SteveDRice.net - reviews:books:sf

Review of 'Salmon of Doubt'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:48+00:00

Review of 'Salmon of Doubt' Salmon of Doubt by Douglas Adams Ostensibly this is the last book ever written by Douglas Adams, if “written” is the correct word. This is a collection of a number of short articles written for newspapers and magazines as well as copies of speeches he made throughout his life. The material covers not only fiction but also a great deal of non-fiction works. The story of the title is only the last third of the book and was put together from the scraps found on h…

Review of 'The Handmaid's Tale'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-04-13T16:36:06+00:00

Review of 'The Handmaid's Tale' The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood A fantastic work about a furturistic world in which “handmaids” (young woman specially trained) are the only ones allowed to reproduce. The story is told from the perspective of one of these handmaids as they experience their very dark and sinister world where public executions are common and never knowing what may happen next. This is a

Review of 'White Mars'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'White Mars' White Mars by Brian Aldiss, and Roger Penrose A sociological view of the visit of humans to Mars told from the standpoint of a few of the first “Martians”. Aldiss/Penrose propose the idea of a “White Mars” in that Mars is treated the way that Antarctica is treated on earth: an area for study and not exploitation. A number of interesting points are raised when the Martians are cut off from earth (as earth descends into Chaos) and they attempt to establish a

Review of 'Oryx and Crake'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-04-13T16:36:06+00:00

Review of 'Oryx and Crake' Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood A terribly cynical look at a possible future where “compounds” containing genetic engineering companies unleash genetic terror on the world for profit and revenge. The final terror has caused mass extinction with only a few genetically engineered people and a man who knew the author of the world's distruction. Snowman tells the tale of how the world has disintegrated with flashbacks to the life he led as he befriends

Review of 'Consider Phlebas'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Consider Phlebas' Consider Phlebas by Iain M. Bnaks A 'Culture' book The first “Culture” book (never mind first SF book for Banks) and it is a fantastic one at that. The scope of the worlds and universes being described are incredible as we follow one

Review of 'Against a Dark Background'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Against a Dark Background' Against a Dark Background by Iain M. Banks A 'Culture' book An exciting novel following the young woman Sharrow as she runs for her life (starting from the very first page) and at the same time is in search of an artifact that will get her pursuers off her back. She gathers her troupe from her previous military experience and sets off with her bitter half-sister doing nothing to persuade her. A fantastic story full of human interest, self-reflection, a…

Review of 'Inversions'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Inversions' Inversions by Iain M. Banks A bit of a switch for Mr. Banks this time as his “Science Fiction” novel reads very much like “fantasy” to me. This novel tells two stories that take place in the same world at the same time but in different kingdoms. One story is of a lady physician to the king while the other is the story of the bodyguard to the

Review of 'Raft'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Raft' Raft by Stephen Baxter One of Baxter's older novels, this focuses on the story of a Rees, a “mine rat” working in a universe where the laws of physics are much different than our own -- where the gravitational constant is a billion times stronger than ours. This causes these refugees from our universe to adapt in unforseen ways and also causes great tensions as it slowly comes to light that the nebula they depend on for life is dying and that it will take an exceptional pe…

Review of 'Deep Future'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:48+00:00

Review of 'Deep Future' Deep Future by Stephen Baxter A speculative look at various elements of our galaxies (and our own) futures. There are five parts each containing a number of chapters, attempting to look further and further into the future until time has no meaning. This book reads quite well but seems to be a bit disjointed with Mr. Baxter returning to various themes again and again (even, it seems, to the point of repeating himself). The flow of the book is such that the reader c…

Review of 'Silverhair'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:48+00:00

Review of 'Silverhair' Silverhair by Stephen Baxter 1st book in the 'Mammoth' series Quite a departure from Mr. Baxter's normal fare, Mammoth follows the (seemingly) never ending travels of a mammoth as it encounters humans and their, in this case, brutality. In a radical departure for the scientist, Mr Baxter chooses to have his mammoth's talk to each other which really does bring home the story of the tragedy of this last group of mammoths that are discovered what seems to be accidentally…

Review of 'Titan'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:48+00:00

Review of 'Titan' Titan by Stephen Baxter Faced with the possibility of the space shuttles being used for “lawn ornaments” a group of dis-enfranchised astraunauts and scientists make a final grasp to space by planning a final, one-way, trip to Titan. Possible signs of life have been found there and since the shuttles are history, why not blow the bundle on a trip? Scraping together a mission from limited resources, the tale of how they got there is detailed along with what happens afterwa…

Review of 'Dinosaur Summer'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:48+00:00

Review of 'Dinosaur Summer' Dinosaur Summer by Greg Bear A great “boy's own” novel about a young man who gets involved with the return of dinosaurs from the last dinosaur circus to their home on the plateau of El Grande in Venezuela. This is an alternate world where dinosaurs were found during the late 1800s and now, in 1947, the dinosaurs have lost their appeal leading to Lothar Gluck to close his famous circus.

It is a fairly slow moving novel up until they actually arrive at the plat…

Review of 'EON'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:48+00:00

Review of 'EON' EON by Greg Bear A classic of Science Fiction which takes the themes originally explored by Arthur C. Clarke in Rendezvous with Rama and goes one further. This novel has everything: a great plot and lots of action. Who are the villans? Hard to tell most times, though being human I obviously cheered for us

Review of 'Across the Sea of Suns'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:48+00:00

Review of 'Across the Sea of Suns' Across the Sea of Suns by Greg Benford One of Benford's early works, this tells the story of an earth in search of answers as it sends out an asteroid full of scientists and explorers seeking to understand the messages left for them in a crashed alien spaceship. Another story line follows the activities occuring on earth where aliens have infected the oceans and are threatening humans on land. A rather interesting mix of psychology, science and adventure…

Review of 'COSM'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:48+00:00

Review of 'COSM' COSM by Greg Benford The bestselling author of Timescape brings us what is billed as “A Thriller on the Cutting Edge of Science”. I don't know if the novel lives up to this but it is certainly interesting if not badly paced. After the original excitement of the discovery of a mysterious globe the novel soon becomes one of a person running from those who want to take it away. The ending is a bit of an anti-climax but by and large the novel is well written and should keep …

Review of 'Colony'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:48+00:00

Review of 'Colony' Colony by Ben Bova David Adams is a genetically manipulated human born on Space Station Island One but he is determined to visit earth -- hopefully to save it from itself. But, he is the legal property of the people that made him and they definitely do not want him to leave. Amongst this plot the political story plays itself out with the Corporations fighting the World Government (which replaced the UN when it was disbanded). Interesting but not entirely convincing cha…

Review of 'Return to Mars'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:48+00:00

Review of 'Return to Mars' Return to Mars by Ben Bova A 'Grand Tour' book A follow-up to his highly successful Mars book, Bova once again returns to Mars for further exploration. We follow Jamie Waterman, a native american (which is emphasised again and again throughout the novel), as he leads the return expedition. The foremost story element is that of the search for life on the planet, which is very well executed in the novel. The book, on the whole, is easy to read and demands the read…

Review of 'Venus'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:48+00:00

Review of 'Venus' Venus by Ben Bova A 'Grand Tour' book Beginning what seems to be a series of books about the planets (following after his famous Mars and Return to Mars books) Venus is a wonderful novel of suspense following the son of a self-possessed millionaire as he voyages to Venus to bring back the remains of his brother. Of course, things do not go as planned quickening the pace somewhat. I found the main character not terribly terribly sympathetic though he does redeem himself as…

Review of 'Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:48+00:00

Review of 'Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace' Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace by Terry Brooks Quite a good novelisation of the movie. This book fills in some details missing from the somewhat short film. Very well written, it is easy to read and Mr. Brooks makes it easy to visualize many of the effects and characters from the story. Some aspects to the characters such as the fondness that Anakin and Padme have for one another is much more obvious as well as a lot of the pol…

Review of 'Ender's Shadow'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:48+00:00

Review of 'Ender's Shadow' Ender's Shadow by Orson Scott Card 1st book in the 'Ender's Shadow' series The cover describes this novel as “A Parallel Novel to Ender's Game” and the contents definitely bear this out, offering a different viewpoint, and insights, as the earlier Ender's Game. It is recommended that you read the earlier novel before reading this as it complements so many of the aspects. Well written and thoroughly engaging (if not the ending being a complete lack of surprise, ha…

Review of 'The Shadow of the Hegemon'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'The Shadow of the Hegemon' The Shadow of the Hegemon by Orson Scott Card 2nd book in the 'Ender's Shadow' series Another adventure featuring Bean, Peter (Ender's brother) and Petra following on (in time at least) from where Ender's Shadow left off. In this novel Petra is kidnapped by the

Review of 'Speaker for the Dead'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Speaker for the Dead' Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card 2nd book in the 'Ender Saga' series The sequel to the original Ender's Game and this book sees Ender as “Speaker for the Dead” redeeming himself by not only letting the galaxy know about the buggers but also investigating the potential zenocide of the piggies

Review of '3001: The Final Odyssey'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of '3001: The Final Odyssey' 3001: The Final Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke Well, the end of the road (?) for the series began with 2001 (though many are more familiar with the movie than the novel -- which is a pity since the novel offers so much more depth and characterisation) and perhaps it is none the sooner. 2001 was a sell-contained novel that stands quite well by itself and it is unforunate, in many respects, that Clarke felt compelled to continue with the story. I loved the sh…

Review of 'The Light of Other Days'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'The Light of Other Days' The Light of Other Days by Stephen Baxter, and Arthur C. Clarke A truly unique story about the creation of wormhole technology that allow us to look at any point in space and time (the past). The story follows the initial development of this technology and the social impact it has as it becomes widely used by the public. There are a few sections where the exploration of the past has led to some surprising revelations (such as Jesus' life). On the human…

Review of 'The Gap Into Conflict: The Real Story'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'The Gap Into Conflict: The Real Story' The Gap Into Conflict: The Real Story by Stephen Donaldson 1st book in the 'Gap' series The first in the Gap series of books sees Angus Thermopyle meeting up with Morn Hyland a young policewoman who has a decidedly self destructive streak (admitedly not of her own volition). The first two chapters tell the story as seen by different perspectives of what happened at a space station bar (both of which are no where near the truth). The

