More of wot I have read…

Incompetence by Rob Grant

This was an unusual silly little book from one of the creative forces behind Red Dwarf. It has some fun and interesting observations about society that the author explores through the somewhat weak narrative, though perhaps I missed some of the more subtle jokes. It was an easy read but I can’t say it was all that memorable.

‘Article 13199 of the Pan-European Constitution: No person shall be prejudiced from employment in any capacity, at any level, by reason of age, race, creed or incompetence.

In a united Europe of the near future, incompetence is not an option, it’s compulsory. You can’t be fired for being bad at your job. But the rules don’t apply to the psychopath who’s leaving a trail of corpses across the continent. He’s very competent indeed.

And so, down these mean, incredibly badly sign-posted streets, one detective must thread his way through a maze of blind nightclub bouncers, octogenarian male bunny girls and airline pilots with vertigo.

In search for a killer. In search of the truth. In search of a decent plumber.’

Snuff by Terry Pratchett

Another Discworld novel that expands the well developed world and adding new characters and ideas to the mix, though I think this is more for the fans rather than a great stand-alone book. It lacks a little of the original Pratchett magic but it does have some interesting things to say along the way.

‘It is a truth universally acknowledged that a policeman taking a holiday would barely have had time to open his suitcase before he finds his first corpse.

Commander Sam Vimes of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch is on holiday in the pleasant and innocent countryside, but not for him a mere body in the wardrobe. There are many, many bodies – and an ancient crime more terrible than murder.

He is out of his jurisdiction, out of his depth, out of bacon sandwiches, occasionally snookered and out of his mind. But never out of guile. Where there is a crime there must be a finding, there must be a chase, and there must be a punishment.

They say that in the end all sins are forgiven.

But not quite all…’