Cindy Tomamichel's Blog: World Building - Posts Tagged "scifi"

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This is an old classic, and it is starting to show it. While it is hard to fault the premise, for at the time it was a true original, the preferred writing style of an audience has changed a great deal. There is a great deal of action and some great scenes and characters, yet they get buried in between pages of descriptions of molluscs, fish, engine design and electricity generation.

Read it gently, and be patient. It does take you into a new world of the mysterious Captain Nemo, but it also takes you back to the 1870's, when adventure was served up with some detailed science. Most of his books are like this, so you may pick one based on your interest in geology (Journey to the centre of the Earth), engineering (Mysterious Island), or the depths of the sea.

There is no faulting his imagination, for these books have become entertaining movies. A great story will always survive, and without doubt this is a great story.



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Transgressor: The Entire Fortune's Fools First Trilogy by E.M. Swift-Hook

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Transgressor is a trilogy, and forms part of the Fortune’s Fools universe of EM Swift-Hook. Readers of earlier pulp fiction may be reminded of the category ‘swords and planets’ first made popular by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Transgressor is a worthy addition to that literary history, and yet is so much more.
The story opens in a primitive world, and the basis for the first book is laid out – that of a man from an advanced civilisation ending up in a more primitive world. The world is detailed, and each page builds detail and characters that form the basis of the increasingly complex world and its people.
But all is not as it seems. This is a complex and lengthy series, and there is intrigue that spans planets, and people are never quite who they appear to be. Political machinations and personal ambitions vie to create a future universe that is a compelling read.
My only criticism is I found the pace a little slow, however that is more personal preference. For readers that enjoy epic high fantasy or science fiction with a large cast of characters and a complex political setup (Game of Thrones or the Dune series comes to mind), I think the pace is about the same.




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Transgressor: The Entire Fortune's Fools First Trilogy

Futures Past by James White

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A fantastic collection of short stories. All scifi, and all with elements of hard science, so the setting is first rate and believable. However the stories are full of intense emotions, personal sacrifice, heroism, courage, with some fine characters.

A great read, even if scifi is not your favourite genre, as the stories are so character driven that the humans (and sometime aliens) drive the plot. With some clever twists, each story will have you hooked until the last paragraph.



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Futures Past

It's always an exciting part of book writing - the adding of the book to your profile.

So today I'd like to let people know I am a part of the anthology "Tales From Alternate Earths 2: Ten new broadcasts from parallel dimensions

The first volume had two stories nominated in the Sideways Award, with one winner. This is an award for Alternate History. So if the "What If's" of history always sparked your imagination, these short stories are for you.

My story "The Dust In the King's Library" starts with wondering What if King George was sane? His was a tumultuous time, the French Revolution, The American War of Independence, and he was a supporter of science and technology.

"What if there was a way to talk to those now dust?" What indeed!

Check it out, tell your friends and feel free (of course!) to share the news.