I also decided to create another page that lists all of the SFWA Grand Masters, Delany having received that honor last year. Then I went into other pages to create a link to that for other recipients for which I've written articles, along with linking specific ones to the SF Hall of Fame. One thing I haven't done yet, and not sure when I'll get to it, is going through all the pages where Delany might have been mentioned so I can put a link on his name directed to his main page.

Hugo/Nebula Awards
4/4/15; I've just updated the current Hugo/Nebula page with the nominees for the 2014 Nebulas, to be presented June 6, and the 2015 Hugos, which will be handed out on August 22.

Hugogate [UPDATED]
4/12/15; *I've edited this article to include more information and to clarify a few thoughts.* The nomination process for this year's Hugo Awards is embroiled in controversy, similar to what is going on with Gamergate, so I've dubbed my thoughts on it as Hugogate, although it's likely someone else called it that before me.

Stations of the Tide
4/12/15; Another random trip through my reviews of award winners takes us back nearly twenty-five years, with my take on Michael Swanwick's Stations of the Tide, written in 1990, published in book form in '91, and winner of the Nebula in '92.

Hugo Nomination Revisions
4/17/15; Several changes have occurred since I first posted the Hugo nominations. Two entries were ruled ineligible for various reasons, plus two authors have withdrawn their works from consideration. There had already been subsititutions named for the ineligible items, but I wasn't sure those rules would apply to the ones who had voluntarily withdrawn, but the awards committee announced this morning that there would be substitutions there too. In the Best Novel category, Lines of Departure by Marko Kloos was been withdrawn by its author, and has been replaced by The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu. Annie Bellet withdrew her "Goodnight Stars" from the Short Story category, and it was replaced by “A Single Samurai" by Steven Diamond. Officials say that the final ballots are going to the printers soon and no further changes will be made. A full list of nominees for the Hugos and this year's Nebulas can be found here.

Two Movies, One Terrible, One So-So
4/30/15; I saw two movies a couple of weeks ago at the discount theater. I'd be really upset if I had paid more than 50¢ each. The worst was Jupiter Ascending, which is not recommended. Chappie wasn't a total disappointment, even though I'll likely not want to watch it again.

Age of Ultron
5/2/15; Avengers: Age of Ultron will easily win the box office this weekend, perhaps even surpassing its record-breaking predecessor. The majority will love it. When have I ever been in the majority?

One Book, One Movie
5/7/15; I've just uploaded two new reviews. Ancillary Sword is Ann Leckie's follow-up to last year's multiple award-winner Ancillary Justice. It has already won this year's BSFA, and is also nominated for the Nebula, Hugo and Locus awards.

Ex Machina is an excellent film that I highly recommend. If it's playing near you I'd say go for it, but don't delay because it will likely be pushed out of theaters soon by the juggernaut of The Avengers plus a couple of other upcoming blockbusters.

The Three Body Problem
5/16/15; The Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu is possibly the best selling and most popular science fiction novel from China. It's English translation came out late last year and it has been nominated for many awards, including the Nebula and Hugo. As you might be aware, I am at times somewhat of a contrarian, and I've been wondering what everyone else sees in this book. YMMV.

The Goblin Emperor
5/23/15; The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison is another book nominated for several awards, including the Nebula, Hugo and Locus. Sorry to say, but I cannot recommended it.

Childhood's End
6/1/15; Arthur C. Clarke's Childhood's End is just as good as I remembered. I fear the upcoming Syfy mini-series won't do it justice, but we'll always have the book. For those who haven't read it (or even for those who have) it is highly recommended, even though it is more mystical and less scientific than the majority of his other work.

Nebula Winners
6/7/15; Congratulations to Jeff VanderMeer for his Best Novel Nebula winner, Annihilation, which is the first book in the Southern Reach trilogy. I have just ordered the book and will read and review it as soon as I can. Check out all the other winners and nominees on the Hugo/Nebula page.

SF Hall of Fame
6/13/15; The 2015 inductees into the SF Hall of Fame have been announced. Click through to see who has been selected to join this elite group.

Annihilation - Southern Reach Book 1
6/15/15; Jeff VanderMeer's Annihilation just won a Nebula for Best Novel. It is the first book in the Southern Reach Trilogy. It was very good, and I've ordered the other books and will continue with this review as soon as possible.

The Expanse
6/21/15; It has been nearly three years since I reviewed Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey. I finally got around to the second book in the series, Caliban's War. I decided to combine the reviews, so check out the new page now all about The Expanse. Even if you had already read that first review you might want to look again, since I edited it a bit, plus added comments on a couple of prequel short stories.

Fahrenheit 451
6/23/15; One of Ray Bradbury's best, which means it's one of the genre's very best, started out as a short story titled "The Fireman" in Galaxy magazine in 1951. Two years later, the expanded novel, Fahrenheit 451 was released. Since there were no Hugos awarded in '54, it had to wait fifty years before it received a Retro Hugo.

Authority - Southern Reach Book 2
6/29/15; I made some minor edits to the original review, then added comments on Authority, the second book in Jeff VanderMeer's Southern Reach Trilogy. I've already started the third book and will update again soon.

Help! I'm stuck in Area X
7/8/15; I've finished (for now) my review of Jeff VanderMeer's Southern Reach Trilogy, but I won't rule out editing some more. I do need to move on to another book, but I fear I may be stuck in Area X for a long time. I've been through Annihilation, been beaten down by Authority, but I'm now in Acceptance mode. I loved it!

Beware the Librarians!
7/20/15; Scott Hawkins' first novel is the incredibly fascinating, disturbing, bizzare and original The Library at Mount Char. You'll never think of librarians the same way again.

15th Anniversary!
7/26/15; I'm jumping the gun on this by a few hours, but tomorrow marks 15 years since The Templeton Gate went live. We started with less than 20 pages, now with the latest update there are a total of 367. Even subtracting those pages that are merely category groupings with links to the articles, or the Hugo/Nebula pages, intros to the various reviewers, etc, that still leaves 312 reviews or essays. We would surely have topped 400 overall, except for the fact that quite a few reviews cover more than one book, such as the recent Southern Reach Trilogy, along with at least 20 other examples of multiple book series. Then again, I'm not consistent, since there are individual reviews that probably should have been combined, like Varley's four Thunder & Lightning books and the two (so far) of Ann Leckie's Imperial Radch. I may combine them later, maybe not, but if I do I would have to change links and edit several other pages.

Something new is that I've created a new category on the site, for comics. There have only been four reviews of that type so far (or five if you stretch the criteria), and I had included them in the literature category before, but I plan on several others in hopefully the near future. There have been two that I read over the past year that I had intended to review, just haven't gotten around to it, which means I probably need to re-read them. Graphic novels are bigger than ever these days, and the Hugo Awards added that category six years ago. I've been reading the nominees for this year and may review some or all of them.

Who knows what the future holds? Both the domain name registration and hosting service are up for renewal in November, and I plan to renew both for five years as I did the last time. That way I save a little bit of money and don't have to worry about it for a while. I did well on posting updates during the first two or three years, then slacked off in the middle period as my workload increased. Now that I'm not working (and I hope that can continue) I'm reading more, although I had also intended to increase the number of movie and TV reviews. If I can maintain a good pace maybe I'll be talking about 500 pages the next time the renewals roll around. That's only another 133 between now and then, an average of 26.5 per year, and I've already added 24 this year. It's doable.

Stories For Chip
8/9/15; Stories For Chip, edited by Nisi Shawl and Bill Campbell, is an anthology in tribute to Grand Master Samuel R. Delany.

Finches of Mars
8/18/15; Today, on Brian Aldiss' 90th birthday, I review his latest (and reportedly last) novel. No one is more disappointed than me that Finches of Mars is not very good.

Hugo Awards Announced
8/23/15; The winners of the 2015 Hugo Awards have been announced. Click through to see the full list, including all nominees.

Worldbreaker Saga
9/2/15; Anyone who's been paying attention knows I prefer science fiction to fantasy, but I've been trying to expand my reading list in recent years. Kameron Hurley's Worldbreaker Saga has been getting a lot of positive buzz. The second book comes out October 6, but I got an advance copy. The third book should be released about this time next year, if not sooner. I'm not the best judge of this type of story, so take my comments with a grain of salt, or multiple grains as necessary.

Grunt Life
9/5/15; Weston Ochse's Grunt Life is the first book in a series about an alien invasion. It's well-written and exciting, recommended.

Two Book Reviews
9/14/15; Two new reviews, both from advance e-books I received from Net Galley. The better of the two is Nalo Hopkinson's short story collection, Falling In Love With Hominids. The other one had potential but didn't come through. Lightless is the first novel from C. A. Higgins. If she had concentrated on just a couple of the plot threads she could have fashioned a tight thriller, but the four she tried to combine were too much for her talent at this time.

Grunt Traitor
9/26/15; I continue my look at Weston Ochse's book series Task Force OMBRA with a few comments on the second book, Grunt Traitor. If you haven't already read the start of the review I posted three weeks ago, just scroll up to the top of that page.

The Martian (The Movie)
10/3/15; Ridley Scott's The Martian is as realistic a spaced-based movie as could be expected. Highly recommended.

Ancillary Mercy
10/8/15; Ann Leckie's Imperial Radch trilogy concludes with Ancillary Mercy. The first book is still the best, but overall it is a strong story that I recommend, and I know I'll be re-reading one of these days.

Aurora
10/14/15; Kim Stanley Robinson's latest Hard-SF tale is Aurora. Recommended, but with reservations.

Cinnabar
10/19/15; Cinnabar is a magical place, a mysterious city at the center of time, or lost in time, or maybe in another dimension, and Edward Bryant told some fabulous stories about it.

Abaddon's Gate
10/24/15; The third novel in James S. A. Corey's Expanse series is Abaddon's Gate. It's good, introducing several more interesting characters, but it's essentially a transitional tale leading up to what I expect will be even more exciting adventures in the subsequent books.

A Borrowed Man
10/27/15; Gene Wolfe's latest novel is A Borrowed Man. On the surface it's a fairly simple mystery, although it has several SF elements. The surface of a Wolfe novel is usually deceptive, so a reread is in order, but my first impression is not that positive.

The Big Time
11/5/15; Fritz Leiber's The Big Time was a big letdown. Just because it won a Hugo doesn't mean it's any good.

The Wanderer
11/13/15; The second novel that won a Hugo for Fritz Leiber is The Wanderer. It's better than his previous one, but not by much. Only about 25% is well written and worth reading, the rest is full of repetitive actions by poorly realized characters.

Cibola Burn
11/19/15; The fourth novel in the Expanse series is Cibola Burn. At this time I'd say it's tied with Leviathan Wakes as the best.

Mockingjay, Part 2
12/8/15; I have not been very impressed with either the book or movie series, and the concluding film doesn't change my opinion much. I only bothered with Mockingjay, Part 2 because I'm a completist.

The Expanse series on Syfy
12/10/15; I'm a big fan of the books, and have been eagerly awaiting this series since it was announced. I probably should have waited on this review, but I want to help promote The Expanse as much as possible. [UPDATED on 12/17/15]

The Force Awakens
12/21/15; Eliza DoLots returns to review the latest Star Wars saga, The Force Awakens.

Two TV Reviews
12/29/15; I finally got around to two TV reviews I've been thinking about for several weeks. Amazon's The Man in the High Castle and Syfy's Childhood's End mini-series. The first is recommended, the latter, sort of, but with reservations.

2016

Hello 2016?
1/1/16; Happy New Year! All of last year's updates have been moved to the Archives page. Can't say yet when a new one for this year will be uploaded, but maybe this weekend. I reviewed a total of thirty-two books in 2015, while also re-reading a few previously reviewed ones. That's an increase of ten over 2014, but I will endeavor to do even more this year, with my goal being at least fifty. There were also ten movie reviews, three for TV shows, one author profile, plus other miscellaneous additions to existing pages. All in all, an improvement over 2014, but not as much as I would have liked.

Harlan Ellison is CanTankerous
1/2/16; Harlan's latest book contains previously uncollected stories, some very old, but rewritten for this publication. Unfortunately, Can & Can'Tankerous is only for the die-hard fans.

Planetfall
1/7/16; Planetfall by Emma Newman is both a taut mystery about colonizing an alien planet, as well as an intense portrait of an interesting, but disturbed, woman. Recommended.

City of Stairs
1/18/16; Robert Jackson Bennett's City of Stairs is the first of a trilogy called The Divine Cities. Great world-building, interesting characters, a compelling mystery. Recommended. The second book will be out a week from tomorrow, but I have an advance copy, so I'll be updating the review soon.

The X-Files
1/23/16; In anticipation of the new mini-series starting tomorrow on FOX, I recently completed a re-watch of all nine seasons of The X-Files, quite a bit of which I had not seen the first time around. My review page also includes comments on the two movies, and I'll update with comments on the new episodes soon, although I may wait until all six have been broadcast.

City of Blades
1/27/16; The second novel of The Divine Cities by Robert Jackson Bennett is City of Blades. It's actually better than the first, and I expect it to show up on quite a few award ballots next year. If you haven't yet read my review of the first book of the series just scroll up to the top of that page.

Signal To Noise
1/31/16; Silvia Moreno Garcia's first novel, Signal To Noise, is a vivid tale of teenage angst mixed with music and magic in Mexico City in the late 1980s, with later reflections in 2009. Recommended.

The Left Hand of Darkness
2/3/16; Ursula K. Le Guin won her first Hugo, and Nebula, for 1969's The Left Hand of Darkness. It's just as good now as it was then, a testament to a true classic. If you haven't read it yet, what are you waiting for?

The Expanse TV (Revised)
2/9/16; Now that the first short season is complete, I edited my review a bit.

The Dispossessed
2/9/16; Ursula Le Guin also won a Hugo and Nebula (among others) for 1974's The Dispossessed, both a personal and a political story. One of the best there has ever been.

The Word For World Is Forest
2/13/16; The Word For World Is Forest won a Hugo as best novella in 1973. It originally appeared in the 1972 anthology Again, Dangerous Visions, but has also been printed on its own in several editions over the years.

The Wind's Twelve Quarters
2/18/16; Le Guin's first short story collection, The Wind's Twelve Quarters, boasts four award winners along with nine other nominations, and the book itself won a Locus Award for Best Single Author Collection for 1975.

2015 Nebulas
2/21/16; The SFWA has announced the nominees for the 2015 Nebulas, and I've just finished revising the Awards Page, as well as the Amazon Books & Amazon Films pages to include links for available books and films. This is the first year I've included links for any of the novellas, but several of those are in print or on Kindle. As soon as I get the chance, I'll review previous years to see if any of the shorter works are in book form, but of course a lot of those would also have been included in 'Best Of' collections too. The Nebula winners will be announced on May 14.

Three Book Reviews
2/29/16; I've read four novels since uploading the last review, and had previously thought I would continue reading as many Hugo eligible titles as possible before doing any more reviews. But I am taking advantage of Leap Day to post some comments about three of them. I'll get to the fourth one as soon as possible, but since it is a continuation of an on-going series I need to take a fresh look at that page to see if I should do some edits of previous comments first. At this time, at least one of the following is in my Top 5 picks for a Hugo nomination.

The Mechanical, Book 1 of The Alchemy War by Ian Tregillis
Not Dark Yet by Berit Ellingsen
The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi

Seveneves
3/11/16; In spite of a few minor faults, Neal Stephenson's Seveneves is one of the best books I've read in a while, a real mind-blower. Definitely on my Hugo nomination list.

The Grace of Kings
3/16/16; Ken Liu's The Grace of Kings, the first book in the Dandelion Dynasty has received generally positive reviews and has been nominated for a Nebula. I liked a lot of it, but some parts not so much.

2015 Nebulas
5/15/16; I've just updated the Awards Page with the winners of this year's Nebulas, as well as the nominees for the Hugos (to be presented mid-August), plus added links to all the appropriate Amazon pages. I finished reading the Nebula winner last night, and will follow up with a review as soon as possible.

Uprooted
5/15/16; The latest Nebula winning novel is Uprooted by Naomi Novik. On the surface it seems a typical enough fairy tale, but it's really compelling and unpredictable.

Captain America: Civil War
5/15/16; My opinion is once again different from a lot of others. No, this is not the best of the MCU. Of course that opinion is based on absolutely no knowledge of the storyline from the comics. I just didn't care for how our "heroes" acted in this one.

A Wizard of Earthsea
5/22/16; This fantasy series from Le Guin is very highly regarded by most critics and readers, but I have to rate A Wizard of Earthsea below the SF books that I have read by her. I'm hoping the rest of the series helps to change my mind, and I'll get back to it soon, but another book from another author will come before that.

Infomocracy
5/26/16; Malka Older's first novel is also the first novel from the Tor.com imprint. Infomocracy is a taut thriller in a near future with a transformed political landscape, while at the same time it has some eerie parallels to current political and social situations. Recommended.

Updates for Two Book Series
6/4/16; It's been a while since I finished Nemesis Games, the fifth novel in the Expanse book series by James S. A. Corey. I had wanted to take another look at that review, maybe eliminate some spoilers in previous sections. I may have deleted or changed a few comments, but mainly just put up more spoiler warnings. If you haven't read any of the books yourself, or any of my review, I suggest you scroll to the top of that page and stop after the first section. If you're not worried about spoilers and just want to get a sense of the story, feel free to continue through the review.

The other addition for today is The Tombs of Atuan, the second novel in Le Guin's original Earthsea trilogy.

The Aeronaut's Windlass
6/10/16; Jim Butcher's latest novel, The Aeronaut's Windlass, is the beginning of a new series called The Cinder Spires. It has been nominated for a Hugo, and while it is entertaining enough, not what I would call award-worthy. YMMV.

The Fifth Season
6/29/16; Yet another book I wanted to like much more than I did. N. K. Jemisin's The Fifth Season is the beginning of a new trilogy. It was nominated for Nebula and Locus awards, but didn't win either, but also up for a Hugo. I had to read it before voting, but I'm not sure I'm interested in the rest of the series, unless they are also nominated or win some awards. [EDIT: I later changed my mind, re-read this book and continuted with the series. Mea culpa. Mind now blown.]

Supernova
7/17/16; C. A. Higgins' second novel is a continuation of the story begun in last year's Lightless. I made a few edits to that page and added comments on the new book below that.

Back to Earthsea
7/24/16; I return to Le Guin's Earthsea with a few comments on the third book of the original trilogy, The Farthest Shore.

Star Trek Beyond
7/26/16; Eliza is a bigger Trekkie than me, so I asked her for this movie review: Star Trek Beyond.

NOT the Last Book of Earthsea
7/30/16; Eighteen years after the end of the original Earthsea Trilogy, Le Guin returned to that world for another adventure. Not sure if it was her decision or her publisher's, but Tehanu, later a Nebula winner, was at that time identified as the Last Book of Earthsea. It wasn't; she would later release another novel, a story collection, plus a non-fiction lecture series on her fictional universe. I don't have any of those yet, so at this time I can say that Tehanu is the best of the series that I have read.

Children of the Different
8/2/16; Stuart Charles Flynn's debut novel is Children of the Different. Recommended, with a few reservations.

Downbelow Station
8/10/16; C. J. Cherryh won a Hugo for Downbelow Station in 1982. Not as good as I remembered, but I'm sure my tastes have changed somewhat. It was ambitious, but maybe longer and more complex than she could handle at that time in her career. I'd say at least three other books nominated that year were better.

Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang
8/15/16; Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang by Kate Wilhelm was the Hugo winner in 1977. Beautifully written, strong character drama, but weak on the scientific end of things.

2016 Hugo & 1941 Retro Hugo Awards
8/22/16; I attended three of the five days of this year's Worldcon, MidAmeriCon2 in Kansas City, and had a great time. I intend to write about the experience, but that will have to wait for now. What I have done today is update the Hugo Award and the Retro Hugo pages to highlight the latest winners. All available titles are linked to amazon in case you're interested in purchasing any of them.

My MidAmeriCon II Report
8/24/16; I finally got around to writing a bit about MidAmeriCon II. All in all, my experience was a positive one. Unfortunately, it didn't go smoothly for everyone.

Certain Dark Things
8/28/16; Silvia Moreno-Garcia's second novel, Certain Dark Things, is a dark and gritty tale of a teenage boy in Mexico City, caught between vampire drug lords, human gangsters, and cops. I haven't decided yet if I like it more or less than her first book, Signal to Noise. They are such different kinds of stories, but both are highly recommended.

All the Birds in the Sky
8/31/16; Charlie Jane Anders' first SF novel, All the Birds in the Sky, is both a whimsical fantasy and a profoundly philosophical look at man's trust in science.

Everfair
9/7/16; Nisi Shawl's first novel, Everfair, is sort of a steampunk alternate history, but that's just the simple description. It's a complex and epic tale of a possible utopian society being created in the heart of early 20th Century Africa. But just as utopia means "no place," can any man-made government ever be fair for everyone involved?

Summerlong
9/18/16; Peter Beagle's Summerlong might be different in style and tone from the other fantasies I've read by him, but it's still very good.

Crosstalk
9/22/16; Connie Willis' latest novel is Crosstalk. Enjoyable enough, but not as serious as I would have liked. A rom-com novel if you will.

After Atlas
9/24/16; Emma Newman's After Atlas is a follow-up to last year's Planetfall, and while it is connected, it's not what I would call a direct sequel. It's not out until Nov. 8, but I got an advance copy from NetGalley. Maybe too soon to post a review, and I will take it down if requested, but I'm very enthusiastic about it and didn't want to wait.

Every Heart a Doorway
9/25/16; Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire is one of the first novellas that Tor.com released in print form. It's part fairy tale, part gothic horror. Interesting characters and situations, although not that original, but maybe it's what's under the surface that's more important. Just the first of several stories in this 'verse, and I'll review the others when I get to them.

2 Novellas, Both Alternate Lovecraft Stories
9/29/16; Two new reviews today, both Tor.com novellas, and both alternate takes on Lovecraft stories. Victor LaValle's The Ballad of Black Tom and The Dream-Quest of Vellitt Boe by Kij Johnson.

Cumulus
10/5/16; Cumulus by Eliot Peper is a fast-paced, action-filled, near future techno-thriller. Points deducted for minimal plot background and character development, but not a waste of time.

Infomocracy Redux
10/14/16; Yes, I do have lots of other books to read, but I decided to re-read Infomocracy by Malka Older, in hardcover this time. I've edited a few things and added other comments, so even if you've read the review before I invite you to take another look. This is at once fast-paced, with interesting characters, but also with thought-provoking ideas on political possibilities at a point in our world where it seems rabid nationalism is once again on the rise, threatening to drive us all apart. I recommend this book very much. At this time it is at the top of my list for a Hugo nomination next year.

Two New Pages: 1 Novella, 3 TV Shows
10/20/16; Everything Belongs to the Future is a new novella by Laurie Penny, and I believe this is her first fiction story. It's good but has flaws.

Another new page, long overdue, takes a look at the first three shows of Marvel on Netflix, Daredevil, Jessica Jones & Luke Cage. All are recommended, but the second two are the better ones, hard to choose between them.

One Movie, One Book
11/13/16; Arrival is a remarkable film, with great performances from Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner, but highest accolades go to the director and cinematographer.

The last of Ursula Le Guin's award winners (for now) is Powers, which is the third volume of her Annals of the Western Shore. I don't have the first two yet, but fortunately this was mostly a stand-alone tale, which I really liked. One of these days I'll read Gifts and Voices, and when I do I'll update this page.

The Devourers
12/6/16; The Devourers by Indra Das was published last year in India, this year in the US and other places. It's either a horror/fantasy of werewolf-like creatures in India several centuries ago, or maybe just a psychological fantasy from the mind of a confused and tortured modern-day Indian history professor. Either way, it's pretty good, and recommended.

Babylon's Ashes
12/9/16; I've reviewed all of the Expanse book series by James S. A. Corey so far, but that page was getting very long. I've started a new page with the sixth book, Babylon's Ashes. There will be at least three more novels after this.

