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John Lister - Author of Turning the Tables: The Story of Extreme Championship Wrestling
Darren Goss
Stephanie Down
Alan Boon
Jamie Hill
Matthew Caffyn
If you have reviewed Frantic Planet or have seen coverage of the book on the internet/in the media please let the author know - author@franticplanet.com.
By. John Lister
Author of Turning the Tables: The Story of Extreme Championship Wrestling
Frantic Planet is the literary bridge between reality and surreality.
The stories include three separate realities: the world we inhabit and know (complete with
effectively apt cultural references); our world as it could be without social constraints;
and a world where our laws of physics do not apply. The collection veers back and forth
between these different worlds which, in the hands of a less-skilled writer might easily be
clumsy and destroy suspension of disbelief. But here the juxtaposition creates an effective
sense of uncertainty: by the time the reader deduces which rules apply to a particular
piece, they will already be compelled by the story. And so that world becomes just as real
as our own.
The collection also varies widely in length. Some are as brief as a couple of hundred words
and, as might be expected, these can be hit and miss. It seems likely the author has
produced the book over a lengthy period as there appears to be a notable disparity between
the briefer stories in the skill with which the pretext, the hook and the payoff are
delivered.
It is the longer tales that highlight the anthology, and perhaps not coincidentally they all
inhabit the middle of the three literary worlds: that which follows our conventions of time
and space, but rejects our conventions of behaviour . 'Just a statistic' is a twisted
literal interpretation taking to ever more grotesque extremes. 'Rooting for truffles'
examines the consequences of a 'What if?' scenario where only fate will ever allow the
reader to confirm their conviction that they would never behave that way. And the
centrepiece 'Simple Choices, clocking in at 55 pages (a quarter of the full book) treads a
dangerous line between the revulsion provoked by the story's events and the contemplation
provoked by its themes. The specifics are of a fantasy world but the message is firmly
rooted in our own.
A full appreciation of the subtleties of Frantic Planet may be contingent on a culture and humour overlap between audience and author. But the powers and burdens of free will are all that is needed to appreciate the way physical events in the book's fictional reality relate to less tangible ideals and behaviour in our physical world.
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I must (must!) say that this book, is an absolutely incredible read,
which can't be put into any category, this fact makes it even more
awesome.
The stories are intelligent, emotionally charged and often, hilarious.
So to anybody reading this who hasn't already got the book.
Buy it now, or sooner.
I look forward to 'Volume 2'.
Darren Goss
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Prepare to enter the weird and wonderful world(s) of
Frantic Planet! I didn't know what to expect upon
purchasing this book but it really is a must purchase!
The stories all vary in length and subject matter but
most importantly they're all extremely thought
provoking. You will be taken on a journey with this
book, there is no doubt about that. A strong debut
from Stuart Millard, he manages to suck you in, you
won't know what's hit you!
Stephanie Down
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Stuart Millard's debut book is a collection of his writing over the
past few years, and while such a stuttered approach can often result
in an inconsistent whole, Millard manages to pull it together with
strong themes of small towns, special people, and insane brilliance.
There are no recurring characters, but each one is familiar to the
reader in an often uncomfortable way, as they step over the line to
think the things we dare not think, say the things we dare not say,
and do the things we should never, ever do.
If this book was in any way autobiographical, I'd be very, very scared
of knowing the author.
Alan Boon
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Frantic Planet is a fantastic work from a fantastic new author. It is
filled with a nice mix of short and snappy stories, and some stories
which go at length. The book is extremely innovative in style with its
many twists, turns and unpredictable story lines. It explores many
themes such as: how would it be to live out your fantasies, how
exciting life would be if you ignored social constraints, Ted Danson
chatting up soccer mums, and what does the crazy old man at the end of
the street really do in his spare time. There is no way that someone
would not find this enjoyable, it is a must buy.
Jamie Hill
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If you enjoy the more twisted and warped side of humour, you'll love
this book. Beginning and ending with a flurry of short stories, you
are immediately thrown into the surreal and slightly sinister world of
the writer's mind. Filled with tales of small town mentality, twisted
people living in everyday (and not so everyday) worlds, robots who
fall in love and just plain weirdness the stories are unique and
engaging, and you're never sure what is coming next.
But nothing will prepare you for the bonafida page-turning qualities
of part two, "Simple Choices" - six chapters which get more and more
disturbing as they go along, as a deranged man takes the concept of
art terrorism too far. Sandwiched between the two sections of short
stories, this is the strongest and most captivating section of the
book. Thrilling and thought provoking, this is a real highlight.
So if you're after a read which is almightly off-kilter, give this
book a go. It won't always be a comfortable ride, but it'll certainly
be an enjoyable one.
Matthew Caffyn
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