GSCENE 43
published in Japanese. Lots of
people claim to be the heir of Tom
of Finland only Tagame really
deserves that title. This ultra
graphic grafix novel, a brutal dark
delight from start to finish with its
endless and heavily erotic plot, is
the best quality filth I’ve seen in a
long time and beautifully executed
in Tagame’s trademark style. His
men and sex are hot, sweaty and
energetic, but also explosively
tender and loving when the story
needs them to be. This is one of
those rare grafix novels that
manages to be both sweet and
extremely hard and sexy at the
same time. It’s on the hard side of
sex so don’t go near it if you
prefer your passion vanilla.
Certainly one to buy if you like
illustrated erotica or more brutish
depiction of sex games and menon-men action. Bruno Gmünder is
to publish two of them in English.
) RIVERS OF LONDON by Ben
Aaronovitch. I loved this, and if
you’re a fan of 'believable' magic,
police fiction or just plain laugh
out loud books then you’ve a treat
in store as Aaronovitch has
managed to combine all three
elements into this book (and the
two after it) to produce a new hero
of London Police. His affection for
London shines through the books
as does his surreal humour, and the
world he carefully creates is
plausible, with the same tongue in
cheek that's not been done this
well since Buffy or that irritatingly
smug Potter boy.
The plot follows the adventures of
PC Peter Grant: the first apprentice
wizard in 50 years, as he wrestles
with mundane police procedures
and nests of vampires in Purley,
negotiating a truce between the
warring God and Goddess of the
Thames, and digging up graves in
Covent Garden uncovering a
malicious vengeful spirit that takes
(so not too far different). Cant,
who never slips too far into
nostalgic daydream or coasts too
fast into the surreal landscapes
that he conjures up, manages to
steer his tragicomic protagonist
through an ever-evolving story of
personal hope, progression and
adventure. Wrapping in warm
intimate details, the book is a
convincing story of a young gay
man developing through
experience and adventure and the
evolving extended families that all
LGBT people develop as they grow
up and out into themselves and
their environment. The fact that
this is all wrapped up in
ordinary Londoners and twists
wonderfully evocative Scottishness
them into grotesque mannequins
is both convincing and rather
to act out its drama of violence
fashionable too. This book
and despair.
managed to summon up the old
The spirit of riot and rebellion has Scotland we all know so well and a
awakened in the City of London
rather more exciting idea of what
and only Peter, with some help
Scottish gay people might wish to
from his local constabulary and his happen if the Scots leave the
growing magical powers, can help. Union. This is serious fun, silly and
A proper romp, with some very
thoughtful in equal measure, and
funny LGBT characters included
Cant has the rather delightful
too. Out now and great fun for a
talent of being able to throw away
teenager or just for some good old- the odd sentence like a pebble into
fashioned reading.
a flat Loch, and just allow the
ripples to flow across the reader’s
) SOMETHING CHRONIC by Bob
mind. A hoot, and if you know a
Cant. www.waterstones.com
Scottish homo, then that’s his
More magical realism from Brighton present sorted for the next time.
author Bob Cant, but here it's a
darker hue and struck through with ) ANGELS IN AMERICA (parts 1 &
a strong vibrant Scottish voice,
2) by Tony Kushner.
particularly relevant at the moment www.nickhernbooks.co.uk.
with all the mutterings of
Available for the first time in one
nationalistic fervour over the
volume, the two parts of Tony
border. With this story of a modern Kushner's masterpiece together
Rip Van Winkle, Euan Saddler from constitute the finest drama of our
Dundee casts his vote in the 1979 time, speaking to us of an entire
devolution referendum then falls
era of life and death during the
into a sleep that lasts for 20 years. early ravaging of the AIDS
When he awakes it is 1999 - not
epidemic, as no other play within
ours, but an alternate version in
memory. Based in the Regan era,
which two opposing visions of an
independent Scotland are
competing for hearts and minds,
Angels in America is an awardwining play and TV series. Part
One, subtitled Millennium
Approaches, erupted on to the
stage of the National Theatre in
January 1992. Part Two,
Perestroika, followed in November
1993. Since then Angels in America
has become one of the most
studied American plays, with over
40,000 copies of both parts sold in
the UK alone.
) CHER: STRONG ENOUGH by
Josiah Howard
www.plexusbooks.com.
This true labour of love documents,
for the first time, the behind the
scenes history of Cher, the 1975
variety show that transformed the
multi-faceted Cherilyn Sarkisian
from star to superstar. The show,
which saw the mononymous singer
and actress trading quips on TV
with Jerry Lewis and Steve Martin,
and performing with the likes of
Michael Jackson and Elton John,
was a huge hit in its day. Howard,
who wrote the programme notes
for her stint