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Category: review

Hold Fast Through the Fire — K. B. Wagers

I was looking forward to reading this 2nd book in the NEO-G universe. Set about 400 years in the future after an unspecified calamity, this series follows the Near Earth Orbital Guard, Coast Guard in space, on their various adventures. K. B. is a non-binary author and their book has a host of various trans, and non-binary characters, as well as a loving and affectionate team of spacefarers. I was a little concerned that all…

All Systems Red — Martha Wells

This book has been on my TBR pile since my first Flights of Foundry con; it seemed like every panelist was recommending the book. I finally purchased it a few months ago and I was in the mood for a shorter, quicker read after all the space opera epics I’ve been reading. Wow, it was a lot of fun and i am so happy that there are apparently 5 more novellas and 2 more novels…

Hunters/Sandworms of Dune — Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson

Well, I have finally finished the Dune books. I will not be the first to note that the last two books which finish of the original series started by Frank Herbert lack the depth, clarity, and precision of the original Dune. Chapterhouse ended on a cliffhanger with a very strange vision of an old couple, and for years, that was just how the series ended. But apparently Frank left an outline in a safe deposit…

Creating Short Fiction — Damon Knight

This is one of the best craft books I’ve read. It covers everything from what makes a good story to how to learn about your characters to what to do when you get stuck. It isn’t as technical as some more focused books I’ve read, but his down to earth style resonated with me and the exercises he suggests are something I will be considering as I move forward with my next round of stories.…

Binti The Night Masquerade — Nnedi Okorafor

Of the three books in the Binti series, I definitely liked this one the best, but like the other two books, I struggled to really follow the plot and find meaning in the story. Admittedly, this is not my typical read, and I am pushing myself to read outside my normal space opera (aliens and spaceships) books. And this series did have aliens and spaceships (sentient spaceships even!) but most of the story takes place…

Binti Home — Nnedi Okorafor

This is the sequel to Binti, which i read long enough ago that I only remembered vaguely what it was about so I did a little research on the in-tar-webz to remind myself of that story. In this story, Binti has completed a year at the big galactic university, the first of her people to be admitted. She is making a journey home in order to do a pilgrimage in her ancestral lands, and travels…

Heretics of Dune and Chapterhouse Dune — Frank Herbert

I read Heretics in September and October, and Chapterhouse in October and finished it yesterday. Heretics was not a thrilling read for me and I was not looking forward to slogging my way through Chapterhouse, but I am really glad I did. That book really held my attention and I have very little memory of it from when I read it probably 20 years ago now. This book series concludes on a cliffhanger and I…

God Emperor of Dune — Frank Herbert

I had a dim memory of reading this book. Like I’ve said in some of my recent posts, I have read the first 3 books at least twice but the second 3 only once. I had a vague memory of the major plot and what happened at the end, which was confirmed when I accidentally wikipedia-spoiled the ending for myself. In this post I want to focus on 2 things: foreshadowing, and homophobia. Quick summary:…

Island of the Blue Dolphins — Scott O’Dell

My first non SF review… although this is technically a speculative fiction book… very little was known about the protagonist of the story except that she really existed. O’Dell created a story of her life, her survival, and her ”rescue” by the Spanish Missionaries in the 1600s. This is a fairly classic young adult book. I remember seeing it in my Jr High classroom, but I never read it… too hooked on space opera and…