The Underground Railroad
12/14/16; Colson Whitehead's The Underground Railroad recently won the National Book Award. It is historical fiction with a speculative twist. Powerful and disturbing, but highly recommended.

United States of Japan
12/17/16; United States of Japan by Peter Tieryas is another alternate history in which America lost World War 2. Completely different in style than a novel by Philip K. Dick that inspired it. Enjoyable, but it does have faults.

Rogue One
12/23/16; I haven't seen it yet, but Eliza has. Here's her review of Rogue One: a Star Wars Story.

2017

Another trip 'round the sun
1/1/17; Happy New Year, everyone! Starting a new home page, with all of 2016's updates moved to the Archives. It might be a while before I upload the next book review, since I am currently reading as many shorter stories as possible, from the Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction on my Kindle, print copies of Asimov's borrowed from my brother-in-law, and scores more bookmarked online. The next review might actually be an update of a previous TV show page. We'll see.

Too Like the Lightning
1/28/17; This is the first novel by Ada Palmer, in a two book series known as Terra Ignota, which means Unknown Earth. Similar to a utopia, which means "no place." It is good, very ambitious, but it does have its flaws. The second book is out in March.

Sleeping Giants
1/30/17; Another debut novel, and the start of another series. Sylvain Neuvel's Sleeping Giants is the first book of the Themis Files. It's pretty good, and I'm looking forward to the second book.

Binti
2/1/17; Last year, Nnedi Okorafor won a Hugo and Nebula in the novella category for Binti. I read it as part of the voting packet provided by MidAmeriCon2. I liked it a lot, and was satisfied with the win, even though it had just been my #2 pick. I recently re-read it, and yesterday the second part of the sequence, Binti: Home, was released, and I review both. Highly recommended.

The Voices of Martyrs
2/6/17; The Voices of Martyrs is a story collection from Maurice Broaddus, which covers a wide range of the Black experience, in Africa, America, and elsewhere, and should appeal to anyone who loves intriguing characters and plots. Recommended.

In Calabria
2/7/17; The latest book I got from NetGalley is not as good as the previous one, although for a lot of people I think it might be a pleasurable enough read. In Calabria is the latest fantasy from Peter S. Beagle. It is about unicorns, but not as good as The Last Unicorn in my opinion.

Lincoln in the Bardo
2/9/17; Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders will likely be embraced more by mainstream critics, simply based on his previous work, but it is borderline fantasy no matter what anyone else says. It's also damn good, highly recommended.

Parable of the Sower
3/18/17; This is the first book of Earthseed by Octavia E. Butler. It was nominated for a Nebula in 1994. A chilling look at a post-apocalyptic America, but surprisingly it is also hopeful and optimistic. I'll follow up with thoughts on the second book as soon as I can.

Parable of the Talents
3/22/17; I've added to the Earthseed review with thoughts on the second book, Parable of the Talents. I did make a few edits to previous comments, so if interested, or if you haven't read that part yet, scroll to the top of that page.

Waking Gods
3/27/17; The second book in Sylvain Neuvel's Themis Files, Waking Gods, continues in the same style. Mostly all dialog from recorded interviews, military and personal logs, etc, with no other narrative exposition. It gets a bit tiresome at times, but the story is still intriguing, and if sales are good there will be at least one more book, although not announced yet.

Hugo & Nebula Finalists
4/5/17; I've just edited the Hugo & Nebula Awards page, listing the finalists for this year, along with links to Amazon for all available titles. The 2016 Nebulas will be announced May 20 in Pittsburgh, with the Hugos being presented August 12 in Helsinki, Finland. Please note the use of the term "finalists" this year. There have been problems with some writers promoting themselves as award nominees just because someone had listed them on their nominating ballot, they had never actually been on one of the final ballots, so hopefully this will clear up any confusion in the future.

Who Fears Death + The Book of Phoenix
4/9/17; Some books are fascinating to read but difficult to review, for me at least. I know I didn't do these justice, but I know I'll re-read them eventually, maybe I'll understand them better the next time. For now, I highly recommend Nnedi Okorafor's Who Fears Death and its prequel, The Book of Phoenix.

Grunt Hero
4/16/17; Weston Ochse's military SF/alien invasion series, Task Force OMBRA, comes to a conclusion (?) with the third book, Grunt Hero. The whole trilogy is recommended. The "?" reflects the fact that the story's hero, Ben Mason, is alive (and mostly well) at the end, with probably many more adventures ahead of him. Not sure if we'll ever read any of that, or if Ochse has other things in mind for the future.

The Handmaid's Tale
4/19/17; Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale is likely as relevant now as when it was written in 1985. Perhaps it will always be relevant. Let's hope is remains a cautionary tale for us, although I know there are some countries where it has already come to pass.

City of Miracles
4/26/17; Robert Jackson Bennett's Divine Cities trilogy comes to a grand conclusion with City of Miracles. Just as exciting and unpredictable as before, with lots of action and great characters. I honestly can't say it is better than the previous two, since in retrospect I have to upgrade my rating for them and give the entire trilogy a near perfect 5/5 stars.

A Taste of Honey
4/30/17; Kai Ashante Wilson has several well reviewed stories over the past few years. His latest novella, A Taste of Honey, is a finalist for both the Nebula and Hugo this year. I review it along with another connected story, "The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps."

2016 Nebula Awards
5/21/17; Congratulations to Charlie Jane Anders and all the other Nebula winners. I've updated the Awards page with the results announced this evening in Pittsburgh.

Radiate (Lightless #3)
5/22/17; If you've read any part of my review on C. A. Higgins' Lightless series, you might share my puzzlement as to why I would bother with the third installment, Radiate. Yeah, I got it free from NetGalley, and I do feel obligated to finish any that I get from them, but this was just as much a struggle as the first two books, if not more so. Not recommended.

A Closed and Common Orbit
5/26/17; Becky Chambers' second novel is a Hugo finalist this year. It's a sequel, but enough of a stand-alone story to appreciate on it's own. I will get around to reading the first book one of these days, so that's why I've given the page the collective name for the series, Wayfarers.

Wonder Woman
6/3/17; I'd just about given up on overblown CGI action fests, but Wonder Woman saves the day. Highly recommended.

The Changeling
6/6/17; Victor LaValle's The Changeling is a fantastical horror story, continually surprising and unexpected. Recommended.

The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter
6/13/17; The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter is Theodora Goss' first novel. It's a quick and enjoyable read, but also deals with serious issues, as did the other stories it uses as a basis of a joint narrative. One of the best I've read this year, highly recommended.

Ms. Marvel, Kamala Khan
6/22/17; Finally got around to some graphic novels. First up, Ms. Marvel, the latest incarnation being Kamala Khan, a sixteen year old Pakistani-American Muslim girl. Volume 1 won a Hugo two years ago, Vol. 5 is up for that award this year. Very good, highly recommended.

Saga
7/2/17; Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples is a very good graphic story, although maybe not to everyone's taste. It features some violent content, as well as nudity and sexual situations, definitely not a kid's comic, although a couple of the featured characters are children. Volume 1 won a Hugo in 2013, Vols. 2 & 3 were nominated in 2014-15, and this year, Vol. 6 is up for consideration. That's as far as I've read, but one more has been published since then, with another due early next year.

2017 Best Graphic Story Finalists
7/5/17; I've already reviewed Ms. Marvel and Saga. Now I take a brief look at the four other finalists for this year's Best Graphic Story Hugo Award. All are good, some better than others of course, but the one thing I felt about all of them is that, since they are all first volumes in a continuing story, it was hard to judge the plot. My final voting preference is listed at the end of the article.

The Handmaid's Tale on Hulu
7/8/17; As is usually the case, the book is better, but I wouldn't dissuade anyone from watching this adaptation of The Handmaid's Tale, especially if you already have Hulu, or if you've been considering it. It's exclusive to them for now, but there will likely be a DVD/Blu-Ray release in the future. A free trial is available, which should give you enough time to watch the short (10 episode) season.

Two Reviews: Shadowshaper & The Falling Woman
7/11/17; The better of the recent books I've read was Shadowshaper by Daniel José Older. There has been one novel and two novellas in the sequence so far, with another novel due out September 12. The other book is one I can check off the award winners project, Pat Murphy's The Falling Woman, the Nebula winner in 1987.

Syfy's The Expanse - Updated for Season 2
7/15/17; Blu-Ray & DVD release coming up on Tuesday, so I've updated The Expanse review for Season 2.

Now an update on the Expanse book series
7/18/17; The latest novella in the long-running Expanse series by James S.A. Corey was released today. It's Strange Dogs.

Valerian & the City of a Thousand Planets
7/20/17; The latest film from Luc Besson (The Fifth Element) is similar in style, but with many more CGI effects. Spectacular visuals, but not as strong a story for Valerian & the City of a Thousand Planets. Still, I think I'd like to see it again.

Timescape
7/25/17; Gregory Benford won a Nebula for 1980's Timescape. Probably not that year's best, but still strong in spite of a slow start and a few other flaws.

The Gunslinger, Dark Tower #1
7/30/17; I believe this is the third time I've read Stephen King's The Gunslinger, and I'm not sure why I haven't read any of the others, yet, even though I've had them for many years. One of these days...

Reincarnation Blues
8/4/17; Reincarnation Blues by Michael Poore is another title I got free from NetGalley in exhange for an honest review. This is his second novel, but I'm pretty sure I hadn't heard of him until recently, when this book was recommended by another writer/reviewer I follow on Facebook. It's a mixed bag, quite a bit of humor, but also insight on being a good person, what perfection might be. Its unpredictability is its greatest asset.

Stand on Zanzibar
8/10/17; I recall liking John Brunner's Hugo winner Stand on Zanzibar when I first read it around 45 years ago. This time…not so much. I think I conflated some memories of it with another of his books read around the same time.

2017 Hugo Results
8/11/17; I just edited the current Awards page to reflect the winners of this year's Hugos, plus updated various other pages for things that have been reviewed. Last year's novel winner was not my favorite, and I didn't get through its sequel before voting, but now I will have to go back, maybe re-read The Fifth Season, and try The Obelisk Gate again.

Iron Fist
8/11/17; I've edited the Marvel on Netflix page, adding comments about Season 2 of Daredevil, extra info on Blu-Ray releases, plus Iron Fist, which I haven't watched completely yet, but probably will before The Defenders drops next Friday.

Slow River
8/19/17; Nicola Griffith's Slow River won a Nebula in 1996. It is good and recommened, but with a caveat. It could be traumatic for anyone who has suffered from mental or physical abuse themselves.

The Fifth Season (Revised Review)
8/24/17; I've just finished a re-read of N. K. Jemisin's The Fifth Season, which won the Hugo last year. I've revised my review, since I liked it a lot more this time around. It's sequel, The Obelisk Gate won this year, although I didn't finish reading it before voting. I think I'll have an easier time getting into it now with the first one fresh in my mind.

The Obelisk Gate, Broken Earth #2
8/29/17; The Obelisk Gate is this year's winner of the Hugo Award, which marks only the third time an author has won in succeeding years, and the first time it's happened in 25 years. I'm still puzzled by a lot of the story's elements, especially whether or not to consider this science fiction or fantasy. It will take the concluding volume of the trilogy to be sure, but I won't be surprised if I'm still confused then.

The Beautiful Ones
9/1/17; Silvia Moreno-Garcia's The Beautiful Ones is a romance, a novel of manners, but with a twist. The two main characters are telekinetics, although that bit of fantasy only affects the plot toward the very end. I liked it much more than I expected.

The Graveyard Book
9/4/17; The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman won the Hugo in 2009. Sorry, but I can't give it a recommendation. Essentially a fairy tale, which is okay, but without the seriousness the subject deserved.

The Healer's War
9/9/17; Elizabeth Ann Scarborough's The Healer's War is a harrowing look at the Vietnam War, with a slight fantasy element. It won the Nebula in 1989, and is highly recommended.

The Speed of Dark
9/14/17; Another Nebula winner, this time it's Elizabeth Moon's The Speed of Dark from 2003. It's an interesting, compelling look at the life of an autistic adult in the near future, who has to grapple over the choice of a revolutionary new treatment that might possibly cure his condition, or else remain as he is. Recommended, even though the ending is rushed and unsatisfying.

Null States
9/21/17; Null States is the second book in Malka Older's Centenal Cycle, which began last year with Infomocracy. I kept the URL on that page the same, giving the new book a sub-header. If you haven't read the review of the first book just scroll to the top of that page, or even if you have, since I've edited it several times.

The Snow Queen
10/1/17; Joan Vinge's The Snow Queen won Hugo and Locus awards, and was also a Nebula finalist. This was the first time reading it for me, and I did not like it as much as I'd hoped. It has three sequels, two of which I already have, but I doubt I'll be getting to either of them any time soon.

Artemis
10/4/17; Andy Weir's second novel, Artemis, is not as good as The Martian, but I suspect it will be successful just from name recognition alone. I don't recommend it though.

The Dark Tower
10/6/17; The Dark Tower movie is much better than most any review led me to believe. I do recommend it, and since it's probably not in many theaters now, check out the link for the DVD coming October 31.

Blade Runner 2049
10/9/17; At this time I am saying that Blade Runner 2049 is almost as good as the original. It will take many more viewings to determine my final rating. Considering I had no interest in a sequel for a long time, that should tell you something. I do recommend it, and it is one best appreciated on the big screen.

Autonomous
10/14/17; Autonomous is the first novel from Annalee Newitz, co-founder of the genre/tech blog site io9, and currently an editor at ArsTechnica.com. It involves robotics and bio-tech in the mid-22nd Century. It's very good.

The Hidden Face
10/20/17; The Hidden Face is the second novel from S. C. Flynn. Sadly, I didn't like it as much as I did his first. It's due to be published on Nov. 25, but not listed on Amazon yet, so the link on the review page takes you to a site where you can sign up for a book excerpt, and for notification when the book is available.

Annals of the Western Shore
10/24/17; It's been almost a year since I posted a review of Ursula Le Guin's Powers, which won a Nebula in 2008. At that time I did not have the first two books in the Annals of the Western Shore trilogy, but it was so good I knew I'd get to them eventually, and now I have. I actually think the second book is the best of the group, very close to the best I've read by Le Guin, which is very high praise from me.

Worlds of Exile and Illusion
11/12/17; The first two stories in this collection may actually be novellas by current standards, but all three were originally published separately in paperback, and later collected as Three Hainish Novels, and now as Worlds of Exile and Illusion. While they are worth reading to track Le Guin's career path, they lack the polish of her later award-winning work. Still, even less than brilliant Le Guin is better than a lot of other author's best work.

Labyrinth Lost
11/18/17; Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Córdova is the first book in a new series, Brooklyn Brujas. It's good, with some familiar elements, but lots of surprises, and great characters going through life-changing events.

Hunger Makes the Wolf
11/22/17; Alex Wells' debut novel, Hunger Makes the Wolf, has been described as "Sons of Anarchy meets Dune." Get ready for biker gang witches battling an evil corporation on a desert mining planet. Hob Ravani ROCKS!

Borne (+ The Strange Bird)
11/30/17; Jeff VanderMeer's Borne was one of my most anticipated books ever since it was announced, seeing as how I loved the Southern Reach Trilogy. Unfortunately, I didn't like it as much as I expected, although I can't say I'm sorry I read it. The Strange Bird is a companion novella, which I liked more.

An Unkindness of Ghosts
12/4/17; In spite of what the title might suggest, Rivers Solomon's debut novel, An Unkindness of Ghosts, is not horror, although horrific events do occur. It transports a society much like the antebellum South onto a generational starship. It is not clear whether the society of a dying Earth was an alternate world in which segregation and slavery still existed (or existed again), or if the society on the ship changed after an accident some 250 years prior to the main action. Based on current political trends, including racial strife, I don't think it matters, either scenario is believable. Recommended.

Persepolis Rising
12/7/17; The seventh novel in the Expanse book series is Persepolis Rising. I could nit-pick a couple of plot points (and I do), but they don't hinder this from being one of the better entries of the series. I'm still a big fan, on board for the ride as long as it lasts.

New York 2140
12/12/17; Set in the titular year, Kim Stanley Robinson's latest, New York 2140, is more of a character-driven story than I expected, but that is its strength. Recommended.

River of Teeth
12/14/17; Sarah Gailey's River of Teeth is another release from the Tor.com novella program. It already has a sequel, so I'm not sure why it couldn't have been held for a single, novel-length edition. Then again, I got the Kindle version when it was on sale, and after reading I felt I still paid too much. Not recommended, and it's the reason I'm not bothering to add it to the banner announcement above, since I'd be replacing it very soon with another.

Meet the Murderbot
12/16/17; Martha Wells' All Systems Red is the first in a series known as The Murderbot Diaries. It is another release from the Tor.com novella program, much better than the previous one I read. I am interested in continuing with the story, but I'm not sure I will, the reasons for which I give in the last paragraph of the review.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi
12/20/17; Eliza returns for a review of Star Wars: The Last Jedi. I haven't seen it yet, and tried my best to just copy & paste her review without really reading it. There may be some edits later if I made any mistakes, or she spots a typo, or maybe after I've seen it I'll take a close look.

Humans, Bow Down
12/22/17; Humans, Bow Down is the first book I've read by James Patterson, although I have no idea how much he contributed, and what to credit to his co-authors. Doesn't matter. It's not good. NOT recommended.

2018

Happy New Year + 2017 in review
1/1/18; 1:45pm CST - Galen
I hope everyone's new year is starting off great. I'm trying to maintain a postive outlook for the future, but I want to also recognize what went on last year, the most productive year for the site so far. I read more than ever before, a total of sixty-two individual titles, although three of those were re-reads before going on to their sequels, and three non-SF titles I did not review. Also, five movie reviews, three for TV, and three pages on graphic novels covering six titles. Can I do even more this year?

All of 2017's updates have been moved to the Archives, and my first new review will be added shortly.

Prime Meridian
1/1/18; Silvia Moreno-Garcia has already become one of my current favorites, and she continues to fascinate with her novella, Prime Meridian, which she self-published via an Indiegogo campaign. It's copyright 2017 and eligible for current award consideration, but won't be in general release until July 10. I recommend you pre-order.

Shadowhouse Fall
1/10/18; Shadowhouse Fall is a continuation of Daniel José Older's Shadowshaper Cypher. Still good, still exciting, still recommended.

A Time of Changes
1/14/18; Robert Silverberg's A Time of Changes won the Nebula Award for 1971. It is good, full of interesting characters and intricate world-building, but it does have a few flaws. Comparing it to other books nominated that year, including for the Hugo, I'd say it might have received my #3 vote.

Redemption in Indigo
1/15/18; Karen Lord's debut novel, Redemption in Indigo, is at least partially a retelling of a Senagalese folktale, although it may also have influences from her native Barbados. It's an excellent book, and it would be so simple just to quote another review, from Booklist: "One of those literary works of which it can be said that not a word should be changed."

The Night Masquerade
1/17/18; Nnedi Okorafor says The Night Masquerade completes the Binti trilogy, but I'm sure I'm not the only one who hopes she changes her mind one of these days.

The Shape of Water
1/21/18; Guillermo del Toro's The Shape of Water is good, while not up to the masterpiece level of Pan's Labyrinth, but still recommended. The performances of Sally Hawkins and Richard Jenkins outshine some of the cliche elements.

The Best of All Possible Worlds
1/23/18; The Best of All Possible Worlds is Karen Lord's second novel. Quite different than her first, this is science fiction on a grand scale, highly sociological and psychological in nature. It's also a love story, although very different in that regard too. Recommended.

The Only Harmless Great Thing
1/24/18; The Only Harmless Great Thing is a novella by Brooke Bolander. It's well written, but emotionally devastating. I rate it highly in a literary sense, but it's difficult to know if I should recommend it. It may be too intense for some readers.

Blood Binds the Pack
1/29/18; Blood Binds the Pack is a sequel to Alex Wells' Hunger Makes the Wolf so I've continued on that same page. If you haven't read the review of Hunger just scroll up to the top of that page. I think there will be at least one more book in the sequence, but it has not been announced yet.

The Philosopher's Flight
2/2/18; The Philosopher's Flight is the debut novel from Tom Miller. It's a flight of fancy, an alt-history story with a magical touch. Highly recommended.

This Immortal
2/5/18; Roger Zelazny won his first of two Hugos for This Immortal, originally serialized in the Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction under the title "...And Call Me Conrad." It actually tied with Dune, which is a much better book.

Wakanda Forever!
2/16/18; I saw Black Panther in an advance screening last night. It's great, recommended.

The Tensorate Series by JY Yang
2/18/18; The Tensorate Series is, so far, two novellas released on the same day last year. Both are good, the author seeming to think the first is better, but I liked the second more, if only just a little bit. I suspect one or the other, if not both, with get a lot of Hugo nominations. There is already at least one more story in the sequence planned, to be released in July, but I suspect there will be several others. I hope so.

Annihilation
2/23/18; Annihilation is Alex Garland's adaptation of the first novel in Jeff Vandermeer's Southern Reach Trilogy. I loved the books, love the movie, even with its changes. Highly recommended.

Brown Girl in the Ring
3/12/18; Nalo Hopkinson's debut novel, Brown Girl in the Ring, received a Locus Award for Best 1st Novel, and she also was awarded the John W. Campbell for Best New Writer in 1999. Both were well deserved.

Under the Pendulum Sun
3/16/18; Jeannette Ng's Under the Pendulum Sun is a remarkable debut. Quite different than I expected, more subtle in approach, as much a gothic romance as it is high fantasy, although there are plenty of fantastical elements. Tonight is the deadline for Hugo nominations, and I'll probably be struggling up to the last minute whether this one should bump one of the other five, very strong titles that were already on my list. It's that good. Highly recommended, and I don't even mind it's the first of a series, although no word yet on a second title. I'm anxious to travel to Arcadia again, very soon.

Wonderblood
3/20/18; I got a free e-book of Julia Whicker's Wonderblood from Net Galley. It is a dark, post-apocalyptic dystopia, the beginning of yet another multi-book saga. I doubt I'll be interested in continuing the journey in later books. YMMV.

School For Psychics
3/22/18; The title alone should have been warning enough. School For Psychics is another title I got free from Net Galley, but one offered in an email rather than me seeking it out. The only reason I finished it was I feel obligated for any I download from them, in order not to lose free e-book privileges in the future. Reviewed, but not recommended.

No Enemy But Time
3/27/18; Michael Bishop won a Nebula for 1982's No Enemy But Time, a thoughtful, introspective look at a man who doesn't feel at home in the modern world. Maybe he actually belongs in Pleistocene era Africa, which he is able to visit as participant in a time-travel experiment. Highly recommended.

Future Fiction
4/4/18; Future Fiction: New Dimensions in International Science Fiction is a collection of twelve stories from around the world, a collaboration of editors Bill Campbell of Rosarium Publishing in the US and Francesco Verso of Italty's Future Fiction. One story is fantasy, the others SF concerning tech innovations, in both positive and negative situations. Very good mix of styles. Recommended.

The City of Lost Fortunes
4/7/18; Bryan Camp's debut novel, The City of Lost Fortunes, is a magical journey through a magical city, New Orleans. Set six years after Katrina, neither the city or its people, not even the demigods that control its fortunes, have fully recovered from the devastating storm.

Before Mars
4/9/18; Emma Newman's Before Mars is the third novel in a future history sequence, although each can be read and enjoyed as individual stories. In spite of some heavy-handed expostion toward the end, I liked this just as much as the other two. Ms. Newman is good at creating characters you can care about even if they aren't the most noble and sympathetic.

I Met a Traveller in an Antique Land
4/10/18; I Met a Traveller in an Antique Land is a novella by Connie Willis. When I requested it from Net Galley I only knew it was by her, but thought it was a novel. I wasn't aware it had already appeared in Asimov's late last year, which I found out when I borrowed those from my brother-in-law to read for Hugo consideration. I thought maybe the e-book, a promotion for an special edition hardcover, would be an expanded version of the story, but it's not, or at least the e-book wasn't. It's okay, but I don't recommend it, certainly not for the $40 Subterranean Press will be asking.

