The latest instalment of this franchise sees the team, individually at loose ends come together to go on a mission to sort of save the universe from..The latest instalment of this franchise sees the team, individually at loose ends come together to go on a mission to sort of save the universe from... capitalism! As each volume progresses the creative team steer more away from comedic-erotica and focus more on story, to no avail, in my opinion! Another Two Star read (4 out of 12) for this series from me. [image] 2024 read...more
The Expanse - short stories: Whilst writing the nine book The Expanse series the immensely creative duo of writers that make-up James S.A. Corey managThe Expanse - short stories: Whilst writing the nine book The Expanse series the immensely creative duo of writers that make-up James S.A. Corey managed to churn out these eight short stories / novellas all deeply embedded in The Expanse reality, covering 'back stories', 'what happened next' stories and 'in more detail' stories, all but one featuring supporting characters from the main series. I feel that most short story collections in book serials are just commercially minded space fillers, but yet again this creative team tops their peers with this great collection of shorts each with an afterword about the story's conception. This series / franchise should help to evolve sci-fi serial writing forever more. Overall an 8 out of 12 Four star read. [image] 2024 read...more
The Expanse - 9: Can humanity continue to be at war with itself when the threat first evident in the first book in this series, is now looking activelThe Expanse - 9: Can humanity continue to be at war with itself when the threat first evident in the first book in this series, is now looking actively at ways to wipe out the universe! If you haven't read the previous books in the series that sentence won't really mean anything to you. This immensely creative duo of writers that make-up James S.A. Corey kept their foot on the pedal for the last book of this momentous series, pulling together most of the strings of the previous eight books and somehow keeping me caring about the main cast decades after we first began reading about their lives. Easily one of the greatest English language sci-fi serials I've read. Now going to watch the TV show, before rereading it all again! 9 out of 12, futuristic Four Star read. [image] 2024 read...more
It is nigh impossible to talk about anything this far in this series that wouldn't be a spoiler for someone who hasn't read any of it, so I'll begin wIt is nigh impossible to talk about anything this far in this series that wouldn't be a spoiler for someone who hasn't read any of it, so I'll begin with my summary. Eight volumes in on a near-perfect series there's no way they can ruin it, and of course they don't. The disparate and desperate crew are truly up against it, and it really looks bleak for them all, until the alien tech flexes it muscles again! It's harder to swallow this volume with the cast as old as they are now, yet still being so swashbuckling, but asides from that, the world class reality and plot building continues in the familiar vein, that is superbly. 9 out of 12, fab Four Stars. Still the best sci-fi serial of them all! [image] (view spoiler)[One of the underlying beautiful things about this book is how the Protomolecule is used as the device that identifies the main characters, in that they have some sort of connection to it; and hence why in this eighth volume the antagonists, just as much as us readers are joined to our merry cast :). I feel that it is the long-form storytelling around this central theme of a time before humanity entire civilisation rose and fell, and left debris.. active debris! What will I do when I come to the end of all this? Umm, watch the entire TV show, and then get back to reading all of this again :) (hide spoiler)] [image] 2024 read...more
Early this year this superb writer became my favourite sci-fi novel writer after I read his super trilogy that starts with the The Three-Body Problem.Early this year this superb writer became my favourite sci-fi novel writer after I read his super trilogy that starts with the The Three-Body Problem.I didn't know what to expect with this collection of short stories / novellas, but yet again Cixin Liu shatters his peers, with an astounding number of innovative ground-breaking ideas perfectly executed. Here's just a few- an alien invasion of Earth from the view of a sniper assassin; the return of our 'gods/creators' who being immortal have forgotten how to work their own tech; and a combined effort by mankind to get the Earth to elude a apocalyptic solar flare. [image] It's hard to nail down what Cixin adds to his innovative concepts that makes his work so engaging and awe inspiring, personally I feel it is that everything he writes, no matter how futuristic, has a human touch. And I get how some can question is characterisations, but as his stories are so big, I accept that many of his leading characters are just representative of humanity itself? A superb novel writer turns out to also be a super short story and novella writer, a rarity in fiction, I'd say. [image] 2023 read...more
