My review: Goodreads keeps merging the stories into this magazine where they first appeared, hence I give up, and I will merge the reviews here.
Happily Ever After Comes Round by Sarah Rees Brennan.
A very dark retelling of the Hansel and Gretel fairytale, with really little hope (ok none). It is pretty much impossible to review without spoiling it, so I will just say it is a very interesting read, and I am looking forward to reading more by this author.
Score: 3.5 stars (I really liked it).
Loneliness Universe by Eugenia Triantafyllou.
On the surface the story is relatively simple: a young woman (Nefeli) is mysteriously unable to meet up in real life with the people close to her, even if they’re both in the same place at the same time. It all starts when she decides to meet up with her old friend Cara, and they both go to the same bus stop... but they cannot see each other. Nefeli is at the bus stop, but Cara isn’t there, while at the same time Cara is at the bus stop, but Nefeli isn’t there. They can text each other, but their phone calls won’t go through. One take offense, thinking the other has ghosted her. As the story progresses, Nefeli finds this happening to her with more and more people...
There is so much bubbling under the surface, it is such an interesting reflection of our lives, of spending less time with our friends, drifting apart, losing touch with all acquaintances, friends, and even family. How internet chats can have a role in keeping us connected.
This is a really great story, and I plan to nominate it for next year Hugo Awards.
Score: 5 stars (I loved it it).
Average Score: (★★★★)
Started: Jul 05 2024 Finished: Jul 06 2024

My review: Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Short Story category. I have never read anything by this author before, but he is quite famous in China and abroad, and I was looking forward to reading it.
This is a very entertaining and enjoyable short sci-fi story, set in a near future where people can "broadcast" their eating experience, i.e. transmit feelings of eating into someone else's brain. This is not a story that will trigger deep reflection or that will shake you to the core, but it is well written, and perfect for a beach vacation. I am looking forward to reading more by this author. (★★★)
Started: Jul 05 2024 Finished: Jul 05 2024

My review: Adventures in Space collects multiple short stories and novellas that I have read. Goodreads keeps merging them into this book so... I give up, and just merge the various reviews into one.
Life Does Not Allow Us to Meet by He Xi.
Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Novella category. I have never read anything by this author before, and I did not know what to expect.
The story was definitely interesting, but there were a couple of elements that really bothered me. One was the misunderstanding of how quantum entanglement works: quantum entanglement does not enable faster than light communication. Since the work reads a lot like a hard science fiction story, that misunderstanding really bugged me.
It is interesting to see how this story and Cixin Liu's The Dark Forest reflect on the risks of encountering other intelligent life in space. I have read a very small sample of Chinese Sci-Fi to make any generalization, but I start seeing some interesting pattern and differences when compared with Western sci-fi. I find this very interesting and intriguing, I need to read more!
Rating: 2 star (it's ok)
Seeds of Mercury by Wang Jinkang.
Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Novella category. I have never read anything by this author before, and I did not know what to expect.
The story is very enjoyable, fun to read, and very hard to put down. It is the story of a new life form, created by a scientist on Earth, looked after by her businessman nephew, and then taken to a place where it can evolve and thrive by a billionaire with severe deformities. And while at times you may think you may know where it is headed... expect to be surprised!
Rating: 4 star (I liked it a lot)
Answerless Journey by Han Song.
Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Short Story category. I have never read anything by this author before, and I did not know what to expect.
This is the story of two people stuck on a spaceship alone with a complete loss of memory. The solitude, the lack of memories, and the food scarcity brings forward some paranoia and distrust.
The story is enjoyable and interesting, I was a little disappointed about the ending (a little open to interpretation). I won't say more to avoid spoilers.
Rating: 3 star (I liked it)
Average Rating: (★★★)
Started: Jun 30 2024 Finished: Jul 04 2024

My review: This is a review for Signs of Life by Sarah Pinsker. I had previously read and liked stories by this author before, and I am pleased to say this story was remarkably good as well. It does have an interesting fantastic element, but the part that really shines here is the interesting relationship between the two main characters, two estranged sisters, that after a long hiatus, they meet again and try to mend things. The portrait of familiar ties, all the involved feelings, is done masterfully. I would not be surprised if this story ends up getting quite a few awards next year. (★★★★★)
Started: Jul 04 2024 Finished: Jul 04 2024

My review: Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Novelette category. I never read anything by this author before, and I was looking forward to remediating that.
I Am AI is set in a far future where humans have the opportunity to give up humanity for efficiency, mechanical invincibility, and to surpass human limitations through replacing part of their body and soul with robotic components instead. It's a dystopian world, where a few big corporations control almost everything and exploit everyone to death.
In this world, Ai, a poor writer saddled with the inherited debt from his dead family, tries to survive an increasingly harsh and competitive reality. In order to survive she gives away parts of herself, until what is next to give, is her very soul.
It's a great story, I can see why it was selected as a finalist for the Hugo awards. I am looking forward to reading more by this author. (★★★★)
Started: Jun 30 2024 Finished: Jun 30 2024

My review: Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Novel category. I had read and loved all the books every published by this author, including all the previous instalments of this series and... I was quite eager to read this one!
Even if you have not read the previous Imperial Radch books do not worry: it can be enjoyed as a stand alone story.
A mystery of a missing translator sets three lives on a collision course that will have a ripple effect across the stars. Qven was created to be a Presger translator. The pride of their Clade, they always had a clear path before them: learn human ways, and eventually, make a match and serve as an intermediary between the dangerous alien Presger and the human worlds. The realization that they might want something else isn't "optimal behavior". It's the type of behavior that results in elimination. But Qven rebels. And in doing so, their path collides with those of two others. Enae, a reluctant diplomat whose dead grandmaman has left hir an impossible task as an inheritance: hunting down a fugitive who has been missing for over 200 years. And Reet, an adopted mechanic who is increasingly desperate to learn about his genetic roots--or anything that might explain why he operates so differently from those around him. As a Conclave of the various species approaches, and the long-standing treaty between the humans and the Presger is on the line, the decisions of all three will have ripple effects across the stars.
Masterfully merging space adventure and mystery, Translation State is a poignant exploration about relationships and belonging, that I recommend to everyone. (★★★★★)
Started: Jun 16 2024 Finished: Jun 28 2024

My review: Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Novella category. Many years ago I read and enjoyed the Centenal Cycle series by this author, and I was looking forward reading again some good work by this author.
The official blurb defines this story quite accurately as a cozy Holmesian murder mystery and sapphic romance. On a remote, gas-wreathed outpost of a human colony on Jupiter, a man goes missing. The enigmatic Investigator Mossa follows his trail to Valdegeld, home to the colony’s erudite university—and Mossa's former girlfriend, a scholar of Earth's pre-collapse ecosystems. Pleiti has dedicated her research and her career to aiding the larger effort towards a possible return to Earth. When Mossa unexpectedly arrives and requests Pleiti's assistance in her latest investigation, the two of them embark on a twisting path in which the future of life on Earth is at stake—and, perhaps, their futures, together.
I am not a fan of murder mysteries, even when set on Jupiter, but I have to admit it's a well-written story, and I enjoyed reading it. I will probably read the sequels as well. (★★★★)
Started: May 25 2024 Finished: Jun 16 2024

My review: Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Novel category. I had read pretty much all the fiction books that this author has written so far, and I have consistently liked them. This was no exception.
This is the story of Charlie, a divorced former journalist now substitute teacher living with his cat in a house his siblings want to sell. All he wants is to open a pub downtown, if only the bank will approve his loan. Then his long-lost uncle Jake dies and leaves his supervillain business (complete with island volcano lair) to Charlie. But becoming a supervillain isn't all giant laser death rays and lava pits. Jake had enemies, and now they're coming after Charlie. His uncle might have been a stand-up, old-fashioned kind of villain, but these are the real thing: rich, soulless predators backed by multinational corporations and venture capital. It's up to Charlie to win the war his uncle started against a league of supervillains. But with unionized dolphins, hyperintelligent talking spy cats, and a terrifying henchperson at his side, going bad is starting to look pretty good.
it has been interesting to see the author evolve over time. I liked his early work as well as his current one, but he is finding particular success for the stories that make fun of the genre and its tropes: from Redshirts (star trek parody) to The Kaiju Preservation Society (kaiju genre parody) and now this book, that is a parody of the Villain genre (think Despicable Me with no Minions but unionized Dolphins instead). It's quite enjoyable, but my favorite books by this author are still the ones in the Old Man's War series. (★★★★)
Started: May 10 2024 Finished: May 24 2024

My review: Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Novel category. I had never read anything by this author before, and I did not know what to expect. It turned out... it was a treat!
While we live, the enemy shall fear us. All her life Kyr has trained for the day she can avenge the murder of planet Earth. Raised in the bowels of Gaea Station alongside the last scraps of humanity, she readies herself to face the Wisdom, the all-powerful, reality-shaping weapon that gave the Majoda their victory over humanity. They are what’s left. They are what must survive. Kyr is one of the best warriors of her generation, the sword of a dead planet. But when [spoilers removed]
This is a thrillingly told space opera about the wreckage of war, the family you find, and who you must become when every choice is stripped from you. Despite its length, the book is hard to put down and keep you on your toes with quite unexpected turns of events. I loved it, and I am looking forward to reading more by this author in the future. (★★★★★)
Started: Apr 13 2024 Finished: May 03 2024

My review: This review is for The Year Without Sunshine by Naomi Kritzer. Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Novelette category. I have previously read and enjoyed work by this author, hence I was quite eager to read this one. I was blown away: such a great story.
The story is set in today's U.S.A., where people are going through a semi-apocalyptic event, including pandemic, civil unrests, and a climate event that is taking away the sun. It is a story of how people react and community comes together, with the signature solar optimism of the author.
This is a great story that I recommend to everyone, especially to people that are a little down and needs their faith in humanity to be boosted a little bit. It's, so far, my #1 choice for the Hugo award in this category. (★★★★★)
Started: Apr 06 2024 Finished: Apr 07 2024

My review: This is a review of Introduction to 2181 Overture, Second Edition by Gu Shi. Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Novelette category.
I had never previously read or heard of this author, hence I really did not know what to expect. It turns out this is one of the strongest among the Hugo finalists in the Novelette category, and quite a remarkable story. The story is set in the near future, when a technology has enabled humans to hibernate for long periods of time. The first half is a very hard science fiction exploration of the many legal and ethical implication of the technology. The second part moves away (seamlessly) from hard science fiction to a more emotionally powerful exploration of the implications of the technology on human lives.
This is a great read that I recommend to everyone. I hope more work by this author will be translated into a language I can read. (★★★★★)
Started: Apr 07 2024 Finished: Apr 07 2024

My review: This review is for The Mausoleum’s Children by Aliette de Bodard. Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Short Story category. I read a lot of reviews praising the work of this author, and I read a couple of good short stories by her, so I was quite intrigued to read one more.
The story is part of a series of loosely connected stories, that form a mosaic that strengthen each of them. Unfortunately I have not read any of the other stories, and I am left wondering if I would have enjoyed it more if I had read the previous ones.
Despite that, the story is quite good, an interesting exploration of trauma, and the different ways people deal with it. (★★★)
Started: Apr 02 2024 Finished: Apr 02 2024

My review: This review is for Better Living Through Algorithms by Naomi Kritzer. Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Short Story category. I have read and enjoyed previous work by this author, and I was looking forward this new one. I was not disappointed.
In the near future, a new app become viral. It is a wellness app, that helps you improve your life, and be happier. It sounds too good to be true but... it seems to work? I won't say more to avoid spoiling it, but it is a quite remarkable story, full of the optimism that I learned to expect from this author, even when speaking about the shortcoming in the human nature.
A great story and a strong contender for the award. (★★★★★)
Started: Mar 31 2024 Finished: Mar 31 2024

My review: I had never read anything by this author, and I was quite eager to try given all the good reviews I read about his work. I was not disappointed. What a remarkable book!
From her place in the store, Klara, an Artificial Friend with outstanding observational qualities, watches carefully the behavior of those who come in to browse, and of those who pass on the street outside. She remains hopeful that a customer will soon choose her, but when the possibility emerges that her circumstances may change forever, Klara is warned not to invest too much in the promises of humans. In Klara and the Sun, Kazuo Ishiguro looks at our rapidly changing modern world through the eyes of an unforgettable narrator to explore a fundamental question: what does it mean to love? (★★★★★)
Started: Feb 14 2024 Finished: Mar 03 2024

My review: I had previously read previous work by this author and I was eager to read this one when I heard it came out. I was not disappointed.
Grimace is a homeless man on a holy mission to free Black Americans from emotional slavery. His empty soda cans told him as much. Then he meets Kim, a transgender runaway who joins Grimace on his heroic quest. Is Grimace receiving aluminum missives from the gods, or is he a madman? Kim will find out soon enough on a strange journey they’ve been destined to share. (★★★★)
Started: Feb 12 2024 Finished: Feb 16 2024

My review: A past struggle for racial equity could achieve a profound future victory in this audacious short story about technology, hoodoo, and hope by a Nebula Award–winning author. Burri is a fashion designer and icon with a biochemistry background. Her latest pieces are African inspired and crafted to touch the heart. They enable wearers to absorb nanorobotic memories and recount the stories of Black lives and forgiveness. Wenda doesn't buy it. A protest performance artist, Wenda knows exploitation when she sees it. What she's going to do with Burri's breakthrough technology could, in the right hands, change race relations forever.
This is a great story, even if I believe it would benefit to be extended into a full size novel. (★★★★)
Started: Feb 10 2024 Finished: Feb 12 2024

My review: I had never read anything by this author before, and I am quite glad I did, because he is extremely talented. I need to read more of his work!
The story is set in the future. Two humans are sent to the far side of a star gate... but accident happens sometime at the wrong time: Copilots Msizi and Tariro are testing a newly constructed wormhole jump that presumably leads to unsettled habitable worlds. Then an explosion sends them off course, far from where they started and with little chance of ever making it back. Now they’re stranded on their new home for the diaspora. It’s called Malcolm X-b. But they’re beginning to wonder how many light-years from civilization they really are.
Great book, my only regret is that it's way too short. This should be expanded into a full length novel. (★★★★)
Started: Feb 06 2024 Finished: Feb 08 2024

My review: 2043 is set in a neat feature where African-descended "USians" are obtaining their overdue reparations... underwater. They can get their body modified to live underwater and receive land to develop. Five miles off the South Carolina coast, Darden and Catherina are getting their promised forty acres, all of it undersea. Like every Black “mer,” they’ve been experimentally modified to adapt to their new subaquatic home, and have met with extreme resistance from white supremacists. Darden has an inspired plan for resolution. For both those on land and the webbed bottom-dwellers below, Darden is hoping to change the wave of the future. A good story that I enjoyed quite a bit, but maybe less strong of the other instalment of the Black Stars series. (★★★)
Started: Feb 04 2024 Finished: Feb 06 2024

My review: Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story was a finalist in the Novel category a few years back but I did not managed to read the book before the voting deadline, and I am finally catching up now. The book won the award and I heard tons of good reviews about it, hence I was very eager to read it.
Despite some reading trouble along the way (I paused reading the book when I lost my kindle while traveling to Mexico, and resumed when I got my kindle back when it was found more than a month later), I really enjoyed and loved it.
Ambassador Mahit Dzmare arrives in the center of the multi-system Teixcalaanli Empire only to discover that her predecessor, the previous ambassador from their small but fiercely independent mining Station, has died. But no one will admit that his death wasn't an accident—or that Mahit might be next to die, during a time of political instability in the highest echelons of the imperial court. Now, Mahit must discover who is behind the murder, rescue herself, and save her Station from Teixcalaan's unceasing expansion—all while navigating an alien culture that is all too seductive, engaging in intrigues of her own, and hiding a deadly technological secret—one that might spell the end of her Station and her way of life—or rescue it from annihilation.
I strongly recommend this to everyone. (★★★★★)
Started: Nov 23 2023 Finished: Jan 28 2024

My review: I enjoyed every single book I read by this author, but Who Fears Death is the one book that stand out above all other. I was afraid she would never reached the same heights (even iof, as I said, all her books are great), but I did not need to fear: The Black Pages is amazing. I really do hope she expand it into a full length novel, because it's really incredible. It touches religious extremism, colonialist cultural erasure, cultural identity within an original and entertaining story that you cannot put down.
By fate and fire, a being four millennia old is reborn in Mali in a short story of contemporary African life and ancient secrets. Issaka has returned home to Timbouctou and a devastating al-Qaeda raid. His only hope for survival is Faro, a stunning, blue-beaded supernatural entity who rises free from the flames of her imprisoning book as it burns. Compelled to follow Faro, Issaka is opening his eyes to their shared history and the ancestral wisdom of his own past. (★★★★★)
Started: Jan 28 2024 Finished: Jan 28 2024

My review: I really enjoyed the previous instalments of the Murderbot Diaries and I could not wait to read this one. I was not disappointed.
Following the events in Network Effect, the Barish-Estranza corporation has sent rescue ships to a newly-colonized planet in peril, as well as additional SecUnits. But if there’s an ethical corporation out there, Murderbot has yet to find it, and if Barish-Estranza can’t have the planet, they’re sure as hell not leaving without something. If that something just happens to be an entire colony of humans, well, a free workforce is a decent runner-up prize. But there’s something wrong with Murderbot; it isn’t running within normal operational parameters. ART’s crew and the humans from Preservation are doing everything they can to protect the colonists, but with Barish-Estranza’s SecUnit-heavy persuasion teams, they’re going to have to hope Murderbot figures out what’s wrong with itself, and fast. Yeah, this plan is... not going to work. (★★★★)
Started: Jan 10 2024 Finished: Jan 27 2024

My review: I previously read and liked quite a lot We Should All Be Feminists, a non-fiction book on feminisms, written by this author. When I saw she had written a sci-fi short story I knew I had to give it a try. I did not know what to expect.
The premise is simple: the story is set in the current world with a single difference: the genre roles are reversed. Matriarchy is the standard. In this world, two men—old friends—confront the past and future.
One night in Lagos, two former friends reunite. Obinna is a dutiful and unsophisticated stay-at-home husband and father married to a powerful businesswoman. Eze is single, a cautious rebel from his university days whose arrival soon upsets the balance in Obinna’s life. In a world where men are constantly under surveillance and subject to the whims of powerful women, more than Obinna’s ordered and accustomed routine might be on the line.
This is a great short story, that reminded me a lot of The Power. It's quite short, so perfect to read while commuting or during a short break from your chores. (★★★★)
Started: Jan 27 2024 Finished: Jan 27 2024

My review: I really liked this author's Machineries of Empire and Thousand Worlds series. I was eager to read this short story by the same author. It was good!
This is the story of Commander Niaja vrau Erezeng, up against an enemy that doesn’t just destroy all the beings, ships, and planets in its path, but also consumes their greatest arts, somehow scratching them from existence everywhere.
It is a fun short read, but if you have not read anything by this author, start somewhere else, this is good, but their other work is even better. (★★★)
Started: Jan 03 2024 Finished: Jan 05 2024

My review: I am a fan of Scalzi and I was looking forward to read this novelette.
In this book, an artificial intelligence on a star-spanning mission explores the farthest horizons of human potential, and its own purpose. Equipped with the entirety of human knowledge, a sentient ship is launched on a last-ditch journey to find a new home for civilization. Trillions of miles. Tens of thousands of years. In the space between, the AI has plenty of time to think about life, the vastness of the universe, everything it was meant to do, and with a perspective created but not limited by humans, what it should do.
Despite its short length, this story is surprisingly good. I recommend it to everyone. (★★★★★)
Started: Dec 17 2023 Finished: Dec 20 2023

My review: Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Novel category. I had previously read and loved many books and short stories by this author, and I was eager to read more.
This is the story of Tesla Crane, a brilliant inventor and an heiress, on her honeymoon on an interplanetary space liner, cruising between the Moon and Mars. She’s traveling incognito and is reveling in her anonymity. Then someone is murdered and the festering chowderheads who run security have the audacity to arrest her spouse. Armed with banter, martinis and her small service dog, Tesla is determined to solve the crime so that the newlyweds can get back to canoodling—and keep the real killer from striking again.
I am not crazy about detective stories, those are usually not my cup of tea, but despite that I really enjoyed the book. It was quite witty and funny, and the style reminded me the one of the most recent Scalzi's books (the two authors are friends, so they may be influencing each other a little).
It is a good solid book, entertaining and enjoyable, but if you never read anything by this author, I would start with the Lady's astronaut series first. (★★★★)
Started: Oct 23 2023 Finished: Nov 22 2023

My review: I previously read and loved a few books by this author, hence I was eager to read more.
This is the story of Tornado Onwubiko, one of seven people on Earth paired with sentient ships to explore and research the cosmos for twenty million euros. A decade of solitary life for a lifetime of wealth. Five years into the ten-year mission of total isolation comes a a temporary meetup among fellow travelers. A lot can happen in a week. For Tornado, who left a normal life behind, a little company can be life-changing.
A beautiful story that makes me want to read more by this autor. (★★★★)
Started: Nov 13 2023 Finished: Nov 18 2023

My review: Veronica Roth wrote some popular book series, and I was intrigued to see what this short story was about.
The story is set on an intergalactic luxury cruise traveling to a distant port. The ship is a world unto itself. Traveling faster than light, the transport ship Redundancy is cut off from communication as effectively as an ancient ocean liner. The isolation suits crew member Ace Vance just fine, she’s got nowhere else to be. But when a wealthy passenger turns up dead during a routine voyage, Ace will have to connect with the passengers and crew to uncover the truth. Tragedy will strike again... it’s only a matter of time.
It's an enjoyable read, with some nice moments. (★★★)
Started: Nov 10 2023 Finished: Nov 13 2023

My review: I had read the previous instalments of the series and while I was not blown away by them, I wanted to understand what was happening, to get an answer for the many questions I had. I got some half answers, some it is left to the imagination. The author excel in creating an hunted atmosphere and on character development... but there is a little bit too little of a plot for three books. It's not a bad book, a lot of people loved it, it is probably just not my cup of tea.
In Acceptance it is winter in Area X, the mysterious wilderness that has defied explanation for thirty years, rebuffing expedition after expedition, refusing to reveal its secrets. As Area X expands, the agency tasked with investigating and overseeing it—the Southern Reach—has collapsed on itself in confusion. Now one last, desperate team crosses the border, determined to reach a remote island that may hold the answers they've been seeking. If they fail, the outer world is in peril. Meanwhile, Acceptance tunnels ever deeper into the circumstances surrounding the creation of Area X—what initiated this unnatural upheaval? Among the many who have tried, who has gotten close to understanding Area X—and who may have been corrupted by it? (★★★)
Started: Oct 19 2023 Finished: Nov 09 2023

My review: I love the work of this author, and I was thrilled to discover a new novelette by her I have not read before!
This is the story of a young man caught between two disparate worlds that searches for his place. Light-years from home, it’s Ira’s second chance. Just another anonymous student at a space station university. Not the orphan whose Earther heritage was erased. Not some social experiment put on display by his adoptive father. Not the criminal recruited by the human rebels. But when Ira’s loyalties clash once again, two wars break one on the ground and one within himself. Which will Ira stand with? Which will take him down?
Of course the story echoes some real events of the past: in the decades after World War II hundreds of Native American children in the US were taken from their communities and given to white families through adoption or foster care. A very interesting story, hard to put down, and deep. (★★★★★)
Started: Oct 08 2023 Finished: Oct 18 2023

My review: Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Novella category. I had previously read a single book by this author, and I really liked it. Therefore I as looking forward reading more of his work. We should never judge a book by its cover, but I confess I would have not picked the book if I have seen it in a bookstore... it looks like the cover of a self-published book... but hey, the old saying was right and the book turns out to be amazingly good! And I liked how fantasy and science fiction elements are mixed and used as allegories to exploitation.
In this fictional world there are two sentient beings on Earth: Humans and Ogres. Ogres are bigger than you. Ogres are stronger than you. Ogres rule the world. It’s always idyllic in the village until the landlord comes to call. Because the landlord is an Ogre. And Ogres rule the world, with their size and strength and appetites. It’s always been that way. It’s the natural order of the world. And they only eat people sometimes. But when the headman’s son, Torquell, dares lift his hand against the landlord’s son, he sets himself on a path to learn the terrible truth about the Ogres, and about the dark sciences that ensured their rule. (★★★★★)
Started: Sep 16 2023 Finished: Oct 03 2023

My review: I had previously read books and short stories by "James Corey" set in the Expanse world, and I liked them quite a lot. I was looking forward reading something by the same duo set in a different fictional world. Heck, they really deliver.
Roy Court and his crew are taking the trip of a lifetime, several lifetimes in fact, duplicated and dispatched across the galaxies searching for Earthlike planets. Many possibilities for the future. Yet for Roy, no matter how many of him there are, there’s still just one painful, unchangeable past. In what world can a broken relationship be reborn? The universe is so vast, there’s always room for hope.
A great short story, that could be turned into a great movie! (★★★★)
Started: Sep 24 2023 Finished: Sep 25 2023

My review: I had enjoyed the previous installment of the series, and I was hoping to learn more about the many mysteries left open... in that regards I was disappointed. I did not get many answer, and I was left instead with more questions.
After thirty years, the only human engagement with Area X—a seemingly malevolent landscape surrounded by an invisible border and mysteriously wiped clean of all signs of civilization—has been a series of expeditions overseen by a government agency so secret it has almost been forgotten: the Southern Reach. Following the tumultuous twelfth expedition chronicled in Annihilation, the agency is in complete disarray. John Rodríguez (aka "Control") is the Southern Reach's newly appointed head. Working with a distrustful but desperate team, a series of frustrating interrogations, a cache of hidden notes, and hours of profoundly troubling video footage, Control begins to penetrate the secrets of Area X. But with each discovery he must confront disturbing truths about himself and the agency he's pledged to serve.
The author does an incredibly good job at creating an atmosphere of mystery and suspense, but often nothing really happens, and the plot keeps dragging on. At least here we did have something big happen towards the end... (★★)
Started: Jun 10 2023 Finished: Sep 23 2023

My review: This review is for "We Built This City" by Marie Vibbert.
Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Novelette category. I do not remember reading anything by this author before, hence I was quite excited to read it. I was not disappointed!
The story is set in the future, on a floating colony on Venus. The young protagonist is the children of one of the people that build the colony, but has a humble construction worker job. Her job is extremely important for the city survival, yet she is underpaid, and her employer try to get more and more from her and her colleagues with less and less.
A great reflection on labor, worker rights movements, and capitalism. (★★★★)
Started: Sep 09 2023 Finished: Sep 16 2023

My review: This review is for "Rabbit Test" by Samantha Mills.
Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Short Story category. I do not remember reading anything by this author before, I really missed out. She is an incredibly talented artist. I cannot wait to read more of her work!
The story follows Grace, a teen in 2091 whose menstrual cycle is late and her implanted med chip will be running a rabbit test aka a pregnancy test soon. Her parents will know and her life will be over. The narrative bounces back and forth from Grace trying to find a way to terminate her pregnancy where this is very illegal, and historical narratives talking about pregnancy testing, birth control, abortion and abortifacients, and the laws involved from the eyes of pregnant people throughout history.
This story is clearly written in a world facing the end of Roe, it's the most 2022 of stories and one of the most timeless of stories. A new era, a new "our grandmother's fought for this", rinse repeat.
Despite its short length, the story is extremely powerful and effective. Also you can tell that the author did tons of research on the subject.
This is currently my #1 choice for the Hugo award this year, and I strongly recommend it to everyone. (★★★★★)
Started: Sep 02 2023 Finished: Sep 05 2023

