Judge Anderson: Year One

Judge Anderson: Rookie #1-3

by Alec Worley

“You ready, rookie?”

In years to come, Cassandra Anderson will be a living legend, Psi-Division’s most famous Judge. But for now it’s 2100, and a young Judge Anderson is fresh out of the Academy, the Eagle still gleaming on her shoulder. It’s time to put her training—and her judgement—to the test.

Tackling a love-obsessed telepathic killer at a Valentine’s Day parade, plunging into the depths of madness in a huge new psychiatric prison, and probing the boundaries of reality itself as she hunts a psychic virus to its roots, Cass will be forged in the fires of Justice, emerging as something extraordinary.

Genres: Science Fiction, Audiobook, Crime, Post Apocalyptic, Graphic Novels, Detective, Dystopia

384 pages, Paperback

First published June 13, 2017

About the author

Alec Worley is an author from South London.

He writes stories for readers (and listeners) of all ages who like smart, funny and - above all - thrilling tales of fantasy, horror and sci-fi.

If you're into stories about swords, fangs and lasers, then you're in luck!

Best known for his work on 2000 AD (the home of Judge Dredd), Star Wars and Games Workshop's Warhammer, he's also created many stories of his own.

He is the co-creator of apocalyptic werewolf saga Age of the Wolf (with Jon Davis-Hunt for 2000 AD), paranormal comedy Dandridge (with Warren Pleece for 2000 AD), and plenty more either in the pipeline or waiting to be announced...

Reviews

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cassandra Anderson, a powerful telepath of Psi-Division, is a rookie Judge in Mega-City One circa 2100. In this collection comprising three action packed and violent 2000 A.D. inspired novellas she comes up against criminals, terrorists, and other worldly menaces in a brilliant sci-fi showcasing all the gratifyingly gory goodness which makes the world of 2000 A.D. so appealing for fans of surrealist fiction (prose or graphic).

A brief rundown on the novellas:

Heartbreaker - Anderson goes undercover follow a number of deadly assaults by customers at a dating agency.

The Abyss - centers around the twisted leader of a notorious terror group called ‘Bedlam' and Anderson's struggle to stop a massacre; a perfect blend of horror and suspense, the standout of the collection.

A Dream of the Nevertime; horror infused sci-fi pitch perfect prose pulled straight from the graphic magazine medium in lucid dream-like quality. After Anderson has a year under her belt, she contracts what appears to be a deadly psychic virus, and must explore the weirdest reaches of the Cursed Earth in search of a cure.

My rating: 5/5, these intertwined novellas wet the appetite for more.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a comic book in audio form, pretty much what I expected. It has no redeeming features save that it was mindless fun. It was actually 3 novellas plus a short story bonus, so longer than I expected. One story at a time as a palate cleanser between more serious books would have been fine.

It's set in the Judge Dredd universe, so I had no trouble visualizing it in my mind even though I've never read any of the comics, just saw 2 movies. It's about like them, but this Judge is part of the PSI branch. I find PSI abilities particularly well suited to comics which have a logic (or lack) all their own. Lots of neat elements including a cowboy robot, crazy inmates, terrorists, & an awful moral conundrum. While this was very well narrated, I expect artwork would have made it far better. Still, it was enjoyable.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book delivers exactly what was expected, a whole lot of fun.
I quite enjoyed the format of this book, yes it's three novella stories, but they are presented in a progressive manner over the course of Judge Anderson's first year as a full eagle Judge, so it feels more like a novel than three separate novellas.
They also progress in quality, premise-wise, over the three stories, each getting better as we move along. But none are weak, they are all entertaining, and are very easily visualised directly from the pages of 2000AD. Which I'm assuming, if you pick this book up, is exactly what you want and expect.
One slight negative, at least from my own point of view: I never really considered Anderson a good enough character to stand on her own. She was a fantastic counterpoint/sidekick to Judge Dredd when they were partnered up, but I was never really convinced she was strong enough to take on the leading role herself. And in this book, you feel that, you want to get behind her, support her and feel for her, but I struggled to do that. Case in point, in the third entry, "A Dream of Nevertime", I found myself more drawn to Marion's character, an old battered cowbot (cowboy robot), than Anderson. But that's just me looking to balance the good with a touch of not-so-good. This is still a great read, especially if you know and love the Big Meg!