**spoiler alert** The Expanse - 7: Time stops for no one including our aging cast and the Expanse reality, an evolving reality where Mars and Earth's **spoiler alert** The Expanse - 7: Time stops for no one including our aging cast and the Expanse reality, an evolving reality where Mars and Earth's powers have waned as the new worlds call to the brave, young and ambitious, as well as those seeking release from the old powers. But this series just keeps on giving as the legacy of the alien tech first revealed in the very first book in this series sees a new power rise one that no one can compete against, is this the end of Earth-led civilisation! [image] This series further cements its position as likely the Western pinnacle of sci-fi writing in the 21st century as it creates a future humanity facing what tech so devastating it looks and feels like magic but is cemented in real science. It's the solid nods to science theory that makes these books so astounding and compelling alongside masterclasses in multi cast characterisation. I feel I will be reading this series over and over again for the rest of my life. Another Goddam 10 out of 12 Five Star volume in this worldie of a series! [image] 2023 read...more
Mankind/America's third manned mission to Mars has to be terminated after only 6 Sol days due to an immense weather event and during extraction the crMankind/America's third manned mission to Mars has to be terminated after only 6 Sol days due to an immense weather event and during extraction the crew loses a team member, Mark Watney. Thing is, Mark is not dead. This is the story of one man's endeavour as to stay alive and survive on Mars, and the Earth and NSAS reaction to his predicament. Believe the hype this is a blinder :) [image] I purposefully avoided picking up this one as I am all tired out of 'shipwrecked' stories, but the £1 purchaser price was so tempting. This book is a winner - at last a very decent portrayal of an astronaut as in a highly trained individual that has passed multiple tests to attain his position; a perfect balance between hard-science off-Earth survival storytelling and character building; a book-long intense story of survival and possible rescue; and the superb backstory of the writer originally posting this book in episodes on his blog until a publisher picked it up! [image] Andy Weir's debut is phenomenal with nods to Arthur C. Clarke's style of creating a sci-fi reality and then telling an amazing and intense story that could be applied to any genre. What Weir does and does so well is write a truly accessible sci-fi story that anyone and everyone can relate to. Sometime the hype is real. 8.5 out of 12, Four Stars. [image] 2023 read...more
In an undetermined time, possibly the 21st century, the line between reality and virtual reality has become indistinguishable, so with the Earth seemiIn an undetermined time, possibly the 21st century, the line between reality and virtual reality has become indistinguishable, so with the Earth seemingly on the brink of collapse due to the weight and abuse of the planet by humanity, the apparent arrival of a non-human party or parties appears to go unnoticed and as they go about their business, this humble reader wondered were they here to destroy us, or save us! ..and/or indeed were they really here? And was this blurred line between reality and virtual reality truly man-made; or as the book blurb says was it a 'fabricated organic phenomenon', and if so, who created it, where did it come from? [image] A writer that is deemed to "contrast romance, science, supernatural, mythology and metaphysics" doesn't hold back in this truly mind-bending read, where despite clear chapter headings identifying the main character of each chapter, it still takes about a quarter of each chapter to work out what is really going on. This sci-fi/speculative fiction led story kept me guessing and on my toes throughout and was/is complex and entertaining enough for me to want to read the first two books in this series, and this one again. This is one of those reads where the meta physical topics discussed by the characters had me off deep thinking, which I enjoyed. A truly a mind-bending and complex read. A re-read is needed, but for now this one gets a 7 out of 12, Three Stars, a book that takes sci-fi to a meta physical level and keeps the reader guessing throughout. [image] I should add my Goodreads friends and writer of this book added this great insight below in the comments, P.B. Flower: It is my most abstract narration which points to all the ideas we are subscribed to. And that we are nothing but ideas we identify with, no different from a machine that has coded concepts. [image] 2023 read...more
In a world 100s of years in the future with some clear parallels to the Stray Bullets universe, the one-woman crime-wave that is Amy Racecar wreaks heIn a world 100s of years in the future with some clear parallels to the Stray Bullets universe, the one-woman crime-wave that is Amy Racecar wreaks her special kind of havoc wherever she is, and with whomever she is with. Read outside of the continuity of Stray Bullets, I can see why this averages Two Stars, but read in continuity, the Racecar comic books and 'colour specials' are integral to the Stray Bullets mythos. 7 out of 12, Three Star read. [image] 2023 read...more
