Chris Halliday

Superior Mythos Tales

Reviewed: 06-10-19

Among Lovecraftians, Brian Lumley can be a “marmite” author; you either love his work or hate it. His Mythos novels - like the Titus Crow series - tend to be pulpy and overblown, the antithesis of Lovecraft’s cosmic horror. His short stories and novellas though, are deft and classy examples of the weird tale. The title story, “The Taint”, is one of the finest slow burn Lovecraftian stories ever written, and the rest of the tales in this collection approach it in quality.

The narration - bar the occasional place name mispronunciation - is excellent. I look forward to enjoying the other collections in this series.

Fascinating and more than a little creepy

Reviewed: 30-08-19

This is a riveting and highly accessible overview of nature’s incredible parasites and the many ways they can control the minds and behaviour of their hosts. It’s very icky but also fascinating, and viewed through the lens of the zombie movie, a lot of fun. Holster Graham’s reading captures the enthusiasm and passion of the author, making you feel like you’re at the world’s coolest TED Talk.

Dark, grim and frequently scary

Reviewed: 03-08-19

This is where things get very dark indeed! The Half-Blood Prince is essentially a coming of age tale, where the security of Harry’s life at Hogwarts comes crashing down in spectacular style. Once again, J.K. Rowling does a great job of capturing teenage life through the unique lens of her Wizarding World, with lots of angst and teenage snogging. It’s funny and sweet, but underneath it all is the continuing threat of Lord Voldemort and his fanatically murderous Death Eaters. There’s peril aplenty, and a couple of sections that slide from magical fantasy into genuine horror, made even scarier by Stephen Fry’s superlative reading.

Adds depth to the story

Reviewed: 12-06-19

Given that GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS is a visual spectacle, you could be forgiven for thinking that a novelisation would lack the punch and drama of the movie, but you’d be wrong. Greg Keyes does a great job of adding emotional depth and resonance to the movie’s story, which is admittedly light. There are lots of nuggets of information connecting the story to the wider Monsterverse, with scenes on Skull Island and Kong, as well as more details of the other titans we see so sparingly on the screen.

Michael Braun’s reading is solid, giving the action urgency and humanity. It’s not War and Peace, but that’s not what a Godzilla movie - or novel - is for.

Hail to the King!

The adventure we should have had!

Reviewed: 03-06-19

William Gibson’s unproduced script, directed for Audible by Dirk Maggs and starring Lance Henricksen and Michael Biehn, is the sequel we should have had. It’s pacey, scary and tense from start to finish. Another great addition to the Audible Originals series of ALIEN audio dramas. Very highly recommended!

Simply fantastic

Reviewed: 28-05-19

The pairing of J.K.Rowling’s storytelling with Stephen Fry’s voice is simply magical. Fry’s performance (because it’s far more than just a reading) brings the books to life in a way I really hadn’t expected. Having read the books before, and loved them, I was surprised at just how much Stephen Fry manages to enhance the experience. Very, very highly recommended.

Tense sci-fi horror

Reviewed: 04-04-19

I picked this up on a whim, and I’m so glad I did. It’s almost unbearably tense in parts, a delicious slice of sci-fi horror, full of jaw-dropping moments where you realise that things are *much* worse than you thought. Great characters that you root for and a really well thought-out setting make DEAD MOON an excursion into terror that you’re going to love.

Brilliant modern ghost stories

Reviewed: 10-02-19

Being an M.R. James fan, I wasn’t sure I was going to enjoy these reimagined classic tales. When I saw they were a Bafflegab production, any concerns evaporated. These are masterful modern ghost stories, told as full-cast audio dramas. Everything from the performances to the sound design is spot on. I’m very glad I didn’t listen to these in the dark.

Roll on Volume 2!

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Dalek nostalgia from the 70s

Reviewed: 07-12-18

This took me back to the late 1970s, when Christmas meant hoping that Mum had bought me the latest Dalek annual (she did. Thanks Mum!), then diving into the colourful pages to devour these dark tales of the deadliest enemies of humanity. Without the presence of the Doctor, these stories often ended very badly for mankind, which somehow made them even more enjoyable.

This selection of stories and features from the annuals is a delight. Narrated by Nicholas Briggs, Louise Jameson and Matthew Waterhouse, there’s a lot to love here.

Highly recommended for Dalek fans of a certain age!

Uniquely enchanting

Reviewed: 01-10-18

There’s nothing quite like PILGRIM; the tale of a cursed immortal forced to walk between the worlds of magic and men. That summary makes it sound like a dozen other urban fantasy stories, but the reality is very different. PILGRIM draws from the deep well of British folklore and mythology, filling its tale with characters simultaneously fantastical and believable. PILGRIM is beautifully written, cast, performed and produced, one of the masterpieces of BBC radio drama.

Very highly recommended.