2026

42 WORD RETROSPECTIVE:

Terminator 2 ups the ante while staying true to the original film’s nightmare thriller vibe. The effects hold up, the humour works, Edward Furlong does pretty well. Linda Hamilton is peerless in reinventing Sarah Connor from 80s victim/survivor to iconic 90s badass.

Review of “Terminator 2: Judgement Day” dir. James Cameron (1991)

10/01/2026

42 WORD RETROSPECTIVE:

Card’s straightforward prose serves well in the military context, as does Rudnicki’s audiobook narration. The story zips along, revealing itself ultimately to have been as much a critique of humanity as of the total war mentality, ruthless training techniques and early-childhood indoctrination.

Review of “Ender’s Game” by Orson Scott Card (Tor, 1985); audiobook read by Stefan Rudnicki & Harlan Ellison (Macmillan Audio, 2004)

07/01/2026

42 WORD REVIEW:

Season 2 offers a stronger story, better integrated within an already well-realised cyberpunk dystopia. Beneath the action and intrigue, runs a thematic core whereby disparate characters parse love and existence in the context of eternity. Quality performances, with Chris Conner a standout.

Review of “Altered Carbon, Season 2” (Netflix, 2020)

06/01/2026

42 WORD REVIEW:

The cases themselves are relatively slight, split without overlap between Tamara, Bill, and Jake Runyon. As ever, though, San Francisco emerges as its own gritty, gloomy, sordid kind of character, where life is a struggle and even the non-criminals mostly prove unpleasant.

Review of “Betrayers” by Bill Pronzini (Forge, 2010); audiobook read by Nick Sullivan (Bolinda, 2017)

04/01/2026

42 WORD REVIEW:

Colourful, anarchic, rebellious and empowered, ‘Birds of Prey’ proves a real step-up from most DC superhero films. The action scenes are entertaining (rather than belaboured), Yan’s direction is punchy, and writer Christina Hodson turns in a screenplay befitting of Harley Quinn’s character.

Review of “Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn” dir. Cathy Yan (2020)

03/01/2026

42 WORD REVIEW:

This feminist vampire take should be compelling, but loses its power somewhat as the spirit of repressed uprising rots away to reveal a downbeat metaphor for toxic self-centredness. While a lengthy perspective is justified, Schwab’s characterisation of Sabine is belaboured and disproportional.

Review of “Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil” by V.E. Schwab (Tor, 2025); audiobook read by Julia Whelan, Katie Leung & Marisa Calin (Macmillan, 2025)

30/12/2025

42 WORD REVIEW:

Name authors are prioritised over quality of story (though all receive perfunctory, unpolished biographies). There are some nice ideas poorly executed, some truly tedious offerings, and only a few standouts: Adrian Tchaikovsky’s ‘The Mouse Ran Down’ and Eric Frank Russell’s ‘The Waitabits’.

Review of “The Time Traveller’s Almanac: Mazes & Traps” ed. Ann & Jeff VanderMeer (Head of Zeus, 2014); audiobook read by Jeff Harding, Andrew Wincott & Antonia Beamish (W F Howes, 2014)

27/12/2025

42 WORD REVIEW:

Moffat finds just the right way to realise the ‘retired Doctor’ scenario first proposed by Douglas Adams. While the snowmen/Great Intelligence plot proves a little perfunctory, this beautifully acted Christmas special sails along on characterisation and humour (while teasing another Clara introduction).

Review of “Doctor Who: The Snowmen” by Steven Moffat; dir. Saul Metzstein (BBC, 2012)

26/12/2025

42 WORD RETROSPECTIVE:

Forty-three tales of anthropomorphised animal trickery, mostly perpetrated by the cunning Brer Rabbit upon his dim-witted neighbours (though he occasionally receives a much-needed comeuppance). Alan Davies’ audiobook reading embraces the source material, bolstering the characterisations and making the deceptions seem almost plausible.

Review of “Enid Blyton’s Brer Rabbit Book” by Enid Blyton (Dean, 1963); audiobook read by Alan Davies (ABC Audio, 2015) [as “The Brer Rabbit Book”]

22/12/2025

42 WORD REVIEW:

Watchable enough pseudo-SF police thriller but with one pointlessly enigmatic lead character, interpersonal dramas erupting from nowhere, moral dilemmas explored at a stilted, primary school level, and all three detectives painfully ineffectual (verging on imbecilic) in their attempts to pre-empt future disasters.

Review of “Paradox” (BBC, 2009)

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