Must-reads from the SFF genre

Rs 295

The sequel to Basu's The Simoqin Prophecies - published in 2003 and hailed as India's first science-fiction/ fantasy (SFF) novel in English - retains all the wit and inventiveness of the first book, even as the writing becomes more assured and descriptive.

Statutory warning: don't reach for this book if you haven't read Simoqin, because it is very much a sequel - the second part of the Obiyalis Gameworld trilogy.

The plot involves, among other things, the mindgames played between various races of beings (rakshas, ravians, shapeshifters, vamans, humans), most of them set in a bustling metropolis called Kol in a fictitious universe modelled partly on Terry Pratchett's Discworld but incorporating elements from sources as diverse as the Ramayana, Star Wars and Bridget Jones.

There is a Hero, a Dark Lord and a Damsel in Distress "" but none of them resemble the stereotypes (and they know it themselves!).

The best thing about Basu's writing is that even when he shows off his cleverness he does it so good-naturedly that it works. It's easy to go wrong when writing SFF "" the temptation to either rip off or take digs at the genre's seers, without giving structure to your own ideas, is very strong "" but there is genuine skill and originality here.

Each page is straining with ideas and the writing has a visual quality that is evocative of the best graphic novels (which the author counts among his influences). Ignore the critics who make noises about escapism and dig into these two books; they are a welcome relief from the self-conscious ponderousness of much contemporary fiction.

If you enjoy Simoqin and Manticore and want more great titles from the genre, do check out the oeuvres of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett.

While Gaiman's conventional (read: text-only) novels like American Gods, Neverwhere and Coraline have cult followings of their own, his most momentous achievement has been the Sandman series of comics.

Drawing on a staggeringly vast array of myths and legends from around the world, these beautifully illustrated and written books have redefined notions of what qualifies as High Literature. After a long wait, they are now available in most leading bookstores in India.

Terry Pratchett's acclaimed Discworld series has been available for much longer. These books deservedly have a cult following (though that might be the wrong word, given that they've sold over 40 million copies!) and the prolific author continues to produce them at an amazingly fast rate.

Discworld is populated by a myriad of strange beings "" including vampires, ghouls, zombies and werewolves "" so it's always a little disconcerting to realise how closely it resembles our own world.

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Night Watch: In which Sam Vimes, Pratchett's redoubtable (if crotchety and world-weary) hero, goes back decades into the past and encounters a younger version of himself, who he must show the ropes "" while working to prevent his world from collapsing.

The Truth: A wonderful parody of the newspaper industry, and a book that should make every journalist squirm.

The Fifth Elephant: "When millions of tons of angry elephant come spinning through the sky, and there is no one to hear it, does it ""philosophically speaking "" make a noise?" Sam Vimes must find the answer.