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Underground > Books, Criticism & Writing >

Anyone here into Martin Millar?

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

00:35 / 03.10.01

One of Britain's most underrated novelists.
His first novel was "Milk, Sulphate & Alby Stravation", about a paranoid speed dealer who thinks everyone who comes round to buy his comic collection is an assassin sent by the Milk Marketing Board... oh, and there's kung fu and ancient magical relics in it too.
The classic, though, is "Ruby and the Stone Age Diet"- everyone should have a copy of this book kept safe somewhere at all times so they can re-read it when they get dumped.
Anyone who hasn't read him, I recommend it. Anyone who has, post some replies!

deletia

07:24 / 03.10.01

Hmmm. I enjoyed "Lux the Poet" and, in a different way "Lux and Alby Sign On and Save the Universe". "On the Road with Melody Whatsisface" was fun, but didn't really involve me, possibly because I have spent more time in Brixton than at traveller fests.

He definitely has his moments, but I think "most underrated novellist in Britain" is pushing it. His novels have the air fo a con-trick...more and more elements are thrown in, then in the last chapter or two everything is resolved with a flick of the wrist. And, although his naive characterisation and dialogue can be refreshing, they have a tendency to grate sometimes - whimsical in a less good way.

Good fun, though.

Kit-Cat Club

10:30 / 03.10.01

Hum. That stuff about the Milk Marketing Board sounds suspiciously like it's been stolen from infamous 'fantasy' fatbeard author Tom Holt (I don't actually know whether he's a fatbeard, but if he's not he ought to be). And if it's anything like Tom Holt... well.

(Ashamed I know enough about TH to write this, actually)

deletia

10:49 / 03.10.01

Hmmm...yeah, there is an element of self-coscious fatbeard wackiness, although it's not quite as wanky as Holt or Rankin or any of that crowd.

that

21:44 / 05.10.01

Pointless post: I read 'Lux the poet' a few years ago... twas ok, I think remember it being vaguely endearing but distressing at the same time...evidently didn't have that big an impact on me though...

big city deserter

17:47 / 06.10.01

I once emailed Martin Millar and he replied, so he's a nice bloke (spends too much time playing Tomb Raider though). I think his best book is the Good Fairies of New York for dumping the Brixton stereotypes and writing something whimsical and silly about fairies who want to be punks. And yes thats fairies as in little people. He does have the same style in each book though - two plot lines, some kind of impossible crisis to solve and a resolution that combines the two with a twist at the end. Hated Ruby and the Stone Age diet though. Miserable bag of shite.

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