Derelict Space Sheep

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Derelict Space Sheep

Speculative Fiction, Retrofitted Fact. Micropublishing tomorrow's salvage.

07/01/2026

42 WORD REVIEW:

Season 2 offers a stronger story, better integrated within an already well-realised cyberpunk dystopia. Beneath the action and intrigue, runs a thematic core whereby disparate characters parse love and existence in the context of eternity. Quality performances, with Chris Conner a standout.

Review of “Altered Carbon, Season 2” (Netflix, 2020)

06/01/2026

42 WORD REVIEW:

The cases themselves are relatively slight, split without overlap between Tamara, Bill, and Jake Runyon. As ever, though, San Francisco emerges as its own gritty, gloomy, sordid kind of character, where life is a struggle and even the non-criminals mostly prove unpleasant.

Review of “Betrayers” by Bill Pronzini (Forge, 2010); audiobook read by Nick Sullivan (Bolinda, 2017)

04/01/2026

42 WORD REVIEW:

Colourful, anarchic, rebellious and empowered, ‘Birds of Prey’ proves a real step-up from most DC superhero films. The action scenes are entertaining (rather than belaboured), Yan’s direction is punchy, and writer Christina Hodson turns in a screenplay befitting of Harley Quinn’s character.

Review of “Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn” dir. Cathy Yan (2020)

03/01/2026

42 WORD REVIEW:

This feminist vampire take should be compelling, but loses its power somewhat as the spirit of repressed uprising rots away to reveal a downbeat metaphor for toxic self-centredness. While a lengthy perspective is justified, Schwab’s characterisation of Sabine is belaboured and disproportional.

Review of “Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil” by V.E. Schwab (Tor, 2025); audiobook read by Julia Whelan, Katie Leung & Marisa Calin (Macmillan, 2025)

30/12/2025

42 WORD REVIEW:

Name authors are prioritised over quality of story (though all receive perfunctory, unpolished biographies). There are some nice ideas poorly executed, some truly tedious offerings, and only a few standouts: Adrian Tchaikovsky’s ‘The Mouse Ran Down’ and Eric Frank Russell’s ‘The Waitabits’.

Review of “The Time Traveller’s Almanac: Mazes & Traps” ed. Ann & Jeff VanderMeer (Head of Zeus, 2014); audiobook read by Jeff Harding, Andrew Wincott & Antonia Beamish (W F Howes, 2014)

27/12/2025

42 WORD REVIEW:

Moffat finds just the right way to realise the ‘retired Doctor’ scenario first proposed by Douglas Adams. While the snowmen/Great Intelligence plot proves a little perfunctory, this beautifully acted Christmas special sails along on characterisation and humour (while teasing another Clara introduction).

Review of “Doctor Who: The Snowmen” by Steven Moffat; dir. Saul Metzstein (BBC, 2012)

26/12/2025

42 WORD RETROSPECTIVE:

Forty-three tales of anthropomorphised animal trickery, mostly perpetrated by the cunning Brer Rabbit upon his dim-witted neighbours (though he occasionally receives a much-needed comeuppance). Alan Davies’ audiobook reading embraces the source material, bolstering the characterisations and making the deceptions seem almost plausible.

Review of “Enid Blyton’s Brer Rabbit Book” by Enid Blyton (Dean, 1963); audiobook read by Alan Davies (ABC Audio, 2015) [as “The Brer Rabbit Book”]

22/12/2025

42 WORD REVIEW:

Watchable enough pseudo-SF police thriller but with one pointlessly enigmatic lead character, interpersonal dramas erupting from nowhere, moral dilemmas explored at a stilted, primary school level, and all three detectives painfully ineffectual (verging on imbecilic) in their attempts to pre-empt future disasters.

Review of “Paradox” (BBC, 2009)

21/12/2025

42 WORD REVIEW:

Six feature-length murder investigations, which mostly adhere to logic rather than contrivance, though equally tend to land upon the only person not at any point under suspicion. Partly through scripting, partly through Kenny Doughty’s portrayal, DS Healy comes across as remarkably dim-witted.

Review of “Vera, Series 11” (ITV, 2021-2023)

19/12/2025

42 WORD REVIEW:

A case of biggest strength, biggest weakness. Stiefvater’s historical setting is superbly realised and yet limits the story’s speculative potential. (Not that the story needs its fantasy element. The characters already shine, but one cannot help anticipating more from the much-talked-of sweetwater.)

Review of “The Listeners” by Maggie Stiefvater (Viking, 2025); audiobook read by Erin Bennett (Penguin Audio, 2025)

16/12/2025

42 WORD REVIEW:

Accomplished character art and murky-yet-distinct backdrops, straightforward narrative. The world Yoda journeys to has SF potential but the conflicts are nebulous (particularly once the living force mountain becomes involved) and the perfunctory resolution/reversal fails to make whatever point Aaron was aiming for.

Review of “Star Wars: Yoda’s Secret War” by James Aaron; ill. Salvador Larroca (Marvel, 2017)

14/12/2025

42 WORD RETROSPECTIVE:

A gentle MG story in which a dog and cat’s peaceful existence as family pets is disrupted by the arrival of a supposed vampire bunny. The human and animal characters all evince distinct personalities (brought to the fore in Garber’s audiobook reading).

Review of “Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery” by Deborah & James Howe (Atheneum Books, 1979); audiobook read by Victor Garber (Listening Library, 2004) [as part of The Bunnicula Collection]

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