The Strange Bird : A Borne Story, by Jeff VanderMeer, is a novella taking place within the Borne universe - a post apocalyptic setting whereThe Strange Bird : A Borne Story, by Jeff VanderMeer, is a novella taking place within the Borne universe - a post apocalyptic setting where bio-engineered creatures, human remnants, and strange beings compete for scarce resources. This story follows a strange bird - as the title suggests - as it follows a compulsion to fly to the coast, remembering strange figments of others pasts, and encountering threats, opportunities, and the feeling of freedom.
A wonderful little story, as the first Borne novel was, VanderMeer continues to write excellent new weird science fiction. The post apocalyptic setting is interesting and original. The bio-engineering is bewildering and strange, and the pace of the story is quick and engaging. VanderMeer has written some fantastic fiction in the past, and continues to write books that are mysterious and odd. I have always been a fan of post apocalyptic fiction, and this certainly fits the bill, while also feeling very refreshing. VanderMeer is one of my favourtie authors on the beat write now, and I look forward to the second book in this series, coming soon! Recommended for fans of new weird, science fiction, or post apocalyptic fiction. ...more
A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World, by C.A. Fletcher, is an interesting modern post-apocalyptic novel staring Griz, an intrepid, headstrongA Boy and His Dog at the End of the World, by C.A. Fletcher, is an interesting modern post-apocalyptic novel staring Griz, an intrepid, headstrong individual looking to get his dog back. This book seems straightforward on paper - and in some ways it is. A young person traverses a post-apocalyptic Scotland to try and recover a dog that was stolen. The book takes us across a land being reclaimed by nature, with rising sea levels, crumbling towns and cities, and a beautiful natural landscape. This hits all the right spots for me in an enjoyable post-apocalyptic book; scavenging, adventure, action, suspense, and a bit of mystery. It is a simple plot and follows a character that is relatable and interesting. Its setting is a bit refreshing for this genre - not a nuclear blown wasteland, but a land being reclaimed by nature and teeming with natural life.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It reminded me somewhat of Cormac McCarthy's The Road , with its simple prose. It is also much more upbeat than most in this genre, with some moments of beauty and joy, as well as the thrill and danger of an adventure. A solid read through and through, and worthy of your time if this genre is something that interests you. ...more
Exit Strategy, by Martha Wells, is the fourth and final (so far!) novella in the Murderbot Diaries. This series has been an excellent read, and ExitExit Strategy, by Martha Wells, is the fourth and final (so far!) novella in the Murderbot Diaries. This series has been an excellent read, and Exit Strategy continues the trend. These are high quality science fiction novellas, with good action, intelligent and interesting science fiction, and compelling stories, that are both grand in scope while being simple and easy to read. They follow Murderbot, a rogue SecUnit who has hacked its own Governor Module and spends its new found freedom shying away from contact and watching adventure shows it has hoarded. However, over the series, Murderbot has developed into an interesting and relatable character. Flawed, suffering from social anxiety, and overly emotional, the character feels real. Its emotional trials are relatable, even as it engages in some fantastic science fiction action in order to protect its friends and clients from harm. This book takes the series to its conclusion, where the battle between Murderbot and rogue corporate entities comes to a head.
Wells has written one of the better science fiction series I have read in the last few years. These books are interesting, fast paced, and completely readable. I have read each of these books in one series, and am slightly sad that the novellas have (so far!) come to an end. Even so, their seems to be a full length Murderbot book in the works -something I am looking forward to eagerly. This is a wonderful and quick series that I could easily recommend to any science fiction fan. It is not overly cerebral (which can sometimes be a good thing) and contains excellent action and a great character. The book is highly engaging, and features excellent world building. The science fiction is tight and well explained without being overly farfetched. Easy recommendation for science fiction readers. ...more
Rogue Protocol, by Martha Wells, is the third installment in the Murderbot Diaries series. And it is just as entertaining as the previous two! We onceRogue Protocol, by Martha Wells, is the third installment in the Murderbot Diaries series. And it is just as entertaining as the previous two! We once again follow Murderbot - self named SecUnit gone rogue, who loves science fiction serials, protecting people around it, and is really just trying to figure itself out. This installment followed Murderbot after it tries to determine what GreyCrys, a fairly nasty mining company, has been up to on one of its terraforming facilities, after the issues in the previous two books. Murderbot secretly accompanies a crew as they reach the facility to do a spot check, but finds out something mysterious is going on.
