Format: Paperback ISBN: 978-1-5261-5155-1 Pages: 304 Price: £19.99 Published Date: June 2023 Published by Manchester University Press
DESCRIPTION
In the second decade of the twenty-first century, the crusade against sugar rose to prominence as an urgent societal problem about which something needed to be done. Sugar was transformed into the common enemy in a revived ‘war on obesity’ levelled at ‘unhealthy’ foods and the people who enjoy them. Are the evils of sugar based on purely scientific fact, or are other forces at play?
Sugar rush explores the social life of sugar in its rise to infamy. The book reveals how competing understandings of the ‘problem’ of sugar are smoothed over through appeals to science and the demonization of fatness, with politics and popular culture preying on our anxieties about what we eat. Drawing on journalism, government policy, public health campaigns, self-help books, autobiographies and documentaries, the book argues that this rush to blame sugar is a phenomenon of its time, finding fertile ground in the era of austerity and its attendant inequalities.
Inviting readers to resist the comforting certainties of the attack on sugar, Sugar Rush shows how this actually represents a politics of despair, entrenching rather than disrupting the inequality-riddled status quo.
My Review
Throsby uses a variety of sources from 2016 to 2019 to interrogate the focus on sugar are ‘the’ bad nutrient. She links this to pre-existing food hysterias, and austerity, with its focus on punishing the poor, the fat, the abject Other.
The structure of this book is that of an academic textbook, with an introduction, sources used, and chapter conclusions, while the writing is more like that one would find in a popular science book, easy to read and understand. The tone is one of enquiry and interest, rather than anger or scoffing at the writers of the source materials. The arguments and conclusions are supported strongly and are convincing, at least to this reader.
I highly recommend this to fat activists, disability rights activists, anyone interested in social equity, and dietitians. Really considering buying a copy to give my dietitian…
Valentine Weis is a salvager in the future wastelands of Utah. Wrestling with body dysphoria, he dreams of earning enough money to afford citizenship in Salt Lake City – a utopia where the testosterone and surgery he needs to transition is free, the food is plentiful, and folk are much less likely to be shot full of arrows by salt pirates. But earning that kind of money is a pipe dream, until he meets the exceptionally handsome Osric.
Once a powerful AI in Salt Lake City, Osric has been forced into an android body against his will and sent into the wasteland to offer Valentine a job on behalf of his new employer – an escort service seeking to retrieve their stolen androids. The reward is a visa into the city, and a chance at the life Valentine’s always dreamed of. But as they attempt to recover the “merchandise”, they encounter a problem: the android ladies are becoming self-aware, and have no interest in returning to their old lives.
The prize is tempting, but carrying out the job would go against everything Valentine stands for, and would threaten the fragile found family that’s kept him alive so far. He’ll need to decide whether to risk his own dream in order to give the AI a chance to live theirs.
World Running Down is Al Hess’s first traditionally published novel; he is also an incredible artist. Check out his instagram! He also has a website.
Content warnings (from Al Hess’ website):profanity; alcohol use; M/M open door sex and sexual elements; brief violence; brief misgendering and transphobia; body dysphoria; abduction; classism; risk of forced sex trafficking; toxic friendship/codependency; a fictional denomination of Mormonism and discussion of religion
Rep: trans, gay, lesbian, non-binary, and (briefly mentioned) polyamorous rep; M/M romance ADHD main character (some people have claimed Valentine for Team Autistic as well, and I am totally okay with that!)
My Review
I picked this book up from the Angry Robot Books stall at FantasyCon, and got a very cool art card with it, drawings of Valentine and Osric. Al Hess did the drawings and the cover of his book. I want the rest of the postcards Al drew for the characters but I don’t think they’re available anymore. I think I’m part of the Angry Robot blog tour for Al Hess’ next book, Key Lime Sky, later in the year. I’m looking forward to that. I’ve also signed up for Hess’ newsletter, so I’ve got the ebook for a pre-curser to World Running Down to read.