The Terminal Experiment
4/13/18; I needed to read and review Robert Sawyer's The Terminal Experiment as part of my project of covering all past award winners. It won the Nebula for 1995, and was nominated for a Hugo and others. Unfortunately, I can't recommend it.

Only Human
4/15/18; Sylvain Neuvel's Themis Files comes to a satisfactory conclusion with Only Human. That link takes you to the new comments. If you haven't read the previous parts of the review, just scroll up to the top of that page.

The Poppy War
4/17/18; R. F. (Rebecca) Kuang's debut novel, The Poppy War, is the best new book I've read this year. It's complex and unpredictable, frequently unpleasant, with characters you can love and hate at the same time. Highly recommended.

Bandwidth
4/21/18; Eliot Peper's Bandwidth is the first of a series under the collective title of Analog, with another book due in October. It seems to be set in the same world as his previous Cumulus, since that company gets a very brief mention, but it's many years later. Tech has advanced quite a bit from the earlier book, and climate change has also wreaked havoc on the world. The main character has had a hand in that, but slowly but surely he develops a conscience that leads him in another direction.

Taty Went West
4/29/18; I got Nikhil Singh's Taty Went West from Net Galley. It is the first book I've reviewed without finishing. It's a crazy kaleidoscope of weird imagery and even weirder characters, but it was difficult connecting with it. There were parts I liked, others were frustrating and confusing, and I can't recommend it at this time. I might finish it one of these days, but I have too many other books waiting.

Bruja Born, Brooklyn Brujas #2
5/4/18; Bruja Born is the second book in Zoraida Córdova's Brooklyn Brujas series. It's just as good with plot and character development, opening up the story to reveal lots more magical/supernatural activities going on around New York. Recommended.

Ninefox Gambit, the Machineries of Empire #1
5/9/18; I read Yoon Ha Lee's Ninefox Gambit last year since it was nominated for a Hugo. It didn't win, and I didn't review it then because it was so confusing I felt a re-read was necessary. I've done that, and will also read the second book in the series next, since it's up for a Hugo this year. I'm still confused, but still looking forward to more.

Raven Stratagem, The Machineries of Empire #2
5/17/18; Raven Stratagem, the second book in Yoon Ha Lee's Machineries of Empire series, is up for a Hugo this year. Maybe a bit less confusing than the first, but disappointing since it was mainly a set-up for the conclusion, due out next month.

Syfy's 12 Monkeys
5/22/18; Long time coming for this review. The fourth and final season of Syfy's 12 Monkeys is approaching (June 15) and I've been rewatching the earlier episodes on Hulu. I've finished with Season 1, and for the most part I've kept my comments limited to that, but I will add to the page as I continue with the series.

Revenant Gun, The Machineries of Empire #3
5/25/18; At least the author was consistent. Revenant Gun was just as confusing and frustrating as the first two books in the series.

Dreamsnake
5/31/18; This was my first time reading Vonda N. McIntyre's Dreamsnake, which won Hugo, Nebula, and Locus awards in 1979. I liked it, but not as much as I had hoped. My tastes have changed over the years, no idea what my reaction would have been back then, and I wouldn't try to dissuade anyone from reading it now.

More 12 Monkeys
6/3/18; I've updated my review of the Syfy series 12 Monkeys with a few comments about Season 2. More to follow soon.

Sense8 - Updated
6/9/18; With the 2½ hour Sense8 finale dropping June 8 on Netflix, I've rewatched the previous 23 episodes and started a page on why I love the show. I'll update soon. I'm of two minds on that; anxious to see it, but not anxious for it to be over.

EDIT: Now updated with my thoughts on the finale.

The Moon and the Sun
6/10/18; Vonda McIntyre's Nebula winner from 1997, The Moon and the Sun, is another I didn't like as much as I'd hoped.

Time Loop Back to 12 Monkeys
6/11/18; I've updated the page for Syfy's 12 Monkeys with thoughts on Season 3. I've made a few edits to the previous portions of the review as well.

Suicide Club
6/13/18; Rachel Heng's debut novel is Suicide Club. It has an interesting premise, and it is unpredictable, but that's mainly because the plot development and world-building are inconsistent, and characters don't act logically a lot of the time.

The Stone Sky, Broken Earth #3
6/21/18; The conclusion of N. K. Jemisin's Broken Earth trilogy, The Stone Sky, answers all my questions satisfactorily, including whether or not to consider it science fiction or fantasy. It's Science Fantasy. And very good, recommended, although still not my absolute favorites from the past few years.

Provenance
6/25/18; Ann Leckie's Provenance is set within the same fictional universe as her Imperial Radch trilogy, although it is not a direct sequel. It introduces new characters, new planets, new settings, and it is not necessary to have read the trilogy to understand it. I'd still recommend the trilogy over this, or at least Ancillary Justice, one of the best books of this decade at least. This one...not so much, even though it's up for a Hugo.

The Collapsing Empire
6/27/18; John Scalzi's The Collapsing Empire recently won a Locus award, and is also a Hugo finalist. I'm not voting this year but still wanted to sample all the novels. If I was voting, this would be at the bottom of my ballot, maybe even below No Award. YMMV.

Trail of Lightning, The Sixth World Book 1
6/29/18; An intense and thrilling post-apocalyptic science fiction/fantasy/horror hybrid, Trail of Lightning is the debut novel from Rebecca Roanhorse. It is recommended, and I know I'll want to read the further adventures, so I've given the page the collective name for the series, The Sixth World.

The Expanse, Season 3
7/2/18; Now that SeasonThree of Syfy's The Expanse is done, I have a few, hopefully non-spoilery, comments about it.

Six Wakes
7/7/18; Mur Lafferty's Six Wakes was a finalist for Nebula and PKD awards, winning neither. It is also up for a Hugo. It would not have been one of my nominations if I had read it before that deadline, and if voting it would be no higher than #4 (out of 6) on my ballot.

The Defeat of the 12 Monkeys
7/7/18; Syfy's 12 Monkeys concluded this past Friday night. While not perfect, I still regard it as one of the best shows for this century at least. New comments for Season 4 include quite a few spoilers, but they're clearly marked as such and easily skipped. I made minor edits to the other sections, so scroll up on that page to see all of my comments even if you read that before.

Wayward Children
7/10/18; It's been almost two years since I reviewed the first novella in this series by Seanan McGuire, even before it won Hugo, Nebula, and Locus Awards. I should have known there would be sequels, since she has multiple ongoing fantasy and science fiction series, including under her alternate pseudonym Mira Grant. There's already a third title, which I don't have yet, and a fourth announced for next January. I haven't deleted the previous review yet, but decided to combine the titles into one page. I did re-read the first, Every Heart a Doorway, and made some edits to my comments, and then continued with the second title, Down Among the Sticks and Bones, on a page using the collective name of Wayward Children.

Starship Troopers
7/12/18; The book, not the movie. Some may wonder why I like Heinlein so much, considering my own personal and political opinions. I doubt our thoughts clashed more than in his second Hugo-winner, Starship Troopers. I'm not sure if I was successful in explaining why I still like it.

Foundryside
7/17/18; Robert Jackson Bennett begins a new fantasy trilogy with Foundryside. Recommended, but with minor caveats.

Jade City
8/1/18; It's difficult writing about a book I'd hoped to like a lot, which many others obviously did, since Fonda Lee's Jade City has received multiple award nominations. I can't say I'm sorry I read it, but it didn't wow me, and I doubt I'll continue with what is yet another multi-volume series.

The Descent of Monsters - Tensorate #3
8/5/18; The Descent of Monsters is the third part of JY Yang's Tensorate series. It's shorter than the previous two, but the author says it's also a novella. It's a quick read and in a different style as the others, and it raised a few questions about things I might have forgotten about the earlier stories. After finishing, I went back and re-read all of them again. All are recommended, but the second one is still my favorite. I made minor edits to the previous sections of the review, so if interested just scroll up to the top of that page.

The Forever War
8/8/18; Joe Haldeman won Hugo, Nebula, Locus, and Ditmar awards for his first SF novel, 1974's The Forever War. Still a remarkable book. Many authors can't accomplish in a trilogy what Haldeman did in a little more than 200 pages.

The Stars My Destination
8/10/18; As with the previous book review, Alfred Bester's The Stars My Destination is an example of something nearly extinct in modern SF; a short, stand-alone novel. In many ways it was a pioneering work, with many elements that pre-date cyberpunk. Unfortunately, it also has some problematic elements, primarily the way the women are depicted. That's my only reservation, otherwise it's a very good book.

Amberlough
8/13/18; Lara Elena Donnelly's debut novel, Amberlough, was a finalist for this year's Nebula, although it is neither science fiction or fantasy, not even steampunk. It is set in a fictional world reminiscent of the Weimar Republic of the early 1930s. Well written, sparkling dialogue, a few interesting characters, with some parallels to current events, but ultimately unsatisfying. It's the first of a trilogy, but I doubt I'll continue with the series.

The Apple-Tree Throne
8/15/18; Premee Mohamed's The Apple-Tree Throne is a novella, self-published and only available for Kindle or Kobo e-readers at this time. It's short, inexpensive, and recommended.

Irontown Blues
8/15/18; Irontown Blues is a book John Varley mentioned well over twenty years ago. Since he's one of my favorite writers, and it's an addition to the Eight Worlds sequence, I had been anxiously awaiting it. Unfortunately, even though it's not a waste of time, it did not meet my expectations.

Embers of War
8/19/18; Gareth L. Powell's Embers of War is yet another beginning to a trilogy (at least). It's ambitious, with some intriguing elements, but it didn't quite hook me into being anxious for a continuation. Maybe, maybe not, depending how subsequent books are received by other reviewers and readers.

Passing Strange
8/21/18; Ellen Klages' Passing Strange was a finalist for Nebula, Locus, and Mythopoeic awards, and is still in contention for both British Fantasy and World Fantasy awards. I'd be hard pressed to name a love story as beautifully told. Highly recommended.

A Curious Matter Of Men With Wings
8/24/18; I received a free e-book of A Curious Matter Of Men With Wings by F. Rutledge Hammes, from Edelweiss this time. A few minor flaws, but it is his first solo novel. Surprisingly good.

Rock Manning Goes For Broke
8/24/18; Individual parts of this had been previously published, but Charlie Jane Anders' novella, Rock Manning Goes For Broke, was all new to me. It's an incredibly fast paced, stream of consciouness style of narrative, with tragedy and heartache, but also laughter in the midst of the pain. It will be out in a special edition hardcover from Subterranean Press on September 30, but I got an advance e-book from Net Galley. I hope there's a less expensive version out later, either e-book or paperback, because I'd like many others to have the chance to read it.

Zero Sum Game, Cas Russell #1
8/26/18; Zero Sum Game is not a new book, but it is getting a new edited version. S. L. Huang originally self-published in 2014, but Tor Books bought the rights to it and its sequels. It will be out in hardcover and e-book on October 28. I recommend it.

Borderless, Analog #2
8/28/18; Borderless is the second title in Eliot Peper's Analog series. I reviewed the first, Bandwidth, earlier this year. I haven't yet deleted that page, but decided to combine the titles on another. If you haven't read that review, just scroll to the top on the new page. A third title is in the editing phase now, one I will definitely be reading as soon as it's available.

Children of Blood and Bone
8/30/18; As far as I can tell, Children of Blood and Bone is Tomi Adeyemi's first professionally published work, although she wrote her first story at the age of 5, and there was at least one other novel before this which never sold. It's a young adult title, set in a fictitious African nation patterned after Nigeria. It's also the first book in a proposed trilogy, with a collective title of Legacy of Orïsha, based on dieties worshipped in Nigeria and other West African lands, as well as several Latin American countries. The fact I used orisha in the page's URL does not mean I will be reading the follow-up books. Maybe, maybe not. If I do, then I won't have to change it later.

Cloak & Dagger
9/10/18; The 10 episode first season of Cloak & Dagger premiered on FreeForm in June, but I watched it on Hulu. It's still available there, although maybe not for long, but you might catch it on FreeForm's website, or buy it from AmazonVideo. Links in review. It's recommended.

State Tectonics, Centenal Cycle #3
9/13/18; State Tectonics is the third novel in Malka Older's Centenal Cycle. It is said to conclude the series, but really its ending is just a new beginning. Even if she never returns to this story I'll be thinking about the possibilities for a long time.

Forever Peace
9/23/18; In spite of information you can find elsewhere, Joe Haldeman's Forever Peace is not a sequel to the earlier Forever War. It does share some thematic elements, but it doesn't follow the same characters or events, nor is it set in the same fictional timeline. However, it is like the earlier book in that it is very good. Both are well deserving of their many awards and accolades, and both are highly recommended.

The Black God's Drums
9/25/18; P. Djèlí Clark's The Black God's Drums is an exciting adventure, an alt-history/steampunk tale, with magic based on the gods of orisha. It's a novella, but with lots of action and exposition packed into that short frame. Definitely recommended.

Burning Sky
9/27/18; Burning Sky is the start of a new series by Weston Ochse. It is like some of his other books, focusing on a military unit, but instead of a science fiction or horror setting, this one is more mystical in nature. It is also very good. Recommended.

The Traitor Baru Cormorant
10/2/18; Seth Dickinson's debut novel, The Traitor Baru Cormorant, is also the first of a series with the collective title of The Masquerade. That's a colloquial term for the ruling Empire of Masks. The title character was born and raised on an island annexed by the empire when she was a child. Her plan is to crush the empire, although it's possible she'll end up ruling it herself. Too soon to tell, since there will be at least three more books in the sequence. I have an ARC of the second one, due out at the end of the month.

An Agent of Utopia
10/21/18; I got a free ARC of Andy Duncan's third story collection, An Agent of Utopia, from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. Twelve stories, the majority well worth recommending, several also well deserving of the awards and nominations they received.

Camouflage
10/24/18; Joe Haldeman's third major award-winner was Camouflage. It garnered Nebula and Tiptree trophies, and was a Locus finalist. Another very good, short, self-contained novel, which disects human nature from an alien perspective.

The Monster Baru Cormorant
11/4/18; The second book in Seth Dickinson's Masquerade series, The Monster Baru Cormorant, was not as good as the first, and there were several times I thought I might not even finish it. I eventually did, but I have little interest in continuing with the series.

Coyote Songs
11/7/18; Devastating, horrific, gut-wrenching. Those might sound negative, but they're not, merely the most accurate words I can think of to describe Gabino Iglesias' Coyote Songs. Are you willing to stare into the abyss, look evil in the eye, come what may? I'm not that big a fan of horror, but I liked it, and it's recommended. It will help if you know Spanish, or have a Spanish/English dictionary handy, since some dialog is in Spanish, but you might be able to deduce some of it from context.

The Extraordinary Adventures of the Athena Club
11/11/18; I reviewed the first book in Theodora Goss' Athena Club series last year. At that time I wasn't sure there would be a sequel, but I am extremely glad there was, and hope there will be more. I've left the old page up for now, but the link is for a new page with a new URL, combining the two books, with some minor edits to the original review. Both are very good and recommended.

Nineteen Eighty-Four
11/15/18; I doubt my thoughts about George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four bring anything new to the discussion. It's still a great book, in spite of a few debatable flaws, and destined to be influential for many years to come. It's doubleplusgood as they say.

Moving Mars
11/20/18; Greg Bear's Moving Mars won the Nebula for 1994, and was also a Hugo finalist. Parts are good, parts are boring. Some intriguing speculations on future technologies, but the major event went to space-opera territory, if not outright fantasy.

The Book of the Unnamed Midwife, Road to Nowhere #1
11/22/18; Meg Elison's first novel is also the first of a series, the collective title of which is The Road to Nowhere. The Book of the Unnamed Midwife won the Philip K. Dick Award in 2015. It's very good, recommended. I will continue with this series soon. I already have the second one, and the third will be out next April. I will be getting it too, maybe even early from Net Galley or Edelweiss.

Alice Payne Arrives
11/22/18; The Alice Payne series by Kate Heartfield is the latest entry from the tor.com novella program. Alice Payne Arrives was published a couple of weeks ago, the second title will be out next March. Great characters, intriguing premise, a combination of steampunk and time travel. Recommended.

Beneath the Sugar Sky, Wayward Children #3
11/24/18; Seanan McGuire's third entry in her Wayward Children series is Beneath the Sugar Sky. The story changes from children isolated from their families, isolated even from the other children at Eleanor West's school, to one of cooperation, trust, and undesrtanding the traumas others have suffered. In other words, learning how to be an ally.

Red Moon
11/27/18; I've read approximately half of Kim Stanley Robinson's novels. Red Moon is my least favorite so far. Some interesting ideas, a couple of sympathetic characters, but the plot is so fractured, events incohesive and inconclusive. I got the feeling he rushed it, more editing was needed.

Sorcerer to the Crown
12/2/18; Zen Cho's first novel, Sorcerer to the Crown, was a British Fantasy Award finalist in 2016 for Best Fantasy Novel. She didn't win that, but on its strengths she was recognized as Best Newcomer. It's set in England's Regency Era, but in an alternate world full of magic. Two very strong lead characters, both fighting against other magical forces as well as the strictures of the class system. I'm anxious to read the sequel due next March.

The Book of Etta
12/4/18; The second book in Meg Elison's Road to Nowhere series is The Book of Etta. Still very good, although I'd rate this one a bit below the first. The main character, while interesting and well described, is not as sympathetic as the Midwife.

Darwin's Radio
12/11/18; Darwin's Radio needed a better tuner...uh, I mean a better editor. Greg Bear's second Nebula winner features a fascinating premise, a couple of intriguing characters (as well as a third late in the book), but ultimately falters from poor execution. There's a sequel too, but it won't be on my TBR pile any time soon.

The Calculating Stars
12/14/18; The first of the Lady Astronaut stories by Mary Robinette Kowal was the Hugo-winning novelette "The Lady Astronaut of Mars." I do have a few brief comments about it, but most of this new page is devoted to the first novel published earlier this year, The Calculating Stars. There's already a second novel, which I will get to soon, and two more announced. Very good, recommended.

Mortal Engines
12/15/18; Mortal Engines, the new movie co-written and produced (but not directed) by Peter Jackson, is not recommended.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
12/16/18; Unlike the movie I reviewed yesterday, I can recommend Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse without reservation. I don't care if you've never heard of Peter Parker or Miles Morales, never read a comic book. This movie is fantastic, a must see.

Mortal Engines, the book
12/18/18; Mortal Engines is the first of four novels in a YA series by Philip Reeve. This might be slightly better than the movie, my review of which has been edited. I can't really recommend either, but the book is likely to appeal to younger readers, ones even younger than its fifteen-year-old protagonists.

The Armored Saint
12/19/18; Myke Cole's The Armored Saint is the first in a fantasy series with the collective title of The Sacred Throne. A second title has already been released. I don't have it yet but will get to it someday. I think there will be a third, but nothing else has been announced yet. Recommended.

Rosewater
12/23/18; Tade Thompson's Rosewater was originally published by Apex in 2016. The current edition is from Orbit, but I don't know if it has been edited to a significant amount to make it eligible for current award consideration. It has been showing up on a lot of "Best Of 2018" lists lately, and it definitely makes mine, whether or not it is eligible. Fascinating, complicated, even confusing at times, but in a good way. Highly recommended.

Ink
12/29/18; I'm sure this will be the last review of the year. While it might have been nice to close out the year on a more positive note, I can't think of any book more relevant to the time I read it. Originally published in 2012, it was met with skepticism for its gloomy scenario. Here at the end of 2018, the new edition of Ink by Sabrina Vourvoulias reads like tomorrow's headlines.

2019

Happy 2019 + A Look Back
1/1/19; May your New Year be better in every way! I'm not setting any reading goals this year, other than hoping I can make a dent in my enormous TBR pile + I have quite a few ARCs waiting, so I need to be sure I review them in a timely manner. The book I'm currently reading is a paperback ARC I got directly from the author. It might be a couple of days before I finish it. As far as 2018, I was able to continue my rising book review count, 80 titles, an increase of 24 over 2017. Also 5 movies and 3 TV shows, with plans for many more this year, but again no promises. Didn't review any comics last year, although I have quite a few I need to get to. One of these days. All of last year's updates have been moved to the Archives page.

Bloodleaf
1/3/19; Bloodleaf is the debut novel from Crystal Smith. It's a YA epic fantasy, of which I acknowledge I'm not in the target demo. As impossible as it was, I tried to read it from the perspective of a younger reader. The protagonist is a 17-year-old woman, flawed but admirable, who could be successful if she trusts herself and those who depend on her.

Snow White Learns Witchcraft
1/5/19; Theodora Goss, whose novels of the Athena Club I've really loved, now has a story and poem collection coming out next month. I was lucky to get an advance copy, and I can recommend Snow White Learns Witchcraft for anyone who loves fairy tales.

Lord of Light
1/14/19; Roger Zelazny won his second Hugo for 1967's Lord of Light. Humans pretending to be Hindu gods on an alien planet. An interesting literary experiment, but not completely successful. YMMV.

Slan
1/17/19; A. E. van Vogt's Slan won a Retro Hugo in 2016, 75 years after it would have been eligible if Hugos had been established then. It is not good, not recommended, an example that at least some of the Golden Age classics show considerable tarnish. I'm not featuring it in the promotional banner above since it doesn't deserve the extra exposure.

The Fated Sky
1/19/19; The second novel in Mary Robinette Kowal's Lady Astronaut series is The Fated Sky, continuing the adventures of Elma York in an alternate history space expedition to Mars. An optimistic story reminiscent of the Golden Age, with a modern sensibility. Highly recommended.

How Long 'Til Black Future Month?
1/25/19; In the introduction to N. K. Jemisin's first story collection, How Long 'Til Black Future Month?, she says she was initially only interested in novels, and didn't think she would be any good at short stories. Oh, how wrong she was. This is a major collection, highly recommended.

Dealing in Dreams
1/28/19; Lilliam Rivera's first novel was a mainstream YA story, which I read and enjoyed, but didn't review since it wasn't SF. Her second is, but unfortunately, I didn't like Dealing in Dreams as much. It's the beginning of a series, which I doubt I'll want to continue with.

A Study in Honor
1/29/19; A Study in Honor is the first book in The Janet Watson Chronicles by Claire O'Dell. It is a new variation on Sherlock Holmes, set in the near future with both Watson and Holmes gender and race flipped. Two strong, intelligent, resourceful Black women, who team up to investigate a mystery during the Second American Civil War against the New Confederacy. Highly recommended, and I will be following this series in the future.

Vigilance
1/30/19; Robert Jackson Bennett's Vigilance is another novella from tor.com. It's like the darkest Black Mirror episode imaginable. Outrageous, yet all too believable in this gun-obsessed culture.

Today I Am Carey
1/31/19; In 2016, Martin L. Shoemaker's short story "Today I Am Paul" was a Nebula finalist, and winner of the Small Press Award from the Washington Science Fiction Association. Now he has expanded it into the novel Today I Am Carey. It comes out March 5, but I got an ARC from Edelweiss. It's about a self aware caretaker android, and it's very good, as was the short story, which I link to at the end of the review.

Friday Black
2/3/19; Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah was honored as one of the National Book Foundation's "5 Under 35" authors last year. His first book, Friday Black, is a collection of twelve stories, some mainstream, others either science fiction, fantasy, or horror. Most are dark and violent. Not all are recommended, but the collection as a whole is.

Mars: Stories by Asja Bakić
2/6/19; Asja Bakić is a Bosnian writer now living in Croatia. Her first story collection was published there in 2015, but now there's a US edition coming out next month. I got a free ARC from Edelweiss, and I really liked it. Mars is the book's title, but it's not the title of the only story set on the Red Planet. A mix of mainstream, fantasy, quasi-horror, and science fiction.