Wells books continue to be fantastic. Murderbot is a likeable character, with interesting quirks. The worldbuilding feels genuine and real. The action is gritty. The story well planned out and simple. These are very enjoyable science fiction novellas, and I continue to look forward to the next installments (and I hope to high heaven that there are many). A great series for any science fiction fans out there to give a try. ...more
Ball Lightening, by Liu Cixin, is a fascinating and fairly original book from the author of the Three Body Problem (which have yet to read as of thisBall Lightening, by Liu Cixin, is a fascinating and fairly original book from the author of the Three Body Problem (which have yet to read as of this writing). The book follows a physicist who, as a child, saw his parents incinerated one stormy night by a ball lightening event. From then on, he becomes obsessed with the phenomena, and bases his whole life around the study of ball lightening, in an attempt to understand it.
Without spoiling, this book covers a variety of topics, from the mysteries of physics and quantum theory, to weapons research, obsession, and romance. This is an excellent science fiction book, and my first by Liu Cixin. And I have to say, this is a real treat for me. I love science fiction as a genre, and the appeal of this genre for me is the mystery of the unknown. Science fiction is about contemplating what could be, or what might be. It is about that feeling of dread and fascination at a compelling mystery. It is about life, its meaning, and many other concepts, from conventional, up to and including the existence of aliens, or the meaning of the universe. It is ultimately human, and reflects our insecurities, as well as our imagination in terms of what is and could be, and might be in the future. Ball Lightening captures this spirit, and it revolves around the topic of ball lightening, a mysterious phenomena little understood. The author himself comments in an afterword on how unlikely his book is at even remotely being true. Even so, he captures the mysterious well, and is able to write a compelling, thoughtful, and deeply interesting story around this topic. He also examines concepts of romance vs. life, and the competing friction between living a life, and pursuing ones obsession. Weapons research comes into play as well, although I will not elaborate in fear of spoiling. In short, a great read for science fiction fans. This felt original, interesting, and in some ways realistic. It captured very well my favourite aspects of science fiction. I look forward to continuing my dive into the work of Liu Cixin, and would recommend this book to any science fiction fan looking for a good novel. ...more
Artificial Condition, by Martha Wells, is the second book in the Murderbot Diaries. It follows Murderbot, self named rogue SecUnit, who has recentlyArtificial Condition, by Martha Wells, is the second book in the Murderbot Diaries. It follows Murderbot, self named rogue SecUnit, who has recently become a freed and sentient android. Previously a powerful (and bored) security android for a large, monolithic corporation, Muderbot enjoys spending its time watching reruns of science fiction shows, and is awkward, depressive and constantly anxious. It is also trying to find out why it participated in the murder of a previous mining operation, with no public knowledge of the event present, and its own memories mostly wiped. Murderbot takes a job as a security consultant on the planet where it went rogue, and teams up with a transport ship AI in order to find out whats going on, all while keeping its clients safe.
