  Well, I'm back, and while I was gone, I actually finished a book. (This doesn't happen very often lately; I used to do most of my book reading on public transport on the way to and from work, which as you may have gathered, no longer applies.
) The book I finished was urlLink Not The End of The World (Christopher Brookmyre 1998) which I picked up from a local charity shop, after seeing it recommended by urlLink Charlie Stross . It's pretty much your standard millennial doomsday thriller: there's a dastardly plot to cause a massive tidal wave to engulf Los Angeles - I don't think I'm spoiling anything here; the True Nature of the Dastardly Plot is pretty well apparent to anyone who reads say, the first three chapters - but the point of the novel is a tirade against religion in general, and Christianity in particular. The tirade aspect of the book is by far the most effective, imho. The plot's... just a plot; there are conspicuously missed chances in both story and character devolopment, and some of the dialogue falters badly (LA cops using words and phrases that I doubt very much LA cops would ever use) but when Brookmyre gets into rant mode, the writing really takes off.
- the porn star's withering denunciation of the TV evangelist - don't worry, you'll know it when you see it - is an absolute delight.
I think I might have had to wipe away a tear. Would I read more? I might. Brookmyre gives good outrage, and the rhythm of the sections told from the viiew of the Scottish photographer (with whom Brookmyre clearly and unapologetically identifies, no blame there) are more successful than some others. Perhaps I've just started with a book in which he's slightly over-reached himself; I'd very much like to see what he did with subject matter that's a bit closer to home. 
