D
B Completely Unexpected Tales 1949-1980 Short Stories
Collection of ‘twist’ stories. Hit and miss. ‘Galloping Foxley’ is a cracker
B+ Boy 1984 Autobiography
Interesting, brief, readable stories from his childhood
DAVIS, Lindsay
C Scandal Takes a Holiday 2004 Crime/Historical Fiction
Some OK research maybe, but
overwhelmed by contemporary cliché characters and glib voice
B An Ordinary Woman with an Extraordinary God 2004 Autobiography/Christian
Honest summary rather than evocative interpretation
B The Simulacra 1964 SF
This guy had six impossible ideas before breakfast...,
B A Hell of a Life 1997 NF/Christian
Contrived apologetics, but at least an attempt to connect
B+ The Conquest of New Spain 1570 History/Autobiography
Incredible eye-witness account of Cortes’ conquest
DONALDSON, Stephen
B- Lord Foul’s Bane 1977 Fantasy
Some absorbing world/culture creation, but grandiose language doesn’t cover confused unsatisfying themes and action
B The Wounded Land 1980 Fantasy
Great imagination but lead characters and basic plot not engaging enough for series length
B
Room 2010 Novel
Competent realisation of a concept, but probably better as short story, or maybe a novella with a sequel
DOYLE, Arthur Conan
A The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes 1892 Crime/Short Stories
Thoroughly
enjoyable
B+ The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes 1893 Crime/Short Stories
Clever
ideas, engaging lead characters
B+ The Return of Sherlock Holmes 1905 Crime/Short Stories
Clever ideas,
engaging lead characters
B Sir Nigel 1906 Historical Fiction
The 14th
century semi-quixotic adventures of a starry-eyed teen gaining knighthood
B+ The Lost World 1912 SF/Novella
The
unforgettable Professor Challenger finds dinosaurs!
B+ The Poison Belt 1913 SF/Short Story
Classic
SF model – a short story based around a daunting ‘what if’
B The Land of Mist 1926 Short Story (Novella)
Doyle
courageously defends spiritualism, exploiting his popular ‘Challenger’ characters
B+ The Case-book of Sherlock Holmes 1927 Crime/Short Stories
Clever
ideas, engaging lead characters
B When the World Screamed 1928 SF/Short Story
Professor
Challenger in an oddly Gaia setting
B The
Conan Doyle Stories 1929 Short Stories
Large collection of ripping yarns from 1883-1922: sea, sport, war, supernatural, medicine and history
B The Disintegration Machine 1929 SF/Short Story
Striking spin on how far scientists are responsible for the application of their research
DOYLE, Roddy
B- The Slave 2000 Short Story
(in ‘Speaking With the Angel’; Ed. Nick Hornby)
Mid-life crisis monologue
DOZOIS, Gardner (Ed.)
A- The Year's Best Science Fiction, Ninth Annual Collection 1991 SF/Short Stories
Best of 1991. Consistently good
DUMAS, Alexandre
A+ The Count of Monte Cristo 1844 Historical Fiction/Action
B+ The Three Musketeers 1844 Action/Historical Fiction
Action, flawed but heroic personalities, fascinating alternate historical values
B The Black Tulip 1850 Historical Fiction
Melodramatic romance, skulduggery thwarted at the 11th hour
DUNBAR, Robin
D Grooming, Gossip and the Evolution of Language 1996 Anthropology
Ignorant, smug, crackpot pre-historical anthropology
DURRELL, Gerald
A- My Family and Other Animals 1956 Autobiography/Humour
Amusing recollections of an animal mad kid about his eccentric family
B- Encounters with Animals 1958 Natural History
Video overwhelms text (here anyway)