Available in the collection, Zima Blue and Other Stories.
Elton John inspires the last human to learn all about space and time.
This is obviously Alastair the physicist having some fun: quite an enjoyable novella.
Next up on Alastair’s timeline is Tiger Burning.
Available in the collection, Zima Blue and Other Stories.
Alastair wrote a love story: awwwwwww.
And . . . . . . it’s rather good.
Although . . . . . . i’m not really a fan of all this parallel universe nonsense, because it is nonsense, just like flat earth nonsense.
But . . . . . . done right, like Alastair can, you can find some good stories in a parallel universe as long as you ignore all the nonsense bits.
All that aside . . . . . . next up in Alastair’s bibliographic timeline is The Six Directions of Space, which i’ll be eagerly devouring in the next week or so.
Available in the collection, Zima Blue and Other Stories.
Oh dear, just when i thought it was safe to read Alastair again he had to go and start writing parallel universe nonsense stories once more.
Oh please someone assure me that this is the last of Alastair’s delusions that parallel universe stories are any good, or that the theory holds any water at all. Seriously, it’s just utter twaddle.
Anyway, next up in Alastair’s publishings will be Terminal World, let’s hope that isn’t more parallel stuff twaddle nonsense.
This was not what i was expecting.
Having read Nina’s previous two books and totally loved them, i just grabbed this with a quick glance at the cover art and title and set about reading it thinking i was going to have a similarly uplifting story about dreams. Well that thought soon got put out to pasture.
Instead, we are taken into the intensive care ward of a coma hospital, and the dreams are those that people living in comas may, or may not, have.
Which does sound a little grim, but it turned out just as good, but in a rather different way, as Nina’s last two books: so well worth reading, all three of them.
And i already have Nina’s next book, The Little French Village of Book Lovers — Nina George, which i look forward to diving into in the not too distant future.
Bye for now.
The fourth book from this rather enjoyable series: at least it had been rather enjoyable up to this book. But i’m beginning to feel that Toshikazu is beginning to get a bit repetitive and the cafe is beginning to become a little stale.
I think that Toshikazu is simply rushing out books and not really making any effort to create something new and interesting, which is a shame. I really feel that what this series needs is for Toshikazu to just put it down for a while and not come back to it until he has something new and interesting to bring to the cafe.
That’s my thoughts on the matter, it really doesn’t need to be ruined to meet a deadline, either with the publisher or with Toshikazu’s bank account.
Bye for now.
Another super good story from Aliette’s Xuya universe. I’m thinking this is probably the longest one so far: it’ll certainly keep you occupied for a good while.
Our protagonist, and her mindship friend, have both come back from the dead (that’s the exile bit) hell set on revenge against those who executed them. But revenge isn’t quite as straight forward as they would like it to be.
If you haven’t read any Xuya stories yet then get yourself over to Aliette’s “all things Xuya page” and find out where to start and what it’s all about. Basically, it’s just really good sci-fi, from a really good writer, with a wonderful Asian flavour to it all.
I get the feeling these latest books by Ann are fleshing out the universe she introduced in the Imperial Radch Trilogy and its many varied lifeforms and AI’s.
That’s not to say they’re not enjoyable, well written stories in their own right, they are. And i thoroughly enjoyed this one as well as Provenance, which introduced us to the Geck.
In this story we’re being introduced more intimately to the Presger Translators, who are genetically engineered, very strange beings.
To be honest, i’m looking forward to lots more of these books as we slowly moved towards the Conclave where they all will come together to discuss whether to accept the Two System’s AI’s into the treaty.
Bring it on.
Bye for now.
After the two inbetweenie shorts we’re back to novel length stories in the Imperial Radch Universe.
In this story we find ourselves on a planet outside of the Radch empire who are having a bit of a political squabble with some neighbours over the jump gates in their neighbourhood, and also quite a bit of a political squabble amongst themselves.
Our protagonist, Ingray, is trying to show her mother that she’s better than her brother because they’re competing for her inheritance, but Ingray keeps blundering through, making mistakes, because she’s unearthed a can of worms that others have set in motion.
In some ways there’s a continuation of the Imperial Radch Trilogy in that people are talking about the upcoming Conclave with the Presger. The Geck have already sent an ambassador, who has gotten itself sidetracked chasing down a Geck fugitive, which just happens to fall right in Ingray’s path, turning her plans upside down as well. But, as everyone says, it’ll be a very long time before the Conclave happens, and i think this is Ann’s way of saying there’ll be a lot more of these side stories before we get to the Conclave. I do hope so because this is a wonderful universe that Ann has created and it’s nice to get out and explore it’s many cultures and life forms.
All in all though, Provenance has been a really good story. There’s plenty going on and Ingray is a wonderful protagonist to follow this story through.
Next up, Ann has written Translation State, also in this universe. Which i’m diving straight into eagerly.
Bye for now.
Well this was not what i expected.
Apparently, supposedly, based in the same universe as the Imperial Radch Trilogy, i was expecting something as good as the trilogy but instead got this jumble-luted mess of names that was just ridiculous to follow.
Really, your readers expect much, much better, Ann. Although, as i have said in the past, every writer is allowed to write something utterly below their abilities once in while. But it’s still annoying to wade through this nonsense.
Even the sports match was just nonsense. Was it like a game of tennis or something? I really couldn’t work out what the game was about.
Onwards and upwards, next in this universe is Provenance, i do hope for much better.
Bye for now.
Also available in Galactic Empires.
A good novella about a flight through an area of space to a planet that virtually impenetrable. But the Radch want that planet and when the Radch want something they won’t stop until they get it.
Yes, it’s set in the same universe as the Imperial Radch Trilogy, but it’s completely unrelated to those books. I found it good to read it straight after i finished the trilogy.
Next up in this universe is She Commands Me and I Obey.
Bye for now.