All Reviews by Matthew McClintock
Unwise Child
by Gordon Randall Garrett
Not the most sophisticated of tales, but entertaining -- a bit of robotics, some hero-worship, a little romance, and a murder; it's all sewn up nice and neat by the end.
The Four Just Men
by Edgar Wallace
Pretty lame. Not badly written, for pulp, but the story doesn't really give you much of a ride. Seems kind of pompous, windy, and the "shocking conclusion" at the end is tame. Blah
Mr. Standfast
by John Buchan
Frankly, after the first two novels in this series, Mr. Standfast was a let down -- it seemed disjointed, forced, and more stridently "pro war" than the last two.
The characterizations of anyone not British, upper-class, white, and militaristic were annoyingly two-dimensional and insulting as well.
Tokyo Zero
by Marc Horne
I really enjoyed this one -- there were parts where I felt like it could have been tightened up a bit, but the story, the characters, and the overall plot were quite engaging.
The Thirty-Nine Steps
by John Buchan
An earlier review mentions Robert Donat playing the lead role, but for some reason I kept seeing Cary Grant running around through the moors. Not heavy reading, but a good story, with fun characters - a step above "pulp" fiction.
Accelerando
by Charles Stross
A very fast paced, forward looking, jargon-rich look at a post-singularity civilization -- great characters, and an intricate plot that could be expanded into an entire series.
The Hound of the Baskervilles
by Arthur Conan Doyle
One of the things I've always enjoyed about Sherlock Holmes stories is that while they're far-fetched they're not impossible, and that makes them more enjoyable. They're also really well suited to reading aloud, with excellent dialog.
The Three Musketeers
by Alexandre Dumas, père
Chivalrous and passionate characters, swordfights, intrigue, despicable villains, and complicated plots. Great stuff!
The Return of Tarzan
by Edgar Rice Burroughs
Despite some antiquated attitudes the majority of this book is really gripping -- great storytelling!