[Verlkungen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Arc provided by Netgalley in return for an honest review.

I'll admit straight off the bat that I've never read the Judge Dredd comics or graphic novels, and I had a very tenuous understanding of who Anderson was prior to beginning this. The vast majority of my knowledge of the characters, setting and landscape of the Dredd Universe came from the 2012 Dredd movie starring Karl Urban, which I hugely enjoyed. I especially liked Olivia Thirlby's role as the rookie Judge Anderson - a young telepathic Judge (AKA futuristic police officer) who was naive and nervous but ultimately powerful and determined.

So I was pretty excited to read this collection of 3 novellas - Heartbreaker, The Abyss, and A Dream of the Nevertime. Alec Worley's introduction had me swooning with anticipation. He writes about his understanding of Anderson with such a sense of reverence bordering on hero(ine) worship that I was immediately excited to get to know her better. She seemed like everything I want in a female character:

"Anderson is driven to redeem the city by something more than a sense of duty. She wants to prove not only that good exists (despite the odds), but also that the people are worth fighting for - and she does so not because the law says she must but because she wants to."

And on top of this, Worley seemed to have the very best of intentions when it came to Anderson's representation:

"Above all I wanted to treat Anderson like a human being rather than a sexy cartoon. My Anderson farts. She stinks of sweat. She doesn't have time to shave her legs. She cracks jokes about being on her period. And no more of those daft kick-boxing moves she did in some of the comics just to show off those shapely legs. This bitch mixes it up like Gina Carano in the movie Haywire: chokeholds, thumbs in eye sockets, broken teeth, violence at its most ugly and magnetic."

Does this not sound EXCELLENT, so far?

I left the introduction truly excited to learn more about this fantastic character. Unfortunately, I did not get what I wanted.

The stories in this collection are very, very, action/crime/thriller orientated. Imagine a very violent, new-case-every-week detective show, and you're on the right page. There are a lot of fight scenes, and true to his word, Worley makes sure that we're up to our necks in forceful and unpleasant violence and profanities. This in itself is not an issue, as Anderson is shown to navigate this wholly disgusting city and its inhabitants with confidence and proficiency. Of course, she makes mistakes, and tries to fix them, and we hope that she will succeed, and in this way we get some glimpses of her psyche.

However, I was not convinced that Worley showed me everything he aimed for when writing this. I was left impressed with Anderson's intelligence, competency, compassion, and strength, but by the end of it I didn't really feel like I knew her any better. There were a few brief glimpses of personality, but all the introspection in the novellas were based around the present situation - Anderson thinks about what she should do next, how she can stay alive, guilt or sadness over a character that just bit the dust. I didn't really learn anything about her past, her character, her relationships, or who she is outside of her career as a Judge in Megacity One. I didn't come to love the character as I had wanted to, because of the ceaseless focus on action action action.

Unfortunately, after I slogged my way through the first two stories - 'Heartbreaker' and 'The Abyss', I couldn't bring myself to go on with the final instalment, 'A Dream of the Nevertime.' It's entirely possible that ADotN could be very, very good, with lots of character study and growth. After skimming through the first 20 or so pages, though, I was not convinced and regretfully, will be giving up.

I feel like these stories could have made good comics, or even a few episodes of a TV adaptation. The action wasn't bad, it just wasn't what I wanted. If you're into fast paced detective stories you may well love this collection.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartbreaker - 3
The Abyss - 5
A Dream of the Nevertime - 5
Too Much Information (Short)- 4

[C.A. A. Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Judge Anderson of Mega-City One – (2000 AD)

Many of us are Judge Dredd fans from 2000 AD comic strip and we have seen this character bloom into novels, graphic novels, audiobooks and films etc. I’ve now read a number of his stories and will, no doubt, read more and hopefully enjoy future on-screen entertainment too.

