Science Fiction
Sci-fi novels are speculative stories with imagined elements that don’t exist in the real world. Some are inspired by “hard” natural sciences like physics, chemistry, and astronomy; others are inspired by “soft” social sciences like psychology, anthropology, and sociology. Common elements of sci-fi novels include time travel, space exploration, and futuristic societies.
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Book Review: Starter Villain
I dove straight into Starter Villain just after closing the third book in John Scalzi's "The Dispatcher" series. It wasn't too much of a jolt, as the author's voice is so strong in…
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Book Review: The Dispatcher #2, Murder by Other Means
I love how Scalzi created a concept and then explores all its possibilities. I was darkly amused by the entertainment possibilities of experiencing death just for the thrill of it.
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Book Review: The Dispatcher
A big concept in a small story. That ratio is perfect, since we the readers are expected to not only accept an absurd phenomenon, but embrace it. We're not alone though, as the…
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Book Review: Divinity 36
Divinity 36 by Gail Carriger My rating: 5 of 5 stars Is there anything more frustrating than enjoying the first book of a series, only to then find out that the rest of…
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Book Review: Ansible 15715
A story so powerful and horror-filled that I'm grateful it was only 21 pages. But it served its purpose by showing us the extreme downside of a technology that allows travel to other…
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Book Review: The Far Reaches Collection
The “Amazon Original Stories” series presents groups of short stories by a variety of authors that are, according to Amazon, “made to be binged, just like your favorite podcast or television show”.
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Book Review: Quarter Share
I was recommended this book, as I have a reputation amongst friends and family for liking happy endings and hopeful plotlines. Quarter Share has that. But its optimistic outlook isn't enough to support…
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Book Review: Odds Against (Aces High, Jokers Wild Book 7)
I wouldn’t be conforming to acceptable standards if I wrote a review that recommended a different book. But in the spirit of the Wildcards, I am going to risk insubordination and do what…
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Book Review: On Earth as It Is on Television
If you set up two television screens side-by-side, then simultaneously watch National Lampoon's Vacation on one and Close Encounters of the Third Kind on the other, while snacking on a pound of crispy…
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Book Review: The Lathe of Heaven
My introduction to The Lathe of Heaven was through the 1980 WNET (public television) film starring Bruce Davison, Kevin Conway, and Margaret Avery. I was blown away by the concepts presented and immediately…
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Book Review: Tempus Fugit – The Engagement Ring
Bravely written in second person, past tense, Jules Pelarski’s The Engagement Ring addresses you, the reader, as the protagonist. You’ll be told what’s happening to you and what’s going on all around you…
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Book Review: Frontier
Told in a series of vignettes and interludes, the story begins in the future on a ruined, mostly-abandoned Earth. The sparse population that remains struggles to survive in spite of a corrupt justice…
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Book Review: One Giant Leap
One Giant Leap by Ben Gartner My rating: 5 of 5 stars “I’m pretty sure I’m about to die in space. And I just turned twelve and a half.” is how Finley “Fin”…
- Anthology, Book Reviews, Dystopian, Fantasy, Poetry, Science Fiction, Short Stories, Speculative Fiction
Book Review: Bioluminescent: A Lunarpunk Anthology
I've highlighted my own standout tales. Your favorites will be your own to choose. Each story or poem has its own personality - the theme is often interpreted very loosely, which I like.
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Book Review: Acorn
I've been a dedicated reader of the Magnificent Devices series ever since the beginning. It's always fun when a new volume arrives, and Acorn is no exception.
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Book Review: Save the World
Having previously enjoyed Fix the World, I picked up its sister-book. The stories are very diverse, with some ideas I'd never entertained before.
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Book Review: Stargate: The Definitive History
While the book 'definitively' lives up to its title, it presents information that any of us with a search engine could have collected.
- Anthology, Book Reviews, Fantasy, Horror, LGBTQ+, Magical Realm, Science Fiction, Speculative Fiction
Book Review: Clarity
Clarity by J. Scott Coatsworth My rating: 5 of 5 stars How much story can possibly be told in only 300 words? Quite a lot, actually. It’s no small feat to take a…
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Book Review: Anika’s Gift
After reading and enjoying Over, I knew I'd be on board for the sequel. Over is a novel set on a dystopian Earth, a genre I've often enjoyed as a way to explore…
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Book Review: Fix the World
There's lots of ways to break the world, and plenty of diverse, interesting ways to fix it. There's twelve good examples in this engaging, enjoyable, extremely inclusive, joyously LBGTQ+ anthology
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Book Review: Crudrat
This charmer of a story highlights relationships between lifeforms, first and foremost. It's a YA story filled with intimate bonds that aren't romantic, family dynamics that are both adversarial and caring, and even…
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Book Review: Real Sugar is Hard to Find
Real Sugar is Hard to Find by Sim Kern My rating: 5 of 5 stars It’s always a good day when I add a new author to my ‘favorite writer’s’ list. Sim Kern’s…
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Book Review: It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over
It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over My review title might sound flippant, but honestly? I was still deep in that blissful bookworm state of 'what happens next?' right up to the last pages…
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Book Review: Ready Player Two
Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline My rating: 3 of 5 stars I loved Ready Player One. It hit all the marks for me, so of course—like most fans—I had high expectations for…
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Book Review: Deriving Life
During a social media conversation, I asked author Elizabeth Bear if she had ever written a story about cancer. She referred me to this story, saying (I'm paraphrasing here) that it wasn't exactly…
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Book Review: Girl Gone Viral
Girl Gone Viral by Arvin Ahmadi My rating: 3 of 5 stars Well, let’s get the comparison out of the way first – I’m calling this one a mashup of Ready, Player One…
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Book Review: Empty Cradle: Shiloh in the Circle
Empty Cradle: Shiloh in the Circle by Emmy Jackson My rating: 5 of 5 stars Most of the books I’ve read that deal with shapeshifters present their shifters as uniformly confident, enigmatic, powerful,…
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Book Review: Old Man’s War
Old Man’s War by John Scalzi My rating: 5 of 5 stars I used to read a lot more science fiction than I do these days. I keep nudging book recommendations aside, telling…
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Book Review: On Safari in R’lyeh and Carcosa with Gun and Camera
On Safari in R’lyeh and Carcosa with Gun and Camera: A Tor.com Original by Elizabeth Bear My rating: 5 of 5 stars Clever, unexpected story. I thought I knew were it was going……
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Book Review: Come Take Me
Come Take Me: A Celestial Satire by E. M. Skyler My rating: 4 of 5 stars Marshall M. Shmishkiss isn’t enjoying his life, but he’s taking steps to change it. He’s eating healthier,…