A Three-Body Problem reality novel. Yep, despite Cixin Liu being highly successful and revered he was more than happy for another writer to write a bA Three-Body Problem reality novel. Yep, despite Cixin Liu being highly successful and revered he was more than happy for another writer to write a book set in his amazing reality, one that is essentially a sequel to the original trilogy! And Liu knew what he was doing as this is yet another superlative piece of science fiction writing. Completely embedded in Liu's reality and then some. I genuinely don't know how I can convey just how deep this hard sci-fi and yet also deeply neo-existential work ultimately reframes the eternal battle between good and evil in a a super intelligent thought provoking science based, yet still paradoxically human drama that spans aeons, and I mean aeons! [image] The books set in this reality have truly changed my life and my view on science fiction. People fear the growth of China's economic influence, I think they might be looking in the wrong direction, this is art, and it completely supersedes anything (science-fiction based) I've read, or even watched, from the rest of the world. And I shouldn't forget to mention the creative storytelling that is both remarkable and innovative but somehow sits well within the limits and realities set by physics, chemistry, biological and theological(!) theory. I can only give this 9 out of 12, because the book maybe tries to hard with it's very fair but annoying epilogue. (view spoiler)[Not dissimilar to the Battlestar Galactica TV show epilogue, just a few steps too far (hide spoiler)]. [image] 2023 bad-ass read...more
Remembrance of Earth's Past #3: The first book in this series The Three Body Problem completely blew my mind in regards how science-fiction world builRemembrance of Earth's Past #3: The first book in this series The Three Body Problem completely blew my mind in regards how science-fiction world building and should be like and was an easy Five Star read. The second book The Dark Forest extrapolates the 'Dark Forest' interpretation of interstellar reality which is so beautifully nuanced yet also truly horrific, and above all a wonderfully conceptualising Five Star read. So with a sort of détente in place at the end of the Dark Forest where will Liu take us in this final instalment? [image] The threat of mutually assured destruction allows mankind access to alien tech and a golden age, but as ever our anti-hero of sorts is raised out of hibernation as the Terran reality is once again under threat of forces beyond their conception. Is Death's End humanity's end? Once again Liu's concepts, ideas, theoretical science and philosophical paths are just way beyond anything I've ever read in this genre. But, yes there's a but this time, is people characterisations are just tools to push the story and lack any real resonance and I can now understand the views of those that think this series is overrated; conversely that is another reason why I love this series so much it's complexly concept and idea driven. [image] In what appears to be a clear goal in telling the complete future history of the human race, I feel this book is too long and should have been made in two two parts, "Earth's last stand?" and "Galactic Humanity"; the first half is utterly spell-binding and horrific in equal parts with (view spoiler)[the near capitulation of the human race (hide spoiler)]! The second half taking the story to the outer planets and beyond feels like it needed more development and time; it doesn't really stand up to the immense quality of the first two and half parts of this journey. I would love to Five Star this, but I can't, it's 9.5 out of 12, a mightily strong Four Star read. Everything I said in my previous two volume reviews stands, this is the greatest sci-fi series written in regards to concepts and world building. [image] 2023 read...more
In this sequel the 'High Five' are living the good life when their virtual universe is hijacked, and not only do they have to go on another quest, theIn this sequel the 'High Five' are living the good life when their virtual universe is hijacked, and not only do they have to go on another quest, they have to defeat the dark side of Halliday and save the world. It was great returning to these characters that I have a soft spot for, but it felt like Cline wanted to repeat the success of the first book by pretty much duplicating it; what he and his publishers failed to grasp, in my opinion, was that it was its novelty and unpredictability that made the book so awesome, something that this sequel is in serious lack of! 5 out of 12. [image] 2022 read...more
Remembrance of Earth's Past #1: This book won the 2015 Hugo Award for Fiction despite being originally published in Chinese/Mandarin(?) in 2006! How gRemembrance of Earth's Past #1: This book won the 2015 Hugo Award for Fiction despite being originally published in Chinese/Mandarin(?) in 2006! How good does a book have to be to sweep all before it at the Hugo's nearly a decade after being first published? Well. It would have to be a book as good as this one! Nanotech engineer Wang Miao is more or less compelled to infiltrate what appears to be a secret cabal of scientists, compelled by a secret military(!) alliance between NATO, the USA and China! While undercover Wang gets absorbed with the online-immersive game 'The Three Body Problem' a game that seeks to build civilisation in a chaotic world with three suns! It begins to dawn on Wang and his betters, that this game might be much much more than it seems! [image] A book that starts with one of the key character's Cultural Revolution trauma leading to them being exiled to a scientific research base, a base set up to reach