The plot: Valentine Weiss is a scavenger in a future Utah, where the cities are a haven of free healthcare, transport and education, where there is food in abundance and stable housing. Outside of the heavily guarded cities are small settlements and encampments living on marginalised land, home to marginalised people – the religious conservatives, the social conservatives, the Queer and the poor. To get in to Salt Lake City, with the medical care he needs – testosterone and surgery – he needs a visa and to pass a citizenship test. But that requires money.
With his friend, Ace, or Audrey, who is hoping to get a visa so she can join her distant family in the city, he takes on various jobs out in the dangerous salt flats and mountains. The pair run fuel runs for small settlements, fight off salt pirates, and search for anyway to make money. One a job to drop off fuel, they find a messenger waiting for them.
This is Osric, an AI Steward forced into an android body. Osric doesn’t understand his body, or what it needs – food, water, sleep, going to the toilet. He’s overwhelmed by all the sensations, and irritated by clothes. So he spends a lot of time taking his clothes off, and only putting them on when he really has to.
Valentine is very attracted to Osric, first physically, and then, getting to know him, to his kindness, intelligence and empathy. Valentine feels so much empathy for his new friend, he’s overwhelmed by care for him, and for everyone else. He helps Osric with basic human tasks and then listens to his message. A job, as yet unknown, for a wealthy person in Salt Lake, with the reward of clothes and a visa.
The clothes are important. Valentine feels more himself in a suit. It helps him cope with his dysphoria. Ace loves the dresses. The trio head to Salt Lake, where an interaction with another Steward at the reception centre helps Osric understand more about how he ended up in an android body, and to set in motion events that would change society, although they don’t know it. The job turns out to be a retrieval of goods – eight female androids stolen by a former brothel manager. Osric, we discover, has been embodied to be the new manager, while Valentine and Audrey are need to recover the androids.
The trio go back out on the road after some contretemps in the brothel, and soon find the androids in a camp of Mormon salt pirates. An awl used as a weapon brings about the discovery that the androids are gaining sentience, and they really don’t want to go back to the brothel.
This brings Audrey and Valentine into conflict. He won’t force sentient beings into being escorts if they don’t want to, but she is desperate for the visa that will get her to her family. Osric needs to go back whether he wants to or not. His body is owned by the brothel, and he wants to return to the collective of the Stewards. What will they do?
Hess is an autistic, trans writer, and I can tell. Not that I’m judging, I really appreciate the representation. Osric is right; clothes are itchy and uncomfortable! I often don’t wear clothes if I can avoid it.
Not being a dread pirate, I can’t tell you how accurate his portrayal of the internal experience of ADHD is, or the struggles with dyscalculia the Valentine clearly has. I do have a lot of AuADHD and ADHD colleagues, friends and relatives, so I can recognise the external manifestations. I also get the frustrations with the world and with people who don’t get it, or won’t take the time to understand.
I identified strongly with both Valentine and Osric, and their struggles with embodiment and identity. It brought up some stuff, okay, I’m working on it. Can I be an android, please? There’s a lot of emotional angst and conflict while the pair work out what they feel and what they want to do. It hurt. I loved it.
Al Hess writes ‘cosy sci-fi’ and I like it. The story are domestic and emotionally charged, placed in a future world that is both better and worse. In the cities, life is materially great, if you don’t think about what’s outside. Life outside if the cities is brutal, but there is love and community, even if it’s hard to get food and medical care. It’s morally complex and questions the utopian ideals of some sci fi.
It’s cosy, gay and neurodivergent adventure in the desert and I really enjoyed this book and I’m looking forward to reading more by Hess. I have already ordered a copy for someone and recommended it be added to the fiction section of the Little Neurodivergent Library at work.
Format: 224 pages, Paperback Published: November 30, 2023 by Pluto Press ISBN: 9780745348667 (ISBN10: 0745348661) Language: English
Blurb
Neurodiversity is on the rise. Awareness and diagnoses have exploded in recent years, but we are still missing a wider understanding of how we got here and why. Beyond simplistic narratives of normativity and difference, this groundbreaking book exposes the very myth of the ‘normal’ brain as a product of intensified capitalism.
