This book gives you the feeling that it would make a fabulous independent film. It's also the sort of book that would make Hollywood executives squirm.

It's difficult to imagine George Clooney taking the lead role in this particular SF tale. This is because ‘Lust’ is about a man who discovers he can conjure up anyone, living or dead for the sole purpose of having sex with them. This man also happens to be gay.

Please step aside to allow the homophobes to escape the building while we continue the review. They won't want to stay as I'm going to explain why the wonderful SF concepts contained within this book may well be superseded by the importance of ‘Lust’ as a study of sex and sexuality.

The protagonist David is a character of astounding depth and realism. He is a scientist and this reflects directly in the structure of the book itself. Each chapter heading is a question directly linked to the 'experiment' that David's life becomes. This structure creates a wonderful conflict between the methodical side of David that treats his condition as a puzzle to be answered and his repressed emotional aspect that continuously struggles to make itself known.

At the same time, David is forced to confront what we all secretly crave and fear, power and its corrupting effects. Each step along David's journey is a fascinatingly painful trip towards what we hope will be some kind of enlightenment but we worry could quite possibly be something else.

Coupled with this, Ryman somehow manages to evoke one of the most colourful and sympathetic depictions of the gay lifestyle I have read so far. Wonderfully, though, this is not done by making David something 'other' but by Ryman's acute understanding of human nature. As a heterosexual reader, I never felt distanced or excluded by the differences between David's lifestyle and my own. I also appreciated the fact that Ryman's character is approaching forty and is quite settled into his lifestyle (at least initially) and differs considerably from the 'youthful clubber' gay stereotype that many authors populate their novels with.

Ryman succeeds so well in this approach by allowing all of this to fade into the background of the human story. David's sexuality becomes secondary to an intricate examination of sex and love and how the two intertwine. David's reasons for summoning the 'angels' are rarely as uncomplicated as the purely carnal. Each occurrence furthers his knowledge of the power he wields and more importantly, delves deeper into himself and the true reason behind the powers appearance.

Ryman enters into a dialogue concerning our ability to allow love and sex to destroy others and mutilate ourselves or, alternatively, how these things can save lives and resurrect the narcoleptic spirit.

If all of this isn't reason enough to persuade you to give this book a go, I suppose I should mention the skilful way in which the theory behind the 'angels' is explored. Quantum physics and psychology collide like long-lost lovers running on ice, a joyous and bewildering experience. Who cares if the actual science may be a bit on the ropy side, this book doesn't need reality to make you believe.

From an SF lover’s point of view this book has enough genre meat on it bones to fill a book or cannibal’s cooking pot to overflowing. The variety of people that David brings into being is astounding and it is obvious that certain famous characters are treated with a care and respect that would suggest Ryman is entertaining a little wish fulfilment of his own!

It is also a little squirm-worthy to see the way in which Ryman very loosely disguises the identity of certain key figures to avoid any legal repercussions that may have occurred. Although this can detract slightly from the flow of the book, it is a necessary evil and very forgivable.

Ryman even manages to give us a little insight into how this particular gift would be used by other less responsible characters than David. This occurs in an incident where David almost loses control of the gift to someone else.

It is a nightmare vision that we are presented with, as a twisted plan of what David's power could be used for is formulated. This merely serves to show the flexibility of the metaphor Ryman has created with the 'angels' as David's gift is used to highlight a cutting attack on the real misuse of power in the world where sex is concerned.

Ryman is shaping up to be a powerful force as a writer and within SF. I definitely plan on checking out his experimental Internet novel ‘253’ on the strength of this book. This book is destined to become a classic in the study of the human condition, do yourself a favour and grab a piece of the action.

Also it's full of sex. What more do you want?!

Paul Skevington