Strange things in a new book . . .

Amazon

I've just finished reading Michel Faber's recent novel about interstellar mission work (yes, sharing Christ with space aliens), and it's outstanding, though not perfect - I'd say 4.5 stars out of 5 on the Amazon ranking (though the readership gives 4).

I was relieved that the story didn't take a Heart-of-Darkness turn, though I feared for a while that it might - and maybe it will, if Faber writes a sequel.

I did think there were a couple of implausible coincidences in the story - you know, the coincidence that gets a character out of trouble. Unless I misread . . .

By the way, Faber gives credit in his Acknowledgements to the people who worked at Marvel Comics, and his reference to the 1960s and 1970s means that he and I were reading the same comics at the same time, more or less:

I would like also to express my appreciation for the team of writers, pencilers and inkers who worked at Marvel Comics during the 1960s and 1970s, giving me such enjoyment as a child and ever since. All the surnames in The Book of Strange New Things are based on theirs, sometimes slightly altered or disguised, sometimes not.

Faber says more, but what am I, your secretary?! Go read the book for yourself!