The True Queen
2/10/19; The True Queen is the second novel in a series by Zen Cho, which has been called the Sorcerer Royal series, while the cover of this one says "A Sorcerer to the Crown Novel," even though neither of those really apply anymore. The heroine of the first book is now the new Sorceress Royal. Another thing that is slightly wrong is the title of this book, but I won't spoil why. I'll just say it's good, perhaps even better than the first. Recommended.

Man Plus
2/11/19; Frederik Pohl's Man Plus won the Nebula in 1977. I recall liking it when I read it around forty years ago. This time, not so much. I'm not adding this to the banner announcment above since I don't recommend it, and I will probably have another review ready tomorrow anyway.

The Test
2/12/19; Sylvain Neuvel's The Test is a new novella from Tor, released today. Only about 100 pages, but full of ideas that will keep me thinking for quite some time. More than one test going on, and I'm not sure I could pass any of them.

The City in the Middle of the Night
2/15/19; Charlie Jane Anders' second SF novel is The City in the Middle of the Night, a complex tale of humans settled on a tidally locked planet, one side always facing its sun, the other in perpetual cold and darkness. The only complaint I have is it wasn't long enough. So many things about Earth and the Mothership's voyage, plus other events after they reached January, that cried out for more elaboration. Other than that, it is recommended.

Gateway, Heechee Saga #1
2/18/19; Although not the first Frederik Pohl story to mention the Heechee, the first novel in the sequence was 1977's Gateway. I've used the series title for the URL of that page, and while I have all of the other books, there's no telling when I might get to them. A couple of them were finalists for various awards, but Gateway was the only winner, for both Hugo and Nebula, as well as several others.

The Haunting of Tram Car 015
2/19/19; The Haunting of Tram Car 015 is a new novella from P. Djèlí Clark, set within the same milieu as his 2016 novelette "A Dead Djinn in Cairo," which I also mention in the review. Both are full of remarkable characters and situations, packed with visual details of this alt-history/steampunk/mythological fantasy world. Highly recommended.

Seraphina's Lament
2/25/19; Seraphina's Lament is the debut novel from book blogger Sarah Chorn, and also the first of a series known as The Bloodlands. Described as within the fantasy sub-genre of Grimdark, it is definitely that. Grim, dark, bloody, violent. But also very good, and recommended, unless you only want lightness and positivity in your fiction.

Witchmark
2/27/19; Witchmark by C. L. Polk is a finalist for the 2018 Nebula for Best Novel. It starts slow, but I gave it a chance, and it didn't take long to fall under its spell. It falls short of a 5 star rating, but I won't elaborate to avoid spoilers. I've now read four of the six finalists, and while this isn't my favorite, it would not be a disappointment if it wins.

The Murders of Molly Southborne
2/28/19; Tade Thompson's novella The Murders of Molly Southbourne won last year's Nommo Award from the African Speculative Fiction Association, and was also a finalist for the British Fantasy, British Science Fiction, and Shirley Jackson (Horror) awards. It is a mix of genres, with the SF element only revealed toward the end. Not a completely satisfying story, but intriguing enough to look forward to its sequel coming out in July.

Atlas Alone
3/4/19; Atlas Alone is the fourth book by Emma Newman to be set within the same fictional universe, although this is the first one that I feel can't be read as a stand-alone. It closely follows the events from the second book, After Atlas. Even though I have once again created a separate page for the new book, I strongly suggest you not read it until you've read at least that second book, the climactic event of which I did not spoil in the earlier review.

Alice Payne Rides
3/5/19; The second entry in Kate Heartfield's time-traveling adventure tales is Alice Payne Rides. In some ways it's just as good as the first one, in others it stretches credibility, risking being almost as confusing as it is entertaining.

The Book of Flora
3/7/19; I'm pretty sure The Book of Flora concludes Meg Elison's Road to Nowhere series, even though it ends on a shocking revelation. That scenario is far-fetched, which reduced my overall rating for the book, but up until then I was thinking it was the best of the trilogy.

Alita: Battle Angel
3/8/19; A short, not so sweet review. There's a reason I don't go to the theater much these days, nor review many films at all. I'm tired of FX blockbusters with plots interchangeable with every other FX blockbuster that comes along. It that's what you like, you may enjoy Alita: Battle Angel, but I don't recommend it.

Incredibles 2
3/10/19; Not sure why I waited til Incredibles 2 was on Netflix. I think the story is just as good as the first one, with the animation detail being even better.

Rendezvous With Rama
3/12/19; In spite of Arthur C. Clarke's weakness in regards character development, Rendezvous With Rama should still be regarded a genre classic.

Particle Theory
3/16/19; Particle Theory is a story collection by the late Edward Bryant, originally published in 1981. Highly recommended, with several that are among the best stories I've ever read. It is one of eleven of his titles I bought from ReAnimusPress a few years back, just the third to be reviewed, but I hope to get to the others throughout the year.

The Fountains of Paradise
3/19/19; The Fountains of Paradise is another Hugo & Nebula winner from Arthur C. Clarke, but not as good as Rama. It could have been much shorter if it only concentrated on the construction of the space elevator and forgot about Taprobanean history and religion, which was a fictionalized version of Clarke's adopted homeland of Sri Lanka. I guess I could say I recommend about half the book.

The Weight of Our Sky
3/21/19; A very impressive debut novel, and contender for best new book I've read this year. Hanna Alkaf's The Weight of Our Sky is set in Kuala Lumpur in 1969, during the riots known as the 13 May Incident. The first-person narrator is 16-year-old Melati Ahmad, separated from her mother, and also tormented by a Djinn. Highly recommended.

Sooner Or Later Everything Falls Into The Sea
3/24/19; Sarah Pinsker has only been publishing stories for a little more than six years, and yet has racked up an impressive number of award nominations, with wins for Nebula and Sturgeon awards. Her first collection, Sooner Or Later Everything Falls Into The Sea, is highly recommended.

Tiamat's Wrath, Expanse Book #8
3/27/19; Tiamat's Wrath is the eighth novel in the Expanse book series by James S. A. Corey. Just as action-packed as all the others, lots of shocks and surprises, but also plenty of strong character moments. Hard to believe they'll be able to wrap up the story in just one more book, but I'm ready for it no matter how long the wait.

A Memory Called Empire
3/30/19; Another excellent debut novel, my favorite of anything I've read so far this year, new or old. Arkady Martine's A Memory Called Empire is the first in a new series, with the collective title of Teixcalaan, which is the interstellar empire at the heart of the story. Highly recommended.

Breach, Analog #3
4/3/19; Breach is the third, and I assume final book in Eliot Peper's Analog series. Not as good as the two previous books, although I do like the situation at the end, just less so for the actions that bring us to that point. I still recommend the whole trilogy.

Gather the Fortunes, Crescent City #2
4/10/19; I debated whether to create a new page for this or combine it with a previous review. I decided on the latter, so Bryan Camp's first two novels are now reviewed as the Crescent City series.

The Gods Themselves
4/14/19; Some may still consider Asimov to be one of the SF gods, but even The Gods Themselves has to be viewed in modern context, which sometimes proves some "classics" don't stand the test of time.

The Diamond Age
4/21/19; Neal Stephenson's Hugo award winner, The Diamond Age, is a complex novel, part cyberpunk, part steampunk, with many other social and literary references. Maybe not completely successful in developing all its various parts, but still a remarkable book. Recommended.

Blackfish City
4/22/19; Sam J. Miller's Blackfish City is a finalist for the 2018 Nebula. It's unique, quite unlike anything I've read before. Strong worldbuilding, intriguing premise and characters, totally unpredictable. Recommended.

Storm of Locusts
4/23/19; Rebecca Roanhorse's Sixth World series continues in Storm of Locusts. Just as exciting and action-packed as the first book, with some returning characters plus new faces, and new perils. Highly recommended.

Captain Marvel
4/26/19; A short, mostly positive review of Captain Marvel, which I finally got around to seeing yesterday. I will want to see it again, maybe even in theaters, since her appearance in Avengers: Endgame will likely boost ticket sales for a few more weeks.

The Baku by Edward Bryant
4/26/19; The Baku is another story collection from Edward Bryant. Three short stories and one television script, all of which are very good, but also depressing. You'd know that without reading if only you were aware some editions of the book have a subtitle, "Tales of the Nuclear Age."

The Assimilated Cuban's Guide to Quantum Santeria
4/29/19; The first story collection from Carlos Hernandez, The Assimilated Cuban's Guide to Quantum Santeria, is a remarkable mix of fantasy and science fiction, with one story not really either. Very good, and recommended.

Spinning Silver
5/1/19; Naomi Novik's Spinning Silver is a finalist for both Nebula and Hugo awards. It's very good, as much for the human drama as it is for the magic. Recommended.

The Great Eastern
5/4/19; I got an e-book ARC of Howard Rodman's first novel The Great Eastern from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. It is an alternate history, as well as a mash-up of real life people and events with fictional characters from other books. Starts slow, but builds in excitement, but with an anachronistic style that might not suit some readers. I liked it.

Unraveling
5/7/19; This time the ARC came from Net Galley. Karen Lord's fourth novel, Unraveling, will be released June 4. The blurb at Amazon says it's a stand-alone fantasy, but it could also be considered a sequel to her first book, Redemption in Indigo, which I reviewed last year. I was confused through most of the book, but that says more about possibly missing clues or not being able to read between the lines. I think I know the answer to the riddle, but may be mistaken. A re-read is in order, but that will have to wait for later. Recommended.

More Unraveling
5/10/19; Another Edelweiss ARC, this time a short story collection by Brian Evenson. Song for the Unraveling of the World includes 22 stories, ranging from fantasy to science fiction, from horror to existential dread, even a few set in the mundane world. Recommended, but with this reservation. As individual stories they are mostly very good, but taken as a whole there's too much repetition of themes, not enough uniqueness.

The Lesson
5/14/19; Thanks again to Edelweiss for an ARC of Cadwell Turnbull's debut novel, The Lesson, an alien invasion story from a unique perspective. Recommended.

Sundiver, Uplift #1
5/18/19; Sundiver was David Brin's first novel, as well as the first book in the original Uplift Trilogy. Some good concepts, but also quite a few plot elements not fully developed. I'll follow up with thoughts on the second book soon, but another ARC will come first.

Velocity Weapon
5/21/19; Megan E. O'Keef'e Velocity Weapon is the first book in a proposed series with the collective title of The Protectorate. A twisty, fast-paced plot, with several interesting characters, including a traumatized AI spaceship. Recommended.

Startide Rising, Uplift #2
5/26/19; David Brin won Hugo, Nebula, and Locus awards for Startide Rising, the second book in the original Uplift trilogy. It's much better than the first, well deserving of its awards, but there are a few weaknesses.

The Uplift War
5/31/19; The Uplift War won Hugo, Locus, and Seiun awards, and was also a Nebula and Prometheus finalist. It is the best of the original trilogy, but still frustrating, since the mystery of Streaker's discoveries has yet to be revealed.

Neon Twilight
5/31/19; Ending the month with a look at another story collection by Edward Bryant. Neon Twilight is just two short stories and one novelette, all of the space opera variety, plus a quirky introduction by the author. Not great, but not a waste of time either. The first and third stories are best.

Null Set, Cas Russell #2
6/2/19; S. L. Huang's Cas Russell series continues with Null Set. Similar levels of action and intrigue, but too much repetition of action and dialog, with nary a resolution at the end. I'll still be on the lookout for the third book.

Wilder Girls
6/3/19; Rory Power's debut novel, Wilder Girls, might be considered Young Adult, but there's plenty of adult content. The actions of several of the characters, the gruesome descriptions of their physical changes, and their psychological state could be traumatic for some readers. It's still recommended.

This Is How You Lose the Time War
6/4/19; This Is How You Lose the Time War is a novella (I think), a collaboration by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone. Two rival time travel agents begin a secretive correspondence, which leads to sympathetic feelings towards the other, perhaps even love. Beautiful, lyrical, prose as poetry. Highly recommended.

Native Tongue
6/9/19; Suzette Haden Elgin's Native Tongue was originally published in 1984. A new edition comes out next month, and I got an ARC of it from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. It has multiple interesting elements, but none are developed completely, but it is just the first book in a trilogy. Not sure if I'll read the other two, but if I do I doubt it will be soon.

The Philosopher's War
6/12/19; The second book in Tom Miller's series about flying alchemists is The Philosopher's War. I'd rate it a bit below the first book, but only because of my typical aversion to stories of war, of man's inhumanity to man. It's still very well written and exciting.

Wyoming Sun
6/13/19; I almost didn't bother reviewing this. Edward Bryant's Wyoming Sun is another short collection, just five stories. Trouble is, three of them, the best three, were repeats from a previously reviewed title, which I recommend over this one.

Speaker for the Dead
6/20/19; Orson Scott Card accomplished something no one else has done, winning both the Hugo and Nebula two years in a row. The second time was for Speaker for the Dead.

Gods of Jade and Shadow
6/24/19; Silvia Moreno-Garcia's fourth novel, Gods of Jade and Shadow, will be published next month, but I got an e-ARC from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. It's about Mayan gods in Jazz Age Mexico. Silvia remains one of my favorite current authors, she hasn't disappointed me yet.

Dune
6/30/19; This may have been the third time for me to read Frank Herbert's Dune, maybe the fourth. Not sure why it hasn't been more than that. A monumental achievement, one of the best novels of any genre.

The Dragon Republic
7/10/19; The Dragon Republic is a sequel to R. F. Kuang's first novel, The Poppy War, my favorite from last year. I've added comments on that previous page. Do not assume the time it took me to read reflects badly on the book. It's not a light read, it's both brutal and depressing, so I had to take it in short segments. I might not like it as much as the first one, but it's still very good.

Do You Dream of Terra-Two?
7/15/19; The answer to that question is no, I don't dream of Terra-Two, and I won't be thinking much about it after posting this review either. Not recommended.

The Warehouse
7/18/19; Rob Hart's The Warehouse is about a future internet based company called Cloud, best described as Amazon on steroids. I can't criticize it too harshly, but neither am I giving it a recommendation. Readable, but not memorable.

Rainbow's End
7/24/19; Rainbows End won Vernor Vinge his fifth Hugo award in 2007. It's the only Hugo or Award nominated novel from that year I've read, so I can't say how it compares, but I didn't like it, and I don't recommend it.

Foundation's Edge
7/29/19; Isaac Asimov's Foundation's Edge won Hugo and Locus awards, and was also a Nebula finalist. In it, he began the consolidation of his various fictional sequences into a unified whole. It starts slow but improves throughout. Several intriguing puzzles, and better characterizations than usual for him. I could have done without the misogyny though.

Predators and Other Stories
7/30/19; The six stories in Ed Bryant's Predators and Other Stories had previously appeared in another anthology which included stories by others. ReAnimus released it in 2014. I'd give it an overall grade of three out of five stars, even though some of the individual stories would be worth more.

The Xuya Universe Novellas
8/4/19; Aliette de Bodard has been writing stories in her Xuya Universe since 2007. They are up for a Hugo this year for Best Series, and the latest is up for a Hugo on its own after winning a Nebula earlier this year. I will continue with this series one of these days, but for now I take a look at three of the Novellas.

Gideon the Ninth
8/11/19; Tamsyn Muir's debut novel, Gideon the Ninth, publishes in one month. It's been getting a lot of positive buzz, but I didn't like it as much as I'd hoped, and I can't recommend it. YMMV.

Gods, Monsters, and the Lucky Peach
8/14/19; Kelly Robson's Gods, Monsters, and the Lucky Peach is a finalist for a Hugo as Best Novella. I didn't vote this year, and even if I had this would not have been my #1 pick, but it still gets a positive recommendation.

Artificial Condition, Murderbot #2
8/16/19; Another Hugo finalist for Best Novella, Martha Wells' Artificial Condition has already won a Locus Award, and was a Nebula finalist. It is the second in a series with the collective title of The Murderbot Diaries. I liked it, maybe not as much as the first, but I'm still interested in continuing the series.

2019 Hugo Awards
8/18/19; The Hugos were announced today in Dublin, and I just finished updating relevant pages, Hugo/Nebula Awards, Books at Amazon, Novel Winners, Dual Award Winners, and the review page that features the latest to accomplish that feat, The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal.

Of Wars, and Memories, and Starlight
8/22/19; Stories from the Xuya Universe dominate Aliette de Bodard's first major story collection, Of Wars, and Memories, and Starlight. Two stories are from her Dominion of the Fallen series. I'd rate individual stories from good, to very good, to excellent, and I gave the collection 5 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.

Stranger in a Strange Land
8/25/19; After many readings, my opinion of Stranger in a Strange Land has changed somewhat. It's not as good as I once thought, but that doesn't mean I don't still like quite a bit about it.

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
8/28/19; After many readings, my opinion of The Moon is a Harsh Mistress has NOT changed. It's still my favorite Heinlein novel, which means it's among my favorite books of all time.

The Sinister Mystery of the Mesmerizing Girl
9/1/19; I received an ARC of the third book in Theodora Goss' Athena Club series. The Sinister Mystery of the Mesmerizing Girl will be published in one month. I have to rate this one lower than the previous two. It has as much exciting plot, as much explosive action, but the camaraderie of the women is weaker, thus the strengths of the feminist message is diminished. I still recommend the series as a whole.

Antediluvian
9/11/19; Another ARC, from Edelweiss this time. Wil McCarthy's Antediluvian publishes in three weeks, October 1. It's a variant on a time travel adventure, or at least a thought experiment about time travel. It's good and recommended.

A Fire Upon the Deep
9/28/19; It took me longer to read Vernor Vinge's Hugo-winning A Fire Upon the Deep than it should have, but there were a lot of personal things going on for me this month. I've titled the review page Zones of Thought because I intend to follow up with the other books in the sequence soon, at least the prequel which also won a Hugo. Ran out of time this month, but hopefully soon.

Conjure Wife
9/30/19; Fritz Leiber had two novels up for a Retro Hugo this year, neither of which I had read before. Conjure Wife won, but it wasn't as good as I'd hoped.

The Deep
10/2/19; Rivers Solomon's new novella, The Deep, will be published in a little over a month, November 5. It is excellent, highly recommended. The premise had been developed by quite a few other creators over recent years, and this might not be the final iteration of the concept.

Ad Astra
10/2/19; The title of this film is Latin for "To the stars." That's where Ad Astra belongs. Blasted into space, never to be seen again. Avoid it.

The Book of Lost Saints
10/5/19; Daniel José Older's new novel, The Book of Lost Saints, is a contender for my favorite novel of the year. A remarkable story of conflict, betrayal, and reconciliation in Cuba before, during, and after the revolution, and among modern day Cuban-Americans. With a supernatural twist.

Talk Like a Man
10/12/19; Nisi Shawl's story collection, Talk Like a Man, is weird and wonderful, but much too short. Only four stories, one essay, and an interview conducted by Terry Bisson. Still good though, and recommended.

A Deepness in the Sky
10/23/19; Vernor Vinge's A Deepness in the Sky won more awards than his previous novel, A Fire Upon the Deep, yet I didn't like it as much. It had the potential to be great, but the narrative was scattered over three different tracks, neither of which was developed as fully as I would have liked. It could have been, probably should have been, expanded to a trilogy.

The Queen of Crows
10/26/19; The second book in Myke Cole's Sacred Throne series is The Queen of Crows. Just as good as the first book, even more action-packed, but also with several quieter moments of character reflection. I've already started the third book, will be adding to this review as soon as possible.

The Killing Light
10/27/19; Myke Cole's Sacred Throne trilogy concludes with The Killing Light. I rate it a bit lower than the previous two, mainly for some cliché elements and events that did not come as a surprise. Still recommended though.

The Sword in the Stone
10/29/19; T. H. White's The Sword in the Stone was published in 1938, and later became the first story in a collection titled The Once and Future King. It won a Retro Hugo as Best Novel in 2014. More whimsical in nature than a lot of other King Arthur stories, a quick read, but not that satisfying. YMMV.

Fetish
10/30/19; Fetish is a novella by Edward Bryant, originally published in 1991, reissued in 2014 by ReAnimus Press. The first-person narrator is Angela Black, who presents herself as an herbalist, but in truth she's a witch of considerable powers. She was in a story in a previously reviewed collection, and in at least three others I know of, which I need to track down.

The Ten Thousand Doors of January
11/2/19; Starting a new month with the first e-book I got through my renewed library card and the Cloud Library app. Alix E. Harrow's The Ten Thousand Doors of January came out in September and has been getting rave reviews. That praise is justified. Highly recommended.

Dead Astronauts
11/5/19; Jeff VanderMeer's new novel, Dead Astronauts, will be released in a month, but I got an e-ARC from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. I probably shouldn't review it without re-reading, since I'm completely confused about almost everything.

The Future of Another Timeline
11/7/19; Annalee Newitz's second novel, The Future of Another Timeline, is quite a bit different than any other time travel story I've read. It's also very good. Don't miss it.

Auberon, an Expanse novella
11/13/19; Auberon is the latest story in the Expanse book series by James S. A. Corey. They say it's a novella, but if so it just barely qualifies, only 66 pages on Kindle. As with the other shorts, not essential reading, but I think it gives a hint about the path the next novel, supposedly the last, might take.

Dead Sky
11/16/19; Dead Sky is the second book in a duology by Weston Ochse, the story beginning in Burning Sky. I'd rate this one slightly below the first, but together they are still highly recommended.

…and Other Disasters
11/18/19; Malka Older's first story collection, …and Other Disasters, is short but powerful, full of intriguing ideas, deft characterizations, and emotional resonance. Highly recommended.

Sunspot Jungle
11/21/19; Bill Campbell is the owner/chief editor of the small press Rosarium Publishing, along with being a writer of fiction and non-fiction. His latest anthology project is in two volumes, each of which contains fifty stories. I'm sure I'll feel the same when I get to Volume Two, but for now Sunspot Jungle is highly recommended.

Cyteen
11/27/19; I haven't read as much of C. J. Cherryh's work as I should have, and I need to correct that one of these days. She won another Hugo for Best Novel with 1988's Cyteen. It's complex and thought-provoking. Strongly recommended.

Doomsday Book
11/30/19; My second reading (after more than 25 years) of Connie Willis' Doomsday Book was even more enjoyable this time around. It's not the best of her novels, probably not the best of other finalists that year, but it's still very good.

A Song for a New Day
12/5/19; Sarah Pinsker's debut novel, A Song for a New Day, is an expansion on the theme in her Nebula-winning novelette "Our Lady of the Open Road." A few elements are changed, or more fully explained, but it could also be that the novelette, set decades later, is in an alternate reality. The story is very good, the novel is great.

Seeker, Alex Benedict #3
12/10/19; Jack McDevitt won a Nebula for 2005's Seeker, which was the third book in his series featuring explorer and antiquities dealer Alex Benedict. I will eventually follow-up on other books in that series, only the first of which I had read before, although I have no idea when that might happen.

The Expanse, Season 4 on Prime
12/13/19; The Expanse is now an Amazon Prime original series. New episodes dropped early yesterday evening, and I watched in three different sessions. My comments are as non-spoilery as I could make them. Still great, still just as good as the books, even with the inevitable changes. Well, all but one of those changes, which irritated me, but I won't elaborate on it, and I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt for now.

The Broken Heavens
12/16/19; Kameron Hurley's Worldbreaker Saga comes to a conclusion with The Broken Heavens. It's been more than four years since the second book, I didn't have time for a re-read, so I was just as confused as ever. It may appeal to others, but I can't recommend the series at this time.

Among the Dead
12/19/19; Among the Dead was Edward Bryant's first story collection, although it is the last of his reissued by ReAnimus Press for me to review. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend it, but I mention the better stories and the other collections in which they appeared.

Hominids, Neanderthal Parallax #1
12/24/19; Robert J. Sawyer's Hugo-winner Hominids was the first in a trilogy, with the collective title of the Neanderthal Parallax. Several interesting characters and intriguing ideas, but not without some problematic elements too. One of these days I'll follow up with the other books.

