For Human Use, by Sarah G. Pierce, very nearly became a DNF for me. It had that perfect heady concoction of having an intriguing concept that is poorly introduced but examined through a lens that beckoned me like a fresh pie in an open window. Unfortunately, I should have stuck with my overall gut feeling…
Along with my more focused efforts on climate fiction, I’ve also wanted to dissect the role of science and engineering within the science fiction fantasy genre. Player Piano sort of spurred on my more recent fervor, but I feel that my general critique of science fiction plays with these ideas. Hence, when we were sent…
Adam Roberts is quickly becoming one of my favorite science fiction writers working today. I know I’ve only reviewed one of his novels, Purgatory Mount, but I’ve read two others, and as your about to find out, three of his novellas. I’m trying something a little different as I try to talk about three thematically…
Continue reading ➞ Adam Roberts – Stealing My Heart, One Novella at a Time
Recently, I have expressed a lot of frustration with some novels set in the midst of climate change, if not fully tackling the subject head-on. I am not surprised by these feelings, though it concerns me that at this late hour, it still feels like we are floundering on cohesive narratives that extend beyond “humans…
Continue reading ➞ The Forest On The Edge of Time – Mud Into Gods
The only Kurt Vonnegut I ever got introduced to at school was Harrison Bergeron, a short story about physically enforced equality. My grandparents furthered my reading of his with his short story collection Armageddon In Retrospect. And over the years I’ve slowly picked up his novels in the most insane ordering I can think of.…
The Automaton, by Ian Young, is an indie darling that has been teasing me from the aether for a while now. Its striking and bold cover with an old school automaton, staring at the reader, was a sniper shot trained on me. Throw in some concerns about the difference between a digital human being and…
Terrestrial History, by Joe Mungo Reed, caught my eye with its heavy title and stark cover art. Its premise was just as intriguing, promising time travel and four generations within the same family as they dealt with climate change and the colonization of Mars. And while there are some really exciting ideas at play within…
Continue reading ➞ Terrestrial History – Best Left to the Nerds
Ever since their debut novel, Leech, I’ve been eagerly awaiting Hiron Ennes next novel. As you may already know, The Works of Vermin fell into our top ten best of 2025 and for many very good reasons. The city of Tilliard is on the precipice. Its elite, though powerful, is facing stagnancy and rebellion. Its…
Continue reading ➞ The Works of Vermin – Producing Greatness
I know I’m the resident sour puss of the blog, but even I can have some fun sometimes. I have made it known that science fiction and horror is one of my favorite genre combinations, and with that comes a sweet tooth whenever something different (and let’s be honest, something retreading well-worn ground) pops on…
Continue reading ➞ Of Monsters and Mainframes – Werewolves, Vampires, and Mummies Oh My!
In an effort to catch up on some of the new releases, I wanted to focus on books that seemed to place climate change front and center. One of these is Thomas R. Weaver’s debut Artificial Wisdom. Unfortunately, while it does ask some interesting questions in latter parts of the book, the build up left…