out to possible intelligent life in the universe, was in itself astounding, interesting and uber page turning, until I realised that that was the backstory and just the opening salvo of what I feel beyond doubt will be the greatest speculative fiction / science fiction series I've read since Dan Simmons' The Hyperion Omnibus. This book takes a frank and honest look at the traumatic impact of the Chinese Cultural Revolution on the science community; what could happen to 'real police' forced to serve under authoritarian regimes; how science would most likely reach out to the stars; how the modern world breeds apathy; and most of all beautifully using real and theoretical physics to illustrate questioning the rationale that far advanced extraterrestrial intelligent life would necessarily be any more enlightened than humankind! [image] It was after reading Yun's review, and knowing Yun is as wary as I, to award Five Stars and super-praise a read, that I knew that this book had to be something special, and it so was! What I can only really say is just read it. Page for page the most innovative, awe inspiring, far reaching, outrageous take on hard science/speculative fiction I've ever read, a book that dares to bring science itself to the front of storytelling and making it the biggest 'character' in the story, and somehow doing it so well! One. God. Damn. Fine. Read. 10 out of 12, Five Star Read. [image] 2022 read...more
SF Masterworks (2010- series) #100: Towards the end of the 21st century humankind has sort of run adrift as most of its greatest minds, smartest peoplSF Masterworks (2010- series) #100: Towards the end of the 21st century humankind has sort of run adrift as most of its greatest minds, smartest people and anyone looking for adventure, are off and away… travelling in time! Artist Edward Bush returns after almost three years of time travelling to find democracy has been replaced with a authoritarian regime (in the UK) and thence is entrusted to return to time travelling in a mission to assassinate the primary scientific foe of the regime. Being an artist though, Bush has a few questions... [image] In the UK this book was called An Age. Despite being one of the greatest and most conceivable ideas of how time travel could work that I've ever read, I feel adding in a dystopia and indeed an entirely new way of looking at humankind's existence, may show off Aldiss's intelligence and creativity, but at the expense of story? And don't get me started on the cop-out / ambiguous ending! A strong 3.5 Stars, 5 out of 12 for this Masterwork :) [image] 2022 read...more
I was kindly given a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review, so big thank you. Successful upwardly careering Government agent Elizabeth BelfoI was kindly given a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review, so big thank you. Successful upwardly careering Government agent Elizabeth Belfort is tasked with liaising with an informant looking into the disappearance of notable scientists, possibly from all around the world! This is just the beginning of what at times felt like a tongue-in-cheek adventure, that leads to the central story about a Zoo of intelligent animals! Also this all kicks off in the 1970s! [image] I found some of the world building and characters pretty pretty good, but not so much the main story plotting, although I did adore the first quarter (scene-setting) of the book. Overall, I found the protagonists too infallible and the antagonists too dumb, but that could be, and probably was, intentional. But what bothered me the most was the plastering of the 1970s all over the book blurbs and promos, when the 1970s were hardly touched in this book. Then again I can most certainly see my self getting the first book in the series, as I do kind of like this reality! [image] I always feel whole loads of bad when I give a low Star review for a gifted a book (it's why I mostly refuse their offers), but I have to stay honest and true; what I really should have done is read all the book blurb as it included the following: "this novel is perfect for fans of Matt Haig, Neil Gaiman, or Erin Morgenstern", because I am very much NOT a fan of Gaiman and Morgenstern's long form novels, so it could be easily argued that I am exactly the type of person that wouldn't like this book? Sorry... you may have to read this one yourself for a better inkling of it all! [image]...more
There's some solid old-school FF touches in this volume with Reed being behind the creation and operation of the Forever Gate; tech that generates unwThere's some solid old-school FF touches in this volume with Reed being behind the creation and operation of the Forever Gate; tech that generates unwanted interest across space with the return of some enemies and some friends. Dan Slott continues to shake-it-up with another re-imagining, this time of Franklin Richards! Even the King In Black tie-in is not that bad, despite an outrageously poor characterisation of Sue Storm. All-in-all, nowhere near as good as his Spidey work, but it does look like he's laying in groundwork for a long haul, which usually gives readers some of the better runs. This one scrapes in as Three Star, 7 out of 12 read. [image] 2022 read...more