The Rise of Skywalker
12/29/19; Eliza DoLots favors us with her thoughts on the latest Star Wars film, The Rise of Skywalker. I haven't seen it yet, only copied and pasted her review into a template in order to avoid spoilers, but I trust she will let me know if there are any typos or other things she might want to change.

2020

Happy New Year, and A Look Back
1/1/20; 7:45am CST
Hello, 2020! Not sure what the year will be like here, although I find it hard to believe it could top 2019, the most productive year for the site. As we enter our 20th Anniverary year, there is now a total of 628 pages (if my math is not in error), almost 100 of them added in 2019. There were a total of 102 reviews, although some of them were sequel books on an already existing page. It's gonna be tough topping that, and I'm not even going to try. No specific goals this year, that way I won't be upset if I don't meet them. I'll just keep reading and writing reviews, and we'll see how it goes.

The first review will be along in a few days, hopefully, but I'm also in the midst of making minor edits on all the pages, and that will take a while. A new category has been created, for Non-SF related media, something I've thought about for several years. It's not likely there will be a lot of content there any time soon, but the first book review is imminent, sometime this month. There won't be any links to any of the category pages there until content is uploaded. Last year's updates have been moved to the Archives page.

Have a great year, everyone!

The Lost Book of Adana Moreau
1/4/20; 11:25am CST
I had expected the first book to go into the new Non-SF section would come a bit later, but Michael Zapata's debut novel fits the bill. It will appeal to SF fans, but the speculative elements in The Lost Book of Adana Moreau are only contained within books written by this book's characters. It's very, very good.

Shadowshaper Legacy
1/8/20; 10:15am CST
Shadowshaper Legacy is said to conclude Daniel José Older's series, although I'm hoping that is not the case. The major mysteries have been revealed, Sierra Santiago and her fellow shadowshapers prevail, but there are many side plots and peripheral characters I'd like to learn more about. Especially Uncle Neville. Whether we ever get any of those doesn't matter, this series is still recommended.

Last Song Before Night
1/13/20; 11:00am CST
Ilana C. Myer's debut novel, Last Song Before Night, is also the first in the Harp and Ring sequence. I can't give it a strong recommendation, but it does have positive attributes, and since more and more people prefer fantasy over science fiction, some of them might like it more than me. I plan to continue with the series soon.

Untamed Shore
1/15/20; 7:40am CST
Silvia Moreno-Garcia's latest novel is another departure for her. Untamed Shore is not SF, Fantasy, or Horror, instead it's a noir-thriller set in 1979 on the west coast of Baja California. It's the second book to fit into the new Non-SF section of the site, in fact it was what prompted me to create that. It's out next month, but I was lucky in getting an advance e-book from Net Galley. As with everything else I've read by her it is very good.

Falling Free
1/19/20; 4:50pm CST
The first award-winning novel from newly named Grand Master Lois McMaster Bujold was 1988's Falling Free. It's very good.

The Return of Murderbot!
1/21/20; 5:55pm CST
I had already reviewed the first two novellas in Martha Wells' The Murderbot Diaries, gave up hoping they'd drop the Kindle prices on the others, so I checked them out of the library. So a few brief words about Rogue Protocol & Exit Strategy.

The Wolf of Oren-Yaro, Bitch Queen #1
1/26/20; 2:50pm CST
Originally self-published a couple of years ago, the first two books in K. S. Villoso's Chronicles of the Bitch Queen are being reissued by Orbit Books. The first, The Wolf of Oren-Yaro, is already out on Kindle, the paperback coming next month, with the second title due in September.

Shards of Honor
1/31/20; 6:30pm CST
Lois McMaster Bujold's first published novel was Shards of Honor in 1986. There was a direct sequel five years later, Barrayar, which won the Hugo. At one time they were available in one volume under the title Cordelia's Honor, so that's what I used for the URL of this new page. I'll follow up with thoughts on Barrayar soon, but at least one other book will come before that.

Docile
2/5/20; 3:15pm CST
K. M. Szpara's debut novel, Docile, has an interesting premise, but too much of the narrative was disturbing. Only recommended for those who can read all the review and still be interested.

Fire Dance
2/13/20; 4:50pm CST
Fire Dance is the second book in Ilana C. Myer's Harp & Ring sequence. I rate it about the same as the first book; lyrical prose, some intriguing characters, but poor pacing. Just when it seems important revelations are imminent, the narrative shifts to another scenario, which is frustrating.

The Survival of Molly Southbourne
2/15/20; 1:05pm CST
The second novella in a series by Tade Thompson, The Survival of Molly Southbourne, continues the weird and fascinating story of Molly, or I should say a molly, one of the original's blood clones. A few negatives, things that don't make sense in the overall scenario, but enough action and speculation to satisfy. I hope there will be another story soon, although no word on that yet.

The Rosewater Insurrection
2/18/20; 5:50pm CST
Another second book from Tade Thompson, this time The Rosewater Insurrection, finalist for a BSFA award. Just as good as the first book, although told from multiple perspectives this time instead of just one. Exciting action, intriguing future tech, and very interesting characters, not all of whom you'll like.

The Rage of Dragons
2/23/20; 4:45pm CST
Evan Winter's debut novel, The Rage of Dragons, is not the type of fantasy I'm usually drawn to, but it has been getting lots of positive reviews, and when Amazon dropped the Kindle price I took a chance. As I suspected, it's not the type of fantasy that interests me. Too much fighting, too much brutality, and a rigid caste society that has hardly any redeeming qualities. It's been described as Game of Thrones meets Gladiator, so if that sounds interesting you may like it more than me.

Barrayar
2/27/20; 12:35pm CST
Lois McMaster Bujold's Barrayar continues the adventures of Cordelia Vorkosigan, née Naismith. Even though five years separated it from the publication of Shards of Honor, the events pick up almost immediately after it. A solid Hugo-winner, with character predominate, but plenty of action to satisfy almost any fan, as well as effective commentary touching on personal rights and autonomy, trauma and disabilities.

The Poet King
3/1/20; 3:45pm CST
The most positive thing I can say about The Poet King, and the Harp & Ring series as a whole, is that it is not predictable. But it is frustrating, and ultimately unsatisfying.

Beneath the Rising
3/5/20; 5:55pm CST
Do you like Lovecraft? Even if you don't I'd say you'll probably still enjoy Premee Mohamed's debut novel, Beneath the Rising, a creepy occult horror story with just the right amount of humor thrown in.

Young Miles (Vorkosigan Saga)
3/16/20; 12:30pm CDT
I continue my reviews of Grand Master Lois McMaster Bujold's work with Young Miles, an omnibus of two novels and one novella, the early adventures of Miles Naismith Vorkosigan.

Sunspot Jungle, Volume Two
3/23/20; 1:35pm CDT
The Bill Campbell edited anthology Sunspot Jungle, Volume Two continues with both the diversity of authors and the quality of the fiction. Highly recommended.

Vagabonds
3/31/20; 6:20pm CDT
Hao Jingfang is the first Chinese woman to win a Hugo, for her 2015 novelette "Folding Beijing." Ken Liu translated that, and he does the honors again with her first novel Vagabonds, which was published in 2018 with a title that would translate as Wandering Maearth. A bit tedious at times, but it ends much stronger than it begins, and it gets a recommendation.

Shorefall, Founders #2
4/9/20; 1:20pm CDT
The second book in Robert Jackson Bennett's Founders trilogy, Shorefall, is a lot like its predecessor. Both start slow, but end very strong. Both get a recommendation.

"Jack" by Connie Willis
4/10/20; 4:15pm CDT
A short, hopefully spoiler-free review of Connie Willis' 1991 novella, Jack, which gets the special edition treatment from Subterranean Press at the end of the month.

Network Effect, a Murderbot Novel
4/14/20; 6:20pm CDT
The four previous novellas in the Murderbot series concluded, for the most part, the original story arc. I've created a new page for the first novel in the sequence, Network Effect. It is being marketed as a stand-alone continuation, and while it has sufficient exposition to fill you in on previous events, I'd recommend starting from the beginning if you haven't already done that.

The City We Became
4/18/20; 7:20pm CDT
N. K. Jemisin begins a new trilogy, completely different than the previous one of The Broken Earth. This one has the collective name of The Great Cities. The first book is The City We Became, which is an expansion of her Hugo-nominated short story, "The City Born Great" from 2016.

Heinlein's World As Myth
4/26/20; 11:20pm CDT
Robert Heinlein introduced the concept of the multiverse in 1980's The Number of the Beast. What no one knew until recently, another book about parallel universes with the same characters as in Number had been written but never published. It has now. There are sections that are duplicates in the two books, but there are also places where they diverge. I've re-read Number, and combine thoughts on it and The Pursuit of the Pankera on a page I've titled the World As Myth.

Cetaganda, a Miles Vorkosigan Adventure
4/28/20; 4:20pm CDT
My exploration of Lois McMaster Bujold's work, and the adventures of Miles Vorkosigan, continues with Cetaganda, on a page I've named Miles Vorkosigan Saga #2, and I'll follow up with two others on that page as soon as possible, maybe even before the end of May, but I've got a lot of others on my To Be Read pile.

Of Honey and Wildfires
4/28/20; 4:20pm CDT
Sarah Chorn's second self-published novel, Of Honey and Wildfires, might not be considered Grimdark like her first, but it is still pretty grim and dark, with just the slightest bit of brightness and hope at the end.

Borders of Infinity, more Miles Vorkosigan
5/4/20; 2:00pm CDT
Borders of Infinity consists of three novellas in the Vorkosigan Saga, with added scenes framing them around interviews of Miles by his superior, Simon Illyan. As with a lot of this saga, publication dates are different than internal chronology, which leads to a few inconsistencies in the plots. But the stories themselves are strong, both plot-wise and in characterizations.

Brothers in Arms (Miles has a brother?)
5/7/20; 7:40pm CDT
Another short but action packed adventure with Miles Vorkosigan. Hardly anything is as it seems in Brothers in Arms, wherein Miles meets his clone brother, Mark.

We Ride the Storm
5/10/20; 3:25pm CDT
Devin Madson has several self-published novels to her credit, and they've been successful enough to warrant Orbit Books reissuing them. First up is her fourth, We Ride the Storm, the first in the Reborn Empire trilogy. Paperback comes out next month, e-books were released in January. I got it through a Twitter giveaway. I prefer SF to Fantasy, and urban to epic fantasy, so I didn't like this as much as many others have. As in all things, YMMV.

Hella by David Gerrold
5/16/20; 2:05pm CDT
David Gerrold's new novel, Hella, is a continuation of his Dingilliad Trilogy from the early 2000s. It may be the beginning of a new trilogy, not sure about that, but I hope so. It's hella good.

The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water
5/17/20; 5:30pm CDT
Zen Cho's novella, The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water, comes out next month, but I got an advance look from Edelweiss. It was different than I expected, well-written but not that satisfying, especially if this the only look we get into this world.

Veil by Eliot Peper
5/20/20; 5:45pm CDT
Eliot Peper's latest novel, Veil, is a fast-paced, near future SF thriller, part spy romp, part environmental activism, with a very strong protagonist in Zia León. Highly recommended.

Interlibrary Loan
5/21/20; 5:25pm CDT
Sadly, Gene Wolfe passed away more than a year ago. Sadly, what I assume is his final novel, the posthumously published Interlibrary Loan, is a disappointment. It's a sequel to 2015's A Borrowed Man, which I'll give a reserved recommendation, but not so for this one.

Mexican Gothic
5/25/20; 2:00pm CDT
Once again, Silvia Moreno-Garcia does not disappoint. Mexican Gothic is highly recommended. There are familiar elements, although you'll likely guess wrong several times about what is going on.

Mirror Dance
5/30/20; 5:30pm CDT
Miles Vorkosigan, and his clone-brother Mark, return in the Hugo and Locus winner Mirror Dance. I've started a new page for it, entitled Miles Vorkosigan Saga #3, and will follow up on that page with comments on two other books.

Memory
6/2/20; 1:25pm CDT
Even though Bujold's Memory was a finalist for Hugo, Nebula, and Locus awards, it didn't win any of them. But it's as good as any of the others in the Vorkosigan Saga.

Komarr
6/4/20; 4:30pm CDT
I'd rate Komarr a bit lower than most of the others in the Vorkosigan Saga. It's still good and entertaining, but more a mystery with too many predictable elements.

Of Dragons, Feasts and Murders
6/5/20; 5:30pm CDT
One of Aliette de Bodard's series has the collective title of Dominion of the Fallen, consisting of a trilogy of novels, along with several shorter works. I have the first novel but haven't read it yet, but have now read four of the shorts, with the latest, Of Dragons, Feasts and Murders due out next month. It's about Fallen Angels, dragons, and of course, murders. It's pretty good, and enough of a stand-alone if you know a bit about the general premise. I think this is more of a spin-off from the novel series, focusing on two characters, and I'm sure other stories will follow.

Or What You Will
6/7/20; 1:20pm CDT
Jo Walton's Or What You Will comes out next month, but I got an ARC from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. Honestly, it's in contention for favorite of the year. Highly recommended.

Red Dust
6/8/20; 12:40pm CDT
Red Dust is a newly translated version of the 2004 novel Polvo Rojo by the Cuban writer Yoss, pen-name of José Miguel Sánchez Gómez. There's no way for me to know if the tranlation is the problem, but it was not what I was expecting, not as good as I was hoping. I can't recommend it.

The Vast of Night
6/8/20; 7:50pm CDT
It's been a very long time since I've reviewed a movie, and I think that one (Ad Astra) was the last time I went to the theater, long before they closed due to Covid19. But The Vast of Night is on Prime Video. It's low budget, set in the late 1950s, and reminiscent of drive-in fare of that time. I'm not giving it an enthusiastic recommendation, but there's lots worse things you could do with an hour and a half.

New Eyes
6/14/20; 11:10am CDT
Tobias Cabral's debut novel, New Eyes, is a continuation of a story that began in a collaborative novella that I have not read, but there's enough expostion for this to be understandable on its own. Post-Cyberpunk, rogue androids, even more rogue humans, but a few good ones too. Recommended, but with a few reservations.

The Relentless Moon
6/16/20; 6:40pm CDT
The third novel in Mary Robinette Kowal's Lady Astronaut series is The Relentless Moon. The timeline overlaps that of the second book, but instead of more about Elma York and the Mars expedition, another lady astronaut tells of her perilous adventures on the Moon. It's very good, highly recommended.

Middlegame
6/24/20; 1:40pm CDT
Seanan McGuire's Middlegame is a Hugo finalist for Best Novel. It's good, but also frustrating, so it only gets a reserved recommendation.

Bookshop.org
6/24/20; 2:10pm CDT
In addition to Amazon and ReAnimus Press, we are now also an affiliate of Bookshop.org, which was recently started to support independent bookstores that had been forced to close due to the Covid19 pandemic. I've created just a basic page for now, with only one link, the only book I've reviewed since signing up with them. I'll add more information later. As with Amazon, you don't have to buy the item you linked to, you can do a general search once you get to their site, and as long as you complete a purchase within 48 hours, we'll still be credited for the sale.

The Light Brigade
7/1/20; 5:25pm CDT
I can highly recommend Kameron Hurley's The Light Brigade, which is a Hugo finalist, as well as for Locus and Arthur C. Clarke awards. If I was voting this year it would be a difficult decison, but it would place no lower than #2 on my ballot.

The Girl and the Ghost
7/4/20; 1:15pm CDT
Hanna Alkaf's first novel was a YA set in Malaysia in 1969, historical but with a slight fantasy element. Her second is MG, so I'm definitely not in the target demographic, but I loved it. The Girl and the Ghost is again set in Malaysia, this time it's current day with story elements based on traditional folklore. I knew it was a good idea to follow her career, and I'm looking forward to anything else she writes.

A Civil Campaign + Winterfair Gifts
7/15/20; 4:30pm CDT
After a couple of false starts on other books I went back to Bujold. A page I've named Miles Vorkosigan Saga #4 starts with comments on 1999's A Civil Campaign and 2004's "Winterfair Gifts," and I'll follow up with two more novels on that page soon.

Brave New World
7/16/20; 1:50pm CDT
With a new TV adaptation just released, I re-read Aldous Huxley's Brave New World. It has been close to 50 years since the first time, and I am almost 100% positive my original opinion does not match my current one. Interesting, but simplistic and derivative ideas, and the prose is weak.

The Hound of Justice
7/19/20; 4:20pm CDT
The second book in Claire O'Dell's Holmesian series, The Janet Watson Chronicles, is The Hound of Justice. I'd rate it a bit below the first one, but it's still good and recommended, in spite of some cliché elements and illogical developments.

Tales from the Loop
7/23/20; 4:10pm CDT
Tales from the Loop is an Amazon Prime series, just eight episodes so far. It's based on an art book of the same name by Simon Stålenhag, which depicts the eerie atmosphere in a town above a particle accelerator. It's very good, but it's slow and contemplative, full of emotion rather than action. Highly recommended, and I hope there will be more.

Station Eleven
7/23/20; 8:00pm CDT
I'm not sure why it took me so long to get around to Emily St. John Mandel's Station Eleven. Published almost six years ago, it's been on my Kindle almost five years. If I had the time I'd be re-reading it already, it's that good.

It Was Twenty Years Ago Today...
7/27/20; 9:15am CDT
Reflections on the 20th Anniversary of The Templeton Gate.

Architects of Memory
7/28/20; 5:00pm CDT
Karen Osborne's debut novel is the start of a new series with the collective title of The Memory War. The fact I used that in the URL of the new page is not an indication I'll read the second book.

2020 Hugo Awards
8/1/20; 5:00pm CDT
The 2020 Hugo Awards were announced last night by CoNZealand. I've edited the current Hugo/Nebula and Retro Hugo pages to reflect all the new winners, as well as editing several review pages to add their award wins. I was very pleased, but surprised, that my favorite novel won, Arkady Martine's A Memory Called Empire, as did the novella This Is How You Lose the Time War, and The Expanse books won for Best Series.

Greythorne
8/3/20; 4:35pm CDT
Greythorne is Crystal Smith's second novel, second in a series that began with Bloodleaf. They are both good and recommended, with the new one having a faster pace, and many twists and turns of plot.

Wayward Witch
8/8/20; 2:15pm CDT
Wayward Witch is said to be the conclusion of Zoraida Córdova's Brooklyn Brujas series. Obviously it is the end of a trilogy, but I can imagine the Mortiz family has many more adventures ahead, and I will read them if Zoraida ever writes them. Recommended.

Diplomatic Immunity
8/11/20; 6:45pm CDT
Bujold's Diplomatic Immunity continues the exploits of Miles Vorkosigan, as his honeymoon with Ekaterin is interrupted by an urgent case direct from Emperor Gregor. Another high stakes adventure, mystery and intrigue, so many clues it takes Miles a while to sort them all out. Recommended.

Cryoburn
8/17/20; 5:45pm CDT
The last (for now) of Bujold's novels that center directly on Miles Vorkosigan is Cryoburn. Unfortunately, it's the first of the series I cannot recommend. Somewhat interesting story, but poorly paced.

The Ascent to Godhood
8/20/20; 12:30pm CDT
The normal pattern of books in a series is they usually get longer as the story progresses. JY Yang has gone in the opposite direction. The Ascent to Godhood is the shortest of the Tensorate series. Each has had a different style, the first two more lyrical, the last two more mundane. They don't always go in the direction you anticipate, and I'm not sure to whom the latest title refers. I liked it, but the second one is still my favorite.

Riot Baby
8/22/20; 11:40am CDT
Riot Baby is Tochi Onyebuchi's first adult title, a novella that packs a terrific punch. Brutal but honest. Angry but also redemptive. It is an SF story, with a girl with powers of telekinesis and more, a story that centers the tragedies of her Black family's life, but behind that is the history of so much more pain. Sort of a mash-up of The X-Men, The Hate U Give, and the recent HBO adaptaion of Watchmen. Highly recommended, even though it is not a pleasant read.

Miranda in Milan
8/23/20; 4:20pm CDT
Katharine Duckett's Miranda in Milan is another novella from tor.com. It's a sequel to Shakespeare's The Tempest, with Prospero up to his old tricks of magic and mayhem, and Miranda hidden away in her rooms in the Milan castle, cut off from her betrothed Ferdinand, with no means of communicating with him, and contacts with almost everyone else restricted. It received mixed reviews on publication last year, but I loved it. A worthy successor to the Bard's story, with modern sensibilities, and a potentially happy ending.

World of the Five Gods
9/1/20; 7:10pm CDT
I've enjoyed Bujold's science fiction immensely, the fantasy series of the World of the Five Gods much less so. The second book won both Hugo and Nebula, so needed to be reviewed, although I liked the first one a bit more.

Burning Roses
9/3/20; 3:00pm CDT
S. L. Huang's Burning Roses will be published at the end of the month. It is recommended, but to get an idea of whether you'd like it I link to two previous short stories available to read online.

The Last Dance
9/7/20; 1:00pm CDT
Martin L. Shoemaker's The Last Dance is what's known as a fix-up. Not a novel, but several previous stories with framing sequences to tie them together. It's the first of the Near Earth Mysteries, but it could just as well have been called "The Chronicles of Nick Aames." High concept. Hard-SF. Recommended.

The Last Campaign
9/9/20; 3:25pm CDT
The Last Dance combined previously written stories, but its follow-up, The Last Campaign, is a novel, and it lives up to the series' collective title of Near Earth Mysteries. Complex and convoluted, with multiple threads tied up at the end, in a conclusion that is sure to reverberate throughout the solar system for years to come. It's not clear if the two main characters will live long enough to see a Free Mars, but I hope so, and I will definitely read those stories when they come. Highly recommended.

Ring Shout
9/11/20; 2:05pm CDT
P. Djèlí Clark's Ring Shout is set in Georgia in 1922, the narrator being a Black woman monster hunter, tracking down otherworldly Ku Kluxes that have infested some members of the Klan.

Black Sun
9/14/20; 5:25pm CDT
Rebecca Roanhorse hasn't completed her Sixth World series, but she's started another. Black Sun is the first in a projected trilogy with the collective title of Between Earth and Sky. I liked it, but the end was a bit frustrating.

The Once and Future Witches
9/18/20; 5:55pm CDT
Alix E. Harrow's second novel proves her first was no fluke. The Once and Future Witches is exciting, well plotted, with great characters. Witchcraft blended with political thought, even though I may have read some things into the narrative she didn't intend. Highly recommended.

City of Saints and Madmen
9/25/20; 7:00pm CDT
Jeff VanderMeer's City of Saints and Madmen, published in 2001, then revised and expanded several times since, is a collection of novellas + extras. I have it in a paperback which I hadn't read yet, but it's getting yet another edition, in an omnibus that will include two related novels, titled Ambergris. I have an ARC of that from Edelweiss, but I've also read portions in the paperback, since it doesn't seem that the omnibus will actually be the "complete" Ambergris. What I've read so far is very good, and I'll follow up later, but not before several other books.

Dreamweaver's Dilemma
9/28/20; 8:10am CDT
Dreamweaver's Dilemma is a collection of stories and essays by Lois McMaster Bujold. It also includes bibliographical information about her books and awards, a character pronunciation guide, and lots of other information. Two of the stories had been previously unpublished, including the title story. It's a worthy addition to the Bujold canon.

Seven of Infinities
9/30/20; 2:50pm CDT
Seven of Infinities is a new novella by Aliette de Bodard, set in her Xuya Universe, so I'm adding it to an existing page. Scroll up from where that link takes you in case you haven't read the other parts of the review. Each are very good, worthy of your time, with my only complaint being they should be longer, with more information and background. Otherwise highly recommended.

Ethan of Athos
10/2/20; 6:55pm CDT
Ethan of Athos was Bujold's third published novel, but it's the ninth (or tenth) in the order of the Vorkosigan Saga chronology. Not a waste of time, but not that enjoyable, landing at the very bottom of the list, my least favorite of the series that I've read so far.