What I liked about the second movie called simply, Dredd was the introduction of another character named Judge Anderson. I was intrigued by her psychic ability. I knew of her image in comic strips but had never read much about her. Her image is often on front covers but I was more interested in Dredd’s cold character. Because of the movie, I developed a better interest in the Anderson character and wanted to know more. I thought the actress who played Anderson in the film did look like the comic strip images I have seen.

Anderson, as a character, has an approach that differs from Dredd’s. She can’t help having empathy with some of Mega-City One’s millions of citizens. This is because she sees deep and hears all the inner voices. She can’t help getting caught up in the reason and consequence aspect of things. Though she is still a hard arse when the occasion demands. We always get see t the face of Anderson because the helmet interferes with her psychic ability etc. Therefore she removes it when getting off of her law-master motorbike.

The Dystopian World of the Judges.

This huge metropolis of Mega-City One is surrounded by the poison Earth and people can be arrested and sent to isolation cubes for pro-democracy relays. This overcrowded and claustrophobic society is always on the edge having been through an atomic world war. There is ninety per cent unemployment and huge tower blocks are turf areas controlled by various crazy urban gangs. Large numbers of residents feel loyalty towards the blocks they live in. The Judges are often hated. Yet they are needed. The whole society of the numerous Mega Cities around the world has similar setups with these Judges ruling the areas as a police state. They are undermanned and so the police become Judges as well. Obviously, they have wide-ranging powers. They can catch criminals and pass judgement and sentence on the spot. Including on the spot execution, there and then, if deemed necessary.

It all makes for a disturbing dystopian future where extremist policemen, from our own perspective, are necessary anti-heroes. Democratic well-intentioned believers (who really could not control such an overpopulated and variable decaying urban world) are the villains.

And In Such A World Judge Anderson Must Function.

Here are three very enjoyable gritty stories set in this post-apocalyptic future. I would say this is worth reading or listening too via audiobook. Fast-paced and often violent as our anti-hero Judge tackles a multitude of urban villans.

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I happened to enjoy the stories more than i thought I would however , overall as an omnibus it was about 3-3.5 stars.

It was fun to see a different Judge as I am not familiar with Judge Anderson and this was my first real introduction to the character. Obviously vastly different than Dredd in personality and social philosophy. It was also fun to see thee Psi aspect and mental fighting that the Psi division encompasses.

The best novella was the second one. The whole plot of being trapped in the mental prison was fun and very gory. Didnt care too much for the last story and the Valentines one was a good detective based Psi Thriller.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super funsies, great universe and kickass female main character. Definitely will return to this world. The last bonus story, though, was soooooo hard to swallow as a book lover. I know this is what Worley intended, likely with gleeful humor, but STOP IT. Lol.

[Vijay Anand · Rating 5 out of 5]

My, my! What an exhilarating ride!

I’ll be honest here. The only reason I requested a copy of “Judge Anderson: Year One” from Netgalley was the story’s connection to the legendary Judge Dredd. I am not too acquainted with Mega City One or the Justice Department, but was enough of a fan to want to read a spin off.

And so it was that I started reading the book with no expectations.

I’m glad I did that, for my enjoyment of the book increased manifold as I delved deeper into the story.

Rookie Cassandra Anderson battle with her own mind is the overarching theme of the novel. The story is split into three sub-stories. The first involves the hunt for a psychic killer, the second sees Cassandra trapped in a psych block and trying to defuse a terrorist threat. The third, and meatier, story tells us how Cassandra must dig deep into her own subconscious and defeat someone who’s threatening the very existence of Mega City One.

For the uninitiated, Judge Cassandra Anderson is a rookie in Psi-Div (I presume it stands for Psionics Division). Psi-Judges are mental adepts, and can reach into people’s mind and sometimes even shape their thoughts or nudge them towards a certain course of action.

Anderson is a feisty young woman who is widely considered a prodigy and so, gets a lot of leeway from her superiors (mostly). This makes her impetuous, unpredictable and, more importantly, wildly successful.

It’s a true hallmark of a story well told that the style of prose doesn’t register once through its 400-page length. Alec Worley was masterful in his execution of his vision for this book.