Review of 'Rocheworld'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Rocheworld' Rocheworld by Robert L. Forward An interesting book full of original ideas and imagination but based (largely) upon scientific fact. Perhaps too much of this and not much characterisation, unfortunately. Humanity makes the supreme commitment to send a small crew of astronauts to Barnard's star (just a bit further away then the nearest star to earth, but it has an interesting planetary formation

Review of 'Colony'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Colony' Colony by Rob Grant One of the creators of Red Dwarf continues his independent book-writing career after Backwards spinning a tale of a complete self-confessed “loser” who, through a series of misadventures ends up with a tin-can robotic body and the only person who can save a colonization ship from complete destruction. Rob Grant definitely has a somewhat warped (and sick) sense of humour though I did find myself chuckling a few times, albeit when I was a bit tired and …

Review of 'The Forever War'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'The Forever War' The Forever War by Joe Haldeman 1st book in the 'Forever' series This book follows the story of William Mandella as he deals with being a member of the United Nations Exploratory Force (emphasis on the “force”) -- the most severe effects being the time dilation for every mission they undertake meaning that hundreds of years have passed on earth when they return only a few months after they left. Particularly well written and thought provoking are the various aspe…

Review of 'Forever Peace'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Forever Peace' Forever Peace by Joe Haldeman 2nd book in the 'Forever' series This book is not so much of a sequel as a book in the same universe and exploring the same ideas as were originally expressed in the Forever War. This time the action takes place on Earth during only one time period (unlike the Forever War which jumps around in time). This is essentially an action book that does not dwell on the social issues in the first novel but does have an interesting look into so…

Review of 'Forever Free'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Forever Free' Forever Free by Joe Haldeman 3rd book in the 'Forever' series This book is the direct sequel of the seminal Forever War, picking up right where the first book left us. In this case the veterans and other social outcasts are living on a planet and decide to escape the fate that has been dealt them with their light-speed travelling. Earth is not prepared to deal with them so they attempt to deal with Earth by letting it evolve into something different by once again t…

Review of 'Prelude to Dune: House Atreides'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Prelude to Dune: House Atreides' Prelude to Dune: House Atreides by Kevin J. Anderson, and Brian Herbert 1st book in the 'Prelude to Dune' series With a mixture of both dread and intrigue I purchased and read the beginnings of yet another prequel novel, Prelude to Dune: House Atreides. Having read the Dune series many years ago I must admit from the out-start that I have never actually completed the series, becoming bored with the last book, Chapterhouse: Dune, and putting it dow…

Review of 'Prelude to Dune: House Harkonnen'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Prelude to Dune: House Harkonnen' Prelude to Dune: House Harkonnen by Kevin J. Anderson, and Brian Herbert 2nd book in the 'Prelude to Dune' series The second book in the “Prelude to Dune” series, this book continues the story from House Atreides, following the young Duke Leto but concentrating on the exploits of House Harkonnen, specifically the young Rabban and his rebellion (and much more) against his father.

This book is a MUCH darker picture than the one first glimpsed in …

Review of 'Prelude to Dune: House Corrino'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Prelude to Dune: House Corrino' Prelude to Dune: House Corrino by Kevin J. Anderson, and Brian Herbert 3rd book in the 'Prelude to Dune' series This is the final novel in the 3-volume pre-quel to Frank Herbert's classic Dune series and it certainly packs a punch. All of the threads come together from the first two books into a climatic head setting the stage for Dune.

Duke Leto is on his way to make the universe a better place to be while Baron Harkonnen takes manner lessons (…

Review of 'The Road to Mars'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'The Road to Mars' The Road to Mars by Eric Idle A strangely crafted book told from the standpoint of a person who has discovered the lost essay of a commedic robot telling the story of this robot's and his two human companions trip to Mars...

Review of 'The Best of Damon Knight'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'The Best of Damon Knight' The Best of Damon Knight by Damon Knight One of the most influential writers of Science Fiction from the 70s brings us a collection of his short stories featuring the unusual “Babel II” to the slightly sacrine “Mary

Review of 'The Collapsium'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'The Collapsium' The Collapsium by Wil McCarthy Bruno de Towaji is a recluse living on a planet he designed himself orbiting around a sun he also designed, and built, himself far from earth and “the Queendom” -- An elected monarchy headed by a Queen. His technical expertise as the inventor of

Review of 'Bloom'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Bloom' Bloom by Wil McCarthy An incredible journey through the future of earth having been swollowed up whole by a massive “mycora” (man-made, self-replicating organisms). John Strasheim is a reporter who tags along with an expedition to plant some probes on the surface of the infected planets in a

Review of 'The Centurion's Empire'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'The Centurion's Empire' The Centurion's Empire by Sean McMullen A wonderfully written book about a Roman centurion that passes through time. The first half of the book focuses on the past, telling the story of how a potion is developed that allows a person to be frozen (literally) then, under specific conditions, revived at any time in the future. The story follows the centurion as he stops at various key points in European history but

Review of 'Souls in the Great Machine'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Souls in the Great Machine' Souls in the Great Machine by Sean McMullen 1st book in the 'Greatwinter Trilogy' series A fantastic novel of the far future where the world as we know it has been wiped out in a nuclear apocolypse and has been replaced by a world of human-powered trains and

Review of 'King Rat'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'King Rat' King Rat by China Miéville Something is stiring deep in the heart of London's sewers and it is stiring directly into Saul's life. Saul is put in prison for murdering his father where he is unexpectedly (and strangely) rescued by a mysterious figure calling himself

Review of 'The Scar'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'The Scar' The Scar by China Miéville Miéville has done it again with this novel set in the same world as his masterpiece “Perdido Street Station” this time adding even more colour and description to his already fantastic world. The story follows Bellis Coldwine as she leaves New Crobuzon in search of a new life for herself along with a number of prisoner

Review of 'The Rituals of Infinity'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'The Rituals of Infinity' The Rituals of Infinity by Michael Moorcock Another short novel by a classic SF writer The Rituals of Infinity finds us in a universe where there are a series of “alternate earths” that Professor Faustaff and his team of engineers and like-minded individuals are striving to prevent from inevitable destruction. His efforts are hampered by the

Review of 'The Blood Red Game'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'The Blood Red Game' The Blood Red Game by Michael Moorcock I have never really been a big fan of Moorcock's 60s/70s hippy-Science Fiction with it's rather unusual themes and characters though one can certainly admit that it is original. In The Blood Red Game we meet two characters: Remark, an unusual

Review of 'Altered Carbon'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Altered Carbon' Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan Basically a detective story set a future where people can be “downloaded” into “sleeves” -- bodies (either unused human bodies or artificial). Takeshi Kovacs, a member of the elite Envoy Corps, has been

Review of 'The Dragons of Heorot'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'The Dragons of Heorot' The Dragons of Heorot by Steven Barnes, Larry Niven, and Jerry Pournelle Sequel to The Legacy of Heorot which I found to be a horrifying novel this novel is not quite so horrifying (the grendals are still there as well as other things...). This novel picks up with the colonists and their children who want to return from their island to the mainland and tame this planet they have found themselves on (not by their choice, they point out to their parents). A…

Review of 'The Widowmaker'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'The Widowmaker' The Widowmaker by Mike Resnick Jefferson Nighthalk the deadliest assasin of all time is dead or, at least, that is what the universe thinks but the reality is that he has been kept frozen for more than a century in the hopes of being woken when a cure is found for his disease. This is not to say he is not busy, a clone is created to perform a special commission

Review of 'Red Mars; Green Mars; Blue Mars'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Red Mars; Green Mars; Blue Mars' Red Mars; Green Mars; Blue Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson A series with fantastic scope and depth of characters, perhaps too much. I found keeping track at some times very difficult and the sheer size of the volumes is daunting to all but the most die-hard Science Fiction lovers which is a pity. Those who fail to pick up these tomes miss a wonderfully described and very believable future of settlement on Mars beginning with men first landing all t…

Review of 'The Martians'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'The Martians' The Martians by Kim Stanley Robinson This is a series of short stories and poems in the world of Robinson's “Martian Trilogy” (Red Mars, Green Mars and Blue Mars). It has been some time since I have read the trilogy but found this book easy to read with a lot of small stories that do not add a great deal to the original trilogy (or to anything else). The

Review of 'The Years of Rice and Salt'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'The Years of Rice and Salt' The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson This book poses the question “What if the plague had (essentially) wiped out Europe?” and follows the “rise of the east” through a series of wars against Islam and other various factions. The book is written as a series of ten shorter stories following the lives of various characters as the chapters proceed through history, beginning with the first story talking about the discovery of the death of Eur…

Review of 'Callahan's Legacy'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Callahan's Legacy' Callahan's Legacy by Spider Robinson Another novel in the Callahan's Crosstime Saloon series. This novel finds the somewhat odd assortment of barfly's making their way south to Key West to start up another bar and, of course, save the universe as we know it. Mr. Robinson is definitely following in the style of Robert Heinlein though, arguably, perhaps not to the same effect. This book does not add a lot to the Callahan legacy but is enjoyable nonetheless. I…

Review of 'Prayers to Broken Stones'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Prayers to Broken Stones' Prayers to Broken Stones by Dan Simmons A short story collection from the author of Hyperion. This collection of stories ranging from fantasy to horror and the occasional science fiction is introduced by Harlan Ellison who describes how he

Review of 'Snow Crash'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Snow Crash' Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson A great cyberpunk tale by one of the greatest of the contemporary SF writers. Snow Crash is the name of a virus that infects humans using the “Metaverse”. It appears as the “snow” on a televsion set and then reprograms the human brain. This novel follows the story of

Review of 'Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-07-26T12:13:34+00:00

Review of 'Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea' Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne In 1866 there are reports of a mysterious sea monster attacking ships throughout the world. The US sends the warship Abraham Lincoln to investigate with Professor Pierre Aronnax, his loyal servant Conseil, and Canadian harpooner Ned Land on board. The professor is convinced the mysterious attacker is a giant beast of some kind that they should be able to track down and kill but when the …

Review of 'The Man with a Thousand Names'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'The Man with a Thousand Names' The Man with a Thousand Names by A.E. Van Vogt One of the most confusing and unsympathetic books I have ever read. The “hero” (being generous with my terms) is a spoiled rich young man by the name of Steven Masters who gets himself on a spaceship to the nearest habitable planet of Mittend only to, very shortly after landing, have his mind transferred to the body of one of many people he

