Asimov has become known as one of the greats of science fiction literature for decades. His catalogue is vast, and his awards collection equally so. He had a reputation for writing "hard" SFF, which always made me feel a little uneasy about starting his books, as someone who is not always super comfortable with hard SFF.
I stumbled across The Island of Dr Moreau by H.G. Wells and thought it was wonderfully chilling. I never got around to reading The Time Machine, however, and given as lockdown has presented me with a lot more reading time than anticipated, I thought I'd seize the opportunity.
My dad and I didn't generally overlap on our reading tastes very often. He was always disappointed I couldn't get through Lord of the Rings, while I was shocked at his distaste for "that Pratchett man". There were a handful that we shared. The Incredible Journey was one, and Lord of Light was another.
Author: Laura Lam (website / twitter) and Elizabeth May (website / twitter) UK Publisher: Gollancz Genre: Science fiction, space opera When Eris faked her death, she thought she had left her old life as the heir to the galaxy's most ruthless empire behind. But her recruitment by the Novantaen Resistance, an organization opposed to the … Continue reading REVIEW: Seven Devils – Laura Lam and Elizabeth May
Author: Sarah Archer (website / twitter) UK Publisher: HarperCollins Genre: Science fiction, romcom In the US, this book is titled The Plus One. Dating is hard. Being dateless at your perfect sister's wedding is harder. Meet Kelly. A brilliant but socially awkward robotics engineer desperately seeking a wedding date… Meet Ethan. Intelligent, gorgeous, brings out the … Continue reading REVIEW: How to Build a Boyfriend from Scratch – Sarah Archer
Author: Laura Lam (website/ twitter) UK Publisher: Wildfire Books Genre: Science fiction, thriller Ravaged by environmental disaster, greed and oppression, our planet is in crisis. The future of humanity hangs in the balance - and one woman can tip it over. Despite increasing restrictions on the freedoms of women on Earth, Valerie Black is spearheading … Continue reading REVIEW: Goldilocks – Laura Lam
Author: Christina Dalcher (website / twitter) UK Publisher: HQ Genre: Dystopic fiction, feminist fiction See Also: Vox In the US, this book is titled Masterclass. Elena Fairchild is a teacher at one of the state’s new elite schools. Her daughters are exactly like her: beautiful, ambitious, and perfect. A good thing, since the recent mandate that’s swept … Continue reading REVIEW: Q – Christina Dalcher
Authors: Amie Kaufman (website / twitter) and Jay Kristoff (website / twitter) UK Publisher: Rock the Boat Genre: Science fiction, YA The year is 2380, and the graduating cadets of Aurora Academy are being assigned their first missions. Star pupil Tyler Jones is ready to recruit the squad of his dreams, but his own boneheaded … Continue reading REVIEW: Aurora Rising (Aurora Cycle #1) – Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
Author: Catherynne M. Valente (website / twitter) UK Publisher: Corsair Genre: Sci-fi, humour, EUROVISION IN SPACE EVERYONE CAN HEAR YOU SING A century ago, the Sentience Wars tore the galaxy apart and nearly ended the entire concept of intelligent space-faring life. In the aftermath, a curious tradition was invented-something to cheer up everyone who was … Continue reading REVIEW: Space Opera – Catherynne M. Valente
August! This year seems to be flashing by so quickly, but I have to say I have been enjoying the nice weather. More time to sit in the garden and read my books. Have you had any good books set aside for the summer? Or are you saving them up for holiday reading? REVIEWS Legend … Continue reading BLOG: June and July Round-Up
