The series has finally come to a close, and what started out as a creepy homage to Lovecraft and the unsettling horror of old came home a fully fleshed, chilling look at the patience of evil. After all the deep world building of the first trades, this final installment felt rushed, the chase scenes felt drawn out to fit into the cliche of ending a nice cerebral ride with a chase, but that is my only complaint. I felt the ending was satisfying, suspenseful and […]
Solaris Rising 2: The New Solaris Book of Science Fiction
As with most short story collections, there are a wide range of styles and approaches to what is touted as “groundbreaking science fiction.” Straight science fiction isn’t my first choice, so it was really nice to dive back into the genre with tastings of a wide range of subject matter and authors. This is also a finalist for the Philip K Dick award, (http://www.philipkdickaward.org/) though collections of short fiction don’t often win awards. With such a cross section, there’s bound to be mixed feelings throughout, […]
Shovel Ready
Spademan is an assassin, no questions, no qualms. In a future where New York has been eviscerated by terrorism and apathy, those who can spend their days hooked in virtual reality beds while the city crumbles around them. A routine job turns all but when he’s tasked with killing a pregnant 18-year-old runaway. The writing is sparse, sharp. There are no wasted words. It’s obvious each one was specifically and carefully chosen, and as such, almost transcends from prose to poetry at times. The story […]
The Bone Season
As history tells it, Jack the Ripper was the demented heir to the throne who unleashed a plague of clairvoyance on the world through his evil actions and deeds, ripping a gateway through the veil. Now, more than 100 years later, London and parts of Europe are ruled with an iron fist by Scions who try to purge the world of these voyants, who are often never seen again. Of course, there is a bustling illegal underground of these people who can touch the […]
How I Live Now
This book has been on my radar for quite a while, though I didn’t quite realize it. What I did know was a small movie had been released starring Saoirse Ronan, as an American sent to England during a time of turmoil, surviving in the country after war breaks out with an unnamed enemy. As a sucker for post-apocalyptic fiction of any sort, I waited for months before I was able to finally track it down and watch it. It wasn’t until a few days after […]
Fables Vol. 19: Snow White
This volume has three separate stories: Bufkin and Lily, great Oz liberators, tell some of their follow-up adventures as they become heroes for hire. Bufkin has been one of my favorites, ever since the Magic Mirror painted him as one of the most formidable of foes, because “he reads, he reads EVERYTHING.” Bigby is off trying to track down his two missing cubs, while at home … Snow is trapped by an old promise and a new adversary, a situation that no one but Snow […]