Category: Sci-fi

Polished Performance — Alastair Reynolds

By 5t4n5

Polished Performance -- Alastair ReynoldsAvailable in Made to Order: Robots and Revolution — Anthology.

A really good story set aboard a sleeper ship that is flown and managed by robots while all the wealthy humans sleep the long cold sleep.

But something goes wrong with the cooling system for the sleepers and the robots become worried that they’ll be core wiped to cover up the mess when they get to their destination.   Thus begins the cunning plans of the robots to avoid annihilation.

Next up in Alastair’s literary journey is Plague Music, which is actually a Revelation Space story set in Chasm City.

Bye for now.

Alastair’s Page

#scifi #alastairreynolds

Before Your Memory Fades — Toshikazu Kawaguchi

By 5t4n5

Before Your Memory Fades -- Toshikazu KawaguchiThe third book in the Before The Coffee Gets Cold series, and what a great book.

If you haven’t read any of this series yet then i really, whole heartedly, suggest you get back to the beginning and give them a go.   The time-travelling-chair-in-a-cafe really is such a great story telling device, especially with the rules that come along with it.

And it’s in those rules that the stories shine.   The main one being that you cannot change anything in the present by going back to the past.   This rule really does sort the wheat from the chaff and creates stories that are deep and meaningful for all of us.

This third book takes us away from the first cafe to another cafe in Japan with it’s own chair and ghost.   The owner has gone away so some of the crew from Tokyo have taken over because only a female over the age of 7 years, from their family, can pour the coffee.

A lot of this book is about death, and how we all deal with the death of a loved one, and the ending is incredible: Toshikazu really nailed the ending, it’s so perfect and so moving.   It’s not often that my eyes get soggy at the end of a book, but this one did it perfectly.   While the whole book is really good, it’s only when you get to the ending that you realise that it’s all been about building up the ending, where Toshikazu brings everything to a perfectly sharp focus.

And don’t forget, the next book in the series, Before We Say Goodbye, is coming out in September 2023, so be sure to put that in your diary.

Bye for now.

Toshikazu’s Page

#scifi #japan #toshikazukawaguchi

Shadow Captain — Alastair Reynolds

By 5t4n5

Shadow Captain -- Alastair ReynoldsI tried, i really did, but i just can’t take any more and i’ve given up on this stupid trilogy.   It’s all too much young adult for me and, worse than that, it’s not even very good young adult.   It’s just totally unbelievable nonsense.

A child is playing silly games with grown ups, the grown ups know the child is playing silly games with them but they keep letting the child have its way even though the child is probably going to get them killed.   Yeah, right!

Alastair should stick with what he does best, sci-fi for intelligent grown ups.

So, unfortunately, my quest to read everything by Alastair Reynolds has come to an end.   I’m not reading the rest of this trilogy unless someone pays me £1000.

So, skipping ahead, the next book in Alastair’s literary arsenal is Permafrost.   Let’s hope he’s back to normal and it’s as good as his usual stuff.

Bye for now.

Alastair’s Page

#scifi #alastairreynolds

Revenger — Alastair Reynolds

By 5t4n5

Revenger -- Alastair ReynoldsNot the greatest story Alastair has ever told.   It’s all very young adult-ish stuff, and it’s really not anything like what i love about Alastair’s usual sci-fi.

But, i suppose, every writer may wish to have a try at some YA stuff occasionally.   I just really hope that Alastair doesn’t ever do it again, thank you.

I mean, let’s be serious, a child who isn’t even old enough to leave home, escapes and takes on the system’s most feared and devastating pirate?   Really?   And adults just fall over themselves to do her bidding?

But, as i’m committed to reading the whole of Alastair’s writings, i must continue with this farcical trilogy and see where it leads.

So next up it will be Shadow Captain.

Bye for now.

Alastair’s Page

#scifi #alastairreynolds

Upgrade — Blake Crouch

By 5t4n5

Wow!

Once again, Blake has written one of the best pieces of sci-fi i’ve ever read.   A literary wonder.   Totally un-put-down-able.

Not only is this a great story about the coming environmental apocalypse and the extinction event that will wipe Homo sapiens from the face of the Universe, this is also a great critique of Homo sapiens’ hubris and arrogance with regard to Nature.

Homo sapiens has got this seriously fucked up idea that it can control and rule Nature and that there’s no need to change the way we are because science will always find an answer to all our woes.

This is one of those books that i’ll be telling everyone i know to read — it’s that good — even though i know probably none of them will bother to read it because, hey, what do they need to know that they can’t watch on television or Youtube?

Anyway, i’m off back to Alastair Reynolds to finish off the last 7 of his books that i haven’t read already.

Bye for now.

Blake’s Page

#scifi #blakecrouch

Death’s Door — Alastair Reynolds

By 5t4n5

Death's Door -- Alastair ReynoldsAvailable in Belladonna Nights and Other Stories.

What happens when we finally become virtually immortal and we’ve done everything we wanted to do and we’ve gotten completely bored with life?   Play Russian roulette with portal doors, setting them for a 1 in 1000 random chance of them killing you when you use them.   And when you really get fed up you dial it up to a 1 in 10 chance of them killing you.

But maybe you have friends who don’t want you to die quite so soon, friends that want you to give life another chance.

Good story.

Next up from Alastair will be the Revenger Trilogy, beginning with Revenger.   But first i’m going to have to read a few other books from other writers.   Back with Alastair soon.

Bye for now.

Alastair’s Page

#scifi #alastairreynolds

Providence — Alastair Reynolds

By 5t4n5

Providence -- Alastair ReynoldsAvailable in Belladonna Nights and Other Stories.

A really good sleeper ship story.   The drive’s blown and there’s no way of slowing the ship down when it reaches its destination planet, they’re just going to sail right on past.

But then one of the crew has a great idea to find some purpose to the whole trip.   Except things just don’t turn out like they hoped they would have.

Next up from Alastair is Death’s Door.

Bye for now.

Alastair’s Page

#scifi #alastairreynolds

Different Seas — Alastair Reynolds

By 5t4n5

Different Seas -- Alastair ReynoldsAvailable in Belladonna Nights and Other Stories and The Best Science Fiction of the Year: Vol 4.

Another of Alastairs proxy body stories.   This time a caretaker is stranded on an automated sailing ship and needs help.   It comes in the form of a proxy robot, and the caretaker isn’t too taken with it’s driver’s attitude.

But, more is soon revealed as we go through the story and attitudes change.

A really good little story.   And maybe a good reminder to all of us not to judge people on their first impressions, sometimes you can be very wrong.

Next up from Alastair in Providence.

Bye for now.

Alastair’s Page

#scifi #alastairreynolds

Holdfast — Alastair Reynolds

By 5t4n5

Holdfast -- Alastair ReynoldsAvailable in Belladonna Nights and Other Stories and The Best Science Fiction of the Year: Vol 3.

Really good. If you enjoyed The Medusa Chronicles for it’s wonderful exploration of the Jovian atmosphere and it’s ecosystem, then you’ll really enjoy this as well.

It’s also got a nice hint of Enemy Mine sprinkled in with it.

Next up is Different Seas.

Bye for now.

Alastair’s Page

#scifi #alastairreynolds