This book eventually shaped up into a truly fascinating hi-tech story that straddles an interesting line between Aladdin and classic Monkey King tropeThis book eventually shaped up into a truly fascinating hi-tech story that straddles an interesting line between Aladdin and classic Monkey King tropes. It revels in so many robot dynamics, poor port town underworld stuff, and the even more classic "be careful what you wish for".
I'll admit that I enjoyed it much more after the wishes start coming in. The build-up was necessary but to me, it felt a little slow. It's great for those of us who love robot characters, however, and when things get spicy, I'm loving the mythology and SF mix. Later on, everything takes off in interesting directions.
It's definitely an interesting SF adventure that pulls in a lot of great old myths and stories. I'm a sucker for this kind of thing....more
What a great novel that should have been titled The Lodestar. I mean, void, man, sure, it would have sounded like a pulpy SF novel, but it's YOU, Mr. What a great novel that should have been titled The Lodestar. I mean, void, man, sure, it would have sounded like a pulpy SF novel, but it's YOU, Mr. Tidhar, writing it, so it's not only f***ing self-aware and erudite, it's a commentary and it glories in the subject matter while pulling off one hell of a hat-trick of an ACTUAL SF novel all at the same time.
What the hell am I talking about?
The Circumference of the World starts out as one great Noir-type investigation novel featuring the murder of a book seller and the questionable reality of a novel named The Lodestar written by a certain Eugene Charles Hartley who used to bump shoulders with all the late great SF writers like the big three and all the old SF greats. This fictional SF writer seems to be a mash-up between PKD and L. Ron Hubbard, and the missing, even apocryphal book in question seems to have a mathematical equation hidden within it that prevents the Eaters from nibbling away at our holographic universe that is lodged in the great eye of a final black hole at the end of time.
We get sections in this novel from unbelievers, true believers, and the creator, himself. I can't tell you which I love the most. The mystery is absolutely hard-boiled and perfection. The hard SF is fascinating and hard-core, feeling right out of Pohl's best, and the Golden Age SF retrospective brought tears to my eyes, being a huge fan of all these authors and having read them all.
Mr. Tidhar's love of SF is real, ya'll, and the total shift in styles and tone and voice just makes me want to clap with joy. Again, he shows me what a world-class talent he is.
No spoilers, but this novel is truly delicious. Even if the title lacks... um... everything. :)...more
I was honestly surprised how much fun I had with this new SF. The characters make it shine, but that's not to say the whole ancient murderous abandoneI was honestly surprised how much fun I had with this new SF. The characters make it shine, but that's not to say the whole ancient murderous abandoned (and booby-trapped) space station wasn't a fantastic location.
Seriously, it's great to have a little serious forgiveness party while getting eaten by babies, or learning all the secrets of your enemy's culture while honing your linguistic skills, or discovering just how much trust you've now put into your deadliest, most hateful enemies.
It starts like a heist, but becomes a pretty fantastic survival horror in space. And, I should mention, I am now quite invested in the characters. I would love to see where this goes from here. FRIENDS. Muahahahahahaha....more
Title aside, I was mightily impressed by this idea-and-character driven SF. It's sometimes quite hard to find serious SF that tries to push the boundaTitle aside, I was mightily impressed by this idea-and-character driven SF. It's sometimes quite hard to find serious SF that tries to push the boundaries of the unknown, of human and alien (other) intelligence, of understanding.
There have been a good handful of novels that push it, of course, but it's rare to find and more than delightful to experience.
In this case, we have a truly excellent exploration of human alienation, true android (AI intelligence), and octopus. The intersections are hard-hitting and serious and absolutely worth our time.
Now, for those of you who aren't convinced of Octopus or Squid intelligence, this may or may not be a great entry point, but it IS an entry point. An octopus's intelligence is spread throughout its body, it has a social structure among its own kind that is just about as alien as any we can dream up, but there is no doubt as to their inherent intelligence and problem-solving capabilities.
This novel doesn't attempt to convince us of it. It directly moves on to careful mysteries and basic inhumanities (even among ourselves) that underscore a basic INDIFFERENCE between species. This is where all the true aliennesses comes to light and tries to make us give it the careful thought that it deserves.
