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Lucy Hawking and Stephen Hawking – George’s Secret Key to the Universe | Review

Title: George’s Secret Key to the Universe

Author: Lucy Hawking and Stephen Hawking

Type: Fiction/Non-Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 316

Rating: 4*/5

Lucy Hawking and Stephen Hawking – George’s Secret Key to the Universe

This book was okay but not great. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it did defy my expectations in one key way and so that alone was enough for me to give it a 4/5. The thing that really stood out to me was the fact that it mixed flat-out fiction with a blend of science that should bring physics to life to little kids.

In fact, you could almost split the book into two separate releases, but they do work well when combined together. The first of those is the non-fiction stuff, including the descriptions of each of the planets in the solar system and some information on their orbits, gravity and other attributes. The good thing about this is that it also includes some high-quality photography that helps to blow your mind with the sheer size and scale of space.

The second aspect of this book is the fictional part, which follows the story of a boy called George who makes friends with someone whose father owns a supercomputer called Cosmos. The cool thing about Cosmos is that it can take George and the gang anywhere they want to in space, a bit like a cross between a computer and the Tardis. But there are people who want to take advantage of it, and George finds this out to his cost.

Overall, there’s nothing necessarily revolutionary about this book, but it is decent enough – and it’s sure to put a small on your face, especially if you have kids who are into science. The illustrations are nicely done, too. They don’t feel like an afterthought, but rather like a vital part of the book. I’m glad that it’s a part of my collection.

Stephen Hawking

Click here to buy George’s Secret Key to the Universe.

Stephen King – Blaze | Review

Title: Blaze

Author: Stephen King

Type: Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 342

Rating: 8/10

Stephen King – Blaze

Blaze is an interesting book, because despite the fact that King’s protagonist is clearly a bit of a wrong ‘un, you do end up feeling compassion for him. He’s incredibly complex, and the book weaves backwards and forwards through time and shows you exactly why Blaze, Clayton Blaisdell Jr., behaves the way he does.

Broadly speaking, the story follows what happens when Blaze follows up with his old pal George’s plan to kidnap a baby and to hold it ransom. Unfortunately, George is dead, and whilst Blaze can still hear him in his head, just like he’s still there beside him, he’s going to have to work on this job on his own. And Blaze isn’t exactly the sharpest tool in the box – when he was a kid, his abusive father threw him down the stairs, leaving a big dent in his forehead and an even larger dent in his intellect.

I don’t want to spoil the story line for you by going in any deeper than that, but I will tell you that it’s a fantastic read if you want a book that will play with your expectations. King published this book under his pseudonym of Richard Baxter, even though I’m pretty sure his secret was already out by the time that it went to publication. But you can see why he might’ve wanted to do this – it’s not your typical Stephen King read, and whilst it is a lot of fun, it’s also a little different.

I’ve found that King’s work as Richard Bachman tends to show off his skills to their fullest, and Blaze easily holds its own against some of his best work, although it doesn’t have the same level of recognition. With such a broad body of work under his belt, King’s reputation is formidable – there are any number of books to start with, and I’d say that this one is as good as any other. It’s just not horror.