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A few of our favourite things

Only a couple of months back, we did a 'Best of 2007' feature, in which we picked out our science fiction highlights of the previous year. But we wondered if that would match up to what we actually thought at the time. What did we rate? What was the best of the best? Here's an exhaustive list of everything we've given five stars to in the last twelve months (12 months = 13 issues, in magazine land). This is what we've 'officially' recommended so far, all 69 items. Yes, 69, not including our doubled-up reviews for Heroes and The Seventh Seal. The results are weird, to say the least… make of them what you will.

 

(There are, you'll see, a few entries from issue #13, an issue you haven't seen yet, although it's well on the way. But we just couldn't wait to tell you how good Doomsday is. Seriously, it's a must.) 

 

 

FILM

28 WEEKS LATER
"Genuinely scary, fast-moving, emotionally affecting horror."

THE FOUNTAIN
"A remarkably fertile fable… intolerably heartbreaking and curiously uplifting."

THE SEVENTH SEAL
"A rare piece of art that can genuinely make you contemplate the bigger picture."

EASTERN PROMISES
"It's almost as if the film is embodied in Nikolai's character – a man who never shows his hand and for whom there are no simple promises."

 DREAMS WITH SHARP TEETH
"A warts-and-all portrait, hilarious, moving and also deeply uncomfortable to watch at times, presenting [Harlan] Ellison in his complex entirety."

 

BEOWULF

"A big, muscular thing of a movie, as proud and boastful as its hero."

DOOMSDAY
"Simply put, this is the most perfect 1980s, post-apocalyptic Scotland movie ever. Go and see it now."

 

 

TELEVISION

 

HEROES SEASON ONE
"The play's the thing, and here it zips along, with nary a pause for breath."

LOST: 'ONE OF US'
"Corkscrewing plot, shattering everything that has gone before."

HEROES: 'COMPANY MAN'
"Is this the best science fiction show currently being made? I'd say yes."

DOCTOR WHO: 'THE SHAKESPEARE CODE'
"Quick, witty, action packed and clever."

LIFE ON MARS SERIES TWO
"One of the finest British TV dramas since records began."

HEROES: 'FIVE YEARS GONE'
"More amazing telly… cracking stuff."

HEROES SEASON ONE (SECOND THINK)
"The television equivalent of Charlie from Lost: cheeky, warm, funny, the kind of guy we'd love to meet down the pub."

DOCTOR WHO: BLINK
"The best single episode of Who yet."

LOST: 'THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS', PARTS ONE AND TWO
"It's hard to argue with writing as good as this."

JOHN FROM CINCINNATI: 'HIS VISIT: DAY FIVE'
"Absolutely batshit crazy."

THE MIGHTY BOOSH SERIES THREE
"Where else can you find an evil cockney with an ex-pie and eel shop owner imprisoned in his magical hat, forced to dance forever?"

THE WIRE SEASON FIVE
"Predictably, another excellent season… television would be far poorer without it."

FAIRY TALES: BILLY GOAT
"Bernard Hill is truly remarkable here, creating a character that is all pathos and the pain of rejection., wrapped up in a thick blanket of spiky pragmatism."

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA SEASON FOUR
"Whatever happens, we're hooked. What on Earth will we do when it's all over?."

REAPER
"A great show about life, love and Satan."

HEROES: 'COMPANY MAN' (SECOND THINK)
"A much-deserved showcase for both one of the show's most memorable characters and one of its finest actors. Classic."


HEROES: 'FIVE YEARS GONE' (SECOND THINK)
"One of the very best installments of the show and a direct descendant of the classic X-Men story 'Days of Future Past'."

JERICHO SEASON ONE
"Terribly right wing, though not unthinkingly… so tense."

 

GAMES

ELDER SCROLLS IV: OBLIVION
"Totally compulsive, breathtaking in ambition and scope…we're still contentedly discovering and learning after more than a hundred hours in the game."

HALO 3
"This is a glorious game… a league of its own"

 

 

DVD

GUILLERMO DEL TORO COLLECTION
"One of the biggest talents working in SF and fantasy."

SPIDER-MAN 2.1
"The chance to see an extended cut should be grasped with both sticky hands."

FORBIDDEN PLANET
"Amazing… [a] literate and thoughtful script, complemented by groundbreaking special effects."

JEAN-LUC GODARD BOXSET VOLUME 1
"What you certainly wouldn't associate with the enfant terrible of the French New Wave is science fiction… classic."

THE LAST WINTER
"The sense of dread builds gradually throughout the entire picture to a genuinely unnerving climax."

STAR TREK SEASON ONE (REMASTERED)
"If you want to see the series looking fresh, this is your chance. If you want the series you grew up with, buy the original DVD release."

THE WILD BLUE YONDER
"Restoring to us an idea of technology that involves actual physical and psychic involvement."

STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION 20TH ANNIVERSARY COMPLETE BOXSET
"It's great to see the whole enterprise (ahem) assembled in one set."

THE PRISONER 40TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL EDITION
"It's easy to forget how fantastically entertaining The Prisoner is, inventive, sardonic and utterly English."