And it definitely deserves it. We have geniuses in our back yard and yet we pay them no mind. Of course, they may be paying us no mind, either. Perhaps we all need to start paying attention to our neighbors....more
This is a nice and bloody tale with absolutely no redeemable characters, but that's fine. Hard-SF corYes, people are just numbers on a ledger, folks.
This is a nice and bloody tale with absolutely no redeemable characters, but that's fine. Hard-SF corpoclans, ruthless exploitation, and literal cutting of losses.
The trick of the story is to come in with emotionless staccato text, like bullet wounds, and get back out again, bleeding all the while.
It's definitely a mood piece. Get em hot and bloody, folks. Or cold as revenge. Your choice....more
Scalzi did it again. Humor, smart SF commentary, and a classic "I can't believe my enemies are this stupid" storyline.
It starts out deceptively normalScalzi did it again. Humor, smart SF commentary, and a classic "I can't believe my enemies are this stupid" storyline.
It starts out deceptively normal, but when news of his rich uncle's death evolves into one increasingly crazy situation after the next, we wind up with a great bond-villain smorgasbord that includes a great unionization of non-human assets, a realization that most billionaires are NOT all that smart, and a home run for anyone wanting some wholesome humor in their lives.
And, of course, there are the cats.
I loved this book. Easy, fun as hell, and delightful through and through....more
I have a pretty straightforward review for this new book in the Foreigner series. It's basically consolidation and worrying ramifications of the shadoI have a pretty straightforward review for this new book in the Foreigner series. It's basically consolidation and worrying ramifications of the shadow guild throughout the various areas of the mainland.
If you know the series at all, you'll know it's great in the details, the nearly overwhelming worldbuilding that feels like parts of late feudal Japan, alien culture, and technological espionage.
This particular book isn't breaking a lot of new ground, but it is still fascinating and entertaining. Just remembering everything that came before is almost as fun as the new developments.
Would I recommend it?
Of course. It's very much more of the same, but that's usually a double-edged sword. If you've come this far, you're basically wondering if there's any dip in quality. There isn't. My only complaint is how much of the first part of the novel is devoted to recap and exposition. In this case, I can't quite fault it. So much HAS happened.
What I initially took to be a post-apocalyptic Nevada desert dystopia filled with religious fanatics and a twisted kind of Las Vegas sainthood with alWhat I initially took to be a post-apocalyptic Nevada desert dystopia filled with religious fanatics and a twisted kind of Las Vegas sainthood with all the corruption that implies actually turned out to be a story of subtle redemption. Indeed, the desert itself is a main character.
I do have to say that I liked this book better in hindsight than the actual journey. The ideas of the western aesthetic was there, of course, as was the slow degradation of the soul starting with pilgrimage all the way to years and years of abuse. The redemption aspect was there, but it was small and mostly only in the reader's mind.
I can't say I actually had a good time while reading this. It was hard to watch, so to speak. But then, I also have a hard time with most westerns or western-adjacents. It sometimes reads like a slow coming-to-terms, but it feels like a slow-burn horror. A very slow burn.
It is split up in three different PoVs and spreads across a good deal of time. The big focus on organized religion and the criticism -- as well as the supernatural elements -- kept this from being pure commentary. Fortunately, or unfortunately, this one straddles many lines without fully committing to any. Sometimes that works out great, and sometimes it's just unclear. I appreciate the subtlety, regardless....more
A bit of a departure from the first two books in the Harper YA, this one changes PoV entirely. Fortunately, I like the clever, spy-like feel. It's allA bit of a departure from the first two books in the Harper YA, this one changes PoV entirely. Fortunately, I like the clever, spy-like feel. It's all still about dragons and drakes, of course, but we get to see a lot more of the land and have an interesting adventure, so it's all good.
Simple, enjoyable YA with all that we love of the series: music and dragons....more
It's like it attempted to go Weird Fiction by way of a symbiotic alien infestation that just tries to make the world betI'm of two minds on this one.