My review: Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Novel category. I heard a lot of good reviews about this author's work, but I never had a chance to read any of it. I was glad to had a chance and... I was not disappointed. This is really a good book: excellent storytelling, interesting well rounded characters, and a fascinating portrait of Yucatan in the 19th century.
The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is a lavish historical drama reimagining of The Island of Doctor Moreau. The story is told from the point of view of two characters: Carlota Moreau: a young woman, growing up in a distant and luxuriant estate, safe from the conflict and strife of the Yucatán peninsula. The only daughter of either a genius, or a madman; Montgomery Laughton: a melancholic overseer with a tragic past and a propensity for alcohol. An outcast who assists Dr. Moreau with his scientific experiments, which are financed by the Lizaldes, owners of magnificent haciendas and plentiful coffers. He takes care of the hybrids, the fruits of the Doctor’s labor, destined to blindly obey their creator and remain in the shadows. A motley group of part human, part animal monstrosities.
All of them living in a perfectly balanced and static world, which is jolted by the abrupt arrival of Eduardo Lizalde, the charming and careless son of Doctor Moreau’s patron, who will unwittingly begin a dangerous chain reaction. For Moreau keeps secrets, Carlota has questions, and in the sweltering heat of the jungle, passions may ignite.
The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is both a dazzling historical novel and a daring science fiction journey.
A great book, that I expect will do quite well at the Hugo's this year. (★★★★★)
Started: Aug 05 2023 Finished: Aug 21 2023

My review: Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Novel category. I had previously read and loved some books and stories by this author, hence I was eager to read this one. I liked it a lot!
The story is set during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. When the virus sweeps through New York City, Jamie Gray is stuck as a dead-end driver for food delivery apps. That is, until Jamie makes a delivery to an old acquaintance, Tom, who works at what he calls "an animal rights organization." Tom's team needs a last-minute grunt to handle things on their next field visit. Jamie, eager to do anything, immediately signs on. What Tom doesn't tell Jamie is that the animals his team cares for are not here on Earth. Not our Earth, at at least. In an alternate dimension, massive dinosaur-like creatures named Kaiju roam a warm and human-free world. They're the universe's largest and most dangerous panda and they're in trouble. It's not just the Kaiju Preservation Society that's found its way to the alternate world. Others have, too--and their carelessness could cause millions back on our Earth to die.
This is a fun light reading book, that I recommend to everyone. (★★★★)
Started: Jul 27 2023 Finished: Aug 06 2023

My review: This review is for "If You Find Yourself Speaking to God, Address God with the Informal You" by John Chu.
Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Novelette category. I had previously read and deeply loved a short story by this author and I was eager to read more. I was not disappointed.
The story is engaging and profound, making a superhero story that is at once very personal and also broadly suited, showing bravery in the face of racism. It is currently my favorite for the Hugo in this category. (★★★★★)
Started: Jul 17 2023 Finished: Jul 22 2023

My review: Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Novelette category. I had never read anything by this author, and I was quite excited to try something new.
"A Dream of Electric Mothers" is an alternate history novelette by Wole Talabi. The story is about a nation who preserve the wisdom of their ancestors in a single amalgamation of the minds of the dead, and consult them on difficult political problems. Is the ability to consult the ancestors an incredible boon, or a curse?
An incredibly interesting piece and a strong contender for the award. (★★★★★)
Started: Jul 22 2023 Finished: Jul 22 2023

My review: This review if for Catherynne M. Valente's "The difference between love and time".
Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Novelette category. I had previously read some books and stories by this author and really liked some of it, hence I was eager to read this one.
This story was very quirky and out there. The narrator chronicles her life through a series of relationships with the space/time continuum. The continuum takes form of various people or objects (and so does the narrator, even though in different realities, which are never deeply explored). The non-linear story jumps between years or decades, as we slowly unravel some of the more important events in the narrator’s life.
While I did enjoy it, and while it was well written, it was not exactly my cup of tea. I have a feeling this is the kind of story you either love or hate. (★★)
Started: Jul 12 2023 Finished: Jul 17 2023

My review: This review if for S.L. Huang's "Murder by Pixel: Crime and Responsibility in the Digital Darkness".
Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Novelette category. I had previously read a couple of other short stories by this author, and I really liked both. Hence I was looking forward to reading this one.
This is, by far, one of the best description of what the latest generation of machine learning algorithms can offer, how they can help us, and how they can harm us. I work in that sector, and I am constantly unhappy about the quality of articles and blogposts on the topic. They seems to be written by people that do not really understand what they are talking about. It is almost hilarious that what is supposed to be a science fiction story turn out to be the most realistic and accurate description of the current state of things. The author directly quotes and paraphrase real scientific papers and reports, and wave a fictional (yet non that unrealistic) story around a solid skeleton of real events and facts.
The result is incredibly good, and I strongly recommend it to everyone.
This is, for now at least, my number one choice for the Hugo trophy. (★★★★★)
Started: Jul 10 2023 Finished: Jul 11 2023

My review: I previously read only non-fiction books by this author, but I heard that their sci-fi work was good, and I wanted to give it a try. It turns out that I like their fiction more then their non-fiction!
In Autonomous a rakish female pharmaceutical pirate named Jack traverses the world in her own submarine. Jack is a notorious anti-patent scientist who has styled herself as a Robin Hood heroine fighting to bring cheap drugs to the poor. Unfortunately her latest drug is leaving a trail of lethal overdoses across what used to be North America—a drug that compels people to become addicted to her work. On Jack’s trail are an unlikely pair: an emotionally shut-down military agent and his partner, Paladin, a young military robot, who fall in love against all expectations. Autonomous alternates between the activities of Jack and her co-conspirators, and Elias and Paladin, as they all race to stop a bizarre drug epidemic that is tearing apart lives, causing trains to crash, and flooding New York City.
Beside the enjoyable plot, what makes the book stand out is the reflection on the impact of the patent system to the drug market, and how some cures become out of reach to the less wealthy. I will read more by this author in the future. (★★★★)
Started: May 19 2023 Finished: Jun 09 2023

My review: I saw quite a few good reviews of this book, and the author is quite popular, so I decided to give it a try. I am glad I did, I liked the settings and the unreliable narrator framing. I was a little disappointed by the ending, that was a little too open than I would have liked. Hopefuly the next instalments will shed more light on the remaining mysteries.
The story is set in a near future in what is called "Area X". Area X has been cut off from the rest of the world for decades. Nature has reclaimed the last vestiges of human civilization. The first expedition returned with reports of a pristine, Edenic landscape; the second expedition ended in mass suicide, the third in a hail of gunfire as its members turned on one another. The members of the eleventh expedition returned as shadows of their former selves, and within weeks, all had died of cancer. In Annihilation we join the twelfth expedition. The group is made up of four women: an anthropologist; a surveyor; a psychologist, the de facto leader; and our narrator, a biologist. Their mission is to map the terrain, record all observations of their surroundings and of one another, and, above all, avoid being contaminated by Area X itself. They arrive expecting the unexpected, and Area X delivers... but it’s the surprises that came across the border with them and the secrets the expedition members are keeping from one another that change everything. (★★★)
Started: Apr 22 2023 Finished: Apr 27 2023

My review: I had just finished reading and loved the Interdependency series when I discovered this short story set in the same universe existed. I had to read it.
It turns out it is a prequel of sort, a reference piece that the author had written for himself to give some context to himself about what he was writing. He decided to release it as part of a charity event.
In the Interdependency series, humans get around space via “The Flow”, a “metacosmological multidimensional space” that’s not of this universe but lets people get around in it at multiples of the speed of light. This is the Flow's origin story, and it covers how people discovered it.
It's cute and interesting to read, but you definitely do not need to read it to appreciate the series. The author himself describe it as "non canonical" and "fan-fiction of his own work". (★★★★)
Started: Mar 21 2023 Finished: Mar 21 2023

My review: I previously read and loved many books by this author, including the other books in The Interdependency series. While I thought that the first instalment of the series was a little rough and rushed out (the author said that he did rush to complete it before a deadline), I enjoyed the story and I was vested into completing it. The second instalment was already really good, but The Last Emperox is by far the best of the series, and I really loved and laughed out loud reading it (the author has a great sense of humor).
In this book the collapse of The Flow, the interstellar pathway between the planets of the Interdependency, has accelerated. Entire star systems and billions of people are becoming cut off from the rest of human civilization. This collapse was foretold through scientific prediction... and yet, even as the evidence is obvious and insurmountable, many still try to rationalize, delay and profit from, these final days of one of the greatest empires humanity has ever known.
Emperox Grayland II has finally wrested control of her empire from those who oppose her and who deny the reality of this collapse. But “control” is a slippery thing, and even as Grayland strives to save as many of her people form impoverished isolation, the forces opposing her rule will make a final, desperate push to topple her from her throne and power, by any means necessary. Grayland and her thinning list of allies must use every tool at their disposal to save themselves, and all of humanity. And yet it may not be enough.
A great conclusion to a great series, that I recommend to everyone. (★★★★★)
Started: Mar 03 2023 Finished: Mar 19 2023

My review: I have previously read and enjoyed books by this author, and I was looking forward to reading this book when I heard of it.
The city known as Neom is many things to many beings, human or otherwise. Neom is a tech wonderland for the rich and beautiful; an urban sprawl along the Red Sea; and a port of call between Earth and the stars. In the desert, young orphan Saleh has joined a caravan, hoping to earn his passage off-world from Central Station. But the desert is full of mechanical artefacts, some unexplained and some unexploded. Recently, a wry, unnamed robot has unearthed one of the region’s biggest mysteries: the vestiges of a golden man. In Neom, childhood affection is rekindling between loyal shurta-officer Nasir and hardworking flower-seller Mariam. But Nasu, a deadly terrorartist, has come to the city with missing memories and unfinished business. Just one robot can change a city’s destiny with a single rose—especially when that robot is in search of lost love. (★★★★)
Started: Feb 26 2023 Finished: Mar 04 2023

My review: I am fond of the Star Wars fictional universe: I have a nostalgic attachment to it, and despite some drops in quality along the way (e.g. The Phantom Menace), recent installments like Rogue One, The Force Awakens, and The Last Jedi were even better than the original series. Because of this fondness, I started reading some of Star Wars books during my commute or doing some chores. The quality is not always great, but they are usually at least enjoyable.
This is the story of fourteen year-old Ezra Bridger. He lives alone on the Outer Rim planet of Lothal. He fends for himself by picking up odd jobs and hustling unsuspecting stormtroopers. But when Arena Day arrives, an underground tournament where mighty beasts battle to the finish and all the swindlers, gamblers, and no-gooders come to make a profit, Ezra is whisked into an unlikely partnership with the fearsome bounty hunter Bossk. He find himself ensnared in a high-stakes chase against an endless fleet of troopers. Ezra isn't willing to trust anyone, but he soon learns that surviving doesn't always mean just fending for himself.
It is a cute prequel to the animated series Star Wars Rebels that I have not seen yet. I was definitely not part of its target audience, it is intended for very young readers, and that clearly limited its enjoyability. (★★)
Started: Feb 25 2023 Finished: Mar 03 2023

My review: I previously read and loved other books by this author, and I was looking forward reading this new novella. While it's not as good as Who Fears Death, it is quite good.
The story is set in a future Ghana and revolves around a very young orphan, Fatima.The day Fatima forgot her name, Death paid a visit. From hereon in she would be known as Sankofa­­, a name that meant nothing to anyone but her, the only tie to her family and her past.
Her touch is death, and with a glance a town can fall. And she walks alone, except for her fox companion, searching for the object that came from the sky and gave itself to her when the meteors fell and when she was yet unchanged; searching for answers. But is there a greater purpose for Sankofa, now that Death is her constant companion? (★★★★)
Started: Feb 23 2023 Finished: Feb 26 2023

My review: I have previously read the previous installment of the LitenVerse series (Finna) and while it was original, funny, and interesting, I was not sure I wanted to read more of the series... but I decided to give it a try and... I actually loved it!
Defekt can be read pretty much as a stand-alone story, set in the same universe (store) of Finna, but with a different cast of characters.
This is the story of Derek, LitenVärld's most loyal employee. He lives and breathes the job, from the moment he wakes up in a converted shipping container at the edge of the parking lot to the second he clocks out of work 18 hours later. But after taking his first ever sick day, his manager calls that loyalty into question. An excellent employee like Derek, an employee made to work at LitenVärld, shouldn't need time off. To test his commitment to the job, Derek is assigned to a special inventory shift, hunting through the store to find defective products. Toy chests with pincers and eye stalks, ambulatory sleeper sofas, killer mutant toilets, that kind of thing. Helping him is the inventory team... four strangers who look and sound almost exactly like him! Are five Dereks better than one?
This is an hilarious and witty take on capitalism and corporations... if you are looking for something to make you smile or laugh, this could be a good book for you. (★★★★★)
Started: Feb 14 2023 Finished: Feb 19 2023

My review: A few years ago I read Station Eleven. I liked it, but... I was not crazy about the ending. I was not planning to read more by this author but a good friend recommended Sea of Tranquillity to me, so I decided to give the author another try. I was NOT disappointed. I *really* liked this book. The narrative structure reminded me of Cloud Atlas and How High We Go in the Dark (I loved both of them), and it's very hard to put down.
This is a novel of art, time travel, love, and plague that takes the reader from Vancouver Island in 1912 to a dark colony on the moon five hundred years later, unfurling a story of humanity across centuries and space.
Edwin St. Andrew is eighteen years old when he crosses the Atlantic by steamship, exiled from polite society following an ill-conceived diatribe at a dinner party. He enters the forest, spellbound by the beauty of the Canadian wilderness, and suddenly hears the notes of a violin echoing in an airship terminal--an experience that shocks him to his core.
Two centuries later a famous writer named Olive Llewellyn is on a book tour. She's traveling all over Earth, but her home is the second moon colony, a place of white stone, spired towers, and artificial beauty. Within the text of Olive's best-selling pandemic novel lies a strange passage: a man plays his violin for change in the echoing corridor of an airship terminal as the trees of a forest rise around him.
When Gaspery-Jacques Roberts, a detective in the black-skied Night City, is hired to investigate an anomaly in the North American wilderness, he uncovers a series of lives upended: The exiled son of an earl driven to madness, a writer trapped far from home as a pandemic ravages Earth, and a childhood friend from the Night City who, like Gaspery himself, has glimpsed the chance to do something extraordinary that will disrupt the timeline of the universe.
A virtuoso performance that is as human and tender as it is intellectually playful, Sea of Tranquility is a novel of time travel and metaphysics that precisely captures the reality of our current moment. (★★★★★)
Started: Feb 08 2023 Finished: Feb 13 2023

My review: I loved the first two books and the first short story of The Locked Tomb series, and I cannot wait to read the next instalment. I was thrilled to discover there was another short story set in the same word that I had not read yet.
The story features some of the characters from the first book, and it is in the form of a secret report by Judith Deuteros while imprisoned by the Blood of Eden group.
I really liked it, but I have to go back and re-read the previous books because I have forgotten some of these characters backstories. Despite that, I really enjoyed. Do not start reading from here though! (★★★★)
Started: Dec 31 2022 Finished: Dec 31 2022

My review: I read all the previous instalment of the Murderbot Diaries series, and I could not resist to read this one. I was not disappointed. I would have guessed the humor style and the plot would have grown old by now, but it has not, I am still fully enjoying each single book.
In Fugitive Telemetry Murderbot discovers a dead body on Preservation Station ("No, I didn’t kill the dead human. If I had, I wouldn’t dump the body in the station mall"), it knows it is going to have to assist station security to determine who the body is (was), how they were killed (that should be relatively straightforward, at least), and why (because apparently that matters to a lot of people, who knew?) Yes, the unthinkable is about to happen: Murderbot must voluntarily speak to humans! Again! (★★★★★)
Started: Dec 11 2022 Finished: Dec 17 2022

My review: Cute extremely short story that acts as a prequel to the Murderboot Diaries series. It's so short that is hard to judge, but if you love Murderboot work, you may want to give this a try. It was published in Wired magazine as part of a series "The Future of Work". Memorable quote: “My risk-assessment module predicts a 53 percent chance of a human-on-human massacre before the end of the contract." (★★★)
Started: Dec 17 2022 Finished: Dec 17 2022

My review: A few years ago I read and enjoyed The Girl with All the Gifts, and I was quite curious to read the sequel (even if I confess I have forgotten almost everything about the first book over the years).
The story is very briefly summarized on the back of the book as follows: Once upon a time, in a land blighted by terror, there was a very clever boy. The people thought the boy could save them, so they opened their gates and sent him out into the world. To where the monsters lived.
It is indeed an enjoyable story, with interesting characters (even if some of them are despicable and unlikeable). It is a prequel and a sequel to the original book, and it explains and clarifies some of the open questions. I am glad I read it because it was enjoyable, but I would not go out of my way to recommend it to other people. (★★★★)
Started: Nov 25 2022 Finished: Dec 11 2022

My review: I had read and really liked some short stories by this author and I was quite eager to read some more.
This book collects a lot of recent fiction by this author, written between 2015 and 2021, ranging from fantasy to science fiction. Almost all the stories are stand alone, but there are a few that are interconnected, one being the sequel of the other, or set in the same or very similar fictional world.
I particularly enjoyed stories that reflect on the meaning of life and what it means to be uploaded and transcend biological life into a simulated silicon one.
It was overall a good collection, and I am looking forward reading more by this author in the future. (★★★★)
Started: Sep 04 2022 Finished: Nov 01 2022

My review: I got this book for free from tor.com, a publisher with a long history of award worthy publications, hence I decided to gite it a try. I was not disappointed.
This is the story of the cybernetic organism known as 812-3. He is in prison, convicted of murdering a human worker but he claims that he did not do it. With the evidence stacked against him, his lawyer, Aiya Ritsehrer, must determine grounds for an appeal and uncover the true facts of the case. But with artificial life-forms having only recently been awarded legal rights on Earth, the military complex on Europa is resistant to the implementation of these same rights on the Jovian moon. Aiya must battle against her own prejudices and that of her new paymasters, to secure a fair trial for her charge, while navigating her own interpersonal drama, before it's too late. (★★★★)
Started: Oct 16 2022 Finished: Oct 20 2022

My review: I really like this author, and the Wayfarers series is one of my favorite series. I did not love the previous instalment of the Monk & Robot series as much as the Wayfarers' books, but still it's Becky Chambers, so you know it will be at least good if not more.
In A Prayer for the Crown-Shy Sibling Dex (a Tea Monk of some renown) and Mosscap (a robot sent on a quest to determine what humanity really needs) after touring the rural areas of Panga, turn their attention to the villages and cities of the little moon they call home. They hope to find the answers they seek, while making new friends, learning new concepts, and experiencing the entropic nature of the universe.
Becky Chambers's new series continues to ask: in a world where people have what they want, does having more even matter? They're going to need to ask it a lot. (★★★)
Started: Sep 11 2022 Finished: Sep 18 2022

My review: This review is for Proof by Induction by José Pablo Iriarte.
Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Short Story category. I have previously read (and loved) a short story by this author, and I was eager to read more.
The story is set in a near future where doctors are able to capture the neural state of people that are passing. This is intended to take care of practical things like "who did you have a life insurance with" and "how would you like to be buried"... but Paulie, a mathematics professor on a tenure track, it becomes something more. A chance to save his tenure and possibly the relationship with his dead father.
This was a good and enjoyable story, I am looking forward reading more by this author. (★★★★)
Started: Sep 06 2022 Finished: Sep 06 2022

My review: Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Novel category. I had read and loved the previous books in the series and other work by this author, hence I was looking forward reading this.
With no water, no air, and no native life, the planet Gora is unremarkable. The only thing it has going for it is a chance proximity to more popular worlds, making it a decent stopover for ships traveling between the wormholes that keep the Galactic Commons connected. If deep space is a highway, Gora is just your average truck stop. At the Five-Hop One-Stop, long-haul spacers can stretch their legs (if they have legs, that is), and get fuel, transit permits, and assorted supplies. The Five-Hop is run by an enterprising alien and her sometimes helpful child, who work hard to provide a little piece of home to everyone passing through. When a freak technological failure halts all traffic to and from Gora, three strangers—all different species with different aims—are thrown together at the Five-Hop. Grounded, with nothing to do but wait, the trio—an exiled artist with an appointment to keep, a cargo runner at a personal crossroads, and a mysterious individual doing her best to help those on the fringes—are compelled to confront where they’ve been, where they might go, and what they are, or could be, to each other.
While there is relatively little action, the book is hard to put down. Character building and storytelling are really good as I come to expect from the author. I am looking forward reading more by her in the future. (★★★★★)
Started: Aug 12 2022 Finished: Sep 01 2022

My review: This review is for Bots of the Lost Ark by Suzanne Palmer.
Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Novelette category.
This story is set in the future, in a spacecraft where humans are in induced sleep to fly across the vast distances of the universe, and everything is left to the on-board AIs and the on-board robots to take care of things... but things do not always go as planned.
This turned out to be a fun and at times even funny story, that I really enjoyed.

Merged review:

This review is for Bots of the Lost Ark by Suzanne Palmer.
Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Novelette category.
This story is set in the future, in a spacecraft where humans are in induced sleep to fly across the vast distances of the universe, and everything is left to the on-board AIs and the on-board robots to take care of things... but things do not always go as planned.
This turned out to be a fun and at times even funny story, that I really enjoyed. (★★★★)
Number of times I read it: 2
Started (first time): Aug 12 2022 Finished (first time): Aug 12 2022

My review: Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Short Story category. I have never read anything by this author, and I was quite intrigued about discovering something fresh and new.
And fresh and new definitely was. The story is told on twitter, as a series of screenshots of a fictional conversation over SMS. I won't say more to avoid spoiling the story but it involves parallel universes and what ifs.
A clever, novel, interesting story. One of the strongest finalist in the category for this year Hugo. I am looking forward reading more by this author. (★★★★★)
Started: Aug 01 2022 Finished: Aug 01 2022

My review: Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Novella category. I have read and deeply loved quite a lot of books by Becky Chambers and I was super eager to read this one.
The story is set here on earth, in the future. Centuries before, robots of Panga gained self-awareness, laid down their tools, wandered, en masse into the wilderness, never to be seen again. They faded into myth and urban legend. Now the life of the tea monk who tells this story is upended by the arrival of a robot, there to honor the old promise of checking in. The robot cannot go back until the question of "what do people need?" is answered. But the answer to that question depends on who you ask, and how. They will need to ask it a lot. Chambers' series asks: in a world where people have what they want, does having more matter?
The book offers an interesting worldbuilding and well rounded, interesting characters. It does read as the beginning of a longer story, a conversation just started. I am looking forward reading the next instalments. (★★★★)
Started: Jun 17 2022 Finished: Jul 01 2022

My review: Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Novel category. I had never read anything by this author so I did not know what to expect. The title and the (stunningly beautiful) cover do not give much away... I was in for an incredible treat. What an incredible story! On paper, it should not work - this book is an unusual mix of Christian fantasy and sci-fi - but somehow the author not only manages to pull it off, she waves one of the most powerful and moving story I have read in years. Every single character, even minor one, are so well rounded and incredibly faceted, original, relatable. This is a book that behind a screen of simplicity has tons to say. This is a book that despite being fiction, despite featuring demons and aliens, manages to capture one of he most realistic portrait of today's California, its soul, its bile, and its heart.
Light from Uncommon Stars is set in California's San Gabriel Valley and features cursed violins, Faustian bargains, and queer alien courtship over fresh-made donuts. Shizuka Satomi made a deal with the devil: to escape damnation, she must entice seven other violin prodigies to trade their souls for success. She has already delivered six. When Katrina Nguyen, a young transgender runaway, catches Shizuka's ear with her wild talent, Shizuka can almost feel the curse lifting. She's found her final candidate. But in a donut shop off a bustling highway in the San Gabriel Valley, Shizuka meets Lan Tran, retired starship captain, interstellar refugee, and mother of four. Shizuka doesn't have time for crushes or coffee dates, what with her very soul on the line, but Lan's kind smile and eyes like stars might just redefine a soul's worth. And maybe something as small as a warm donut is powerful enough to break a curse as vast as the California coastline. As the lives of these three women become entangled by chance and fate, a story of magic, identity, curses, and hope begins, and a family worth crossing the universe for is found.
This is in my opinion the strongest contender for the Hugo award for best Novel this year. I will be following this author closely, and devour all her previous novels as I can find them. (★★★★★)
Started: May 22 2022 Finished: Jun 29 2022

My review: Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Novellette category. I had never read anything by this author before, so I did not know what expect. I was pleasantly surprised: this story is great. It's set in a dystopian near future, where breathable air is a luxury sold by big corporations to the public. The scariest part is that the future described here is not an unlikely future, but where we are headed. I already spent a few summers in California with windows closed, orange brown skies, and unbreathable air outside. The future described in O2 Arena... it's starting right now.

