The King of the Dead by Frank Aubrey
As I have written elsewhere, Armchair Fiction’s current 24-book Lost World/Lost Race series is a godsend for all readers who enjoy this particular subgenre of fantastic literature, as jump-started and popularized by English author H. Rider Haggard in the mid-1880s. I’ve recently written about two of these 24, David Douglas’ The Silver God of the Orang Hutan and John Taine’s The Purple Sapphire,
August 13th, 2019. Sandy Ferber´s rating: 4.5 | Frank Aubrey | Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | 5 comments |
The Purple Sapphire by John Taine
In the Rare Book Room in NYC bookstore extraordinaire The Strand there has resided, for quite some time now, a volume that I have greatly wanted to acquire. The book in question is Scottish author John Taine’s very first novel, The Purple Sapphire, which was first released by E. P. Dutton & Co. as a hardcover in 1924 … the same year that Dutton released Russian author Yevgeny Zamyatin’s now-classic dystopian book We.
July 12th, 2019. Sandy Ferber´s rating: 3.5 | John Taine | Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
An Earthman on Venus (aka The Radio Man) by Ralph Milne Farley
Sometimes, it seems, a man must go through any number of occupations before hitting on the one for which he will be best remembered. Take, for example, the case of Massachusetts-born Roger Sherman Hoar, who, before he turned 37, was an assistant attorney general and state senator, taught classes in engineering and math, and wrote books about patent, tariff and Constitutional law; after moving to the Midwest, Hoar would also become a state senator in Wisconsin.
July 3rd, 2019. Sandy Ferber´s rating: 4 | Ralph Milne Farley | SFF Reviews | 15 comments |
The Scarlet Plague by Jack London
Editor’s note: Because it’s in the public domain, it’s easy to find an inexpensive electronic copy of this book.
By the time Jack London released his post-apocalyptic novel The Scarlet Plague in 1912, the author was 36 years old — just four years shy of his premature passing in 1916 — and yet had already managed to cram in more incident and adventure into those three dozen years than most folks do in their lifetime.
April 24th, 2018. Sandy Ferber´s rating: 4 | Jack London | Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
Gulliver of Mars by Edwin L. Arnold
Editor’s note: Because it’s in the public domain, Gulliver of Mars is free in Kindle format.
On those rare occasions when it is discussed at all today, British author Edwin L. Arnold’s final book, Lt. Gullivar Jones: His Vacation, is primarily spoken of as a possible influence on Edgar Rice Burroughs’ John Carter novels. But this, it seems to me,
March 21st, 2018. Sandy Ferber´s rating: 4 | Edwin L. Arnold | Free!, Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | 9 comments |
Here are our favorite books published in 2017. Hover over the cover to see who recommends each book. Click on the cover to read our review.
Please keep in mind that we did not read every SFF book published this year, so we know we’ve missed some good ones! Please add your comments — we’d love to hear your opinions about our list and to know which were YOUR favorite books of 2017. What did we miss? One commenter chooses a book from our stacks.
ADULT SFF
MIDDLE GRADE / YOUNG ADULT SFF
ANTHOLOGIES / COLLECTIONS
NON-FICTION
December 28th, 2017. FanLit | Best of the Year, Thoughtful Thursday | 30 comments |
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.
“A Recipe for Magic” by Kat Howard and Fran Wilde (2017, free at Barnes & Noble Sci-Fi & Fantasy blog, free to download for Nook)
“A Recipe for Magic,” co-written by Kat Howard and Fran Wilde, features a curious kind of shop: at the Night and Day Bakery, magic spells are baked directly into pastries and confections,
November 13th, 2017. Jana Nyman, Tadiana Jones and Marion Deeds | Fran Wilde, Kat Howard, Neil Gaiman, Philip K. Dick | Horror, Short Fiction | SFF Reviews | 3 comments |
Slugfest: Inside the Epic, 50-year Battle Between Marvel and DC by Reed Tucker
Once upon a time, Reed Tucker reminds us in Slugfest: Inside the Epic, 50-year Battle Between Marvel and DC, comic book fans might come to blows over the great dividing question of their time: Are you Marvel or DC? This may seem a strange debate for those who are now living through what could easily be called the Age of Marvel, as their ubiquitous heroes dominate our screens both large or small. It’s nearly impossible,
October 2nd, 2017. Bill Capossere´s rating: 4.5 | Non-fiction | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
Baltimore, or, The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire by Mike Mignola & Christopher Golden
On a cold autumn night, under a black sky leached of starlight and absent the moon, Captain Henry Baltimore clutches his rifle and stares across the dark abyss of the battlefield, and knows in his heart that these are the torture fields of Hell, and damnation awaits mere steps ahead.
Baltimore, or, The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire (2008) is a darkly poetic story of supernatural horrors unleashed during World War One.
March 23rd, 2017. Jason Golomb´s rating: 3.5 | Christopher Golden, Mike Mignola | Horror, Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | 3 comments |
The Proverbs of Middle-Earth by David Rowe
The Proverbs of Middle-Earth is a smart, readable literary analysis of J.R.R. Tolkien’s use of proverbs in his worlds of Middle-Earth, including The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and (less so) The Silmarillion. If you’re a passionate fan of Tolkien, you’ll absolutely adore this book. Period. If you love the Peter Jackson films,
February 13th, 2017. Jason Golomb´s rating: 5 | J.R.R. Tolkien | Non-fiction | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
I had it on my list to reread (which means I looked over at the bookcase one night, saw it…
Marion, I'm saving James (and Orbital) for after my semester ends so I can devote my undivided attention to them.…
Susan, glad you enjoyed. Samuel Jackson should absolutely play him in the movie!
Troy, 100% agreed. Sadly the BBC adaptation is also confused about this. They seem to think Orciny is some kind…
Hey Marion! The weather is the *same* in Ul Qoma and Beszel in the novel. They even have a recurring…