The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
I’ll start by saying that I’m not hugely familiar with Neil Gaiman’s work. I’ve read Stardust and watched his two Doctor Who episodes… and that’s it. At first I wasn’t sure whether or not to absorb more of his work before tackling The Ocean at the End of the Lane, but decided against it for the sake of a fresh perspective. So consider this a review from someone who has very few preconceptions about Gaiman’s style and themes.
August 31st, 2016. Rebecca Fisher, Marion Deeds, Kelly Lasiter, Tadiana Jones and Stuart Starosta | Neil Gaiman | Audio, Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | 13 comments |
Half in Shadow by Mary Elizabeth Counselman
In my review of Jessie Douglas Kerruish‘s The Undying Monster, I warned readers away from the British publishing outfit known as Flame Tree 451, because of the company’s slapdash manner of proofreading and editing its products. But just as there are some publishers that should be avoided, there exist others whose books might be safely recommended just by virtue of the company’s imprint itself. Such a one, for me, is Arkham House,
October 30th, 2015. Sandy Ferber´s rating: 5 | Mary Elizabeth Counselman | Horror, Short Fiction | SFF Reviews | 4 comments |
Glory Road by Robert A. Heinlein
So what does an author do after writing one of the most beloved science fiction novels of all time and in the process picking up his third out of an eventual four Hugo awards? That was precisely the conundrum that future sci-fi Grand Master Robert A. Heinlein faced in 1962, after winning the Hugo for Stranger in a Strange Land, and he responded to the problem by switching gears a bit. His follow-up novel, Glory Road,
October 23rd, 2015. Sandy Ferber and Kat Hooper´s rating: 2, 4 | Robert A. Heinlein | Audio, Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | 9 comments |
The Undying Monster by Jessie Douglas Kerruish
It was around five years ago that I had the pleasure of watching the 1942 horror thriller The Undying Monster on DVD. I was moderately impressed with the film, enough to write the following:
“B material given A execution” is how film historian Drew Casper describes 20th Century Fox’s first horror movie, 1942’s The Undying Monster, in one of the DVD’s extras, and dang if the man hasn’t described this movie to a T. The film,
October 12th, 2015. Sandy Ferber´s rating: 4 | Jessie Douglas Kerruish | Film / TV, Horror | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
We’re very excited to have novelist and short story writer Seth Dickinson here with us today. Most recently, Seth is the author of the short stories Kumara, Anna Saves Them All, and Sekhmet the Dying Gnosis: A Computation and the novel The Traitor Baru Cormorant (my review here), set to be published September 15th by Tor. Seth writes humorous and intriguing posts on his blog.
September 1st, 2015. Kevin Wei | Seth Dickinson | Author Interviews, Giveaway! | 30 comments |
Bending Steel: Modernity and the American Superhero by Aldo J. Regaldo
Bending Steel: Modernity and the American Superhero, by Aldo J. Regaldo, is another entry in the getting-crowded field of cultural analysis of superheroes/comics. I can’t say Regaldo offers a lot that is new here, especially in some of the examinations of specific well-plumbed comics, but Bending Steel still has a lot to offer as it is a well-organized, clearly and often sharply written exploration of the topic with lucid,
August 12th, 2015. Bill Capossere´s rating: 4 | Comics, Non-fiction | SFF Reviews | 3 comments |
The Einstein Intersection by Samuel R. Delany
It doesn’t get any more New Wave SF than this very slim 1968 Nebula-winning novel (157 pages), and it’s hard to imagine anything like this being written today. The Einstein Intersection is a mythical retelling of the Orpheus and Eurydice story in a far-future Earth populated by the mutated remnants of humanity. Being a Samuel R. Delany book, the writing is disjointed, jazzy, lyrical, playful, and tantalizing. The surface events are fairly obscure, but it’s clear that the real narrative is buried beneath,
July 2nd, 2015. Stuart Starosta´s rating: 2 | Samuel R. Delany | Nebula Award, Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
On this day in 1373, Julian of Norwich was struck with a serious illness and, as she awaited death, she had 16 visions of the Passion of Christ and the Virgin Mary. In one of these visions, she saw the entire universe held in her hand, as small as a hazelnut.
Writing, Editing, and Publishing:
There will be a Nebula Awards mass autographing in Chicago; check out all the great authors who will be in attendance!
The Shirley Jackson Awards nominees for “outstanding achievement in the literature of psychological suspense,
May 13th, 2015. Kate Lechler | World Wide Wednesday | 5 comments |
The Comic Book Film Adaptation: Exploring Modern Hollywood’s Leading Genre by Liam Burke
The Comic Book Film Adaptation: Exploring Modern Hollywood’s Leading Genre, by Liam Burke, is a scholarly look at the comic book movie genre, examining why these movies became so popular since the turn of the new century as well as the various elements than can be said to constitute the genre. Burke also discusses the question of fidelity to the original source material and how that fidelity has lately been affected by the rise of mass fan culture.
March 21st, 2015. Bill Capossere´s rating: 5 | Comics | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
The Magician’s Land by Lev Grossman
The Magician’s Land, by Lev Grossman, is a superb finish to what is one of my favorite fantasy series of all time. I read it elated, skin tingling and brain buzzing, savoring every word to make it last longer. When I finished, I wanted to read it again immediately. And yet, I also finished the book feeling a persistent ambivalence about the conclusion Grossman has created for his characters.
In The Magician’s Land,
August 5th, 2014. Kate Lechler, Bill Capossere, Ryan Skardal and Ray McKenzie´s rating: 5 | Lev Grossman | SFF Reviews | 4 comments |
I felt just the same. The prose and character work was excellent. The larger story was unsatisfying, especially compared to…
Hmmm. I think I'll pass.
COMMENT Was I hinting that? I wasn't aware of it. But now that you mention it.... 🤔
So it sounds like you're hinting Fox may have had three or so different incomplete stories that he stitched together,…
It's hardly a private conversation, Becky. You're welcome to add your 2 cents anytime!