Non-SF Books

While I will still be reading mostly SF/Fantasy, I won't be restricting my reviews to that in the future. I actually had in mind another book that would be listed here first, but it happens that the first review of 2020 is also Non-SF, even though it should appeal to genre fans. The listings here will be the same as on the SF Literature page, in reverse chronological order as they are posted. All dates on this site are in standard American notation; Month/Day/Year.

8/8/24 - Silvia Moreno-Garcia's tenth novel is her third outside of the speculative genres of science fiction, fantasy, or horror. I suppose it could be described as historical fiction, as well as a noir mystery. The Seventh Veil of Salome is about a film production of that story, set in 1955 Hollywood. Segments of the book are scenes from the film, or maybe just in the imagination of one or more of the people involved in the production. Highly recommended.

5/21/23 - There were a couple of times I thought this review might end up on the SF literature page, but it's not a ghost story. Or at least the 'ghost' is not real, just in the mind of a stressed out and paranoid woman. R. F. Kuang's Yellowface is mainly about the vagaries of the publishing world, and the hazards of social media. Recommended.

3/13/22 - I'm listing this here and on the main literature page. Samuel R. Delany's The Atheist in the Attic is short but powerful. It consists of one novella (non-SF), one essay (that does relate to the genre), a short bio, bibliography, and an interview. Highly recommended.

8/16/21 - 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.

8/12/21 - 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.

1/15/20 - 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 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.

1/4/20 - Michael Zapata's debut novel should appeal to SF fans, but the speculative elements are only contained in books that have been written by characters in the book. The Lost Book of Adana Moreau is highly recommended.

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