I am Legend - Richard Matheson

I've seen and enjoyed the Will Smith movie so thought this would be a good book to try out.  And it was, event though the film was more "inspired by" than "based on" if you get my meaning.

Basic premise, world falling apart due to mystery illness that turns people into vampires / zombies.  One man survives hunkered down in his house and mourning his wife and child while drinking himself into oblivion on a nightly basis.

There have been numerous books and films like this but I think I'm correct in saying that this was one of the first and one of the first to approach it from the humanity wiped out by virus format.

I probably prefer a few other post apocalyptic novels such as Day of the Triffids or The Road but this one certainly bears comparison and is recommended.

The Space Merchants - Pohl and Kornbluth

What a great book.  Published in the early fifties this book encapsulates several key themes of the time...increasing consumerism, the rise of communism, the nascent environmental movement, space travel....all in about 200 pages.

The basic premise is that in the world of the book advertising agencies have become all powerful and because of their ability to control consumer behaviour effectively run the country and indeed the world.  Bored of this world and its limited opportunities they are turning their attention to a mission to Venus, a whole world of possibilities and markets to exploit.  Set this against an backdrop of a police state in thrall to the advertising agencies and throw in a terrorist group who are seeking to overthrow the current world order and you've got all the ingredients for a great book.

Parts of the book reminded me of the Count of Monte Cristo, which is no bad thing, others seem to have been the inspiration for Total Recall.

I really enjoyed this one.

Liars Poker - Michael Lewis

This book tells the story of bond trading on Wall St and in London in the 80's.  One of the biggest cash bonanzas in history.  The book gives a real feel for the adrenalin, egos, machismo and pressure on the trading floor while giving some genuine context and insight into the economic and political changes that made it all possible.

Reading it from this remove it also makes for a wonderfully insightful "How we got into the mess we're currently in" book and one I would thoroughly recommend for anyone trying to get their heads around credit default swaps, hedge funds and city excess.

Michael Lewis is a good author, able to get the story behind the story.  In many ways his almost journalistic style bears comparison with Tom Wolfe and Hunter S Thompson for his ability to see beyond a direct narrative of the action and give the reader a wider understanding of the whats, whys and hows of the situation.

Worth a read

The Rum Diary - Hunter S Thompson

Ok, so I admit it. one of the main reasons I read this book is because the film was coming out.  I've read several of The Good Doctors other less filmable books and thoroughly enjoyed them and I didn't like the idea of a non booky person recommending this one to me.  I even went so far as to buy the non film cover pictured above even though it cost a few quid more than the film cover one.

As I mentioned, I've read several other books by this author and I'm a huge fan.  Some people only see the drink and drugs and crazy language and dismiss his writing as a cheap trick.  They are wrong. He is one of the most insightful and intelligent journalists / writers of the last century and never shirks from a challenge or a story.

This book is a worthy part of his canon and I really enjoyed it.  At first I thought it was a little more straight laced than some of his other books....but I soon realised that I just hadn't seen it coming.  The good doctor is still in there taking you on a roller-coaster of a journey.  and most enjoyable a ride it was too.

The only problem....the book involves alot of rum.  the new film stars Johnny Depp.  I kept thinking of captain Jack Sparrow when I was reading it.  damn my limited and derivative imagination.