THE ISLAND of Landfall in The Boy Who Wept Blood by Den Patrick (Gollancz, £14.99) is ruled from Demesne — a vast, labyrinthine and ancient castle which is home to various noble houses that constantly plot against each other for power, prestige and wealth.

Following the generations-long reign of a reclusive and tyrannical king, Demesne’s new queen is of the despised and not-quite-human Orfano clan.

Her plans for Landfall are revolutionary. She proposes a republic in which even the “cittadini” who work the land on the great estates will have a say in who rules them. But the aristocracy is not ready to surrender its inheritance without a fight.

The book’s setting, reminiscent of a Renaissance Italian city state, gives this engrossing story of political intrigue, swordplay and hidden horrors a truly distinctive flavour.

A young physicist leads a team of maverick scientists to achieve an astonishing breakthrough in Influx by Daniel Suarez (Sphere, £8.99).

But he’s hardly opened the champagne before he wakes up in a high-tech prison. He’s being held by the Bureau of Technology Control, a secret US government department, which was established during the cold war to contain and delay discoveries that might destabilise capitalism, such as a cure for cancer or limitless free energy.

By now the bureau, technologically decades ahead of the rest of the world, is closer to being a rogue state than a rogue agency. It’s uncontrollable and invulnerable and has big plans for the human race.

But the trouble with “harvesting” hundreds of scientific geniuses, is that when they collectively turn their brilliant minds to overthrowing you, you’ve got a fight on.

It’s an enjoyably paranoid concept and an excuse for all sorts of marvellous gadgets, amusing dialogue, and non-stop action. Good fun — and just a little unsettling.

Britain’s longest-running SF magazine Interzone continues its mission of publishing the best short stories from around the world by leading figures in the genre as well as newcomers and up-and-comers — many of whom subsequently go on to stardom. It also provides in-depth reviews of books and films. Beautifully illustrated and designed, Issue 257 is out now and costs £6 including postage from ttapress.com.

On TV Doctor Who long ago gave up “pure historical” stories — those in which the only science-fiction element is the presence of the time travellers.
But they survive in other media, perhaps where adult fans rather than casual viewers dominate the audience. In

The Roundheads by Mark Gatiss (BBC Books, £7.99), the second Doctor arrives in London in the frozen winter of 1648, with 1960s Tardis crew Polly, Ben and Jamie, just as the deposed tyrant Charles Stuart is about to stand trial for his life.

After becoming accidentally entangled in a plot to free the king, can the Doctor and his companions keep history on track, as well as staying alive themselves?

Full of incident and atmosphere, this delightful historical adventure will especially please those who prefer their Time Lords in black and white.