Now, I’ve read my fair share of books, and this one easily is among the few that are the literary equivalents of an action movie. As the action unfolded, black text on white paper, it simultaneously unfurled in gorgeous cinematic detail inside my head.

As I read, I could easily conjure up the gritty, grimy cacophony of Mega City One and the sand blasted wasteland that is the Cursed Earth.

I could easily picture the different judges barked out the dialogue, or apprehending criminals. I could picture every smug expression, every inflection of every voice.

This is a brilliantly told story and for that, I give it a perfectly well-deserved 5/5.

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 2.5 of 5

Is it strange to request a book based on a comic that I've never read? I've also never seen any Judge Dredd movies. But I am aware of the concept and as a science fiction story I was very interested in reading this. The idea of a 'judge' with telepathic abilities is really intriguing to me.

Judge Anderson: Year One is actually three novellas in one book (Heartbreaker, The Abyss, and A Dream of the Nevertime).

I enjoyed Heartbreaker the most of these three. As an introduction to this character of Judge Anderson, this was a great way to learn about her abilities and personality. The story was generally fine (a little more on the stories in a moment) and had plenty of action to keep the reader entertained.

The Abyss also had plenty of action but I started to get confused as to her status as Judge.

The last of these really did nothing for me. By this time I felt I understood the character as well as I was going to. I was really hoping for more of the character.

Which leads back to my thoughts on the stories.... Overall this was fine, but not in any way spectacular. This read like comic books/graphic novels without the art. They were full of adventure, but slow on character development. Characters develop in comics, but at a very slow pace and they tend to assume the reader already knows a fair amount about them. I was definitely hoping that since this was a novel (actually a collection of novellas) that we'd get more character-driven stories - dive into who this is - but we don't.

It wasn't a bad read, but I was definitely hoping for more.

Looking for a good book? Judge Anderson: Year One by Alec Worley reads like a comic book without the art. It's full of action, but not much more. A good airplane read.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

[E.Y.E.-D · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received this book through netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

Before reading this book I was not very familiar with the world it takes place in. Sure I have seen Judge Dredd and Dredd, but I was not aware that more stories existed about the Judges. So this was a new experience for me.
This book includes a few stories about Judge Anderson as a rookie. She is a Judge with psionic powers so she can read thoughts and use her mind to do so much more. What she is capable of are some of the things you learn throughout this book.
I was quite happy with the first story Heartbreaker. It was fast paced and action packed. The action scenes were well written and I got a pretty good feel for Judge Anderson and osme of the things she is capable of.
I also got a good feel for the sort of place these stories take place in. Mega-City One is a crazy place filled with even crazier people. But everyone fears the Judges. I am a little unsure about whether they are necessary to keep the peace or if their existence makes things worse.
This story was the best by far, it was actually the only one I enjoyed. Parts two and three were very rough to get through for me. I found them to be boring despite the insane amount of action that took place.
You get to learn a lot more about Judge Anderson both as a person and more about what her powers make her capable of. Part two kind of reinforced for me that while the Judges may be to keep the peace, they are not necessarily be the good guys all the time.
I struggled through the last two thirds of the book but I am not really thrilled that I did. I spent so much time avoiding picking it back up because I knew it was going to be a struggle for me that it took up a lot more of my time then a book of this size should have.

[Matthew Marchitto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mega-City One is bizarre, and considering this book starts out with a guy getting stabbed in the eye by a fork, Alec Worley leans into with glee. Judge Anderson: Year One follows the first year of everybody's favourite psi judge, Anderson. Throughout the course of three novellas--each of which representing a unique case--we see Anderson get put through the meat grinder. Her psionic abilities are tested, but so is her faith in the Justice Department, and about who the real bad guys are.

There's also a shit ton of action. Anderson gets right into it, choking out baddies, exploding limbs, beating the crap out of wayward robots. Each novella throws a relentless onslaught of mayhem at Anderson.

Even though each novella is self-contained, Anderson's arc is continuous throughout all three. The events of each story chip away at her faith in the Justice Department, culminating in the final novella, A Dream of the Nevertime, where Anderson has to stare down the barrel of the Justice Department's policies and decide whether she's on the right side.