BLADE RUNNER: THE FINAL CUT
"The changes Ridley Scott has made have a painter's eye for taste and detail."

THE SEVENTH SEAL
"Bergman's art, like Block, is unceasing, and this remastered version looks like it was made yesterday."

 

COMICS

ASTONISHING X-MEN (JOSS WHEDON)
"It's hard to remember a comic where plot twists, cliffhangers, spot-on characterisation, brilliant dialogue, fascinating concepts and stand-out action sequences have come together in  the same place quite this well before."

JUSTICE (JIM KREUGER)
"Brilliant, iconic, genius."

NEWUNIVERSAL (WARREN ELLIS)
"It really does feel like we've chanced upon something terrifyingly pure and strange."

THE ULTIMATES 2 #13 (MARK MILLAR)
"Thanks, guys. This was an incredible piece of work."

LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN: BLACK DOSSIER (ALAN MOORE)
"A cracking, rollicking read… a history of 'the planet of the imagination'."

THE BOYS (GARTH ENNIS)
"Immensely violent… the biggest swearfest on the racks… blackly hilarious… gross."

BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE DELUXE EDITION (ALAN MOORE)
"Enlivened by the fetishistic detail of Brian Bolland's art."

SLAINE: THE KING (PAT MILLS)
"All great stuff, 2000AD at its absolute best."

 

 

BOOKS

THE CHILDREN OF HÚRIN (J.R.R. TOLKIEN)
"More than just a good J.R.R Tolkien novel; this is undoubtedly also Christopher Tolkein's masterpiece."

BARNABY GRIMES: CURSE OF THE NIGHT WOLF (PAUL STEWART & CHRIS RIDDELL)
"An ambitious read for the young…the complete package."

THE CHINATOWN DEATHCLOUD PERIL (PAUL MALMONT)
"Too well written to be pulp fiction."

HARM (BRIAN ALDISS)
"Profound without preaching, terrifying without resorting to shock… exquisite stuff.""

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS (J.K. ROWLING)
"The most impressive, enduring pop culture even of my lifetime."

THE INFERIOR (PAEDAR Ó GUILÍN)
"Bloody, visceral and unashamedly masculine, once The Inferior sinks its teeth into you, it will not let go."

RED SEAS UNDER RED SKIES (SCOTT LYNCH)
"An absolutely cracking read – a rare maritime fantasy."

THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT (ROBERT NEILSON)
"Plays your emotions and sensibilities as well as any great storyteller."

MARIO BAVA: ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK (TIM LUCAS)
"The sort of book that comes along once in a generation…a fitting tribute to the work of a giant of fantasy literature."


EMPIRE OF IVORY (NAOMI NOVIK)
"Novik has used her dragons as the lever for creating credibly liberated women."

20TH CENTURY GHOSTS (JOE HILL)
"Treasures aplenty… deserves to be read."

THE METATEMPORAL DETECTIVE (MICHAEL MOORCOCK)
"Moorcock fans, enjoy – this is greater than the sum of its parts."

SHADOW WEB (N.M. BROWNE)
"A compelling picture of Britain under fascism… delivered with style and verve."

THE BUTT (WILL SELF)
"Although you might well enjoy yourself, be wary."

DR GRORDBORT'S CONTRAPULATRONIC DINGUS DIRECTORY (GREG BROADMORE)
"Advertises everything from moon-tanks to Bifurnilisers in the jolly amusing, hectoring manner of a late Imperial arse."

THE SAVAGE (DAVID ALMOND)
"Truly astonishing, and rather more complex and subtle than either the conventional novel or graphic novel formats."

THE COLLECTED STORIES OF VERNOR VINGE
"Science fiction of the most refined brand, rich with canny prediction."

 

 

SHORT STORIES

'A DIORAMA OF THE INFERNAL REGIONS, OR THE DEVIL'S NINTH QUESTION' (ANDY DUNCAN)
"Lovely imagery, nice beat."

'THE MANTICORE SPELL' (JEFFREY FORD)
"Wonderfully technicolour."

'ZINDER' (TANITH LEE)
"Beautiful, moving and magical."

'EVIL ROBOT MONKEY' (MARY ROBINETTE KOWAL)

"The travails of an enhanced artistic chimp, streamlined to the point of elegance."

 

 

ANIME

ELFEN LIED BOX SET
"Something that will both inspire and chill you to the core."

MUSHISHI
"A simplicity and humanity that is as rare as it is beautiful."

 

GHOST IN THE SHELL 1.5: HUMAN ERROR PROCESSOR

"Gorgeous and obviously lovingly done… what's not to love?"

 

PARANOIA AGENT

"It's the kind of television that you can time-tour; the last piece of the puzzle is the giveaway, but it also twists the narrative into kind of Möbius band – we're prompted to head back to the beginning and try again."

 

 

AUDIO DRAMA

 

SOLARIS 

"Fine radio… a luscious soundscape."

 

THE BRIGHTONOMICON
"About as perfect an audiobook as you could get."

Administrator April 18, 2008, 03:44:24