Tag Archives: Science Fiction

Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: Aurora Rising
Author: Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
Series: Aurora Cycle #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Science fiction, Space, Young adult
Pace: Fast
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2019

Thoughts

I just can’t even with this story, in the best way possible. I forget just how much I love Kaufman and Kristoff as a writing duo, and reading this was just a great reminder of why that is the case. They are the most amazing writing duo and I can never put their books down. Aurora Rising was no different – but, unlike the Illuminae Files, I had the most trashed heart after this book ended. In fact, I kept repeating that “this book ruined me” and drove my partner a little bit nuts. Without giving spoilers, there was a fair amount of heartbreaking activity in this.

I really enjoy well-written stories with an ensemble cast, and Kaufman and Kristoff manage to pull this off seamlessly. I love that each character has a really distinct voice, so that even if the chapters didn’t start with the name of the character you are currently following, you’d probably be able to guess within a few paragraphs. The diversity and strength of their characters made me fall in love even more with this story, and also made that point of heartbreak even more potent and harmful. Because I fell in love with each and every member of this unlikely band of heroes.

Opening this, I was expecting a bit more of the style of the Illuminae Files, I thought that there would be a multitude of moments throughout which had the graphic appeal of the first Kaufman / Kristoff series that I read. Instead, it was pretty much entirely prose, with very little of the structure of the previous books. Although I loved that in the past, I really wasn’t disappointed. Again, the language, the style, and the journey were represented perfectly within this structure and made me smile again and again and again throughout. So much love for not just the story and the voices, but the style of writing in this.

Aurora Rising is a story about outcasts, Found Family, heists and so many damn conspiracies. There was nothing predictable about any of the storyline, and this is part of what made it completely impossible to put down. I loved every moment of this story, and I can’t wait to read Aurora Burning. There are so many loose threads just flapping in the wind. Aurora Rising was about discovering the battle ahead, and bonding as a team in their outcast bunch. But now I can’t wait to see where the universe will take them next.

<- More Amie KaufmanAurora Burning ->

Image source: Pages of Julia

Bloodchild by Octavia E. Butler

Book Review, ,
Overview

Title: Bloodchild
Author: Octavia E. Butler
Rating Out of 5: 3 (On the fence about this one)
My Bookshelves: Horror, Science fiction
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novella
Year: 1984

Thoughts

Bloodchild was a seriously uncomfortable and awkward science fiction story. It made me seriously uncomfortable, but yet, I actually really enjoyed it at the same time. Something about this majorly uncomfortable story called to me, something about it made me not want to stop reading. Even while I was feeling really quite icky about the whole thing.

I found it really interesting the afterword by Butler at the end of this novella. All of my preconceptions that I developed during reading this were shattered. Where is thought of this as a bit of a coming of age tale, and a story that was about the imbalance of power, particularly within age-gap relationships. Butler stated that this was a bit of a love story. I just… still can’t get my head around that approach. But I loved learning the difference in perceptions and thinking deeply upon this.

There were so many nuances within this short novella. It might not have been my favourite story to read, but it definitely makes me intrigued to potentially read more of Butler’s stories in the future – it was just so wondrously layered and unexpected…

<- More horrorMore science fiction ->

Image source: Moonshake Books

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Author: Douglas Adams
Series: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Humour, Science fiction, Space
Pace: Fast
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 1979

Thoughts

Wow can I understand the hype surrounding The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy now. There is something so witty and hilarious about this entire story, and from the very first sentence, I really didn’t want to put it down. Sometimes books that I find have a whole lot of hype surrounding them (I’m looking at you Wuthering Heights) are just kind of crappy or a seriously major let down. That is so many levels of not the case with The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. It well deserves its reputation and now I’m just sad that I’ve only introduced it into my life in my thirties… teenage me would’ve completely run with this story and become suitably obsessed.

There is something beautifully poetic and lyrical about Adams’ turn of phrase throughout this. Honestly, without even thinking beyond the surface of the words, it was incredibly easy to get swept away. But then, you start to really think about the many different layers of meaning. There were some moments and sentences throughout that I read multiple times. Partly because they were well written and enjoyable to taste with my literary tongue. But also because every time I read the sentence, something new would come up for me.

Probably one of my favourite things about The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is the pure randomness of the entire story. It starts with the earth getting destroyed and a few drinks down at the pub. And then it meanders through to the Answer and there’s all sorts of shenanigans and nonsense along the way. Honestly, if I had to give a synopsis for the story and explain what actually happens in this book, it would be just as meandering and nonsensical as the story. Which is exactly how it should be. A wonderfully joyous and hilarious adventure that I will most definitely repeat again in the future.

All in all, what I took most as the theme and message of this novel was the absurdity of humanity. We are so damn self-involved and fixated on our own journeys that sometimes we forget that other species, people, things exist and have their own emotional lives too. And, as such, it’s possible that we are not actually the most intelligent animals on the planet, or indeed, in the universe. Our presumptiveness (whether as an individual or a species) could very well be our undoing. Something that we should probably be reminded of more often than not.

