that no one can hear the whispers
they’ve lit the world so bright
that no one can see in the dark
they’ve told so many lies
that no one knows the truth now
they’ve ruined all of nature
and told us to play in the park
Minla’s Flowers — Alastair Reynolds
This is the second book in Alastair’s Merlin Series, and should be read immediately after Hideaway.
We left off with Merlin leaving the cohort to find a fabled super weapon that he’ll then use to defeat the cyborgs known as Huskers. During one transit Merlin’s ship, Tyrant, is thrown rather violently out of the Waynet. It transpires that this is due to a kink in the Waynet as it passes a star named Calliope, and he urgently needs to stop at one of its planets, Lecythus, for repairs and refuelling. While on the planet Merlin meets Minla and her people.
Unfortunately, Merlin realises that the kink in the Waynet that caused his problems is being caused by the Waynet being pulled towards Calliope, and once the Waynet line reaches the Calliope’s core then it’s pretty much all over for the whole system and everyone in it. This then leads to all kinds of problems when he tells his new found friends on Lecythus that they’ve only got 70 years left . . .
. . . but it also leads to a rather good story as well.
Definitely some food-for-thought for those who enjoy all those wonderful philosophical debates about Star Fleet’s First Directive.
All told, i’m really enjoying this series and am diving straight into The Iron Tactician for Merlin’s next adventure.
It’s available in, Beyond the Aquila Rift, Zima Blue and Other Stories and The New Space Opera.
Alastair’s Page
#scifi #alastairreynolds
Hideaway — Alastair Reynolds
The first book in the Merlin Series tetralogy.
There’s just a handful of humans left with a galaxy full of nasty cyborgs hunting them down to extinction, so it’s time to find a place to
All the usual best from Alastair. It’s great to have a break from the shorts as i’m working through his whole back catalogue and get into something a bit bigger: this is looking to be a really good series.
Next up is Minla’s Flowers.
You’ll find Hideaway in the collection, Zima Blue and Other Stories, or in Interzone.
Bye for now.
Alastair’s Page
#scifi #alastairreynolds
The Shepherd’s Tale — Joss Whedon and Zack Whedon
This is a comic that is purely aimed at those of us who loved Firefly and Serenity and always wanted to know what Shepherd Book’s back story was. It used to be available on Kindle, which i managed to get, but for some reason only the expensive hard back is now available.
While this comic goes through Book’s earlier life, it does so in such a way that is just totally messy and disjointed. I can’t understand how anyone could sit down and think that this was a good way to tell Book’s story. It starts at the end, where Book gets killed on Haven, and then keeps jumping back in time a few years at a time, but each jump is so harsh and disjointed it just leaves you having to go back over things several times to try and make some sense out of it.
To be fair, i would normally put a book this bad on “The Bookshelf of Infamy”, but as a total Firefly and Serenity fan looking at the only thing that tells of Shepherd Book’s past, albeit in a really badly presented way, i’m willing to spare it that utter shame and give it a hairline pass with 2 stars — but that’s an only just scraped into the bottom of 2 stars.
The annoying thing is that the Whedon’s obviously know how popular Shepherd Book was and how much everyone wanted to know more about his past. Shepherd Book fully deserved a full length novel. Even if the Whedon’s couldn’t be bothered to write it themselves, they could at least have just dumped all their notes onto a really good writer and let them have at it.
Shepherd’s back story deserved much better than this.
Joss’ Page Zack’s Page
#scifi #zackwhedon #josswhedon
With a Golden Risha — P. Djèlí Clark
Available in the periodical, Heroic Fantasy Quarterly — Issue 23.
To begin, a risha is to an Arabian oud as a plectrum is to a guitar. If you want to know more you can read all about ouds and rishas by clicking here.
So, with that out of the way, let’s get to a review.
Great book. This is early Djèlí introducing steampunk elements into his fantasy. Our story begins with our oud player, Saleh, getting rescued by a philosopher pirate (captain who’s not a captain), Usman, and the rest of the crew of the airship The Beggar. Then we’re off on a 537-kindle-loc-point adventure to find treasure, amongst which is a magical golden risha with which Saleh gets to play his oud.
