h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I first heard of Diana Wynne Jones when I was looking for some new reading for my son after he had read the first four Harry Potter books countless times (roll on June!). I'm not sure how I found her but she was recommended somewhere as 'having a style similar to JK Rowling', so a good option for HP fanatics to try. For some reason I believed her to be American, and only found out recently that she is in fact a British author, residing in Bristol.

I bought 'Charmed Life' for my son the Christmas before last, not realising its place in a series, and have been gradually accumulating DWJ's books since then. However, peer pressure is an incredible force, and as DWJ does not have the loud appreciation shown JKR, my son has not shown much interest as yet. He started to read 'A Tale of Time City', but I get the impression he found it a bit dry, and has started and read many other author's books without getting very far through it. Maybe it was not the best introduction for him to her work? Any recommendations? He's a keen reader, and as well as JKR, has just finished Philip Pullman's 'His Dark Materials' trilogy, enjoys Philip Ridley and Michael Morpurgo, amongst others, has read a bit of DNA and Pratchett, and has read various film novelisations (such as Star Wars, Spiderman and Evolution), and is fast becoming an X Files addict too (wonder who he got that from?! ).

But now, on to me! I've been accumulating DWJ books during my regular book-bargain-hunting trips (most of them have either been bought new for £1 from my favourite bargain bookstore, or cheaper secondhand from charity shops), because of the good things I've heard said about DWJ's writing, which suggested that I would enjoy her work as well as my son. My lastest aquisition was 'Deep Secret', which I got the impression was aimed at a more adult audience, so today I finally started reading it. I've read 6/25 chapters so far, and found it practically 'unputdownable' (yes, I'm off to bed to read some more very soon!).

Who else has read 'Deep Secret' (without giving away too much of the story)? I'm already convinced that our own Mr Adams was a Magid. I found myself rolling around laughing at the first mention of the sci-fi convention at Hotel Babylon. This book has more layers that an ogre!

Can anyone recommend any other of her books in a similar vein for me to move on to when I rapidly finish this one? Does anyone have any other comments on her other books, for children or older readers? What other authors can you recommend in this genre?

Hi, Sus!

One of the things that sometimes catches people out about Diana Wynne Jones' books is that they aren't all aimed at the same age group - in general, her early books were definitely for children while most of her later ones were for the teenage/adult range.

I loved 'Deep Secret'. Of her other books, I think 'A Sudden Wild Magic' is the most similar in style, and I'd recommend that you try it next. Her latest book 'The Merlin Conspiracy' is just out in hardback, and has a couple of characters in common with 'Deep Secret', but it strikes me as being back down the age-range a little. I liked it, but not as much as Deep Secret.

Some more of her books which seem to appeal to adults:
Hexwood - a particularly complicated multi-layered plot
The Dark Lord of Derkholm - poking a lot of fun at the 'generic' fantasy which she spoofed in 'The Tough Guide to Fantasyland'
The Year of the Griffin - a sequel to the Dark Lord book.


But I will read books aimed at any age group, so I love nearly all of her books!

Azara

I love many of Diana Wynne Jones's books. That's why I wrote the entry on her. But I find that her works are very variable. There are good ones, great ones and ones I just can't warm to at all.

My particular favourites were:

For younger children (age 10-12)
Archer's Goon
Charmed Life
The Lives of Christopher Chant
A Tale of Time City
Power of Three

For slightly older children (13 upward)
Howl's Moving Castle
The Homeward Bounders

For adults
Hexwood
Deep Secret

Hi Azara and Gnomon (great article!). Incidentally, I found the entry linked from Z's bookworm club.

I'm not ageist when it comes to the books I read, and as Philip Pullman said, some books are 'aimed' at children because they actually get a greater audience that way (including adults) than if they were simply marketed as 'fantasy' or suchlike. Mind you, I'm not sure that I really feel 'His Dark Materials' are children's books at all. Older teenagers onwards perhaps... but he's a different author anyway!

I haven't actually read the Harry Potter books myself (got a little way into the first one... bit put off by all the hype and having too high expectations now perhaps), but does DWJ have similarities to JKR do you think?

Sus, you should certainly read the Harry Potter books, bearing in mind that they are very much aimed at children. There are boring repetitive bits in them which the children love and make adults just glaze over. Nevertheless, I enjoyed Harry Potter long before there was any hype (Azara lent me her copy of the first book).

I find it funny that there seems to be the need to publish HP in 'adult' covers. Doesn't change the contents does it?

The books are on my 'to read' list, but as I have a huge collection of sci-fi and fantasy that I've been gathering recently, and have been fondly recalling the 'heady days of youth' when I was an avid sci-fi reader, I think I may take a while to get around to them. Why did I start on DWJ then, if I was keen to get back into real sci-fi? 'Cos I've been wanting to read her books for a long time too.

Loved Diana Wynne Jones books when I discovered them - a while ago now. The one that stuck in my mind was 'Howl's Moving Castle' - multilayered, fascinating, certainly more adult than Harry Potter (for example, some genuine sexual charge not far beneath the surface) but really a multilayered and intricate plot. Less adult than the first ones you discovered, Pegasus - she is very versatile as other comments made clear. There lies the rub, whenever I waved them at pupils boys never really caught on.
Have you tried 'Mortal Engines' by Philip Reeve? That wouldn't let me go - and I notice a sequel (forgotten name, sorry) has just come out in hardback. It's a 'future world' where cities charge around on tracks trying to devour each other. It works, believe me.

Hi Steve.

Since I posted all this a looong time ago, I have not only acquired almost all of DWJs books, but have met her in person and got 'Deep Secret' and a couple of others signed. She is a fascinating speaker and I would dearly love to hear her again, but since she suffered an accident last year, I think her public appearances are rather limited.

I haven't read all of 'Mortal Engines' yet, but I have also seen/met Philip Reeve, and had my sequel to the aforementioned signed by him as "the first paperback 'Predator's Gold' I've signed". Thank you Philip. He's a really lovely chap and a very snappy dresser.

As you may gather, I'm an avid book collector and love attending literature festivals and hearing authors talk about their work. All interesting and useful stuff for when I launch my own writing career.

Philip Pullman was another excellent speaker and potential future children's laureate I feel, as is Michael Morpurgo (current post-holder). I'd also recommend Jonathan Stroud, GP Taylor, Kevin Crossley-Holland, and by word-of-mouth (as I've been unable to see them yet) Marcus Sedgwick and Catherine Fisher. Terry Pratchett was something of a disappointment, and me-thinks he rather believes his own publicity too much these days. Philip Ardagh gives a great performance and is good with kids, but has little time for the adults who are generally the ones buying the books!

Not in the same genre of course, but Louis Sachar's 'Holes' was a great book, and equally enjoyed by my son, who had to study it at school. I've also just read 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time', which was... curious to say the least.

But going back to the original topic... since reading and thoroughly enjoying 'Deep Secret' I have recommended it to (and bought for!) many friends. I still have a spare 2-3 copies, which are gradually finding their way to people!

Hi Zem! Glad to hear you got to meet DWJ.

I promise I appreciated it enough for her fans everywhere.

I'm envious too, Zem!

I just checked the publication date of the first of her books that I read, and was startled to realise that she's now been one of my favourite authors for more than 25 years.

Azara

I'm currently reading 'A Sudden Wild Magic' and really enjoying it. There's a character in it that really reminds me of Rupert (of 'Deep Secret', not the tenth planet or h2g2's legendary downtime!). It doesn't have the humour of Deep Secret and is perhaps a little darker, but has much in common with the aforementioned book.