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The first ever collection of Iain Banks’s short fiction, this volume includes the acclaimed novella, The State of the Art. …
This is a very nice collection of "end of the world" stories. None of them spend much time on what caused the disruption, instead focusing on how people deal with it on an individual level. Let's hope that none of them come true.
Use of Weapons is a science fiction novel by Scottish writer Iain M. Banks, first published in 1990. It is …
Termination Shock takes readers on a thrilling, chilling visit to our not-too-distant future – a …
This is an interesting counterpoint to the Kim Stanley Robinson novel, Ministry of the Future. Where KSR's fiction dealt with climate change via bureaucracy and finance, Stephenson goes a little more cowboy. As I live in West Texas, I was impressed by how on-the-nose his depiction of the area felt, both the geography and the population. He even threw in an off-the-cuff reference to Permian Basin! I know, Stephenson is infamous for his excessive research. Well, not so much the research but his compulsion to share so much of that research, even if it doesn't always need to be there for the story to move forward. In this case, he was telling a big story with a lot of plot threads woven together, and I didn't really register any infodumps.
The characters are given good motivations, the plot moves forward in plausible ways, and things look like they might be …
This is an interesting counterpoint to the Kim Stanley Robinson novel, Ministry of the Future. Where KSR's fiction dealt with climate change via bureaucracy and finance, Stephenson goes a little more cowboy. As I live in West Texas, I was impressed by how on-the-nose his depiction of the area felt, both the geography and the population. He even threw in an off-the-cuff reference to Permian Basin! I know, Stephenson is infamous for his excessive research. Well, not so much the research but his compulsion to share so much of that research, even if it doesn't always need to be there for the story to move forward. In this case, he was telling a big story with a lot of plot threads woven together, and I didn't really register any infodumps.
The characters are given good motivations, the plot moves forward in plausible ways, and things look like they might be solvable by the end. I'll be chewing on some of his ideas for a while longer, but if you're a Stephenson fan, or a fan of international climate change drama (they must exist), highly recommended.
This is a great way to finish the nine-novel run. While I didn't see the solution to the genocidal alien problem coming, it is perfectly fitting and lines up with the characters and the information about the science (such as that is).
The hunter Tanaka was a great new character, with a good balance between psychotic evil and explanation for why she was that way.
Amos remains one of the most reliable characters to ever live in print, and I very much appreciated his arc in this book.
There's no way to talk much about the story without some major spoilers, but it has battles, pathos, sacrifice, bravery, giant alien brains spanning light years, and a really nice epilogue.
When a murdered woman is found in the city of Beszel, somewhere at the edge …
Is it a fantasy novel, a science fiction novel, or a crime novel? Sure. Why not?
It's nigh impossible to discuss this modern classic in any detail without spoiling some vital piece of the narrative. The premise is simple to explain, although fairly difficult to imagine: what if two cities, for reasons lost to history, both reside in the same geographic area, sharing some streets and even some parks and buildings, but being legally and technically different countries? And, what if they had taken that to the extreme of making it illegal to even recognize the buildings, people, and infrastructure, the sounds and even the smells, of the "foreign" city? People may live physically next door to each other, yet for cultural reasons be forced to "unsee" each other as they pass in the street.
And then someone gets murdered, and it's unclear who has jurisdiction, or if anyone does. …
Is it a fantasy novel, a science fiction novel, or a crime novel? Sure. Why not?
It's nigh impossible to discuss this modern classic in any detail without spoiling some vital piece of the narrative. The premise is simple to explain, although fairly difficult to imagine: what if two cities, for reasons lost to history, both reside in the same geographic area, sharing some streets and even some parks and buildings, but being legally and technically different countries? And, what if they had taken that to the extreme of making it illegal to even recognize the buildings, people, and infrastructure, the sounds and even the smells, of the "foreign" city? People may live physically next door to each other, yet for cultural reasons be forced to "unsee" each other as they pass in the street.
And then someone gets murdered, and it's unclear who has jurisdiction, or if anyone does.
Yeah, it's trippy as all get out, but worth the mental energy.
It’s been centuries since the robots of Panga gained self-awareness and laid down their tools; …
As expected from Chambers, this first book in the new series is a warm cup of tea. It's lovely, it's comfortable, and it's gone too soon. I cannot wait for book #2!
After an enforced isolation on earth, Master Sergeant Michael Venn returns to Mars to further …
My brain is a pretzel. I cannot wait to see how this ends in the third book.
"They came in peace, bearing gifts. The Gurus were a highly advanced species who brought …
Intriguing beginning to a story, which ironically aligns with another recent book series from the late Jeff Carlson. What if panspermia isn't nonsense? What if we're related to other beings who have their own inscrutable aims?
Reeling from their battles against the People's Supreme Society of China, the allied forces detect …
I really wish that Carlson had been able to finish fleshing out those final chapters, because I enjoyed his prose so much. But, the ideas he left behind made for a satisfying conclusion to the Europan stories. Pretty much anything I write will be a spoiler, but the concepts are heady, and the interpersonal relationships feel realistic. Von seems to take rather longer than I'd like to realize that not everyone is actually stupid or antagonistic, but her reactions are otherwise great to read.
Ghost Clan Thirty!
Beneath the ice, Vonnie tries to rescue an ESA biologist who was kidnapped by the …
More fully-formed than the second book, Blindsided is a spectacular ride. I can't wait to see the final tale, despite knowing that Carlson didn't live to finish it himself. Carlson was born 364 days before I was, and his untimely passing will undoubtedly color my reading of "Battlefront." While reading Blindsided, I could still feel immersed in his writing, and the world could really use more authors of his caliber. Vonnie, Lam, Ben, Ash, and all the rest - good luck.
More of a novelette than a full novel, Betrayed is a satisfying sequel to Frozen Sky. I look forward to the next entry in the series.
Dark Age is a 2019 science fiction novel by American author Pierce Brown, the second …
A satisfying addition to the saga, Dark Age does suffer a bit from wedging too many "main" characters and too many plots and sub-plots into one novel. I look forward to seeing how Brown ties up all the loose ends (or at least the ones that need tying) in the final book, whenever that comes out.