Dredd is awesome, but Judge Anderson has always been my favourite character. Where Dredd is an emotionless machine of justice, Anderson has always shown kindness and heart, and seems to be one of the few judges who genuinely wants to help people. But she still kicks a crapton of ass.

If you like Mega-City One and non-stop action, then I definitely recommend this book.

[Theediscerning · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't find any eight-page bonus, fourth story at the end of my e-arc, but by the end of three lengthy novellas I'd had enough. For one thing, there's very little progression in Cass's character - even in the third one she's wittering on about the Mega City being a bad thing, and her job being a bit dodgy for the same reason. You'd hope by then that either the character or the author would have realised being a permanent pacifist wasn't getting anyone anywhere. (And while we're on about how counter all her training she forever is on these pages, I lost track of the times she left a bit of vital kit behind, or dropped her gun, or tripped up. Stop making her so utterly fallible!)

Before then we have an adventure where a killer is targeting people in an exclusive dating environment, and one where "Raid"-style she has to survive a hostage siege. The third story seems the most satisfying, especially when the first doesn't do much as regards taking it away from the comic-bound drama and offer anything stupendously different, big-budget or cinematic, but at the same time you're bereft of any character of the City itself, which is a loss. Certainly it wasn't my MC1, but then this wasn't my Judge Anderson. It was reasonably diverting, but not a patch on the better comics.

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book quite disappointing and, if I'm honest with myself, I've given it an extra star just because of the character and world that I know after reading 2000A.D for most of its life. As the author freely admits in his introduction, writing about a telepath is difficult due to their ability to read the minds and intentions of other characters in the scene. However my biggest gripe with the book wasn't that, but the rather static nature of most of the stories. It was as though the author saw the ability to play out large sequences of events in Anderson's brain as a means of moving locations but in reality it felt to me as most stories didn't go anywhere. There were to many action sequences (a strange thing to complain about, I grant you) played out on page-after-page of text. That clearly works in the sequential art format, but didn't work for me in text form. Strange, because I have enjoyed the Dredd novels so far.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having read Judge Dredd: Year 1, I figured I would pick this one up too.

It was, alright, mostly. However, Anderson needs to attach her Lawgiver to her wrist with a bungee cord. She must lose her gun on every other page. That's really at the heart of what is wrong with Alec Worley's (the author of 95% of the book) writing. It's repetitive. The details change but the situations, conflicts, and outcomes all follow the same template. It is an embodiment of formula writing. It's enjoyable enough if you want to read a set of stories from the Dredd universe, but if that's not already a thing you are interested in, give this a pass.

Danie Ware's short story is just tacked on at the end. It's clearly not connected with the other works and feels like the unneeded afterthought that its inclusion was. It kind of spoils the end, by not letting the end of the previous story be the end.

[Adam Windsor · Rating 2 out of 5]

Text adventures based on the 2000AD comic book character. As you might expect from someone who writes for the comic itself, Worley has a good command of the setting in which these stories take place, and does a fine job of conjuring up the quirky, satirical madness of Mega-City One. And for each of the the three cases presented here, he has an interesting and suitable initial hook.

He is alas rather less successful at conjuring up especially engaging follow-through. There's a heavy reliance on lots of action to obscure the essentially rather thin nature of the mysteries themselves. Supported by dynamic comic book art, this probably works pretty well. Here, the "oh look another fight scene" fatigue factor definitely kicks in.

[Crystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Any fan of Judge Cassandra Anderson and the Dredd universe will be drawn in by description of telepathic killers and lockdown in a mental asylum. The crises are still gripping in a dystopian world, but the pace is unrelenting. The book being sectioned into three parts doesn't explicitly inform the reader that they're holding an omnibus; it is only in the author's epilogue that you realize the parts had previously been published as three separate e-novellas--therefore the back-to-back, hugely climactic action plots. I would recommend taking breaks (i.e. reading other things) in between the parts to avoid feeling like you're slogging through the world's longest book featuring the world's longest year in the life of a rookie Judge. But even a break cannot alleviate the fact that the last part (a.k.a. full-on novella) is the weakest. Cowboy robot Marion was a welcome addition, but the story is not a page-turner (and this is with "deadly psychic virus" as an intriguing premise). All of the stories could be reworked to better transition from one to the next; put together without thought to the overall flow makes for a clunky reader experience.