I really enjoyed this book and hopefully, one fine day in the future, Djèlí might even sit down and write some more stories with Saleh and Usman. There’s got to be some great stories to be told about a philosopher pirate captain and his side-kick minstrel oud player.
And so, next up in my Djèlí reading list will be The Things My Mother Left Me
P. Djèlí Clark’s Page
#fantasy #steampunk #pdjeliclark
Angels of Ashes — Alastair Reynolds
You’ll find this in the collection, Zima Blue and Other Stories.
It’s one of those sci-fi stories that goes on about quantum babble and how there’s a universe for every possible outcome of every possible situation. To be honest, i think this theory is no different than the theory of god, both total nonsense made up by people who really don’t understand Nature and how it works.
Then Alastair has our protagonists in this book starting a war over whether god is right or quantum babble is right — which is just silly when all intelligent people already know that they’re both utter nonsense, which i hope is the point that Alastair is making in this story? Although, thinking about it, he has wrote some other really bizarre stuff that makes no sense in other books, like the sheep in Inhibitor Phase; so maybe Alastair really is a die-hard quantum babble-ist and thinks that quantum babble-ists everywhere should rise up and start a war against the god grovellers? Who knows the true thoughts of fiction writers?
But, whatever, have a read, it’s a fairly good story.
Coming next in the Alastair Reynolds reading list, from the year 2000, will be Merlin’s Gun.
Bye for now.
Alastair’s Page
#scifi #alastairreynolds
What the Sea Wants — P. Djèlí Clark
Available in Daily Science Fiction – Oct 2012.
This one fits in my Mermaids, Selkies, Sirens and Other Mythical Sea Folk collection.
Although it’s a very short short-story, it’s still a good modern fairy tale about one of those “Other Mythical Sea Folk”.
Beware the sea!
Next up in my Djèlí reading list is With a Golden Risha.
P. Djèlí Clark’s Page
#fantasy #pdjeliclark
Viper — Alastair Reynolds
You’ll find this in the collection, Deep Navigation.
Super good idea on how we might test future prisoners as to whether or not they’re suitable for parole.
Although we have to be sure that those doing the testing can’t be allowed to fiddle with the test — don’t we?
Enjoyable.
Next in the timeline from Alastair, it’s Angels of Ashes, from 1999.
Bye for now.
Alastair’s Page
#scifi #alastairreynolds
Fantasy Pick — P. Djèlí Clark
Available in Every Day Fiction – Aug 2012.
A good, little, short story which wasn’t the kind of “fantasy pick” i was expecting from Djèlí.
The “fantasy pick” of the title is about sport stars, the GOATs, those greats that we love to stand upon pedestals to cheer and worship, what we expect of them and at what cost. It also raises some questions as to modern medicine and at what point that will be considered performance enhancing and how far the fans are willing to put up with this. Will the fans even care about the player’s overall welfare and what it ultimately costs them as long as they are getting entertained?
At least that’s what i got out of it. Good stuff.
Next in my P. Djèlí Clark reading adventure will be What the Sea Wants.
P. Djèlí Clark’s Page
#fantasy #pdjeliclark
On the Oodnadatta — Alastair Reynolds
You’ll find this in the collection, Deep Navigation.
A rather enjoyable short story, and a definite must read for any weirdos out there who are considering cryonics.
You never know who is going to end up buying out the corporation you originally contracted with, and once you’re frozen you won’t get any further say whatsoever as to what level those contracts will be honoured. Maybe your new corporate owners will find a better use for your frozen bits in 20 or 30 years time.
Cremation is much cheaper and you know you’ll only be good for plant fertiliser afterwards.
Next up in Alastair’s writings will be Viper, a short story from 1999.
Bye for now.
Alastair’s Page
#scifi #alastairreynolds
Wings for Icarus — P. Djèlí Clark
Available in Daily Science Fiction – Apr 2011.
Extremely short, and definitely not the most imaginative piece of writing from Djèlí: he has most certainly come a very long way since writing this.
Not sure why it’s in Daily Science Fiction.
P. Djèlí Clark’s Page
#fantasy #pdjeliclark
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