Atlas of a Lost World by Craig Childs
In Atlas of a Lost World (2018), author Craig Childs takes the reader on a series of outdoor adventures as he traces the various confirmed and possible paths that North and South America’s first inhabitants took to enter the New World. Parallel to his own journey, he delves into the current research, theories, and archaeological finds. The end result is a bit of a mixed bag, though Childs never is less than an engaging guide.
January 6th, 2020. Bill Capossere´s rating: 3.5 | Non-fiction | SFF Reviews | no comments |
How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse by K. Eason
Billed as “The Princess Bride meets Princess Leia” and “a feminist reimagining of familiar fairytale tropes,” How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse (2019) is a science-fantasy starring the first princess born to the royal family of her planet in generations (usually they have boys).
At her naming ceremony, the fairies bless Rory with all the usual fairytale drivel: golden hair, blue eyes, sweet disposition, embroidery and harp-playing skills, and all the other things she’ll need to please a husband.
January 6th, 2020. Kat Hooper´s rating: 3.5 | K. Eason | Audio | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
Kat: Ugh, I’m still getting caught up after the holidays and getting ready for the spring 2020 semester, which starts tomorrow. Therefore, I read nothing this week. Well, no fiction, that is. I actually read a lot of academic journal articles about the effects of caffeine on the brain (all good!) and the effects of mothers’ drug abuse on their offspring (all bad!). Also several articles about neuroethics. I expect to be caught up and to have some time for fiction this week.
Bill: This week I finished Ken Liu’s newest collection,
January 5th, 2020. Tim Scheidler | Status Update | 1 comment |
Close Encounters with Humankind by Sang-Hee Lee
Close Encounters with Humankind (2018) is based on a collection of a series of essays by paleoanthropologist Sang-Hee Lee on human evolution published between February 2012 and December 2013 and appearing in a popular science magazine as well as a South Korean newspaper. Lee writes in a clear, conversational style and though sometimes one wishes for a bit more detail or depth, she makes for an entertaining and informative tour guide of our species’ history.
Lee eschews the usual chronological approach,
January 3rd, 2020. Bill Capossere´s rating: 4 | Non-fiction | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Shadow Ops: Fortress Frontier by Myke Cole
It’s amazing how a main character can spoil a book. Shadow Ops: Fortress Frontier is the second book in the SHADOW OPS series by Myke Cole. I didn’t like the first book, Control Point, very well because I loathed Oscar Britton, the main character. He offended my pride as a soldier. Yet I decided to try the second book and this time I have to give Myke Cole some real credit for giving me a reason not to hate his SHADOW OPS series….
January 3rd, 2020. John Hulet and Marion Deeds´s rating: 3.5 | Myke Cole | SFF Reviews | 4 comments |
It’s the first Thursday of the month. Actually, it’s the first Thursday of the year… Wait! It’s the first Thursday of the decade!
Time to report!
What is the best book you read in December 2019 and why did you love it? It doesn’t have to be a newly published book, or even SFF. We just want to share some great reading material. Feel free to post a full review of the book here, or a link to the review on your blog, or just write a few sentences about why you thought it was awesome.
January 2nd, 2020. FanLit | Giveaway!, Thoughtful Thursday | 14 comments |
Cory Doctorow’s Radicalized (2019) is a collection of four near-future novellas that cast a critical eye on current societal trends. As is nearly always the case with collections, the story quality/impact varies, but the floor here is relatively high.
In the first, “Unauthorized Bread,” Doctorow takes on digital rights/permissions, mergers and monopolies, and the growing movement away from creating tech the average person (or non-average for that matter) can easily modify/repair themselves. The protagonist is Salima, faced one day with a broken Boulangism toaster-oven which only accepts the company’s proprietary bread — “unauthorized bread had consequences ranging from kitchen fires to suboptimal toast.” Not having the money to buy a new one,
January 2nd, 2020. Bill Capossere´s rating: 4 | Cory Doctorow | Short Fiction | SFF Reviews | no comments |
It's hardly a private conversation, Becky. You're welcome to add your 2 cents anytime!
If the state of the arts puzzles you, and you wonder why so many novels are "retellings" and formulaic rework,…
I picked my copy up last week and I can't wait to finish my current book and get started! I…
Gentlemen, I concur! (Forgive me for jumping into your convo)
The cover is amazing. I love how the graphic novel (and the review!) hewed close to the theme of "good…