Wells has written another fabulous Science Fiction novella. Murderbot is an interesting character, with traits probably recognizable by those who suffer from depression/anxiety and/or introversion. Wells has written a detailed and interesting character, and the world-building in this series is quite fantastic. I am constantly impressed with how much detail Wells can pack into a 150 page book. The world is believable, detailed and intricate. The characters are nuanced. The action is tight, gritty and focused. The detail put into small actions in the world, such as docking a ship, or into the entertainment feeds Murderbot watches is constantly engaging. This is turning into a fabulous series, and I literally cannot wait to read the next one. ...more
When you read a book in one sitting, you know it's good. All Systems Red, by Martha Wells, is the first book in The Murderbot Diaries - a campy andWhen you read a book in one sitting, you know it's good. All Systems Red, by Martha Wells, is the first book in The Murderbot Diaries - a campy and schlocky sounding series name. I read it for a quick science fiction hit, and came away quite surprised, and excited to continue the series. Wells has packed a slim and short science fiction novella with lots of heart, detail and style. The book follows Murderbot - self titled name of a rogue security android who has hacked it own governing module in order to think freely. It spends most of its time watching entertainment serials while it pretends to continue its role - providing security for surveying teams on alien worlds. The job is mostly boring, and Murderbot enjoys the downtime, as well as its own crippling social anxiety, and hides behind its robotic side to avoid human contact. However, when its current job goes dangerous, and a conspiracy begins to form, Murderbot feels compelled to protect its current human employers.
The book is simple in many ways - the story is straightforward, for example, and most of the characters outside Murderbot are only minimal factors. Even so, so much story, character and heart is packed into Muderbot and its thought process. The setting and world building are also fantastic. This is my favourite part of science fiction. I love an author that can pack in style and substance, and build a world that I can lose myself in. Wells has done a fabulous job, and in hundreds of pages less than most authors. This book is a fun read. It's quick, stylistic, and a good hit of science fiction. An easy recommendation from me, and certainly the best science fiction novel I have read in a while. ...more
Provenance, by Ann Leckie, is a new standalone novel that takes place in the same award winning Universe as Leckie's other three Ancillary novels.Provenance, by Ann Leckie, is a new standalone novel that takes place in the same award winning Universe as Leckie's other three Ancillary novels. Leckie's science fiction continues to be engaging, thought provoking, and wholly interesting, in my opinion. This novel takes place outside of Radch space, some time after the end of events in the original trilogy in this Universe. The novel follows a young woman, Ingray, who is in competition to inherit her house name from her adopted mother. The competition between herself and her sibling is fierce, and so she hatches a hair-brained scheme to have a prisoner from her home world released from political exile, in the hope that this person will lead her to valuable vestiges that will help promote her family name, and her own in her adopted mothers eyes. However, events quickly do not go as planned, and Ingray is drawn into a taught political gamble between competing systems. Her actions open up a can of worms that cause murder, intrigue and political maneuverings far above her station. Ingray must navigate the tricky waters of internal politics, military threats, and alien species to try and right her own mistake, and maybe gain something from it all.
Leckie is a master of writing large scale science fiction in a small way. What I mean by this is that her stories are always concise, controlled and smaller scale - even while large events rage on the outside. This duel perspective is always a treat in my opinion, and helps her stories become both relatable on a human scale, while also maintaining the large and mysterious aspects I enjoy so much with science fiction. This book also fits nicely into the larger Universe she has created. Anyone who has read and enjoyed the Imperial Radch series will certainly feel at home with Provenance. I could continue to rave about this book, suffice to say that it was immensely enjoyable in my own opinion, and reminded me deeply of the Radch books. I can heartily recommend this book to those who have enjoyed Leckie's previous novels, but would urge those unfamiliar to being with the Ancillary books in the Imperial Radch series first. This novel continues in a similar way, but is more enjoyable with knowledge of Leckie's previous work....more
**spoiler alert** Caliban's War, by James S.A. Corey, is the second book in the Expanse series. I have to say, this is quickly turning into one of the**spoiler alert** Caliban's War, by James S.A. Corey, is the second book in the Expanse series. I have to say, this is quickly turning into one of the better Science Fiction series I have ever read. The book follows James Holden and crew after their exploits in the first book. The Eros Protomolecule has colonized Venus and strange things are growing on the planet. Earth and Mars are at each others throats, and are an itchy trigger finger away from all out war over control of Ganymede, the bread basket of the Jovian moons. Another main character, Bobbie, a Martian marine, is stationed on Ganymede, and witnesses an attack by a Protomolecule being that destroys her outpost and kills her squad. The Protomolecule then self-destructs, initiating a shooting war between Mars and Earth. Bobbie joins forces with a powerful UN politician and Holden and crew to track down where the Protomolecule came from, and help another man, Dr. Meng, find his kidnapped daughter - who seems to be connected to a conspiracy involving the Protomolecule, Earth, and a rogue faction of UN politicians.
