Fresh off our best of the year list, let's talk a bit more about Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Shroud. A standalone survival horror science fiction story from the master biomancer himself, this book did not disappoint on any front. It’s all about learning to perceive reality in new and interesting ways. Also, it’s anti-capitalist, spooky as all…
It’s rare that I get excited about a series originally planned as a trilogy being expanded, but here we are. Apostles of Mercy, Lindsay Ellis’ third book in a planned series of five books, paves the way for a deeper and richer experience that does not want to tidy loose ends. It’s a science fiction…
Continue reading ➞ Apostles of Mercy – A Slower But Worthy Translation
While they aren’t nearly as pervasive as they appeared to be, first-contact stories are still a mainstay within the science fiction genre. Depending on the era that they come from they are laden with different ideas on how aliens might function, and what a proper response would be to said lifeform. Instead of doing a…
Record heat waves are starting to rear their ugly heads. Food shortages, through a combination of war, finance and climate change are featured news on the daily. It’s easy to retreat from a world on the brink and cozy up with a book…about climate change. But rarely does our climate science fiction feel more than…
Continue reading ➞ A Half-Built Garden – Forget The Pesticides
I'm always up to visit the works of well established authors in the genre. Most of the time, I end up reading their newer work because it’s more relevant. So when a book is touted as being the return of an award winning author, my ears perk up and my nose picks up the scent…
Continue reading ➞ Shadows of Eternity – Makes Hades Look Like Heaven
Last year, when I read Axiom’s End, I had to confront my feelings about the book and try to pry them from the influence of Ellis’ work on my own styles. However, with her second book, The Truth of the Divine, I found this process less daunting and I was able to slip into the…
Continue reading ➞ The Truth of the Divine – Heavenly Pessimism
A few weeks ago, I reviewed Dawn by Octavia Butler. I’m following up on my promise to review the entire series, and boy was it worth it. While short, the Xenogenesis trilogy packs a huge punch. Adulthood Rites and Imago follow the events of Dawn, diving into the lives of the protagonist’s (Lilith) children. After…
Continue reading ➞ Xenogenesis – Appreciation in the Twilight
I suppose it was only a matter of time. My long-running obsession with 2001: A Space Odyssey finally inspired me to explore the larger Clarke pantheon. Outside of Childhood’s End, I had only ever read the Odyssey series, opting instead for more modern sci-fi tales. But over the past few weeks, I have been maniacally…
Continue reading ➞ Rendezvous With Rama – Solar Social Distancing
Axiom’s End, by Lindsay Ellis, is less than what I expected, and more than I could have asked for. It’s a solid debut that serves as a great first step in a trilogy, offering a fun fast paced plot with thoughtful meditations on how people relate to one another and the “alien.” Part of me…
So, we have a sequel to Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky - which is very interesting. We loved Children of Time here at The Quill to Live. Our review can be found here, but to make a long story short every one of us who had the chance to read Time came out of…
Continue reading ➞ Children Of Ruin – Oh What A Wonderful World It Could Be
