Next SFF Author: Ben Aaronovitch

Author: Jason Golomb

Stargate: Beautiful creation myth blends fantasy and sci-fi

Stargate by Pauline Gedge

“Before the beginning was the Lawmaker,” he read. “And the Lawmaker made the Worldmaker and commanded him to make according to his nature. And the Worldmaker made the worlds…”

Originally published in 1982 and re-issued in 2016, Pauline Gedge’s Stargate is a sci-fi/fantasy hybrid writ large. Its universe rides the mythic themes of a world overseen by Gods who live within the vague rules similarly employed against their literary and cultural brethren in Olympus. Gedge seems more than happy to borrow these Grecian mythic motifs while putting her own sci-fi/fantasy spin on the creation myths we find embedded within even modern religions.

Hell Divers: What it lacks in depth it makes up for in fun

Hell Divers by Nicholas Sansbury Smith

We dive so humanity survives.

I haven’t read pop sci-fi author Nicholas Sansbury Smith before, but something drew me to his newest release Hell Divers, the first in a projected trilogy. Yes, the cover is cool, and artificial as that is, the art sometimes draws me in. But even better was the concept: 250 years ago, the world was at war. Nuclear bombs laid waste to the planet. Nothing could and nothing did survive. The apocalypse left a world utterly unlivable.

October 3rd, 2016. Jason Golomb´s rating: 3 | Nicholas Sansbury Smith | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |

The Deadbringer: Promising debut fantasy series

The Deadbringer by E.M. Markoff

Kira Vidal is a Deadbringer. His touch brings rot, death and destruction to anything that comes into direct contact with his skin — human flesh disintegrates, metal turns to rust. Kira can also ‘summon’ death and put flesh and life back to that which is no more.

Kira’s an orphan. As is often the case in this fantasy trope, the lone wanderer seeks his past, family and the truth of his power, and has grown in a world with ‘parental ambiguity’. In Kira’s case,

September 19th, 2016. Jason Golomb´s rating: 3 | E.M. Markoff | SFF Reviews | no comments |

In the Courts of the Sun: Techno-thriller/time travel hybrid can’t quite deliver

In the Courts of the Sun by Brian D’Amato

In the Courts of the Sun is an interesting novel, built Frankenstein’s-monster-like from the elements of a Michael Crichton techno-thriller, Gary Jennings’ Aztec series, and one of Stephen Baxter‘s unique spins on time travel. I enjoyed the book, but it’s uneven. The book was written by artist Brian D’Amato and is the first in the JED DE LANDA two-book series.

The story is heavily character-driven, led by Jed DeLanda,

August 22nd, 2016. Jason Golomb´s rating: 3 | Brian D'Amato | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |

That Which Should Not Be: Heavy mythological Lovecraftian horror

That Which Should Not Be by Brett Talley

That Which Should Not Be is a dark and moody book, fit for a cold autumn or winter evening in front of a crackling, smoky fire. The writing style reeks of HP Lovecraft, but also of Bram Stoker. This is not surprising, of course, as the novel is an ode to Lovecraft’s pantheon and theme of elder gods. This is Brett Talley’s first novel, but he nails the voice and tone of late 19th/early 20th century fiction.

Dracula: Stoker original drips with Gothic dread

Dracula by Bram Stoker

It’s Gothic, intricate, romantic, tragic, fun and surprising. I haven’t read Bram Stoker‘s original Dracula in about 20 years and most of the details I’d either forgotten or had been smudged, smeared, and overwritten by a lifetime of modern vampire stories and myths.

Dracula is set in the late 19th century and is presented through a series of letters, memos and recordings between numerous characters who, through no fault of their own, become entangled in Dracula’s plot to move away from his rapidly dwindling (and more “vampire-aware”) food supply in Romania to the hip and crowded urban life of London.

Fragment: Monster Mayhem

Fragment by Warren Fahy

I’ve read a number of reviews and comments that compare Warren Fahy‘s Fragment (2009) with Michael Crichton and Jurassic Park. Fragment and Jurassic Park have similar themes and bare bones basic concepts. Both stories involve humans battling supernatural, prehistoric monsters and self-centered murderous villains on the remotest of islands. Let’s be clear: stop there and consider the comparisons complete. Don’t get me wrong. I really enjoyed Fahy’s debut novel.

3001: The Final Odyssey: Short, unnecessary series conclusion

3001: The Final Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke

The elements that make 2001: A Space Odyssey a classic — the pacing, dramatic tension, smartly efficient plot lines — are mostly missing from Arthur C. Clarke‘s Space Odyssey finale, 3001: The Final Odyssey. What it retains is Clarke’s obvious exuberance for biological, technological and cultural evolution. Each book in the series represents an evolution in itself even, of Clarke’s own perspective and thinking on the growth of humanity overtime,

June 28th, 2016. Jason Golomb´s rating: 2 | Arthur C. Clarke | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |

2061: Odyssey Three: Blandly going where he has gone twice before

2061: Odyssey Three by Arthur C. Clarke

This is not a great book. It’s really more of an extended novella or perhaps part one of Arthur C. Clarke‘s SPACE ODYSSEY finale, 3001. This story has none of the depth, nuance or scale of Clarke’s classic original, 2001 nor its solid follow up 2010.

Beware of spoilers for the previous novels below. I’m assuming anyone who reads this review will likely have read the two preceding novels,

June 23rd, 2016. Jason Golomb´s rating: 2 | Arthur C. Clarke | SFF Reviews | 5 comments |

The Night Eternal: Disappointing conclusion to del Toro’s STRAIN TRILOGY

The Night Eternal by Guillermo del Toro & Chuck Hogan

The Night Eternal is the finale to Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan‘s THE STRAIN trilogy and I found it simply… inconsistent. I enjoyed the conclusion to the mythology which includes the genesis of the strain itself, but I was disappointed in the conclusions to the various plot threads. This review will contain some mild spoilers for the ending of The Fall.

The dark and serious mythology really drove the first two books,

June 21st, 2016. Jason Golomb´s rating: 3 | Guillermo Del_Toro | SFF Reviews | 5 comments |

Next SFF Author: Ben Aaronovitch

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