Captain Vorpatril's Alliance
10/11/20; 9:45am CDT
Continuing with peripheral characters in the Vorkosigan Saga, we come to 2012's Captain Vorpatril's Alliance. I liked it, but with reservations. Could have been more tightly edited, and I got the impression all the extra expostion was tying up loose threads that could have been in another book, but probably won't.

The Flowers of Vashnoi
10/20/20; 9:45am CDT
The last Vorkosigan story to have been published, although it's second to last by internal chronology, is the novella The Flowers of Vashnoi. Miles does appear in a few scenes, but the focus is on his wife, Lady Ekaterin. Entirely too short, and this better not be her last appearance. One more novel to go and I'll be done with the Vorkosigan Saga.

The Burning God
10/26/20; 12:40pm CDT
R. F. Kuang's Poppy War series comes to an explosive conclusion in The Burning God. Almost literally heart-breaking. Recommended for those who can take it, but not for those who want their fantasy light and positive.

Shriek: An Afterword
11/2/20; 4:50pm CST
Shriek: An Afterword is the second part of Jeff VanderMeer's Ambergris trilogy. Very good, sometimes rambling and confusing, but ultimately satisfying, profound and moving. Highly recommended.

Finch
11/5/20; 2:00pm CST
The Ambergris trilogy concludes with Finch, a finalist for Nebula, World Fantasy, and Locus awards in 2010. Even more confusing that the previous books, and it will take re-readings to be sure about the end, which is why I only rated this one four stars, but the trilogy as a whole warrants the full five stars.

Bone Chase
11/10/20; 2:00pm CST
Weston Ochse's Bone Chase is a conspiracy theory thriller with an interesting premise, but poor execution.

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
11/22/20; 4:40pm CST
Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell won the Hugo and a raft of other awards, and was finalist for many more. It is very long, very complex, very, very good. Highly recommended.

The Empress of Salt and Fortune
11/24/20; 4:50pm CST
This is a novella by Nghi Vo, set in a land reminiscent of imperial China, although I can't say what era or dynasty it might be based on, or if it's completely original to the author. There will be at least one sequel, due in two weeks, and the collective title is The Singing Hills Cycle.

In an Absent Dream
11/26/20; 4:40pm CST
Starting a new page with the fourth of Seanan McGuire's Wayward Children stories, In an Absent Dream. Very good and recommended.

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, the BBC series
11/26/20; 6:50pm CST
I was very impressed with the BBC mini-series of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, especially considering it was just seven episodes based on a very long book. Highly recommended.

Shadow Over Mars
11/26/20; 6:50pm CST
Leigh Brackett's Shadow Over Mars won the 1945 Retro Hugo for Best Novel, presented this year, 75 years after it would have been eligible if the Hugos existed when it was published. It's bad, really, really bad. Don't bother with it. The Kindle book was just 99¢ and that was too much.

Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen
12/2/20; 3:00pm CST
I started on the Vorkosigan Saga in January. Sixteen novels, five novellas, and one story/essay collection later, I come to the end (for now) with my thoughts on Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen. As happened a few other times, it wasn't necessarily the book I wanted to read, but I still enjoyed it, and until she writes anything else, I can entertain my own thoughts about adventures left to be explored.

The Long Tomorrow
12/5/20; 1:20pm CST
According to available information, Leigh Brackett was the first woman to be a finalist for a Best Novel Hugo, for 1955's The Long Tomorrow. It's a decent novel with a few limitations, but infinitely better than her recent Retro Hugo winner.

Come Tumbling Down
12/6/20; 2:35pm CST
Come Tumbling Down is the fifth novella in Seanan McGuire's Wayward Children series. Unfortunately it is my least favorite so far, but that doesn't mean I'm not recommending it, since I'm sure it could be someone else's favorite. As in all things, YMMV.

When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain
12/8/20; 4:25pm CST
Nghi Vo's Singing Hills Cycle continues in the second novella, When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain. The title refers to the legendary Ho Thi Thao, a shape-shifting tiger who falls in love with a human woman. The woman reciprocates. Beautiful, lyrical, heart-warming, but not without a few chills and frights along the way. Recommended.

The Ministry for the Future
12/15/20; 3:30pm CST
Kim Stanley Robinson's The Ministry for the Future is among the best I've read this year, although I acknowledge its appeal will be limited.

Across the Green Grass Fields
12/18/20; 3:30pm CST
Across the Green Grass Fields is the sixth story in Seanan McGuire's Wayward Children series, but it could easily act as an introduction. It follows one girl into her portal world, which is sort of a cross between Wonderland and Oz, with no mention of Eleanor West's school or any of the other children we've met so far. It also ends abruptly as Regan returns to her old house. I'd welcome further stories about her. Recommended.

Remote Control
12/19/20; 3:15pm CST
Nnedi Okorafor's Remote Control is another novella from Tor, a combination of science fiction and fantasy set in near-future Ghana. A young girl is infected with a substance from an alien artifact, and the powers she manifests inspires her nickname, the "Adopted Daughter of the Angel of Death." It's possible there will be more stories in the sequence, but it's complete enough to stand on its own.

The Route of Ice & Salt
12/20/20; 12:00pm CST
José Luis Zárate's The Route of Ice & Salt was originally published in 1998, in Spanish by a small Mexican press hoping to establish a market for native speculative fiction authors. That effort was not successful, and while the story later got a French translation, this is its first appearance in English, thanks to an Indiegogo campaign spearheaded by Silvia Moreno-Garcia for her independent Innsmouth Free Press. It's a retelling of Dracula's journey to England on the Demeter, full of literary metaphors and queer desire.

Piranesi
12/22/20; 4:50pm CST
Susanna Clarke's second novel, Piranesi, is quite different from her first, but no less fascinating. I "read" it in audio format, but wish I had it in print because I'd like to re-read right away. Highly recommended.

The Vanished Birds
12/26/20; 12:40pm CST
The Vanished Birds, the debut novel from Simon Jimenez, starts off brilliantly, but there are a few later disappointments. Unfortunately it would involve spoilers to explain. It gets a reserved recommendation.

The Expanse, Season 5
12/30/20; 3:55pm CST
I've watched each of the first five episodes of The Expanse, Season 5 twice already. Five more to go in a season that looks to be the best yet. My comments are brief, and as spoiler-free as I can make them.

2021

Happy New Year!
1/1/21; 1:00pm CST
May it be better in every way than the last one. I'm not making any resolutions this year, I'll just continue reading as much as possible. So many books I want to get to, new, old, and in between, and I need to get back to several graphic novels that have been waiting way too long. Can't say when the next review will be. I'm currently halfway in a re-read of Leviathan Wakes, the first Expanse novel, which I reviewed eight years ago. I hope to finish all of them before the ninth novel comes out. No word yet on when that will be. After LW I may go back to one I stalled on last month, or read one of the ARCs I have, two of which publish early next month. All of last year's updates have been moved to the Archives page, although I'm also keeping the 20th Anniversary notice at the top for a while longer.

A History of What Comes Next
1/8/21; 5:05pm CST
Entirely too long since the last book review, even beyond how long it took to re-read the first Expanse novel. But a lot has been going on in the world and personal life to distract me, and it didn't help that I didn't like Sylvain Neuvel's A History of What Comes Next as much as I'd hoped. The beginning of yet another series, but my interest in the sequels is low at this time.

The Best of R. A. Lafferty
1/15/21; 6:35pm CST
Another instance of a book taking much longer than it should have, and for the same reasons. The Best of R. A. Lafferty is a relatively short book, 22 stories in less than 300 pages, but it seemed so much longer. Some very good stories, some very frustrating ones too.

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet
1/20/21; 2:30pm CST
The first three books in Becky Chambers' Wayfarers won the Best Series Hugo in 2019. I had read the second book out of sequence when it was a Hugo finalist on its own in 2017. I finally got around to the first one, The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, and have deleted comments on the second book for now, pending edits after a re-read, which I started last night. I plan to read the third one next month, and the fourth, reportedly the conclusion, comes out in April.

A Closed and Common Orbit
1/25/21; 2:15pm CST
The second book in the Wayfarers saga is A Closed and Common Orbit, which I had previously reviewed four years ago. I edited that to correct some statements I had made without knowledge of the first book. I liked it just as much, maybe more, the second time. Highly recommended.

Fireheart Tiger
1/29/21; 12:50pm CST
I should have been able to finish Aliette de Bodard's new novella, Fireheart Tiger, in just a few hours, but I kept finding other things to do besides read. It's the first of her stories to disappoint, although I know it will appeal to many other readers.

A Desolation Called Peace
2/2/21; 12:00pm CST
I re-read last year's Hugo winner, A Memory Called Empire, which I consider a brilliant novel. That might be why I didn't like the second in the series as much, but A Desolation Called Peace is still very good.

These Lifeless Things
2/9/21; 1:50pm CST
Premee Mohamed's These Lifeless Things is the first novella from the new Solaris Satellites imprint from Rebellion Publishing. It's good, recommended, but also a bit confusing. It's possible the narrator(s) are unreliable. I need to read it again as soon as possible.

Midnight Robber
2/16/21; 12:10pm CST
The second novel by newly named SFWA Grand Master Nalo Hopkinson was Midnight Robber from 2000. As with her first, I originally had trouble with the Creole patois, but found reading out loud helped a lot. It's one that may have worked better in audio form.

Record of a Spaceborn Few
2/22/21; 12:30pm CST
Becky Chambers' third Wayfarers novel, Record of a Spaceborn Few, continues the character-driven, contemplative narrative, this time from the perspective of several characters within the Exodus Fleet. I loved it, another 5 star read, highly recommended.

Where the Bird Sings Best
3/6/21; 5:05pm CST
Alejandro Jodorowsky's Where the Bird Sings Best might be considered a memoir, a history of his family, but it has to be mostly fictional. And surreal. And violent. The latter is the reason I can't recommend it, although there are some good things about it.

The Salt Roads
3/11/21; 4:10pm CST
Nalo Hopkinson's third novel, The Salt Roads, was a multiple award finalist. If follows the plights of three women in different eras and locales, all of whom are struggling towards freedom. The prose is more direct, less of the Haitian Creole dialect than in her first two, and as such perhaps more accessible. Recommended.

New Awards Page
3/18/21; 4:10pm CST
Since the Hugo/Nebula Awards pages are grouped by decade, I needed to create a new page for The 2020s. Only this year's Nebulas are listed so far, with just a date for the Hugos although that may still be subject to change. I've read all but one of the novels, but just two of the novellas. I've provided links for purchase or to read online where available.

Victories Greater Than Death
3/21/21; 4:50pm CST
I'm decades past the target demo for Charlie Jane Anders' new YA space opera, Victories Greater Than Death, but I still enjoyed it a lot. There is tragedy, death, destruction, but also hopeful optimism, in a story that might remind you of Guardians of the Galaxy, The Last Starfighter, or the Wayward Children book series by Seanan McGuire. Recommended.

A Broken Darkness
3/29/21; 4:10pm CST
It seems Premee Mohamed's debut novel, Beneath the Rising, was not a stand-alone after all, but I feel confident the story concludes in its follow-up, A Broken Darkness. If not, a third book should prove as unpredictable as the first two.

Fugitive Telemetry
3/31/21; 6:30pm CST
Martha Wells returns to novella length for the latest Murderbot adventure, Fugitive Telemetry. Another mystery that taxes Murderbot's considerable talents, but it proves it is a thorough investigator. Recommended.

The Echo Wife
4/4/21; 10:25am CST
Sarah Gailey's The Echo Wife is about more than just the ethics of cloning. Identity and memory, the nature/nurture debate, and psychological and physical abuse perpetrated against both humans and clones. It's good, and I give it a reserved recommendation, in spite of several lapses in logic.

Sorrowland
4/16/21; 3:10pm CST
Rivers Solomon's third book, Sorrowland, is a combination of many genres; gothic thriller, horror, fantasy, science fiction, etc, etc. It begins with a fifteen-year-old runaway from a religious cult giving birth to twins in remote woods. After four years alone in those woods Vern decides it's time to venture back into the wider world. Their journey is fraught with peril, pursuit never far behind, but also with occasional allies. One thing this story is NOT is predictable. Recommended.

A Master of Djinn
4/20/21; 2:15pm CST
A Master of Djinn is the first novel from P. Djèlí Clark, a return to his alternate history of Cairo in 1912 that began with the 2016 novelette, "A Dead Djinn in Cairo." A fascinating multi-layered mystery. Highly recommended.

We Are Satellites
4/23/21; 5:20pm CST
Sarah Pinsker's second novel, We Are Satellites, is good, but not as good as her first. The concept is not that unique, there are some interesting characters, but too many plot holes and things left unresolved for a book I assume was intended as a standalone.

The Galaxy, and the Ground Within
4/26/21; 3:40pm CST
As many times as I've said I prefer standalone novels, or at least not long series, I am truly sorry that The Galaxy, and the Ground Within is the last of Becky Chambers' Wayfarers series. Four books, each unique, with different characters and different settings, but all combine into a comprehensive look at a complex construct of multi-species cooperation (and sometimes conflict). Highly recommended.

The New Moon's Arms
4/29/21; 6:10pm CST
I'm not the sort to say all characters have to be sympathetic, but it doesn't help when the main character continually does and says things that are objectionable. She's not completely unredeemable, and I did like a lot of other things about Nalo Hopkinson's The New Moon's Arms.

The Chosen and the Beautiful
5/6/21; 1:40pm CST
In year's past, Nghi Vo's debut novel, The Chosen and the Beautiful, would have been considered fan fiction. But The Great Gatsby is now in the public domain, and this might be just the first of many other writers' take on the characters and themes. I don't care what you think of Fitzgerald's book, this is much, much better.

Machinehood
5/9/21; 5:35pm CST
S. B. Divya's debut novel, Machinehood, is a fast-paced adventure set in a near future transformed by advanced robotics and bio-engineering. The technology is just the icing; as with a lot of the best SF, it's the characters that make the story. Highly recommended.

The ChaOs
5/12/21; 3:10pm CST
Nalo Hopkinson's fifth novel, The ChaOs, is a lot like a fever dream, or a bad acid trip. As with a lot of dreams, events are interesting while they are happening, but they don't make much sense, and they don't leave a lasting impression.

The Kingston Cycle
5/16/21; 4:10pm CST
I finally got around to Stormsong, the second book in C. L. Polk's Kingston Cycle. I re-read the first one and made a few minor edits to that review, so the link is for both. The conclusion will be my next read.

Soulstar
5/19/21; 1:00pm CST
Soulstar concludes C. L. Polk's Kingston Cycle. It's another complicated, multi-layered mystery, laced with political chicanery and magic. I'd welcome a return to this world, but all the major issues are resolved. Highly recommended.

The Witness for the Dead
5/29/21; 12:10pm CST
Katherine Addison's The Witness for the Dead is billed as a stand-alone sequel to The Goblin Emperor. I think it can be appreciated by those who haven't read the previous book. I liked it, and can recommend it, whereas my opinion of Goblin is far less positive than the consensus.

The Midnight Bargain
5/31/21; 4:45pm CST
C. L. Polk's The Midnight Bargain is up for a Nebula. Unfortunately, I don't think it's worthy of that honor.

Hummingbird Salamander
6/10/21; 1:30pm CST
Jeff VanderMeer's latest novel, Hummingbird Salamander, follows several of his frequent interests, the most prominent being environmental activism. Instead of the hallucinatory nature of the Southern Reach or Dead Astronauts, this is more of an eco-thriller, although it's not straight-forward. The narrator is the quintessence of unreliability, and so is the person who sends her down the rabbit hole.

Sibyl Sue Blue
6/12/21; 7:20pm CST
I cannot recommend Rosel George Brown's Sibyl Sue Blue, originally published in 1966, but getting a reprint this year. Her life story is intriguing enough that I may be reading some of her short stories, and if so I may review them too. I have no idea when that might happen though.

Sister Mine
6/18/21; 12:45pm CST
Nalo Hopkinson's most recent novel, 2013's Sister Mine, won the Andre Norton Award for Best Young Adult Novel, although it has several adult themes. It is very, very good. Highly recommended.

A Psalm for the Wild-Built
6/19/21; 2:05pm CST
Becky Chambers starts a new series with the novella "A Psalm for the Wild-Built." The series name is Monk and Robot. I recommend it, and I look forward to more adventures with Sibling Dex and Splendid Speckled Mosscap.

The Return of the Sorceress
6/21/21; 5:40pm CST
Silvia Moreno-Garcia's latest is The Return of the Sorceress, a sword and sorcery novella. It was announced for June 30, but Subterranean Press shipped early. E-books will be available at the end of the month. Recommended.

Chaos Vector
6/30/21; 2:10pm CST
The second book in Megan E. O'Keefe's Protectorate trilogy is Chaos Vector. It's twice as good as the first book, one of the best SF adventures I've read in quite a while.

Catalyst Gate
7/5/21; 4:00pm CST
The conclusion of the Protectorate trilogy is Catalyst Gate. Not as good as the second book, but its faults are more about the execution and pacing rather than the plot. The whole series is still highly recommended.

Skin Folk
7/9/21; 2:00pm CST
Nalo Hopkinson's first story collection was 2001's Skin Folk. Three of the stories were award finalists on their own, the collection winning the World Fantasy Award and the Sunburst. I would have arranged them in a different order, saving the best for last, but other readers might like some that didn't have as much of an impact on me. Regardless of the order, it's still a powerful collection, highly recommended.

The Ikessar Falcon
7/15/21; 2:35pm CST
The second book in K. S. Villoso's Chronicles of the Bitch Queen is The Ikessar Falcon. Not as good as the first, but mainly due to issues of pacing and repetitive action. Still good.

The Dragon of Jin-Sayeng
7/22/21; 1:40pm CST
The conclusion to the Bitch Queen series, The Dragon of Jin-Sayeng, was a disappointment, but that may have more to do with epic fantasy just not being my thing rather than the quality of the book. As in all things, YMMV.

Two New Novellas
7/23/21; 4:40pm CDT
Two reviews of new novellas today, both from Neon Hemlock Press. Premee Mohamed's And What Can We Offer You Tonight, and E. Catherine Tobler's The Necessity of Stars. Both are recommended.

She Who Became the Sun
7/28/21; 12:45pm CDT
Shelley Parker-Chan's debut novel, She Who Became the Sun, is a well-written, exciting historical fantasy, based on the beginnings of the Ming Dynasty, but with a twist beyond the fantasy elements. It's the first in a proposed duology knows as the Radiant Emperor. I liked parts of it, but grew discouraged by all the ruthless machinations by almost everyone, and even those who weren't ruthless went along with those who were.

Black Water Sister
8/2/21; 1:25pm CDT
Zen Cho's Black Water Sister is set in Penang, Malaysia, and based on common religious customs there. Tense, exciting, informative, with a great lead character, struggling to find her way in the world.

Report From Planet Midnight
8/3/21; 2:40pm CDT
Report From Planet Midnight is a too-short collection from Nalo Hopkinson. Part of PM Press's Outspoken Author series, the non-fiction is even more important than the fiction, just two stories, both of which appeared in a later collection.

The Rosewater Redemption
8/8/21; 5:50pm CDT
Tade Thompson's Wormwood Trilogy comes to a satisfactory conclusion in The Rosewater Redemption. I'll be thinking about it a long time, including some scenarios that could happen in this world's future, even though I doubt the author will revisit it. Highly recommended, and that goes for the complete series.

Together We Will Go
812/21; 1:40pm CDT
The third non-SF book review. Other than Babylon 5 and a few other shows and films, I haven't experienced the writings of J. Michael Straczynski until now. He has worked on multiple comics titles, three other novels, and his memoir was a Hugo finalist last year. His latest is Together We Will Go, about a group of people who come together for a cross-country trip, the final destination being suicide. It's not for everyone, will probably hit too hard for some, but it is very, very good.

Velvet Was The Night
816/21; 1:00pm CDT
Two non-SF book reviews in a row. Silvia Moreno-Garcia's seventh novel, Velvet Was The Night, is a noir mystery based on historical events in early 1970s Mexico City. Interesting, but the execution is lacking, pacing is a problem. Unfortunately I have to say this is my least favorite of Silvia's work I've read, but I will re-read it to see if that opinion changes.

Elysium
8/22/21; 5:10pm CDT
Jennifer Marie Brissett's debut novel, 2014's Elysium, can be interpreted different ways. It's either a corrupted computer sequence relating events of an alien invasion of Earth, or it could simply be a series of dreams. Either way, it's very good, while still confusing and challenging. Recommended.

The All-Consuming World
8/29/21; 3:55pm CDT
Cassandra Khaw's debut novel, The All-Consuming World, is a fast paced blend of cyberpunk and space opera. Interesting concept, but confusing and unsatisfactory exposition. It's like a high speed auto chase, except it's not firing on all cylinders.

No Gods, No Monsters
9/7/21; 1:40pm CDT
Cadwell Turnbull's sophomore novel, No Gods, No Monsters, is the beginning of a new series, so I gave the review page the collective name, the Convergence Saga. Recommended.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia
9/8/21; 6:00pm CDT
Several of Silvia's early books went out of print. Yesterday marked the re-release in paperback of her second novel by Tor. The original imprint no longer exists, even though it was a part of the same corporate structure as Tor, the Macmillan empire. I should have mentioned a similar situation back in April when her third novel was reissued. Because purchase links and cover art have changed, I edited those two pages, as well as all of the other reviews, adding a link to her official website, and to a new page I created, the Silvia Moreno-Garcia: Index of Articles.

Black Stars
9/10/21; 3:50pm CDT
Black Stars is a group of six Amazon Original Stories, available only for Kindle at this time. Not an anthology per se, since they are available separately, either free for Prime readers, or 99¢ each for everyone else. They do share a theme though; Black people confronting society, the world, all of space and time, to combat ever-present oppression. They range from good to excellent, and I'm not sure I could pick an overall favorite. Recommended.

Telescope Guide
9/11/21; 2:15pm CDT
I just added this to the Science section on the Links page, prompted by an email from one of the guys who run TelescopeGuide.org. If you're interested in astronomy, telescopes, and/or astro-photography, let them guide you though the basics, and beyond.

Light From Uncommon Stars
9/14/21; 5:55pm CDT
All the various elements in Light From Uncommon Stars might not have worked from another author, but Ryka Aoki pulls them all together in remarkable fashion. A mix of science fiction, fantasy, a bit of horror, combined with ruminations on music, fate, and responsibility to oneself and to others. Highly recommended.

Critical Point
9/19/21; 12:40pm CDT
I finally caught up with the most recent book in S. L. Huang's Cas Russell series, published almost a year and a half ago. Critical Point is another fast-paced, adrenaline-fueled adventure with the specially talented (in more ways than one) 'retrieval' expert, tasked with solving the kidnapping of her sometimes partner, ex-cop Arthur Tresting. Recommended.

Two Updates
9/21/21; 4:30pm CDT
One new page, a long-delayed return to graphic stories. I haven't yet started watching the new series on Hulu, but finally got around to Book One of Brian K. Vaughan's Y: The Last Man. No idea when I might continue with that. The other update is for new information concerning the Tensorate series of novelllas. Today marks the publication of an omnibus edition, but they are also still available on their own, so I needed to change the cover images since the author is now publishing as Neon Yang (formerly JY Yang).

A Spindle Splintered
9/29/21; 1:15pm CDT
Alix E. Harrow's new novella, A Spindle Splintered, is the first in a series with the collective title Fractured Fables. Slightly predictable, but still enjoyable reworking of Sleeping Beauty. Recommended.

Destroyer of Light
10/4/21; 5:40pm CDT
Jennifer Marie Brissett's sophomore novel, Destroyer of Light, could be considered a sequel to her first book, but there's enough difference in the way the aliens are described to make it an alternate take, and it's not necessary to have read the earlier book. The first book was set on Earth, this is on another planet the remnants of humanity have fled to. It's complicated and confusing, told in a non-linear fashion, but if you have the patience you'll be rewarded with a powerful story of perseverance and hope.