It's like it attempted to go Weird Fiction by way of a symbiotic alien infestation that just tries to make the world better for all the people it invests itself in -- which is pretty great, all told -- but instead of rolling with the societal changes like I'd expect from something that flirts with being Weird, it insists on making the case for unhappiness in grief at all costs.
This could be the moral of the story, of course, but it's willfully obstinate and depressive.
We literally see the end of capitalism and ownership and a lot of people actually find happiness in this communal lifestyle, a realization that we're all connected and hurting another just hurts oneself in a very real sense.
And then we have someone who can't accept her partner's transition to a child-state and goes on a drunken odyssey of revenge, self-harm, and obsession over a boy who has his own issues with paradise.
So what is the point? Bliss is idiocy? Self-harm and unhappiness is valid? Of course, it could just be the JOURNEY.
I don't know how I feel about this. It rubs me wrong. But otherwise, it seemed to be fairly interesting even if it didn't fall head-first into the Weird subgenre as I would have wished. The human condition message, in this case, was somewhat unsatisfying, even if it got all floaty and dream-like by the end....more
The scenarios are honestly surprising and pretty damn wild. LitRPGs are mostly candy-literature anyway, but this is doingI'm 100% on-board this train.
The scenarios are honestly surprising and pretty damn wild. LitRPGs are mostly candy-literature anyway, but this is doing a very fine job of keeping me (and our heroes) on their toes.
I mean, we get midnight meat train vibes here, plus great backstabbing, character development, multiple enormous twists, and even subtle motivations. It's hard to do subtle motivations among enormous f***ing explosions, but here we are.
I AM surprised at how good this has gotten. I, in particular, am fully prepared to love just how much this crazy alien society that completely ruins civilizations is gonna meet its eventual end. Anyone who pulls kind of LitRPG crap on whole species is ripe for a real takedown. Eventually. Seriously....more
Well, it's official. The series is even stronger in the second book. I think my favorite parts are not the quips but the strange-ass story mini-quest Well, it's official. The series is even stronger in the second book. I think my favorite parts are not the quips but the strange-ass story mini-quest elements.
Of course, losing your pants is a bonus, but I'm impressed that the quests can be quite this messed up and yet potent and emotional. Big booms aren't unwelcome, either.
If you know, you know.
This LitRPG is rapidly becoming one of my favorites. I'm looking forward to Carl's internal ratings in the interviews to come. ...more
I got my buddy-reader to start her first LitRPG with this one and wow was that a mistake. I mean, sure, if you DO like massive body-horror and OTT gorI got my buddy-reader to start her first LitRPG with this one and wow was that a mistake. I mean, sure, if you DO like massive body-horror and OTT gore, it MIGHT have been a good fit, but as with anything, the writing has to click or it just won't pan out.
Me, I thought it was pretty okay. The core reason for any LitRPG is usually not as important as the fun factor, but this one wasn't all that fun. It had its moments, but none of them were all that humorous or snarky.
This one was just torture for torture's sake and that's not always a ... fun ride. Ahem.
That being said, if you like sadism run by a bunch of sadists and want huge kaiju bloodbaths, often dumpster diving IN said kaijus, then I would recommend this. Darkness for the win, all the way. You might say it was a TOTALLY DEATHMETAL NOVEL and you'd be right.
Manage your expectations, of course. It succeeded in its task, but it just wasn't that fun....more
I love to read about Fergus Ferguson. He's always a pleasure to follow, and this book, scavenger hunt that it is, is pretty much perfect for a Finder.I love to read about Fergus Ferguson. He's always a pleasure to follow, and this book, scavenger hunt that it is, is pretty much perfect for a Finder.
Mind you, this is absolutely a popcorn SF read. Fergus always seems to make good friends wherever he goes, give or take those he has to zap, and sometimes even those.
This particular book was simply a fun adventure, hopping all over the place, outsmarting other groups on the hunt for these extra-dimensional pieces of a door to some nasties, and often running into a lot of snags. Oh, but it's better because Fergus has family to look after, who just don't seem to know how to say no. (I'm thinking that's a genetic trait.)
