Art Critic Panda

Bowie and Iris; frankly this was destiny. Iris wandering into the Dame’s universe is the sort of conceit that might pall over a full collection but is absolutely perfect for a shorter book like this. As ever with Obverse there’s a lovely feeling that authorial voice is more important than shoehorning stories into a theme, so at one end of the spectrum there’s a full on Iris/Bowie adventure in Low/Profile to ones which steal a title and the odd reference (Cracked Actor). It’s a collection which sparkles like Bowie’s teeth in the 80s and is as inventive as the man himself in the 70s and 90s. Modern Love is a story based around a delicious twist (to say more would give the game away), Hang On To Yourself gives Paul Magrs the chance to strengthen Vince Cosmos’ membership of his simply fabulous pantheon, George Mann pulls off what might have been an awkward conceit of format with aplomb and Nick Campbell provides a genuinely touching story in a strong SF framework. Worth picking up as both an Iris collection and a fine example of what talented writers can do given a strong hook.… (mer)

I guess this Iris Wildthyme anthology is based on David Bowie or something; I wouldn't know. But who cares? This is one of the most fun, most diverse Iris Wildthyme anthologies yet. Vince Cosmos makes an appearance in Paul Magrs's "Hold onto Yourself," which is fun (where's the next audio drama, though?); Scott Liddell gives us a creepy and evocative story in "Slip Away"; and Stewart Sheargold's "Cracked Actor" is a deranged murder mystery on the set of an Italian vampire film. All good fun, without going over-the-top in an alienating way.

The only story I felt didn't work was George Mann's "Low/Profile," which purports to be the Wikipedia entry for a Bowie album, but ended up telling a pretty standard narrative; I don't think Mann really utilized the form well beyond the occasional "[citation needed]" or "[original research]" gag. Real Wikipedia entries aren't quite this coherent.

(I was disappointed at another Obverse title with sloppy typesetting; it seems to be a different size in each story, and sometimes fluctuates within one story. It makes this book look amateurish.)… (mer)