Nothing But Blackened Teeth
10/5/21; 5:20pm CDT
Cassandra Khaw's new novella, Nothing But Blackened Teeth, is a modern day haunted house story with ancient Japanese roots. As much a character study as a horror story, but it works as both, my only complaint being it's too short.

The Dandelion Dynasty
10/12/21; 3:20pm CDT
It has been over five years since I first read and reviewed Ken Liu's The Grace of Kings. At that time I wasn't sure I wanted to continue the series, but I've changed my mind, although I'm not certain that was the right decision. I'll reserve judgment on that for now. I've re-read it, and created a new page under the banner of the collective name for the series, The Dandelion Dynasty.

The Annual Migration of Clouds
10/16/21; 4:40pm CDT
Premee Mohamed's new novella, The Annual Migration of Clouds, is another post-apocalyptic tale, but as far as I could tell it's not connected to any of her others that I have read. No alien invasion, no cosmic horror, just the aftermath of climate catastrophe, with the added peril of an invasive parasite.

Natural Consequences
10/18/21; 5:30pm CDT
Originally published in Spanish in 1994, Elia Barceló's Natural Consequences finally gets an English translation. It's marketed as a feminist story, and in some ways it is, in others I'm not sure she accomplished what she intended. I'll leave it to women to judge.

Dune, Part 1 (2021)
10/22/21; 1:10pm CDT
I haven't reviewed a movie in a long time since I haven't been going to theaters for a while, but I did subscribe to HBO-Max, the primary reason being Denis Villenueve's new adaptation of Dune, which will be streaming there for another 30 days. If you feel safe going to theaters, do so. While not perfect (what is?) it's as good as I could have expected.

The Wall of Storms
10/31/21; 3:30pm CDT
The Wall of Storms is the second book in Ken Liu's Dandelion Dynasty series. Longer than the first, it might have been better to split it into two books, if not more. I still think it's slightly better than the first book.

Even Greater Mistakes
11/7/21; 5:10pm CST
Even Greater Mistakes is Charlie Jane Anders' second story collection, which includes three that had appeared in her first, very short collection in 2017. A lot of varied themes, but with similarities, with protagonists struggling against almost insurmountable odds in a chaotic world. Recommended.

Far from the Light of Heaven
11/10/21; 12:00pm CST
Unfortunately, I was disappointed with Tade Thompson's latest novel, Far from the Light of Heaven.

A Hole in the World
11/13/21; 4:10pm CST
Weston Ochse's A Hole in the World is another action packed military/supernatural adventure. A previous character recurs, and since this is apparently the start of another series, I gave the page the name of Preacher's Daughter (Saves the World).

The Veiled Throne
11/22/21; 6:00pm CST
The third book in Ken Liu's Dandelion Dynasty is The Veiled Throne. A very long book, with lots of good things to recommend it, but also many places where editing would have helped.

Leviathan Falls
12/3/21; 1:40pm CST
Over the last eleven months I have re-read all of the Expanse novels, novellas, and short stories, in preparation for the "finale" Leviathan Falls. The quotes indicate this is the end of the main story, but there will be another novella next March. There is an epilogue to the novel, set many years after the main action, so I have no idea what to expect from the novella tentatively titled "The Sins of Our Fathers." In spite of a few weak spots, I am satisfied with the conclusion, which in retrospect is exactly what should have been expected.

Two more Neon Hemlock novellas
12/6/21; 3:50pm CST
Back in July I reviewed two novellas I got through a Neon Hemlock Press Kickstarter campaign. Two more were published at the end of October, and I finally got to them. The better of the two is & This Is How To Stay Alive by Shingai Njeri Kagunda. The other is a gothic tale set in 1920s Oregon, The Secret Skin by Wendy N. Wagner, which is better in its prose style than its overall story.

Last and First Men, the film
12/12/21; 5:45pm CST
A film most people wouldn't sit still for, based on a book very few people would read. Olaf Stapledon's books, even while fiction, were more philosophical treatises rather than narrative novels. The director of the film adaptation of Last and First Men wisely chose to keep it just as esoteric. It is currently streaming for a limited time at Metrograph, a service I discovered just before Halloween. Recommended for those who are willing to try something different.

Ammonite
12/18/21; 1:15pm CST
Nicola Griffith's Ammonite is one of the best debut novels I've ever read. While it is reminiscent of Le Guin in both style and content, it is still uniquely its own. Highly recommended.

2021 Hugo Award Winners
12/18/21; 10:15pm CST
Winners of the 2021 Hugo Awards have just been announced at DisConIII. Click here for the major categories.

2022

Hild
1/1/22; 4:10pm CST
The first review of the new year is another by Nicola Griffith. Hild was a finalist for a Nebula, and the John W. Campbell Memorial Award, but it is not fantasy, and certainly not science fiction. It is speculative fiction though, since almost all of the events in the life of Hild was a fabrication of the author. It's very good.

To Be Taught, If Fortunate
1/3/22; 1:40pm CST
Becky Chambers' To Be Taught, If Fortunate is a mix of the best of old style Hard-SF, blended with the compassion of new sensibilities. Plenty of scientific rigor, but more character development than what most Golden Age authors gave us. Highly recommended.

Operation ARES
1/9/22; 12:45pm CST
To put it bluntly, Gene Wolfe's first novel, Operation ARES, is not recommended.

The Fifth Head of Cerberus
1/13/22; 5:15pm CST
Compared to Operation ARES, the three linked novellas in Wolfe's The Fifth Head of Cerberus read as if by a completely different writer. Still one of my favorites, and very highly recommended.

The Expanse, Season 6
1/14/22; 3:35pm CST
Sad now. The very short sixth season of The Expanse is over. Hopefully not the last, and I won't give up until the creators say there is no hope. My comments are brief, and hopefully spoiler free.

Peace
1/22/22; 4:50pm CST
Gene Wolfe's second novel, Peace, is exceptionally better than his first. It has more in common with Cerberus, but only in style, not content. It can be read as a straight memoir, or if you look hard enough you can see a bit of fantasy, possibly horror. Still confusing on the third reading, but still highly recommended.

Goliath
1/28/22; 5:00pm CST
Tochi Onyebuchi's first adult novel is good, but also confusing, and also brutal and traumatic at times. Goliath came out this past Tuesday, although I started it before then since I got an ARC from Edelweiss. Recommended, but with caveats.

The Devil in a Forest
1/31/22; 3:15pm CST
Gene Wolfe's third novel, The Devil in a Forest, would be a good introduction for most readers. It has minimal fantastic elements, and is basically a juvenile tale set in medieval Europe, although some of the characters may be based on English stories.

Reclaim the Stars
2/13/22; 6:55pm CST
Reclaim the Stars is an orignal anthology edited by Zoraida Córdova, who also contributes a story. All the authors are Latin American, either still living in their native countries, or part of the diaspora. Zoraida was born in Ecuador but currently lives in Queens, New York. I was not familiar with most of them, but their work is recommended.

The Fall of the Towers
2/28/22; 7:45am CST
Samuel R. Delany's The Fall of the Towers trilogy has a long history, with multiple revisions through many editions. It comprises the second-fourth of his books ever published. Beginning in 1963 with a short novel (or novella) that was later expanded and retitled. Each has been published separately, but the trilogy is still short by most standards. It has some interesting parts, but is ultimately disappointing.

The Atheist in the Attic
3/13/22; 7:45am CDT
Delany's The Atheist in the Attic is non-SF, although one part of it relates to the genre. Short but powerful, and recommended.

The Sins of Our Fathers
3/17/22; 3:50pm CDT
The Expanse book series is complete. The final novella, The Sins of Our Fathers, is set immediately after the main action from the previous novel, but long before its epilogue. The entire series is still highly recommended.

Until the Last of Me
3/29/22; 6:00pm CDT
The second book in Sylvain Neuvel's Take Them To The Stars series is better than the first. Until the Last of Me was published today, but I finished it last night, thanks to an ARC from Edelweiss.

The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking)
4/5/22; 3:45pm CDT
I've created another category for reviews, although I don't know how many there will be, or how frequently I'll add to the Non-Fiction Book section. First up is Katie Mack's The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking), an excellent exploration of the various current theories as to the possible fate of the universe(s). But before contemplating the end, the beginning is considered as well.

Spear
4/10/22; 6:15pm CDT
It's difficult to know where and when the myths of King Arthur began. Each version has cribbed notes from earlier ones, sometimes names and events are slightly different. I haven't read that many of them, but I'm assuming some of Nicola Griffith's new novel, Spear, comes from research for this story, as well as her earlier novel Hild, and its upcoming sequel. I think it's safe to say the main character here is her own invention. Beautifully lyrical prose, intricately described action, a strong and resilient protagonist. Excellent all around.

Two Book Reviews
4/26/22; 6:25pm CDT
Two reviews today, one non-fiction, one fantasy. The first is by someone who has written two SF novels in addition to their other journalistic work. Four Lost Cities by Annalee Newitz concerns four ancient cities that were either abandoned (for the most part) or destroyed. Great for history buffs, or anyone interested in archaeolgy and anthropology. Next up is a brilliant new fantasy by Nghi Vo, Siren Queen, about a Chinese-American girl who stumbles onto a movie set and eventually becomes a star. But she had to pay a high price, some of which came in the form of magic.

Everything Everywhere All At Once
5/5/22; 6:25pm CDT
What would you do if you got a glimpse of how your life might be if you had made different choices? Embrace the chance for redemption, or cower away in fear of causing even more havoc? Michelle Yeoh is faced with that dilemma in Everything Everywhere All At Once, which is highly recommended. I doubt it will be in theaters much longer, but hopefully a video release is not far away. Catch it when and however you can.

The Void Ascendant
5/12/22; 1:15pm CDT
The concluding volume of Premee Mohamed's series that began with Beneath the Rising is in some ways better than what came before, although the ending of The Void Ascendant was not what I expected. Still highly recommended, which applies to the whole series, and I can't wait to see what Premee creates next.

The Nebula Awards
5/22/22; 6:00am CDT
This year's Nebula Awards were announced last night in a virtual ceremony. Click that link to check out all the winners and the other finalists.

Up Against It
5/24/22; 12:55pm CDT
Up Against It was published in 2011 under the pseudonym M. J. Locke, but has recently been reissued under the author's real name, Laura J. Mixon. I read the original, which is very good and recommended, but I don't know how many revisions the new edition might have had.

The City Inside
5/30/22; 3:00pm CDT
Samit Basu's The City Inside is not a new novel. It was published two years ago in India under the title Chosen Spirits. Since it is several years old, and I can't find any info on a potential sequel, my frustration with the book is strong. Interesting characters, all too believable scenarios, but hardly any resolution to multiple story lines.

A Woman of the Iron People
6/7/22; 12:30pm CDT
Eleanor Arnason's A Woman of the Iron People is an exciting first contact story, in which the aliens probably have as much to teach the humans as the other way around. Highly recommended.

Mammoths of the Great Plains
6/8/22; 1:35pm CDT
Mammoths of the Great Plains is a novella by Eleanor Arnason, a finalist for several awards, included in a short book in the PM Press Outspoken Author series. Along with the novella, I mention an essay she wrote, along with an interview by series editor Terry Bisson. The story is very good, the other commentary interesting, even if I might not agree with several things.

Transfigurations
6/18/22; 12:40pm CDT
The opening chapters of Michael Bishop's 1979 novel Transfigurations are from a previously published novella, although I'm not sure if they were edited or revised. It's anthropological SF, with aliens that are truly alien, as repellant as they are fascinating. Recommended.

Locklands
6/27/22; 10:50am CDT
Robert Jackson Bennett's Founders Trilogy comes to a (somewhat) satisfactory conclusion with Locklands. I'm pleased with some things, frustrated about others. The trilogy as a whole is still recommended.

Mythago Wood
7/7/22; 5:15pm CDT
Robert Holdstock's Mythago Wood began as a novelette in 1981, then expanded to novel length three years later. Many printings over the years, including a new one from Tor Essentials coming out next week. It's very good. Highly recommended.

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau
7/12/22; 4:20pm CDT
Silvia Moreno-Garcia is in grand form in her latest novel, an alternate version of a H. G. Wells book. The Daughter of Doctor Moreau has a different setting, Silvia's native Mexico, and includes a few historical people and events. But the true star is Carlota, another in a long line of strong-willed women Silvia always includes. Highly recommended.

The Album of Dr. Moreau
7/12/22; 4:50pm CDT
Another Moreau inspired story, this one quite a bit different than the one reviewed yesterday. Daryl Gregory's novella, The Album of Dr. Moreau, is a finalist for a Sturgeon Award (short speculative fiction) and an Edgar (mystery). The hybrids here are members of The WyldBoyZ, the second most popular boy band in the world, whose manager is murdered.

Drunk On All Your Strange New Words
7/18/22; 11:50am CDT
I'm not giving this a strong recommendation, but I'm not saying it won't appeal to some. Eddie Robson's third novel, Drunk On All Your Strange New Words is a mystery with SF trappings. I'm not sure which type of reader it will appeal to most, but it's short and not boring, but also not without a few faults.

Three Miles Down
7/21/22; 10:00am CDT
Some might find it hard to believe this is the first Harry Turtledove novel I've read. I would have enjoyed Three Miles Down more if he had wrapped up the story in this volume, but it is the beginning of a new series, with a huge cliffhanger at the end. If the second book was ready now I'd read it, but my interest will probably fade over time.

Two TV Series Reviews
7/25/22; 4:00pm CDT
It's been a while since I reviewed some TV. The first season of one of them, Undone on Amazon Prime, was three years ago, the second season now three months gone. It's very good and recommended. Next up is on DisneyPlus, Ms. Marvel, which I liked a lot too, even though I was disappointed about a few things. Not enough to not recommended it though.

The Devil Takes You Home
7/26/22; 1:00pm CDT
For at least the first half of the book I was thinking the review would go in the Non-SF section, but then a few supernatural elements were introduced. Those elements didn't necessarily make Gabino Iglesias's The Devil Takes You Home any more brutal, but they definitely made it weirder. Strong stuff, very violent, not to everyone's taste I'm sure, not even my usual taste. I'm still recommending it.

The Sparrow
8/8/22; 4:20pm CDT
Mary Doria Russell's The Sparrow is an example of the best of literature, regardless of genre. Insightful examinations of human nature, realistic and believable characters, even when they are not sympathetic, spiritual and secular contemplations. Highly recommended.

Prey
8/9/22; 1:45pm CDT
Probably intended to be a theatrical film in the beginning, for some reason it wound up a Hulu "Original." If you have Hulu it's a must see, if not a good reason to check out at least a free trial. Prey is another film in the Predator franchise, this time a prequel set about 300 years ago in the land of the Comanche. Naru (Amber Midthunder) proves to be as formidable a foe as Schwarzenegger ever hoped to be. Highly recommended.

Children of God
8/17/22; 11:30am CDT
Those who read and enjoyed The Sparrow will want to read it's sequel, Children of God. I didn't like it as much, others might like it more. It was worth reading for insightful comments about religious and secular matters. Your enjoyment might hinge on your level of faith, or your lack of it.

A Prayer for the Crown-Shy
8/20/22; 11:55am CDT
The second book in Becky Chambers' Monk & Robot series, A Prayer for the Crown-Shy, is every bit as good as the first one. I give it the highest of recommendations, and hope there are many more stories in the future about Sibling Dex and Splending Speckled Mosscap.

Good Omens
8/24/22; 2:00pm CDT
Thirty-two years after publication, and at least fifteen since I bought it, I finally got around to Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. I liked it quite a bit, but maybe not as much as its reputation led me to expect. Still recommended, and a review of the Amazon Prime show might be just over the horizon.

A Mirror Mended
8/26/22; 2:20pm CDT
I remember reading somewhere that Alix E. Harrow said her Fractured Fables series would be just a duology. I can't find that source now, but the second novella, A Mirror Mended has a satisfactory ending, if not a definitive one.

Good Omens, the Amazon Prime series
9/3/22; 2:10pm CDT
After finally reading the book I rewatched Good Omens on Amazon Prime, since I'm canceling at the end of the month. There will be another season, but I have no idea what will happen in it since the first season completed the novel's story. It is recommended, and I'm sure I will eventually see Season 2 if it's available anywhere other than Prime.

Dragons and Blades
9/3/22; 5:50pm CDT
Two years ago I reviewed a novella by Aliette de Bodard. It was a spin-off from one of her novel series. Now there is a sequel so I have combined them on one page with a different URL. The collective title is Dragons and Blades. They are recommended, and I hope there are more in the sequence one of these days.

The Genesis of Misery
9/4/22; 1:00pm CDT
Unfortunately, I can not recommend my latest read, Neon Yang's The Genesis of Misery.

2022 Hugo Awards
9/5/22; 9:40am CDT
The winners of the 2022 Hugo Awards were announced last night at Chicon 8. I've just updated our Awards Page, but since that doesn't include every category, you should also check the full list at Locus Online.

Babel: An Arcane History
9/10/22;10:30am CDT
R. F. Kuang's fourth novel, Babel, is the best I've read this year, and perhaps for several years. A multi-faceted plot, great characters, a fascinating look at academia and the joy of learning, but also an indictment against colonialism. I say, without hyperbole, it is a staggering work of genius.

The Legacy of Molly Southbourne
9/16/22;1:35pm CDT
I assume Tade Thompson's The Legacy of Molly Southbourne is the conclusion of the story, although a few minor plot threads are left dangling, or else I missed the clues while reading. Recommended.

Signal To Noise
9/19/22;12:15pm CDT
Silvia Moreno-Garcia's debut novel, Signal To Noise, has been reissued with some content edits, so I had to read it again. For the fourth time. Yes, it's that good. Music and mayhem in Mexico, as Meche and her friends try to control their life through magic. Highly recommended.

The Spare Man
9/25/22;11:00am CDT
I believe that Mary Robinette Kowal's new novel is a standalone, but even if it's the beginning of a series The Spare Man is a complete and satisfying story on its own. A locked spaceship mystery set aboard a cruise vessel heading to Mars. Recommended.

Speaking Bones
10/10/22;5:20pm CDT
It took a very long time to read Ken Liu's Speaking Bones, the conclusion of the Dandelion Dynasty, but since I couldn't think of much to say about it without spoilers the review is very brief. Bottom line: Lots of it is good, some parts are superfluous and rambling, even tedious.

Memory's Legion
10/12/22; 4:00pm CDT
A few brief words about Memory's Legion, the collection of short fiction in The Expanse book series. I had mentioned it before, but this update is serving two purposes. There has been an upgrade in the PHP file the site uses, supposedly controlled by the hosting service, but they said problems might arise, and if so I'd have to drop back down to the previous version. Updating regularly is supposed to be best to see if it sticks, and it was going to be several days before my next review would be ready. We'll see how it goes.

Otherwise, the first three novels by John Crowley
10/21/22; 6:35pm CDT
John Crowley's first three novels were published separately, later collected in the omnibus Otherwise. It is not a trilogy, each are standalones. The individual titles are The Deep, Beasts, and Engine Summer. All are short, all are good, with Beasts probably the most accessible for most readers.

Little, Big
11/1/22; 12:35pm CDT
John Crowley's fourth novel won World Fantasy and Mythopoeic awards, and was finalist for many others. Little, Big is a beautiful, lyrically told tale of magic and wonder among multiple generations of an eccentric family. It's not all neat and tidy, there are many diversions and frustrations within, but I still recommend it.

Red Unicorn
11/6/22; 5:00pm CST
Red Unicorn by Weston Ochse shares a few plot elements with his previous Bone Chase, but they are not directly connected. It's a fast-paced combo of action/adventure with a supernatural horror overtone. Violent at times, even occasionally repellent, but exciting from beginning to end.

Totalitopia
11/9/22; 4:20pm CST
Totalitopia by John Crowley is another in the Outspoken Author series from PM Press. Short, but oh so fruitful in ideas and speculation, both the fiction and non-fiction. Recommended.

Into the Riverlands
11/10/22; 12:10pm CST
The third entry in Nghi Vo's Singing Hills series is the shortest, but it is still full of insight as to this world's customs and traditions. Into the Riverlands sees Cleric Chih traveling along the Huan River, where they meet several colorful characters, and get into, and out of, some dangerous trouble.

Even Though I Knew The End
11/11/22; 1:10pm CST
Even Though I Knew The End by C. L. Polk is a detective noir set in 1941 Chicago, with supernatural elements, and a beautiful romance. I hope they write more stories about these remarkable characters. Highly recommended.

The World We Make
11/15/22; 1:10pm CST
What I thought was going to be a trilogy turned out just a duology. N. K. Jemisin's The World We Make completes the Great Cities series in dynamic fashion. Highly recommended.

Frankenstein
11/19/22; 12:20pm CST
Some scholars consider Mary Shelley's Frankenstein to be the first true SF novel. Not sure I agree with that, but it is a seminal work worthy of study. Just not one most modern readers would enjoy.

The Shadow of the Torturer
11/25/22; 2:20pm CST
Among the first pages when the site went live in 2000 was a profile article on Gene Wolfe. In it I devoted several paragraphs to The Book of the New Sun, but now I've started a re-read, and created a new page - New Sun - with comments only for the first book so far. I will update that page as I finish each book.

The Claw of the Conciliator + The Castle of the Otter
11/30/22; 4:15pm CST
The second book in the New Sun series is The Claw of the Conciliator, but the update today starts with discussion of the essay collection The Castle of the Otter.

The Sword of the Lictor
12/4/22; 3:30pm CST
Continuing with Gene Wolfe's New Sun series, the third novel is The Sword of the Lictor. Still fascinating, but also still puzzling about a number of things.

The Citadel of the Autarch
12/11/22; 4:00pm CST
The Book of the New Sun ends (but not really) with The Citadel of the Autarch. Severian talks about a task ahead of him, but it took another five years for Wolfe to complete that book, which I am re-reading now.

The Urth of the New Sun
12/21/22; 10:00am CST
Five years after New Sun concluded Wolfe wrote an afterword, or in essence the point of the entire series. The final book is The Urth of the New Sun. Even if you've read the previous sections of the review you might want to scroll up to the top of the page and read it all again, since I have made some edits. And I wouldn't doubt I'll edit it again in the future.

One Book, One TV Show, Same Story
12/27/22; 6:10pm CST
Today's update includes two different reviews, but the same story; Octavia E. Butler's novel Kindred, and the first season of its TV adaptation, which is an FX on Hulu exclusive for now.

2023

Happy New Year
1/1/23; 6:00pm CST
The best of wishes for a better new year. My review count went down last year, but I'm still satisfied since I enjoyed most of the books and the shows and movies I saw. Again I'm not setting any goals for 2023, that way I won't be disappointed if I don't fulfill them. I'll leave last year's updates here for a while, but will eventually move them to the Archives. First review of the year coming up soon.

More Wayward Children
1/1/23; 6:10pm CST
New Year, new review. This time I talk about four different stories, two novellas, one novelette, one short story, all the latest in Seanan McGuire's Wayward Children series, the last of which may be my favorite among all ten so far.

Beauty by Robin McKinley
1/6/23; 1:50pm CST
Robin McKinley is the most recent honoree for SFWA's Grand Master Award. I'm sure I had not read her before, so decided to start with her first novel, Beauty, which is also the first of three Folktales.

The Hallowed Hunt
1/15/23; 4:30pm CST
The Hallowed Hunt is the third novel in Lois McMaster Bujold's World of the Five Gods series, or the first since it is a prequel to the other two. At this time I'm thinking I like it best, but a re-read might change that opinion, but who knows when that might happen.

The Terraformers
1/22/23; 12:30pm CST
Annalee Newitz'a third novel, The Terraformers, comes out at the end of the month, but I received an advance ebook from Edelweiss. It is a good example of the necessity of employing the "suspension of disbelief." Many of the events and characters may seem preposterous, but considering the timeframe involved the reader should be able to understand and accept them.