<- Young Zaphod Plays it SafeThe Restaurant at the End of the Universe ->

Image source: PanMacMillan

Long Live the Giant by Isobelle Carmody

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for green monkey dreams isobelle carmody book cover

Title: Long Live the Giant
Author: Isobelle Carmody
In: Green Monkey Dreams (Isobelle Carmody)
Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this)
My Bookshelves: Death, Science fiction
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Year: 1996

Thoughts

I love that this is a short story about death and truth, a great twist on creationist myths. The how and why of our creation. It starts with someone who is elderly and has a whole heap of stories to tell. Then continues to their past and the decisions that led her here. At least, I think the narrator was female. That wasn’t really the stand out point of the character – their gender, it was all of the reflections on a life well lived and the many stories that led to this point.

There is always that idea that the bright points of life are made all that much brighter because of the darkness. I loved that this short story took that theme and ran with it. That it was about creators who created humanity and made them mortal. That this wasn’t quite the tragedy and disservice that it’s purported to be. It’s a reminder that even though we die and there are so many sucky parts to life, it makes the life that we do live all that much sweeter.

Having recently lost someone very close to me, and then reading this short story. It made me think a lot about life, death and the lives that we live. A bit of reflection and self-examination that I found intriguing.

<- The PhoenixThe Pumpkin Eater ->

Image source: Allen & Unwin

Brave New World by Aldoux Huxley

Book Review, ,
Overview

Title: Brave New World
Author: Aldous Huxley
Rating Out of 5: 2.5 (Readable, but not worth reading again)
My Bookshelves: Classics, Science fiction
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 1932

Thoughts

I can completely understand why this is a classic – it is kind of brilliantly constructed and thought through. However, I wasn’t a huge fan. I found this a little bit too chaotic and meandering. I found it quite hard to concentrate on what was happening. And whilst I enjoyed the general gist, I just couldn’t get into it. Plus, I’m at a point that I just want a feel good story in my life at this point – there is just too much chaos and drama in my day to day.

The idea of science ruling the world and what this can lead to is incredibly potent. Even now, decades after this was written, the issue remains the same. There is no one formula to happiness, but in using science to try and make it so, there is a whole lot of controlling going on. The scenes with the classical conditioning made me cry. They were so uncomfortable and harsh. The cruelties of science and experimentation are pretty clear when they are set up against humans and children.

All in all, this was a book that was interesting and worth a read. But, it wasn’t one that I am incredibly keen on reading again. A lot more classics to fill my shelves. But I’m glad that I dived into this story and gave it a good shot.

<- More classicsMore science fiction ->

Image source: Elephant Bookstore

How to Get a Girlfriend (When You’re a Terrifying Monster) by Marie Cardno

Book Review, , ,
Overview

Title: How to Get a Girlfriend (When You’re a Terrifying Monster)
Author: Marie Cardno
Series: Monster Girlfriend #1
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Humour, LGBTQI, Science fiction
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2022

Thoughts

Weirdly enough, I spent the entirety of this story trying to figure out if I liked this story or not. It wasn’t quite what I expected, and thus, I didn’t necessarily feel like I was confident in my feelings. And, even when writing this and reflecting on How to Get a Girlfriend (When You’re a Terrifying Monster), I have odd feelings. Overall, I really enjoyed this story and I will read more by Cardno. But, honestly, it was nothing like what I had anticipated.

How to Get a Girlfriend (When You’re a Terrifying Monster) was a very cute and sweet sapphic romance at it’s core. Even if it’s a romance between a witch and a monster. Who is not really humanoid in shape at all. Not normally the kind of romance that I get into. But the satire throughout this kind of made it, less, cringey I suppose. Honestly, the whole idea of wanting to “fuck her research” was kind of hilarious. And I love how blunt that approach is.

The description of different worlds in this novella was great. We have one world which is loosely based on earth, just with an urban fantasy / paranormal fantasy bent. And then there’s the Endless. That’s just a world filled with pure insanity and a moving world. It’s incredibly easy to picture these different worlds with different rule sets. The fact that Sina and Trillian find themselves transversing both realities to head towards their happily ever after… priceless.

How to Get a Girlfriend (When You’re a Terrifying Monster) is a bizarre, unique and fun little novella. It was nothing like what I was anticipating, but I actually kind of loved that. I may not have found this impossible to put down, but I did find it impossible to forget.

<- More Marie CardnoHow to Get a ate with the Evil Queen ->

Image source: Goodreads

God Mode by Daniel H. Wilson

Book Review, ,
Overview

Title: God Mode
Author: Daniel H. Wilson
In: Press Start to Play (Daniel H. Wilson & John Jospeh Adams)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Science fiction
Pace: Fast
Format: eBook, Short story
Year: 2015

Thoughts

I’m really not sure whether this story was about reality or a video game. It was such a trippy and confusing story, and I absolutely loved that. It did mean that I wasn’t 100% aware of what was going on and where reality was. And sometimes I didn’t completely follow the flow. Yet, I didn’t find that to be a negative, rather it made me really enjoy this story.