The authors Corey have written another knockout Science Fiction book in the Expanse series. This series has all the trappings of excellent science fiction, in my opinion. There is grand vistas and interesting colonies to visit throughout the solar system. The science is well explained in places, and feels extremely realistic in its scope and description. The world is more compact than in most Space Operas as well, and this is to its credit. Much of the book takes place in a small ship, or in an office, small locations all. This makes the story's moves into grander vistas more exciting, and breathtaking in scale. It also allows us to focus in on the human drama of the crew, one of the better parts of the story. Corey can write excellent characters, and the drama is heartfelt as we follow Holden and Co. from one disaster to the next, and the nerves of the crew are tried and tested over and over. I also really love the pacing of the book. The authors interweave character stories together, drawing the story out and intertwining the various interests together until they meet at the climax of the book. Excellent story telling, in my opinion.
All in all, Caliban's War and the Expanse series in general are fabulous pieces of science fiction writing, and have certainly entered what I would term my favourites collection. These books are fun, fast paced, highly readable and difficult to put down. They are the epitome of excellent science fiction writing, and should not be missed by any serious science fiction fan. This was a wonderful reading experience, and I look forward to the next books in the series with great anticipation. ...more
Borne, by Jeff VanderMeer, is the newest fiction book written by the author of the fabulous Southern Reach trilogy. VanderMeer is an author well knownBorne, by Jeff VanderMeer, is the newest fiction book written by the author of the fabulous Southern Reach trilogy. VanderMeer is an author well known in the "weird fiction" sub-genre. This newest book fits well within the genre. Borne follows Rachel, a scavenger in a city torn apart by the bio-chemical experiments of a company long destroyed by its own creations. Mutants roam the streets, as people fight to survive in a burnt out, post-apocalyptic city swarming with artificial life and murderous gangs. Rachel lives with Wick, her lover, and a mysterious man who deals in bio-chemical devices. Wick's influence in the City is on the wane, due to the machinations of the mysterious Magician, a gang leader who is slowly gaining more influence in the city. Oh, and a three story tall, flying bear called Morde rules over the city, devouring people seemingly at random, as his hyper intelligent proxy-bears comb the streets and kill all in their path.
One day, Rachel comes across a small, purple lump of bio-tech, and takes it in. This bio-tech turns out to be more than she bargained for, as it grows, learns to speak, and Rachel quickly becomes attached to it. As Borne grows, however, Wick becomes increasingly concerned about it, as it possesses a dangerous need to consume and learn all around it. Borne increasingly comes to threaten the shaky foundations of the city, and threaten the world that Rachel has built.
If the above sounds strange, that's because it is! VanderMeer has a wonderful way of writing that often makes the reader feel a bit strange. His writing style exudes a palate of strange sensations, weirdness and discomfort that infects the reader with its perverseness and strangeness. This was especially true in the Southern Reach Trilogy, but also exists in Borne. I will say that this book is certainly a more accessible read than the feverish and discomforting books in the trilogy. It touches on themes of familial ties, and what makes a human life worth living. It also contains some outrageous science fiction (giant flying three story bears), and excellent post-apocalyptic/science fiction world building - two of my favourite genres. I quite enjoyed this book, and would rank it up close to his previous work in the Trilogy. It was a book I had trouble putting down, and indeed finished in one 24-hour period. I can easily recommend this book to science fiction fans looking for something modern and unique. As for fans of VanderMeer's previous work, what are you waiting for? This is an excellent book and certainly worth your time. ...more
Culdesac, by Robert Repino, is a novella in the War With No Name series, and is a prequel of sorts to the first book, Mort(e). The book follows theCuldesac, by Robert Repino, is a novella in the War With No Name series, and is a prequel of sorts to the first book, Mort(e). The book follows the feared leader of the Red Sphinx militant group, Culdesac, as he holds a small town against a force of humans during the war. Culdesac was a more feared character in Mort(e), a tough as nails bobcat who enjoys killing humans and is a loyal servant of the Queen.
