Review: The Wrong Reflection by Gillian Bradshaw
P.D. TILLMAN
Review: The Wrong Reflection by Gillian Bradshaw
2000, Severn House, 284 pp. ISBN: 0727855727
Rating: "B/B+" -- well-written first-contact thriller with continuity
problems. Recommended, with reservations.
One dark night, Sandra Murray, a beautiful, brainy biologist with
bright red hair, rescues this hunky guy from his half-sunken car. But,
next morning -- the guy can't even remember his name! And -- he
doesn't seem to be the same guy that his ID says he is.... [cue Twilight
Zone theme] OK, it *is* a pretty hokey start. But do press on through
the first three or four slowish chapters -- there's Better Stuff ahead!
That's the good news. The bad news is, I can't really tell you much
more without spoiling your fun. But read on, and by indirection I'll
direct you to why this is really a pretty good book, and how her next
one could be killer...
Gillian Bradshaw is best known as a historical novelist; this is her
first venture into SF. This makes for some bumpy reading. Her
major characters are deftly and economically drawn into real people,
folks you'd like to meet. (Well, mostly. The Villain is a bit much.)
The setting, a contemporary English provincial city, is cozily exotic (to
this American), and as lively, prosperous, confusing and disorganized
as a similar-size US city. OK. You're cruising along, digging the
people, eyeing the scenery, words flowing down like milk & honey --
and WHAM!
Aliens Want Our Women!
Greedy Plutocrat Steals Alien Widget!
I Dated a Monster from Outer Space!
And the hunk is named -- Paul Anderson! Just out of SF cluelessness.
Thud.
Hey -- we're still miles ahead of Doris Lessing's SF horrors, say, or the
Handmaid's Tale [shudders] -- this is smooth, competent popular
fiction. But it's jarring -- Bradshaw is clearly drawing on old movies
and TV shows for her backstory, instead of the Literature. The Sacred
Texts [irony mudra here]. In a weird sort of way, it's neat. Sort of. For
sure different.... Ahem. If Bradshaw wants to play in *our* sandbox,
she does need to do some homework. If she does, her next SF book
could be a stunner. This lady is already one mean wordslinger.
In the meanwhile, have a look at The Wrong Reflection. It's pretty
cool, OK? Especially if you haven't already read a ton of this stuff.
And I'll have to take a look at some of those Bradshaw historicals....
Author's website (needs an update!):
<http://www.tcm.phy.cam.ac.uk/~rcb1/family/gillian.html>
Review copyright 2002 by Peter D. Tillman <til...@aztec.asu.edu>
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--
Joe Bernstein
P.D. TILLMAN <til...@aztec.asu.edu> wrote:
> Review: The Wrong Reflection by Gillian Bradshaw
> And the hunk is named -- Paul Anderson! Just out of SF cluelessness.
> Thud.
Really? This didn't throw me *at all*.
> But it's jarring -- Bradshaw is clearly drawing on old movies
> and TV shows for her backstory,
You sure? Her husband is a physicist. She could very well be drawing
on current speculations for her real backstory (although I don't know
that she *is*).
> instead of the Literature. The Sacred Texts [irony mudra here]. In
> a weird sort of way, it's neat. Sort of. For sure different....
> Ahem. If Bradshaw wants to play in *our* sandbox, she does need to
> do some homework. If she does, her next SF book could be a stunner.
> This lady is already one mean wordslinger.
Well, as her website says, she doesn't really want to play in our
sandbox, she wants to write historical fiction. That said, please
note that her first three books were published (and acclaimed) as
fantasy. She's been in these parts before, though I don't know
whether on a passport or just a visa.
> And I'll have to take a look at some of those Bradshaw historicals....
Do. Several are absolutely wonderful. If you liked <The Wrong
Reflection> I feel safe in recommending to you one of my favourites,
<Island of Ghosts>; I'd have to know more about your tastes before
confidently recommending any of the others over each other.
Joe Bernstein
--
Joe Bernstein, writer j...@sfbooks.com
<http://these-survive.postilion.org/>
Lois Tilton
> Well, as her website says, she doesn't really want to play in our
> sandbox, she wants to write historical fiction. That said, please
> note that her first three books were published (and acclaimed) as
> fantasy.
They were certainly fantasy, Arthurian fantasy to be specific, and quite
well done.
--
LT