Merged review:

Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Novellette category. I had never read anything by this author before, so I did not know what expect. I was pleasantly surprised: this story is great. It's set in a dystopian near future, where breathable air is a luxury sold by big corporations to the public. The scariest part is that the future described here is not an unlikely future, but where we are headed. I already spent a few summers in California with windows closed, orange brown skies, and unbreathable air outside. The future described in O2 Arena... it's starting right now. (★★★★)
Number of times I read it: 2
Started (first time): Jun 14 2022 Finished (first time): Jun 17 2022

My review: Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Novella category. I was familiar with the author, and I had loved her Six-Gun Snow White, so I was quite eager to read this one.
This is the story of a girl who made two terrible mistakes: she told the truth and she dared to love the world. The future is blue. Endless blue... except for a few small places that float across the hot, drowned world left behind by long-gone fossil fuel-guzzlers. One of those patches is a magical place called Garbagetown. Tetley Abednego is the most beloved girl in Garbagetown, but she's the only one who knows it. She's the only one who knows a lot of things: that Garbagetown is the most wonderful place in the world, that it's full of hope, that you can love someone and 66% hate them all at the same time. But Earth is a terrible mess, hope is a fragile thing, and a lot of people are very angry with her. Then Tetley discovers a new friend, a terrible secret, and more to her world than she ever expected.
This book has a very remarkable world building, and I would love to see this turned into an anime or tv series. (★★★★)
Started: May 25 2022 Finished: Jun 14 2022

My review: Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Novel category. I had previously read and enjoyed The Martian by this author, and I was curious to see how this book compares with that one.
This is the story of Ryland Grace, the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission. If he fails, humanity and the Earth itself will perish. Except that right now, he doesn't know that. He can't even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it. All he knows is that he's been asleep for a very, very long time. And he's just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company. His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, he realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Alone on this tiny ship that's been cobbled together by every government and space agency on the planet and hurled into the depths of space, it's up to him to conquer an extinction-level threat to our species. And thanks to an unexpected ally, he just might have a chance.
Project Hail Mary is an extremely enjoyable book, begging to be adapted to the silver screen. It is a good beach reading. (★★★★)
Started: May 04 2022 Finished: May 18 2022

My review: Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Novella category. I had never read anything by this author, but I heard a lot of great things about this and her previous book, hence I was quite excited to pick this one up.
In Elder Race a junior anthropologist on a distant planet must help the locals he has sworn to study to save a planet from an unbeatable foe. Lynesse is the lowly Fourth Daughter of the queen, and always getting in the way. But a demon is terrorizing the land, and now she’s an adult (albeit barely) and although she still gets in the way, she understands that the only way to save her people is to invoke the pact between her family and the Elder sorcerer who has inhabited the local tower for as long as her people have lived here (though none in living memory has approached it). But Elder Nyr isn’t a sorcerer, and he is forbidden to help, for his knowledge of science tells him the threat cannot possibly be a demon…
I enjoyed the story quite a bit, Hugo's finalist are always a treat to read. (★★★★★)
Started: Apr 09 2022 Finished: Apr 16 2022

My review: Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Novel category. I had never read anything by this author, but I heard a lot of great things about this and her previous book, hence I was quite excited to pick this one up. I had no idea what to expect, the cover did give very little away. I got one of the most weirdly original book I got to read in a long while. I definitely want to read more by this author, and it is one of the strongest contender to the Hugo this year. It definitely left a deep impression, it got me thinking about it long after I was done reading it.
I want to mention one negative thing though: the narrator makes quite a few statement across the book that come across as homophobic. I am not the only one to be disturbed by this: another commented on tor wrote The villain’s gayness is brought up constantly, often in the same sentence as his evil. His depravity is linked to his gayness. He falls into the predatory gay man stereotype, preying on his students. All of the main characters are straight and so is Clarke. It’s not that gay characters can never be villains but the way he is handled is very homophobic. . I have to agree with the commenter I am quoting. Masterpieces can have their flaws, but I am deeply saddened by this.
This is the story of Piranesi. His house is no ordinary building: its rooms are infinite, its corridors endless, its walls are lined with thousands upon thousands of statues, each one different from all the others. Within the labyrinth of halls an ocean is imprisoned; waves thunder up staircases, rooms are flooded in an instant. But Piranesi is not afraid; he understands the tides as he understands the pattern of the labyrinth itself. He lives to explore the house. There is one other person in the house, a man called The Other, who visits Piranesi twice a week and asks for help with research into A Great and Secret Knowledge. But as Piranesi explores, evidence emerges of another person, and a terrible truth begins to unravel, revealing a world beyond the one Piranesi has always known. (★★★★)
Started: Dec 30 2021 Finished: Jan 02 2022

My review: Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This year the lady astronaut series, the series this short story is part of, was a finalist for the "Best Series" award. While I usually skip that particular category, since I had already read all the previous instalment of the series, and utterly loved some of them (in particular The Calculating Stars and The Lady Astronaut of Mars) I decided to go ahead and read all the remaining instalments that I had not previously read.
I have not much to say about this instalment: it is super short to qualify as "flash fiction", more a vignette than a story. I like the mixture of hard science and human emotions but... I wish it was longer. (★★)
Started: Dec 30 2021 Finished: Dec 30 2021

My review: Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This year the lady astronaut series, the series this short story is part of, was a finalist for the "Best Series" award. While I usually skip that particular category, since I had already read all the previous instalment of the series, and utterly loved some of them (in particular The Calculating Stars and The Lady Astronaut of Mars) I decided to go ahead and read all the remaining instalments that I had not previously read.
Rocket's Red is a nice exploration of intergenerational family relations and aging, set of a backdrop of planetary colonization. For the 20th anniversary from the Mars colony foundation it has been decided to have a fireworks show. The latest owner of an Earth based fireworks family own business wins the bid and decides to bring up to Mars the previous owner, his mum.
The resulting story us touching and moving, and a little nice addition to this long running series. It can be read as stand alone, and it does not contain spoilers. (★★★)
Started: Dec 30 2021 Finished: Dec 30 2021

My review: Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Novel category. I had read all the previous instalment of the series, I liked all of them, and utterly loved some of them (in particular The Calculating Stars and The Lady Astronaut of Mars). I was a little nervous about this book: while I loved the series, the previous instalment, i.e. The Fated Sky while good was not as mind-blowingly good as the previous ones and I was concerned that we may have reached a point in a series where the quality starts going down... well I should have not been concerned, this book was great: action packed, fascinating, impossible to put down, and full of very interesting characters.
The Relentless Moon takes place while the First Mars Expedition is underway, so it's a parallel novel to The Fated Sky and focuses on Nicole Wargin and Myrtle Lindholm in the Lunar colony. You can expect everything from space travels to church services, from bridge parties to self-sustaining colonies construction, which all become more complicated in low gravity. And then a saboteur strikes...
An excellent book and one of the strongest contender for the Hugo this year. I think in a regular year it would have easily won, but the finalist this year are one stronger than the other. What a treat! I really need to read more by this author, she is really an excellent writer. (★★★★★)
Started: Nov 29 2021 Finished: Dec 29 2021

My review: Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This year the lady astronaut series, the series this short story is part of, was a finalist for the "Best Series" award. While I usually skip that particular category, since I had already read all the previous instalment of the series, and utterly loved some of them (in particular The Calculating Stars and The Lady Astronaut of Mars) I decided to go ahead and read all the remaining instalments that I had not previously read.
The story is centered around a jaunt to the surface of Phobos, from the Mars colony, that yields surprising results... I will not say more to avoid spoilers.
The Phobos Experience turns out to be a nice mix of action, intrigue, history and science.
Its short length is not conducive to much character exploration, but there were some interesting and realistic takes on politics and human nature. A nice read that can be enjoyed as a stand-alone. (★★★★)
Started: Dec 29 2021 Finished: Dec 29 2021

My review: Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Novel category. I had read and loved the previous (shorter) instalments of the series, and I was looking forward reading this one. I ended up liking it even more than I expected it. No surprise it ended up winning the award.
Murderbot's "human associates" (not friends, never friends) are captured and another not-friend from its past requires urgent assistance, SecUnit must choose between inertia and drastic action. And as you can guess... Drastic action it is, then.
This story is action packed, fast paced, funny, and touching at times. It is also a not so veiled criticism to the extremes that unrestrained unregulated capitalism can lead to.
A fun and very enjoyable read, that I do recommend to everyone. (★★★★★)
Started: Sep 28 2021 Finished: Dec 26 2021

My review: I am fond of the Star Wars fictional universe: I have a nostalgic attachment to it, and despite some drops in quality along the way (e.g. The Phantom Menace), recent installments like Rogue One, The Force Awakens, and The Last Jedi were even better than the original series. Because of this fondness, I started reading some of Star Wars books during my commute or doing some chores. The quality is not always great, but they are usually at least enjoyable.
Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Knight, is just a memory. Darth Vader, newly anointed Sith Lord, is ascendant. The Emperor's chosen apprentice has swiftly proven his loyalty to the dark side. Still, the history of the Sith Order is one of duplicity, betrayal, and acolytes violently usurping their Masters, and the truest measure of Vader's allegiance has yet to be taken. Until now. On Ryloth, a planet crucial to the growing Empire as a source of slave labor and the narcotic known as "spice," an aggressive resistance movement has arisen, led by Cham Syndulla, an idealistic freedom fighter, and Isval, a vengeful former slave. But Emperor Palpatine means to control the embattled world and its precious resources by political power or firepower, and he will be neither intimidated nor denied. Accompanied by his merciless disciple, Darth Vader, he sets out on a rare personal mission to ensure that his will is done. For Syndulla and Isval, it's the opportunity to strike at the very heart of the ruthless dictatorship sweeping the galaxy. For the Emperor and Darth Vader, Ryloth becomes more than just a matter of putting down an insurrection: when an ambush sends them crashing to the planet's surface, where inhospitable terrain and an army of resistance fighters await them, they will find their relationship tested as never before. With only their lightsabers, the dark side of the Force, and each other to depend on, the two Sith must decide if the brutal bond they share will make them victorious allies or lethal adversaries. (★★★★)
Started: Apr 10 2021 Finished: Dec 20 2021

My review: I was thrilled to discover a new short story set in The Lady Astronaut universe, a series I am really enjoying so far. This story originally appeared in 2013 in The Mad Scientist’s Guide to World Domination.
This is a very short story, so short that it is hard to say much without spoiling it. It will suffice to say that it takes place prior to The Calculating Stars, and it is a prequel of sort to it. We will learn that there is more behind the meteor impact that we knew before.
While the story is quite good, it suffers from its short length: there is not really enough space to get to know the characters or relating to them. If you are reading the lady astronaut series, I would suggest skipping this one, and read it after some of the main novels. (★★★)
Started: Nov 29 2021 Finished: Nov 29 2021

My review: Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Novella category. I read a lot of enthusiastic reviews of this book and I was eager to read it. I was not disappointed.
This is the story of Ella and Kev, brother and sister, both gifted with extraordinary power. Their childhoods are defined and destroyed by structural racism and brutality. Their futures might alter the world. When Kev is incarcerated for the crime of being a young black man in America, Ella, through visits both mundane and supernatural, tries to show him the way to a revolution that could burn it all down. A great book that helps us understand more deeply the past, the present, and the likely future of this country. (★★★★★)
Started: Oct 23 2021 Finished: Nov 26 2021

My review: Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Novella category. I previously read and deeply loved The Shape of My Name by this author, and I was eager to read their latest work.
The story is set in our world, in our time, in a fictional big box furniture store that is really similar to a real Ikea. When an elderly customer wondering around the store slips through a portal to another dimension, it's up to two minimum-wage employees to track her across the multiverse and protect their company's bottom line. Multi-dimensional swashbuckling would be hard enough, but our two unfortunate souls broke up a week ago. Can friendship blossom from the ashes of a relationship? In infinite dimensions, all things are possible.
The story is good and very enjoyable. The target audience is young adults, and while the finale is satisfying, it is also open and a set up for a series of sequels. These facts limit a little the book appeal to me, but I will read the sequel(s) for sure! (★★★★)
Started: Oct 17 2021 Finished: Oct 23 2021

My review: Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Novellette category. I had previously read another short story by this author, and really liked the world building and writing style. I was quite curious to read this one.
The story is set in a near future, when a new experimental drug is created, to give everyone a perfect lean body. Unfortunately 1 out of 10 patients die in the slimming process.
This is a searing analysis of how society perceive obesity and how it impacts the perceived value of an individual. It's one of my favorites in this category, and it would be a well deserved win. (★★★★★)
Started: Oct 17 2021 Finished: Oct 17 2021

My review: Short story that bridges the novelette series with the full novels. It is written from Mensah's point of view. Interesting change of perspective and some interesting insight in Mensah's post traumatic stress disorder after being kidnapped in the previous instalment of the series. (★★★)
Started: Sep 30 2021 Finished: Sep 30 2021

My review: This is a review for The Wishing Pool by Tananarive Due and for Presque vue by Tochi Onyebuchi.
The Wishing Pool is the story of a woman, losing her dad to alzheimer's disease. The father lives in a remote cabin where the protagonist used to spend the summers as a kid. As a kid, while playing with friends, she discovered a pool that seemed to fulfill people's wishes... but not in the way someone would have hopped for. The story is deeply moving and beautiful. The ending is good and perfectly fitting, but I think the rest of the story made me wish for something more.
Presque vue is the story of a neurodiverse scientist, that since childhood hears a voice in her head. A voice that's often helpful when needed. I enjoyed the story, but I think the short length limits its potentials. (★★★)
Started: Aug 06 2021 Finished: Sep 27 2021

My review: Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Novella category. I have read some other books by this author before, including A Dead Djinn in Cairo that I loved, hence I was looking forward reading this one. I was not disappointed.
Ring Shout a dark fantasy historical novella that gives a supernatural twist to the Ku Klux Klan's reign of terror: it turns the real horrors of the time into supernatural ones.
D. W. Griffith is a sorcerer, and The Birth of a Nation is a spell that drew upon the darkest thoughts and wishes from the heart of America. Now, rising in power and prominence, the Klan has a plot to unleash Hell on Earth. Luckily, Maryse Boudreaux has a magic sword and a head full of tales. When she's not running bootleg whiskey through Prohibition Georgia, she's fighting monsters she calls "Ku Kluxes." She's good at it, too. But to confront this ongoing evil, she must journey between worlds to face nightmares made flesh... and her own demons. Together with a foul-mouthed sharpshooter and a Harlem Hellfighter, Maryse sets out to save a world from the hate that would consume it.
A great read, in my opinion one of the strongest contenders in the Novella category for the year. (★★★★★)
Started: May 28 2021 Finished: Jun 06 2021

My review: Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Novella category. I have read some other books by this author before, and while their book have almost always a Western backdrop (a genre that I am not very fond off), I nevertheless really like them. I had high expectations, but I was blown away anyway: this book is really remarkable. It reminds me a little of The Handmaid's Tale, but with a queer Western spin.
Upright Women Wanted is the story of Esther, a stowaway. She has hidden herself away in the Librarian's book wagon in an attempt to escape the marriage her father has arranged for her... a marriage to the man who was previously engaged to her best friend. Her best friend who she was in love with. Her best friend who was just executed for possession of resistance propaganda. The future American Southwest is full of bandits, fascists, and queer librarian spies on horseback trying to do the right thing.
Wonderfully written, one of the strongest contenders for the Hugo awards this year. (★★★★★)
Started: May 11 2021 Finished: May 27 2021

My review: This "review" is for two of the stories in this issue.
Helicopter Story by Isabel Fall.
I have a small group of friends that share similar taste in books. We often discuss books and once in a while, when one of us discover a great book, we share recommendations with each others. Last month one of them sent a link to this story, telling us how good it was. I was very busy with work and I could not jump on it right away, but one after the other, each friend that read it started commenting how good it was. I confess I initially recoiled when I saw the title (that employs a common transphobic meme), but I was reassured that the author actually own the meme and turned it on its head. This said a big controversy erupted around this story: some people read it as transphobic trolling, while other read it as an attempt to reclaim and own a transphobic meme on its head. It may sound strange, but I do see how people can perceive the same story in such opposite ways, since the author is subtle in messaging the moral of the story. I am really sorry that after working so hard, the author ended up requesting the story to be unpublished, and I am really sorry that people got hurt by the discussion around this story. I hope the controversy did not scared her away from writing, because Isabel is incredibly talented, and I really hope to read more from her.
Monster by Naomi Kritzer
Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Novelette category. I have read some short fiction by this author before, and I was looking forward reading this story.
The story is told via alternating timelines: the "present", where a scientist devoted to genetics is traveling to China on a mission to locate a childhood friend, and (via flashbacks) a near past, when the narrator and her friends met and grow together. I do not want to say more to avoid spoiling the story.
I will say though, that it is tremendously enjoyable, and one of my favorites for the Hugo in this category for the year.
(★★★★)
Number of times I read it: 2
Started (first time): May 18 2021 Finished (first time): May 18 2021

My review: This review is for Burn, or the Episodic Life of Sam Wells as a Super by A.T. Greenblatt.
Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Novelette category. I have not read any work by this author before, and I was eager to discover a new author.
This is the story of Sam, an accountant that has discovered a super ability: he can set himself on fire. This happened by accident in a bar, and led to loss of his friends and boyfriend. The incident makes the news, and Sam receives an application to the local Super organization. After a humiliating interview, he is accepted... to work as an accountant.
With his ability to set himself on fire, it doesn’t look like he'll be doing a lot of rescuing people, even though that's what he dreams of. More accurately, he dreams of impressing the people who dumped him when they learned he had a super power.
This is a story about accepting us for what we are, that evokes coming out stories in the real world.
This novellette is very well written, intriguing, and very enjoyable; definitely a strong contender for the award.
(★★★★)
Started: May 08 2021 Finished: May 09 2021

My review: This review is for A Guide For Working Breeds by Vina Jie-Min Prasad.
Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Short Story category.
100 years after Karel Capek coined the word, "robots" are an everyday idea, and the inspiration for countless stories in books, film, TV and games. They are often among the least privileged, most unfairly used of us, and the more robots are like humans, the more interesting they become. This collection of stories is where robots stand in for us, where both we and they are disadvantaged, and where hope and optimism shines through.
I loved this story, it is deeply funny yet it has some depth and some sweetness in it. I strongly recommend it. It's definitely one of my favorites in this category. (★★★★★)
Started: May 01 2021 Finished: May 02 2021

My review: This review is for Metal Like Blood in the Dark by T. Kingfisher (a.k.a. Ursula Vernon).
Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Short Story category. I previously read and liked some work by Ursula Vernon, but not as much written by her under the "Kingfisher" pen name (she uses that name for her non YA work).
This story was inspired by the classic fairy tale of Hansel and Gretel, but has very little left of the inspiration. It is the story of two sentient robot, raised in an abandoned and isolated elderly robotic genius parent, that has sought to shelter and protect them from the darker sides of humanity. But the time comes when the elderly parents need to leave them to get medical attention...
Very enjoyable and fun. (★★★★)
Started: May 02 2021 Finished: May 02 2021

My review: This review is for "The Mermaid Astronaut" by Yoon Ha Lee.
Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Short Story category. I had previously read and deeply loved previous work by this author, including the Ninefox Gambit series. I had downloaded The Mermaid Astronaut on my eReader even before learning it was one of the Hugo finalists, and the nomination made me even more eager to read the story. I was not disappointed.
This is a re-telling of the The Little Mermaid, but instead of being a tragic story of a young woman sacrificing everything because of an infatuation for a man she barely saw from a distance, it's a story that focuses on the difficult balance between following your passions and family. It is the story of an emigrant, supported by her family to succeed in reaching out for the star, and the struggle to reconciliate that with the deep love that roots her where her family is.
Well deserved Hugo nomination. (★★★★)
Started: Apr 30 2021 Finished: May 01 2021

My review: This review is for "Badass Moms in the Zombie Apocalypse" by Rae Carson.
Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Short Story category. I had previously read and enjoyed her The Wine in Dreams in the Star Wars' Canto Bight and I was looking forward reading more by the same author. The story is excellent, I really need to follow this author more closely.
This is the story of Brit and Marisol surviving along with Brit's mother Eileen and other women the Zombie apocalypse. Resources are scarce, but they make do. Brit is about giving birth which makes the Zombies restless: they smell blood and a newborn will cause a rampage. That's why Brit and Marisol have to leave the enclave and go to a safe haven in form of a shipping container...
The story is extremely fast paced, full of excitement and emotions. I particularly loved the implicit criticism to the misogynistic tropes of survival stories, that often cast an often only male or predominantly male set of characters, and where women, and mothers in particular are often portrayed as frail, dimwitted, and hysterical. This story features a full cast of kick-ass mothers doing an amazing job at fighting zombies.
(★★★★★)
Started: Apr 30 2021 Finished: Apr 30 2021

My review: I am fond of the Star Wars fictional universe: I have a nostalgic attachment to it, and despite some drops in quality along the way (e.g. The Phantom Menace), recent installments like Rogue One, The Force Awakens, and The Last Jedi were even better than the original series. Because of this fondness, I started reading some of Star Wars books during my commute or doing some chores. The quality is not always great, but they are usually at least enjoyable.
This book centers around Luke Skywalker, after the destruction of the Death Star has made him not only a hero of the Rebel Alliance but a valuable asset in the ongoing battle against the Empire. Though he's a long way from mastering the power of the Force, there's no denying his phenomenal skills as a pilot. In the eyes of Rebel leaders Princess Leia Organa and Admiral Ackbar, there's no one better qualified to carry out a daring rescue mission crucial to the Alliance cause.
A brilliant alien cryptographer renowned for her ability to breach even the most advanced communications systems is being detained by Imperial agents determined to exploit her exceptional talents for the Empire's purposes. But the prospective spy's sympathies lie with the Rebels, and she's willing to join their effort in exchange for being reunited with her family. It's an opportunity to gain a critical edge against the Empire that's too precious to pass up. It's also a job that demands the element of surprise. So Luke and the ever-resourceful droid R2-D2 swap their trusty X-wing fighter for a sleek space yacht piloted by brash recruit Nakari Kelen, daughter of a biotech mogul, who's got a score of her own to settle with the Empire.
Challenged by ruthless Imperial bodyguards, death-dealing enemy battleships, merciless bounty hunters, and monstrous brain-eating parasites, Luke plunges head-on into a high-stakes espionage operation that will push his abilities as a Rebel fighter and would-be Jedi to the limit. If ever he needed the wisdom of Obi-Wan Kenobi to shepherd him through danger, it's now. But Luke will have to rely on himself, his friends, and his own burgeoning relationship with the Force to survive.
It's an enjoyable read, but that's pretty much it. (★★★)
Started: Mar 20 2021 Finished: Apr 10 2021

My review: I had read the previous instalment of The Interdependency series as part of one of my 2018 Hugo Finalists Read-a-thon, and I was looking forward seeing where the story was going.
In The Collapsing Empire humanity's interstellar empire is on the verge of collapse. The extra-dimensional conduit that makes travel between the stars possible is disappearing, leaving entire systems and human civilizations stranded. Emperox Grayland II of the Interdependency is ready to take desperate measures to help ensure the survival of billions. But arrayed before her are those who believe the collapse of the Flow is a myth, or at the very least an opportunity to an ascension to power. While Grayland prepares for disaster, others are preparing for a civil war. A war that will take place in the halls of power, the markets of business and the altars of worship as much as it will between spaceships and battlefields. The Emperox and her allies are smart and resourceful, as are her enemies. Nothing about this will be easy... and all of humanity will be caught in its consuming fire.
This is a light read, yet quite entertaining and fun. Also, some of the characters, are incredibly memorable and funny. I can't wait to read the last book of this trilogy!
(★★★★)
Started: Feb 02 2021 Finished: Feb 27 2021

My review: I am fond of the Star Wars fictional universe: I have a nostalgic attachment to it, and despite some drops in quality along the way (e.g. The Phantom Menace), recent installments like Rogue One, The Force Awakens, and The Last Jedi were even better than the original series. Because of this fondness, I started reading some of Star Wars books during my commute. The quality is not always great, but they are usually at least enjoyable.
A Crash of Fate is quite enjoyable, despite being a tie-in story for the new Disneyland park section. It's the story of Izzy and Jules. They were childhood friends, climbing the spires of Batuu, inventing silly games, and dreaming of adventures they would share one day. Then, Izzy's family left abruptly, without even a chance to say goodbye. Izzy's life became one of constant motion, traveling from one world to the next, until her parents were killed and she became a low-level smuggler to make ends meet. Jules remained on Batuu, eventually becoming a farmer like his father, but always yearning for something more. Now, thirteen years after she left, Izzy is returning to Batuu. She's been hired to deliver a mysterious parcel, and she just wants to finish the job and get gone. But upon arrival at Black Spire Outpost she runs smack into the one person who still means something to her after all this time: Jules. The attraction between them is immediate, yet despite Jules seeming to be everything she's ever needed, Izzy hesitates. How can she drag this good-hearted man into the perilous life she's chosen? Jules has been trying to figure out his future, but now all he knows for certain is that he wants to be with Izzy. How can he convince her to take a chance on someone who's never left the safety of his homeworld?
A cute and entertaining read, that while does not contain any revelation nor features any of the well known characters, it still managed to evoke the magic of the Star Wars universe and make you like in it for few hours. I liked it. :) (★★★)
Started: Jan 09 2021 Finished: Feb 06 2021

My review: I had read and enjoyed The Martian, hence I was looking forward reading this short story by the same author. It is definitely entertaining despite its short length.
The story is set in the near future, between the Silicon Valley and Las Vegas. An IT whiz at the Babylon Casino is enlisted to upgrade security for the game of keno and its random-number generator. The new quantum computer system is foolproof. But someone on the inside is no fool. For once the odds may not favor the house... unless human ingenuity isn't entirely a thing of the past. This story was released as part of Forward, a collection of six short stories of the near and far future from acclaimed speculative fiction authors.