Review of 'The City of Golden Shadow'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'The City of Golden Shadow' The City of Golden Shadow by Tad Williams 1st book in the 'Otherland' series Set in a world where virtual reality is reality for many people Renie's brother Stephen is lying in a coma induced by the net - though many people say it is impossible for the net to influence real-life (RL) it seems to have definitely effected Stephen. Renie with the help of a bushman student of hers, !Xabbu go in search of her brother encountering along the way Mister J's: a …

Review of 'River of Blue Fire'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'River of Blue Fire' River of Blue Fire by Tad Williams 2nd book in the 'Otherland' series Continuing from where the first book leaves off (even the author admits that the whole Otherland series is basically just one long book) River of Blue Fire follows Renie and !Xabbu as they are separated from the other of their group that are trapped in Otherland. The separate groups journey throughout Otherland moving from place to place following the

Review of 'Mountain of Black Glass'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Mountain of Black Glass' Mountain of Black Glass by Tad Williams 3rd book in the 'Otherland' series This volume continues following the adventures of Renie, Orlando, Paul Jonas and others as they make their way through Otherland. Renie and !Xabbu seem to finally realise they are meant for each other while Christabels adventures seem to only be just beginning as her father meets the mysterious man living on the army base. As we are guided through various parts of the Otherland co…

Review of 'Sea of Silver Light'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Sea of Silver Light' Sea of Silver Light by Tad Williams 4th book in the 'Otherland' series This final chapter in the Otherland saga is full of suprises and resolves many of the mysteries of the previous novels. Renie and !Xabbu are separated and reunited while Olga follows the voices in her head as she infiltrates the offices of the

Review of 'Lincolns Dreams'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2026-01-01T17:09:37+00:00

Review of 'Lincolns Dreams' Lincolns Dreams by Connie Willis The first novel by Willis, this tells the story of Jeff Johnson, a young historical researcher for a civil war novelist who comes across Annie who seems to be having the dreams of Robert E. Lee (who Jeff, of course, knows a lot about). The story takes a turn when Jeff takes Annie away from her therapist to explore the dreams in more detail, but is this the best for Annie? An interesting story of the super-natural with memorable …

Review of 'To Say Nothing of the Dog'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2026-01-01T17:09:37+00:00

Review of 'To Say Nothing of the Dog' To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis One of my favourite authors Connie continues to humour and amaze with this her sequel to her much lauded Doomsday Book. This book continues on with the time-travelling adventure, in search of the Bishop's Bird Stump and strolls through Victorian england (check out the reference to the book of the same (subtitled) name by Jerome K. Jerome). A thoroughly enjoyable book I read it from cover to cover with anticip…

Review of 'Passage'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2026-01-01T17:09:37+00:00

Review of 'Passage' Passage by Connie Willis Quite a radical departure for Willis, this book tells the story of a “Near Death Experiences” (NDE) researcher, Dr. Joanna Lander who teams up with Dr. Richard Wright who has found a way to simulate NDEs using drugs. The story follows Lander as she is drawn into her own NDE experience on the Titanic and leads to a suprising conclusion. The characters in the book are believable along with the day-to-day inconvieniences that make up working in a …

Review of 'Darwinia'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Darwinia' Darwinia by Robert Charles Wilson A truly wonderful book about a strange event that occurs in 1912 when Europe and Britain are wiped from the face of the map and replaced by a wild, untamed land that seems to be an alternatively evolved version of the area. The book follows Guilford Law as he embarks on an expedition into the unknown areas of Europe and leads to an interesting conclusion. There is a lot of interesting stuff in this book: ideas, action, and good charac…

Review of 'Bios'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Bios' Bios by Robert Charles Wilson A fantastic, light read that is set in the future where space travel is incredibly expensive forcing mankind to look to nearby planets for colonization, in this case Isis. Isis is a planet full of life toxic to humans so humans have shrouded themselves in various electronic gadgetry but Zoe Fisher is different

Review of 'The Secret People'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'The Secret People' The Secret People by John Wyndham A good page-turner of a (short) novel following the story of Mark who crashes his plane into the large man-made sea flooding the Sahara (to attempt to, obviously, change the area for the better as far as man is concerned). Along with his girlfriend Margaret they accidentily stumble onto an underground world populated by pygmies who keep a number of humans prisoner. With the caves collapsing and being filled by the man-made se…

Review of 'The Web: 2027'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'The Web: 2027' The Web: 2027 by Stephen Baxter Well, despite the list of authors including Stephen Baxter and Peter F. Hamilton, this anthology did not appeal to me at all. Instead of going into perhaps any of the socio-economic or practical uses of the Web in 2027 this series of stories (one by each other) focused on perhape the more fantastic use of virtual reality gaming. I found Baxter not really up to scratch with his frivolous and silly

Review of 'Salt'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Salt' Salt by Adam Roberts An interesting novel of the voyage to and eventual colonization of the planet of the book's namesake: Salt. Along the way we are introduced to two completely desparate cultures one of which believes in complete freedom of the individual (the Alsists) while the other is completely different with life governed quite strictly (the Senaar). The book concentrates on the conflict that inevitably arises between the two cultures and the castrophic consequence…

Review of 'Perdido Street Station'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Perdido Street Station' Perdido Street Station by China Miéville This is a wonderfully crafted work on the border between Science Fiction and Fantasy (though, undoubtably, more fantasy than SciFi). A number of flying demons are loosed onto the city of New Crobuzon and it is up to a 'clutch of renegades and outcasts' to rid the city of this pestilance. Mieville brings the city and people to life with his almost poetic prose. The lives the characters life are vivid and very real…

Review of 'Digital Fortress'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:48+00:00

Review of 'Digital Fortress' Digital Fortress by Dan Brown Susan Fletcher is a brilliant young cryptographer working with the NSA to protect the secrets of the US government and to crack the secrets of others. Called into work unexpectedly on a Saturday what she finds out could undermine the work of the agency forever never mind the personal threat to both herself and her fiance who is sent by the director to Spain to track down a key clue to the whole puzzle of Digital Fortress: an uncrac…

Review of 'Man Plus'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:48+00:00

Review of 'Man Plus' Man Plus by Frederik Pohl After the first subject of mankinds Man Plus experiment dies it is up to Roger Torraway, with his many personal problems, next in line. He undergoes a series of operations to transform into a cyborg capable of surviving essentially unaided on the surface of Mars. His skin, eyes, arms, legs, etc are all replaced with synthetic improvements on the original all of which are geared to helping him survive the hostile surface of Mars. An interesting …

Review of 'The Seeds of Time'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:48+00:00

Review of 'The Seeds of Time' The Seeds of Time by John Wyndham A series of short stories from one of the masters of classical Science Fiction: John Wyndham, author of such stories as The Day of the Triffids and The Kraken Wakes. The stories in this collection all tend to follow the theme of a dystopian Science Fiction environment such as Pawleys Peepholes which follows the story of time tourists visiting a city to see their ancestors

Review of 'Dune: The Butlerian Jihad'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:48+00:00

Review of 'Dune: The Butlerian Jihad' Dune: The Butlerian Jihad by Kevin J. Anderson, and Brian Herbert 1st book in the 'Legends of Dune' series At long last the tale of the famed Butlerian Jihad is brought into print. Ten thousand years before the birth of Paul Atreides in the story of Dune the universe is dominated by the intelligent machines personified in the evermind Omnius. A few surviving Titans

Review of 'Dune: The Machine Crusade'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:48+00:00

Review of 'Dune: The Machine Crusade' Dune: The Machine Crusade by Kevin J. Anderson, and Brian Herbert 2nd book in the 'Legends of Dune' series Things are really starting to heat up with the Serena Butler's Jihad. Thirty years have past since her child was killed by the thinking machine Erasmus beginning the Jihad and many battles have been won and lost since. A ship that can fold space may be just what is needed to tilt the balance. The stories of the characters introduced in the first …

Review of 'Feersum Endjinn'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:48+00:00

Review of 'Feersum Endjinn' Feersum Endjinn by Iain M. Banks I would be lying if I told you that I followed everything that is going on in this book. The story is of such a complex nature with concepts completing awe-inspiring (humans inhabiting settlements consisting of mile-high stories with strange messages beamed from a tower reaching to the very threshold of outer space). I could follow the basic premise, that these massive structures have various political factions that are essentia…

Review of 'Moonfall'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:48+00:00

Review of 'Moonfall' Moonfall by Jack McDevitt Another “end of the world” novel. Told in short, brief (concise?), chapters the story revolves around the idea that an inter-stellar object hits and destroys the moon which has recently had it's moonbase opened by the vice-president (who goes on to play a crucial part in the plot). Two of the key questions throughout is: how extensive will the damage be to earth and will mankind head continue their exploration of space? This question is tang…

Review of 'Ilium'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:48+00:00

Review of 'Ilium' Ilium by Dan Simmons Not having read the Iliad I was prepared to be a bit in the dark when reading Ilium but I was pleasantly suprised. I found the story very interesting and easy to follow in true Dan Simmons style. In Troy (Ilium) the story of the Iliad is being played out observed by Hockenberry, a

Review of 'The Forge of God'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:48+00:00

Review of 'The Forge of God' The Forge of God by Greg Bear In Death Valley a mysterious mound is discovered with a dying alien found outside. After discussions it appears as though Earth is doomed to be consumed by a race of planet-eating aliens (or their machines). At the same time another spacecraft is found in Australia containing robots professing peace for mankind. Obviously, something is going on. The US is crippled with an ineffective president who effectively gives up and announ…

Review of 'The Shores of Death'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:48+00:00

Review of 'The Shores of Death' The Shores of Death by Michael Moorcock Another rather interesting trip through the rather interesting eyes of Moorcock with the earth no longer rotating and inhabited by humans atrophying in their technology yet effectively sterilized by radiation. Their lives have been extended to hundreds of years yet, unable to procreate, Clovis Marca is seeking some sort of imortality for the human race while the other humans seem intent on self-destruction as they form…

Review of 'The Black Corridor'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:48+00:00

