Next SFF Author: Ben Aaronovitch

Month: May 2017

WWWednesday: May 31, 2017

This week’s word for Wednesday is the adjective rattatattatory, which means “consisting of repeated sounds or tapping,” as in, “the fireworks exploded in a rattatattatory burst.” This word should win an award for carrying onomatopoeia to absurd lengths. Thanks once again to Haggard Hawks.

Awards:

Charles Stross was awarded the Alberto Lisiero award, given to those who contribute to the popularity and quality of science fiction writing.

Tooting Our Own Horn:

Bill’s review of Sebastien de Castell’s novel Tyrant’s Throne made it to File 770!

May 31st, 2017. Marion Deeds | World Wide Wednesday | 4 comments |

The Death of Kings: Julius comes into power and loss

The Death of Kings by Conn Iggulden

Julius is a young soldier. He fights in northern Africa, but he is not in command. Still, he is very well trained, is charismatic and trusts his instincts, and he is beginning to learn what it means to command and why he loves everything Rome stands for. He is confident, idealistic, and capable, a potent combination that leads to many victories. By the end of the novel, he will deal with Spartacus and Sulla, pirates, and senators who wish him ill. He will taste true power,

White Hot: Turning up the heat

White Hot by Ilona Andrews

Note: this review contains some spoilers for the first book in this series, Burn for Me.

In White Hot (2017), the second book in Ilona Andrews’ HIDDEN LEGACY urban fantasy series, we return to a magical version of Houston, Texas, where some people (typically the rich and powerful) have inheritable magical powers. Nevada Baylor is from a not-particularly wealthy family that runs a private investigation firm, but she and some other members of her family have magical powers that are suspiciously strong for a family with no reputation at all as magic users.

May 30th, 2017. Tadiana Jones´s rating: 4.5 | Ilona Andrews | SFF Reviews | no comments |

Return to the Stars: In H’Harn’s way

Return to the Stars by Edmond Hamilton

For those readers who thrilled to the exploits of 20th century Earthman John Gordon in the futuristic galaxy of 202,115, in Edmond Hamilton’s first novel, The Star Kings (1949), the wait to find out just what might happen next would prove to be a long one. Ultimately, though, their patience was rewarded with Hamilton’s much-belated sequel, Return to the Stars (1969). Unlike the original novel, which was released all at once and comprised the entire 9/47 issue of Amazing Stories magazine,

May 30th, 2017. Sandy Ferber´s rating: 4.5 | Edmond Hamilton | SFF Reviews | 4 comments |

SHORTS: Wong, Shehadeh, Buckell & Schroeder, Sieberg, Anderson, Honeywell, Taylor, Rustad

Our weekly exploration of free and inexpensive short fiction available on the internet. Here are a few stories we’ve read that we wanted you to know about.

You’ll Surely Drown Here If You Stay, Alyssa Wong (2016, free at Uncanny, $3.99 Kindle magazine issue) 2017 Nebula and 2016 Hugo award nominee (novelette)

Alyssa Wong sets her novelette You’ll Surely Drown Here If You Stay in a Western mining town, focusing this second-person tale on Ellis,

THE DESCENDANTS: The conflict between good and evil Disney characters shifts to the next generation

The Isle of the Lost, Return to the Isle of the Lost & Rise of the Isle of the Lost by Melissa de la Cruz

Disney’s THE DESCENDANTS series of interrelated middle grade books (fairly easy chapter books) and television musical movies follows the adventures of the children of all of your favorite Disney animated film characters ― both the ones you love and the ones you love to hate. In this series, all of the villains from the various animated films were banished years ago to an isolated island called the Isle of the Lost.

Reptilicus: Blood and tundra

Reptilicus directed by Sidney Pink

I never got to see the 1961 monster outing Reptilicus when I was a child, and so have nothing in the way of nostalgic attachment as regards the film. Thus, when I watched the movie for the first time a few nights back, it was with the cold, hard objectivity of an aging baby-boomer adult. The result was an entertaining evening, but one that would have been infinitely more enjoyable had I been watching within the pleasant aura of a fondly remembered youth. Reptilicus is today perhaps best known as the only giant monster movie to have ever come out of Denmark,

May 26th, 2017. Sandy Ferber | Film / TV | SFF Reviews | 8 comments |

Viriconium Nights: Seven stories set in Viriconium

Viriconium Nights by M. John Harrison

I was in Viriconium once. I was a much younger woman then. What a place that is for lovers! The Locust Winter carpets its streets with broken insects; at the corners they sweep them into strange-smelling drifts which glow for the space of a morning like heaps of gold before they fade away.

Viriconium Nights is the last book in M. John Harrison’s VIRICONIUM epic. It’s a collection of these seven short stories set in and around the city of Viriconium:

“The Lamia and Lord Cromis” — tegeus-Cromis,

Thoughtful Thursday: Celebrating Endings

This week my family is celebrating two endings. My oldest son has been graduated from The University of Florida with a degree in computer science (he’s the one who does this site’s special coding) and we will all attend another son’s high school graduation this afternoon. They are relieved that years of toil are over and we are all excited about the next chapter in their lives.

Graduation represents both an ending and a beginning, but let’s just talk about endings today.

What are some of your favorite endings in speculative fiction? Bill and I recently finished Robin Hobb‘s Assassin’s Fate which concludes her FITZ AND THE FOOL trilogy but also wraps up all the other series set in her REALMS OF THE ELDERLINGS novels.

May 25th, 2017. Kat Hooper | Giveaway!, Thoughtful Thursday | 12 comments |

In the Shadow of the Moon: A somewhat disappointing look at solar eclipses

In the Shadow of the Moon by Anthony Aveni

I really wanted to like In the Shadow of the Moon (2017), Anthony Aveni’s look at eclipses across time and culture, but while it had its moments, it never really compelled for any length of time and its sometimes abrupt shifts and almost random approach created a sense of distance between reader and subject.

Aveni mostly handles the scientific aspects fine, whether it has to do with the main focus of the book (such as explaining what causes an eclipse and why they repeat in the patterns they do) or with one of his many digressions (a concise explanation of a bee’s communication dance,

May 25th, 2017. Bill Capossere´s rating: 2.5 | Non-fiction | SFF Reviews | no comments |

Next SFF Author: Ben Aaronovitch

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