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.
Science Fiction
The Shattered Skies (The Cruel Stars #2) by John Birmingham
The Sturm have been pushed back, but not defeated, their larger forces still roam the Volume; despite the efforts of McLellan and Herodotus and the rest of our cast, their threat isn’t gone – and this sequel treats us to a whole lot more of what the first did. If epic space battles and advanced tech are your thing, or you’ve read the Expanse and want more spaceships and AI, this is a series that should shoot to the top of your TBR.
Review: Mickey7 by Edward Ashton
Synopsis Dying isn’t any fun… but at least it’s a living. Mickey7 is an Expendable: a disposable employee on a human expedition sent to colonise the ice world of Niflheim. Whenever there’s a mission that’s too dangerous – even suicidal – the crew turns to Mickey. After one iteration dies, a new body is regenerated […]
Review: Scarecrow Has A Gun by Michael Paul Kozlowsky
Synopsis Never trust other people’s memories, and watch out for your own. Sean Whittlesea was there when his wife was murdered. He saw the light leave her eyes. He held her dead body in his arms. He knows he wept, but he cannot recollect a single other detail. Tormented by the tragedy, Sean relives the […]
Review: The Light Years by R.W.W. Greene
An Amazon ‘Editor’s Pick’ for Best Science Fiction and Fantasy! Published by: Angry Robot Books (2020)400 pgsAudio: 7hs 38 minNarrators: Roisin Rankin, George Weightman Synopsis: A long-lost battleship and an arranged marriage may hold the key to faster-than-light travel and humanity’s future in R.W.W. Greene’s debut The Light Years Hisako Saski was born with her […]
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.
Review: Battle of the Linguist Mages by Scotto Moore
Published by: Tordotcom Jan 11 2022Length: 448 pgsAudiobook: 17 hrs and 14 minsNarrated by Justis Bolding Synopsis: “It reads like Snow Crash had a dance-off with Gideon the Ninth, in a world where language isn’t a virus from outer space, it’s a goddamn alien invasion.” —Charles StrossIsobel is the Queen of the medieval rave-themed VR […]
Review: Light Years From Home by Mike Chen
Light Years From Home is first and foremost a beautifully crafted family drama set within a world where aliens do exist and there is an intergalactic war happening in the vast reaches of space. This is for everyone wondering what happens to those we leave behind, especially those who are picking up the pieces.
Review: Road to Juneau by Liam Quane
Synopsis New York: two years after the Third World War. Humanity is rebuilding its cities brick by brick; the damage done to the people, however, is a lot harder to repair. Dan Hardacre is one of those people. An aspiring stage actor and experienced draft-dodger, Dan struggles to find his place within the Utopic rebuild […]
The Cruel Stars (The Cruel Stars #1) by John Birmingham
Combat Intellects, mechs with humans written from a source code, old family dynasties, more advanced tech than you can throw a stick at, and that’s just in the first chapter. It’s a smorgasbord of everything that’s cool about modern science fiction; it’s bonkers in all the right ways. It would definitely suit fans of explosive space battles in series like the Expanse and the body-switching, souls uploaded into chips, and other weird tech of Altered Carbon.
Review: Dead Silence by S.A. Barnes
Dead Silence is author S.A. Barnes’ lates release (and the first under that name, though the author has a whole portfolio of titles – mostly YA – under the name Stacey Kade). I thought this was a really good read, and it is exactly as billed: it’s the Titanic in space but also murdery with a touch of reality TV.
Review: Light Years from Home by Mike Chen
Light Years from Home is Mike Chen’s latest novel, and, in my opinion, it fits right in with the rest of the author’s portfolio. It is a sci-fi story written in Chen’s signature smooth style, with a narrative that includes family drama and alien technology, and a message full of hope. I definitely enjoyed this read.