Review of 'The Black Corridor' The Black Corridor by Michael Moorcock Ryan is the sole crew of a spaceship on it's way to planet Munich 15040 with his friend's and family in suspended animation in the hold. They are fleeing an earth that has gone mad with zenophobia but have they fled it completely? Ryan is three years into the trip with another two years to go, is he still sane? A good question. Yet another interesting (twisted?) adventure by one of the grand master's of Science Fictio…

Review of 'Prey'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:48+00:00

Review of 'Prey' Prey by Michael Crichton Another suspense and technology filled page-turner from Crichton with the focus this time on the use of nanotechnology. Jack is an out-of-work computer programmer now working at being a father for his children. Julia, his wife, works in a high-technology research facility working on nano-technology. The use of Jack's computer software (modified for their own purposes) has led to a series of events that could have far-reaching consequences for lif…

Review of 'Eyes of the Calculor'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:48+00:00

Review of 'Eyes of the Calculor' Eyes of the Calculor by Sean McMullen 3rd book in the 'Greatwinter Trilogy' series The final novel in the Greatwinter Trilogy sees the computer built by the librarians destroyed by a mysterious pulse from Mirrorsun. The human-powered calculor must be rebuilt. Elsewhere, the Americas have decided they need horses from Australica and so develop the long-range of their flying machines. In the meantime a monk from the Balesha Monestary (teaching the art of war…

Review of 'Incompetence'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:48+00:00

Review of 'Incompetence' Incompetence by Rob Grant One of the famous writers from the BBC “Red Dwarf” Science Fiction comedy show brings us a strange tale. In a future where you cannot be descriminated against by the mere fact of your incompetence Harry Salt is trying to figure out who is

Review of 'Broken Angels'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:48+00:00

Review of 'Broken Angels' Broken Angels by Richard Morgan Takeshi Kovacs is back in this second novel by Richard Morgan after his critically acclaimed Altered Carbon. This time Kovacs is in the middle of things on a planet at war with itself. After meeting Jan Schneider at a hospital telling him of an impossibility: a gateway on the planet leading to a lost alien spaceship Kovacs is convinced to join in the effort to retrieve the spaceship. Schneider and Kovacs find a archaeologue, Tany…

Review of 'One More for the Road'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:48+00:00

Review of 'One More for the Road' One More for the Road by Ray Bradbury I really wanted to like this one, honestly. Bradbury is one of my favourite authors but this is definitely not anywhere near “The Illustrated Man” or any of his other collections of short stories. There are sparks of brilliance in stories such as Quid Pro Quo and Tangerine but I could just not get into the others. This is Bradbury's latest collection of short stories containing 18 new stories and 7 stories never coll…

Review of 'The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:48+00:00

Review of 'The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul' The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul by Douglas Adams Dirk Gently is back. This time he is challenged to figure out what an unusual suicide (!) and unexplained spontaneous fireball that appears at check-in in Heathrow airport. He is up to the task and in the process wages war with his house-cleaner over a fridge unopened since the Jurassic and learns a lot about Nordic gods

Review of 'The Reality Dysfunction'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:48+00:00

Review of 'The Reality Dysfunction' The Reality Dysfunction by Peter F. Hamilton 1st book in the 'Night's Dawn Trilogy' series The staggering first novel in the Night's Dawn Trilogy sees the release of an untold terror on the universe. Lalonde is a small planet in the process of being colonised by the Confenderation. It is here that the horror is released. A 'virus' is released causing people to become 'possessed'. The seemingly limitless violence performed by the possessed is certainly …

Review of 'Singularity Sky'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:48+00:00

Review of 'Singularity Sky' Singularity Sky by Charles Stross On a backward planet telephones fall from the sky “entertain us!” they say “We give you anything”. The Festival has arrived. The government panics as it's populace very quickly learns the benefits of the modern economy

Review of 'Dune: The Battle of Corrin'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:48+00:00

Review of 'Dune: The Battle of Corrin' Dune: The Battle of Corrin by Kevin J. Anderson, and Brian Herbert 3rd book in the 'Legends of Dune' series The conclusion to the Legends of Dune trilogy sees the machines beaten back to a single planet: Corrin. The machines, though confined to the planet show more and more ingenious ways of attacking from behind their wall. Vorian Atreides is frustrated by the lack of any support for an all-out attack on the planet but will circumstances conspire to …

Review of 'The Algebraist'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:48+00:00

Review of 'The Algebraist' The Algebraist by Iain M. Banks A 'Culture' book Short-listed for the Science Fiction Hugo award in 2005 Banks proves that there is more to this author than the popular Culture series in this fantastic novel. Fassin Taak is a Slow Seer at the Court of the Nasqueron Dwellers a strange race of beings that live in the atmosphere of gas giant planets. His talent is being able to communicate with these beings and blend into their strange environment. A threat to hi…

Review of 'Hunters of Dune'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:48+00:00

Review of 'Hunters of Dune' Hunters of Dune by Kevin J. Anderson, and Brian Herbert 7th book in the 'Dune' series Finally Frank Herbert's son (Brian Herbert) and a leading Science Fiction author (Kevin J. Anderson) team up to continue the Dune series picking up from where Frank Herberts final Dune novel

Review of 'The Road to Dune'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:48+00:00

Review of 'The Road to Dune' The Road to Dune by Kevin J. Anderson, Brian Herbert, and Frank Herbert An interesting book but really for the Dune purest as it is not really a “novel” in the strictest sence of the word but rather a collection of some short stories and collectors letters of Frank Herbert as background material to the Dune universe.

Review of 'Iron Council'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:48+00:00

Review of 'Iron Council' Iron Council by China Miéville Continuing the story begun with Perdido Street Station, Iron Council is another story of the fantastic New Crobuzon and, in this case, the lands beyond. Things are not going all that well for the citizens of New Crobuzon with a distant war being lost and an unresponsive parliament insurrection is imminent. This is a story of two parts: Of a man seeking to change things who joins up with the subversive elements of the city led by the …

Review of 'Forty Signs of Rain'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:48+00:00

Review of 'Forty Signs of Rain' Forty Signs of Rain by Kim Stanley Robinson 1st book in the 'Science in the Capital' series Things are going badly for the earth with the catastrophic consequences of global warming causing big problems. In this novel, however, these events only unfold in the final 50 pages, in the other 300 pages the politics of Washington, DC and, specifically, the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Review of 'The Stainless Steel Rat Goes to Hell'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'The Stainless Steel Rat Goes to Hell' The Stainless Steel Rat Goes to Hell by Harry Harrison Yet another installment in the Stainless Steel Rat series that Harrison began in the 1960s. In this latest installment we see our hero, Jim DiGriz (the Stainless Steel Rat) finds his wife kidnapped by a sinister leader of the Temple of Eternal Truth cult, Professor Justin Slakey. He chases Slakey through a series of alternate realities (heaven and hell) along with the help of his two so…

Review of 'Market Forces'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Market Forces' Market Forces by Richard Morgan Set in a not-so-distant future large corporations take an active role in foreign conflict with associates engaging in “legal” road-rage “challenges” in order to progress their careers. These massive companies and their employees have a large amount of control in the society with the ability to break any law and get away with it. They live above the rest of society in all senses. The novel starts with Chris Faulkner having just joi…

Review of 'The Sirens of Titan'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'The Sirens of Titan' The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut A very odd book and certainly of the generation in which it was written. Winston Niles Rumford is a hero who just so happens to stray into a “chrono-synclastic infundibulum” (an area where different perspectives on the universe are all true, evidently) while on a trip in a spaceship with his dog. This causes him to reappear once every 59 days at his home in England during which time he establishes a religion and can se…

Review of 'Gateway'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Gateway' Gateway by Frederik Pohl Robinette Broadhead has some problems finding his place in life until he comes upon some money and tries his luck further by shipping out to Gateway. Gateway: An artifact of the mysterious, missing Heechee housing a number of space ships that cannot be directed but find some of the lucky few crew great wealth in royalties from discoveries of ancient technology. Broadhead's social life is a bit of a disaster as he tries to find a life for himsel…

Review of 'Kiln People'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Kiln People' Kiln People by David Brin In a future time people live their lives with cheap “dittos” -- quickly produced clones. The cheapest dittos are used by people to perform simple repetitive jobs while clones such as the expensive platinum models are used for more intellectual pursuits. Owners choose to retain their dittos memories at the end of their one-day lifespans.

Review of 'Iron Sunrise'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Iron Sunrise' Iron Sunrise by Charles Stross Another triumph from Charles Stross following on after his success of Singularity Sky. A planet (New Moscow) has been destroyed. A single survivor (Wednesday Shadowmist) has information that may lead to understanding why this has happened. There are people that want the secret to remain hidden but there are others who are sent to protect her. Things get more interesting when it is determined that the defence system of the planet has…

Review of 'Sandworms of Dune'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Sandworms of Dune' Sandworms of Dune by Kevin J. Anderson, and Brian Herbert The conclusion to the epic Dune series begun by Frank Herbert in 1965 and here picked up by his son, Brian, and assisted by the well-known SF author Kevin J. Anderson. Sandworms of Dune follows directly on from Hunters of Dune (also by Anderson and Herbert) which itself follows on from the last Dune book by Frank Herbert, Chapterhouse: Dune.

Review of 'A War of Gifts (An Ender Story)'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'A War of Gifts (An Ender Story)' A War of Gifts (An Ender Story) by Orson Scott Card Set in the world of Ender Wiggins -- The series of very popular novels by Card -- This is a bit of a Christmas-y short story (or novella, I suppose) telling the story of a very repressed, religious youth that is pressed into service in the Battle School. Zeck is universally despised for his determination to live up to what he has been taught. When a number of students at the school start giving…

Review of 'Saturn's Children'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Saturn's Children' Saturn's Children by Charles Stross This is the latest from the SF phenomenon that is Charles Stross and is a bit of a departure from his more straight-forward space opera -- But, fans should note, not a significant one. Freya is a robot (or synthetic human, more accurately) that was created to be a concubine or companion for her human creators. The problem is that the humans are all extinct leaving her without a real purpose. Early in the story Freya has an…

Review of 'Look to Windward'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Look to Windward' Look to Windward by Iain M. Banks A 'Culture' book Another book set in the universe of Culture -- A vast super-advanced race that appears to have disappeared. The action in this novel is set on a Culture orbital (a massive spinning ring where people live on the inner side

Review of 'Black Man'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Black Man' Black Man by Richard Morgan Carl Marsalis has been broken out of jail then recruited to assist COLIN (the Colony Initiative) in tracing down a rogue “13” -- a ruthless genetic mutant created for the military -- who has unexpectedly returned from Mars (surprisingly surviving the brutal trip) and is on a killing spree. Marsalis is perfectly suited to tracing this killer down as he is 13 himself

Review of 'Shadow Puppets'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Shadow Puppets' Shadow Puppets by Orson Scott Card 3rd book in the 'Ender's Shadow' series Another chapter in the on-going Ender saga sees various members of Ender's Dragon Army finding their way on earth -- And causing chaos in it's politics. Peter Wiggin, Ender's brother, is pursuing the creation of a Hegemony - A peaceful collective of countries.

