[Dale Smith] has done what some of the best Black Archives have done, by taking a story that I had not really thought about very much and making me think about it a lot more, the thoughts going in some unexpected directions.
As is a constant refrain on this site, books from small presses don’t get a lot of attention when it comes to things like reviews. The Black Archives are no different, and I can count on the fingers of one hand the places I can expect to see The Greatest Show in the Galaxy reviewed. One of them is SF Bulletin, and I look forward to seeing what they make of Obverse’s output, whether or not it’s me that has written it. So on this occasion it was a little disappointing to read their review of Black Archive #66.
Before you get the popcorn, I’m not about to complain about the review’s opinion of my book: I doubt this will be the worst thing someone thinks about the book, and the quality of a book is entirely down to the opinion of the person reading it, and at least SFB didn’t say it was “bollocks, frankly”. However, reading this review might give you an incorrect view of one of the sources I used for my Black Archive, Richard Marson’s excellent Totally Tasteless: The Life of John Nathan-Turner.
To say this book is controversial (both within and without fandom) would be an understatement, but accusations of it being sensationalist and kicking John Nathan-Turner only because he cannot refute the allegations made in it - whilst not unique to this review - mischaracterise the book, it’s author and the careful work done to evidence, contextualise and desensationalise its reporting of John Nathan-Turner and Gary Downie’s abuse of their positions within fandom and the BBC. Marson was very careful to let the people making the allegations do so in their own words, and never let an emotive subject get away from him, despite being one of the pair’s victims. To dismiss the book as salacious gossip does a great disservice to those people brave enough to share their stories for no benefit to themselves, and Marson’s efforts to paint a full and fair picture of John Nathan-Turner. It’s disappointing to find myself - however tangentially - linked to this misreading of Marson’s work, and I can only apologise to Richard Marson for bringing this up again, even in such a small way.
So as a palate cleanser, it was very pleasing to read Evan Jones’ review on GoodReads, who as well as being very complimentary went to the trouble of reviewing it in the style of the Ringmaster’s rap. Top marks, and well worth the effort involved in me writing the book. And a little later on, Nicholas Whyte (whose website has very interesting and fair reviews of a good number of Black Archives now) gave a positive review of the book to balance everything out: in particular he highlighted the “sheer but entertaining self-indulgence” of the final chapter’s investigation of the parallels between UK hip hop and Cartmel’s era of Doctor Who, ultimately concluding that it’s a little bit of an odd thing to do but makes its case for existing. I am absolutely aware that this chapter is guilty as charged, so it’s gratifying that it also succeeds in being worthwhile for people less invested in this particular genre of music.
There is nothing in here that I’d really want to change
It’s another fab addition to the Black Archive book range.
So I suggest you buy this book in case you might forget
Whatever you’ve read before, you ain’t read nothing yet.