This Other Eden - Ben Elton

Ben Elton, as most of you will know, is a man of many talents. Stand-up comedian, comedy scriptwriter (with co-writing credits on “Blackadder” and “The Young Ones”), playwright, and of course, novelist. “This Other Eden” was his third novel after “Stark” and “Gridlock”, and was published in 1993. If you are familiar with his stand-up comedy, then you will be aware that his favourite topics seem to be ranting against political institutions and everything that he sees wrong with current society. I imagine that people of my age group or above will remember his stand-up routines, constantly and justifiably ...  Read the complete review

My earliest exposure to Ben Elton came in the days when he was writing scripts for Blackadder. I subsequently caught his earlier stuff when The Young Ones was repeated (a more common occurrence than you might think), then followed him through his stand up days as The Man from Auntie. In addition to his TV appearances, Ben has written plays, musicals and novels. Michael Parkinson described him as "a bit of a clever clogs" and he certainly has a point! Multi talented and seemingly highly successful in pretty much everything he turns his hand to. Elton's writing tends to resemble an extended version of his stand up routines; he takes an ...  Read the complete review

Regular reader of my opinions will notice I’ve become quite a fan of Elton’s books recently. This is the longest and probably the best thought out book I have read of his so far. At the outset, I didn’t think I was going to like it, as it got off to a very slow start, but once you get a feel for the story and the characters, it becomes a lot more enjoyable and interesting. It’s an adventure set in the not too distant future, with a bit of humour and a little politics thrown in for good measure. At the time of the book, the end of the world is not too far away, the way we have treated the earth over the years has finally caught up with us ...  Read the complete review

This book doesn't have many bad points. It's funny even though it's about Armageddon, which is usually not portrayed in a humourous way, and why should it be? Ben Elton has an imagination that runs wild throughout the plot, and the futuristic evolvements that he describes kept me captivated because although some were a bit far-fetched (complete identity change through plastic surgery in one afternoon), others were possiblities (virtual reality helmets in every household and electronic books). This is a novel that cannot be taken too seriously, because although we all know the end of the world is nigh, it won't be in our lifetime and ...  Read the complete review

So what do you get from this Ben Elton novel? Like every other there is political correctness, stand-up observational humour splattered throughout liberally (sic), and this time a pretty decent plot too. Okay so it’s not earth shattering or going to win the Nobel Prize for Plot Complexity but it’s way better than Gridlock and adds to the enjoyment. Nathan is a British writer and has written what he wants to be a blockbuster movie. Only problem is someone really doesn’t like his movie and really doesn’t want Nathan to stay alive to make it. The earth in on the brink of environmental disaster and for the Eco-terrorists, Mother Earth, it is ...  Read the complete review