Review of 'Shadow of the Giant'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Shadow of the Giant' Shadow of the Giant by Orson Scott Card 4th book in the 'Ender's Shadow' series Another chapter in the Ender saga sees the political situation on Earth getting more complicated as war commences on many fronts. Bean (Julian Delphiki, Ender's right hand man) and Petra are searching for their children implanted in surrogate mothers (against their will) around the planet.

Review of 'The Sky People'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'The Sky People' The Sky People by S.M. Stirling How can a book so full of characters who are so obviously demanding our willingness for them to survive do exactly the opposite? I am not sure how I could care less for any of them...But, to be fair, to the plot:

Review of 'Paul of Dune'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Paul of Dune' Paul of Dune by Kevin J. Anderson, and Brian Herbert This is the latest instalment in the Dune saga by Herbert and Anderson as they fill in some of the gaps in the original series by Herbert's father, Frank Herbert. Paul of Dune is set between the first novel, Dune, and it's original sequel Dune Messiah.

Review of 'The Hollow Man'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'The Hollow Man' The Hollow Man by Dan Simmons Jeremy Bremen has just lost his wife. He was unusually close to his wife in that they shared the same incredible talent -- The ability to read minds. This talent comes with a curse in that they are continually bombarded with the thoughts of everyone around them so they develop methods for dealing with that. The loss of his wife has driven Bremen over the edge and due to an unfortunate circumstance he flees west across the US and in…

Review of 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?' Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick This classic story from Philip K. Dick serves as a basis for the film Blade Runner but it is not much more than setting and basic characters that are used in the movie.

Review of 'Cosmonaut Keep'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Cosmonaut Keep' Cosmonaut Keep by Ken MacLeod 1st book in the 'Engines of Light' series A small space opera told from two perspectives: We have Matt Cairns a high-tech project manager in late 21st century Scotland with a bit of a thing for Jadey, an American that falls into problems with the socialist government. Matt stumbles across a plan for an advanced spacecraft that appears to have been designed by aliens. A trip to Area 51 and, perhaps, space is in the cards

Review of 'The Player of Games'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'The Player of Games' The Player of Games by Iain M. Banks A 'Culture' book Jernau Morat Gurgeh is one of the Culture's foremost player of games -- any type of game -- who is persuaded by Contact (an organisation that deals with cultural exchanges with other civilisations) to visit the Empire of Azad to play the game of the same name (Azad) in which betting of body parts is common and which winning defines which position you occupy in society (with the final game being against the …

Review of 'Time'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Time' Time by Stephen Baxter 1st book in the 'Manifold' series Reid Malenfant is an entrepreneur is dreaming of the stars - Partly in his belief in the Carter Prophecy (that earth will be destroyed in 200 years) and partly for the money. He believes that man's future lies off world and he is willing to put his reputation, and company, on the line to show it. Thrown into this is Reid's inability to let go of his former wife Emma who is left to clean up the messes he leaves behind…

Review of 'Woken Furies'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Woken Furies' Woken Furies by Richard Morgan Once again we find ourselves in the presence of the Envoy-for-hire Takeshi Kovacs in this his third novel outing by Richard Morgan. This time Kovacs is sleeved into Harlan's World where rebellion is brewing against the ruling elite. Kovacs is drawn into the rebellion when a woman he knows appears to have had her mind taken over by the mind of the original Quellist

Review of 'Time's Eye'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Time's Eye' Time's Eye by Stephen Baxter, and Arthur C. Clarke 1st book in the 'A Time Odyssey' series At the beginning of this novel we find that a fantastic event has occurred that leads to slices of the planet from different time periods merged into a rather disjointed whole leaving peoples from these eras to intermingle and try to make sense of it all. The crew from a helicopter from the 21st century crash land in 1885 in the NW frontier near to the British Army along with a …

Review of 'Old Twentieth'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Old Twentieth' Old Twentieth by Joe Haldeman In the 21st century a process is discovered that effectively makes people immortal - Those that can afford it. For the rest a bitter world war ends with the release of a virus that kills all those that are not immortal leaving a fraction of the population left alive. Faced with, bar any unforseen accidents, infinite years ahead of them a decision is made to send a space ship to a distant star system for potential colonisation. It is…

Review of 'And Another Thing...'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'And Another Thing...' And Another Thing... by Eoin Colfer 6th book in the 'Hitchhickers Guide to the Galaxy' series Well, Douglas Adams has passed on but his story still continues in the hands of Eoin Colfer, better known for his Artemis Fowl books for children. So, what is this new, approved, installment in the quintessentially British humour-filled Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series like? Well, it is not that bad though perhaps Colfer is trying a bit too hard.

Review of 'The Winds of Dune'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'The Winds of Dune' The Winds of Dune by Kevin J. Anderson, and Brian Herbert This is the direct sequel to Dune Messiah where Muad'Dib has left for the deep desert and presumed dead. Alia takes over as Regent of the Jihad Paul started. A long time friend of the Atreides, Bronso of Ix, is spreading anti-Maud'Dib criticism across the galaxy much to the ire of Alia. The story focuses largely on Paul's mother, Jessica, as we learn the origin of the relationship between Paul and Bro…

Review of 'chindi'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'chindi' chindi by Jack McDevitt Priscilla Hutchins (Hutch) is a spaceship captain who is roped in, somewhat reluctantly, to take some members of the often ridiculed “Contact Society” to trace where an alien signal is coming from. Alien societies have not really been found so far so the opportunity to find evidence of them is compelling to the group of fanatics. With the ability to travel long distances with relative ease they follow a chain of satellites that lead

Review of 'Embassytown'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Embassytown' Embassytown by China Miéville Avice is an immerser, one who travels between worlds who returns home to “Embassytown” where humans live side by side with the “Hosts” which are an odd race that speak not only with a dual-mouth language but also emotion

Review of 'Dante's Equation'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Dante's Equation' Dante's Equation by Jane Jensen This book has been sitting on my shelf for ages after picking it up from a remainder's shop in London. It is an impressive tome - A big hardcover of 600+ pages. Such books tend to take a while for me to get to, particularly with an author of whom I am not familiar.

Review of 'Looking for Jake'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Looking for Jake' Looking for Jake by China Miéville A series of short stories (largely based in London, it seems) that shows a bit of what Miéville is all about. Highlights for me were: “Jack” which picks up the story of “Jack Half-a-Prayer

Review of 'Destroyer of Worlds'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Destroyer of Worlds' Destroyer of Worlds by Edward M. Lerner, and Larry Niven 3rd book in the 'Fleet of Worlds' series The Fleet of World series is billed as prequel to the Ringworld series where we find a giant “Ringworld” discovered by humans but built by the mysterious Pak we see in this series. So the suggestion is that you don't have to have read the previous

Review of 'I am Number Four'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'I am Number Four' I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore “John Smith” is only the latest in a string of identities held by an escapee from a distant planet, Lorien who is hiding out on planet Earth. He is a “garde” who is just coming into his

Review of 'Sisterhood of Dune: The Origin of the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Sisterhood of Dune: The Origin of the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood' Sisterhood of Dune: The Origin of the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood by Kevin J. Anderson, and Brian Herbert 1st book in the 'The Schools of Dune' series Continuing their history of the Dune universe this novel sees the story of the origin of the Bene Gesserit being told though there are a lot of other things going on as well. No, this is not a story for those that are not familiar with the Dune story. Even better, only t…

Review of 'Blackout'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2026-01-01T17:09:37+00:00

Review of 'Blackout' Blackout by Connie Willis Another time travelling novel by Willis. Unfortunately, this is not Doomsday Book. The novel begins with Oxford 2060 being quite chaotic as three historians are sent back to explore three separate aspects of the second world war in England. Merope Ward is sent to rural England to take care of children evacuated from London because of the Blitz. Polly Churchill is sent to London to work as a shop assistant on Oxford street during the bombing…

Review of 'The Drowned World'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'The Drowned World' The Drowned World by J. G. Ballard It is the future and a series of solar flares have caused the protective barrier of the atmosphere to be largely removed causing the temperature of the planet to steadily climb. The world is flooded and turned into a tropical environment complete with enormous plants and animals - The planet reverting, as it were, to the world of the Triassic age. Humans have been forced to retreat from their submerged homes to the poles to …

Review of 'Earth'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Earth' Earth by David Brin Set in the near future a tiny manufactured wormhole accidentally released into the core of the planet and the team of scientists searching for it find yet another, much larger, wormhole that is large enough to bring certain doom to the planet within a year. It is up to these scientists to try to avert the disaster.

