Now that I'm working full-time as a young adult librarian I haven't been posting nearly as much, but I wanted to at least do my end of the year lists! 1) Ms. Marvel: Generation Why by G. Willow Wilson I love this comic series overall, but this one so clearly nails a lot of the things I've heard from teens recently. Their annoyance at older generations misjudging and underestimating them, their ability to come together despite differences, and their genuine desire to make their worlds a better place. Kamala Khan is just a fabulous protagonist overall, relatably trying to juggle her friends, family, faith, education, and, oh yeah, newfound superpowers. Plus, the cameos. The cameos. So many familiar faces from the Marvel universe have appeared, which is especially fun because Kamala is such an unabashed fangirl. I really can't praise this series highly enough- just go check it out for yourself. 2) Lumberjanes by Noelle Stevenson Sensing a theme? 2015 was a huge year for ...
Summary
Michael Malone’s life has not been the same since his father
Michael Malone’s life has not been the same since his father
disappeared three years ago. Determined to find him, Michael gets unwittingly drawn into supernatural organisation UNICORNE, who claim to have vital information for his quest. But they want something in return.
Something that is hidden in Michael’s very bones …
Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Chicken House Ltd (7 Aug 2014)
A Dark Inheritance by Chris D'Lacey, out now in paperback (£6.99, Chicken House)
Interview with Amadeus Klimt, a high-profile member of the UNICORNE organisation
Tell me about your name. It’s rather unusual.
Is it?
Yes.
Very well. It is a combination of the middle name of the composer, Mozart, and the second name of the artist Gustav Klimt.
A combination? You didn’t…inherit the name then?
It was given to me by my…father. Is that uncommon?
No, it’s just… You hesitated on the word ‘father’. Why was that?
Let us just say that my upbringing was complex. Shall we move on to something more interesting?
Okay. Basics. You run an organisation called UNICORNE.
No, that is incorrect. I do not run it. I serve the director.
That’s an odd word to use, ‘serve’.
I find it appropriate – for the role I play.
And what would that be?
The business of UNICORNE is to explore what is sometimes called ‘the paranormal’. I believe the common phrase is, ‘Things that go bump in the night’. When an unusual incident occurs, I assign an agent to investigate, then monitor their progress.
To what end?
End? I do not understand this question.
What do you do, Mr Klimt? What is UNICORNE’s purpose?
You do not find the paranormal stimulating?
Of course. What I meant was, when you discover something, what happens next? What do you do with the information?
We record it in a file.
[LAUGHS]. You’re being evasive.
Our work is highly-classified. It would not be appropriate to share our discoveries with…the world at large.
So UNICORNE is a secret organisation?
Yes. And secret organisations, as I am sure you will appreciate, are, by their nature, secretive.
Touché. All right, let’s wind back a little. UNICORNE is an acronym for UNexplained Incidents, Cryptic Occurrences and Relative Non-temporal Events. What does that last part mean exactly?
A relative non-temporal event refers to anything outside the normal spectrum of human experience.
Sorry? Can you clarify that?
Ghostly sightings. Astral projection. Past-life regression. Telekinetic ability. Remote viewing. Our most recent case involved the phenomenon of cellular memory.
That’s when people who’ve received an organ transplant take on the personality of the donor, isn’t it?
Correct.
Can you tell me about it?
No.
You promised me an in-depth interview, Mr Klimt.
Then ask about…my hobbies. I enjoy mathematics and mathematical conundrums. Would you like to know how fast I can solve the Rubik cube?
I’m sure it’s impressive.
It is.
You’re playing games, Mr Klimt. Tell me about the missions – the UFiles I think you call them. Give me something exclusive for my blog. If you want money…?
I want nothing but the price of your secrecy.
You have it. This tape won’t be heard by anyone else.
[PAUSE]
Yes, I believe that will be so. Very well. I will share a UFile with you. My youngest agent, Michael Malone, has just solved an intriguing case. He was sent to find out why a dog was running loose at the edge of a cliff. This led him to a classmate who was having…visitations from a girl called Rafferty Nolan.
Hang on. I’ve read about this. Wasn’t Rafferty Nolan the girl who came off her bike a few years ago, struck her head on a rock and died?
That is the official version of events, yes.
And this Michael kid has discovered…what?
That the death of Rafferty Nolan was not an accident.
Wow. How?
Through the phenomenon of cellular memory. Tell me, is your recording device digital or analogue?
Digital, of course.
Excellent. Would you pass it to me, please?
Why? What for? What are you going to–? Oh, hello, who’s this? I thought this was going to be a one-to-one conversation?
Her name is Chantelle. She is one of my most experienced agents. In a moment, she will look into your eyes and make you forget everything you have heard.
What?
The device, please.
But…?
Thank you. I am constructed from a substance called graphene, which can conduct electrical impulses many times faster than any silicon-based computer. One of the side-effects of my speed of thought is the creation of a highly-polarised magnetic field around me, which can cause interference to digital devices.
Interference? NO! Please don’t wipe the rec–
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