Merged review:

I had read and enjoyed The Martian, hence I was looking forward reading this short story by the same author. It is definitely entertaining despite its short length.
The story is set in the near future, between the Silicon Valley and Las Vegas. An IT whiz at the Babylon Casino is enlisted to upgrade security for the game of keno and its random-number generator. The new quantum computer system is foolproof. But someone on the inside is no fool. For once the odds may not favor the house... unless human ingenuity isn't entirely a thing of the past. This story was released as part of Forward, a collection of six short stories of the near and far future from acclaimed speculative fiction authors. (★★★)
Number of times I read it: 2
Started (first time): Feb 01 2021 Finished (first time): Feb 01 2021

My review: There has been a lot of talk around this novel, finalists of the Nebula, Hugo, and National Book awards. Modern Library even listed it as one of the 100 best novels of all time, while there has been numerous attempts to censor this book: in 1973 for example, a school board in USA decided to burn all the school libraries copies of the book. As a result I had extremely high expectations: I was prepared to be blown away.... but I was not.
Do not get me wrong: it's a good book, with a great anti-war message. It just did not meet my over hyped expectations.
Slaughterhouse-Five is centered on the infamous firebombing of Dresden. It is the story of Billy Pilgrim a person that claims to be experiencing time in a different way: he jumps back and forth, experiencing pieces of his life in almost random order. This odyssey through time reflects the mythic journey of our own fractured lives as we search for meaning in what we fear most. (★★★)
Started: Dec 31 2020 Finished: Jan 08 2021

My review: I read this book many many years ago, in 1990, translated to Italian. I did not really remember much of the plot, so reading it again after so many years really felt like reading it for the first time.
As you may already know, the book is about the world's end: it ends with a nanosecond of computer error in a Defense Department laboratory and a million casual contacts that form the links in a chain letter of death. The book is also, and mainly, about what happen next, about the bleak new world of the day after: a world stripped of its institutions and emptied of 99 percent of its people. A world in which a handful of panicky survivors choose sides or are chosen. A world in which good rides on the frail shoulders of the 108-year-old Mother Abigail and the worst nightmares of evil are embodied in a man with a lethal smile and unspeakable powers: Randall Flagg, the Dark Man.
King is indeed an incredibly talented storyteller, able to keep as interested and enthralled for thousands of pages. This said I found some aspects of the plot disturbing. This is a story of good vs Evil. The evil is not subtle: he is a dictator that tortures and kills people on crosses. The evil is so extreme that it should not be hard to justify the "good" side actions... but instead of justifying the good side actions on morality, they are justified with a blind, uninformed faith. The heroes are actually taking a stand without any evidence of evil beyond confused dreams and the words of a prophet. This is what crusaders, fundamentalist extremists, and conquistadores did, not what a hero would do. This is what led me to rate it only 3 stars, despite the good storytelling and the interesting worldbuilding. (★★★)
Started: Mar 16 2020 Finished: Dec 23 2020

My review: I read Gideon the Ninth few months before, and I loved it. Because of it, I could not wait to read this sequel... that was NOTHING of what I expected it to be. Tamsyn Muir did it again, she managed to surprise me at every page, taking the story in places I would have never imagined it.
Harrow the Ninth is a mind-twisting puzzle box of mystery, murder, magic, and mayhem. Nothing is as it seems in the halls of the Emperor, and the fate of the galaxy rests on one woman's shoulders. Harrowhark Nonagesimus, last necromancer of the Ninth House, has been drafted by her Emperor to fight an unwinnable war. Side by side with a detested rival, Harrow must perfect her skills and become an angel of undeath... but her health is failing, her sword makes her nauseous, and even her mind is threatening to betray her.
Sealed in the gothic gloom of the Emperor's Mithraeum with three unfriendly teachers, hunted by the mad ghost of a murdered planet, Harrow must confront two unwelcome questions: is somebody trying to kill her? And if they succeeded, would the universe be better off?
This is definitely a strongly recommended read and most strong contenders for next year Hugo award. (★★★★★)
Started: Oct 30 2020 Finished: Dec 04 2020

My review: I am a big fan of Yoon Ha Lee's work (in particular I loved the Machineries of Empire series). Because of that I was quite eager to read this latest novel. I confess I was not sure what to expect: the author's novels tend to be very complex and intricated, but this latest one was targeted to a YA audience. I was quite curious to see how Lee's style would adjust as a result. I was not disappointed: while the story does not have the depth and complexity of his previous space opera, it still have the rich world building and interesting characters. Also the book is quite a pleasure to read.
The book is set in a universe with many inhabited worlds, but where supernatural beings walk among humans. For example the main character, thirteen year old Min, comes from a long line of fox spirits. But you would never know it by looking at her. To keep the family safe, Min's mother insists that none of them use any fox's magic, such as Charm or shape-shifting. They must appear human at all times.
Min feels hemmed in by the household rules and resents the endless chores, the cousins who crowd her, and the aunties who judge her. She would like nothing more than to escape Jinju, her neglected, dust-ridden, and impoverished planet. She's counting the days until she can follow her older brother, Jun, into the Space Forces and see more of the Thousand Worlds.
When word arrives that Jun is suspected of leaving his post to go in search of the Dragon Pearl, Min knows that something is wrong. Jun would never desert his battle cruiser, even for a mystical object rumored to have tremendous power. She decides to run away to find him and clear his name.
Min's quest will have her meeting gamblers, pirates, and vengeful ghosts. It will involve deception, lies, and sabotage. She will be forced to use more fox-magic than ever before, and to rely on all of her cleverness and bravery.
I really enjoyed the story, and I am looking forward reading more by this author. (★★★★)
Started: Nov 08 2020 Finished: Nov 22 2020

My review: I am fond of the Star Wars fictional universe: I have a nostalgic attachment to it, and despite some drops in quality along the way (e.g. The Phantom Menace), recent installments like Rogue One, The Force Awakens, and The Last Jedi were even better than the original series. Because of this fondness, I started reading some of Star Wars books during my commute. The quality is not always great, but they are usually at least enjoyable.
I usually skip the books written for a younger audience, but I recently read and loved Star Wars: Pirate's Price so I decided to give this one a try. It was enjoyable, but that's it.
The book features Chewbacca the Wookiee. When he finds out that a job he thought was just ferrying tooka cats is actually much more, he's excited to have something to do. But when he, a young bounty hunter/librarian, and a droll cargo droid (who, unbeknownst to the others is rebel spy droid K-2SO) land in the middle of a blue forest that emits a fear-causing mist, Chewie realizes the job may be too dangerous for his liking. He and his companions will have to fight off snarlers, sniffers, and their own fears as they try to recover a sacred book... and rescue Han Solo in the process! (★★★)
Started: Oct 31 2020 Finished: Nov 08 2020

My review: I am fond of the Star Wars fictional universe: I have a nostalgic attachment to it, and despite some drops in quality along the way (e.g. The Phantom Menace), recent installments like Rogue One, The Force Awakens, and The Last Jedi were even better than the original series. Because of this fondness, I started reading some of Star Wars books during my commute. The quality is not always great, but they are usually at least enjoyable.
I confess I had little expectations for this particular story: I assumed it was aimed at very young riders and I was not expecting something too complex and enjoyable.
I was wrong.
This was one of the funniest star wars book ever. The story is centered around Hondo Ohnaka that is now became my favorite Star War character ever. Yes, the book won't provide any new insight or depth to the story we know already but... it will make you laugh quite hard.
I hope to see more by this author in the future! (★★★★)
Started: Oct 19 2020 Finished: Oct 31 2020

My review: Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Novella category. I was looking forward reading this story because I loved previous books by this author. I was not disappointed!
I would describe it as a hard science fiction piece, but with interesting characters. My reaction to the story was similar to Rendezvous with Rama: the science in both books is solid and wonder inspiring. This one though is also interesting because of the characters, that have depth and fell real (this is not true with Clarke's book I have to say).
The story is set in a future in which, instead of terraforming planets to sustain human life, explorers of the solar system instead transform themselves. Ariadne is one such explorer. As an astronaut on an extrasolar research vessel, she and her fellow crewmates sleep between worlds and wake up each time with different features. Her experience is one of fluid body and stable mind and of a unique perspective on the passage of time. Back on Earth, society changes dramatically from decade to decade, as it always does. Ariadne may awaken to find that support for space exploration back home has waned, or that her country of birth no longer exists, or that a cult has arisen around their cosmic findings, only to dissolve once more by the next waking. But the moods of Earth have little bearing on their mission: to explore, to study, and to send their learnings home.
I really hope the author will expand this into a full book or write a sequel. Another amazing piece of work for this year Hugo awards. (★★★★★)
Started: Aug 08 2020 Finished: Aug 11 2020

My review: Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Novel category. I was quite eager to read it, because I have been a big fan of Charlie Jane Anders since I read her incredible short story Don't Press Charges and I Won't Sue.
This story is set in the future, when humanity had to escape Earth after destroying it, and ends up on a tidally-locked planet that they name January. Humanity clings to life on a planet divided between permanently frozen darkness on one side, and blazing endless sunshine on the other. Two cities, built long ago in the meager temperate zone, serve as the last bastions of civilization, but life inside them is just as dangerous as the uninhabitable wastelands outside. Sophie, a young student from the wrong side of Xiosphant city, is exiled into the dark after being part of a failed revolution. But she survives with the help of a mysterious savior from beneath the ice. Burdened with a dangerous, painful secret, Sophie and her ragtag group of exiles face the ultimate challenge and they are running out of time.
Another great finalist to this year Hugo Award. It will be really hard to pick the winner. (★★★★)
Started: Jun 21 2020 Finished: Jul 06 2020

My review: Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Novel category.
I am usually not into the military science fiction subgenre, and I had really low expectations going in, but I was quite blown away by the book. I was expecting something full of action, but with not so much depth. Instead it has tons of action AND depth.
The book is set in a future where corporations have taken more and more the role of States over time during a time of conflict. Soldiers can now be broken down into light in order to get them to the front lines on Mars. The main character believes in the cause of the war and enlists to fight.and to be counted among the heroes who give all a better world.
The Light Brigade is what soldiers fighting the war against Mars call the ones who come back… different. Grunts in the corporate corps get busted down into light to travel to and from interplanetary battlefronts. Everyone is changed by what the corps must do in order to break them down into light. Those who survive learn to stick to the mission brief, no matter what actually happens during combat. Dietz, a fresh recruit in the infantry, begins to experience combat drops that don't sync up with the platoon's. And Dietz's bad drops tell a story of the war that's not at all what the corporate brass want the soldiers to think is going on. Is Dietz really experiencing the war differently, or is it combat madness? Trying to untangle memory from mission brief and survive with sanity intact, Dietz is ready to become a hero or maybe a villain; in war it's hard to tell the difference. A worthy successor to classic stories like The Forever War, this book describes a chilling future that we are already moving towards. This is one of my favorite books of the year. (★★★★★)
Started: Jun 14 2020 Finished: Jun 21 2020

My review: Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Novela category. A lot of friends had read and loved this book so I was looking forward reading it. I was not disappointed.
This is the story of two time traveling agents from warring futures, working their way through the past, begin to exchange letters... and falling in love. What began as a taunt, a battlefield boast, grows into something more. Something epic. Something romantic. Something that could change the past and the future. Except the discovery of their bond would mean death for each of them. There's still a war going on, after all. And someone has to win that war. That's how war works.
This is definitely a strong contender for the award!
(★★★★)
Started: Jun 07 2020 Finished: Jun 07 2020

My review: Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Novelette category. I am a big fan of N.K. Jemisin, and I was looking forward reading this story. I was not disappointed, this is probably the strongest contender to the award in this category.
The story is set in our future, after we are done exploiting our planet beyond what it can sustain, and some lucky few are able to escape its slow agonizing death. An explorer returns to Sol, the home planet, to gather information from a climate ravaged Earth that his ancestors, and others among the planet's finest, fled centuries ago. The mission comes with a warning: a graveyard world awaits him. But so do those left behind hopeless and unbeautiful wastes of humanity who should have died out eons ago. After all this time, there's no telling how they've devolved. Steel yourself, soldier. Get in. Get out. And try not to stare.
The story is a great example of how message fiction can work and be remarkably good. And I love how despite so much destruction, green, and death, the book is so full of hope.

Merged review:

Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Novelette category. I am a big fan of N.K. Jemisin, and I was looking forward reading this story. I was not disappointed, this is probably the strongest contender to the award in this category.
The story is set in our future, after we are done exploiting our planet beyond what it can sustain, and some lucky few are able to escape its slow agonizing death. An explorer returns to Sol, the home planet, to gather information from a climate ravaged Earth that his ancestors, and others among the planet's finest, fled centuries ago. The mission comes with a warning: a graveyard world awaits him. But so do those left behind hopeless and unbeautiful wastes of humanity who should have died out eons ago. After all this time, there's no telling how they've devolved. Steel yourself, soldier. Get in. Get out. And try not to stare.
The story is a great example of how message fiction can work and be remarkably good. And I love how despite so much destruction, green, and death, the book is so full of hope. (★★★★★)
Number of times I read it: 2
Started (first time): May 21 2020 Finished (first time): May 21 2020

My review: This review is for The Blur in the Corner of Your Eye by Sarah Pinsker.
Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Novelette category.
The story follows Zanna, a famous mystery writer who is renting a remote cabin to work on her next mystery novel and her assistant Shar that is staying nearby. The next morning, the fuses blow and Zanna decides to go looking for the cabin owner to ask for repairs, and finds him dead. He has apparently fallen and hit his head on a rock. She calls 911 and Shar that quickly show up to see what's going on. While the police work, Zanna's mystery writer's brain goes over the clues and determines that something is off...
Sarah Pinsker is an excellent writer, and it is always a pleasure to read her work. This novelette is quite good, even if I confess the ending was not as satisfying as I would have liked. (★★★★)
Started: May 17 2020 Finished: May 20 2020

My review: This review is for The Archronology of Love by Caroline M Yoachim.
Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Novelette category and is, in my opinion, one of the strongest contender to the title.
Dr. Saki Jones arrives at the colony planet New Mars to find that a mysterious plague has destroyed everyone who lived there, including her lifelove, M.J. To find out what happened, Saki must dig through the Chronicle, a recording of the time that was, through layers of time, slowly revealing the past. The result is a bittersweet story of aliens and human exploration; mystery and memory; and, of course, love. (★★★★)
Started: May 14 2020 Finished: May 16 2020

My review: I am fond of the Star Wars fictional universe: I have a nostalgic attachment to it, and despite some drops in quality along the way (e.g. The Phantom Menace), recent installments like Rogue One, The Force Awakens, and The Last Jedi were even better than the original series. Because of this fondness, I started reading some of Star Wars books during my commute. The quality is not always great, but they are usually at least enjoyable.
This one is a little of a mixed bag. It is a collection of fables, myths, and folklore from world of Star Wars. Some are better than others. General Grievous's short story is the most remarkable one, giving an interesting glimpse of the prequel character. (★★)
Started: May 05 2020 Finished: May 14 2020

My review: Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Short Fiction category and is, in my opinion, one of the strongest contender to the title.
The story is set in a near future in the only country to have ever experienced the damage and the death of a weapon of mass destruction on their territory. The survivors decide to make the usage of those weapon harder in the future, requiring the president to kill a chosen child to unlock their use. The book is the story of Nyma, one of those chosen children, during a time of war.
The story is beautifully written and moving. I am looking forward reading more by this author. (★★★★★)
Started: May 07 2020 Finished: May 07 2020

My review: I am fond of the Star Wars fictional universe: I have a nostalgic attachment to it, and despite some drops in quality along the way (e.g. The Phantom Menace), recent installments like Rogue One, The Force Awakens, and The Last Jedi were even better than the original series. Because of this fondness, I started reading some of Star Wars books during my commute. The quality is not always great, but they are usually at least enjoyable.
I was quite curious about this book, since it was written by the same author that wrote Dread Nation, a book that has received rave reviews. It was a nice story, targeted at younger readers, entertaining, but not life changing.
The story follows Rey, Poe, and Rose as they get a distress plea goes up from the isolated planet Minfar. Together they end up facing down a First Order battalion, terrifying flying creatures, and a weapon that could change the course of the war... (★★★)
Started: Apr 25 2020 Finished: May 05 2020

My review: I had enjoyed the previous installment of the series, and i am loving the TV adaptation, so I decided to catch up a little (yah I know I am really behind). While the story had some huge plot holes at the beginning and while Holden is turning a little into a boring handsome-hero-no-one-can-resist, the book is definitely tons of fun to read. I will definitely read the next instalments!
At the end of the last book the alien gates had opened the way to thousands of habitable planets, and the land rush has begun since then. Settlers stream out from humanity's home planets in a vast, poorly controlled flood, landing on a new world. Among them, the Rocinante, haunted by the vast, posthuman network of the protomolecule as they investigate what destroyed the great intergalactic society that built the gates and the protomolecule. But Holden and his crew must also contend with the growing tensions between the settlers and the company which owns the official claim to the planet. Both sides will stop at nothing to defend what's theirs, but soon a terrible disease strikes and only Holden, with help from the ghostly Detective Miller, can find the cure. (★★★)
Started: Mar 21 2020 Finished: May 02 2020

My review: I enjoyed the books of the expanse series so far, and I was looking forward reading more of it. The Churn is set on Earth, in Baltimore, now a slum. Most citizens live on basic government assistance, but some have used criminal enterprise to rise above that level of existence. In the shady underbelly of organized crime, a young man named Timmy takes a job with a boss named Burton. He may have a future in the family, but he might not have what it takes to follow the most unpleasant of orders...
The Churn give a glimpse of what life on The Expanse's Earth is. A nice touch of word building and interesting back story. (★★★★)
Started: Mar 17 2020 Finished: Mar 20 2020

My review: Lightspeed is a very well-known science fiction and fantasy magazine. Even in science fiction, supposedly the genre of limitless possibility, where everyone is invited to the adventure, minorities are often underrepresented. Back in 2014 Lightspeed started the "destroy science fiction" series, a yearly program focusing on underrepresented minorities to give them a voice, and to see what they have to offer and to contribute to the genre. In 2014 they focused on sci-fi and women. While sci-fi is considered by many the more open of the literary genres, heterosexual men are considered the default, to the extent that everything else is "deviation," and must be eyed with suspicion. But all science fiction is real science fiction. Science fiction is vast, and incredible fascinating in all its facets. It is inclusive. Science fiction is about people, and women are part of the genre. They always have been. It could even be said that women invented science fiction; after all, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is considered by many to be the first science fiction novel. Yet some readers seem to have this funny idea that women don't, or can't, write science fiction. Some have even gone so far as to accuse women of destroying science fiction with their girl cooties. So to help prove how silly that notion is, Women Destroy Science Fiction! showcase the richness and variety of women science fiction writers contributions. The issue features original fiction by Seanan McGuire, Charlie Jane Anders, N.K. Jemisin, Carrie Vaughn, Maria Dahvana Headley, Amal El-Mohtar, and many more. All together there's more than 180,000 words of material, including: 11 original short stories, 15 original flash fiction stories, 4 short story reprints and a novella reprint, 7 nonfiction articles, and 28 personal essays by women about their experiences reading and writing science fiction. They are just sometimes harder to see.
This is a great and important initiative, a very enjoyable and interesting read. I am looking forward reading the next "destroy" issue! (★★★★★)
Started: Feb 07 2020 Finished: Mar 15 2020

My review: I am fond of the Star Wars fictional universe: I have a nostalgic attachment to it, and despite some drops in quality along the way (e.g. The Phantom Menace), recent installments like Rogue One, The Force Awakens, and The Last Jedi were even better than the original series. Because of this fondness, I started reading some of Star Wars books during my commute. The quality is not always great, but they are usually at least enjoyable.
I had previously read another Star Wars books by the same author (Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel) and I did not like it at all. Because of it, I was hesitant to read this one, that turned out to be quite enjoyable instead.
The book focuses on one of the most intriguing figures of the original trilogy: Moth Tarkin. Tarkin, the scion of an honorable and revered family, a dedicated soldier and distinguished legislator, is a loyal proponent of the Republic and trusted ally of the Jedi Order. Groomed by the ruthless politician and Sith Lord who would be Emperor, Governor Wilhuff Tarkin rises through the Imperial ranks, enforcing his authority ever more mercilessly... and zealously pursuing his destiny as the architect of absolute dominion.
Rule through the fear of force rather than force itself, he advises his Emperor. Under Tarkin's guidance, an ultimate weapon of unparalleled destruction moves ever closer to becoming a terrifying reality. When the so called Death Star is completed, Tarkin is confident that the galaxy's lingering pockets of Separatist rebellion will be brought to heel by intimidation . . . or annihilation.
Until then, however, insurgency remains a genuine threat. Escalating guerrilla attacks by resistance forces and newfound evidence of a growing Separatist conspiracy are an immediate danger the Empire must meet with swift and brutal action. And to bring down a band of elusive freedom fighters, the Emperor turns to his most formidable agents: Darth Vader, the fearsome new Sith enforcer as remorseless as he is mysterious; and Tarkin, whose tactical cunning and cold-blooded efficiency will pave the way for the Empire’s supremacy... and its enemies' extinction. (★★★)
Started: Feb 20 2020 Finished: Mar 15 2020

My review: I am fond of the Star Wars fictional universe: I have a nostalgic attachment to it, and despite some drops in quality along the way (e.g. The Phantom Menace), recent installments like Rogue One, The Force Awakens, and The Last Jedi were even better than the original series. Because of this fondness, I started reading some of Star Wars books during my commute. The quality is not always great, but they are usually at least enjoyable.
I had previously read and enjoyed other Star Wars books by the same author that I liked, including Black Spire that is the sequel of this book (I did not realize at the time it was not a stand alone book). I enjoyed it enough to decide to read the Phasma afterwards (even if Black Spire spoiled part of it). And what a treat! Phasma is one of the best Star Wars books I have read so far. It is not only entertaining, it also has a original narrative structure (two different narrative threads woven within each other, one set to the present, and one in the past, slowly converging in the final chapter).
One of the most cunning and merciless officers of the First Order, Captain Phasma commands the favor of her superiors, the respect of her peers, and the terror of her enemies. But for all her renown, Phasma remains as virtually unknown as the impassive expression on her gleaming chrome helmet. Now, an adversary is bent on unearthing her mysterious origins, and exposing a secret she guards as zealously and ruthlessly as she serves her masters.
(★★★★)
Started: Jan 31 2020 Finished: Feb 19 2020

My review: I read many good reviews of this book, and I have been wanting to read it for a while, and I was quite happy when my book club selected it. It was definitely different from what I expected, definitely groundbreaking in its unusual narrative style, but definitely a pleasure to read and very interesting.
The story unfolds in a graveyard over the course of a single night, narrated by a dazzling chorus of voices, Lincoln in the Bardo is a literary experience unlike any other. It's February 1862. The Civil War is less than one year old. The fighting has begun in earnest, and the nation has begun to realize it is in for a long, bloody struggle. Meanwhile, President Lincoln's beloved eleven year old son, Willie, lies upstairs in the White House, gravely ill. In a matter of days, despite predictions of a recovery, Willie dies and is laid to rest in a Georgetown cemetery. "My poor boy, he was too good for this earth", the president says at the time. "God has called him home". Newspapers report that a grief-stricken Lincoln returned to the crypt several times alone to hold his boy's body. From that seed of historical truth, George Saunders spins an unforgettable story of familial love and loss that breaks free of its realistic, historical framework into a thrilling, supernatural realm both hilarious and terrifying. Willie Lincoln finds himself in a strange purgatory, where ghosts mingle, gripe, commiserate, quarrel, and enact bizarre acts of penance. Within this transitional state (called, in the Tibetan tradition, the bardo) a monumental struggle erupts over young Willie's soul. Lincoln in the Bardo is an astonishing feat of imagination and a bold step forward from one of the most important and influential writers of his generation. Formally daring, generous in spirit, deeply concerned with matters of the heart, it is a testament to fiction's ability to speak honestly and powerfully to the things that really matter to us. Saunders has invented a thrilling new form that deploys a kaleidoscopic, theatrical panorama of voices, living and dead, historical and invented, to ask a timeless, profound question: How do we live and love when we know that everything we love must end? (★★★★)
Started: Jan 21 2020 Finished: Jan 31 2020

My review: I am fond of the Star Wars fictional universe: I have a nostalgic attachment to it, and despite some drops in quality along the way (e.g. The Phantom Menace), recent installments like Rogue One, The Force Awakens, and The Last Jedi were even better than the original series. Because of this fondness, I started reading some of Star Wars books during my commute. The quality is not always that great, but they are almost always enjoyable.
I had previously read and enjoyed another Star Wars book by the same author (The Perfect Weapon), hence I was looking forward reading this one. I was not disappointed, I just wished it was made clear to me that this is a sequel of Phasma: I would have loved to have read that book before.
This book is set after the Last Jedi: after devastating losses at the hands of the First Order, General Leia Organa has dispatched her agents across the galaxy in search of allies, sanctuary, and firepower and her top spy, Vi Moradi, may have just found all three, on a secluded world at the galaxy's edge. A planet of lush forests, precarious mountains, and towering, petrified trees, Batuu is on the furthest possible frontier of the galactic map, the last settled world before the mysterious expanse of Wild Space. The rogues, smugglers, and adventurers who eke out a living on the largest settlement on the planet, Black Spire Outpost, are here to avoid prying eyes and unnecessary complications. Vi, a Resistance spy on the run from the First Order, is hardly a welcome guest. And when a shuttle full of stormtroopers lands in her wake, determined to root her out, she has no idea where to find help. To survive, Vi will have to seek out the good-hearted heroes hiding in a world that redefines scum and villainy. With the help of a traitorous trooper and her acerbic droid, she begins to gather a colorful band of outcasts and misfits, and embarks on a mission to spark the fire of resistance on Batuu... before the First Order snuffs it out entirely. (★★★★)
Started: Dec 15 2019 Finished: Jan 20 2020

My review: I previously read Stories of Your Life and Others and loved it, hence I was eager to read more by this author. I was quite excited when Exhalation was announced.
Some of the short stories are quite remarkable. In "The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate", a portal through time forces a fabric seller in ancient Baghdad to grapple with past mistakes and the temptation of second chances. I really like the narrative structure, inspired by the Thousands and One Nights. In "Exhalation", one of my favorites in this collection, an alien scientist makes a shocking discovery with ramifications not just for his own people, but for all of reality. And in "The Lifecycle of Software Objects", a woman cares for an artificial intelligence over twenty years, elevating a faddish digital pet into what might be a true living being. This is an excellent story, but I was a little disappointed by the ending.
In this fantastical and elegant collection, Ted Chiang wrestles with the oldest questions on earth: What is the nature of the universe? What does it mean to be human? and ones that no one else has even imagined. And, each in its own way, the stories prove that complex and thoughtful science fiction can rise to new heights of beauty, meaning, and compassion. (★★★★)
Started: Dec 13 2019 Finished: Dec 27 2019

My review: I am fond of the Star Wars fictional universe: I have a nostalgic attachment to it, and despite some drops in quality along the way (e.g. The Phantom Menace), recent installments like Rogue One, The Force Awakens, and The Last Jedi were even better than the original series. Because of this fondness, I started reading some of Star Wars books during my commute. The quality is not always that great, but they are almost always enjoyable.
Dooku: Jedi Lost delves into the history of the sinister Count Dooku. Who was he, before he became the right hand of the Sith? As Dooku courts a new apprentice, the hidden truth of the Sith Lord's past begins to come to light. Dooku's life began as one of privilege, born within the stony walls of his family's estate, orbited by the Funeral Moon where the bones of his ancestors lie interred. But soon his Jedi abilities are recognized and he is taken from his home to be trained in the ways of the Force by the legendary Master Yoda. As he hones his power, Dooku rises through the ranks, befriending fellow Jedi Sifo-Dyas and taking a padawan of his own, the promising Qui-Gon Jinn, and tries to forget the life that he once led. But he finds himself drawn by a strange fascination with the Jedi Master Lene Kostana, and the mission she undertakes for the Order: finding and studying ancient relics of the Sith, in preparation for the eventual return of the deadliest enemies the Jedi have ever faced. Caught between the world of the Jedi, the ancient responsibilities of his lost home, and the alluring power of the relics, Dooku struggles to stay in the light, even as the darkness begins to fall.
The book was very enjoyable, but it is always the case in Star Wars, I never find the "corruption" of previously "heroic" characters really credible. As for Anakin in the main saga, the fall from grace seems forced and hard to believe. This said, it's a very entertaining and fun book. (★★★)
Started: Dec 01 2019 Finished: Dec 19 2019

My review: Infomocracy, the first book of the Centenal Cycle, was one of the best books I have ever read. I strongly recommend it to everyone to better understand modern word, sociological and politically, and it can be read as stand alone. I liked its sequel, Null States, but it was nothing as the first instalment. I was quite curious to see where the third and last installment, State Tectonics, was going. Was it going to be a groundbreaking masterpiece as Infomocracy? Or just a fun book as Null States? It turns out it was somewhere in between. Definitely not groundbreaking, but still quite interesting.
In this last book of the series, the future of democracy must evolve or die. The last time Information held an election, a global network outage, two counts of sabotage by major world governments, and a devastating earthquake almost shook micro-democracy apart. Five years later it's time to vote again, and the system that has ensured global peace for 25 years is more vulnerable than ever. Unknown enemies are attacking Information's network infrastructure. Spies, former superpowers, and revolutionaries sharpen their knives in the shadows. And Information's best agents question whether the data monopoly they've served all their lives is worth saving, or whether it's time to burn the world down and start anew. (★★★★)
Started: Nov 12 2019 Finished: Dec 13 2019

My review: N.K. Jemisin is one of my favorite authors. Her Broken Earth trilogy is a masterpiece, and one of the best book series I have ever read. This is why I was quite eager to read this collection of short stories when I learned it was coming out.
I had already read some of the best stories that were previously published in a variety of places, so I was left with less than I hopped for. :(
In these stories, Jemisin sharply examines modern society, infusing magic into the mundane, and drawing deft parallels in the fantasy realms of her imagination. Dragons and hateful spirits haunt the flooded city of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In a parallel universe, a utopian society watches our world, trying to learn from our mistakes. A black mother in the Jim Crow south must figure out how to save her daughter from a fey offering impossible promises.
The book is a little of a mixed bag: some short stories are excellent and intriguing (I particularly liked Red Dirt Witch and Valedictorian), some are just OK. Overall it's a good book, but if you have not read anything by this author before, I would not start from here. (★★★★)
Number of times I read it: 2
Started (first time): Oct 13 2019 Finished (first time): Nov 12 2019

