Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


Curiosity killed the octopus

Children of Ruin by Adrian Tchaikovsky

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CBR Bingo: Diaspora (this book features humans (and their creations) that originated (or are descendants of those that originated) on Earth and have been spread into smaller groups throughout the galaxy). I started Children of Ruin basically the day after I finished Children of Time, partly because I was excited to continue the story, and partly because I refused to forget the plot of first book again and have to do another re-read (this happens to me with series far too often). In some ways, this is […]

Time keeps on slipping into the future

Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky

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CBR Bingo: Migrant (this book features the last of the human race fleeing a dying earth and travelling in stasis to find a habitable planet). This one is actually a re-read for me. I first read Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky back at the beginning of 2020 and loved it. I did intend to read the next book in the series (Children of Ruin), but for whatever reason, never ended up getting around to it. By the time I did get around to it, I’d […]

“He was, after all, still a trainee, even if he was simultaneously head of HR.”

Human Resources by Adrian Tchaikovsky

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In this short story, Tchaikovsky explores the somehow already well trodden field of AI, and specifically the ways in which technology replacing people might create (or exacerbate) a crisis of meaning and community. Tim was hired on as an intern at Holring and Baselard’s HR department, and within the year found himself the last remaining member of it. Everyone else have been made redundant by various AI modules. Everyone Tim interacts with, in fact, is an artificial intelligence of some kind, that have all been […]

“Captain Kirk would have thought of something by now, I’m sure, but I have no red-shirted confederates to feed to it.”

Walking to Aldebaran by Adrian Tchaikovsky

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Being an astronaut – it isn’t all tiny balls of ice cream and zero gravity bouncing. Plot: Gary has wanted to be an astronaut all his life. And not only did he become an astronaut, his first trip was to be part of a team investigating potential evidence of alien life. This is the stuff dreams are made of. Only that dream turned into a nightmare as they arrived and disaster starts taking them out. Gary is now alone, with no provision, and no sense […]

“This is nothing but a tower, and I am nothing but a scientist of sufficiently advanced technology, which is to say a magician”

Elder Race by Adrian Tchaikovsky

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I do not remember what part of our conversation in the end of year Cannonball Read Book Chat was that inspired me to put Elder Race by Adrian Tchaikovsky onto my to read for the year. But I did add this science fiction novella to my list that day and then put it on my holds request list in January, proving that I was excited/interested enough to prioritize it to the early part of the year. But March me cannot remember specifically why December/January me did […]

Horribly Fun

Children of Ruin by Adrian Tchaikovsky

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Tchaikovsky has a knack for making humans supporting actors in his space-faring opera about intelligent animal life. After reading Children of Time, which I enjoyed, I wasn’t sure how he would do a second book about a different species in a fresh way. But this second book is just as good as the first. Told in a similar way to Children of Time, Children of Ruin switches between the past and present. The past being a time when human civilization has basically self-destructed and sent […]



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