Review of 'The Neutronium Alchemist'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'The Neutronium Alchemist' The Neutronium Alchemist by Peter F. Hamilton 2nd book in the 'Night's Dawn Trilogy' series It really kicks off here in the 2nd part of the Night's Dawn Trilogy, picking up from where The Reality Dysfunction left off. The confederation is quickly succumbing to the plague of the possessed (those whose bodies are taken over by souls that have died) with the populations of planet after planet converted then the planet itself removed from the universe. Into…

Review of 'Blood Music'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Blood Music' Blood Music by Greg Bear Virgil Ulam is a genetic researcher who is not exactly a “by the book” type of guy. When he is fired from his job, rather than let his experimental “intelligent cellular matter” - “noocytes”

Review of 'The Naked God'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'The Naked God' The Naked God by Peter F. Hamilton 3rd book in the 'Night's Dawn Trilogy' series The final volume in the epic Night's Dawn series. Joshua Calvert is sent on a mission across the galaxy in search of the “sleeping god” where he first visits the off-limits Tyrathca home-world then continues on to a ring habitat occupied by the Mosdva (a race related to the Tyrathca). Quinn Dexter continues his murderous campaign of destruction on earth as the population inevitably su…

Review of 'Fallen Dragon'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Fallen Dragon' Fallen Dragon by Peter F. Hamilton It is the 24th century and humanity is visiting distant planets not for exploration but exploitation: Colonisation ships are sent with first settlers then the same companies that originally provided passage then return to demand their share of what is being produced as

Review of 'Hellburner'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-01-26T17:16:38+00:00

Review of 'Hellburner' Hellburner by C.J. Cherryh Ben Polland is quite annoyed. He had a clear path to a career at United Defense Command (UDC) security but he had been called up by Fleet Ops to visit the Sol Two battle station to see if he can figure out why his

Review of 'Stand on Zanzibar'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Stand on Zanzibar' Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner A “classic” of the SF-genre. Set in the 21st century in a time when it was a long way away Stand on Zanzibar (a reference to the idea that the population of the planet could fit on the island of Zanzibar) shows a world of intelligent computers, wide-spread prostitution (

Review of 'Cities in Flight'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Cities in Flight' Cities in Flight by James Blish This is a compilation of the classic James Blish “Cities in Flight” series consisting of “They Shall Have Stars”, “A Life for the Stars”, “Earthman, Come Home” and “The Triumph of Time

Review of 'Matter'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Matter' Matter by Iain M. Banks A 'Culture' book Ferbin otz Aelsh-Hausk is the eldest son of King Hausk on the eighth level of the Shellworld Sursamen. A “Shellworld” is an artificial planet built long, long ago consisting of a series of concentric levels leading out from the core where it is said the

Review of 'Air'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Air' Air by Geoff Ryman Mae is the fashion expert living in the small community of Kizuldah in the country of Karzistan in the near future. A test of “Air” - A mechanism that allows you to communicate over the world computer network using your brain alone - results in disaster for the town. The test over, Mae realizes that she needs to prepare both herself and the town for when the system actually goes

Review of 'All Clear'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2026-01-01T17:09:37+00:00

Review of 'All Clear' All Clear by Connie Willis Continuing from where “Blackout” left off, “All Clear” finds the future historians still trapped in the second World War trying to get home. In 1941 Polly continues to work at the department store on Oxford Street in London joined now by Mike and Merope. All of their drops are not working so when Mr Dunworthy makes a surprise appearance their hopes are raised though the terror of the Hodbin children seems destined to interfere at every turn…

Review of 'Winter Song'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Winter Song' Winter Song by Colin Harvey Karl Allman is an engineered human who crash lands his spaceship on Isheimur - A remote, desolate planet with a dwindling population of humans that are only barely surviving against the harsh climate and hostile native life. A small group nurses him back to health but he quickly creates an enemy of the leader and strikes out with the help of Bera, a young woman whose loss of her first child in childbirth has left her as an outsider in her…

Review of 'The Atrocity Archives'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'The Atrocity Archives' The Atrocity Archives by Charles Stross 1st book in the 'The Laundry Files' series Bob Howard works for the super-secret government agency known as “The Laundry” who investigate supernatural events. The levels of bureaucracy are just as challenging as the assignments

Review of 'Accelerando'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Accelerando' Accelerando by Charles Stross Set just a bit in the future, Accelerando tells the story of humanity's step into the “Singularity” - Where computers allow them to transcend their corporal bodies into a digital universe. The story starts out with Manfred who is intimately in tune with the future that is to come as he deftly consumes the data that regularly comes his way to develop inventions (virtual and otherwise) then create companies to capitalize on the proceeds. …

Review of 'The Hive Construct'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'The Hive Construct' The Hive Construct by Alexander Maskill In a future of scarce resources a crater in the Sahara is a vast metropolis, New Cairo, dominated and operated by a small number of large corporations. Into this an exile, Zala Ulora, returns in a bid to clear her name by curing the population of a computer virus infecting augmented human body parts. A resistance has formed in the lower classes, more frequent users of augmentation (as they are provided free with their …

Review of 'The Dancers at the End of Time'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'The Dancers at the End of Time' The Dancers at the End of Time by Michael Moorcock At the end of time humankind has reached it's apex living in a world where their every wish is granted. They spend their days building extravagant displays, throwing parties and travelling back in time. After all, what else is there to do when there is no need to struggle? Jherek Carnelian decides one day to fall in love (for the unique experience, of course) with a woman who has been captured from…

Review of 'Saturn'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Saturn' Saturn by Ben Bova A 'Grand Tour' book A giant man-made cylinder is on it's way to Saturn populated by 10,000 men and woman. Little known by most, a portion of the population have been hand-picked to further the interests of a group of religious extremists the

Review of 'Down & Out in the Magic Kingdom'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Down & Out in the Magic Kingdom' Down & Out in the Magic Kingdom by Cory Doctorow On a future earth Jules is an ambitious young man working at Disney World on the “Haunted Mansion” ride. Each of the rides and areas in Disney World are operated by different groups of people calling themselves

Review of 'Ender in Exile'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Ender in Exile' Ender in Exile by Orson Scott Card This book is intended as a sequel to “Ender's Game” and takes place roughly at the same time as Speaker for the Dead (and later books). Ender is a war hero having eliminated the formic (bugger) threat to earth but due to the political climate there he cannot return. Colonies have formed on many former formic planets. Ender is forced to take up the role of the governor of a colony many years travel distant. On the way he loc…

Review of 'The Rapture of the Nerds'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'The Rapture of the Nerds' The Rapture of the Nerds by Cory Doctorow, and Charles Stross I should have known when I saw the authors and these particular two in combination that this would be an odd book. It is. I found it difficult to follow and get into though oddly entertaining

Review of 'Flowers for Algernon'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Flowers for Algernon' Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes Charlie Gordon is a floor sweeper at a bakery with an IQ of 68. As the subject of an experiment to increase intelligence, the weeks and months after the surgical procedure Charlie slowly gets smarter and smarter. As the process takes hold he comes to realize a number of painful truths about both his personal past and how he was treated when he was

Review of 'Travels in the Scriptorium'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Travels in the Scriptorium' Travels in the Scriptorium by Paul Auster An old man wakes to find himself in a simply furnished room with a bed and desk. The window is closed and he is not sure whether the door is locked or not. He has no idea how he has arrived there nor does he have any memories of his own - He does not even know his own name so he calls himself

Review of 'Doctor Whom: E.T. shoots and leaves'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Doctor Whom: E.T. shoots and leaves' Doctor Whom: E.T. shoots and leaves by Adam Roberts A parody both of Dr Who and the book “Eats, Shoots and Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation”, “Doctor Whom” is told from the perspective

Review of 'Robert Silverberg (Gateway Omnibus)'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Robert Silverberg (Gateway Omnibus)' Robert Silverberg (Gateway Omnibus) by Robert Silverberg A few years ago I attended the World Science Fiction Convention held in London (2014, Loncon 3) where Gollancz, a big Science Fiction publisher were selling their large soft cover

Review of 'The Cloud Atlas'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-03-08T13:45:25+00:00

Review of 'The Cloud Atlas' The Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell This book spans centuries with five inter-connected stories - both literally and thematically - of the triumph of humanity over adversity and intolerance. We start with “The Pacific Journal of Adam Ewing

Review of 'Ready Player One'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Ready Player One' Ready Player One by Ernest Cline In the year of 2044 disaster has struck the planet with the population converging on the overcrowded cities. Wade Watts lives with his aunt at the top of a “stack” - A tower of trailers and mobile homes held together by metal scaffolding. People escape the desperate realities of the planet by spending most of their time in the

Review of 'The Precipice'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'The Precipice' The Precipice by Ben Bova 1st book in the 'The Asteroid Wars' series Earth is dying. The planet suffers from flooding and earthquakes looking into space for a solution. The moon offers promise for so much but a series of disagreements with Selene, the city based there, has put that out of the question. Martin Humphries is an ambitious businessman who sees an opportunity to take over the assets of his main competitor, Astro Manufacturing headed by Dan Randolph whi…

Review of 'The Rock Rats'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'The Rock Rats' The Rock Rats by Ben Bova 2nd book in the 'The Asteroid Wars' series Set three years after the events of “The Precipice” the commercial exploitation of the asteroid belt is underway with so-called “rock rats” laying claim to the resources the asteroids hold. Martin Humphries, president of Humphries Space Systems, is determined to capitalise on the situation and wrestle control away from the miners operating independently and those working for his arch commercial ri…

Review of 'The Silent War'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'The Silent War' The Silent War by Ben Bova 3rd book in the 'The Asteroid Wars' series Martin Humphries, head of Humphries Space Systems (HSS) with Amanda Cunningham now his bride and mother to a new, sickly, son is now more determined than ever to have dominion over the asteroids as the war heats up. The HSS base on the Vesta asteroid, built at great expense, is able to attack ships owned by rival Astro Corporation with president Pancho Lane. Humphries' efforts are repeatedly th…

Review of 'The Aftermath'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'The Aftermath' The Aftermath by Ben Bova 4th book in the 'The Asteroid Wars' series This book follows on immediately from the climax The Silent War with the focus shifting to a family dramatically effected by the war. Victor Zacharias and his family live aboard their mining ship the Syracuse who are attacked by Dork Harbin shortly after he destroys the asteroid belt space station Chrysalis. The family are separated in the battle with his wife, son and daughter sent off into deep…

Review of '/ (Slant)'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of '/ (Slant)' / (Slant) by Greg Bear In the mid 21st century there are sentient computers with personalities and toilets that diagnose your health every time you use them. Many people have undergone nanotechnology-based therapy to not only cure them of disease but also restore their youth and vitality - The

Review of 'Fifty Degrees Below'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Fifty Degrees Below' Fifty Degrees Below by Kim Stanley Robinson 2nd book in the 'Science in the Capital' series Following on from the events of Forty Signs of Rain Washington DC is recovering from the massive floods that devastated it. Frank Vanderwal is with the National Science Foundation (NSF), now led by Diane Chang, reviewing various organizations that seek to mitigate global disaster to see whether money can best be spent there. Having been unable to find accommodation in…

Review of 'Stars in my Pocket Like Grains of Sand'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Stars in my Pocket Like Grains of Sand' Stars in my Pocket Like Grains of Sand by Samuel R. Delany In the prologue we are introduced to a troubled young man who is forced by society to undergo Radical Anxiety Termination (RAT) treatment that renders him effectively a mindless automaton who is sold and used for physical labour. When his planet is destroyed by an alien race

Review of 'Sixty Days & Counting'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Sixty Days & Counting' Sixty Days & Counting by Kim Stanley Robinson 3rd book in the 'Science in the Capital' series The final book in the “Science in the Capital” series sees Phil Chase now president and pushing forward with policies aimed at addressing the climate change crisis. The climate is beginning to show some positive responses to the radical remedial actions of the previous books but things are still not looking that good for the planet.

