Category: Fiction

Stroboscopic — Alastair Reynolds

By 5t4n5

Stroboscopic -- Alastair ReynoldsYou’ll find this in the collection, Deep Navigation.

I get the distinct feeling with this short story that Alastair was just having some fun with an idea.   And why not?

Basically, there’s a game that involves some newly discovered, alien lifeform that the solar system’s best gamers are invited to play.   There’s also a bit of politics involved, with the goodies v baddies, evil corporation thing going on in the background as well.

It’s ok, only 4 stars for this instead of Alastair’s usual 5, but like i said, this one just seemed like he decided to have some fun for a change.

Next up on the Alastair Reynolds timeline, from 1998, it’s On the Oodnadatta.

Bye for now.

Alastair’s Page

#scifi #alastairreynolds

The Black God’s Drums — P. Djèlí Clark

By 5t4n5

The Black God's Drums -- P. Djèlí ClarkTake some super good fantasy with a good African/Caribbean flavour, season with a nice hint of steampunk, and bake slowly for a few of hours in an althist New Orleans: what more can you ever want from a book?

This good length novella is from around the same time as Djèlí was writing the Dead Djinn series, and with all of these stories you really pick up on the time in Djèlí’s writing that he begins to introduce steampunk elements into his unique and wonderful style of fantasy.

A really well written, really enjoyable read.

For my next P. Djèlí Clark story, i’m going back in time.   I managed to track down some earlier stories of his that i missed: gotta read them all.   First up of those will be The Things My Mother Left Me.

Djèlí’s Page

#fantasy #steampunk #pdjeliclark

Fantasy Magazine — Issue 60

By 5t4n5

Fantasy Magazine -- Issue 60I bought this for “The Things My Mother Left Me” written by P. Djèlí Clark.   However, if the rest of it is anything like Djèlí’s writing i will definitely be reading through all of it.

Original Short Stories

Black, Their Regalia — Darcie Little Badger
The Rock in the Water — Thoraiya Dyer
The Things My Mother Left Me — P. Djèlí Clark
Red Dirt Witch — N.K. Jemisin

Reprint Fiction

Eyes of Carven Emerald — Shweta Narayan
gezhizhwazh — Leanne Betasamosake Simpson
Walkdog — Sofia Samatar
Name Calling — Celeste Rita Baker

Nonfiction

Learning to Dream in Color — Justina Ireland
Give Us Back Our Fucking Gods — Ibi Zoboi
Saving Fantasy — Karen Lord
We Are More Than Our Skin — John Chu
Crying Wolf — Chinelo Onwualu
You Forgot to Invite the Soucouyant — Brandon O’Brien
Still We Write — Erin Roberts

#fantasy #pdjeliclark