Exploring the rich histories of the neurodiversity and disability movements, Robert Chapman shows how the rise of capitalism created an ‘empire of normality’ that transformed our understanding of the body into that of a productivity machine. Neurodivergent liberation is possible – but only by challenging the deepest logics of capitalism. Empire of Normality is an essential guide to understanding the systems that shape our bodies, minds and deepest selves – and how we can undo them.
Robert Chapman is a neurodivergent philosopher who has taught at King’s College London and Bristol University. They are currently Assistant Professor in Critical Neurodiversity Studies at Durham University. They blog at Psychology Today and at Critical Neurodiversity .
My Review
Robert Chapman works with a couple of neurodivergent academics (Hi Louise and Anna 1 )I know, so I heard about this book months before it was published and pre-ordered it as soon as I could. There was a problem with the publisher’s computer system and my pre-order was lost so I had to re-order it. I did end up getting a discount because of that though, so I’m not complaining. I also ordered a few other books from Pluto Press, which I will get around to reading and reviewing. Eventually.
This book was an absolute joy to read. Chapman explores the history of neurodivergent people and the disability and neurodiversity rights movements. They explicate and critique anti-psychiatry, Freudianism and other areas of psychiatry, and confirming what I’ve said for years, capitalism is to blame for everything!
No, seriously, think about it.
Why do we have to be machines that happily work set shifts every day doing repetitive uncreative tasks? Capitalism.
Why do we have to fight for any form of social support? Capitalism.
Why are so many more people struggling with their mental health? Capitalism.
We live in a society where everything has a price and if you can’t produce you are a drain on society. The Tories have placed the blame and burden of austerity firmly on disabled people. Neolibralism, that monster set loose by Thatcher on our social and educational systems, pushes things further than ever before, and now we have fascism rearing its ugly head again. This is not hyperbole and if you think it is, you haven’t been listening to disability rights and neurodivergent rights activists, anyone who gives a damn about civil society or social equity.
I tried to say similar things to Chapman in my booklet about neurodivergent history, and couldn’t quite express myself the way I wanted to or get the message I wanted across. Part of that was lack of theoretical background (I am not a philosopher) and part was the funding source. Can’t write a socialist history or a manifesto for neurodivergent equality when you’re getting government funding and working for a non-partisan charity.
Yes, I liked this book because it agrees with my personal politics2, but that’s not the only reason. Chapman writes clearly, fluently, and makes convincing arguments for their position. They explain and explore history, making connections between different areas that might not be clear, although their examples show that other people have made those same connections in the past. By putting the neurodivergent experience in the context of capitalism, viewing the changing place of neurodivergent people through a Marxist lens, we can see the connections between the way capitalism has narrowed our lives and shaped the paradigm through which we are viewed by society, the medical and political system, and how they choose to treat us.
I have already recommended this book to several people and will be asking for a copy for our Little Neurodivergent Library at work.
Insert mad waving here. They’re all a part of the Medical Humanities Department at the University of Durham, my alma mater, not that Durham would admit that I ever went there. ↩︎
Burn it down, pull it out by the roots, start all over again with an equitable society from the beginning. ↩︎
Format: 245 pages, Hardcover Published: November 14, 2023 by Tor Publishing Group/Tordotcom ISBN:9781250826978 (ISBN10: 1250826977)
Description
Am I making it worse? I think I’m making it worse.
Everyone’s favorite lethal SecUnit is back.
Following the events in Network Effect, the Barish-Estranza corporation has sent rescue ships to a newly-colonized planet in peril, as well as additional SecUnits. But if there’s an ethical corporation out there, Murderbot has yet to find it, and if Barish-Estranza can’t have the planet, they’re sure as hell not leaving without something. If that something just happens to be an entire colony of humans, well, a free workforce is a decent runner-up prize.
