This novella from one of the proponents of “cozy” sci-fi was impressive in both scope and fullness. We follow the perspective of Ariadne, an engineer/scientist who’s part of a 4-person crew of explorers being sent by Earth to reach and study distant planets. As we get to know the four scientists waking up from the…
Tag: science-fiction
Rogue Protocol (The Murderbot Diaries, Book 3) by Martha Wells – Book Review
This is the third novella in a series about the adventures of a security cyborg (self-nicknamed “Murderbot”) who freed themselves from their restrictive programming and are able to find their own way in the universe. It’s a bit challenging to discuss this third book, not because it’s part of a continuity of stories throughout a…
Elder Race by Adrian Tchaikovsky – Book Review
Adrian Tchaikovsky’s novella, Elder Race, plays around with a concept that sci-fi fans are likely familiar with from author Arthur C. Clarke’s highly resonant quote that “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic”. It starts out as an epic fantasy story where a young princess, Lynesse Fourth Daughter, climbs a forbidden peak to seek…
Tales From The Loop, written and illustrated by Simon Stålenhag — Book Review
This is the third Simon Stålenhag book I’ve experienced this year (and I’ve actually got one more on loan from the library, so another review should be coming soon). I’ve loved them all, but sadly, I got to these books out of order. This book should have been the first one (and I already read…
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel – Book Review
Any post-apocalyptic story was going to start out behind the ball for me, as I am not a fan. However, this one was written by acclaimed Canadian author Emily St. John Mandel, it’s one of Barack Obama’s faves, and has already been adapted for TV, so there’s a lot to like even before reading it….
The Nice House on the Lake by James Tynion IV (art by Álvaro Martínez Bueno) – Graphic Novel Review
The creepy covers of this comic book series suggest something dark, macabre and scary — perfect for spooky season. However, what we have is a Lost style mystery box where a group of 12 individuals are invited by their mutual friend, Walter, to a luxuriously nice house by the lake. It doesn’t take long before…
Plunge by Joe Hill (art by Stuart Immonen) – Graphic Novel Review
I’ve been having a fun spooky season so far this year, and wanted to continue with a sci-fi graphic novel series with some Lovecraftian cosmic horror mixed in. However, I was a bit nervous about this one because it is the brainchild of famous horror scion Joe Hill. I had previously tried out his classic…
Artificial Condition (The Murderbot Diaries, Book 2) by Martha Wells – Book Review
I enjoyed the first book in this popular series (along with the first season of the Apple TV+ show). So I was excited to follow Murderbot on more sardonic adventures. This time around they get unintentionally partnered with a ship’s AI system which Murderbot humorously nicknames “ART” (for “Asshole Research Transport”) and takes a quest…
The Stone Man (Book 1) by Luke Smitherd – Book Review
When a gigantic stone behemoth appears in the middle of Millennium Square in Coventry, UK, it’s a photo op. When the stone man starts to move and walk relentlessly on its own, leaving a path of destruction in its wake, you’ve got an exciting sci-fi mystery. We follow reporter Andy Pointer, himself a witness at…
Alvin's Adventures in Pop Culture 