Since the CDC cannot release information about the avian flu and other contagious diseases, the American Medical Association is providing updates. Here is their Youtube channel.
Reactor is offering new fiction by Elizabeth Bear.
Nerds of a Feather reviews Gareth Powell’s latest.
Here’s an interesting article about one of the things NOAA does.
The U.K. Guardian shares fantastical sketches by Victor Hugo.
File770 provides the Australian Romance Award short list.
March 5th, 2025. Marion Deeds | World Wide Wednesday | no comments |
The First Bright Thing by J.R. Dawson
Published in 2023, J.R. Dawson’s The First Bright Thing is a solid entry in the subgenre of magical carnivals, joining The Night Circus, Something Wicked This Way Comes, Bacchanal, and Mechanique, among others. Once again, good versus evil plays out in the center ring, against the backdrop of big tops and midways. Dawson adds one new ingredient to the mix,
March 3rd, 2025. Marion Deeds´s rating: 3.5 | J.R. Dawson | Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Uncanny Magazine launches issue 63 on March 4, 2025.
The Bram Stoker final ballot has been released. I thought I’d been reading a lot of horror lately but I recognize almost none of these.
The NAACP Image awards were announced last weekend, with several of genre interest, including Wicked.
File 770 shared a New York Times link on faux books. Neat photos! (The link bypasses the paywall.)
“You already have three strikes against you,” Raye Montague’s mother told her.
February 26th, 2025. Marion Deeds | World Wide Wednesday | no comments |
A Conventional Boy by Charles Stross
I haven’t read a LAUNDRY FILES story in at least a couple of years. Charles Stross’s latest, 2025’s A Conventional Boy, is a fun novella and a nice welcome back to the series. The book is filled out by two short stories, “Overtime” and “Down on the Farm,” featuring Bob Howard. It was great to spend time with Bob again, but Derek Reilly, the protagonist of A Conventional Boy, was the real star.
The charge of Britain’s “Laundry,” a part of their intelligence and security services,
February 24th, 2025. Marion Deeds´s rating: 4.5 | Charles Stross | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
Nationally, scientists are gathering to determine how to publish the comprehensive Nature Assessment report, which was ready for publication earlier this month before the current administration stalled it.
The U.K. Guardian reports that Julianne Moore’s kids’ book Freckleface Strawberry, has been included in a wave of books censored due to an executive order signed by the president. The order bans certain books banned during a “compliance review” in schools that serve children of military families. The book is about a little girl who hates her freckles,
February 19th, 2025. Marion Deeds | World Wide Wednesday | no comments |
Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett
When the third book in Heather Fawcett’s EMILY WILDE series opens, the irascible scholar Emily and her lover, the faerie prince and erstwhile scholar Wendell Bambleby have entered his realm and intend to reclaim the throne, after Emily deposed his usurper stepmother in the second book. Emily is far from optimistic about this plan, since the court is filled with traitors and those still loyal to the usurper queen. When Wendell bests his uncle Taran in a contest,
February 18th, 2025. Marion Deeds´s rating: 4.5 | Heather Fawcett | SFF Reviews | no comments |
This American Medical Association site is a good resource for information on avian flu. Currently at least three reports scheduled for publication by the CDC are being stalled by the administration, and the Centers’ most recent weekly report had avian flu data removed from it.
Tongayi Charisa (Crispin) and Alyssa Jirells (Moira) talk about their characters in Mayfair Witches, Season Two, on AMC. Variety has some images from the new season.
Reactor offered a nice column on why we need fantasy forests.
February 12th, 2025. Marion Deeds | World Wide Wednesday | 1 comment |
Daughters of Chaos by Jen Fawkes
Daughters of Chaos, by Jen Fawkes, came out in 2024. This literary feminist novel plays with layers, offers interesting characters and exquisite descriptions. The germ of the story is a fascinating real-life situation during the American Civil War. The city of Nashville, Tennessee, was occupied by Union troops. The military governor of the occupation grew concerned for the strength of his army and the security of the occupied city when Union soldiers began to get sick from syphilis.
February 10th, 2025. Marion Deeds´s rating: 3.5 | Jen Fawkes | Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | no comments |
The Book of Elsewhere by Keanu Reeves & China Miéville
You, he thought as it drew back its right left fist, its agglomerated fistmass, on a farrago of an arm, on a stitchwork welter of a shoulder.
2024’s collaboration between acting icon Keanu Reeves and prose icon China Miéville delivers lots of thrills. The Book of Elsewhere, which follows the adventures of a nearly-unkillable warrior, is based on a character created by Reeves in his comic book, BRZRKR.
February 7th, 2025. Marion Deeds´s rating: 3.5 | China Mieville | Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Here are some downloadable datasets from NOAA.
File770 has an article about new Marvel variant covers which features the brand’s heroes in traditional Japanese clothing. I don’t know what I think about all of them, but Venom in a kimono is eye-catching.
Locus’s always-useful Recommended Reading list is out.
I’m getting ready to read Opacity by Sofia Samatar, so this article in Reactor about reading writing about writing was timely and interesting.
More fallout from the sexual abuse allegations against Neil Gaiman,
February 5th, 2025. Marion Deeds | World Wide Wednesday | 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…