I received this book through Netgalley for my unfiltered (n.n) review.

[Michael Dodd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Judge Anderson: Year One by Alec Worley explores what it’s like as a psyker living and working in Mega-City One. The search for a powerful, rage-filled psyker infecting others with his anger; a fight for survival in the midst of some of the most deranged of Mega-City One’s inhabitants; and a quest to find the source of a psychic malaise infecting dreams…these are among the challenges facing the young Judge Anderson.

If you’re looking for straight-up action from start to finish then this probably won’t be for you, and it’s certainly a different experience to reading about Anderson, Dredd et al in comic book form – in case you weren’t certain, this is fully prose, and not a graphic novel! If, however, you’re after stories set in the same world but with more depth and detail, with the pacing and storytelling to really delve into the head of a particularly interesting character…this should be right up your street.

Read the full review at http://www.trackofwords.com/2017/07/0...

[Minna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wavering around 4.5 stars. Never read the comics, my only knowledge of the Judge Anderson character was from the movie Dredd, which I love. Thought this looked like a good opportunity to know her story better.

I liked that there was a progression between the three stories, so you can see 3 major cases that shape her character. Each time getting deeper, and you learn more about the scope of her powers as you go along. First one I breezed through, it was a nice thriller/adventure type. Second and third ones got a little harder to get through, but still satisfying in the end of each.

Some of her powers in the third story I don't quite understand the mechanics of, but maybe I just need to reread the explanation if I can find it.

Overall, very entertaining and well written. A great companion book to begin exploring the world of mega city one.

[Michael Allan Leonard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic trio of sci-fi noir / pulp tales that would've been great reads even if they hadn't featured a long-established character in one of the most (in)famous fictional locales in comics history: that these are canon to 2000AD just make them that much more appealing. Viewing Mega-City One through Anderson's eyes -- and mind -- gives a very different impression of the world of Judge Dredd: Cassie is more compassionate and not nearly as dedicated to unquestionably toeing the line.

Prose is really the best element for a character with telepathic abilities -- you can only convey so much information in comics, and the stories are all custom built to really dig deep into Anderson's psyche (no pun intended). Worley does an impressive job of getting inexperienced readers up to speed: even if you've never read a single Dredd comic, you're not left out.

[Richard Eyres · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book based on the Comic of Judge Anderson (part of Judge Dredd from 2000ad comic).
Essentially this is three novellas combined into a novel (with a bonus short story at the end). It follows the first year of Judge Anderson when she left the academy.
The first story was pretty good, and something i could easily see being in the pages of 2000ad. Meat Market is a dating company, and Eros is sending out his arrows and causing them to go crazy. A fun read.
The second was again something i could see in 2000ad. This time in an asylum. The patients get free and there is a bomb involved. A little darker than the first, but enjoyable.
The last was not good. It was about a dream virus, which sounds cool, but in reality it wasn't. I didn't get on with this story at all, and the CowBot (robot Cowboy) was plain awful.
The short story was very short, and pretty forgettable.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first saw this book listed on Amazon, it was under comics and graphic novels, so I mistakenly assumed it was a graphic novel. After purchasing it and discovering it was an actual novel (albeit comprised of three novellas and a short story) I was a bit skeptical about Judge Anderson in prose. As it turns out, the writing was so good and the plots so intricate that this was absolutely the correct medium for these tales. A few pages of drawings and word bubbles never would have done the stories their full justice. Contained within the pages are not just deep thoughts, feelings and perspectives of Anderson, but insight into her few allies and her numerous nemeses. My only issue was with the third novella that felt like it was dragging the inevitable ending out too much. But overall I really enjoyed this book and will likely look for the sequels in the future.

