Mission to Universe by Gordon R. Dickson (1965) – They say you can’t go back again, and I’m beginning to think that it’s true when it comes to reading some of these classic science fiction novels. This novel by science fiction (and fantasy) master, Gordon R. Dickson, does not hold up well. It does, however, show that we’ve come a long way, baby. The story itself is basic space opera. The captain of a phase ship capable of instant shifting from one galaxy to another […]
Ruined Cities of the Future
Ruined Cities edited by James Tallett (2013) – I can’t believe I haven’t reviewed this anthology before. I like beginning writers and original stories, so independent publications’ short story collections are right up my alley. I’m not wild about dystopian or post-apocalyptic stories, but this one is large and meaty (420 pages) and has some exceptional writing. I’ll talk about a few of my favorites. “The City Over Hell” by Jennifer Povey – A young illiterate girl discovers her city is actually a dying space […]
Say Hello to My Little Friend
Dreamsnake by Vonda N. McIntyre (2008, but originally published in 1978) – First of all, I’ll admit to being a big Vonda N. McIntyre fan since I read this in the seventies and loved it. It’s one of her earliest works (and a Nebula and Hugo winner). I’ve always enjoyed her Star Trek movie adaptations and consider her to be one of the best writers around. In this post-apocalyptic world (it might be Earth or it might not), Snake, a healer who uses snakes who […]
The End of Everything and How We Got There
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel (2014) – I fear this review will make this book seem much more convoluted than it really is, but I’m going to try and give it the credit it’s due. The premise is a simple one: there’s been a worldwide pandemic where most of humanity is dead and the few survivors in the twenty years that follow fight brigands, cultists, and a world slowly devolving into barbarism. Technology is gone, borders no longer exist, medicine is a memory. […]
I Have to Scale a Tower Naked? Where Do I Put My Sword?
The Mermaid’s Madness by Jim C. Hines (2009) – Okay, I broke a few of my self-imposed reading rules when I picked up this book, and I’m glad I did. I don’t usually select a book that’s in the middle of a series, and I tend to skip “reworked” fairy tales when I want to read fantasy. As usual, rules are meant to be broken, and I totally enjoyed this book loosely based on the original Little Mermaid. In this fantasy realm, Snow White, Sleeping […]
Time Traveling Clipper Ship
To Sail the Century Sea by G.C. Edmondson (1981) – This has some nice writing in the pure science fiction vein that I appreciate. Part of his Time Ship series, it relies heavily on the writer’s time with the U.S. Marines in WWII. It has some drawbacks: being the third in a related series of books about a group of US Navy men who patrol the sea and referring to past events, having a homophobic hero, and thrusting romance on us that doesn’t quite work. […]
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