But there’s something wrong with Murderbot; it isn’t running within normal operational parameters. ART’s crew and the humans from Preservation are doing everything they can to protect the colonists, but with Barish-Estranza’s SecUnit-heavy persuasion teams, they’re going to have to hope Murderbot figures out what’s wrong with itself, and fast.
Art expert Emma Lindahl is anxious when she’s asked to appraise the antiques and artefacts in the infamous manor house of one of Sweden’s wealthiest families, on the island of Storholmen, where a young woman was murdered nine years earlier, her killer never found.
Emma must work alone, and with the Gussman family apparently avoiding her, she sees virtually no one in the house. Do they have something to hide? As she goes about her painstaking work and one shocking discovery yields clues that lead to another, Emma becomes determined to uncover the secrets of the house and its occupants.
When the lifeless body of another young woman is found in the icy waters surrounding the island, Detective Karl Rosén arrives to investigate, and memories of his failure to solve the first case come rushing back. Could this young woman’s tragic death somehow hold the key? Battling her own demons, Emma joins forces with Karl to embark upon a chilling investigation, plunging them into horrifying secrets from the past – Viking rites and tainted love – and Scandinavia’s deepest, darkest winter…
Format: 352 pages, Hardcover Published: November 21, 2023 by Hodderscape ISBN: 9781399724685 (ISBN10: 1399724681) Language: English
Blurb
Marriage isn’t always sunshine and unicorns… sometimes it’s monsters and necromancy.
In a world of magic and adventure, Logan “the Bear” Theaker had hung up his axe and settled down with his sunshiny bard husband, Pie. But when Pie disappears, Logan is forced back into the world he thought he left behind.
The kingdom is in turmoil, and Logan must come out of retirement to save it. But first, he must save his beloved husband from whatever danger he’s in. With the help of an old adversary and a ghost from his past, Logan discovers that Pie has been blackmailed into stealing a powerful artifact capable of creating an undead army.
The fate of the kingdom hangs in the balance as Logan and his team set out to stop the brewing war and put an end to the king’s ban on magic. But in doing so, Logan must confront his own hero complex and come face to face with the one man who’s ever made him feel worthy of love.
Legends & Lattes meets Kings of the Wyld in this thrilling, queer, light fantasy. Follow Logan and Pie’s journey as they fight to save their love and the kingdom they call home.
My Review
I got myself a signed copy of this book from Goldsboro Books a couple of weeks ago and started reading it when it arrived two days ago. I’ve been busy with work and blog tours so I only got three chapters in, until this evening. Four and a half hours later I’ve finished reading the book.
We meet Pie and Logan at a village festival, a few months after they marry and settle down from their lives on the road as a bard and a hero. But things quickly go wrong when Pie disappears on a trip to the nearest city and Logan has to search for him. He calls on a necromancer he once arrested and that sets off a chain of events that eventually include grave robbing, nearly drowning, killing a king and unicorns, lots of unicorns.
This romp of a story is a D&D campaign! Seriously, it has the sorts of characters and structures you get in a really good game, with a really good DM. There’s an inciting event, a quest, a collection of characters who appear and join the expedition, monsters to defeat, an even bigger challenge to over come when it looks like you’ve got to the end, and a final big boss to destroy. It was a lot of fun to read.
It was also heart-breaking at times! Pie and Logan are absolutely wretchedly in love and their arguments are caused by love and their insecurities as they face their pasts and their feelings. I cried, a few times. I
I’m soppy, I know.
They’re so lovely though, and they develop over the course of the novel as they confront their fears and insecurities about being left behind, and express how overwhelming their love for each other is.
I found the countess hilariously funny, relentlessly positive and of all the secondary characters she’s my favourite. She has a sad history, uses her magic for seemingly trivial things like getting the gardening done, and is feared because she’s a necromancer. Yet, she comes through in the end, even though she sort of betrayed Logan before the story started. And she has a CHARTER!
I loved the descriptions of places and people in the book, they were very evocative and quite, quite amusing at times. The contrast between the ‘real’ world, the ‘pocket’ world of the unicorns, and death’s realm were very clear and stark. I loved the descriptions of the library in the capital. Also, totally agree with Logan on the suspended walkways. They are a baaaaaad idea.
