Previous SFF Author: C.M. Eddy_Jr
In our Edge of the Universe column, we review mainstream authors that incorporate elements of speculative fiction into their “literary” work. However you want to label them, we hope you’ll enjoy discussing these books with us.
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami
I have just finished reading Haruki Murakami’s What I Talk About When I Talk About Running for the fifth time. I love this book, and although I wouldn’t say it’s the greatest book ever written, it may be my favorite book ever written.
At the title suggests, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running is a series of essays and memoirs, mostly centering on running.
November 18th, 2015. Ryan Skardal´s rating: 5 | Haruki Murakami | Edge, Non-fiction, Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | 9 comments |
The Terminal Beach by J.G. Ballard
J.G. Ballard is best known for his autobiographical novel Empire of the Sun (1984), along with his early novels like The Drowned World (1962), The Crystal World (1964), The Atrocity Exhibition (1970), Crash (1973), Concrete Island (1974), and High-Rise (1975). But many consider his best work to be his huge catalog of short stories,
October 21st, 2015. Stuart Starosta´s rating: 4 | J.G. Ballard | Edge, Short Fiction, Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
If you had the chance, would you live in a massive, 1,000-unit luxury high-rise with its own supermarket, liquor shop, schools, pools, gyms, etc.? Instead of living in some dreary suburb with boring, prosaic neighbors, why not join an elite group of young and successful professionals, like-minded and sophisticated, with immaculate taste and superb social connections? Who wouldn’t jump at the chance to join the elite upper echelons of society? This is the scenario that J.G. Ballard creates in High-Rise (1975),
October 16th, 2015. Stuart Starosta and Kat Hooper´s rating: 5 | J.G. Ballard | Audio, Edge, Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | 17 comments |
Concrete Island by J.G. Ballard
In the early 1970s, J.G. Ballard was busily creating modern fables of mankind’s increasingly urban environment and the alienating effect on the human psyche. Far from humans yearning to return to their agrarian and hunter-gatherer roots, Ballard posited that modern man would begin to adapt to his newly-created environment, but at what price? Ballard’s protagonists in Crash (1973), Concrete Island (1974), and High-Rise (1975) are modern, urbane creatures, educated and detached,
October 14th, 2015. Stuart Starosta´s rating: 3.5 | J.G. Ballard | Audio, Edge, Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
Two Years, Eight Months, and Twenty-Eight Nights by Salman Rushdie
From the moment I started listening to Salman Rushdie’s new book, Two Years, Eight Months, and Twenty-Eight Nights, I was enchanted. I wasn’t sure what to expect, not ever having read a Rushdie book before, but his leisurely, indirect storytelling style reminded me of a fairy or folk tale, like the 1001 Nights that Rushdie cleverly takes his title from.
Two Years, Eight Months, and Twenty-Eight Nights tells the story of the jinnia Dunia,
October 12th, 2015. Kate Lechler´s rating: 4 | Salman Rushdie | Audio, Edge, Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | 6 comments |
Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne
Et quacumque viam dederit fortuna sequamur
– And whatever route fortune gives, we shall follow
This IS your great-great-great-grandfather’s adventure story, so reader beware. There’s a lot of walking, a lot of exposition, and quite frankly, not a lot of action. But keep in mind… this is an original. Our modern day sensibilities expect high action out of our adventure stories: monsters, critters, thrill-a-minute. But in a much different time when society was in a much different state,
October 9th, 2015. Jason Golomb´s rating: 3.5 | Jules Verne | Edge | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
The Crystal World by J.G. Ballard
The Crystal World (1966) is J.G. Ballard’s third apocalyptic work in which he destroys civilization, the other two being The Burning World (1964) and The Drowned World (1962). It seems he likes the elements, having employed floods, draughts, and now crystallization. The process somewhat resembles Ice-9 in Kurt Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle (1963), but there is no ironic humor to be found in this book as far I could tell.
October 7th, 2015. Stuart Starosta´s rating: 2.5 | J.G. Ballard | Audio, Edge, Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | 3 comments |
The Drowned World by J.G. Ballard
The Drowned World (1962) is J.G. Ballard’s best apocalyptic work, the other two being The Burning World (1964) and The Crystal World (1966), but if you are thinking of an action-packed adventure where a plucky group of survivors clings to decency amid the collapse of civilization, this is the wrong book. Ballard was interested in ‘inner space,’ and while he sometimes adopted SF tropes in his books and short stories, his works most often featured natural disasters,
October 2nd, 2015. Stuart Starosta´s rating: 4 | J.G. Ballard | Audio, Edge, Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | 6 comments |
The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley
In our Edge of the Universe column, we review mainstream authors that incorporate elements of speculative fiction into their “literary” work. However you want to label them, we hope you’ll enjoy discussing these books with us.
The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley is a charming character-driven novel that is just the sort I often love. I didn’t quite fall all the way for this one, but I absolutely enjoyed it despite a few niggling complaints and happily recommend it.
July 10th, 2015. Bill Capossere, Kate Lechler and Ray McKenzie´s rating: 4 | Natasha Pulley | Edge | SFF Reviews | 6 comments |
Dawn of the Algorithm by Yann Rousselot
Dawn of the Algorithm is a collection of 33 poems by Yann Rousselot that take a wryly dark look at humanity — mostly our faults — through the lens of science fiction tropes, most pulled from pop culture. We’ve got AIs, giant monsters, depressed T-Rex’s, aliens, and loads of references to anime, science fiction films and fiction. It’s a collection that should have been right up my alley, but though it has its moments, I just didn’t connect with much of it,
June 10th, 2015. Bill Capossere´s rating: 2 | Yann Rousselot | Edge | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
Previous SFF Author: C.M. Eddy_Jr
What a fascinating exploration of Edwige Fenech's contributions to the giallo genre! I love how the post highlights her unique…
Pretty challenging book. Cut by half, speed up the cadence. Trying to figure out the plot, the main point of…
Thanks for the kind words, Marion! Coming as they are from a professional writer, they are much appreciated!
Wonderful review, Sandy.
The "body count" bothered me a bit less because being dead seemed more like an inconvenience than anything else... unlike…