All said, I will repeat what I've said before: these books are so much fun, so easy, I could read them forever. It's so charming....more
Purists may want to lynch me, but I stand by myThis was, at least to my estimation, a superior re-telling of the original The Island of Doctor Moreau.
Purists may want to lynch me, but I stand by my words. Gothic feel, traditional Mexican history, isolationism, and of course the whole rich plantation/quasi-slavery aspects all make this story pop with more details.
And I think it was a smart choice, not just a feminist choice, to make the prime character the "daughter" of Dr. Moreau. Carlota was very much a gothic belle destined for discovery, romance, disillusionment, and eventually -- strength.
Everything about this was finely crafted and succeeded in its tasks, but all this presupposes that the reader wants nothing more than this.
As a nominee for best SF in the Hugos, I can't rightly say it's an SF except by broad strokes. If you can assume animals can be grafted together like plants, then I guess this qualifies, just as the original qualifies, but I also had issues with the original. It's a really light SF, or perhaps light fantasy, with just enough beasties to make a UF fan perk up a bit, but I can't say it stretches any kind of boundaries.
It's just a well crafted tale, an enjoyable journey of self-discovery. Beyond that, nothing more....more
I'm kinda shocked how much fun I had with this and I just recently read Finder, saying exactly the same thing.
But here's the fun bFreaking delightful.
I'm kinda shocked how much fun I had with this and I just recently read Finder, saying exactly the same thing.
But here's the fun bit: I think I liked this more than the first book. It has less history-reveals and more of a focus on the here-and-now and I loved how far Fergus takes freaking everything.
He's one hell of a fantastic character. I have a feeling that I've found my favorite new series. I've gone from, "This is a breath of fresh air" to "Good god I can read this forever" to "Where's the next freaking book!"
That doesn't say anything about the tale, itself, though. Driving the Deep goes exactly where you think it'd never go until you're actually there. Helping friends is one thing, but getting a job as a sub driver in real crap-hole on an ice-ocean moon to solve a mystery is NOT on my bingo card for a space opera SF. And it just keeps getting better.
Overall, this is a fairly amusing whodunit that's reminiscent of all locked-room cozy mysteries but set in a spaceship. Or rather, a luxury cruise linOverall, this is a fairly amusing whodunit that's reminiscent of all locked-room cozy mysteries but set in a spaceship. Or rather, a luxury cruise liner in space.
I wanted to like this more. It's decent for what it is, but something nagged me throughout the read. In particular, our MC is super rich AND popular, taking her honeymoon trip on this cruise incognito. Oh, and did I mention she's a great inventor, her new husband is an investigator, and our MC survived a massive injury earlier on that is managed through an implant and a service dog?
There are so many things going for her. I'm also reminded, some, of MRK's regency fantasy, and how relationships are totally perfect, it's only outside situations that make things janky. In this case, her new husband is set up as a murderer and all things get wonky.
So what's my problem? It's a total mary sue setup. While she does get out there and employ a lot of agency to solve this mystery and save her man, it really irked me how much she used her influence and wealth to bully, cajole, and intimidate her way through the plot.
And while the whole mixology gimmick WAS pretty cool in concept, and apparently some of those drinks-per-chapter were zero-proof, it just felt WRONG that she was engaged in so much merrymaking or drunkenness while her BRAND NEW HUSBAND was beaten, imprisoned, accused of murder, and she was free to move about and have fun.
So. Yeah. There's that.
As long as I ignore a lot of these nagging points, it IS a light, fun mystery. I wouldn't have nominated this for a Hugo, but I'm not that upset having read it. I'd call this a popcorn read, at best, and I'd still be bitching about the MC. ...more
I've been a long-time fan of Leckie. I mean, between AI's trying to understand humans, alien species trying to understand humans, humans trying to undI've been a long-time fan of Leckie. I mean, between AI's trying to understand humans, alien species trying to understand humans, humans trying to understand humans, there's a lot to unpack. This later novel in the series spends most of its time with the Presgr, a race that tantalizingly tastes, translates, even transubstantiates as a part of its knowledge pool, sexual cycle, and space travel.
