The Mallet of Loving Correction by John Scalzi
The Mallet of Loving Correction is a second collection of blog postings from John Scalzi’s well-known blog, the Whatever. Scalzi’s previous collection, Your Hate Mail will be Graded, won a Hugo.
Before I comment on the content of the “Mallet”, I just want to say that in addition to his Hugos and his Nebulas and countless other awards, Scalzi should win some kind of prize just for his industriousness. He publishes several works of prose,
October 16th, 2013. Marion Deeds´s rating: 4 | John Scalzi | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
On the back of my copy of Extremities, a new collection of horror by David Lubar, the author bluntly states, “This is not a book for children. Let me clear about that.” Because much of his other work is so clearly aimed at children, I can see why Lubar feels the need to highlight this. Especially as there are some references to drugs and some graphic violence. But while I agree the book isn’t for “children,” I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone much older thirteen or fourteen,
October 7th, 2013. Bill Capossere´s rating: 2.5 | David Lubar | Horror, Short Fiction | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
How the World Became Quiet: Myths of the Past, Present, and Future by Rachel Swirsky
I don’t read a lot of short stories, so it isn’t surprising that Rachel Swirsky wasn’t on my radar. Stories and novellas are what she is best known for. Subterranean Press has gathered 18 of her works into this collection, How the World Became Quiet.
Swirsky also writes poetry, which explains both her precise use of prose and her mastery of tone. This collection ranges from masterworks to pieces that are,
September 26th, 2013. Marion Deeds´s rating: 4.5 | Rachel Swirsky | Nebula Award, Short Fiction | SFF Reviews | 5 comments |
The One-Eyed Man: A Fugue, With Winds and Accompaniment by L.E. Modesitt Jr
I am a big fan of Modesitt’s science fiction work, even when he gets on his political soap box for gender, socially progressive politics, and environmental issues. The One-Eyed Man is a solo novel that encompasses all of these topics, but this time there is almost a feeling of cynicism that I really enjoyed.
Paulo Verano is an idealistic Environmental Analyst who has just been taken to the cleaners. In a scene that is familiar to many,
September 17th, 2013. John Hulet´s rating: 2.5 | L.E. Modesitt_Jr | Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | no comments |
The White Forest by Adam McOmber
“It was in the flow of that great primordium that I saw something astonishing – a final vision: a vast and wild image of myself.”
In The White Forest, Adam McOmber attempts a Victorian-style thriller, a spooky gothic in the style of Henry James. The story follows three young people on London’s Hampstead Heath, during or shortly after the Crimean War. Nathan Ashe is a young aristocrat, a gentleman, always curious, whose seeking has become more desperate since he has returned from the war.
September 11th, 2013. Marion Deeds´s rating: 4 | Adam McOmber | Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
I want to live in Sarah Beth Durst’s brain. Every time I turn around, she has a new book out, and it’s completely different from the last one. Her imagination is seemingly boundless. Another thing I appreciate about her books is that they stand alone. Don’t get me wrong, I like a good series as much as the next girl, but there’s also something to be said for a self-contained novel.
Laini Taylor, author of Daughter of Smoke and Bone,
September 6th, 2013. Kelly Lasiter´s rating: 4 | Sarah Beth Durst | Stand-Alone, Young Adult | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
The Lost Kingdom by Matthew Kirby
Matthew Kirby set himself a pretty high bar with his first two YA books. Both The Clockwork Three and Icefall made it onto my top ten list for Fantasy Literature their respective years, and Icefall I would have put on my top ten list of books that year, fantasy or not. So when I say that his third book, The Lost Kingdom, doesn’t quite match up,
September 2nd, 2013. Bill Capossere´s rating: 3.5 | Matthew Kirby | Children, Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
The Returned, by Jason Mott, is a solid enough novel, capably told for the most part, but which nonetheless left me feeling unsatisfied in that it seemed like it just didn’t quite meet up with its full potential. The premise is pretty simple to sum up: one day the dead start returning, seemingly wholly alive (this is not a zombie novel). While this obviously will have major societal and global ramifications, The Returned is almost exclusively focused on the much more personal impact this mystifying event has on a small town and a handful of people.
August 27th, 2013. Bill Capossere´s rating: 3.5 | Jason Mott | Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | no comments |
The World of the End by Ofir Touché Gafla
The World of the End, by Ofir Touché Gafla is one of those post-death stories where much of the plot takes place in an after-life of some sort (think Hungry Bones, Defending Your Life, The Brief History of the Dead, etc.). Generally, I find these sort of explorations pretty intriguing, partially because I like seeing what sort of strange take on the afterlife authors come up and partially because I like the exploration of how people respond to a new “life” once the old one has passed.
August 26th, 2013. Bill Capossere´s rating: 2.5 | Ofir Touché Gafla | Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Man in the Empty Suit by Sean Ferrell
The protagonist in Sean Ferrell’s Man in the Empty Suit has seen and done it all. Thanks to his ability to travel in time, he’s cruised all the way up and down the course of human history. There’s not much that’ll get him excited anymore. Every year, he travels to the year 2071, the 100th anniversary of his own birth, to celebrate his birthday with dozens of younger and older versions of himself. It’s the world’s most exclusive party: only he and other versions of himself are invited.
August 20th, 2013. Stefan Raets´s rating: 0.1 | Sean Ferrell | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
This book made no sense to me at all. I was hoping for some explanations at the end but it…
Oh, Marion, you say "but dark" as if it were a bad thing! 😂
Hammer Studios is... reborn? I only ever read the "Kane" stories, which I found good but dark. It's a little…
Oh...and the men used the name "The Great Northern Expedition" to throw people off as to their actual destination, even…
Oh, it IS, Marion! It is!