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On a faraway planet with a dense jungle ecosystem, a human colony ship accidentally landed generations ago. The planet killed all but a few hardy survivors and their offspring evolved, along with the jungle, into a symbiotic pseudo-human race.
A man named Born is one of the descendants of those few humans. In his early manhood, he is eager to prove himself a mighty hunter and a desirable mate for a girl he has a crush on. Among his people, who live in the trees,
February 27th, 2019. Kat Hooper´s rating: 3.5 | Alan Dean Foster | Audio, Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | no comments |
A Voice in the Night by Jack McDevitt
Jack McDevitt is one of the numerous authors whose work I know because my dad said, “Hey, read this!” In McDevitt’s case, the “this” was The Engines of God. Having thus been introduced to recurring protagonist Priscilla Hutchins, I read several others of McDevitt’s novels and I’ve always enjoyed them. So I was interested to pick up this book of short stories to see how McDevitt does them.
Overall, I think I prefer McDevitt’s work at novel length;
February 20th, 2019. Nathan Okerlund´s rating: 3.5 | Jack McDevitt | Short Fiction | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
Gates of Stone by Angus Macallan
Angus Macallan turns in a solid if somewhat overly familiar fantasy story in Gates of Stone (2019), the first in a series entitled LORD OF THE ISLANDS. What saves the book from sinking in that familiarity, though, are some interesting characters and a less-familiar setting/mythos.
The novel follows four characters in mostly separated story lines, though they do cross paths now and then before the stories converge. In one, sixteen-year-old Princess Katerina, robbed of what she thinks was her rightful place as heir to the Empire of the Ice-Bear (think ancient Russia) and married off to a Southron prince,
February 19th, 2019. Bill Capossere´s rating: 3.5 | Angus Macallan | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
First Lensman by E. E. “Doc” Smith
Although a fairly direct sequel to Triplanetary, which is now almost universally regarded as the opening salvo in E. E. “Doc” Smith’s famed LENSMAN series, Book 2, perhaps misleadingly titled First Lensman, was actually the last of the six books comprising this most famous of all Golden Age space operas to be written. As I mentioned in my review of Book 1, Smith had originally written Books 3 through 6 over the 13-year period 1934 –
February 15th, 2019. Sandy Ferber´s rating: 3.5 | E.E. "Doc" Smith | SFF Reviews | no comments |
They Shall Have Stars by James Blish
The optimism of Modernism expressed itself in a variety of fashions. Silver Age science fiction perhaps the grandest of them all, the infinite potential of technology was a playground which hundreds of writers rushed to frolic on. Jaunts to Mars, telekinetic communication, robot servants — a universe of ideas was the genre’s oyster. Space flight perhaps the most utilized trope, there was no shortage of schemes and inspiration about how mankind could achieve the stars. Approaching in realist mode (chronologically, that is), James Blish and his CITIES IN FLIGHT sequence posited that discoveries in mathematics and solar system exploration would be the ticket to the galaxy.
February 15th, 2019. Jesse Hudson´s rating: 3.5 | James Blish | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Cassie Blake is distraught when her mother decides to uproot to the small town of New Salem in order to take care of a grandmother who Cassie had never even met before. But that is only the start of her problems. Starting a new school, trying to make new friends — and discovering that some of the people she would most like to befriend are all part of some secret Club that Cassie is not permitted to join. Then a girl dies and Cassie is finally initiated into the Secret Circle,
February 14th, 2019. Amanda Rutter (guest) and Kelly Lasiter´s rating: 3.5 | L.J. Smith | Young Adult | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Empress is another one of Mark Millar’s big-action comics. It’s about Earth’s first rulers, long ago, when apparently they had technology beyond anything we could imagine. The Empress, Emporia, lives with a terrible husband, King Morax, who is all-powerful and likes to express that power by killing his people for the smallest possible infraction. This story is about her escape from the misery of his company as she goes on the run with her family across the galaxy.
The story is fairly simple and lacks the complexity of Millar’s best work.
February 9th, 2019. Brad Hawley´s rating: 3.5 | Mark Millar | Comics | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield
Diane Setterfield offers up a great premise and a heaping sense of atmosphere in her newest novel, Once Upon a River (2018), but while the book offers up plenty of satisfying moments, I felt it fell short of its potential and was also somewhat marred by Setterfield’s lack of trust in her readers, though both of those complaints are admittedly more subjective than my typical criticism, so more than usual, one’s mileage may vary here.
As for that wholly engrossing premise,
February 4th, 2019. Bill Capossere and Tadiana Jones´s rating: 3.5 | Diane Setterfield | Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | 3 comments |
A Different Flesh by Harry Turtledove
A Different Flesh (1988), by Harry Turtledove, is a thoughtful collection of linked stories set in an alternate America which was inhabited by a hairy upright-walking sub-human species (homo erectus) when European settlers arrived. The settlers call them “sims.” The earliest story is set in 1610 and the last one in 1988 and, as the stories progress through time, we see the sims become more and more advanced, but it is clear that they will never reach the level of cognition that homo sapiens has achieved.
January 30th, 2019. Kat Hooper´s rating: 3.5 | Harry Turtledove | Audio, Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
The Gutter Prayer by Gareth Hanrahan
The first instalment in Gareth Hanrahan’s THE BLACK IRON LEGACY is a bit like an avalanche: The Gutter Prayer (2019) starts out slowly and a tad scattershot, taking about 150 – 200 pages to build momentum, but when everything falls into place, it becomes an onslaught, picking up speed over the next 300 or so pages before crashing to a breathless finish.
Within the ancient coastal city of Guerdon, citizens maintain an air of normalcy,
January 30th, 2019. Jana Nyman´s rating: 3.5 | Gareth Hanrahan | SFF Reviews | no comments |
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!
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…