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Christopher Fowler Novels
Jun. 22nd, 2009 12:36 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
joysilenceAre any of you fans of the British author Christopher Fowler? He mixes several genres in his writing, and usually his works contain elements of horror, sci-fi, urban fantasy and crime in varying proportions. Having been quite taken with some of his short stories, which regularly appear in those Mammoth Best New Horror anthologies, I decided to try one of his best-known novels, Disturbia, generously provided for 50p from a charity shop. ( Disturbia )
I also enjoyed Fowler's later novel Darkest Day, one of a series of mysteries starring Bryant and May, two ageing police detectives who are often called upon to solve crimes with a hint of the occult about them. ( Darkest Day )
Fowlers seems to have been ahead of his time in some respects: both of these books anticipate the rise of 'psychogeography' by a good ten years, with their loving portrayal of London's hidden wonders and horrors. And I can't help thinking Arthur Machen would've approved! Meanwhile, I strongly suspect that Fowler's murder devices, a blend of Victorian and modern technology, have served as 'inspiration' for many an inferior novelist seeking to ride the coat-tails of the pretend genre 'steam-punk'. Fowler is still pumping out fiction today, and on this showing, you could do a lot worse than check out some of his stuff. Unless you are a rabid monarchist of course.
I also enjoyed Fowler's later novel Darkest Day, one of a series of mysteries starring Bryant and May, two ageing police detectives who are often called upon to solve crimes with a hint of the occult about them. ( Darkest Day )
Fowlers seems to have been ahead of his time in some respects: both of these books anticipate the rise of 'psychogeography' by a good ten years, with their loving portrayal of London's hidden wonders and horrors. And I can't help thinking Arthur Machen would've approved! Meanwhile, I strongly suspect that Fowler's murder devices, a blend of Victorian and modern technology, have served as 'inspiration' for many an inferior novelist seeking to ride the coat-tails of the pretend genre 'steam-punk'. Fowler is still pumping out fiction today, and on this showing, you could do a lot worse than check out some of his stuff. Unless you are a rabid monarchist of course.
