The Unity Books chart for the strange week ending 10 April: Other worlds

Week three of our lockdown Top 10s – books about elsewhere, brought to you by the good humans of Unity Books. A reminder that these lists are completely unshackled from space and time and what’s happening in the world of books right now. Take no notice of the numbers, either – we just like the … Read more

The kids’ fantasy that explains the adult world: A tribute to His Dark Materials

As the HBO TV adaptation arrives on NEON, Sam Brooks looks back on His Dark Materials, the only children’s book series he was allowed to read as a kid. A little girl and her shapeshifting daemon. A sweet-voiced, evil-faced woman with a glamourous monkey for a companion. A giant polar bear wearing armour. When I … Read more

The magical erasure of disabled characters in fantasy fiction

Paranormal and fantasy author Steff Green asks: why the hell is it that characters with disabilities either have to be super heroes, or super villains? Can’t they just be characters with disabilities? Blinded by a mysterious illness at the age of 25, James Holman set out on foot to circumnavigate the globe. Armed with only … Read more