In the authors note at the very beginning Nina Allan talks about her journey as a writer, and about the stories that are within the book. She lets you know that the first three are very early stories, and that she has mostly left the stories untouched, except for some minor edits and clean up. The first three stories are definitely different to the rest, they show huge potential and give you a lot less answers than the rest of the stories. They’re ones that leave you wondering just what was going on, and to be honest it wasn’t my favourite. However, where they really shone was to show just how much Allan’s writing has grown and developed over the years.
Review: Dare to Know by James Kennedy
James Kennedy has crafted a premise and a novel that starts in one place, and ends up somewhere completely and utterly different. It only takes 300 pages but it works perfectly and at no point does it feel rushed, or like anything is missing. We follow our narrator in across almost his entire life. Intertwined with the present day parts are bits and pieces from his past. It ranges from Physics camp with his new best friend, days out with his ex-girlfriend and affairs while he travels. Every moment is important, every moment somehow leads into that ending. You get something entirely different to what the blurb promises, but in the best possible way.
Review: The Black Locomotive by Rian Hughes
This is a book about architecture, technology, and what feels like a healthy dose of believable conspiracy theory. Trust me it works so well, I stayed up well into the night to finish this book as I just couldn’t stop reading. There was a point in the book where parts just felt like they could be completely real and true and I found myself thinking that I wouldn’t be surprised if this turned out to actually be a real thing.
Review: Legacy of the Brightwash (Tainted Dominion #1) by Krystle Matar
Legacy of the Brightwash takes you on a journey, the characters you meet at the start of the book go through huge emotional and moral changes throughout the course of the novel. It is such an amazing thing to read. Krystle Matar has managed to craft and develop so much in the course of just one book.
Review: The Book of the Baku by R. L. Boyle
The Book of the Baku follows Sean, a teenager who has been through something so traumatic that he is mute. We follow his story both in the present day and in the past as he tries to stop what is happening to him and his Grandad. While dialogue is minimal in the book (after all Sean is mute for most of it) there’s still this real feeling of connection. From the moment Sean picks up The Book of the Baku his whole world starts to turn upside down and slowly things get creepier and creepier. The relationship between Sean and his Grandad goes through several different stages and while they may only have met each other I found myself really rooting for them both.
Review: Fermi’s Progress: Descartesmageddon (Fermi’s Progress #2) by Chris Farnell
The story of Descartesmageddon lies in a zombie tale. The aliens on this planet are living through their own version of a zombie apocalypse, complete with barricaded safe hubs, zombies that are attracted to noise and roam at night, and the idea that you’re never quite safe. There’s also a philosophical element here about what makes someone human, as it isn’t quite the zombie plague you expect.
SPSFC Kick-Off with the FanFiAddict Team
We’re getting close to the start of the first ever Self-Published Science Fiction Competition aka. SPSFC we thought it would be a good time to introduce the FanFiAddict reviewer team! We’re thrilled to be a part of the inaugural competition and get our teeth into some self-published Sci-Fi!
Review: Fermi’s Progress: Dyson’s Fear (Fermi’s Progress #1) by Chris Farnell
Dyson’s Fear puts us on a brand new planet. A strange, inexplicable place brimming with intelligent life, and a city that floats on the river (which I’m fascinated by). Complete with its own religion and philosophies Chris has a flair for creating new worlds that are rich in culture. Honestly I could read a whole series set on this planet and still want to know more!
Review: Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre by Max Brooks
I read World War Z years ago and completely fell in love with it. The writing style, the story, the way it’s told, I just loved it. So when I saw that Max Brooks was coming out with Devolution I was stoked. Big Foot isn’t necessarily my favourite folklore creature but it’s also something I don’t come across often, so I was intrigued to see where this would go.
Review: The Book of Accidents by Chuck Wendig
The Book of Accidents isn’t the horror story you think it is. It’s bigger and better, and you’ll actually be able to sleep at night. Wendig hasn’t set out to scare you or give you nightmares. Instead he has crafted a sweeping epic that captures you and creeps you out. It’s impossible to put it down because you just want to know what happens next. It’s a masterclass in mixing genres with complex and intertwining stories that are all pulled together at the end. If you think you know where it is going, you’re probably wrong.
Review: Spec Ops Z by Gavin G. Smith
I generally tend to love zombie books because I’m such a huge fan of the genre. I am especially happy when it is more focussed on zombie/human conflict rather than the human/human conflict many books fall into. Therefore I was over the moon with Spec Ops Z. Not only is it very much about zombie/human conflict, and not only that, our main characters become zombies themselves. Thinking, intelligent zombies who hunger for human flesh but can control themselves. It’s a twist on a genre I love so much.
Review: The Gottingen Accident by James F. Mordechai
The Gottingen Accident is a novella that I absolutely flew through. Coming in at under 150 pages you get thrown into the action from page one.
Maths is not my strong suit, and it never has been. So starting a book that talks about Non-Euclidian Geometry had me a little worried, I had even googled the term before I started the book. Thankfully, you are in safe hands and I shouldn’t have worried at all. Over the course of the start of the book Mordechai finds ways to weave in the meaning, and demonstrates it without using overly-complicated explanations. Once you get to the weirder portions of the book you’ll be going right along with it. For me, I ended up picturing the Oldest House from Control (the super crazy sections) but with way less sharp edges.