H
HADDON, Mark
A The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time 2003 Crime/Novel
B The Accidental Time Machine 2007 SF
Classic old style SF slightly modernised
HALL, Rich
B+ Magnificent Bastards 2009 Humour/Short Stories
Wonderfully laconic, entertaining narration around often surprisingly dark subjects
B The Evolutionary Void 2010 SF
Some great ideas better as short story
'what ifs'; juvenile dialogue and perspective
C Exit Strategy 2017 Crime
HAMMETT, Dashiell
B+ Nightmare Town 1923-34 Crime/Short Stories
Capable, original Chandler precursor
B+ The Glass Key 1931 Crime
Fascinating alternative world and spin on heroism
B+ Fatherland 1992 Thriller / Historical Fiction
Filmic clichés, but able characterisation and plot never sacrificed to novel Nazi hook
B+ PMQ 2000 Humour/Short Story
(in ‘Speaking With the Angel’; Ed. Nick Hornby)
Amusing frightfully British narration of PM in a sitcom style sketch
HARRISON, Harry
B+ The Stainless Steel Rat 1961 SF/Humour
Classic likeable master-thief in comic but workable SF environment
B+ The Stainless Steel Rat’s Revenge 1970 SF/Humour
Enjoyable James Bond/Pimpernel farce in space ships
B+ The Stainless Steel Rat Saves the World 1972 SF/Humour
Enjoyable James Bond/Pimpernel farce in space ships
B Queen Victoria's Revenge 1974 Action
Pleasant enough silly action pulp
A- A Stainless Steel Rat is Born 1985 SF/Humour
Excellent prequel to the consistent series
B+ Stainless Steel Visions 1994 SF/Short Stories
Ranging between action, humour, comment – pretty consistent
B+ Galactic Dreams 1994 SF/Short Stories
Ranging between action, humour, comment – pretty consistent
and
HOLM, John
B King and Emperor (The Hammer and the Cross – Book 3) 1996 SF
Alternative history set in 800s, plays with anachronistic technology and grail theories
B+ King of Lies 2006 Crime
C Down River 2007 Crime
HARVEY, Miles
B- The Island of Lost Maps 2000 Non-Fiction
Island of content in an ocean of padding
HAŠEK, Jaroslav
B The Red Commissar 1923 Humour/Short Stories
Czech satire of bureaucratic absurdities
HAWKS, Tony
B- Round Ireland with a Fridge 1998 Humour/NF(Travel)
Whimsical comedian travelogue. Not as many chuckles as the Moldovans sequel
HELLER, Joseph
A- Catch 22 1955 Novel
Killer satire, hilarious but black humour, drunkenly uninhibited
HERBERT, Frank
B+ Dune 1965 SF
Original. Grand
C- Dune Messiah 1969 SF
Disappointing sequel. Supposedly wise characters uninspiring. Random action, rambling dialogue.
HERRIOT, James
B+ If Only They Could Talk 1970 Short Stories/Humour/Autobiography
Light and formulaic, but charming and amusing country vet
recollections
B+ Let Sleeping Vets Lie 1973 Short Stories/Humour/Autobiography
Light and formulaic, but charming and amusing country vet
recollections
B+ Every
Living Thing 1992 Short Stories/Humour/Autobiography
Light and formulaic, but charming and amusing country vet
recollections
Style a bit windy. Plot, action and dialogue are entirely secondary
C- The Prodigy 1905 Novel
Utterly detached narrative, no humour, low action, little
insight
A Siddhartha 1922 Historical Fiction
Beautifully readable fictional presentation of the life and
enlightenment of Siddhartha
B The Rage Against God 2010 Non-Fiction
Small personal epilogue more powerful than nostalgia and argument
HORNBY, Nick
A High Fidelity 1995 Novel
Very readable, penetrating on commitment, honest, well plotted
A+ About A Boy 1998 Novel
Well written, often funny, nice balance of hope and realism, read in one session
B- NippleJesus 2000 Short Story
(in ‘Speaking With the Angel’; Ed. Nick Hornby)
Security
guard’s quirky perspective on art designed to shock
A How To Be
Good 2001 Novel
Good characters, poignant without being preachy
B A Long Way Down 2005 Novel
Typically good characters and dialogue but wayward structure
B+ The House of Silk 2011 Crime
Impressive, satisfying, but falls into some of the Moffat/Gattiss disappointments
B Forever and a Day 2018 Action (Bond)
Nah, stick to early Fleming writing Bond
HOWEY, Hugh
B+ Wool 2013 SF/Action
Unapologetically formulaic, but cohesive and engaging
HUXLEY, Aldous
B+ Brave New World 1932 SF
Disturbingly relevant extrapolation to a dystopic ultimately permissive society