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grid@bookwyrm.social

Joined 3 years ago

Avid reader of science fiction and fantasy. Lover of big ideas, poetry & wordplay, games.

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commented on Infinite Archive by Mur Lafferty (duplicate) (The Midsolar Murders, #3)

Mur Lafferty (duplicate): Infinite Archive (2025, Penguin Publishing Group)

Amateur sleuth Mallory Viridian has just about got her bearings aboard the space station she …

Content warning minor spoilers

started reading Game Poems by Jordan Magnuson

Jordan Magnuson: Game Poems (2023, Amherst College Press)

About the Book

From the publisher: Scholars, critics, and creators describe certain videogames as …

So full of possibility, so full of promise, so full of NEW and WONDER. A quote:

What we can do, for videogames just as well as for poetry, is start to talk a little bit about poetics, a little bit about technique, a little bit about poetic praxis–so that little by little we build up a vocabulary, build up some frameworks that help us conceive of videogames as a medium capable of poetic expression

commented on Lady of Mazes by Karl Schroeder

Karl Schroeder: Lady of Mazes (Paperback, 2006, Tor Science Fiction)

Karl Schroeder is one of the new stars of hard SF. His novels, Ventus and …

It took me a long time to finish this book. I think there were some very interesting ideas related to what life might be like when complete sensory override is available to everyone. Not just available, but controllable, seemingly on a whim.

Really torn between 3 and 4 stars for this one. It took me forever to finish. I stuck with it though, and I did like the ending. I found some of the specific ideas (particularly those related to what life might be like when complete sensory override is available to everyone) really fascinating, but the characters were not particularly likable, and I also found the overall milieu kind of hard to swallow. (2025-08-19)

finished reading 5 Worlds Book 4 by Matt Rockefeller

No cover

Matt Rockefeller, Mark Siegel, Xanthe Bouma, Alexis Siegel, Boya Sun: 5 Worlds Book 4 (2020, Random House Children's Books)

This 4th installment of the series was good. Hints of the depressing tone that I didn't like from the last one, but maybe not quite as bad. We also have a better picture of the world, and kinda sorta understand some of the history that led to the 5 Worlds. (2025-06-11)

commented on Across the Board by Tim Clare

No cover

Tim Clare: Across the Board (2025, Abrams, Inc.)

LOVED this book about board games! I was actually looking for a book with any historical context for board games, and found this in the recent releases at my local book store. I was pleasantly surprised to find that to be the main topic for the entire book! If this is a topic that interests you, I HIGHLY recommend it! (2025-06-12)

commented on A Wealth of Pigeons by Steve Martin

Steve Martin, Harry Bliss: A Wealth of Pigeons (Hardcover, 2020, Celadon Books)

I read this in a couple of settings. They are single page comics, mostly just single panel. The captions are mostly written by Steve Martin, and the art is mostly Harry Bliss. Very funny, but I'm not sure I loved it enough for it to become part of my permanent collection. (2025-05-24)

commented on How to Steal the Galaxy by Beth Revis (Chaotic Orbits, #2)

Beth Revis: How to Steal the Galaxy (2024, DAW)

A high octane sexy space heist from New York Times bestselling author Beth Revis, the …

This took place mostly in a fancy gala auction event in a museum. The narrator was right at home, and wearing a dress that cost a ridiculous amount, even though later in the story it’s revealed she can barely afford pre-packaged meals. The universe has some holes in it, but it’s very fun and at times also quite funny. Also, very short. I have the third one waiting to start. (2025-05-26)

commented on Exit Strategy by Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries, #4)

Martha Wells: Exit Strategy (Hardcover, 2018, Tor.com)

Murderbot wasn't programmed to care. So, its decision to help the only human who ever …

Loved this just as much as I remember. Re-reading these first four books has made me feel how I imagine Murderbot feels re-watching its favorite episodes of Sanctuary Moon. (2025-05-18)