[Christopher Henderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The novella format (this book is really an omnibus of 3 novellas, plus a bonus short story) works well, despite the gripes of some readers. It helps add depth to the characterisation, doesn't skimp on the expected action, and, importantly, retains the irreverent humour of 2000AD: fans of 'The Wicker Man' will get the throw-away joke in 'Anderson had just finished a routine cult bust-up two blocks south at Robin Hardy', as one example; and wards in the nightmarish Psych-Block Six are (of course) named after Carry On stars and run by MATRON droids that you just know sound like Hattie Jacques. Oh, and there’s also a derelict Chuck Dexter Ward in that block – at which Lovecraft readers should raise a wry smile. I doubt ol’ Stony-Face would approve, but that’s his problem.

[Chuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pleasantly surprised how easy Judge Dredd (and its franchise) is to get into. Despite having 40 years of stories, it is super inviting to jump in and has a Fallout like vibe to it with a bit of everything that was awesome from the 90s: Tarantino-level violence, goofy scifi tropes that feel fresh, lots of deeper food-for-thought regarding the darkness that underpins the "society" of the fiction (and by extension, our own in the real world). Its the kind of world that has robot-cowboys, aliens psychics, nuclear wars, dinosaurs and barbarians and everything in between but the prose made it all natural and the stories were good. Most importantly, Judge Anderson is a real character that is coming into her own role.

[Michael Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Judge Anderson, the smartest Psi judge has only been on the streets for one year, after 15 years training, and in this book generally goes through hell as she meets more powerful psi beings; not all of them human as she deals with a hate mob, an insanity cult with a bomb, and a mutant on Cursed Earth, with god like powers who plans to destroy Mega City One, as well as a librarian's ghost.
Like Judge Rico before her, she sees that brute force and endless time in "iso cubes" is not always the answer as the populace rebels against the brutal judges who desperately struggle to keep the law among the 800 million inhabitants of Mega City One.
She herself goes through too many psyche reviews, many of them not helpful, and by experts who don't seem to have a clue.
Definitely a good read.

[Kai Charles(Fiction State Of Mind) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Coyer Summer Reading List


This prose novel is for those familiar with the Judge Dredd Universe and Judge Anderson. This book has three short stories set in the Mega City and are all tied to needing Psychic skills to be solved.

The first story has to do with a murderer infiltrating a dating company,the second has to do with Anderson fighting her way out of a mental institution, these two where my favorite. The only problem I had with these stories is I missed the humor that is usually in Anderson stories. I know this is her in the formative yeas of her career but I missed it anyway. An ok read.

[Bob Fischer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had seen both the Sylvester Stallone and Karl Urban Dredd movies and found them both enjoyable in their own ways. However, i had never read anything in the Dredd Universe, so I thought I would finally dig in. I found it quite enjoyable to read, the hero is an interesting character and quite interesting. If you are looking for a lite read and / or an introduction to the this world, well worth a read.

[Kristian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three great stories centering on one great character. Whether it was the writing getting better or me becoming more invested I'm not sure, but each time I picked up the book I was scrambling to read more and more pages.
The third novella 'A dream of the nevertime' was my personal favourite, having probably the best supporting character of all three, and being largely set in the infinitely interesting Cursed Earth. I will almost certainly be coming back to re-read at least this one eventually.

[Mr Chuck · Rating 3 out of 5]

One story out of three isn't bad.

Ok, to be fair the last story was enjoyable apart from the crazy ending but the second one really lost me and nearly had me quit due to is overuse of mind tricks.

Judge Anderson is a badass and one of a kind who I enjoy reading about but I want more law-giving and less "ouch my head hurts" battles.

Overall, it is enjoyable but there's a reason she is a side character to Dredd.

[Zoltán · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short one: The story and presentation alternated between good and average. There were sections that I genuinely enjoyed, and ones I just wanted to get past. This is my first book involving the psy division. Based on this book, the whole psy thing feels finger in the air, 'it does whatever I want at the moment', and lacks consistency. From a sci-fi point of view, it's an absolute mess. If you treat it as urban fantasy, then it's digestible.