The Edge

Chris Simms

The latest Chris Simms' series of crime novels finds rugged man-mountain DI Jon Spicer with a case on his hands that's a little close for comfort. When his wily brother turns up in pieces in the Peak District, it's time for a road-trip and some old-fashioned inquisition...It's refreshing to find an author build his story from the characters up and Simms' protagonist is a hulking brute of masculine energy that keeps the story grounded and real. Where the Manchester author flourishes is in his ability to landscape a scene and conjure a mood within a single observation. Though some of The Edge's dialogues may drag, there's no denying the sparse functionality of the work that allows the research to seep through the sentences without ever overwhelming as the narrative bubbles to its climax. Ultimately, Simms is writing solid genre with regional flavour.

Cyberabad Days

Ian McDonald

Accessible science fiction isn't easy to come by and much less is science fiction that achieves as delicate a balance between its science and its story as Ian McDonald has with his body of work. Cyberabad Days may be billed as a sequel to the acclaimed River of Gods, but this latest offering-made up of seven short stories-is the perfect entry-point for the uninitiated. Set in the bustling, frightening and utterly fascination India of the year 2047, the stories are linked not just by setting but theme. From the tale of young mercenaries who operate via videogame-like interfaces to the forbidden love of a dancer and an artificial intelligence, every single story here manages to surprise, satisfy and seduce with their beautifully paced and rounded narratives. Ultimately McDonald is writing about youth and its place in (and ahead of) our time.

Patient Zero

Jonathan Maberry

Gollancz

Joe Ledger is the tough, macho cop recruited to combat the newest threat to his American homeland: Zombie terrorists (yes, you read that right). The cover blurb may herald a coming together of 24 and 28 Days Later, but a more accurate analogy may be straight-to-video Stallone film. To Maberry's credit, his scientific research and military knowledge elevate the B-movie premise to a place a little more believable and engaging. Patient Zero is itself infected by a volatile mix of real-world politics, science and filmic devices. Maberry excels with action scenes and observations of military procedure; diluting all the jargon down enough to keep it comprehensible. Maberry clearly likes his cinema, with references from James Bond to George.A.Romero and layers his real-world

Summer may be a dry spell for the industry, but at-least it gives us all the time to catch up on what was hot earlier in the year. Start your thumbs:

Little Kings Story

Wii

Rising Star Games

The Wii finds itself another hidden gem in Little King's Story. It may be a hard sell for the living-room jogger-Harvest Moon meets Pikmin is the best analogy-but it's by no means hard to triumph. Inheriting the role of the King of Alpolko, it's your job to command, conquer and cultivate your community to the brink of world domination. It begins as real-time strategy made easy but soon opens up into a much more challenging and satisfying slice of time and resource management than the subtly of the learning curve suggests. The purity of the experience-from the simple interface and navigation to the cuter-than-thou visuals-harkens back as much to the original Sim City as some of Nintendo's own finest hours like Pikmin and Animal Crossing. Variety is the spice of your little King's campaign, one that flits with ease between treasure hunting, construction and boss-battles depending on your mood. The game wisely never forces your hand, giving you tools and incentives to make the experience your own. An impressive story that supports but never dominates the experience.

The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay/ Assault on Dark Anthena.

PC, PS3, Xbox 360.

A re-release and re-mastering of the 2004 Xbox game Escape from Butcher Bay is bundled in with a new sequel in Swedish studio Starbreeze's latest. Set before the events of the two Vin Diesel films that share the Riddick brand name, the games take players on a first-person journey through the claustrophobia and poorly sanitized realms of future prisons and space stations. Fortunately Starbreeze excels with atmosphere and visuals, bringing the world of sci-fi convict Richard B, Riddick to grimy life. Playing out like a first-person Splinter Cell, the order of the day is stealth and using the various environments-from cargo bays to back-street sewers-is a must for survival. It's strange to find the top-billed Dark Athena the lesser of the two titles, both less balanced in its weapons and less aggressive in its story-telling.