Review of 'The Jennifer Morgue'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'The Jennifer Morgue' The Jennifer Morgue by Charles Stross 2nd book in the 'The Laundry Files' series Bob Howard works for the, literally, mysterious “Laundry” a secret British occult intelligence organisation. As with all other government agencies the bureaucracy is horrendous and to top it all off he has been tasked by his boss Angleton to investigate the tycoon Ellis Billington who is looking for the

Review of 'The Fuller Memorandum'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'The Fuller Memorandum' The Fuller Memorandum by Charles Stross 3rd book in the 'The Laundry Files' series Bob is once again in the middle of a whole heap of trouble - and this time it is personal. “The Fuller Memorandum” is the third book in

Review of 'The Apocalypse Codex'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'The Apocalypse Codex' The Apocalypse Codex by Charles Stross 4th book in the 'The Laundry Files' series Another installment and another serious amount of difficulty for Bob Howard, civil servant working for ?The Laundry? an agency whose responsibility it is to protect the United Kingdom from occult threats. He has been tagged for management advancement so is tested by being assigned to investigate the American televangelist Pastor Raymond Schiller of the

Review of 'The Rhesus Chart'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'The Rhesus Chart' The Rhesus Chart by Charles Stross 5th book in the 'The Laundry Files' series Bob Howard works for “The Laundry” - A secret British government agency protecting it's citizens from occult threats. A group of investment bankers from Canary Wharf make a discovery that results in their being transformed into vampires (which, of course, do not exist) so The Laundry has no choice but to recruit them into it's rank. There are forces at work both within and without The…

Review of 'The Star Fraction'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'The Star Fraction' The Star Fraction by Ken MacLeod The first novel from Ken MacLeod sees Moh Kohn, a mercenary with a rather unusual gun, hired to protect Janis Taine, a scientist researching memory drugs as she flees from an attack on her lab. Moh has made a mistake in freeing a lawfully obtained hostage and is now paying the price. Jordan Brown is a talented teenage trader who leaves Beulah City for

Review of 'Revelation Space'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Revelation Space' Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds 1st book in the 'Revelation Space' series In the 26th century scientist Dan Sylveste is investigating why the technologically advanced Amarantin race disappeared from the galaxy. His investigations take him to the planet of Resurgam where militants stage a coup and make him their prisoner. Meanwhile the crew of the lighthugger

Review of 'Privateers'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Privateers' Privateers by Ben Bova Written prior to the dissolution of the Soviet Union, “Privateers” envisions a world where the Soviet Union dominates both world politics but also the exploitation of space with even the (mighty) United States forced to retreat from their prime role in the world affairs. The Soviets operate a mining operation on the moon with other countries maintaining space stations and factories in Earth's orbit. Now living in Venezuela former astronaut Dan…

Review of 'Glasshouse'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Glasshouse' Glasshouse by Charles Stross In the 27th century travel between planets it made possible via teleport gate. This technology also provides users the ability to change their physical form or even alter their personalities and memories. Robin wakes up in a clinic with most of his memories missing though he has a vague recollection of being in the military. He is quickly drafted into participating in a experiment consisting of a habitat where people live in a contempor…

Review of 'Excession'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Excession' Excession by Iain M. Banks A 'Culture' book In the far future a mysterious artefact appears. Ships from the Culture and Affront -- a race of rather aggressive and somewhat persistent scavengers -- Race towards an inevitable showdown to determine who can lay claim to the mysteries it contains. Culture ship

Review of 'Heavy Weather'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Heavy Weather' Heavy Weather by Bruce Sterling It is the near future and the atmosphere is in turmoil after years of abuse. When we first meet Alex Unger he is in a Mexican clinic undergoing illicit treatment for medical conditions that have plagued his life for years. When undergoing a particularly nasty procedure he is rescued by his sister Jane who returns with him to America and the group of fanatics she is hanging out with - The Storm Troupers - A group of techno-freaks o…

Review of 'The Quantum Thief'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'The Quantum Thief' The Quantum Thief by Hannu Rajaniemi 1st book in the 'Jean le Flambeur' series Jean le Flambeur, a thief, is serving time in the Dilemma Prison when he is broken out by Mieli, a warrior, and her spidership Perhonen who offers him a chance to win back his freedom in exchange for first reviving memories of his past he has forgotten by returning to Oubliette, one of the Moving Cities of Mars, then helping Mieli steal something from Mieli's employer, the pellegrini.…

Review of 'Tau Zero'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Tau Zero' Tau Zero by Poul Anderson In the near future the star ship Leonora Chrstine is sent with a small crew to explore and potentially settle a nearby star. Accelerating ever closer to the speed of light, half way into their five year voyage an accident cripples the deceleration engines leaving them hopelessly accelerating ever closer towards the unattainable

Review of 'Maul'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Maul' Maul by Tricia Sullivan The world has been changed by a Y-plague that has wiped the planet of most male humans leaving woman only able to conceive through the use of sperm from plague-resistant clones. Meniscus is one of these clones who is an experimental subject living in the Fun Park who loves nothing more than playing the immersive VR

Review of 'Lord Tyger'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Lord Tyger' Lord Tyger by Philip José Farmer Ras (Lord) Tyger is a young man living in the jungle on top of a plateau having been raised by his parents Mariyam and Yusufu. They are watched over by “Igziyabher” (literally “God”) who lives at the top of a tall black stone pillar in the middle of a lake. Periodically a

Review of 'Mecha Samurai Empire'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Mecha Samurai Empire' Mecha Samurai Empire by Peter Tieryas 2nd book in the 'United States of Japan' series In a North America where the Japanese and Germans won the second world war Makoto (Mac) Fujimoto wants nothing more than to be a mecha pilot for the United States of Japan (USJ) by being accepted by the Berkeley Military Academy (BEMA). After an attack by the terrorist group National Revolutionaries of America (NARA) disrupts his exams and an over-protective military office…

Review of 'Synners'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Synners' Synners by Pat Cadigan This is the first novel I have ever read by Pat Cadigan and it took me two tries over 3-4 months before I was able to complete it. It is not that it is not well written or that it was boring, to the contrary, I found it very interesting but it was the large amount of characters and character detail that I just could not keep in my head never mind the length of 460+ pages so every-time I sat down to read was another attempt at figuring out who was …

Review of 'The Hydrogen Sonata'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'The Hydrogen Sonata' The Hydrogen Sonata by Iain M. Banks A 'Culture' book The Gzilt civilisation is preparing for the Sublime - Where the people ascend to another plane of existence, leaving our universe behind. As the day approaches a question is raised about the fundamental beliefs of their society, in the origins of

Review of 'The Power'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'The Power' The Power by Naomi Alderman In an alternate reality woman have developed the ability to inflict pain or death through their touch which they quickly use to exact their revenge on those that have long caused them pain: Sexual abusers, tyrants and other oppressors.

Review of 'Cosmic Engineers'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2024-12-08T12:12:16+00:00

Review of 'Cosmic Engineers' Cosmic Engineers by Clifford D. Simak On the way to Pluto the crew of the Space Pup, Herb Harper and Gary Nelson (pilot), come across the shell of a spacecraft floating derelict. Boarding the ship they find the crew all dead save for Caroline Martin a scientist held in suspended animation for a thousand years. Learning that a series of undecipherable, urgent messages have been received from the outer edges of the universe Caroline reveals that during her years…

Review of 'Shikasta'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Shikasta' Shikasta by Doris Lessing 1st book in the 'Canopus in Argos: Archives' series Or, more correctly, “Re: Colonised Planet 5; Shikasta; Personal Psychological Historical Documents Relating to Visit by Johor (George Sherban); Emissary (Grade 9); 87th of the Last Period of the Last Days

Review of 'Terminator Salvation: Trial By Fire'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Terminator Salvation: Trial By Fire' Terminator Salvation: Trial By Fire by Timothy Zahn Following on from the events of the Terminator Salvation film resistance fighters Barnes and Blair are sent to recover the body of their fallen friend in the dessert where they discover mysterious data cables leading into the mountains. In these same mountains a man called

Review of 'I, Robot: The Illustrated Screenplay'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'I, Robot: The Illustrated Screenplay' I, Robot: The Illustrated Screenplay by Harlan Ellison, and Isaac Asimov Science Fiction author Isaac Asimov is perhaps best known for his novel “I, Robot” which, in fact, is a series of short stories which were originally published in American pulp magazines

Review of 'Isaac Asimov: The Complete Stories (Volume 2)'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Isaac Asimov: The Complete Stories (Volume 2)' Isaac Asimov: The Complete Stories (Volume 2) by Isaac Asimov 2nd book in the 'The Complete Stories' series In the second, and final, volume of Isaac Asimov's “The Complete Stories” 23 previously published short stories from between 1941 and 1976 are collected including his award winning 1976

Review of 'Children of Time'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:49+00:00

Review of 'Children of Time' Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky A small artificial satellite orbiting a remote planet protects an experiment involving an infection of a nano-virus accelerating the development of the species inhabiting the planet and in doing so, hopefully, make the planet suitable for settlement by mankind. Unfortunately the experiment has gone a bit sideways and instead of infecting an introduced population of monkeys it has instead accelerated the development of a sp…

Review of 'Transformers: Retribution'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Transformers: Retribution' Transformers: Retribution by David J. Williams, and Mark S. Williams 3rd book in the 'History of the War for Cybertron' series This is the final book in the “History of the War for Cybertron” series telling the story of the Transformers before they reach earth in the animated television series and the Michael Bay films.