My review: I read the first installment of the series, Infomocracy, back in 2017 and I loved it. My review called that book "an incredible, eye opening literary achievement", and it is a book that I strongly recommend to everyone.
Because of it, I was quite eager to read its sequel, Null States. I was a little disappointed. Do not get me wrong, it is a very enjoyable and well crafted book, with very interesting reflections on international political dynamics, but it is not as groundbreaking as Infomocracy. It did not help that I had forgotten some of the characters by the time I picked this second book up.
The story starts after the last controversial global election covered in the previous book, as the global infomocracy that has ensured thirty years of world peace is fraying at the edges. As the new Supermajority government struggles to establish its legitimacy, agents of Information across the globe strive to keep the peace and maintain the flows of data that feed the new world order. In the newly-incorporated DarFur, a governor dies in a fiery explosion. In Geneva, a superpower hatches plans to bring microdemocracy to its knees. In Central Asia, a sprawling war among archaic states threatens to explode into a global crisis. And across the world, a shadowy plot is growing, threatening to strangle Information with the reins of power. (★★★)
Started: Sep 07 2019 Finished: Oct 11 2019

My review: I am fond of the Star Wars fictional universe: I have a nostalgic attachment to it, and despite some drops in quality along the way (e.g. The Phantom Menace), recent installments like Rogue One, The Force Awakens, and The Last Jedi were even better than the original series. Because of this fondness, I started reading some of Star Wars books during my commute. The quality is not always that great, but they are almost always enjoyable.
Lando's luck tells the story of a young Lando Calrissian and L3-37 well before the events of Solo. When Lando Calrissian gets caught smuggling on the planet Hynestia, the queen agrees to let him go if he delivers something called the Solstice Globe to the Empire on her behalf. Lando is relieved that his punishment is a simple delivery mission... but things are not as simple as they seem. The queen's daughter, Princess Rinetta, has stowed away on the Millennium Falcon and demands that Lando and L3-37 take the globe back to its home planet, which needs the globe to survive. Now Lando has to choose: do what's right or do what's best for Lando? If he's lucky enough, he just might be able to do both...
Quite an enjoyable story, that really made me like L3-37 a lot. I really hope I will get to read or see more of her in the future. (★★★)
Started: Sep 10 2019 Finished: Sep 17 2019

My review: I am fond of the Star Wars fictional universe: I have a nostalgic attachment to it, and despite some drops in quality along the way (e.g. The Phantom Menace), recent installments like Rogue One, The Force Awakens, and The Last Jedi were even better than the original series. Because of this fondness, I started reading some of Star Wars books during my commute. The quality is not always that great, but they are almost always enjoyable.
This is the story of Padmé Naberrie, "Queen Amidala" of Naboo in the period of time between the first and the second prequel movies. As she steps down from her position, she is asked by the newly-elected queen to become Naboo's representative in the Galactic Senate. Padmé is unsure about taking on the new role, but cannot turn down the request to serve her people. Together with her most loyal handmaidens, Padmé must figure out how to navigate the treacherous waters of politics and forge a new identity beyond the queen's shadow.
It was definitely an enjoyable read, with very interesting characters, but a little bit thin on the plot side. (★★★)
Started: Aug 24 2019 Finished: Sep 10 2019

My review: I had read The Gunslinger before, and I had mixed feeling about it. Some elements, especially towards the end, were quite intriguing, but it did not feel it had a clear coherent story. I felt like I was reading an early draft. Overall it was not one of my favorite King's book. Things really changed with this second installment of the series. This is a much better written book, with interesting characters and plots, touching difficult issues like substance abuse and xenophobia.
The story begins when the previous one left off: while pursuing his quest for the Dark Tower through a world that is a nightmarishly distorted mirror image of our own, Roland, the last gunslinger, encounters three mysterious doorways on the beach. Each one enters into the life of a different person living in contemporary New York. Here he links forces with the defiant young Eddie Dean and the beautiful, brilliant, and brave Odetta Holmes, in a savage struggle against underworld evil and otherworldly enemies.
It was overall a very hard to put down book, and I am looking forward reading the next installments of the series. (★★★★)
Started: Aug 04 2019 Finished: Aug 24 2019

My review: I am fond of the Star Wars fictional universe: I have a nostalgic attachment to it, and despite some drops in quality along the way (e.g. The Phantom Menace), recent installments like Rogue One, The Force Awakens, and The Last Jedi were even better than the original series. Because of this fondness, I started reading some of Star Wars books during my commute. The quality is not always that great, but they are almost always enjoyable.
This books takes place between two of the Star Wars animated series (the clone wars and rebels) and feels the gap between the two. I have not watched either, but I still loved the series. The book follows Ahsoka after she left the Jedi Order near the end of the Clone Wars, and before she re-appeared as the mysterious Rebel operative Fulcrum in Rebels. Following her experiences with the Jedi and the devastation of Order 66, Ahsoka is unsure she can be part of a larger whole ever again. But her desire to fight the evils of the Empire and protect those who need it will lead her right to Bail Organa, and the Rebel Alliance.
A very enjoyable short story, I just wish that [spoilers removed]. (★★★★)
Started: Jul 22 2019 Finished: Aug 02 2019

My review: The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas is one of the most famous and most quoted books by Ursula K. Le Guin. I never had a chance to read it before, and I had build up very high expectations. Maybe because of these high expectations, despite really appreciating and liking the story, I was a little disappointed, expecting something even more. This said I definitely appreciate the story, and the author's ability to force us to face the cruelty and inhumanity of the exploitation of others that enable us to leave a life of never experienced before wealth and comfort.
The story is set in the fictional city of Omelas, a city of plenty and of happiness. The city where everyone but one is happy. This is the social contract in Omelas: one child suffers horribly so that the rest can be happy. If the child were let free or comforted, Omelas would be destroyed. Most people feel horrible for the child, and some parents hold their kids tighter, and then they return to their happiness. But some go to see the child in the room and then keep walking. They don’t want to be part of that social contract. "They leave Omelas; they walk ahead into the darkness and they do not come back". (★★★★★)
Started: Aug 01 2019 Finished: Aug 02 2019

My review: I am very fond of The Murderbot Diaries series, and I was looking forward reading the fourth (and at least for now) final installment of the series. The story picks up where it was left, and bring back many of the characters of All System Red.
Murderbot wasn't programmed to care. So, its decision to help the only human who ever showed it respect must be a system glitch, right? Having traveled the width of the galaxy to unearth details of its own murderous transgressions, as well as those of the GrayCris Corporation, Murderbot is heading home to help Dr. Mensah, its former owner / protector / friend?, submit evidence that could prevent GrayCris from destroying more colonists in its never-ending quest for profit. But who’s going to believe a SecUnit gone rogue? And what will become of it when it’s caught?
A good ending for one of the most entertaining series of the decade. (★★★★)
Started: Jul 25 2019 Finished: Aug 01 2019

My review: I am very fond of The Murderbot Diaries series, and I was looking forward reading the third installment of the series.
The story picks up again exactly where the previous one left of: the case against the too-big-to-fail GrayCris Corporation that tried to kill Murderbot and her humans in All System Red is floundering, and more importantly, authorities are beginning to ask more questions about where Dr. Mensah's SecUnit is. And Murderbot would rather those questions went away. For good.
The story is very well written and very enjoyable. It is getting less original and novel book after book though: while I love to read more of the same great stuff, I am less amazed by it. I can't wait to see where the story will go next though. (★★★)
Started: Jul 15 2019 Finished: Jul 23 2019

My review: I am fond of the Star Wars fictional universe: I have a nostalgic attachment to it, and despite some drops in quality along the way (e.g. The Phantom Menace), recent installments like Rogue One, The Force Awakens, and The Last Jedi are much better than the original series. Because of this fondness, I started reading some of Star Wars books during my commute. The quality is not always that great, but they are almost always enjoyable.
Canto Bight is definitelly not one of the best, but it is quite enjoyable. It is a collection of 4 short stories set in the casino city of Canto Bight, first seen in The last Jedi, a place where exotic aliens, captivating creatures, and other would-be high rollers are willing to risk everything to make their fortunes. In Canto Bight, one is free to revel in excess, untouched from the problems of a galaxy once again descending into chaos and war. Dreams can become reality, but the stakes have never been higher... for there is a darkness obscured by all the glamour and luxury.
The four stories are set in the same evening, and they are very loosely interconnected.
Story #1 by Saladin Ahmed: an honest salesman meets a career criminal as a dream vacation turns into the worst nightmare imaginable. This one is often hilarious and sweet.
Story #2 by Mira Grant: dreams and schemes collide when a deal over a priceless bottle of wine becomes a struggle for survival.
Story #3 by Rae Carson: Old habits die hard when a servant is forced into a mad struggle for power among Canto Bight's elite. Probably one of my favorites among the 4.
Story #4 by John Jackson Miller: A deadbeat gambler has one last chance to turn his luck around; all he has to do is survive one wild night. Another funny story.
This is definitely not one of my favorite Star Wars books, mainly because it does not feature any major event or character. It is an attempt to worldbuild and give more depth to the city of canto Bight. While it succeed in doing that, it just the story of a relatively unremarkable location of the saga. The writers are quite good though, I would be curious to read more of their work. (★★)
Started: Jun 19 2019 Finished: Jul 21 2019

My review: I had read another book by this author (Everything That Isn't Winter) and I really liked it, so i was eager to read this book, especially after reading all the very positive critics reviews.
The book is definitely well written, the story-line original and with a distinctive voice. I also enjoyed reading a book written by an author with political beliefs that do not match mine.
This is the story of Danielle Cain, a queer punk rock traveller, jaded from a decade on the road. Searching for clues about her best friend's mysterious and sudden suicide, she ventures to the squatter, utopian town of Freedom, Iowa. All is not well in Freedom, however: things went awry after the town's residents summoned a protector spirit to serve as their judge and executioner.
Danielle shows up in time to witness the spirit (a blood-red, three-antlered deer) begin to turn on its summoners. Danielle and her new friends have to act fast if they're going to save the town... or get out alive. (★★★)
Started: Jul 14 2019 Finished: Jul 15 2019

My review: I read Artificial Condition as part of my Hugo 2019 finalists read-a-thon, but I was already familiar with the Hugo award winner author and I loved the previous installment of the series, hence I was looking forward reading it.
I really liked Artificial Condition, as much as All System Red.
The story picks up exactly where the previous one left of: Murderbot has decided to leave its so called "guardian" claiming its freedom and agency. We also learn that were was another motivation behind Murderbot's choice: it wants to learn more about its dark past, trying to recover what was forcibly erased from its memory after it went rogue the first time.
Teaming up with a Research Transport vessel named ART (you don't want to know what the "A" stands for), Murderbot heads to the mining facility where it went rogue...
This is definitely one of my favorite Hugo finalist in this category. (★★★★)
Started: Jul 12 2019 Finished: Jul 14 2019

My review: A very entertaining novella, impossible to put down, written from the eyes of one of the most interesting characters I have seen in a while: an organic android, deprived of any legal right, yet completely human and full of mirth. The story is short, and there was not space yet for a lot of character development, but there are promising premises and signs... I cannot wait to read the next installments of the series.
In a corporate-dominated space-faring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. Exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids, for their own safety. But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn't a primary concern. On a distant planet, a team of scientists are conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied android, a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module, and refers to itself (though never out loud) as "Murderbot". Scornful of humans, all it really wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is. But when a neighboring mission goes dark, it's up to the scientists and their Murderbot to get to the truth. (★★★★)
Number of times I read it: 2
Started (first time): Jul 07 2019 Finished (first time): Jul 12 2019

My review: I am fond of the Star Wars fictional universe: I have a nostalgic attachment to it, and despite some drops in quality along the way (e.g. The Phantom Menace), recent installments like Rogue One, The Force Awakens, and The Last Jedi are much better than the original series. Because of this fondness, I started reading some of Star Wars books during my commute. The quality is not always that great, but there has been some nice exceptions, including this one. I really enjoyed reading Master and Apprendice and I am looking forward reading some more by this author.
This is the story of a young Obi-Wan Kenobi, still a Padawan, and his mentor, Qui-Gon Jinn. A Jedi must be a fearless warrior, a guardian of justice, and a scholar in the ways of the Force. But perhaps a Jedi's most essential duty is to pass on what they have learned. Master Yoda trained Dooku; Dooku trained Qui-Gon Jinn; and now Qui-Gon has a Padawan of his own. But while Qui-Gon has faced all manner of threats and danger as a Jedi, nothing has ever scared him like the thought of failing his apprentice.
Obi-Wan Kenobi has deep respect for his Master, but struggles to understand him. Why must Qui-Gon so often disregard the laws that bind the Jedi? Why is Qui-Gon drawn to ancient Jedi prophecies instead of more practical concerns? And why wasn't Obi-Wan told that Qui-Gon is considering an invitation to join the Jedi Council, knowing it would mean the end of their partnership? The simple answer scares him: Obi-Wan has failed his Master.
When Jedi Rael Averross, another former student of Dooku, requests their assistance with a political dispute, Jinn and Kenobi travel to the royal court of Pijal for what may be their final mission together. What should be a simple assignment quickly becomes clouded by deceit, and by visions of violent disaster that take hold in Qui-Gon's mind. As Qui-Gon's faith in prophecy grows, Obi-Wan's faith in him is tested—just as a threat surfaces that will demand that Master and apprentice come together as never before, or be divided forever. (★★★★)
Started: Jun 02 2019 Finished: Jun 19 2019

My review: I am fond of the Star Wars fictional universe: I have a nostalgic attachment to it, and despite some drops in quality along the way (e.g. The Phantom Menace), recent installments like Rogue One, The Force Awakens, and The Last Jedi are much better than the original series.
I picked up this book thinking it was a prequel to the new trilogy focusing on Rey. Instead I was a little disappointed to discover that this is The Force Awaken told from Rey's point of view. While entertaining, it was not what I was hopping for.
For those few of you that never watched the movie, Rey is a poor young girl, abandoned by her parents, barely surviving savaging electronics from crashed spaceships. She never thought she would leave the desert planet of Jakku, but her life is turned upside down when she meets BB-8, a small droid with a big secret. Like it or not, Rey is about to be caught up in something much larger than herself: a galactic war between the evil First Order and the fledgling Resistance. But something is awakening inside of Rey, something that might turn the tides of fortune in the galaxy... (★★★★)
Started: May 29 2019 Finished: Jun 02 2019

My review: I read The Tea Master and the Detective as part of my Hugo 2019 finalists read-a-thon, but I was already familiar with the Hugo award winner author, and I was looking forward reading it.
The book is set in an alternate universe where China discovered the Americas before Europe. The story is set in the future, in the Scattered Pearls Belt, a collection of ring habitats and orbitals ruled by exiled human scholars and powerful families, and held together by living mindships who carry people and freight between the stars. In this fluid society, human and mindship avatars mingle in corridors and in function rooms, and physical and virtual realities overlap, the appearance of environments easily modified and adapted to interlocutors or current mood. A transport ship discharged from military service after a traumatic injury, The Shadow's Child now ekes out a precarious living as a brewer of mind-altering drugs for the comfort of space-travelers. Meanwhile, abrasive and eccentric scholar Long Chau wants to find a corpse for a scientific study. When Long Chau walks into her office, The Shadow's Child expects an unpleasant but easy assignment. When the corpse turns out to have been murdered, Long Chau feels compelled to investigate, dragging The Shadow's Child with her. As they dig deep into the victim's past, The Shadow's Child realizes that the investigation points to Long Chau's own murky past... and, ultimately, to the dark and unbearable void that lies between the stars...
I really enjoyed the story, the characters and the world-building are complex and interesting. I learned that the story is part of a series of stand alone shorts. I am quite intrigued, and I really want to read the others now. (★★★★)
Started: May 27 2019 Finished: May 29 2019

My review: I read Space Opera as part of my Hugo 2019 finalists read-a-thon, but I was already familiar with the Hugo award winner author, and I was looking forward reading it.
The story goes as follows: 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 left and bring the shattered worlds together in the spirit of peace, unity, and understanding. Once every cycle, the civilizations gather for the Metagalactic Grand Prix, part gladiatorial contest, part beauty pageant, part concert extravaganza, and part continuation of the wars of the past. Instead of competing in orbital combat, the powerful species that survived face off in a competition of song, dance, or whatever can be physically performed in an intergalactic talent show. The stakes are high for this new game, and everyone is forced to compete. This year, though, humankind has discovered the enormous universe. And while they expected to discover a grand drama of diplomacy, gunships, wormholes, and stoic councils of aliens, they have instead found glitter, lipstick and electric guitars. Mankind will not get to fight for its destiny, they must sing. A one-hit-wonder band of human musicians, dancers and roadies from London, Decibel Jones and the Absolute Zeroes, have been chosen to represent Earth on the greatest stage in the galaxy. And the fate of their species lies in their ability to rock.
I am having an hard time reviewing this book. It contains witty and deep quotable passages, I love the message it conveys, and it is very well written. On the other side, despite loving Eurovision and Euro-pop, I am not into the pop-culture surrounding it. This makes the book hard to like for me: even if a chocolate cake is made by the best baker in town, you are still not going to like it if you do not like chocolate.
(★★★)
Started: May 08 2019 Finished: May 25 2019

Publisher review: The November/December 2018 issue of Hugo Award-winning Uncanny Magazine. Featuring new fiction by Isabel Yap, T. Kingfisher, Naomi Kritzer, Monica Valentinelli, and Cassandra Khaw. Reprinted fiction by Sofia Samatar, essays by Diana M. Pho, Steven H Silver, Sarah Goslee, and Nilah Magruder, poetry by Beth Cato, Hal Y. Zhang, Leah Bobet, and Sharon Hsu, and interviews with Isabel Yap and Monica Valentinelli by Caroline M. Yoachim, a cover by John Picacio, and an editorial by Lynne M. Thomas and Michael Damian Thomas.
My rating:
Number of times I read it: 2
Started (first time): May 25 2019 Finished (first time): May 25 2019

My review: I am fond of the Star Wars fictional universe: I have a nostalgic attachment to it, and despite some drops in quality along the way (e.g. The Phantom Menace), recent installments like Rogue One, The Force Awakens, and The Last Jedi are much better than the original series.
Because of this fondness, I started reading some of Star Wars books. The quality is often not that great, but there has been some nice exceptions. The plot tends to be simple, making these books perfect for my commute.
This book focuses on two prequel characters from the Clone Wars TV series: Jedi Master Quinlan Vos and one-time Sith acolyte Asajj Ventress. I have not watched the TV series, so I was not familiar with the characters background, but that did not limit the enjoyment of the book at all. I loved the book! It will not change your life, it is not ground breaking, it does not provide any unique insight to the series, but it is extremely entertaining, fun, and satisfying. I loved Ventress in particular even if I am not crazy about the fact that she had to sacrifice her life to save Vos.
The Jedi council realizes that the only way to bring down the dark side's most dangerous warrior may be for Jedi and Sith to join forces. In the war for control of the galaxy between the armies of the dark side and the Republic, former Jedi Master turned ruthless Sith Lord Count Dooku has grown ever more brutal in his tactics. Despite the powers of the Jedi and the military prowess of their clone army, the sheer number of fatalities is taking a terrible toll. And when Dooku orders the massacre of a flotilla of helpless refugees, the Jedi Council feels it has no choice but to take drastic action: targeting the man responsible for so many war atrocities, Count Dooku himself. But the ever elusive Dooku is dangerous prey for even the most skilled hunter. So the Council makes the bold decision to bring both sides of the Force's power to bear, pairing brash Jedi Knight Quinlan Vos with infamous one-time Sith acolyte Asajj Ventress. Though Jedi distrust for the cunning killer who once served at Dooku's side still runs deep, Ventress's hatred for her former master runs deeper. She's more than willing to lend her copious talents as a bounty hunter and assassin to Vos's quest. Together, Ventress and Vos are the best hope for eliminating Dooku, as long as the emerging feelings between them don't compromise their mission. But Ventress is determined to have her retribution and at last let go of her dark Sith past. Balancing the complicated emotions she feels for Vos with the fury of her warrior's spirit, she resolves to claim victory on all fronts, a vow that will be mercilessly tested by her deadly enemy... and her own doubt.
(★★★★)
Started: Apr 30 2019 Finished: May 14 2019

My review: I am fond of the Star Wars fictional universe: I have a nostalgic attachment to it (I still remember watching "a new hope" as a kid at an outdoor movie theater on a hot Italian summer night), and despite some drops in quality along the way (e.g. The Phantom Menace), recent installments like Rogue One, The Force Awakens, and The Last Jedi are much better than the original series.
Because of this fondness, I started reading some of Star Wars books. The quality of the ones I read so far has been, hem, not that great. I am told there are some very good ones (e.g. the aftermath trilogy), so I'll keep reading. They tend to have simple plots, and that makes them perfect candidates for my commute!
This book focuses on a character that we just glimpse in "The Force Awaken": Bazine Netal, a quick-witted mercenary who takes big risks for bigger rewards.
There are plenty of mercenaries, spies, and guns for hire in the galaxy. But probably none as dangerous and determined as her. A master of disguise, and lethal with a blade, a blaster, or bare handed, she learned from the best. Now it's her turn to be the teacher, even if schooling an eager but inexperienced recruit in the tricks of her trade is the last thing she wants to do. But it's the only way to score the ship she needs to pull off her latest job. An anonymous client has hired Bazine to track down an ex-stormtrooper and recover the mysterious package he's safeguarding. Payment for the mission promises to be astronomical, but the obstacles facing Bazine will prove to be formidable. And though her eager new sidekick has cyber skills crucial to the mission, only Bazine's razor-sharp talents will mean the difference between success or failure... and life or death.
Despite its short length, this has been one of my favorite Star Wars' books so far. It's very entertaining and fast paced. I hope to read more by this author in the future. (★★★)
Started: Apr 28 2019 Finished: Apr 30 2019

My review: I am fond of the Star Wars fictional universe: I have a nostalgic attachment to it (I still remember watching "a new hope" as a kid at an outdoor movie theater on a hot Italian summer night), and despite some drops in quality along the way (e.g. The Phantom Menace), recent installments like Rogue One, The Force Awakens, and The Last Jedi are much better than the original series.
Because of this fondness, I started reading some of Star Wars books. The quality of the ones I read so far has been, hem, not that great. I am told there are some very good ones (e.g. the aftermath trilogy), so I'll keep reading. They tend to have simple plots, and that makes them perfect candidates for my commute!
This book focuses on two characters introduced in the sequel trilogy: Rose and Paige Tico. In Cobalt Squadron we learn more about the two sisters, refugees from a planet devastated by the fearsome First Order. After their escape, Rose and Paige join General Leia Organa's Resistance to make sure that no other worlds will suffer the way theirs did. Paige is a top-notch gunner for the Resistance bomber group Cobalt Squadron, and Rose is a technician who helps make sure the ships run smoothly. While investigating reports of a First Order blockade in the Atterra system, Cobalt Squadron is approached by two freedom fighters from Atterra Bravo, desperate to save their world from the stranglehold of the First Order. For Rose and Paige it feels all too personal, reminding them of their lost home. The Resistance devises a daring plan for the bomber ships to help the people of Atterra Bravo right under the nose of the First Order. Will Rose and Paige help save a planet, or will their actions lead to all-out war?
While the book is in the "OK" range, it was entertaining, and I enjoyed reading it during my commute. (★★★)
Started: Apr 11 2019 Finished: Apr 27 2019

My review: I read When We Were Starless as part of my Hugo 2019 finalists read-a-thon. I had not read anything by this author before, so I did not know what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised. The story is very interesting and the world-building and the story telling are exquisite.
The story is set after some major conflict has left behind a devastated and poisonous world. The protagonist, Mink, barely survives in this world moving around savaging what has been left behind with his tribe. Everything that was left behind is now seen through the eyes of newly built mythologies and superstitions. For example the protagonist tribe herds "weavers" that apparently are some kind of other robot. The sky is black, courtesy of whatever poisoned the planet.
Mink 's role and duty is to deal with "ghost" and to "lay them to rest" for the safety of her people. But what these beings call a ghost is something quite different from our traditional notion and piece by piece we learn more about what has happened to this world and its inhabitants, of the history that involves many more worlds other than this one.
I cannot wait to read more stories by this author! (★★★★)
Started: Apr 26 2019 Finished: Apr 27 2019

My review: I read Gods, Monsters, and the Lucky Peach as part of my Hugo 2019 finalists read-a-thon. I previously read other short stories by this author in the past and I loved them. I really had high expectations and I was not disappointed. I really loved it.
In 2267, Earth has just begun to recover from worldwide ecological disasters. Minh is part of the generation that first moved back up to the surface of the Earth from the underground hells, to reclaim humanity's ancestral habitat. She's spent her entire life restoring river ecosystems, but lately the kind of long-term restoration projects Minh works on have been stalled due to the invention of time travel. When she gets the opportunity take a team to 2000 BC to survey the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, she jumps at the chance to uncover the secrets of the shadowy think tank that controls time travel technology. (★★★★)
Started: Apr 19 2019 Finished: Apr 22 2019

My review: Neil Gaiman won both the Hugo and the Nebula awards for this book, and because of it I always wanted to read it. I knew nothing of the plot, I only had some guesses based on the title. The book turned out quite different from what I expected. It is an attempt to capture and portray the soul of America, this weird country of immigrants, a kaleidoscopic mixture of people and cultures, without a clearly defined one. It's definitely an interesting book. For the first 3/4th of it I kept wondering where the story would end up. Up to that point the book was almost only a collection of random strokes... but towards the end things starts falling into place, and suddenly a clear outline emerges. Well done Neil Gaiman!
The book is the story of Shadow, a man that was locked behind bars for three years, quietly waiting for the day when he could return to Eagle Point, Indiana. All he wants is to be with Laura, the wife he deeply loves, and start a new life. But just days before his release, Laura and Shadow's best friend are killed in an accident. With his life in pieces and nothing to keep him tethered, Shadow accepts a job from a beguiling stranger he meets on the way home, an enigmatic man who calls himself Mr. Wednesday. A trickster and a rogue, Wednesday seems to know more about Shadow than Shadow does himself. Life as Wednesday's bodyguard, driver, and errand boy is far more interesting and dangerous than Shadow ever imagined. Soon Shadow learns that the past never dies... and that beneath the placid surface of everyday life a storm is brewing: an epic war for the very soul of America. And he is standing squarely in its path. (★★★★)
Started: Mar 17 2019 Finished: Apr 14 2019

My review: This review is for The Court magician by José Pablo Iriarte.
I read The Court magician as part of my Hugo 2019 finalists read-a-thon, but I was already familiar with the Nebula award winner author, and I was looking forward reading it.
This short story focuses on the terrible cost of magic. The main character is someone that like many typical protagonists of fantasy novels has a very humble beginning (in this case a poor orphan), but manages to raise up to one of the highest ranks in the magical world (in this case, he becomes the court magician). This story focuses on the cost associated to such a post, that soon turns out to be a real curse.
This is an excellent short story and a worthy candidate for the Hugo award. (★★★★★)
Started: Apr 14 2019 Finished: Apr 14 2019