A riveting technological thriller following a woman whose life is upended when her husband and son disappear in a mysterious plane crash and she is left alone with an unnerving home robot, only to get caught up in an AI-related conspiracy.
In near-future Japan, Susie Sakamoto is mourning the loss of her husband and son to a plane crash. Alone in her big modern house, which feels like more of a prison, Susie spends her days drinking heavily and taking her anger out at the only “sentient” thing left in her life: Sunny, the annoying home robot her husband designed. Susie despises Sunny, and sometimes even gets a sinking feeling that Sunny is out to hurt her.
To escape her paranoia and depression, Susie frequents the seedy, drug-fuelled bars of the city, where she hears rumours of The Dark Manual, a set of guidelines that allow you to reprogram your robot for nefarious purposes. In the hopes of finding a way to turn off Sunny for good, Susie begins to search for the manual, only to learn it’s too late: the machines are becoming more sentient and dangerous. Thrust into the centre of a dark, corporate war, Susie realizes there’s someone behind the code, pulling the strings. And they want her dead.
With a darkly humorous yet propulsive voice, O’Sullivan presents us with an unsettling look at a future that feels all too real. Gripping and thought-provoking, Sunny is a haunting character study of an anxious woman teetering in an anxious time.
Genre: steampunk historical fiction Publication Date 27 November 2023 ISBN 978-1-3999-5773-1 Dimensions 229 x 152mm Extent 306 pages RRP £9.99 BIC FL, FV Rights Worldwide
Published by Open Door Books. Page design and typesetting by SilverWood Books.
Key Selling Points
From the author of The Mechanical Maestro and The Copper Chevalier, a new story following the Abernathy siblings as they face an enigmatic adversary.
Character-driven story centred around three genius siblings.
A steampunk-tinged tale with Gothic overtones sure to enthral fans of clockwork, androids and the Victorian era alike.
Immersive world filled with colourful characters.
Blurb
1863
Six years have passed at Ravenfeld Hall. The Abernathy siblings’ fortunes continue to improve as George and Douglas’s android-building business thrives. But change looms on the horizon. Douglas’s engagement to the sweet, charming Clara Marsden threatens to take him from his family, while sister Molly contemplates whether a future with the man she loves means sacrificing her independence and academic pursuits.
Then the family face more pressing concerns…
One night, George’s latest invention escapes the Hall. Four months later, a charismatic inventor by the name of Gearhart appears in London, with an intellect to rival that of the Abernathys’. George senses there’s something sinister about the mysterious Mr Gearhart, who’s planning to unveil an invention that could change the world. But does he have far grander ambitions? And can George uncover the truth about him in time?
Publication date Thursday, October 26, 2023 Price £14.99 EAN\ISBN-13 9781856755269
Blurb
Description A fascinating and entertaining collection of facts, quotes and stories, celebrating Sir David Attenborough’s wicked sense of humour and astute wisdom. David Attenborough is a national treasure, known for his soothing voice, calming presence, passion for the natural world, and his humble, easy-going nature. Despite his incredible talent and influence, he tends to play it all down, one time stating that, ‘I can’t believe I’m still employed’.
So if he won’t celebrate himself, we’ll have to do it for him. Filled with facts, tributes and anecdotes, as well as beautiful illustrations, this enormously positive book celebrates Sir David, providing a fascinating insight into his life as well as showcasing his brilliant sense of humour. Running chronologically, this book begins with his early days, to his first job at the BBC, to eventually becoming the most esteemed naturalist on the planet, as he is today.
Such revelations include:
There are 18 plants and animals named after him
When asked by a reporter how many degrees he had, he said it would be ‘rude to count’*
The single thing that would improve his quality of life is ‘good, workable knees’. Blending his quips galore with his powerful messages on the environment and future of the planet, this timely book showcases everything we love about Sir David, making it the perfect gift for any fan.
Everything Is Better With Dragons 