The Electron programmer has quite an extensive list of graphics and sound commands at his fingertips. The number and variety of these can be quite bewildering to the newcomer.

The aim of this book is to explain the basic principles involved in producing interesting graphic displays and sounds. The emphasis is more on useful routines than games programs, and many of the procedures could be used in your own programs.

The reader is taken from first principles - drawing a line and plotting a point - to the quite complex procedure of producing a perspective view of a wire frame object. All is explained in a clear and concise manner.

The sound section is not as good as the graphics. The author seems unaware that the Electron can only use one sound channel at a time and actually lists a program to play a series of notes on two channels simultaneously. It was obviously written on a BBC Micro and sounds more like a rude noise on the Electron.

However I can recommend this book to anyone interested in producing lively graphics displays. But take the sound section with a pinch of salt.

Roland Waddilove