Too Late

After reading the exhausting but wonderful Helliconian trilogy I sought out more by this author and found this odd novel I had never heard of by Aldiss. It sat on my bookshelf for a couple of years. I finally read it and was enthralled by the vivid imaginative story set in a parallel midieval universe where things are nearly the same but with a few odd evolutionary twists. (like dinasours being still around) Its kind of a Tom Jones in a fantastic world. It works well!! 5 stars.

It's been years since I read this, so it says something that when I ran across it I was motivated to give a brief review. It's odd as much as dark, but it's definitely not your typical fantasy story. Fifteen years after first reading it (and probably 7 or 8 since the last time I read it), it still stands out. Recommended.

Aldiss has writen a variety of novels in different genres. This one is a strange fantasy with some fabulous scenery and ideas. It is a dark gritty fantasy if you want something light and breazy go elsewhere. Malacia moulders in timelessness a bit like Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast and its visions make one thoughtful and don't set you free. It's art though and strongly rooted in the past with Byzantium just around the corner, a genuinely unique book.

Being a real lover of Brian's SF, I was a bit dubious about readint this, the plot really didn't sound like my kinda thing. The book follows the 'journey' of Perian, a free spirit and his life in the trouble city of Malacia. Magic, war, lust, destiny and life has created this cracker of a novel! It's definately worth a look!