Quite a good read (for a 21st century Marvel book), sees Carol thrust into the world of Captain Marvel: The End #1, in which most of humanity and supeQuite a good read (for a 21st century Marvel book), sees Carol thrust into the world of Captain Marvel: The End #1, in which most of humanity and super powered beings are dead after two invasions by an unspecified force, and the survivors eke out lives in the radioactive ruins of a post nuked world! Set 2052 we get to see some pretty cool future and/or grown up characters. The villain of the piece is an opposing survivor called Ove and their allies. [image] I think this was that much enjoyable because I only last week read the abysmal X-Men: X of Swords, but also for its pretty cool portrayal of 2052 Emma Frost, Magik, Thor etc. This feels like a season of Captain Marvel that might actually last :) 7 out of 12 for this volume despite being yet another in a long line of rip offs of X-Men: Days of Future Past. [image] 2022 read ...more
SF Masterworks 39 - a full reworking of his first novella/novel Against the Fall of Night, is an astounding piece of future fiction reality building sSF Masterworks 39 - a full reworking of his first novella/novel Against the Fall of Night, is an astounding piece of future fiction reality building set aeons in the future where man has conquered and then lost space and resides in a massive automated city, where people essentially live forever with every need and want at hand. So why just Two Stars from me? Clarke's later great work was astounding because it had reality building + tension and/or mystery bound issue that needed to be resolved; in this we have an outlier resident of the City looking to get outside of the City and ultimately try and find out the truth about what lies outside The City and the Stars and how mankind came to rest there. The world building was astounding, the story was not worthy of it! 5 out of 12, Two Star read. [image] 2022 read...more
SF Masterworks (2010- series) #9: A hugely overpopulated human race is fully focused on the Gateway, an alien (a race that is now apparently extinct)SF Masterworks (2010- series) #9: A hugely overpopulated human race is fully focused on the Gateway, an alien (a race that is now apparently extinct) spaceport with 1,000s of interstellar space craft, however they have no idea how they work, and no idea where they are programmed to go; they could go anywhere from an Earth-like planet to the middle of black hole! Now super wealthy Robinette in therapy recounts his time at the Gateway. [image] The basic concept around the Gateway is so compelling, in regards to 'prospectors' (Robin is one) having to pay for board, air, water etc. and the only real way of earning money is to get in one of the interstellar aircraft and see where it goes, and get rewarded for any data (or artefacts) on the destination and/or the extinct alien race that they can retrieve. Robin is a delightfully unreliable narrator with a number of neurosis, and also living in denial of not only maybe his sexuality but also his borderline unpleasant character. Seriously this is truly Masterwork science-fiction! 8.5 out of 12. [image] Easily the best Pohl book I've read which has aged really well, having multi-facetted gay, non-white and female characters, and a very inclusive (=realistic) approach to how homosexuality would be perceived in the future. [image] 2021 read...more
What appears to be the final outcome of humanity's first contact with functional non-human technology, resulted humankind being put on the brink in NeWhat appears to be the final outcome of humanity's first contact with functional non-human technology, resulted humankind being put on the brink in Nemesis Games. The decimated peoples would love to strike back but they are all running immense damage control measures, that is until our favourite crew and ship are invited to the table. [image] What ensues is a blow by blow account from multiple (at least 10!) chapter-specific points of view, detailing what I believe is one of the best ever space-war operas ever written! Holden, Naomi, Amos etc. once again find themselves in the thick of things, but this time with nearly all the allies/friends they had gained in the previous five books(!). This is a true testament to future reality storytelling with every single detail of space and future living and technologies so well thought out; and then to top it off, the creative team deep-thought-out what the impact would be of human's accessing non-human tech; but that's not all - then just to add the cherry on top we have multi-faceted characterisations of over 30 key characters; a genuine sense of jeopardy throughout; a tense and compelling war; learning and character growth for the major cast members; and much more! The beauty of it, is how it all comes together; how it strikes perfect continuity with the previous volumes; and most of all, how I was not only fully invested, but how I was totally immersed into this future reality. 10 out of 12; that's right the 6th book in a series and we're knocking out Five Stars! [image] The series 'writer' James S.A. Corey is the pen name of a combination of two writers, fantasy writer Daniel Abraham and George R.R. Martin's assistant Ty Franck; and I would dare suggest that it is the collaboration of two creators that has made this the phenomenal piece of work that it is? Six very different but superb volumes - one crew - one ship - it's all connected. [image] 2022 and 2023 read, that's right, I have now read this book twice in 12 months!...more
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