Something about this story gave me a really disjointed feeling, and it worked really well in highlighting the blurring between reality and video games. I mean, there’s the whole theory that we’re all just a part of the Matrix, and this kind of fit into that whole theme. I love that it centres on a couple who ultimately become all that is remembered / left of the world. It highlights the ambiguity of reality and just how foggy this concept actually is.

This short story is beautifully written and brilliantly executed. I absolutely adored the writing and will most definitely reread this many times. There is something mesmerising about these words, plus I love any short story that makes me think.

<- Press Start to PlayNPC ->

Image source: Goodreads

Apex Jump by David J. Schwartz

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: Apex Jump
Author: David J. Schwartz
In: Glitter and Mayhem (Amber Benson)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: LGBTQI, Science fiction, Space
Pace: Fast
Format: eBook, Short story
Year: 2013

Thoughts

Roller Derby, whilst something I’ve never seen (or tried), is something that I am completely intrigued by. Which means that the idea of Roller Derby in space just makes me all that much more intrigued. Honestly, Roller Derby in space is a fantastic idea that I absolutely loved, and the way that Schwartz executed this, completely brilliant!

This would have been an amazing story regardless of who the narrator was, but the fact that they are a trans woman and keep alluding to a painful past? Somehow that just made it all that much better. Plus, the narrator was brilliantly able to explain the dynamics of her team and how much they all love each other, even if they’re not perfect. I also love how there are multiple (in the double digits) gender groupings for the aliens. It just serves as a great reminder of how narrow-minded our culture is about gender.

This short story felt like a snippet in time and just a beautiful moment in somebody else’s life. And I really like that I got to visit this. It had such a positive and joyful feeling to it. One that involved Roller Derby and a fun trip to space. I absolutely loved this story and found it a joyful journey into an unimaginably creative world.

<- Sister TwelveWith Her Hundred Miles to Hell ->

Image source: Amazon

Steel Skin by Lori M. Lee

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: Steel Skin
Author: Lori M. Lee
In: A Thousand Beginnings and Endings (Ellen Oh & Elsie Chapman)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Mythology, Retellings, Science fiction
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Short story
Year: 2018

Thoughts

This was a wonderful story that started off feeling like it was entirely contemporary, but turned into a bit of a SciFi. At the beginning of this short story, the idea of a cyborg infiltrating the girl’s home seemed kind of far fetched. And, honestly, a way for her to deal with the grief of losing her mother. However, as the story unfolded, it seemed closer and closer to the truth. And in uncovering this truth, so many existential questions and thoughts were raised. I’ll probably reread this short story multiple times, coming up with a new meaning behind the fantastic words.

Every new paragraph in this story offered up a new surprise, and, mostly I found them quite enjoyable. Alright, not every one was a positive surprise, but they most definitely were all enjoyable. I kind of loved how each moment unfolded a new twist. And, honestly, even if I reread this, I probably wouldn’t be able to predict what would happen next. The ending of this was, thus, completely unexpected, but fantastic. I just didn’t expect that kind of solidarity and loyalty if I’m being honest. It was such a pleasant surprise.

At the core of this story, there are a lot of questions about how we process emotions and what actually makes a human. I spent this entire story wondering what is normal and what isn’t in the emotional spectrum. And, as with this story, how could you program something to feel in the way that humans do? I mean, were pretty insane and illogical, so it’s definitely a legitimate question. One that will genuinely keep me up at night if I let it.

<- Olivia’s TableStill Star-Crossed ->

Image source: Amazon

Free-Wrench by Joseph R. Lallo

Book Review, , ,
Overview

Title: Free-Wrench
Author: Joseph R. Lallo
Rating Out of 5: 3 (On the fence about this one)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal fantasy, Science fiction, Steampunk
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2014

Thoughts

This was a really enjoyable story, but not a series or author that I’ll be reading further. I definitely enjoyed my foray into Lallo’s world, but I wasn’t supremely attached to it. Plus, for me, this worked kind of well as a standalone – there were no major cliff-hangers and answers that I needed at the conclusion of this story.

One of the things I loved the most about this story was that it is a space pirate story filled with hijinks and insanity. Mostly I just enjoyed the random insanity of those flying through the skies as they try and survive raiders and robbers. Plus, just pure insanity and hijinks.

Nita is a really fun and engaging lead, and I love that she’s admittedly impulsive but also incredibly intelligent. Unlike some books, there is little commentary on her looks, and a focus on her privilege and smarts. Actually, there is little physical description throughout, more of a focus on characters and plot line. Which I enjoyed thoroughly.

<- More science fictionMore steampunk ->

Image source: Goodreads