My review: I read STET as part of my Hugo 2019 finalists read-a-thon, but I was already familiar with the author, and I was looking forward reading more by her. I was not disappointed, this is definitely a strong contender for the prestigious award. I particularly liked the very original and very experimental format: the story is a very short scientific report, annotated with tons of notes between the author and the reviewer. The report itself is very scientific, very objective, and apparently complete, but the footnotes and the back-and-forth captured in the notes shows that there is much more to the story.
Despite its brevity, the story conveys quite effectively the ethical complexities of artificial intelligence, a field that were progress is made at a pace that makes it impossible to really understand the dangers associated with it, especially in terms of unconsciously embedded biases. (★★★★)
Started: Apr 14 2019 Finished: Apr 14 2019

My review: I am fond of the Star Wars fictional universe: I have a nostalgic attachment to it (I still remember watching "a new hope" as a kid at an outdoor movie theater on a hot Italian summer night), and despite some drops in quality along the way (e.g. The Phantom Menace), recent installments like Rogue One, The Force Awakens, and The Last Jedi are much better than the original series.
Because of this fondness, I started reading some of Star Wars books. The quality of the ones I read so far has been, hem, not that great. I am told there are some very good ones (e.g. the aftermath trilogy), so i'll keep reading.
Smuggler's run is set at the end of A New Hope when the freedom fighters of the rebel alliance had just won their most important victory thus far with the destruction of the Empire's ultimate weapon, the Death Star. But the Rebellion has no time to savor its victory. The evil Galactic Empire has recognized the threat the rebels pose, and is now searching the galaxy for any and all information that will lead to the final destruction of the freedom fighters. For the Millenium Falcon's crew, who saved the life of Luke Skywalker during the Battle of Yavin, their involvement with the rebels is at an end. Now Han Solo and Chewbacca hope to take their reward and settle some old debts, but they are cajoled by Leila into another side mission to be done on their way to Tatooine and Jabba The Hutt...
The book is clearly produced for a younger audience, and it is not the most original or groundbreaking novel out there, but it is enjoyable and the plot is simple enough to make it a perfect fit for my commute. (★★)
Started: Apr 04 2019 Finished: Apr 10 2019

My review: I am fond of the Star Wars fictional universe: I have a nostalgic attachment to it (I still remember watching "a new hope" as a kid at an outdoor movie theater on a hot Italian summer night), and despite some drops in quality along the way (e.g. The Phantom Menace), recent installments like Rogue One, The Force Awakens, and The Last Jedi are much better than the original series.
Because of this fondness, I started reading some of Star Wars books. The quality of the ones I read so far has been, hem, not that great. I am told there are some very good ones (e.g. the aftermath trilogy), so i'll keep reading.
Moving Target is one of the best star wars books I have read so far (but the bar was set quite low as I mentioned before). It bas been clearly written for a very junior audience (that made it perfect to read during my commute since it did not require my fully devoted attention), but it is entertaining and fun.
The story is set a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away... Reeling from their disastrous defeat on Hoth, the heroic freedom fighters of the rebel alliance have scattered throughout space, pursued by the agents of the sinister galactic empire. One rebel task force protects princess Leila, bearing her in secrecy from star to star. As the last survivor of Alderaan's House of Organa, Leia is a symbol of freedom, hunted by the Empire she has opposed for so long. The struggle against Imperial tyranny has claimed many rebel lives. As the Empire closes in, Leia resolves to make a sacrifice of her own, lest the cause of freedom be extinguished from the galaxy. She embark on a mission that will fully test her ethics...
The author tries to incorporate the ethical nuances of Rogue One, simplifying them for a younger audience, but in doing so trivialize it. Again, it may not be the best book I have read, but it is entertaining enough, and it offers a great portrait of the most intriguing characters of the original franchise (Princess Leila). (★★★)
Started: Mar 30 2019 Finished: Apr 03 2019

My review: After reading all the Lady Astronaut's novels, I was thrilled to discover that there was another short story set in the same universe. It is a good story, with a strong scientific foundation, but it is not on the same league of the previous installment of the series.
Articulated Restraint is the story of Ruby Donaldson, one of the astronaut stationed on the Neutral Buoyancy Lab, recovering from a severely sprained ankle. She is not mentioning her injure to anyone for fear to be labelled as winy and unfit to the space program, a particularly serious risk for female astronauts, given the sexism of the time. She plans to force herself through the scheduled training session but suddenly things turns unexpectedly serious: a spaceship has had a docking accident that has locked the ship to the space station and jammed the airlock. The ship's passengers are stuck, and will run out of air in sixteen hours.... (★★★★)
Started: Mar 15 2019 Finished: Mar 16 2019

My review: As for The Calculating Stars, the book is extremely enjoyable, fast paced, exquisitely and adroitly written. The amount of the research that went into this alternative history novel was clearly quite a lot: the United States of America of the 60s and of the space race it's perfectly recreated while never sounding even remotely didascalic. The characters are very interesting, complex, and far from the usual stereotypes.
The Fated Sky continued the grand sweep of alternate history begun in The Calculating Stars. It is 1961, and the International Aerospace Coalition has established a colony on the moon. Elma York, the noted Lady Astronaut, is working on rotation, flying shuttles on the moon and returning regularly to Earth.
But humanity must get a foothold on Mars. The first exploratory mission is being planned, and none of the women astronauts is on the crew list. The international Aerospace Coalition has grave reservations about sending their "Lady Astronauts" on such a dangerous mission. The problem with that is the need for midjourney navigation calculations. The new electronic computation machines are not reliable and not easily programmed. It might be okay for a backup, but there will have to be a human computer on board, and all the computers are women...
The book is very strong, and I gave it a full 5 star rating, but I really think The Calculating Stars is even stronger. I would also strongly recommend to read both of them one after the other, as if they were two halves of the same book: while The Calculating Stars is definitely self contained, The fated Sky does read a little like a second half of a whole. (★★★★★)
Started: Mar 01 2019 Finished: Mar 15 2019

My review: This short story was first published as part of Future Tense, a series of short stories about how technology and science will change our lives. The series is a collaboration among Arizona State University, New America, Slate, and ASU’s Center for Science and the Imagination. The series features many prominent science fiction author, including some of my favorites. I had not read anything by Meg Elison, and I was quite curious as a result to read this story.
It turns out that the UC Berkeley graduate author is an excellent writer: in particular I loved her writing style and her world building. I am looking forward reading more by this author.
The story is set in a near future where an alien race has made contacts with human. As a result of this contact a lot of mixed race children are born... and unfortunately surrendered by their parents. This is the story of one of this kids, as her past catch up with her. (★★★)
Started: Feb 27 2019 Finished: Feb 27 2019

My review: This is one of the most intriguing short stories I have read this year so far. It is hard to review without giving away too much, but this is the story of a woman bequeathed an odd fantastic gift by a former lover who broke up with her, then died: his handwriting. Why did he do this and what does it mean? Did he just gift her his handwriting or something more?
I am looking forward reading more by this author.

Merged review:

This is one of the most intriguing short stories I have read this year so far. It is hard to review without giving away too much, but this is the story of a woman bequeathed an odd fantastic gift by a former lover who broke up with her, then died: his handwriting. Why did he do this and what does it mean? Did he just gift her his handwriting or something more?
I am looking forward reading more by this author. (★★★★)
Number of times I read it: 2
Started (first time): Feb 23 2019 Finished (first time): Feb 24 2019

My review: While I am not a big fan of superhero stories, I keep reading Wild Cards short stories as they get published by Tor. The Wild Cards series is a 25 years old shared fictional universe where superpowered people are the norm, set in an alternate history. Fitting In is the story of a previously famous super hero, Robin Ruttiger, as he tries to leave a normal life. He is a failed contestant of the superhero reality TV show, American Hero, and he now works as a high school guidance counselor to reluctant students. Things change, however, when a favorite bakery in Jokertown becomes a target of vandalism, and Robin realizes he can play the hero after all. (★★★)
Started: Feb 20 2019 Finished: Feb 23 2019

My review: One day extra-terrestial sentients make contacts with humans... and they give us the gift of the entire universe that we can finally reach via transdimentional travel. Saga is given an opportunity to experience it working as a transdimentional spaceship janitor, and she takes it in an heartbeat. Her new life is a strange one: she finds herself in the company of an officious steward-bird, a surly and mysterious engineer, and the shadowy Captain. Who the odd passengers are, and according to what plan the ship travels, is unclear. Just when Saga has begun to understand the inner workings of Skidbladnir, she discovers that something is wrong. Skidbladnir is sick. And it's up to her and the engineer to fix it.
Another entertaining and notable short story from the gifted author of Listen. I am looking forward reading more of her fiction in the future. (★★★★)
Started: Feb 19 2019 Finished: Feb 20 2019

My review: In a near feature metallurgists souls can be separated from the body and sent inside metals to manipulate them Metallurgists to craft the nano-architecture of metal alloys into perfection. Doing so leaves the body without a soul, inhabited by an echo of their soul until their are reunited few month later... if the soul decides it want to do so, erasing all the memories of its echo.
Near the vast steelworks of Karshad, a journalist has fallen in love with the residual personality of a metallurgist... (★★)
Started: Feb 16 2019 Finished: Feb 17 2019

My review: I read a few of the stories collected in this book. I had read and reviewed them separately, but Goodreads has decided to merge the short stories and my reviews into the book that collects them so... here we are.

Domestic Violence by Madeline Ashby’s
An interesting investigation in fictional form of domestic violence in its various forms, gender power dynamics, and the role of technologies of aiding the perpetrators. The story is also captivating and notable.
I would also recommend the companion piece The Complicated Relationship Between Abuse and Tech: An expert on domestic violence and technology responds to Madeline Ashby's short story that Slate published, that provide some non fictional background of the role of technology in domestic violence and abuse.

The Minnesota Diet by Charlie Jane Anders
This short story was first published as part of Future Tense, a series of short stories about how technology and science will change our lives. The series is a collaboration among Arizona State University, New America, Slate, and ASU’s Center for Science and the Imagination. The series features many prominent science fiction author, and the author of this story, Charlie Jane Anders, is no exception: she won the Nebula award for best novel and she is a personal favorite.
The story is set in a future where augmented reality is mainstream, and in the Utopian city of New Lincoln, built using GM self-repairing bio materials. In this city a group of friends spend their days fine tuning apps and their free time hanging out in virtual reality spaces. One day the fully automated city food supply chain breaks down.
The author explores how frail our modern supply chain is, as demonstrated by the New York City's food shortage that occurred in few days after Hurricane Sandy hit. But the author also touches a lot of other interesting themes: like what is living life in the tech bubble, how reliance on pure algorithms may have unintended consequences, and how people reacts in the face of emergencies. (★★★★)
Number of times I read it: 2
Started (first time): Feb 14 2019 Finished (first time): Feb 15 2019

My review: I have been wanting to read something by Pat Cadigan for a while now, but I never had a chance before. I do not know how this compare with the rest of her work, but I quite enjoyed it. AI and the Trolley problem is a story about the relationship between the humans on a British airbase and the AI security system that guards that base. When a group of humans are killed, the question is who is responsible and why. Based on the title, can you guess the rest of the story? (★★★)
Started: Feb 12 2019 Finished: Feb 13 2019

My review: Interesting deeply allegorical and unfortunately timely story, set in a near future where extra terrestrial sentient being have come to live with us on Earth. Not surprisingly racism takes route quite quickly, and things escalates. As Wiesenthal famously said, for evil to flourish, it only requires good men to do nothing. This very short story is very disturbing: it very adroitly shows how (unfortunately) easy it is to rationalize and to dismiss what is happening in those situations, how easy is to do nothing without feeling any guilt, or spending any thoughts of it. (★★★)
Started: Feb 03 2019 Finished: Feb 03 2019

My review: YiWu is an interesting mix of science fictional and fantastic elements. In a highly technological future when man has colonized the solar system there is a lottery that promises, a prize, to turn your dreams to reality. This is the story of a humble shopkeeper in Yiwu, that earn a living selling lottery tickets. Until a winning ticket opens up mysteries he'd never imagined. (★★★)
Started: Feb 03 2019 Finished: Feb 03 2019

My review: I had read and deeply loved Dr. Okorafor's work before and I was eager to read more. This short story does not disappoint: as usual the world-building is exquisite and the characters are intriguing. I would love to see this short story expanded into a longer format, since there is so much to this story that cannot fully shine in mere 15 pages. I cannot wait to read more by this author.
The story is set in a future Nigeria, deeply transformed by the GMO industry, where Anwuli find herself shunned by society, family, and friends when her boyfriends turns out to be already married. Pregnant, she find refuge in Obi 3, the sentient home built by her ex... (★★★)
Started: Feb 02 2019 Finished: Feb 02 2019

My review: It has been a while since I have enjoyed a book so much. It's is extremely enjoyable, fast paced, exquisitely and adroitly written. The amount of the research that went into this alternative history novel was clearly quite a lot: the United States of America of the 50s and of the space race it's perfectly recreated while never sounding even remotely didascalic. The characters are very interesting, complex, and far from the usual stereotype.
Reading this book was an emotional roller-coaster. It starts with an impossible to put down, breathtaking, super fast paced escape from a meteorite blast. It would fit perfectly in a Hollywood blockbuster! Then the thrills of the age of the space race, with all the excitements and the fears of the times. And last but not least, the maddening gender and ethnicity base discrimination.
This is an amazing book, and it will be at the top of My Hugo Award for Best Novel ballot. I really cannot wait to read the sequel!
The story starts on a cold spring night in 1952, when a huge meteorite fell to earth and obliterated much of the east coast of the United States, including Washington D.C. The ensuing climate cataclysm will soon render the earth inhospitable for humanity, as the last such meteorite did for the dinosaurs. This looming threat calls for a radically accelerated effort to colonize space, and requires a much larger share of humanity to take part in the process.
Elma York's experience as a WASP pilot and mathematician earns her a place in the International Aerospace Coalition's attempts to put man on the moon, as a calculator. But with so many skilled and experienced women pilots and scientists involved with the program, it doesn't take long before Elma begins to wonder why they can't go into space, too... (★★★★★)
Started: Jan 11 2019 Finished: Jan 31 2019

My review: The book cover describes this book as a love story with a science fiction element. This is not even remotely a love story. Interestingly enough, while I do not like romantic stories, I strongly believe the book would have been much better if the romantic element was moved front and center and expanded.
Despite the misleading description that does great disservice to the book (since it sets the wrong expectations and attracts the wrong readers to it), I found the novella beautifully written, enjoyable, and original.
The story is set in different epochs.
In the heart of World War II, Tom and Ben became lovers. Brought together by a secret project designed to hide British targets from German radar, the two founded a love that could not be revealed. When the project went wrong, Tom and Ben vanished into nothingness, presumed dead. Their bodies were never found.
In today's world a used book dealer who specializes in World War II books stumbles across a love letter between Tom and Ben written during the war. He tries to trace the men, and with a little help ends up finding photos of the couple that shouldn't be possible.
If you like science fiction and/or historical novels, this book is for you! (★★★★)
Started: Jan 06 2019 Finished: Jan 10 2019

My review: I was looking for a light and short read while traveling, and this seemed to fit the bill. It is far from being a masterpiece, and it's not really memorable, and it does not really offer some interesting insight to the Skywalker saga, but it is enjoyable and entertaining.
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.... The rebel alliance has destroyed the Empire's dreaded death star, but the galaxy remains convulsed by civil war, and the Imperial starfleet is hunting the rebels throughout the galaxy. Luke Skywalker, the pilot who destroyed the Death Star, is now hailed as a hero. But Luke seeks only to support the freedom fighters, serving the Rebellion behind the controls of his X-wing fighter. Even as he flies alongside the pilots of Red Squadron, Luke feels stirrings in the mystical energy field known as the Force. And this farm boy turned fighter pilot begins to suspect his destiny lies along a different path....
(★★★)
Started: Jan 01 2019 Finished: Jan 09 2019

My review: I read mixed reviews about Ayn Rand: some people worship her work, some people hate it. I decided to give it a try, reading this short work of fiction to err on the safe side. I found it a fine example of dystopian science fiction: good world building, and great story telling. It is also message fiction, a genre that I actually like a lot when an author manages to make it work. In those cases the author does not even need to make her/his point, since it is obvious from the story. But in Anthem, the point is not clear, and Ayn Rand is forced to write a 2 chapters long speech to get her point across. Despite its limitations as message-fiction, it is an interesting sci-fi dystopian short story though.
In Anthem, Rand examines a frightening future in which individuals have no name, no independence, and no values. Equality 7-2521 lives in the dark ages of the future where all decisions are made by committee, all people live in collectives, and all traces of individualism have been wiped out. Despite such a restrictive environment, the spark of individual thought and freedom still burns in him, a passion which he has been taught to call sinful. In a purely egalitarian world, Equality 7-2521 dares to stand apart from the herd, to think and choose for himself, to discover electricity, and to love the woman of his choice. (★★★★)
Started: Dec 27 2018 Finished: Dec 28 2018

My review: I have loved the previous two installments of the Wayfarers series, but with this one Becky Chambers really outdid herself. I like that while the stories are set in the same fictional universe, each of them has a very unique voice. This third volume focuses on humans living in the Exodus Fleet.
Centuries after the last humans left Earth, the Exodus Fleet is a living relic, a place many are from but few outsiders have seen. Humanity has finally been accepted into the galactic community, but while this has opened doors for many, those who have not yet left for alien cities fear that their carefully cultivated way of life is under threat.
Tessa chose to stay home when her brother Ashby left for the stars, but has to question that decision when her position in the Fleet is threatened.
Kip, a reluctant young apprentice, itches for change but doesn't know where to find it.
Sawyer, a lost and lonely newcomer, is just looking for a place to belong.
When a disaster rocks this already fragile community, those Exodans who still call the Fleet their home can no longer avoid the inescapable question: What is the purpose of a ship that has reached its destination? From the ground, we stand. From our ship, we live. By the stars, we hope. (★★★★★)
Started: Nov 09 2018 Finished: Nov 26 2018

My review: This short story was written and read at the author's book tour. It was then released on Whatever for the 2018 thanksgiving festivities. It is an hilarious story of technology getting very wrong and customer service getting even more wrong. And the funnier part is that what is described is not that far from what we have now, and what I believe we are going to face soon. LOL (★★★★★)
Started: Nov 19 2018 Finished: Nov 19 2018

My review: The story is set in a far future where mankind has populated the galaxy, and some planets are starting to deal with overpopulation. This is the story of a young boy, Kim, that decide to approach an renown assassin alien for help. The alien first refuses but is later won over because it senses something special in the boy. The alien helps the boy and offers him the chance to travel the stars. At the heart of the story is the interaction between Kim and the alien, whom the boy manipulates by playing on his cultural taboos and conventions, and for whom he feels equal measures of fascination, revulsion and fear. Kim holds his own against the alien, but there's always a palpable sense of how close he's skirting to genuine danger, and, more importantly, of how incomplete his understanding of that danger is.
The short story is enjoyable and many people liked the subtle depiction of the relationship between the young boy and the alien assassin. It was one of the finalist for the Hugo Award for Best Short Story in 2007 (it did not win though). (★★)
Started: Oct 27 2018 Finished: Oct 28 2018

My review: A really enjoyable read, where every time you think you finally understand what is happening, you soon realize you were wrong, and things are even more complex than you thought.
The story is set in a far future where people with psychic powers exists and where life can be temporarily postponed, keeping the departing ones in a state of half-life, a dreamlike state of suspended animation, reachable for a limited time via a computer interface.
In this world, Glen Runciter runs a lucrative business, deploying his teams of anti-psychics to corporate clients who want privacy and security from psychic spies. But when he and his top team are ambushed by a rival, he is gravely injured and placed in "half-life". Soon, though, the surviving members of the team begin experiencing some strange phenomena, such as Runciter's face appearing on coins and the world seeming to move backward in time. As consumables deteriorate and technology gets ever more primitive, the group needs to find out what is causing the shifts and what a mysterious product called Ubik has to do with it all. (★★★★)
Started: Oct 13 2018 Finished: Oct 22 2018

My review: A great novelette that touches in metaphorical the currently very hot topic of immigration with extreme sensibility and honesty.
The story is set in a near future, in a world where aliens arrive on earth and humans do the unthinkable out of fear. An alien walks into a human kite maker's store, coveting her kites, and the human struggles with her guilt over her part in the alien massacres, while neo-Nazis draw a violent line between aliens and humans.
A great read and a strong candidate for next year Hugo award. (★★★★)
Started: Oct 12 2018 Finished: Oct 13 2018

My review: I am not a big fan of mysteries and detective stories, even when they are in a science fictional setting. Despite that I really enjoy this book. It has an entertaining plot, nice character, and quite hilarious moments.
Head On is the follow-up to Lock In. It brings Scalzi's trademark snappy dialogue and technological speculation to the future world of sports. Hilketa is a frenetic and violent pastime where players attack each other with swords and hammers. The main goal of the game: obtain your opponent's head and carry it through the goalposts. With flesh and bone bodies, a sport like this would be impossible. But all the players are threeps, robot-like bodies controlled by people with Haden's Syndrome, so anything goes. No one gets hurt, but the brutality is real and the crowds love it. Until a star athlete drops dead on the playing field. Is it an accident or murder? FBI Agents and Haden-related crime investigators, Chris Shane and Leslie Vann, are called in to uncover the truth, and in doing so travel to the darker side of the fast-growing sport of Hilketa, where fortunes are made or lost, and where players and owners do whatever it takes to win, on and off the field. (★★★★)
Started: Sep 30 2018 Finished: Oct 07 2018

My review: This novella is showing up in many favorite lists, and it is highly likely to end up in the Hugo finalists' list. I decided to read the source of so much interest, and it was indeed an interesting story with a clever plot. It is a mystery, a detective story, directly inspired by Agatha Christie: a group of people is stuck in a big hotel on an island, cut of from the rest of society because of the weather, and then a body is found. It also have a science fictional element: the people in the hotels are all Sarah Pinsker, coming from many different parallel universes, each one born and split from ours at a particular point of time because a seemingly insignificant choice was made. This is also a memoir of sort, where the author reflects on her past choices and on what ifs. This is definitely a strong contender for this year Hugo award.

Merged review:

If you are not familiar with Singapore recent history, I would strongly suggest to read the wikipedia page of Lee Kuan Yew [here] before reading this short story, since it is a science-fiction reflection on what he did and what he accomplished in his life. This story is set in a not too far future when cloning is possible and not frown upon. Clones of historical figures are created and trained to help society with the skill set that made them famous. The story focuses on one of the Harry Lee as he relieves during training some of the key moments of his original life. (★★★★)
Number of times I read it: 2
Started (first time): Sep 28 2018 Finished (first time): Sep 30 2018

My review: A remarkable short story full of mystery and great portrayal of intra family relationships.
The story starts when strange seeds rain down from deep space. We are left wandering if this may be the first stage of an alien invasion... or something else entirely. How much time do we have left, and do we even understand what timescale to use? As a slow apocalypse blooms across the Earth, planets and plants, animals and microbes, all live and die and evolve at different scales. Is one human life long enough to unravel the mystery?

