In the canon of modern space opera, Gareth L. Powell has stood out as one of the genre’s most accessible stalwarts. His work is consistently engaging and continues to improve book after book. With his latest novel, Stars and Bones, Powell kicks off a brand-new space opera series with a bang. Not only was this book a pure joy to read, gripping me from the get-go and never letting up until the final page, it was also full of relatable characters, clever humor and the relentless optimism of the human spirit. This book is unputdownable, popcorn sci-fi that explores big ideas with an equally big heart.
SFF Addicts Ep. 13: Space Ooopera (with Adrian Tchaikovsky, J. S. Dewes & Jonathan Nevair)
Join host Adrian M. Gibson and authors Adrian Tchaikovsky, J. S. Dewes and Jonathan Nevair as they explore the wonders of space opera in a galaxy far, far away. During the panel they discuss the (often confusing) fundamentals and origins of space opera, aliens vs. the human experience, the shifting perspectives of the genre, subversion of outdated genre conventions, mythology and history as a framework for modern sci-fi stories and much more.
Review: 36 Streets by T. R. Napper
T. R. Napper’s debut novel 36 Streets is a rich, multi-layered thrill ride. On one hand, it delivers a slick, neon-soaked cyberpunk narrative, with a gruff anti-hero protagonist, tense action and near-future tech. But on the other, it’s a surprisingly thoughtful story, with nuanced explorations of family, identity and memory in the face of immense tragedy. Pair that with the living trauma of its Vietnamese setting (specifically its capital city Hanoi) and the result is a potent mix of futurism and the human condition.
Review: Hummingbird Salamander by Jeff VanderMeer
I’m a massive Jeff VanderMeer fan. His Southern Reach trilogy is one of my all-time favorite series, as are his Ambergris novels. That said, he’s not for everyone. I know that—I accept that. His brand of “new weird” can be pretty far-out a lot of the time, especially when he veers into a more literary writing style. So, when I heard of Hummingbird Salamander, I was surprised that he was leaning more mainstream with this near-future eco-thriller. I couldn’t help but think, how this was going to straddle the line between his longtime fans and those who were new to his work and/or intimidated by it? And the result? VanderMeer does manage to straddle that line effectively, telling an overall great story with a few hiccups and stumbles along the way.
Author Chat: T. R. Napper
Join FanFiAddict’s Adrian M. Gibson and award-winning author T. R. Napper for a chat about the birth and progression of the cyberpunk genre, punk aesthetics, Vietnamese history, Southeast Asia as a setting, memory and PTSD, immigration and identity, his short story collection Neon Leviathan, his new debut novel 36 Streets and much more.
Review: The Bone Shard Emperor (The Drowning Empire #2) by Andrea Stewart
hooked. The vibrant world, imagining an empire of seasonal, migrating islands, and the relatable cast of characters had me fully invested to the end. But it was the richness of her prose and worldbuilding, and the gut-punch weight of the book’s many twists that left me aching for more.
Thankfully, Stewart’s sophomore effort and the sequel to The Bone Shard Daughter does not disappoint. In fact, The Bone Shard Emperor swiftly ups the ante, dealing with the fallout of its predecessor and building political and emotional pressure in captivating ways. With morally grey characters (in a morally grey world) that I can truly root for and a world with a deep, mysterious history I want to know more about, The Drowning Empire series just keeps getting better.
SFF Addicts TV Club: The Wheel of Time S01 Review
Welcome to another TV Club bonus episode! Join host Adrian M. Gibson and guests P. Djèlí Clark, Patricia A. Jackson, Sara Carothers (Fictions Fans podcast) and Benjamin (Literature & Lofi), as they discuss and review season one of The Wheel of Time, the new TV adaptation of the fantasy book series by Robert Jordan. During the panel they discuss and critique the on-screen portrayals of their favorite Wheel of Time characters, analyze the overarching narratives of the show and its many changes, explore its flaws and successes, share their hopes for the next season and much more.
SFF Addicts Ep. 12: SFF Cover Art & Design (with Daniel Dociu, Alyssa Winans, Felix Ortiz, Priscilla Kim & Luke Tarzian)
Join host Adrian M. Gibson and sci-fi and fantasy cover artists Daniel Dociu, Alyssa Winans, Felix Ortiz and Priscilla Kim, as well as self-pub author and cover artist/designer Luke Tarzian, as they delve into the visual side of the books we read and love. Do you ever judge a book by its cover? During the panel, they discuss commissions and the step-by-step of a cover art project, working with publishers, artistic mediums, tattoos, the video game industry vs. publishing, book design and typography, promoting yourself as a cover artist and much more.
SFF Addicts Ep. 11: What We’re Excited to Read in 2022 (with Fiction Fans)
Join host Adrian M. Gibson and Fiction Fans podcast co-hosts Sara Carothers and Lilly Ellison, along with FanFiAddict’s Connor M. Caplan and Arun (aka Bender), for our last episode of 2021. This time, we’re looking ahead to 2022 to discuss the books that we’re excited to read in the coming year (whether it’s a published book that’s already on our TBR lists or something new that is being released in 2022), as well as what we’d like to see more of in the SFF sphere in the future. We also delve a bit into the past and think back on our reading habits and more.
SFF Addicts Ep. 10: Our Favorite Reads of 2021
Join host Adrian M. Gibson and FanFiAddict’s David Walters, Tori Gross, Eleni Argyró, Connor M. Caplan and Arun (aka Bender) for our final FanFiAddict family panel of the year. During the episode, we reflect on the past year and share some of our favorite sci-fi, fantasy and horror books that we read throughout 2021. It was a great time, full of lots of jokes and gushing about the authors and books we adore, and we hope that you come out of it with a bunch of books to add to your TBR.
Author Chat: Fonda Lee
Join FanFiAddict’s Adrian M. Gibson and author Fonda Lee for a chat about The Godfather, Dune and Hong Kong action films, her early career, what she’s learned from publishing books, martial arts, building a fictional world from scratch, writing compelling and complex characters, the release of Jade Legacy, saying goodbye to The Green Bone Saga series and much more.
SFF Addicts Ep. 9: Detectives & Noir in SFF (with Dan Stout, Patricia A. Jackson & Dale Lucas)
Join host Adrian M. Gibson and authors Dan Stout, Patricia A. Jackson and Dale Lucas for a chat about detectives and noir in science fiction and fantasy. During the panel, they discuss noir, detectives, police procedurals and blending genres, what those genres can offer in terms of setting, characters and narrative, incorporating noir into fictional worlds, using real world influences to enhance stories, noir tropes and much, much more.