Tag Archives: science fiction

Neal Stephenson’s The System Of The World

… I think it’s clear why science fiction offers scope for people who want to explore the … great dramas of ancient history but don’t want to write historical fiction. Because if you have an enormous galactic empire, you can … Continue reading

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Amy M. Clarke’s Ursula K. Le Guin’s Journey to Post-Feminism

Joseph Thompson wrote this review. Learning about an artist is risky business. Near the end of my college career, I lost all respect for a musician I greatly admired after taking a senior seminar about that musician. The course confirmed … Continue reading

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Martha Wells’ System Collapse

This installment of The Murderbot Diaries series picks up pretty much where Network Effect left off. SecUnit (aka Murderbot) and its frenemy, the transport ship mind Perihelion (which Murderbot calls ART for Asshole Research Transport) and a handful of humans … Continue reading

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Jessica Reisman’s The Z Radiant

I’m torn. I don’t want to begin a discussion of author Jessica Reisman‘s wonderful debut novel by opening with the least appealing aspect. But I’m afraid I have no choice. This thing is so huge, and it’s the very first … Continue reading

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Neal Stephenson’s The Confusion

“When a thing such as wax, or gold, or silver, turns liquid from heat, we say that it has fused,” Eliza said to her son, “and when such liquids run together and mix, we say they are con-fused.” “Papa says … Continue reading

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David Stahler Jr.’s Truesight

In one of my favourite books as a youth (well, as a pre-teen, really), Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle In Time, Meg, the main character, attempts to describe the sense of sight to Aunt Beast, an alien creature born without it. … Continue reading

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Richard Bowes’s From The Files of The Time Rangers

I really like a well-written time travel adventure. Unfortunately, they are, in my opinion, quite rare. Exemplars of this genre include Kage Baker’s sprawling The Company series and Fritz Leiber’s Change Wars series, which, alas, consists only of a short … Continue reading

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Kim Stanley Robinson’s 2312

Kim Stanley Robinson fooled me again. The main body of his prose in 2312 is so calm and measured, coolly analytical and matter of fact, that I must have been expecting the Solar System-wide conflict that it portrays to be … Continue reading

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Janet Kagan’s Uhura’s Song (Star Trek: The Original Series #21)

I’ll admit upfront this is a nostalgic favorite. I think it’s also very good. Early in her career, Lt. Uhura met a young diplomat from the world of Eeiauo. The two women bonded over music, singing, and the songs of … Continue reading

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Alastair Reynolds’ Elysium Fire (Prefect Dreyfus Emergency #2) (John Lee, narrator)

The Glitter Band is a collection of 10,000 city-state habitats orbiting the planet of Yellowstone, existing in near-perfect democracy, with that democracy guarded by Panoply and its prefects. Prefect Tom Dreyfus has faced crises before, and overcome them. There’s a … Continue reading

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