Martin Millar

Stand-alone novels:
Lux the Poet — (1988) Publisher: There is something about Lux. He’s a thief and a liar; he is selfish and self-absorbed and hopelessly vain. But while he looks like Lana Turner and romances like a true Casanova, Lux is actually more like a bumbling, oblivious Mary Tyler Moore. Amid shouting mobs, police shields, and the hurled bricks of the ’80s Brixton riots, Lux is searching for Pearl — the love of his life. Her home has been burned down by a stray petrol bomb, and she’s searching for sanctuary along with her friend Nicky. Nicky is traumatized after having killed her computer — her best friend — and is herself being followed by Happy Science PLC. It is their plan to breed a superior next generation by implanting the sperm of genius men inside beautiful women. She knows too much about the plan. Lux is helped in his quest by Kalia, a castaway of Heaven attempting to get back in God’s good graces by performing one million good deeds over countless lifetimes. There’s also a thrash metal band, a riot-party, past lives, and KY.

The Good Fairies of New York — (1992) Publisher: Tells of the adventures of a group of punk fairies who get drunk one night and are air-freighted to New York city.

The Good Fairies of New York

Martin Millar’s writing is consistently funny and entertaining. And while The Good Fairies of New York is upbeat and comedic, it also has a layer of tragedy that the author manages to juggle and incorporate seamlessly. The pace is quick and precise so that by the time you're laughing or crying over a particular scene, you're already on to the next one.

Millar manages to thrown in a lot of disparate elements in this novel (rock music, Maoist teachings, exotic diseases) and make them work. The writing is strong — it’s easy to get into and there's no room for confusion, even when Millar is juggling a dozen interweaving characters from two distinct parts of the world. His characters are another asset — whether it's the fairies who consistently get into trouble despite their best efforts, or the human characters who each have distinct personalities (some would call them "character flaws") and voices.

If you want to read something that'll hook you immediately, The Good Fairies of New York does the job. There's never a dull moment and I couldn’t put it down, even reading into the wee hours of the morning. The Good Fairies of New York is light and fun reading that's recommendable to virtually anyone, unless you're the type that doesn't think that drunken multiracial fairies makes for excellent reading.
—Charles Tan (guest)
FanLit thanks Charles Tan from Bibliophile Stalker for contributing this guest review.

Lux and Alby Sign On and Save the Universe — (1999) Publisher: When Lux the Poet and Alby Starvation, famed inhabitants of South London's least salubrious areas, find themselves thrown together, the fabric of the universe starts to crumble. The arrival of Ruby, with her plans for total domination of the squatting group, leads them into a fantastic (and quite upsetting) adventure featuring beautiful Goddesses, unhappy, plants, sad rocks, and a full scale assault on Nirvana. While Lux figures that his sensational good looks will probably carry him through any crisis, Alby Starvation, dedicated only to protecting his precious comic collection, is very unhappy. The prospect of having an adventure, and maybe even finding a girlfriend, is almost too much to bear. Ruby, a talented woman with an aversion to shoes, is of the opinion that neither ancient Gods nor terrible flatmates should interfere with the important things in life, like taking revenge on her ex-boyfriend. Will Nirvana ever be free? Will the rocks, plants and fairies ever smile again? Will Lux the Poet manage to charm his way to another benefit cheque?

Suzy, Led Zeppelin and Me — (2002) Publisher: Glasgow, 1972, and all the coolest kids in town are queuing up for Led Zeppelin tickets. Overhead, a Zeppelin approaches. Its passengers, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Hank Williams, think it's worth leaving heaven to see the greatest rock band in the world. Even the fairies are fans. Martin and Greg have overactive imaginations. When they aren't fighting the monstrous hordes of Xotha, they are competing for the attentions of Suzy. But she's not likely to ditch Zed, the hippest boy in the school, for the likes of them, is she? Still, with Led Zeppelin on the way, anything can happen.