Review of 'Anathem'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Anathem' Anathem by Neal Stephenson Erasmus (Raz) is a young “avout” living in a “Concent”, a massive complex of ancient buildings housing mathematicians, scientists and philosophers who follow various ceremonies. The Concent is divided into four

Review of 'Wool'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Wool' Wool by Hugh Howey 1st book in the 'Silo' series In a huge 140 story underground bunker, a society attempts to survive with only a video screen showing them the outside. After their sheriff is sent outside to perform a “cleaning” - Sent out through an airlock to clean the lenses that bring the outside to the inhabitants in a suit that fails after only a few minutes leaving an unknown biological agent free reign to quickly kill the cleaner - The mayor is forced to find a new…

Review of 'Vox'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Vox' Vox by Christina Dalcher After the religious right seize power in the United States they enact a series of reforms to return to the idea of a nuclear family with the mother at home cooking and taking care of the children. To this end all females are not only prevented from reading and writing but are limited to speaking 100 words a day with mandatory bracelets that deliver ever increasing shocks if these limits are exceeded. Jean McClellan, once a brilliant scientist, is n…

Review of 'Shift'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Shift' Shift by Hugh Howey 2nd book in the 'Silo' series “Shift” takes us to how the underground silos of the first book (“Wool”) were created, showing the other side of the story. We follow young congressman Donald Keene as he is tasked by senator Thurman with designing an underground silo that would house many thousands. As he works on the plans he is only aware of the true meaning of his work when they are eventually unveiled and the world ends. The initial section

Review of 'Dust'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Dust' Dust by Hugh Howey 3rd book in the 'Silo' series The final novel of the “Silo” series finds Juliette, mayor of silo 18 using an uncovered excavator to dig to silo 17, where Solo and his family...along with a scattered population of other survivors await. The excavation ends in a huge tragedy leaving those left in a fight for their lives and Juliette in a state of deep shock and sorrow. In the control silo 1 Donald Keene, unexpectedly awoken from deep cryo-sleep, is working…

Review of 'The Diamond Age'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'The Diamond Age' The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson In a future Shanghai, a young girl, little Nell, acquires the “Young Lady's Illustrated Primer” -- A piece of high technology that not only teaches her how to read and write but also how protect herself and, most importantly, to think. The primer has been designed by John Percival Hackworth, a non-technology engineer, as a special commission for Lord Finkle-McGraw's daughter though with a surreptitious copy made for his own dau…

Review of 'The Rosetta Man'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'The Rosetta Man' The Rosetta Man by Claire McCague When two aliens arrive on Earth but appear to be unable to communicate professor Harry Hatarei calls on his friend Estlin (“Lyndie”) Hume who has a rather unusual talent: He can communicate, in a way, with animals. The problem is, he doesn't really know how though his house is overrun with squirrels who really seem to like him. Arriving in Wellington, New Zealand, Lyndie quickly finds the spiky, ape-like aliens take a liking to…

Review of 'Ancillary Justice'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Ancillary Justice' Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie 1st book in the 'Imperial Radch' series Thousands of years in the future we meet Breq who we learn is an ancillary: A remote AI formerly attached to the Radch starship “Justice of Toren”. On a remote ice planet she encounters Seivarden who was a lieutenant on the Justice of Toren but is now drugging herself to oblivion. Switching back to 19 years earlier, the Justice of Toren was on duty on the planet of Shis'urna which was bein…

Review of 'Death Wave'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Death Wave' Death Wave by Ben Bova A 'Star Quest Trilogy' book In this sequel to his novel “New Earth”, Jordan Kell returns to Earth having led the first human mission beyond the solar system with his wife New Earth-born Aditi. It is hundreds of years after their departure and Earth is recovering from the disasters caused by greenhouse warming. Caught up in this turmoil the World Council expresses apathy to the coming

Review of 'Moving Mars'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Moving Mars' Moving Mars by Greg Bear A fan of hard(ish) Science Fiction, Greg Bear always does appeal to me but in “Moving Mars” he mixes in more than a bit of political intrigue. Casseia is a student on Mars who stages a rebellion with a number of her classmates when the doors of the university are unexpectedly shut to them. Attracted to Charles, a young Scientist who talks vaguely and incoherently about the grand future he sees for himself, the relationship ends acrimoniousl…

Review of 'Galactic Cluster'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Galactic Cluster' Galactic Cluster by James Blish Though now largely unknown, James Blish wrote a considerable amount of Science Fiction including, notably, adapting various Star Trek episodes which were published in a series of books, and the

Review of 'Launch Something!'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Launch Something!' Launch Something! by Myung-hoon Bae From Amazon: Earth is experiencing a sweltering heatwave caused by a second “sun” a shining object in the sky that either looks like Pac-Man or a pizza missing a slice, depending on who you ask. As this object increases in size and risks making Earth uninhabitable, the Korean government decides it has to do its part and help the US-led Allied Space Force. Launch Something! is a sci-fi novel about a Korean Space Force that con…

Review of 'Provenance'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Provenance' Provenance by Ann Leckie Ingray Augskold is the adopted child of a wealthy family from Hwae. Seeking Netano, her foster-mother's, appointment as head of the family above her more favoured sibling Danach, she travels to Tyr Siilas to have convicted thief Pahlad Budrakim broken out from

Review of 'Tactics of Mistake'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-08-06T14:58:38+00:00

Review of 'Tactics of Mistake' Tactics of Mistake by Gordon R. Dickson Dickson's fourth written work in the Childe Cycle sees a talented Alliance tactician Cletus Grahame travel to Kultis where the Alliance is supporting Bakhalla, an exotic colony, in a war against their neighbour Neuland which is backed by the Coalition. During the trip Cletus deliberately antagonises Coalition senior staff member Dow deCastries and in doing so sparks events to unfold throughout the story. The heart of h…

Review of 'Too Like the Lightning'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2024-01-14T16:18:28+00:00

Review of 'Too Like the Lightning' Too Like the Lightning by Ada Palmer 1st book in the 'Terra Ignota' series In the 25th century borders between countries no longer exist but instead seven factions or “hives” have governed the planet for centuries. Sensayer (sort of a professional spiritual guide for hire) Mycroft Conner is investigating the bizarre theft of the yearly Black Sakura (newspaper)

Review of 'How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2024-06-02T13:36:27+00:00

Review of 'How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe' How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe by Charles Yu It is not often I pick up a book based solely on it's cover but this was the case with the amusingly titled “How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe

Review of 'Born in Space'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2024-10-20T13:31:37+00:00

Review of 'Born in Space' Born in Space by Jeremy Clift 1st book in the 'Unlocking Destiny' series Set in orbit between the earth and the moon, a young Teagan Ward has her eggs harvested under duress by the dubious Dr. César who uses them to create seven

Review of 'Infinite Stars'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2024-11-16T13:09:02+00:00

Review of 'Infinite Stars' Infinite Stars by Bryan Thomas Schmidt I regularly visit Forbidden Planet in London (UK) to pick up books, comics or whatever. I make sure to always visit the “sales” shelves to see what I can find. The past few times I have visited I noticed “

Review of 'City'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2024-12-08T12:12:16+00:00

Review of 'City' City by Clifford D. Simak In a future where humans have moved away from the city they gradually lose their sense of identity allowing sentient dogs to become the dominant lifeform. Over the millennia we follow the legacy of the Webster family and their trusty robot Jenkins as their memory fades into mythos in the rising civilisation of dogs and other animals. Without their human masters and therefore their reason for creation robots find their own way by building spaceshi…

Review of 'Extremophile'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2024-12-08T12:43:14+00:00

Review of 'Extremophile' Extremophile by Ian Green In a future earth whose population has been decimated by biological warfare the planet is split into three general groups: The “Green” are still trying to save the planet, “blue” are trying to profit from the situation, and

Review of 'The Charnur Saga'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-01-26T17:16:38+00:00

Review of 'The Charnur Saga' The Charnur Saga by C.J. Cherryh This omnibus edition consists of three books in the “Chanur” series that introduces us to the “Compact” universe telling the story of “Pyanfar” the captain of the Hani mechant ship

Review of 'The Poppy War'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-03-08T13:14:42+00:00

Review of 'The Poppy War' The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang Fang Runin (“Rin”) is from the poor south of the Nikan Empire who struggles against prejudice to achieve her potential. Against the odds she is accepted as a student into the prestigious military academy in Sinegard where she mixes with the children of society's elite. Excelling in her studies she ends up being the only student studying under the misfit Master Jiang who develops her shamanism talents though she struggles to call upon …

Review of 'Collision: Stories from the Science of CERN'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-03-23T17:12:44+00:00

Review of 'Collision: Stories from the Science of CERN' Collision: Stories from the Science of CERN by Rob Appleby, and Connie Potter This is a collection of stories from various SF authors inspired by the science being performed at The European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), known as the world's largest particle physics laboratory, home of the famous

Review of 'Scorpion'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-08-09T14:19:15+00:00

Review of 'Scorpion' Scorpion by Christian Cantrell Set in the near future, a series of mysterious murders of unrelated people of different ages (including an infant) around the world with only one thing in common - a four digit number on the body. The murder methods are imaginative and macabre, often using technology. CIA analyst Quinn Mitchell is called in to catch the so-called

Review of 'Worlds Apart'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-09-27T16:10:13+00:00

Review of 'Worlds Apart' Worlds Apart by Amabel William-Ellis, and Mably Owen This anthology features some of the big Science Fiction authors of it's day. It contains the following stories: * Doctor (Murray Leinster) - A doctor on the starship “Star Queen” realizes a mysterious plague has somehow escaped quarantine and landed on his ship.

Review of 'The Road to Roswell'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2026-01-01T17:09:37+00:00

Review of 'The Road to Roswell' The Road to Roswell by Connie Willis Travelling to Roswell, New Mexico, home of half of the UFO-freaks in the universe, level-headed Francie is there to attend the wedding of her not-so-level-headed friend Serena when she is unexpectedly kidnapped by a tumble-weed shaped alien that uses it's tentacles to direct Francie to drive out of town in search of

Science Fiction

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2026-01-01T17:09:37+00:00

Science Fiction My genre of choice. I love not only the escaping to far away places but also exploring interesting ideas and even, at times, learning a bit along the way. My current authors of choice include Londoner China Miéville but I am also a fan of the big authors: Isaac Asimov, Greg Benford, Frank Herbert, Greg Bear, Stephen Baxter

List (by Author)

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2026-01-01T17:09:37+00:00

List (by Author)