We get to experience it first hand. It's pretty cool. It also, if you know what the Imperial Radch books are known for, explores alien understanding (or casual uncaring misunderstanding) about sexes or the fluidity of such. We see quite a few books like that, these days, but honestly? Ann Leckie manages to make it fully and interestingly SF, drilling down into some well-thought-out pathways that few others try.
This one is no different. What are the Presgr, anyway, but a species that is, literally, what it eats? The interspecies political balance are at stake, here, and half the fun of the novel is figuring out WHY.
I'll be honest, this one reads like a pretty damn fun side story in the shape of a full novel rather than a careful-continuity continuation of the firI'll be honest, this one reads like a pretty damn fun side story in the shape of a full novel rather than a careful-continuity continuation of the first three novels.
That's not to say the first three weren't self-contained, because they were. This one felt, at least for a grand majority of the writing, to be a massive retcon and then an interesting alternate-reality reset.
It was neither, but that's what it felt like. Trying to figure out what was going on was interesting in its own right.
It was good.
But if I had to put all four books in a lineup and be asked to pick the one that doesn't belong, despite having very recognizable MC's, I'd have to call this one out.
Fortunately, it didn't lessen my enjoyment. ...more
I've read this one several times now from several anthologies but it's well worth the re-read.
Far-future intelligences, trying to live the grand proofI've read this one several times now from several anthologies but it's well worth the re-read.
Far-future intelligences, trying to live the grand proof at the end of time, try to rebel against the assumption that everything eats everything. The fact that all these huge intelligences are almost all gigantic libraries just tickles the hell out of me.
The experiment continues. The experiment ends. The experiment continues.
This is a very readable version of within-lifetime time travel, playing around with a alien-ish consciousness exploring the weirdness of human-normal This is a very readable version of within-lifetime time travel, playing around with a alien-ish consciousness exploring the weirdness of human-normal life -- especially love, family.
I enjoyed it quite a bit but I won't say it was all that groundbreaking. I DID enjoy the characters.
Thousandth Night has some great scope. Far future, post-humanity worldbuilding with great ideas and a poignant look at a particular planet. :) Lots ofThousandth Night has some great scope. Far future, post-humanity worldbuilding with great ideas and a poignant look at a particular planet. :) Lots of pathos, great exploration of this future history set in several other stories by Reynolds.
Suffice to say, I love seeing how humanity has spread throughout space and to see what it does with it. Quite bittersweet....more
I thought this seemed pretty interesting at Netgalley primarily because I saw "AI" and just slammed my fist down on my keyboard. I'm pretty easily amuI thought this seemed pretty interesting at Netgalley primarily because I saw "AI" and just slammed my fist down on my keyboard. I'm pretty easily amused.
From the blurb, I expected a modern techno-thriller and I really wasn't disappointed. It has all the same earmarks of all the other techno-thrillers, a combination of military/police procedural marching up to AI-designing corporations and a murder mystery that may or may not be AI related, etc., etc. and I can't really complain. It is exactly what I thought it would be and it does its job.
That being said, I was fairly happy to see that it went the whole City of Golden Shadow route at one point while still sticking to its techno-thriller core.
I won't say it's mightily original, but I thought it was fairly amusing and it did what it set out to do.
I've read a few other novels by Kroese and I thought they were nicely quirky, fun, and funny. And then, for some odd reason, I never revisited the autI've read a few other novels by Kroese and I thought they were nicely quirky, fun, and funny. And then, for some odd reason, I never revisited the author. That makes me an idiot.
Fast forward a few years and I pick up Mercury Falls, suddenly realize it's a nicely snarky UF with nicely snarky omniscient narration to go with Mercury, and I'm rolling with the multiple skewering (mostly commentary) of apocalypse cultists.
And then I realize Mercury is a lowly and mostly ignored Cherub, one of the lowest of all the angels, and this is a funny UF novel of ultimate bureaucracy, contract breaking, and the antichrist.
So, yeah, I'm surprised and very, very pleased.