For those have not read Mort(e), this series is about a war between giant ants and humanity, where the ants have used pheromones to "awaken" the animals of Earth into sentient beings who can communicate and think at the same level as humans. The ants use these animals in their war against humanity as proxy-soldiers. Repino's series is bizarre and strange, but always an enjoyable read.
Culdesac is no different. The novellas is enjoyable in a campy sort of way, much like the first in the series, and possesses a bleakness to it, as the book is about the destruction of humanity from the point of view of the destroyers. The book is well written and fun in some respects, from a science fiction standpoint, but suffers from many of the weaknesses of the first book. The characters are cliched in some sense. The originality of the books premise wears off quickly, and the story becomes a tad mundane as science fiction goes, with nothing innovative beyond the interesting premise and the fun and campy world Repino has built. This is not to say I did not enjoy reading this novella (or indeed the first book, which shares the same rating in my opinion). It is highly readable as science fiction goes. I can easily recommend this to fans of the first book, and to those unfamiliar with the series, it is worth a look if you are looking for a very original idea. ...more
Artemis, by Andy Weir, is the newest novel by the author of the well received The Martian. The novel takes place on a moon city called Artemis in theArtemis, by Andy Weir, is the newest novel by the author of the well received The Martian. The novel takes place on a moon city called Artemis in the near future. It follows a young woman named Jazz, who is a bit of a rough character. She works as a delivery porter by day, and also a smuggler by day, bringing in contraband like Cigars and noise cancelling foam - both fire hazards that are banned on the precarious moon city. She is also a bit of a character. She hates relying on others, hates owing people something, and tries to keep to herself most times. However, one day she is convinced to join a plot to sabotage the moons only aluminum smelting company, and subsequently the one that provides all of Artemis' breathable air. It is a hostile takeover bid by a rich customer - complete with a bit of illegal sabotage against corporate assets on the surface of the moon. Jazz is game; because a million bucks is on the line, and she desperately needs the money. However, things turn sinister, and soon a paid assassin is gunning for her, as is the city's Sheriff and its mayor too. Jazz is on the run, and needs to rely on those around her more than ever, because what she has stumbled into is not just threatening her life, but the future of the entire moon colony of Artemis as well.
Weir has written another fabulous science fiction novel, and one that should not be missed by any science fiction fan. This book is similar in style to the Martian. By that I mean that the dialogue is quirky and filled with pop culture references -something I disliked about the Martian and something I also dislike about this book. Even so, the positives far outweigh the negatives in this novel. Weir's science fiction is technical, and very believable. This is an author who can be cracking jokes in one paragraph, and explaining the chemistry and physics behind air seals on the moon in the next. I enjoy this about Weir's novels, as it makes the science fiction aspects of the book tangible and believable - it carries weight. The setting of the moon colony, and the world building involved in its history is also fascinating and entertaining. Artemis is a colony controlled by the Kenyans - a nation close to the equator and thus with the most optimal launch location for ships to reach the moon from Earth. The politics and economics of the colony come into play - if that sounds boring don't worry, it isn't. Weir is an author that made a man growing his own crops on Mars with his feces worth reading - this is no different.
All things told, this is a very well written and entertaining novel set in a near future moon colony. It certainly rivals The Martian in quality, and although I am not always a fan of the dialogue, the book is still highly readable and enjoyable. The science fiction aspects and world building are top notch, the characters are interesting, and the book reads quick and packs a punch. I can easily recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick and fun science fiction read, and to those who enjoy the genre as a whole....more
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