Merged review:

A remarkable short story full of mystery and great portrayal of intra family relationships.
The story starts when strange seeds rain down from deep space. We are left wandering if this may be the first stage of an alien invasion... or something else entirely. How much time do we have left, and do we even understand what timescale to use? As a slow apocalypse blooms across the Earth, planets and plants, animals and microbes, all live and die and evolve at different scales. Is one human life long enough to unravel the mystery? (★★★★★)
Number of times I read it: 2
Started (first time): Sep 26 2018 Finished (first time): Sep 28 2018

My review: Uncanny is a very well-known science fiction and fantasy magazine. Even in science fiction, supposedly the genre of limitless possibility, where everyone is invited to the adventure, minorities are often underrepresented. Four year ago Lightspeed magazine started the "destroy science fiction" series, a yearly program focusing on underrepresented minorities to give them a voice, and to see what they have to offer and to contribute to the genre. In 2014 they focused on women. In 2015 on queer authors and themes. In 2016 on people of colour. This year (2018) Uncanny decided to continue the initiative focusing on differently abled authors and themes.
While sci-fi is considered by many the more open of the literary genres, abled bodied protagonist are the default, to the extent that everything else is "deviation," and must be eyed with suspicion. But all science fiction is real science fiction. Science fiction is vast, and incredible fascinating in all its facets. It is inclusive. Science fiction is about people, and differently abled people, are a big part of that. They always have been. They are just sometimes harder to see. So, in the interests of visibility and breaking stuff, Disabled People Destroy Science Fiction! tell us the stories of the long excluded. The issue also include an interesting assortment of author and artist spotlights, interviews, nonfiction features, plus more than twenty personal essays from writers about their experiences being differently abled reading and writing science fiction. A very interesting read, looking forward reading the next "destroy" issue. (★★★★)
Started: Sep 15 2018 Finished: Sep 21 2018

My review: Despite various controversies Robert A. Heinlein is considered one of the fathers of American science fiction. I have never read anything by this author and I was eager to read this novellette when it was sent to me as part of the retro-Hugo award packet.
The story is entertaining, original, and well-written but there are some sexist comments that rendered the book hard to like for me. They are so bad that it is not clear if they are intended as a satirical critique of the sexist attitudes of the time, or not. I will try to read some of his most celebrated work next time! (★★)
Started: Sep 07 2018 Finished: Sep 15 2018

My review: I have always liked Scalzi, John's fiction and as a result I had read almost all his books. I somehow never managed to read this one, despite the fact he won a Hugo for it!
As you can guess from the title, the book is making fun of all the tropes of the genre, and of cheap sci-fi shows of the past. It is definitely quite entertaining, and it does have a decent and interesting plot. I definitely is deserving of a Hugo but I do love Scalzi's Old Man's War series more.
This is the story of Ensign Andrew Dahl that was just assigned to the Universal Union Capital Ship Intrepid, flagship of the Universal Union since the year 2456. It's a prestige posting, and Andrew is thrilled all the more to be assigned to the ship's Xenobiology laboratory. Life couldn't be better…until Andrew begins to pick up on the fact that:
(1) every Away Mission involves some kind of lethal confrontation with alien forces
(2) the ship's captain, its chief science officer, and the handsome Lieutenant Kerensky always survive these confrontations
(3) at least one low-ranked crew member is, sadly, always killed.
Not surprisingly, a great deal of energy below decks is expended on avoiding, at all costs, being assigned to an Away Mission. Then Andrew stumbles on information that completely transforms his and his colleagues' understanding of what the starship Intrepid really is…and offers them a crazy, high-risk chance to save their own lives. (★★★★)
Started: Sep 01 2018 Finished: Sep 07 2018

My review: Walton's Among Others was the book that introduced me to sci-fi fandom and transformed me from a sci-fi reader to a enthusiast. I was looking forward reading more by the same author, and I picked this book at Worldcon 76 at a signing event. Jo Walton turn out to be a very interesting person in the real world as well! As soon as I got back home I started reading Starlings and i was not disappointed. While I had read already some of the collected short stories, I enjoyed the collection tremendously. The stories are quite diverse. One is the story of an Eritrean coin traveling from lovers to thieves, gathering stories before meeting its match. In another Google becomes sentient and proceeds toward an existential crisis. In one of my favorite ones an idealistic dancer on a generation ship makes an impassioned plea for creativity and survival. The last short story is A Burden Shared, a story set in a near future there has been a medical break-through in the field of pain management. While the pain still cannot be removed, it can now been shared. This is the story of a loving mother, that decided to share an heavy burden for the love of her daughter. A very interesting analysis of the impact of such a technology on families and society.
I am looking forward reading more by the author. (★★★★)
Started: Aug 25 2018 Finished: Sep 01 2018

My review: I recently completed a full re-read of the entire extended foundation series (that merge together Asimov's Robots, Empire, and Foundation series). It took many years to read my way through, and it was a bitter sweet moment to finish this reading project. As soon as I finished, I discovered that my re-read was not complete: there was a very hard to find, out of print short story set in the Empire universe. After a web search I managed to locate a PDF copy of the story (thanks Google!) and fill the gap.
The story is very interesting, and deals with themes that never appear in any of the other Foundation's stories: the encounter between a race of intelligent non humans and humans. The relations between the two have some parallels with the encounters between European and non-European in the Colonialist era.
(★★★★)
Started: Aug 25 2018 Finished: Aug 25 2018

My review: Even if this book series genre is not my usual cup of tea (I am not a big fan of western books and movies), I enjoyed River of Teethquite a lot and I was looking forward reading this sequel. I was not disappointed.
The story is set few months after the event of the previous book when Winslow Houndstooth put together a crew of outlaws, assassins, cons, and saboteurs on either side of the Harriet for a history-changing caper. Together they conspired to blow the damn that choked the Mississippi and funnel the hordes of feral hippos contained within downriver, to finally give America back its greatest waterway.
This book follows the aftermath of the Harriet catastrophe, with that crew scattered to the winds. Some hunt the missing lovers they refuse to believe have died. Others band together to protect a precious infant and a peaceful future. All of them struggle with who they have become after a long life of theft, murder, deception, and general disinterest in the strictures of the law. (★★★)
Started: Aug 01 2018 Finished: Aug 10 2018

My review: I was disappointed by Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel, the previous book set in the Rogue One universe, and I was a little hesitant to pick this one up. I should have not hesitated, this is vastly better.
The book follows Jyn Erso from age five, to the days just before the main event of the Rogue One Movie. When she was five years old, her mother was murdered and her father taken from her to serve the Empire. But despite the loss of her parents she is not completely alone: Saw Gerrera, a man willing to go to any extremes necessary in order to resist Imperial tyranny, takes her in as his own, and gives her not only a home but all the abilities and resources she needs to become a rebel herself.
Jyn dedicates herself to the cause and the man. But fighting alongside Saw and his people brings with it danger and the question of just how far Jyn is willing to go as one of Saw's soldiers. When she faces an unthinkable betrayal that shatters her world, Jyn will have to pull the pieces of herself back together and figure out what she truly believes in... and who she can really trust. (★★★)
Started: Jul 14 2018 Finished: Jul 26 2018

My review: A dystopian short story, set in a dark near future America where consumerism, reality TV voyeurism, and gun culture are unchecked. This is the story of a young family that teams up to celebrate the first shopping day of the Christmas season in the most patriotic possible: with a televised armed assault at the mall. (★★★★)
Started: Jul 23 2018 Finished: Jul 23 2018

My review: I did not have high expectations, but I was nevertheless quite disappointed: the book is a collection of long and boring info-dumps that might appeal to the most devoted Star Wars fans, but not to me. The book narrates the story of some of the characters that appear in Rogue One, and gives a little bit more depth to that movie. The plot is surprisingly relatively thin: War is tearing the galaxy apart. For years the Republic and the Separatists have battled across the stars, each building more and more deadly technology in an attempt to win the war. As a member of Chancellor Palpatine's top secret Death Star project, Orson Krennic is determined to develop a superweapon before their enemies can. And an old friend of Krennic's, the brilliant scientist Galen Erso, could be the key. Galen's energy-focused research has captured the attention of both Krennic and his foes, making the scientist a crucial pawn in the galactic conflict. Krennic rescues Galen, his wife, Lyra, and their young daughter, Jyn, from Separatist kidnappers, to get the Erso family deeply in Krennic's debt...
I think the book would benefit if drastically edited and condensed to one forth of its current length. (★★)
Started: Jun 18 2018 Finished: Jul 04 2018

My review: This short story is set in a near future world devastated by climate change and by the collapse of democratic governments. Criminal lords have now taken over, and they use scientific discoveries to extend their power as much as possible. The main character is a high-ranking soldier in a criminal gang who has conflicting loyalties to his monstrous boss and that boss’s innocent young son. (★★★)
Started: Jul 02 2018 Finished: Jul 03 2018

My review: A clever and fun short story, about two women who have been friends since they were children. One is a recovering alcoholic brought up by parents who believe they're alien abductees. The other is an orphan, passed around from one foster family to another, with a serious eating disorder. In Recoveries they contend with secret that might doom their friendship.

Merged review:

A clever and fun short story, about two women who have been friends since they were children. One is a recovering alcoholic brought up by parents who believe they're alien abductees. The other is an orphan, passed around from one foster family to another, with a serious eating disorder. In Recoveries they contend with secret that might doom their friendship. (★★★★)
Number of times I read it: 2
Started (first time): Jul 01 2018 Finished (first time): Jul 01 2018

My review: What a fun, fast paced, enjoyable book! I am really happy to have picked it up!
Six Wakes is a space adventure set in a future where cloning and memory transfers has given humans an immortality of sort. I confess I would not consider having a series of clones with my memory a form of life extensions, but the concept is very fascinating, and it is adroitly used to drive the plot. The action is set on a lone ship where the clones of a murdered crew must find their murderer... before they kill again. (★★★★)
Started: Jun 20 2018 Finished: Jun 27 2018

My review: In the previous installment of The Machineries of the Empire series, the hexarchate's gifted young captain Kel Cheris summoned the ghost of the long dead General Shuos Jedao to help her put down a rebellion. She didn't reckon on his breaking free of centuries of imprisonment and possessing her.
Now things are getting even worse, the enemy Hafn are invading, and Jedao takes over General Kel Khiruev's fleet, which was tasked with stopping them. Only one of Khiruev's subordinates, Lieutenant Colonel Kel Brezan, seems to be able to resist the influence of the brilliant but psychotic Jedao. Jedao claims to be interested in defending the hexarchate, but can Khiruev or Brezan trust him? For that matter, will the hexarchate's masters wipe out the entire fleet to destroy the rogue general?
This second book is as intriguing as the first, and I cannot wait to read the third and final instalment of this series. (★★★★)
Started: May 28 2018 Finished: Jun 20 2018

My review: In The Power the world is a recognizable place: there's a rich Nigerian kid who lounges around the family pool; a foster girl whose religious parents hide their true nature; a local American politician; a tough London girl from a tricky family. But something vital has changed, causing their lives to converge with devastating effect. Teenage girls now have immense physical power: they can cause agonizing pain and even death. And, with this small twist of nature, the world changes utterly. This extraordinary novel by Naomi Alderman, a Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year and Granta Best of British writer, is not only a gripping story of how the world would change if power was in the hands of women but also exposes, with breath-taking daring, our contemporary world.
By far one of the best book I have ever read. (★★★★★)
Started: May 19 2018 Finished: Jun 07 2018

My review: I loved Ann Leckie's Imperial Radch trilogy (the winner of Hugo, Nebula, Arthur C. Clarke and Locus Awards!), and I was quite curious to read this new stand alone book, set in the same universe.
Provenance is the story of Ingray, a power-driven young woman has just one chance to secure the status she craves and regain priceless lost artifacts prized by her people. She must free their thief from a prison planet from which no one has ever returned. Of course things are much complex than expected... and on her return to her home world she finds her planet in political turmoil, at the heart of an escalating interstellar conflict.
I ended up liking the book a lot. It is much more readable and entertaining, yet much less groundbreaking and original than the previous trilogy. It is a great candidate for the Hugo award for best Novel, but not the one on top of my list. (★★★★)
Started: May 12 2018 Finished: May 28 2018

My review: This is the first time I read a book by this author, and I had heard a lot of good things about this particular book so I was quite eager to give it a try. I am not sure why, but I expected a pulpy, action packed, fun yet forgettable book. Instead the book is very light on the plot side, yet very deep in the political and sociological side. It is also a love letter to New York City, a story that celebrates its past, its spirit, while it imagines its future. I am very glad I read it, and even if it is not my favorite Hugo finalist, it is definitely Hugo worthy, and a top contender.
The story is set in 2140. As expected no action was taken to stop global warming, the ocean waters rose, and New York City is submerged (as the vast majority of the big cities on Earth). NYC residents adapted and it remained the bustling, vibrant metropolis it had always been, yet changed forever. Every street became a canal. Every skyscraper an island. Through the eyes of the varied inhabitants of one building, Kim Stanley Robinson shows us how one of our great cities will change with the rising tides. And how we too will change. (★★★★)
Started: Apr 21 2018 Finished: May 12 2018

My review: A short-story set in a near future when human has discovered that there is a galaxy-spanning federation of planets out there, and we humans of Earth are super excited about it, and we want to join in! But when we ask "Can we join?", they say "Well, you can apply".... The story is the alien answer to our request. You can probably guess how it goes. It's a cute and fun to read short-story, but it did not strike me as the most original. Yet, it is free, so I cannot complain! (★★★)
Started: May 10 2018 Finished: May 10 2018

My review: I really enjoyed Scalzi's Old Man's War series, and I was looking forward reading this first installment of his new space-opera. The book is certainly entertaining and fun, but a little bit on the short side. The length, coupled with the cliffhanger ending, left me with the impression I had just finished the first half of a book. I am looking forward reading the rest, and a little mad that I have to wait months to see what happen next.
The book is set in a relatively far future in our universe where faster than light travel is still not possible... until the discovery of The Flow, an extra-dimensional field we can access at certain points in space-time that transport us to other worlds, around other stars. Humanity flows away from Earth, into space, and in time forgets our home world and creates a new empire, the Interdependency, whose ethos requires that no one human outpost can survive without the others. It's a hedge against interstellar war, and a system of control for the rulers of the empire. The Flow is eternal and static... or so people believe. But just as a river changes course, The Flow changes as well, cutting off worlds from the rest of humanity. When it's discovered that The Flow is moving, possibly cutting off all human worlds from faster than light travel forever, three individuals, a scientist, a starship captain and the Empress of the Interdependency, are in a race against time to discover what, if anything, can be salvaged from an interstellar empire on the brink of collapse. (★★★)
Started: Apr 09 2018 Finished: Apr 20 2018

My review: The Secret Life of Bots is set in a future where the human race is fighting a war against an alien civilization... and losing it. After having all their spaceships destroyed, the humans recover a previously retired spaceship, governed by an AI that while very loyal is quite bitter about being previously disposed. Humanity only hope of survival is placed on a secret and dangerous mission, to be executed on that very ship. The refurbished ship has many robots, all reporting to it. One of these is Bot 9, the main character of the story, that has been in storage for a very long while. It's a dated model with a reputation for instability, but when the ship runs into a crisis, even temperamental old multibots are called to assist. 9 is to deal with a pest problem, something is chewing through the walls, and while it would prefer a more important job, it dutifully sets about hunting down vermin.
The story is extremely entertaining and a strong contender for the 2018 Hugo award for best novelette. (★★★★★)
Started: Apr 09 2018 Finished: Apr 09 2018

My review: Helena Li Yuanhui of Splendid Beef Enterprises is an expert in counterfeiting real beef with 3D bio-printed one. Her printed beef is perfect in texture, color, scent, and flavor. She is working hard to try to raise enough money to change her identity and escape from the past she is so hard trying to escape from... until one day, someone learn about it, and decides to blackmail Helena...
The world building is sublime: Helena's world is credible, futuristic, yet it contains many of the horror and the contradictions of our present world. This is definitely another good contender for the Hugo Award for best novelette. (★★★★)
Started: Apr 08 2018 Finished: Apr 08 2018

My review: A great story set on a generational ship leaving behind a troubled earth and moving towards a far away planet. The story focuses on the people on the ship, on their culture and dreams, and analyze their relationship with the planet that their ancestors have left behind. It's definitely a strong contender for the Hugo Award for best novelette. (★★★★)
Started: Apr 05 2018 Finished: Apr 06 2018

My review: While the story is quite simple, it is nevertheless entertaining. The main character is an old artificial intelligence, living inside a museum, that one day discovers a Japanese anime (Hyperdimension Warp Record) and become a fan. Then, it discovers fan-fiction and the online fandom.

Merged review:

A word of advice: do not read this when you are sleepy or distracted. This is not an easy read, and it requires your full attention. I made the mistake to read it at night just before falling asleep... and I ended up having to read it again later because I had no idea of what I just read.
The story is an unsettling and grotesque tour of a museum / freak show, a reflection on what being differently abled meant in the past and means today. It is emotionally intense and disturbing, but the plot is quite thin. (★★★)
Number of times I read it: 2
Started (first time): Apr 02 2018 Finished (first time): Apr 03 2018

My review: This is the story of Jesse Turnblatt, a Native American working in a Virtual Reality store in Sedona, as a guide to the VR cyber tour "Authentic Indian Experience". He recognize that there is very little authenticity in the tour, and he worries that his English sounding name may turn tourist off. One day a Caucasian man approaches him, and the two become quickly fast friends...
The story is a symbolic retelling of the historical encounter between European "settlers" and the First Nations Americans, and describe the cultural appropriation that has taken place afterwards.
The short story starts with very fitting words by Sherman Alexie: In the Great American Indian novel, when it is finally written, all of the white people will be Indians and all of the Indians will be ghosts. (★★★★★)
Started: Mar 31 2018 Finished: Apr 01 2018

My review: This Nebula Award-winning novel is the second installment of the Earthseed series, and it is fantastic. I loved "parable of the sower", but the second volume is even better. The plot is more complex, the narrative devices used by Butler are more intriguing (multiple alternative POV with very different prospective of the events), and the ending is much more satisfying and complete. It turns out that the first two novels, the only one to be published, are two halves of the same stand alone story. The other planed yet never published books (4!!!!) were a sequel with very distinct characters and plot line.
The book continues the story of Lauren Olamina in socially and economically depressed California in the 2030s. Convinced that her community should colonize the stars, Lauren and her followers make preparations. But the collapse of society and rise of fanatics result in Lauren's followers being enslaved, and her daughter stolen from her. Now, Lauren must fight back to save the new world order.
The book has some very dark and tragic moment, but it is way more hopeful than the first.
The story is really is as relevant today as it was when it was published in the 90s. In the fictional America of the book, a new peson is running for president on an anti muslim, anti immigrant populist platform, and his campaign slogan is "make america great again".
Last but not least.... I recommend the following articles (BEWARE SPOILERS! DO NOT READ UNTIL YOU HAVE READ BOTH BOOKS):

The Octavia E. Butler Plants an Earthseed: an interview with the author after the publication of the second volume.

There's Nothing New / Under The Sun, / But There Are New Suns: Recovering Octavia E. Butler’s Lost Parables by Gerry Canavan: The author of this articles looked at all the notes of Octavia Butler's regarding the never published sequels to the original published duology.

Octavia Butler's Prescient Vision of a Zealot Elected to "Make America Great Again" by Abby Aguirre: the New Yorker's take on the book. (★★★★★)
Started: Mar 19 2018 Finished: Mar 29 2018

My review: Breakwater is a science fiction novelette about Cally Baker, an engineer, who, with her late, marine biologist husband, designed an underwater research platform, and is caught up in the war between humans and mysterious creatures beneath the seas that are destroying coastal cities around the world. Cally refuses to believe that this war is the answer, and tries to contact the creatures, with no luck.
Breakwater is a steamy and sexy story, that is very enjoyable to read. (★★★)
Started: Mar 05 2018 Finished: Mar 07 2018

My review: I only recently discovered Octavia Butler, and I have quickly become a big fan of her work. Parable of the Sower did not disappoint. The story is set in 2025, when the world is descending into madness and anarchy, and one woman begins a fateful journey toward a better future.
Lauren Olamina and her family live in one of the only safe neighborhoods remaining on the outskirts of Los Angeles. Behind the walls of their defended enclave, Lauren's father, a preacher, and a handful of other citizens try to salvage what remains of a culture that has been destroyed by drugs, disease, war, and chronic water shortages. While her father tries to lead people on the righteous path, Lauren struggles with hyperempathy, a condition that makes her extraordinarily sensitive to the pain of others. When fire destroys their compound, Lauren's family is killed and she is forced out into a world that is fraught with danger. With a handful of other refugees, Lauren must make her way north to safety, along the way conceiving a revolutionary idea that may mean salvation for all mankind.
(★★★★)
Started: Feb 23 2018 Finished: Mar 04 2018

My review: This short story is a prequel to the events of the Carrie Vaughn's The Coast Road series. It can be read as a stand-alone story (I did), but I was left with the impression that I would have enjoyed it more if I recognized some of the characters and I knew what will happen to them.
In this story the world as we know it is ending, and a new world is taking its place. Among the doctors and nurses of a clinic-turned-fortress, young Kath is coming of age in this new world, and helping to define it. But that doesn't make letting go of the old any easier. (★★★)
Started: Feb 22 2018 Finished: Feb 23 2018

My review: A very interesting story, set in a dystopian yet realistic future where human rights have been eroded by unregulated capitalism turned evil. In this bleak future, technology enable artists to program work of art with artificial intelligence beings that human can interact with. This is the story of an artist's attempt to change the future with the help of another, long dead one.
A reflection of the role of art in shaping our society, and its future. (★★★★)
Started: Feb 09 2018 Finished: Feb 09 2018

My review: I was quite excited to read a science fiction book written by a Nobel Prize Winner. My expectations were quite high, and as a result I was quite disappointed. The book does not even pretend to be allegorical, it often is a political commentary on historical and contemporary events. The science fiction element seems unnecessary, the book would have worked as well, or even better, if the fantastical element was dropped.
This is the first volume in the series of novels Doris Lessing calls collectively Canopus in Argos: Archives, but it can be read and appreciated as a stand alone story. It is a compilation of fictional documents, reports, letters, speeches and journal entries, presented as a general study of the planet Shikasta, clearly the planet Earth, to be used by history students of the higher planet Canopus and to be stored in the Canopian archives. For eons, galactic empires have struggled against one another, and Shikasta is one of the main battlegrounds. Johar, an emissary from Canopus and the primary contributor to the archives, visits Shikasta over the millennia from the time of the giants and the biblical great flood up to the present. With every visit he tries to distract Shikastans from the evil influences of the planet Shammat but notes with dismay the ever-growing chaos and destruction of Shikasta as its people hurl themselves towards World War III and annihilation.
Shikasta's humanity is presented as with no agency, unable to determine or alter its fate, that is predetermined by cosmic energies and powers. Moreover the critique to the evils of colonialism is rendered ineffective by the actions of Canopus, that while presented as morally superior and god-like, treats Shikastan as the most horrible of the colonialist ever was: Canopus values its morals and believes as superior, it perpetrates genocide more than once, and constantly use eugenics to "improve" the local population.
Despite this serious shortcomings, the book has some redeeming qualities: when the author stops focusing on politics and inter-planetary conflicts, when she focuses on single characters, on their stories and inner emotions... then she really shines. The diaries of Rachel are incredibly well written and moving.
I recommend reading Ursula Le Guin's review of Shikasta on New Republic. (★★)
Started: Jan 10 2018 Finished: Jan 28 2018

My review: This review is for Don't Press Charges and I Won't Sue by Charlie Jane Anders (goodreads keeps merging the short story with a collection that includes it despite the fact that the short story was published separately on its own).
This is probably the favorite story by this author I read so far. I will not lie: the dystopian near future it portraits is deeply scary and very disturbingly close to our present at times. The story centers on two childhood friends, Rachel and Jeffrey. Rachel's loss of bodily autonomy perpetrated by "Love and Dignity for Everyone" is adroitly portrayed, as well as Jeffrey's attempt to rationalize and justify his role in the crime. I did not know that Boston Review was publishing such high quality fiction, I will keep an eye on them! (★★★★★)
Started: Jan 08 2018 Finished: Jan 08 2018

My review: The Stone Sky is the conclusion of what I consider the best fantasy series of the decades. All the plot threads started in the previous volume are expertly waved into an incredible story that provide insights on human nature and human society.
As for the previous books of the series the writing is exquisite, the story is moving, intriguing, and enticing, the characters are memorable and adroitly crafted. Last but not least the world building is original and astounding.
This last book focuses on two women, mother and daughter, Essun and Nassun. Essun has inherited the power of Alabaster Tenring. With it, she hopes to find her daughter Nassun and forge a world in which every orogene child can grow up safe. For Nassun, her mother's mastery of the Obelisk Gate comes too late. She has seen the evil of the world, and accepted what her mother will not admit: that sometimes what is corrupt cannot be cleansed, only destroyed. (★★★★★)
Started: Dec 02 2017 Finished: Jan 06 2018

My review: This short story is a prequel of sort to The Dark Intercept, but it can be read as a stand alone story. It is entertaining but... I could not suspend disbelief, and I was left scratching my head at the "reckless" actions of the young protagonists. Either I am getting old, or I am not into YA fiction that much.
The book is set Iin the 23rd century, in a radiant world of endless summer where peace is maintained through emotional surveillance performed by a peculiar device called the Intercept. When Violet Crowley, the sixteen year-old daughter of New Earth's Founding Father, is smuggled an artifact covered mysterious markings, it's up to her and her friends to decipher the message. (★★)
Started: Nov 24 2017 Finished: Nov 26 2017

My review: A beautifully written and crafted story by award-winning Nnedi Okorafor, one of the lead figures of the Afrofuturism movement. A remarkable discussion about women rights, genocide, and xenophobia with a distinctive African perspective.
The story is set in a future Africa. The world has changed in many ways, yet in one region genocide between tribes still bloodies the land. A woman who has survived the annihilation of her village and a terrible rape by an enemy general wanders into the desert hoping to die. Instead, she gives birth to an angry baby girl with hair and skin the color of sand. Gripped by the certainty that her daughter is different and special, she names her Onyesonwu, which means "Who fears death?" in an ancient language. It doesn't take long for Onye to understand that she is physically and socially marked by the circumstances of her violent conception. She is Ewu, a child of rape who is expected to live a life of violence, a half-breed rejected by both tribes. But Onye is not the average Ewu. Even as a child, she manifests the beginnings of a remarkable and unique magic. As she grows, so do her abilities, and during an inadvertent visit to the spirit realm she learns something terrifying: someone powerful is trying to kill her. Desperate to elude her would-be murderer and to understand her own nature, she embarks on a journey in which she grapples with nature, tradition, history, true love, and the spiritual mysteries of her culture, and ultimately teaches her why she was given the name she bears: Who Fears Death. (★★★★★)
Started: Nov 04 2017 Finished: Nov 22 2017

My review: This is the story of the early recruits for the military zombie program. Many of them are corpses scraped off various battlefields, booted temporarily back to awareness with jumper cables to the brain, and told Hey, you’re actually dead, but we can bring you back to life so long as you’re willing to work for us for a few years. Or if you’d rather, we could just unplug these cables and leave you the way we found you. As contracts go it’s pretty take-it-or-leave-it, but given the alternative would you walk away?
It's an interesting and entertaining story, with some interesting ideas and world-building. I just wish they were developed further. (★★)
Started: Oct 27 2017 Finished: Oct 28 2017

My review: As it is always the case with Ted Chiang's stories, The Truth of Fact, the Truth of feeling is extremely interesting and fascinating. This story in particular explores the impact of memory enhancing technologies on our way of thinking and of living, and on our culture.
The story is written by a fictional journalist in the near future explores the advantages and disadvantages of living with the wetware known as Remem. Remem monitors your conversation for references to past events, and then displays video of that event in the lower left corner of your field of vision. The narrator contrast and compare the Remem revolution with the one of the introduction of the writing system, a couple of centuries before, to Tivland, by European colonists and missionaries, through the eyes of young Jijingi. (★★★★★)
Started: Oct 24 2017 Finished: Oct 27 2017

My review: The story is set in a future where you can control and morph an amorphous blob of nanobots in whatever shape you want or need with your cellphone. Who need this special purpose tools, chairs, brooms, hammers, when you can just reprogram your matter to take any shape?
But this is mainly the story of Otto, a former addict, grateful and indebted to his lover Trevor that helped him to overcome addiction. Otto though is faced with temptation and the threat of disaster, but he’s fighting his very nature to stand to it.
I liked this story a lot, mainly because of the interesting, complex, and nuanced characters. It also made me feel very uneasy, as it explores Otto's and Trevor's relation, with honesty and without holding back.
I am looking forward reading more by this author. Also a shout out to Goñi Montes for the beautiful cover. (★★★★)
Started: Oct 20 2017 Finished: Oct 20 2017

My review: It Can’t Happen Here was written in a moment of big social turmoil and tensions both in the United States and abroad. The country was still dealing with the depression. Some populist politicians with platforms that had strong similarities with the one of Hitler were increasingly getting wide support across the country. Sinclair Lewis, the first American author to win the Nobel prize for literature few years before, was seriously worried. His answer was this book, a deeply disturbing piece of propaganda and an attempt to protect the American democracy.
The book is a cautionary tale about the fragility of democracy, it is an alarming, eerily timeless look at how fascism could take hold in America. The book juxtaposes sharp political satire with the chillingly realistic rise of a president who becomes a dictator to save the nation from welfare cheats, sex, crime, and a liberal press. Called "a message to thinking Americans" by the Springfield Republican when it was published in 1935, It Can’t Happen Here is a shockingly prescient novel that remains as fresh and contemporary as today’s news.
New York Times review: https://goo.gl/i4LKGY (★★★★★)
Started: Sep 23 2017 Finished: Oct 19 2017

My review: I am happy to see a story written by a differently abled author featuring differently abled characters that are not object of pity, but that are fully comfortable in their skin and with agency. This is the story of Nata, the best smuggler the Imperial regime has never caught, that spends her time zipping through space in her ugly yet incredibly efficient spaceship. In this story she takes on an expensive mystery cargo, that turns out to be way more risky than anything she has dealt with before. (★★★★)
Started: Sep 21 2017 Finished: Sep 22 2017

My review: This is the first time I read a story by this author, despite having heard a lot of positive things about him. He has definitely an interesting and original voice, and I can see why he defines himself as a writer and activist: as the title suggests, this story has definitely a political bent.
The story is set in a world where most of us are just surplus population, disposable, a resource to exploit and use to get richer. It's a scary word, where a capitalist society has morphed into something monstrous where profit comes first, and a huge part of the population has no hope for a better future.

