A good friend of mine wondered if she should read Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go (coming later this year to a multiplex near you). I warned her that I found the book unbearably bland, despite its good premise. "If there were cover versions of books, could this one benefit from being retooled by another artist?" My friend then asked. I don't know about you, but I love the idea of book cover versions.

Going back to Never Let Me Go, I would have liked to have read Iain Banks' version of it. Not only does Banks understand genre - but crucially he knows how to combine so-called literary fiction and genre fiction. His books are full of messy human emotions, empathy, dehumanisation and raw anger. Banks would write a Never Let Me Go which I would happily read and re-read.

On the same topic: David Mitchell's version of Tom McCarthy's C would probably be closer to the "experimental mind-bender" the novel is being marketed as than the actual book is..

Any book cover versions you'd like to read?

A few random links for your perusal: + The Future is Now - according to William Gibson + Is social media being monitored? Time to rethink all that time you spend trolling the acrylic vs natural wool threads. + How to Slice A Bagel Into Two Linked Halves - mathematically correct breakfast, y'all. + British artist Banksy's take on the Simpson's intro. + Necropolis. A webcomic set in an alternate reality Glasgow. What is it about my hometown and alternate realities? + Most Unnecessarily Over-dramatic quote Found in the NYT. Ever.