please empty your brain below

Go on, disagree with me.

Spanky, and indeed Christopher Fowler: good, but not that good. Jake Arnott: one of the best writers around at the moment. And I am trying my hardest not to buy the London Compendium, because once I do, you won't see me for days. And Geoff Ryman also wrote "was", an odd take on the Wizard of Oz. Sorry: agreed with you more than disagreed...

Have been meaning to read London Orbital for ages . . . but I've read what I might regard as a related book, which should be on the list - Leadville by Edward Platt, a guy who one day decides to get out of his car and discover life beside the Westway.

Glad they included 253, though. Tremendous book, which inspired me hugely when I first read it, even if Geoff Ryman hasn't gone on to write anything half as good since.

Oh, sorry, you wanted us to disagree with you, didn't you?

dg writes: I'm tempted by Leadville, but it is a bit West London. And you're right about Geoff Ryman's later work. Rather disappointing, but it can't have helped having a BBC documentary crew filming him trying to write it.

Well, to continue the theme, I'd agree with Neverwhere (oddly, the book was far better than the TV series (Which is definitely still available on video)) and Chris Fowler in general. Spanky's fun, as are most of his novels.

As for Jake Arnott, again an agreement - Long Firm is excellent, as is the sequel, He Kills Coppers.

Other than that, I can't comment, as I've not read them. Oh, and High Fidelity is one I never liked, just couldn't get into it at all. Ah well...

Surely Peter Ackroyd: London The Biography should be a must?

dg writes: Er yes. I'm surprised Ken didn't make it one the '12 books'. Very surprised.

You can get Neverwhere on video, but not DVD, over here. In the USA, you can get it on DVD... ...

I've got a guidebook on London called "Eccentric London" which is brilliant. Obviously is not fiction, but recommended reading to anyone bored at the weekend wanting to do something a bit different!

Finally I've found another Neverwhere fan! Great book and quite a cool (if not low budget) tv series. There is a region 1 DVD out of it and I've got the video but I'm itching for the films to hurry up and start production - Jim Henson's Production Company currently has the rights.

Oh and yes the book was far superior.

did you meet mr fowler to get your book signed? i bought roofworld years ago cos i saw a horny pic of him in a womans magazine at the dentist.

shallow and proud of it.

dg writes: alas no, I just know that Borders in Charing Cross Road usually have a pile of signed copies on their shelves. Incidentally, never ever read mr fowler's short story about going to the dentist - you may never go back.

yes, long firm and he kills coppers are great. what about tim lotts white city blue (great gay twist at the end and very london).

dg writes: Duly added to my Amazon wishlist:

• Leadville by Edward Platt
• Eccentric London by Benedict le Vay
• Bleeding London by Geoff Nicholson
• White City Blue by Tim Lott

Ta. Any more?


I found London Orbital really hard going. It felt like wading through treacle to get to the end of every sentence.

And yes, the novel version of Neverwhere is far better than the TV series. But I just like Neil Gaiman.

The best novels based in London I've read is Ben Richards' "Throwing the House out the Window", followed by Ben Richards "Don't Step On the Lines."

I've read them both countless times, especially when I get a little homesick for the East End

I feel that the campaign would have been more useful had it been 'Get London *away* from Reading'

Avoids all kinds of geographical confusion.

Just by turning my head round and looking at the bookcase behind me there's tons of London books that I would recommend - including all the tube ones you mentioned there are also:

Old but good - The Word Child - Iris Murdoch

Streets Above Us - John Healy

Geoffrey The Tube Train & the Fat Comedian - Alexi Sayle

Less old - Jack Maggs - Peter Carey

Dan Leno and The Limehouse Garden - Peter Ackroyd

London Observed - Doris Lessing

Metroland - Julian Barnes

More or less anything by Muriel Spark

Yes - DG you will like Eccentric London

Ken's 12 London books are predictable for London and all of it's right on ness - a bit of history, a bit of lad culture, a black woman, a black man, a lesbian, a kids/adult book a la Harry Potter, immigrants, crime and transport. If he could find a book on the congestion charge and homosexuality he'd have scored 10 out of 10.











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