The Peripheral
1/27/23; 12:50pm CST
I normally like to read a book before its film or TV adaptation, but I watched the first couple of episodes of the Prime series first, then stopped to read William Gibson's The Peripheral, which I liked but also have some reservations about.

The Lathe of Heaven
1/31/23; 1:15pm CST
It has been several years since I've read Le Guin, and this time is another re-read. I highly recommend her first standalone novel, The Lathe of Heaven.

Meru
2/11/23; 12:00pm CST
Meru is S. B. Divya's second novel, and the first in a new series called the Alloy Era. It started slow for me due to several confusing concepts, some for which I originally had a mistaken notion. That soon passed, and I enjoyed this unique space opera very much. Recommended.

Rose Daughter
2/18/23; 3:10pm CST
Rose Daughter is the second of Robin McKinley's Folktales, but I had a mistaken notion it would be about Briar Rose, aka Sleeping Beauty, but it is like the novel I reviewed last month, another version of Beauty and the Beast. There are enough differences to make it interesting, and I'd say it's better than Beauty in several ways.

The Mimicking of Known Successes
2/21/23; 5:05pm CST
The Mimicking of Known Successes is a new novella from Malka Older. A sequel due about this time next year has already been announced, but a collective name for the series hasn't been decided yet. If that happens I can change the URL for the page. I am very interested in following the adventures of Mossa and Pleiti (which might end up being the collective title).

Penric's Demon
2/25/23; 11:25am CST
I will be reading all of the Penric and Desdemona stories by Lois McMaster Bujold, one a month through the rest of the year. Since there are currently ten novellas and one novel, I'll create different pages, the first of which begins with Penric's Demon, which was a Hugo and Locus finalist.

Two Non-Fiction books by Norman Spinrad
2/27/23; 5:45pm CST
I reviewed Spinrad's Bug Jack Barron over ten years ago, with a free review copy from ReAnimus Press. Later I bought several others, ones I didn't already have in print. Two of them are non-fiction, one being a short essay from 1976 about the history of the writing of that novel, so I amended my review with comments about Experiment Perilous. The other is a collection of essays originally in different magazines or newspapers, together now in Fragments of America.

Raising Hell
3/4/23; 4:10pm CST
Raising Hell by Norman Spinrad is part of the "Outspoken Authors" series from PM Press. It consists of one novella, one essay, an interview with the author, and a bibliography. Very good, and a good companion to the previously reviewed Fragments of America.

Penric and the Shaman
3/4/23; 4:15pm CST
The second novella in Bujold's fantasy series is Penric and the Shaman. Good, but with a few weak spots. I'm still looking forward to more, which will come next month.

Spindle's End
3/11/23; 11:45am CST
Robin McKinley's Spindle's End is the third novel generally grouped with two others as Folktales, although looking ahead to some of her other books, almost all could be described in that way. We shall see. As for this one, it's a remarkably different retelling of Sleeping Beauty, wherein almost everything has been changed from any other version you may have read or seen. Very good, and highly recommended.

Rose/House
3/12/23; 1:50pm DST
Arkady Martine's Rose/House is a novella coming out at the end of the month. Is it a murder mystery, a haunted house tale, or an examination of artificial intelligence? All of the above. And it's very good. Recommended.

Unconquerable Sun
3/19/23; 5:50pm DST
Unconquerable Sun is the first book in Kate Elliott's space opera trilogy, The Sun Chronicles, the publisher's blurb for which is "a gender-swapped Alexander the Great in interstellar space." The gender-swap fits, not so sure about Alexander. Lots of action and intrigue, fast paced, with some interesting characters, even though some of them are also frustrating. I have an advance copy of the next book, due out in a month.

Furious Heaven
4/1/23; 12:50pm DST
The second of Kate Elliott's Sun Chronicles is Furious Heaven. Much longer than the first book, but also better in both action and character development. A grand space opera, highly recommended.

Lone Women
4/4/23; 1:40pm DST
Victor LaValle's new novel Lone Women is a mixture of alternate history, creepy folktale, with a dash of horror. Just remember, not all monsters look like monsters on the outside.

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow
4/12/23; 2:30pm DST
Nearly a year and a half since I reviewed a graphic story. I read Tom King's eight issue mini-series Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow when another blogger kept singing its praisies, saying it would be on their Hugo nominating ballot. The art is great, the story less so, and it could have been told in fewer issues.

The Wishing Pool and Other Stories
4/12/23; 2:35pm DST
Tananarive Due's new story collection is The Wishing Pool and Other Stories. Ghost stories and other horror elements abound, most tied to recurring fears in the lives of black people. Very good.

The Door in the Hedge
4/15/23; 1:40pm DST
There are four stories in Robin McKinley's The Door in the Hedge, although none of them have that title. It is used more as a metaphor, as a transition from one reality to another.

Penric's Fox
4/16/23; 1:40pm DST
Continuing with Bujold's Penric & Desdemona series, I now review the third novella, in character chronology that is, even though it was the fifth published. Penric's Fox is better than the previous two, and I look forward to more.

Hamra and the Jungle of Memories
4/18/23; 5:35pm DST
Hanna Alkaf's fourth novel, Hamra and the Jungle of Memories, is a twist on Red Riding Hood infused with many Malaysian legends. It's directed toward Middle Grade readers, but I loved it. Highly recommended.

Dreams Bigger Than Heartbreak
4/24/23; 3:35pm DST
After a re-read of the first book I now add comments about the second of Charlie Jane Anders' Unstoppable series, Dreams Bigger Than Heartbreak. This one is in third-person instead of first, with the various characters taking different paths, although the majority get back together at the end. But still more adventures to come in the third book, which I've already started.

Promises Stronger Than Darkness
4/30/23; 1:00pm DST
The conclusion of Charlie Jane Anders' Unstoppable series, Promises Stronger Than Darkness, is filled with darkness, but also hope, compassion, and cooperation. Things are left hanging at the end, and I would welcome further exploration of the situations and characters, particularly a certain "princess." Recommended, with a few caveats.

No One Will Come Back For Us
5/7/23; 12:50pm DST
Premee Mohamed's first story collection, No One Will Come Back For Us, will be published next week but I got an advance digital review copy. Lots of Lovecraft inspired stories, but also enough variety to please most readers with several others. Recommended.

Dual Memory
5/11/23; 1:40pm DST
Sue Burke's fourth novel, Dual Memory, is the first of hers I have read, but it won't be the last. Equal parts post-apocalyptic tale showing the ravages of climate change, refugees displaced from their homelands due to wars and private vendettas, but also the emergence of independent A.I.s, and the consequences of bringing alien life back to Earth. Lots to pack into just 350 pages, but Burke does it well. Recommended.

2022 Nebula Awards
5/15/23; 9:45am DST
Winners and all finalists for the 2022 Nebulas, including links for purchase or for reading online, are now on the main Awards Page.

The Roamers
5/15/23; 2:45pm DST
Francesco Verso's The Roamers is the English translation of just the first part of a 2018 book originally in Italian. Some interesting concepts, but hard to believe within the very near future timeline, and there were characters I didn't care for. I hate to say not recommended, but I would also hesitate to say the opposite.

Penric's Mission
5/17/23; 2:45pm DST
Starting a new page for the Penric & Desdemona series, the first story being Penric's Mission. The longest of all the novellas, probably close to novel length, and so far my favorite of the series.

Yellowface
5/21/23; 12:30pm DST
There were a couple of times I thought this might turn into a ghost story, but R. F. Kuang's new novel, Yellowface, is contemporary fiction set in the world of publishing. From a certain perspective it could be considered a thriller, but either way you look at it, it is very good. Highly recommended.

The Blue Sword
5/25/23; 1:20pm DST
Robin McKinley's second novel, The Blue Sword, was the first in the Damar series. It's Young Adult, coming-of-age, as well as a chosen one epic. Interesting, but not as good as it could have been if she had been writing for a more mature audience. I'll give it a reserved recommendation.

The Beginning Place
5/29/23; 4:30pm DST
A stand-alone novel from Ursula K. Le Guin, 1980's The Beginning Place is a portal fantasy, but different from most any other I've read. It's short, too short perhaps, but still recommended.

The Wild Girls
5/31/23; 1:15pm DST
The Wild Girls by Ursula K. Le Guin was the sixth volume in the PM Press "Outspoken Authors" series. The title story, originally in Asimov's in 2002, was revised for this book, but I'm not sure by how much. Hard to say how to classify it; not exactly fantasy, but maybe horror? Two essays, five poems, an interview, a bibliography, and a short biography fill out the volume. Recommended.

The Hero and the Crown
6/4/23; 12:45pm DST
The Hero and the Crown is generally regarded as the second book in Robin McKinley's Damar series, but since it's a prequel maybe it should be #1 instead, or perhaps .5, and why wasn't it "Heroine" of the Crown? A slow start, redeemed by a dynamic second half. Recommended.

A Pale Light in the Black
6/11/23; 1:10pm DST
A Pale Light in the Black is the first book in K. B. Wagers' NeoG series, that standing for the Near Earth Orbital Guard. Equivalent to our Coast Guard, although its reach has expanded to wherever humanity has set foot across the solar system, and beyond. I can recommend it, although I have reservations about how much time was devoted to one aspect instead of the major mystery.

For All Mankind
6/12/23; 3:20pm DST
Currently an exclusive on AppleTV+, For All Mankind is an alternate history where the Russians landed a man on the moon first, and the space race continues at a feverish pace. I'm two episodes into the second season now, and while I don't like everything about it, I will finish the three seasons currently available, and may extend my subscription beyond the free trial, depending on when Season 4 will premiere. [Update a day later: I guess I should have waited to start the review, since after just one more episode I felt the need for a couple of edits.]

Hold Fast Through the Fire
6/16/23; 1:00pm DST
The second NeoG book is Hold Fast Through the Fire. A new mystery, one which threatens to tear the NeoG apart, or at least significantly limit their effectiveness. Still a lot of emphasis on character, which is the better part. Recommended.

The Ghosts of Trappist
6/23/23; 12:45pm DST
The conclusion(?) of the NeoG series is The Ghosts of Trappist, which is exciting and multi-layered, but there are hints of possible future events.

Mira's Last Dance
6/24/23; 1:10pm DST
I continue with Bujold's Penric & Desdemona series with Mira's Last Dance, which is a direct sequel to Penric's Mission. Another good look at Penric's talents, as well as the myriad possibilities if he utilizes all the other personalities that make up Desdemona.

Silver Nitrate
6/28/23; 2:30pm DST
Silvia Moreno-Garcia's new novel is a bit deceptive, with Silver Nitrate seeming to be more like one of her mainstream mysteries, then the fantastical elements ramp up toward the end. Not without its faults, but still a very exciting narrative.

For All Mankind Update
7/5/23; 12:30pm DST
I finished watching Season 3 yesterday and have edited some previous comments, and added a few more paragraphs to my review of For All Mankind, AppleTV+'s alternate history space race drama.

The Deep Sky
7/6/23; 3:30pm DST
The Deep Sky, the debut novel from Yume Kitasei, presents some interesting characters and scenarios, but it is hampered by not enough background information, and a lot of the science is wonky.

The Prisoner of Limnos
7/9/23; 12:10pm DST
Continuing with the adventures of Penric & Desdemona, we come to the sixth novella I've reviewed, the third in the second omnibus. The Prisoner of Limnos sees Penric still with Nikys, attempting to rescue her mother from incarceration in a very formidable island complex. Recommended.

A Knot in the Grain
7/11/23; 4:15pm DST
A Knot in the Grain is a short story collection by Robin McKinley. Only five stories, less than two hundred pages, but all are good, the title story being as good, if not better, than anything else I've read of hers so far. Recommended.

Africa Risen
7/24/23; 3:30pm DST
Africa Risen is a thirty-two story anthology by African and African Diaspora writers. I didn't go into details about specific stories, since I don't think I could do them justice. They all deserve to be read without further comment from me, other than giving it the highest of recommendations.

Her Husband's Hands
8/2/23; 2:50pm DST
Her Husband's Hands is a collection of eight stories by Adam-Troy Castro. Grim, gruesome, horrific, no feel-good stories here. But they are well written and compelling. Recommended.

The Best of All Possible Worlds
8/11/23; 5:50pm DST
I re-read a book and made very minor edits to the review, but included new information and cover image. Karen Lord's second novel, The Best of All Possible Worlds, was published in 2013, and I first read it in January of 2018. It was reissued last month with new cover art, along with another book which will be my next review. A third book in the sequence comes out later this month, and I have an advance review copy of it.

The Galaxy Game
8/13/23; 12:50pm DST
The second of Karen Lord's Cygnus Beta novels is The Galaxy Game. I created a new page rather than combine it with the previous review, since most of the action takes place other places besides Cygnus Beta, and the third book, which I've already started, is in another location as well, at least in the beginning. I didn't like Galaxy Game as much due to my confusion on multiple things, but I tried to avoid spoilers. Not sure I succeeded.

Babylon 5
8/14/23; 8:15am DST
My original review of Babylon 5 was among the first pages uploaded when The Templeton Gate went live on July 27, 2000. I've edited and updated it a few times since, the last was when it came to Amazon Prime, but that was four years ago. No longer on Prime, and it was pulled off HBO-Max even before that changed to just MAX, but it will be out on Blu-Ray in December. So I've added that information, as well as tweaking some of my comments about the show. Also, I hope to upload a review of the new animated film The Road Home sometime later today. Stay tuned.

Babylon 5: The Road Home
8/14/23; 6:20pm DST
The Road Home is a new animated film in the Babylon 5 franchise. I liked it a lot, and I hope we get more of the same. Or live action, or puppets, I don't care, I just need more B5.

The Blue, Beautiful World
8/19/23; 1:15pm DST
Again, compared to the first book in the sequence, I did not like The Blue, Beautiful World as much, but I still recommend the series. Other readers might like the second and third books more than I did, might not like the first as much. The only way to know is to read them.

The Outlaws of Sherwood
8/22/23; 3:55pm DST
The Robin McKinley book for this month is The Outlaws of Sherwood. I can't give it a strong recommendation, but it's not a waste of time, especially if you are a fan of other tellings of the Robin Hood legend.

Masquerade in Lodi
8/24/23; 12:35pm DST
Starting a third page for the adventures of Penric & Desdemona by Lois McMaster Bujold, the first story of which is Masquerade in Lodi. Enjoyable, although I figured out part of the mystery long before Penric did.

Unseen Demons, an Andrea Cort Story
8/26/23; 1:10pm DST
Along with other books, I will devote the next few months reading novels and shorter works by Adam-Troy Castro, the central character being Andrea Cort, an investigator of murders (and perhaps other crimes) in the future on other planets and habitats. Her first appearance came in the 2002 novella "Unseen Demons."

Emissaries From the Dead
8/31/23; 5:05pm DST
Emissaries From the Dead is the second story, and first novel, featuring Andrea Cort, an investigator in the future. As intriguing as the mystery in this story, Andrea may be the biggest puzzle of all. Recommended.

The Water Outlaws
9/10/23; 12:30pm DST
S. L. Huang's latest book, The Water Outlaws, is a gender-swapped adaptation of what is considered to be one of the four great classical novels of Chinese literature. It is very good, but also very violent at times. Recommended.

The Orphans of Raspay
9/10/23; 4:20pm DST
A second review today, another Penric & Desdemona novella. The Orphans of Raspay sees Penric in peril, but he's not alone. He also has to safeguard two orphan girls. Another recommendation.

Deerskin
9/16/23; 11:15am DST
Robin McKinley's Deerskin is a more mature story than the others I've read so far. I had to be vague about some things, without cautionary notes, since even a minor hint could be a spoiler. It started off slow for me, and at one point I thought I might not finish, but I'm glad I continued. The latter half is much better written than earlier. Recommended.

The Third Claw of God
9/22/23; 5:20pm DST
The second novel in the Andrea Cort series by Adam-Troy Castro is The Third Claw of God. An intriguing mystery, multiple possible suspects, tense action sequences, but probably too much tell rather than show. Lots and lots and lots of dialog.

Mammoths at the Gates
9/28/23; 2:20pm DST
Mammoths at the Gates is the fourth novella in Nghi Vo's Singing Hills Cycle. Another introspective look at memory, loyalty, friendship, and tradition. Recommended.

More Andrea Cort
9/30/23; 2:40pm DST
Returning to the Andrea Cort stories page, I take a look at two of her earlier adventures, "Burning the Ladder" and "With Unclean Hands."

Sunshine
10/5/23; 1:50pm DST
Sunshine is my favorite Robin McKinley book so far. A strong, first-person narrative of a woman who may know a little bit of magic, but is it enough to battle the Others? Highly recommended.

The Physicians of Vilnoc
10/6/23; 1:55pm DST
Another Penric and Desdemona story, The Physicians of Vilnoc sees our favorite sorcerer battling a serious epidemic in multiple locations around Vilnoc, with Nikys and their young daughter at home and worried about his fate. As with all the other Penric tales, this is recommended.

The Marionettes Novellas
10/10/23; 10:15pm DST
Stories that are connected to those of Andrea Cort, and which lead up to the events in the third novel, are the Marionettes Novellas, the third of which was written many years ago, but not published until recently, included with the e-book of the second novel. Weird and mysterious aliens, perhaps even weirder humans. Recommended. If you can find them, since the first two are not in print or e-book at this time.

2023 Hugos
10/21/23; 11:30am DST
Hugo winners were announced last night, seeing as how it was Saturday night already in China. I've updated the Awards Page with purchase links for as many things as possible, as well as links to online venues to read the shorter works.

Exit Ghost
10/24/23; 1:40pm DST
Exit Ghost is Jennifer R. Donohue's debut novel, but don't let that, or the fact it was self-published, dissuade you from giving it a chance. Very well written, intriguing characters, magical overtones, in a story that has a bit of Shakespeare's Hamlet in its makeup. Highly recommended.

Nettle & Bone
10/30/23; 3:10pm DST
Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher (a pseudonym of Ursula Vernon) is the latest novel to win a Hugo. It is a dark fantasy, a revenge tale. I liked it, and can recommended it, although there were quite a few other books that would have been my preference this year.

A Night in the Lonesome October
10/31/23; 2:45pm DST
Roger Zelazny's A Night in the Lonesome October is a book very appropriate for Halloween. The events depicted are told in 32 chapters, the first being the exception of being titled by the date, the others go from October 1 through the 31st. Multiple recognizable characters (and a few I haven't figured out) come together for a mystical ceremony under a full moon on Halloween night. Very good and recommended.

The Lover
11/1/23; 12:35pm DST
The second story Silvia Morena-Garcia has published as an Amazon Original, The Lover is somewhat a variation on Red Riding Hood, but there are other elements, and other surprises. Recommended.

Run With The Hunted
11/2/23; 12:00pm DST
Run With The Hunted is the first novella in a series that has extended to five more titles so far. The author, Jennifer R. Donohue, says it is cyberpunk, and that may be more evident in later stories, but even though it is near future and there is a lot of high tech, nothing seemed out of the realm of current tech. Fast-paced and exciting. Recommended.

Chalice
11/7/23; 4:25pm CST
Robin McKinley's Chalice is another well-written fantasy, without a lot of details of the history of the land. But it has a great central character in Marisol, the Willowlands new Chalice, second in importance in the demesne to its Master. Recommended.

The Assassins of Thasalon
11/12/23; 1:15pm CST
The only novel length Penric & Desdemona story (so far), and at this time the penultimate tale, The Assassins of Thasalon sees Penric travel to Cedonia for the third time, his task to help right the wrongs that had forced his brother-in-law to flee his native country after being falsely branded a traitor. Another exciting adventure with nary a wasted page. Recommended.

A Stab of the Knife
11/12/23; 4:30pm CST
A Stab of the Knife is another novella by Adam-Troy Castro which features Andrea Cort, but also characters from other stories I haven't read yet, but may soon in the case of one of them. Another intriguing mystery with lots of action, as well as character introspection. It is set between the second and third novels, the latter being my next read.

Severance
11/13/23; 1:50pm CST
Another AppleTV+ exclusive, Severance is a weird combination of scientific innovation and mind control, set within what appears to be an alternate world. Recommended, but I'm disappointed by the short season, which of course ended on a huge cliffhanger.

War of the Marionettes
11/17/23; 2:35pm CST
War of the Marionettes is the third, and at this time the last novel in Adam-Troy Castro's Andrea Cort series, as much a sequel to the Marionettes novellas I reviewed last month as it is for the previous novels. It is well-written and exciting, but also bleak and forboding most of the time. I will read a novella next month that follows this book, as far into Andrea's life as he has written so far.

Hiding Place
12/1/23;11:30am CST
"Hiding Place" is another Andrea Cort novella, as far into her life as Castro has written so far. He has said if he continues beyond that, the next will have to be another novel. If he ever writes it, I will read it.

Knot of Shadows
12/3/23;12:05pm CST
At this time, Knot of Shadows is the last of Bujold's Penric & Desdemona stories. No word on if she intends to continue, start another series, or retire. If she does write again, I will read it, and I need to go back and read her earlier fantasies, The Spirit Ring, and Sharing Knife.

Shadows
12/6/23; 2:35pm CST
Shadows is the last novel Robin McKinley has published, ten years ago. It is the tenth of her novels I have read, along with two story collections. I have liked all of them to various degrees. This one has similarities to my favorite, Sunshine, still enjoyable if not quite up to that level.

Gypsy
12/8/23; 6:10pm CST
Another in the PM Press Outspoken Authors series, Carter Scholz's Gypsy contains the novella of that title, two other stories, one essay, an interview, and bibliography. I realize the title is problematic, and I'm sure the author was aware of it too, but the story is still very good.

The Expanse: Dragon Tooth
12/9/23; 1:40pm CST
After nine novels, eight shorter stories, six seasons of TV, an RPG, video game, podcasts, and sundry other things, The Expanse now gets a major graphic story. The best thing about Dragon Tooth is it is brand new story, not a rehash of what has already been told. Set in between novels six and seven, it tells of special Martian forces left behind when rogue Admiral Winston Duarte escaped Sol System through the Laconia Gate.

Hild & Menewood
12/17/23; 3:00pm CST
Some brief comments about the second book in Nicola Griffith's mostly fictional look at the woman who would later be known as Saint Hilda of Whitby. But I also re-read the first book, and made some edits to those comments, so this link is for both of The Hild Sequence.

The Coward's Option + Tasha's Fail-Safe
12/19/23; 1:40pm CST
I have now read all of the available Andrea Cort stories by Adam-Troy Castro, even though not always in chronological order of her life or by publication date. The last two (for now) are set earlier in her career, and like the others, Tasha's Fail-Safe & The Coward's Option are good and recommended.

Run With The Hunted, 1-3
12/20/23; 12:15pm CST
Last month I read the first novella in a series, now follow that up with the second and third. Since I made edits to the original review, this link is for the first three stories in Run With The Hunted by Jennifer R. Donohue.

The Mountain in the Sea
12/26/23; 10:15am CST
Ray Nayler's debut novel, The Mountain in the Sea, won a Locus Award for Best First Novel, and was a Nebula finalist. Very good, with great world building, intriguing characters and scenarios, with deep insight into human and animal consciousness. Highly recommended.

Oppenheimer
12/26/23; 2:00pm CST
It is not a genre film but it is about science, and about a subject speculated many times within the genre. I am willing to bet Oppenheimer will end up on the Hugo ballot next year, maybe the Nebula too. It is the best film I've seen in quite a few years. Cillian Murphy is brilliant, and the rest of the cast, and the director, are all at the top of their form.

The Tusks of Extinction
12/26/23; 4:00pm CST
Another Ray Nayler story, a novella this time, one I read in advance of its publication on January 16. The Tusks of Extinction may be set in the same future as his novel, or maybe not. It involves the cloning of mammoths, as well as the resurrection of a human consciousness. Another strong story, recommended.

The Shamshine Blind
12/31/23; 2:20pm CST
Paz Pardo's debut novel, The Shamshine Blind, is a combination of noir-detective story and alternate world science fiction, one in which Argentina is now the leading world power. Weird, but good, and recommended.

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