And then there was one quote that made me stop reading and chuckle for something like 15 minutes. It killed me. “Look, my personal philosophy is this: if you can make at least one person laugh, you’re still doing better than John Calvin.”
I fell hard for this one. I fell deep into this one.
I can totally understand why some may not, but for me, it just worked.
First, the language. I've aI fell hard for this one. I fell deep into this one.
I can totally understand why some may not, but for me, it just worked.
First, the language. I've always been a fan of Ian McDonald, but he really pulled out all the stops, giving me a loving taste of Mysterious London a-la Gaiman or even Alan Moore, keeping it fast paced and quirky and delightful. Add a little magical realism with the Brightborn family - wonderfully musical and cursed by luck, and the Hopeland family, ideologically adopted, totally electrical street performers, and many, many thousands strong across the world.
While it has a little romance and a little tragedy, I don't really see this as a genuine star-crossed lovers kind of romance. Not at all. Their lives are beautiful, whether they are together or apart. This is more of a FAMILY saga, one that keeps developing, adapting, growing stronger even while the world changes so much.
And that's where the real core of this novel comes to play: The world itself, from the early early days of the Hopeland people to where we really follow our MCs in the early 2010's, and how they grow older, change to the ecological disasters and upheavals deep into the 2030's and beyond.
Yes, there is a future history here, too, but it's not the science fiction aspect that I loved most -- it was the amazingly optimistic view of humanity.
I found myself marveling at the idea of Hopeland -- a community that accepts anyone, of any mindset, race, orientation, ANYTHING -- that prides itself on being a Family of choice -- that just does WHATEVER THAT WORKS.
It's the adaptability, the optimism, the insistence that they will be strong and around, helping each other out 10,000 years in the future. Easy to join, impossible to leave, because family is always there for you.
Truly. It's rather beautiful. Especially today, when it feels like everything is falling apart, this kind of sheer optimism rather destroys me.
And it's this, more than anything, that makes me say, "Hey! Ya'll! You should read this! We should make this happen!"
Plus, becoming a ball of lightning for shits and giggles is hella awesome....more
I can say that I really thought the beginning and the end of this novella was really strong, but I can't say I was wowed withVery early Poul Anderson.
I can say that I really thought the beginning and the end of this novella was really strong, but I can't say I was wowed with the meat of this Wellsian Alternate Time Machine adventure. It was pretty much hop, skip, further and further forward in time, checking out the locals, asking if there was any way to go backward in time, but of course there wasn't.
All he could do was slip forward in time dilation.
The end, however, was all kinds of classic, so I'll leave it at that....more
I may be in the minority to say that this one is NOT a perfect entry point in the Coldfire Trilogy, but I won't deny that it is still an excellent comI may be in the minority to say that this one is NOT a perfect entry point in the Coldfire Trilogy, but I won't deny that it is still an excellent companion novel.
A little backstory: This trilogy is one of the few truly excellent crossover Fantasy/SF/Horror novels that are equal in every portion. The worldbuilding is very well thought-out and very memorable, even after decades of reading so many other SF and Fantasy.
The surprise really did it for me. The slow build-up and reveal, the inherent complexity and coherence. *chef's kiss*
This short prequel of a novel really lays ALL those secrets out and if you already know the story, it's great... especially since we get to follow the big bad's beginnings and progress. Muahahahaha
Oh yeah, it's great. I may have a few quibbles about the poor preparedness of the original colony, but streamlined like this? It's still pretty great. ...more
This novella does a lot of unexpected heavy lifting for the backstories of 06 and 22 (as seen in Nicole's other works such as Firebreak) and I'll justThis novella does a lot of unexpected heavy lifting for the backstories of 06 and 22 (as seen in Nicole's other works such as Firebreak) and I'll just say it now: it was a delight.
Young kids getting into trouble, as only young kids who can outfight a tank can, all within a comfortable setting that is much like our own world of ultimate disposability, dealing with massive amounts of brainwashing, nasty authority figures, poverty, and a great heaping wallop of glorious friendship.
The novella stands just fine on its own two feet but it really dovetail's nicely with the expanded world. I'm very happy....more
Loading...