Merged review:

This is the first time I read a story by this author, despite having heard a lot of positive things about him. He has definitely an interesting and original voice, and I can see why he defines himself as a writer and activist: as the title suggests, this story has definitely a political bent.
The story is set in a world where most of us are just surplus population, disposable, a resource to exploit and use to get richer. It's a scary word, where a capitalist society has morphed into something monstrous where profit comes first, and a huge part of the population has no hope for a better future. (★★★★)
Number of times I read it: 2
Started (first time): Sep 16 2017 Finished (first time): Sep 21 2017

My review: This is one of the best stories I read this year, and it is definitely going to be on my Hugo Awards ballot next year. It is also a story that is very hard to review without spoiling it, hence I will say very little, and I would recommend everyone to not read the brief intro to it that comes with it, because it gives away a lot of things that would have been more fun to discover along the way.
This story is set in a near future, where some technologies provide some options to live after death... even if what we leave behind is not necessary what we were, and sometimes by choice. Sorry for being so cryptic, I probably already said to much! (★★★★★)
Started: Sep 07 2017 Finished: Sep 08 2017

My review: This is an excellent alternative history steampunk novelette, set in England at the beginning of the XX century.
The story starts in the aftermath of the First Martian War, in the interim between it and what was to come later, when England seemed to once again become a green and peaceful place, if one haunted by the terrible events in Surrey that had happened in those early years of the century. Although people hoped and prayed peace had come, they were wrong. Across the gulf of space, plans were being drawn for a return, but before they could bear fruit a terrible discovery was made deep in Holmburgh Wood, one that would tear a family apart and shock the world.
This is the first time I read fiction written by this author, but I am looking forward reading more from him. (★★★)
Started: Sep 04 2017 Finished: Sep 04 2017

My review: Xin is an ansible, a person able to use her/his song magic to connect the originworld of the Imperial Authority and its far-flung colonies. The role is forced upon magically-gifted women "of a certain closeness". When a dead body comes through her portal at a time of growing rebellion, Xin is drawn deep into a station-wide conspiracy along with Ouyang Suqing, one of the station's mysterious, high-ranking starmages.
This is one of the best short stories I have read this year, and it is going to be part of my Hugo nominee list for 2018.
It subtly deals with issues of oppression, gender, and sexual orientation in a moving and touching way. It was apparently inspired by a classic song popular in many Asian countries (you can listen to it here on youtube). (★★★★★)
Started: Sep 02 2017 Finished: Sep 03 2017

My review: This is the story of an architect on Earth commissioned to create (via long distance) a masterwork with materials from the last abandoned Martian colony, a monument that will last thousands of years longer than the slowly dying human race. In the near future climate change, wars, and biological warfare has slowly chipped away the hope and will to survive from the human population. The decline is slow but steady, and the architect has dedicated all her life to leave something behind.
This is a very poetic and interesting story, and I am looking forward reading more by this author.
(★★★★)
Started: Sep 03 2017 Finished: Sep 03 2017

My review: I really enjoyed this science fiction novelette, and I hope to read more stories set in this fictional world in the future. This is the story of Fox, a young salvager living in a mining colony on an inhospitable planet abandoned by its owners once the mines were shut. Fox is hired to find an object lost in a recent accident, she finds it more than what she asked for... a mystery, an opportunity, and trouble. (★★★)
Started: Aug 30 2017 Finished: Aug 31 2017

My review: What a clever and interesting story! I recommend it to everybody with a background in linear algebra, geometry, and cryptography. I will not say more on this to avoid spoiling it.
In the aftermath of the first alien contact, the narrator moved from the Juppiter colonies back to Earth. His new job is to guide cleared visitors into the deep buried bellies of the remaining alien ships. His newest client, a young woman named Janita, proves to be a member of the resistance carrying in her body what she describes as an alien civilization's gift to humanity. One story gives life to another,waiting all along... (★★★★★)
Started: Aug 29 2017 Finished: Aug 30 2017

My review: In a post-apocalyptic word, where climate change has caused the water to rise and the land to shrink, a small enclave of people barely survives along the new coast, helped by rare food drops coming from inland. Things are changing fast, including life on Earth, very quickly adjusting to the new conditions.
This is a hard to put down short story, and it works well despite the strange mixing of hard science with pseudo-scientific / fantasy elements. (★★★★)
Started: Aug 29 2017 Finished: Aug 29 2017

My review: In 1988, 46 years after writing the first Foundation story, and two years after publishing the last chapter of the story, Asimov decided to delight his fans going back to that fictional universe. Instead of moving the story forward, he decided to go back in time, and shed some light on Hari Seldon, the founder of psychohistory, the invention behind the entire series.
In all those years the author, the science fiction field, and the entire word had changed quite a lot. It is not a surprise that the book is stylistically and thematically very different from the original work. The original novels has little to do with the characters themselves, and more to do with the social evolution of the galactic empire. This prequel is mainly focused on its characters instead. This does not prevent it from touching some social themes like gender and race. While the treatment of these themes is quite unsatisfying for a modern reader, it was probably in line with the discussions of the time.
It is a very entertaining story, even if it is very episodic and at times close to fanfic. It is probably one of the worst book of the entire series, but it is nevertheless quite enjoyable to get to see some of our beloved characters again.
After this one, Asimov managed to write a single Foundation book. I am looking forward reading it. (★★★)
Started: Aug 16 2017 Finished: Aug 28 2017

My review: In the thirty-plus years since the publication of The Handmaid’s Tale, the dystopia of Margaret Atwood’s Arthur C. Clarke Award-winning speculative fiction novel remains as relevant as ever. This book is an in-depth reread of the novel, as well as an examination of its legacy on literature and pop culture. It contains a lot of spoilers from the very beginning, so I would avoid using it as a reading companion for your first read. The text is interesting, even if I was a little disappointed by it: I was expecting a deeper exploration of some of the themes mixed with tidbits of the author's life, but there was not much of it in this reread.
(★★)
Started: Aug 16 2017 Finished: Aug 22 2017

My review: Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. She may leave the home of the Commander and his wife once a day to walk to food markets whose signs are now pictures instead of words because women are no longer allowed to read. She must lie on her back once a month and pray that the Commander makes her pregnant, because in an age of declining births, Offred and the other Handmaids are valued only if their ovaries are viable. Offred can remember the years before, when she lived and made love with her husband, Luke; when she played with and protected her daughter; when she had a job, money of her own, and access to knowledge. But all of that is gone now...
What I found more shocking about his book, is that it was written 35 years ago. I found it shocking, because the future it describes is as possible and as credible today, as it was when it was written. What makes this story so scary, is that while Offred's future seems improbable at first ("it could never happen here"), as you learn more about how it came to be, it looks more and more probable. (★★★★★)
Started: Aug 05 2017 Finished: Aug 15 2017

My review: In the future humanity has conquered faster than light travel, and has stretched itself across multiple solar systems. Jingru is stationed in one of them, a scientist studying the local wildlife. Something really strange has started to happen all over the planet, and one day she gets to experience on of these strange events herself. She soon realize that those may not be just random events, as everybody initially though...
I loved the great world building, the very enjoyable writing, and the plot. I really hope that Bobby Sun, the author, will come back to this fascinating fictional world, because I really want to read about what happens next. (★★★★)
Started: Aug 03 2017 Finished: Aug 04 2017

My review: A beautiful story, focusing on two communities all to ready to bring war to each other instead of working together to survive in an harsh new alien world. I would have given this story 5 stars if not for the ending, that was not as great at the rest of the story. Characters are very interesting, and the dynamics between the two communities are quite of interest. When Stars are Scattered is a moving story about alien contact and religious intolerance.
This is the story of Ahmed, a doctor working in a far flung outpost of humanity. His way was paid for by the leaders of his faith and his atheism is a guarded secret. His encounters with the "kite people" will cause him to doubt his whole worldview however when the aliens start dying and escalating tensions between religious extremists threatens to destroy the colony's peace. (★★★★)
Started: Jul 31 2017 Finished: Aug 01 2017

My review: An enjoyable hard science fiction story, following two colonist spacecrafts on their way to Tau Ceti. As the passengers get slowly awoken from long term stasis (made necessary by the long distance between the Sun and the Star, and by the maximum limit of speed) the crew realize that the planet is already inhabited... and there is not enough fuel to go back. The story is enjoyable, even if the plot elements have been already seen before. (★★)
Started: Jul 19 2017 Finished: Jul 19 2017

My review: In a near future there has been a medical break-through in the field of pain management. While the pain still cannot be removed, it can now been shared. This is the story of a loving mother, that decided to share an heavy burden for the love of her daughter. A very interesting analysis of the impact of such a technology on families and society. I am left with the feeling that this could have been an even stronger story, if more space was given to it to develop. (★★★★)
Started: Jul 19 2017 Finished: Jul 19 2017

My review: I loved the first book of this series, The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, and I was eager to read its sequel, i.e. this book. I was expecting more of the same: same crew, similar plot-line. I was quite pleased to see that the author decided to go in a very different direction: this book can be pretty much read as a stand-alone novel, and it focuses on side characters than briefly appear in the previous book. The tone of the book is very different as well: the tones of this book are darker, and the themes more complex and deep. The book is the story of three women: Sidra, that was once a ship's artificial intelligence, and that recently acquired (illegally) a body, Pepper, a genetically modified human that was created to work as a slave, and Owl, another ship AI that raise the young Pepper once she escaped from the labor camp. The story is told in two separate timelines. In the first we follow the young pepper, escaped from the labor camp, as she makes sense of a new world with the help of Owl. In the second we follow Sidra, as a recently born AI, trusted into an artificial body, trying to make sense of a world that is quite different from the one she was programmed to live in, with the help of Pepper. The two stories develop symmetrically in parallel, toward a rewarding conclusion. I am looking forward reading more books set in this fictional world. (★★★★★)
Started: Jul 11 2017 Finished: Jul 18 2017

My review: In this apocalyptic story a strange new disease is spreading around the world, and killing people and animals. People are getting stuck in the past in mostly happy memories, they are straddling the line between now and then. Although the disease ends in death, the infected seem to go willingly. The epidemiologist seeks the answers to this viral mystery while she is falling in love and yet trying not to get infected.
While the story has some interesting elements, the mixture of philosophical reflections, apocalyptic viral disaster, and alien invasion did not really work for me. (★★)
Started: Jul 18 2017 Finished: Jul 18 2017

My review: A very enjoyable and fun-to-read book. The plot is relatively thin, but the book still manage to be thrilling and interesting. The focus is on the fascinating world building, on the characters, and on their relationships. It has the same feel of the TV show firefly and the nice world building (but not the crazy political intrigue) of the expanse.
This is the story of a spaceship crew, contractor workers that builds space highways, i.e. wormholes. The crew contains many humans, but also a fair number of other alien species, each with their customs and culture. To the galaxy at large, humanity is a minor species, that only recently joined the Galactic Commons (a inter-species federation). A young Martian woman, hoping the vastness of space will put some distance between herself and the life she's left behind, joins the crew as they embark in one of the most ambitious, and potentially dangerous projects. But as I said, this is all in the background, the main focus is on the characters, their stories, and their relationships.
While the book is not groundbreaking, while it does not introduce never seen before ideas, it is touching, fun to read, and it has very memorable characters.
(★★★★★)
Started: Jul 07 2017 Finished: Jul 11 2017

My review: I read Ninefox gambit as part of the 2017 Hugo awards read-a-thon. It is an intriguing and enjoyable story, set in a cleverly build fictional universe.
The hexarcate is at risk: the Fortress of Scattered Needles has fallen in the hand of the heretics. Kel Cheris is selected to retake it, and her rank elevated to the one of general. Cheris’s best hope is to ally with the immortal disgraced tactician Shuos Jedao, the one that has never lost a battle before being imprisoned after he went mad in his first life and massacred two armies, one of them his own. Cheris must decide how far she can trust Jedao, because she might be his next victim.
I am looking forward reading the rest of the trilogy. (★★★★★)
Started: Jun 28 2017 Finished: Jul 06 2017

My review: I read this as part of the Hugo Award finalist reading marathon, and it has been, so far, the most unusual and original entry. When I started it, I thought it was a very confusing, hand to follow, and pretentious book. As I continued reading it, my opinion drastically changed: the world building is breath taking in its complexity and scope, the complex plot is as full of intrigue as Martin's Game of Thrones, and the characters are multi faceted and definitely unusual.
Many other readers hated the old style English used by the author, but it was quite cosmetic, it does not impact the readability of the book, and it did not bother me. The part that I believe did not work out well is the attempt of the author of breaking gender stereotypes (in my opinion the stereotype end up being reinforced instead): this series story is set in a future where society and language is gender neutral, but the narrator assigns female pronouns to nurturing characters, and male pronouns to more aggressive ones.
The plot is very complex, and it is hard to say much without spoiling some of the plot twists. I will just say that the story is set in a future society where countries are no longer defined by geographical boundaries thanks to the availability of fast and affordable travel options. People can now elect which country they belong to, based on their political believes. But the intrigues between these new countries are as complex as the one in the European kingdoms few centuries ago. After long religious wars, the public practice of religion has been outlawed, its discussion kept private with sensayers, spiritual counselors.
Nested in political and family intrigues the book also offers tons of 18th century philosophy... that while it is not my favorite topic, it does add some interesting color to the story. (★★★★)
Started: Jun 07 2017 Finished: Jun 28 2017

My review: I usually like stories that explores complex topics like self-consciousness, and artificial intelligence. I also find stories that explore morality and faith and their relation to science fascinating. I should have liked this story, because it explores all the points I have just mentioned, and because it is a reflection on what makes humans humans. Unfortunately it is the worse of the Hugo nominees in this category, trying and failing miserably to derive theological creationist axioms through logic that is so flawed to be laughable. I also did not think that the sexual sadistic elements of the plot really worked as intended. Conclusion: more a religion-fiction story, than a sci-fi one, and quite a bad one. (★)
Started: May 20 2017 Finished: May 20 2017

My review: This short story was put on the 2017 Hugo award finalist by a group of reactionary fans as a form of protest, using a form of vote slating. Given that I am one of the fan jurors, I decided to go ahead and read it before casting my vote.
I assume this is intended to be an humor piece, mixing cheap erotica elements, and sci-fi tropes (I doubt anyone could find the sexual intercourse of a T-Rex and a green alien titillating). Read as such, it did manage to make me smile here and there. I was expecting something far worse based on the cover, and on the title. I am not sure what point the protesters were trying to make, and I am sorry that worthy contenders were pushed out from the finalist list by this, but at least it is a funny story to read. (★★)
Started: May 20 2017 Finished: May 20 2017

My review: This is a very interesting, and layered tale by China Miéville. The main character, a young boy, witness a profoundly traumatic event. After that he is left alone in a remote house on a hilltop with his increasingly deranged parent. When a stranger knocks on his door, the boy senses that his days of isolation are over... but by what authority does this man keep the meticulous records he carries? Is he the boy’s friend? His enemy? Or something altogether other?
The story is quite complex, and it requires the reader full attention to catch some just hinted details to fully appreciate it. (★★★)
Started: May 06 2017 Finished: May 14 2017

My review: Months after mysterious aliens scattered their spacecraft across the globe, no one has a clue what they want. Then suddenly they open up, and people kidnapped at birth come out... without revealing what is happening. Until one day Avery gets a call... it appears that one of the aliens want a tour.
This is an entertaining story, with an interesting take on what an alien encounter may look like. (★★★)
Started: Apr 29 2017 Finished: Apr 30 2017

My review: The pace picks up even more in this third installment of the expanse saga: I could not put the book down, and I found myself reading deep in the middle of the night. The characters and the plot are not as great as the one in the previous chapters of this epic saga: I am still unable to believe in some of the plot twists, and characters actions. Still, it is hard to be bothered by it while devouring the pages so enraptured by the story.
For generations, the solar system, Mars, the Moon, the Asteroid Belt, was humanity's great frontier. Until now. The alien artifact working through its program under the clouds of Venus has appeared in Uranus's orbit, where it has built a massive gate that leads to a starless dark. Jim Holden and the crew of the Rocinante are part of a vast flotilla of scientific and military ships going out to examine the artifact. But behind the scenes, a complex plot is unfolding, with the destruction of Holden at its core. As the emissaries of the human race try to find whether the gate is an opportunity or a threat, the greatest danger is the one they brought with them. (★★★★)
Started: Mar 30 2017 Finished: Apr 16 2017

My review: This is the (short, but quite enjoyable) story of an old science fiction writer living in a future where interstellar travel is possible, and internet has evolved to the point that humans are directly connected at the brain level. It is now possible to record experiences and feeling, and this new recordings are now the common form of entertainment, replacing writing. Our old writer is likely the last one in his profession, and knowing that he has a short time to live, he decided to move to a far away star, and to wrap up his latest book. Once there, he will encounter a young native, Fish, that will have a deep impact on his remaining days. (★★★)
Started: Mar 30 2017 Finished: Mar 30 2017

My review: It was definitely not what I expected, and definitely not the typical post-apocalyptic novel. Instead, I discovered an audacious, dark, literary novel set in the eerie days of civilization's collapse. This is the only example of a book featuring a non linear timeline, a book where the narrative switch back and forth between the years before, during, and after the collapse, that actually works, and works very well. Station Eleven is the story of a Hollywood star, his would-be savior, and a nomadic group of actors roaming the scattered outposts of the Great Lakes region, risking everything for art and humanity. One snowy night Arthur Leander, a famous actor, has a heart attack onstage during a production of King Lear. Jeevan Chaudhary, a paparazzo-turned-EMT, is in the audience and leaps to his aid. A child actress named Kirsten Raymonde watches in horror as Jeevan performs CPR, pumping Arthur's chest as the curtain drops, but Arthur is dead. That same night, as Jeevan walks home from the theater, a terrible flu begins to spread. Hospitals are flooded and Jeevan and his brother barricade themselves inside an apartment, watching out the window as cars clog the highways, gunshots ring out, and life disintegrates around them...
Mandel wavs a story with many threads, that adroitly cross each other when least expected, forming a breath taking tapestry. This is a really incredible book, that I strongly recommend to everybody. (★★★★)
Started: Mar 17 2017 Finished: Mar 25 2017

My review: What a beautiful short story! It is not a surprise that it was nominated for the Nebula award (unfortunately the author decided to decline the nomination, to leave space for less established new authors in the field).
The story is set in a near future, where all appliances comes with advanced AI, and are able to recharge themselves, and self-repair. One day Renee, taking a lunch break from work, decided to talk a walk in a nearby park, and eat her food outside. She sits on a bench, and she puts down her smart phone to open her food, when something grab her phone and run. Was it one a rogue appliance, one of those appliances that were discarded, but refused to be recycled, and ran away to live in the park?
This story explores the eternal question: what is life, in an original, and moving way. (★★★★)
Started: Mar 16 2017 Finished: Mar 17 2017

My review: A beautiful short story, and Nebula award nominee, set in the America during prohibitionist, adroitly speaking about xenophobia, and the violence it triggers.
This is the story of Malka, the young daughter of a Jewish man, deeply involved in the labor movement, and of David, the son of a store owner, illegally selling alcohol during prohibitionist. David says he is dead, but Malka dismiss the claim as baseless: everybody knows that you cannot touch ghosts, and she has no trouble pinching David.
The encounter of the two young children, and the desire of Malka to introduce David to the customs of her ancestors, will bring the two men together.
(★★★★)
Started: Mar 12 2017 Finished: Mar 14 2017

My review: A very interesting piece, touching very interesting topics like race relations, queerness, and otherness in America. The writing is quite good, the plot entertaining and interesting to read. I particularly enjoy how the two types of otherness, the one created by centuries of social discrimination, and the fictional blend and reinforce each other in the story. What I found troubling was MacReady's participation to a terrorist attack, and the fact that the author does not seem to see that act in a bad light. This stained what would have been otherwise an amazing short story. (★★★)
Started: Mar 11 2017 Finished: Mar 11 2017

My review: An hilarious "chose your own adventure" story, making fun of a future health care system that unfortunately is very similar, from many points of view, to our existing one. (★★★★)
Started: Mar 10 2017 Finished: Mar 10 2017

My review: Our future Earth have been saved from Human greed, and ecological destruction by a miracle that may be technological, or may be magic: the grains. The grains choose few humans, the anchor, to be their vessels to protect the land. The other humans are forced to wonder, forced to spend a life without a home, where each stop cannot last more than few days.
A magical and touching short story, with a solid and original world building, and memorable full rounded characters.

Merged review:

Our future Earth have been saved from Human greed, and ecological destruction by a miracle that may be technological, or may be magic: the grains. The grains choose few humans, the anchor, to be their vessels to protect the land. The other humans are forced to wonder, forced to spend a life without a home, where each stop cannot last more than few days.
A magical and touching short story, with a solid and original world building, and memorable full rounded characters. (★★★★★)
Number of times I read it: 2
Started (first time): Mar 08 2017 Finished (first time): Mar 09 2017

My review: This book is the work of many famous sci-fi and fantasy female authors celebrating international woman day, with short work of fiction. The story are all inspired by the following 3 short phrases: She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted. Three short lines, fired over social media in response to questions of why Senator Elizabeth Warren was silenced on the floor of the United States Senate on February 7th, 2017, for daring to read aloud the words of Coretta Scott King. As this message was transmitted across the globe, it has become a galvanizing cry for people of all genders in recognition of the struggles that women have faced throughout history.
Each author offers her unique interpretation. While the results are uneven, some are noteworthy. I particularly enjoyed Seanan McGuire's Persephone (that also touches themes of the ills of high income inequalities), Alyssa Wong's God product (thematically less fitting than the others), and Maria Dahvana Headley's Astronaut (based on a real history). (★★★)
Started: Mar 08 2017 Finished: Mar 08 2017

My review: While this novelette is part of a longer saga (The Machineries of Empire series), it can be read and enjoyed as a stand-alone story (as I did). I really enjoyed the world building, and I am left wanting to read more stories set in this fictional world.
If you are looking for a space opera, with entertaining character, and worlds with different cultures coming in contact, this may be a good pick for your next book. (★★★★)
Started: Mar 04 2017 Finished: Mar 07 2017

My review: This book is a reboot of a classic sci-fi story, Little Fuzzy. John Scalzi wrote this book as a way to honor one of his favorite books, and to tell the story in his unique way.
The protagonist of this story is Jack Holloway, an egocentric prick, living as an independent contractor, prospecting and surveying with the only company of his dog, Carl. Then, in the wake of an accidental cliff collapse, Jack discovers a seam of unimaginably valuable jewels, to which he manages to lay legal claim just as ZaraCorp is cancelling their contract with him for his part in causing the collapse. Briefly in the catbird seat, legally speaking, Jack pressures ZaraCorp into recognizing his claim, and cuts them in as partners to help extract the wealth. But there's another wrinkle to ZaraCorp's relationship with the planet Zarathustra. Their entire legal right to exploit the verdant Earth-like planet, the basis of the wealth they derive from extracting its resources, is based on being able to certify to the authorities on Earth that Zarathustra is home to no sentient species. Then a small furry biped, trusting, appealing, and ridiculously cute, shows up at Jack's outback home. Followed by its family. As it dawns on Jack that despite their stature, these are people, he begins to suspect that ZaraCorp's claim to a planet's worth of wealth is very flimsy indeed... and that ZaraCorp may stop at nothing to eliminate the "fuzzys" before their existence becomes more widely known. (★★★★)
Started: Feb 14 2017 Finished: Feb 23 2017

My review: In a near future, where an augmented humanity is always connected to the net, nobody is ever alone.
Katya deals in Authenticities and Captures, trading on nostalgia for a past long gone. Her clients are rich and they demand items and experiences with only the finest verifiable provenance. Other people's lives have value, after all. But when her A.I. suddenly stops whispering in her ear she finds herself cut off from the grid and loses communication with the rest of the world. The man who stepped out of the trees while hunting deer cut her off from the cloud, took her A.I. and made her his unwilling guest. There are no Authenticities or Captures to prove Katya’s story of what happened in the forest. You’ll just have to believe her… (★★★)
Started: Feb 12 2017 Finished: Feb 14 2017

My review: This is probably the best short fiction work I read this year, with incredible and fascinating world building. I really hope the author will write more stories set in this fictional world.
The old dispensation is a space opera adventure set in a universe controlled and run by Jewish religious authorities. An enforcer is sent to a distant planet where he discovers an android who changes his mind about what is right and wrong. (★★★★★)
Started: Feb 10 2017 Finished: Feb 11 2017

My review: A beautifully written, moving short story, dealing with love, memory, and Alzheimer.
An elderly man of South American descent, Sergio, is working two jobs to be able to support himself, and his dearly loved wife, that has been cognitively impaired (Alzheimer?) for years now. One day, he is asked to clean up a beautiful and very unusual graffiti on the side of the building. Sergio will try, but that graffiti will prove quite a challenge to remove... (★★★★★)
Started: Feb 04 2017 Finished: Feb 04 2017

My review: A fantastic short sci-fi fiction centered around the concept of body hacking, written by somebody that must be a software engineer, entertaining and fascinating for everybody, but strongly recommended to all the software engineers in the Silicon Valley. This is the story of Murray Swain, one of the many computer scientist in the valley, devastated by the death of his best friend Liam. [spoilers removed] (★★★★)
Started: Jan 26 2017 Finished: Jan 27 2017

My review: In The Virtual Swallows of Hog Island, a programmer finds himself working for the self-proclaimed Bad-Boy of Virtual-Reality Therapy. While his boss is breaking new ground and breaking the rules and his coworkers are engaging in questionable uses of the latest technology, the lonely programmer is in a state of mourning over his deep personal losses and must figure out his own form of therapy.
I loved the premises of this story: a psychologist creating a virtual world to expose his clients to experiences to help them cope and conquer their problems. I was very disappointed by the story ending though (I will not say anything to avoid spoilers). (★★★)
Started: Jan 25 2017 Finished: Jan 25 2017

My review: This novels is set in the Wild Cards world, a fictional universe that have been shared by many different authors for more than a quarter of a century. This and other stories can be fully appreciated as stand-alone.
In the "wild card" Earth, a virus has spread across the globe. The few survivors are often left disfigured, and with strange powers. There are called the jokers, rejected by society. Few lucky ones, the Aces, keeps the normal human appearance, but have extraordinary super powers.
This stories focuses on few Jokers, that have leveraged their unique physical traits, to create music. A single act of terrorism kills the majority of the band members, and changes the life of the surviving Michael “Drummer Boy” Vogali forever. Now without his band, Joker Plague, Michael must figure out a way to rebuild his life... and seek revenge. (★★★)
Started: Jan 23 2017 Finished: Jan 24 2017

My review: A horrifying cautionary tale about the machinery of war and its human cost. The Earth's leaders have drawn a line in the interstellar sand, despite the fact that the fierce alien enemy that they would oppose is inscrutable, unconquerable, and very far away. A reluctant conscript drafted into an elite Military unit, Private William Mandella has been propelled through space and time to fight in the distant never ending conflict; to perform his duties and do whatever it takes to survive the ordeal and return home. But "home" may be even more terrifying than battle, because, thanks to the time dilation caused by space travel, Mandella is aging months while the Earth he left behind is aging centuries. Despite the inaccuracies of his 1996 and 2007 projections, the book does not feel dated, and it is as relevant today, as when it was written. (★★★★)
Started: Jan 17 2017 Finished: Jan 23 2017

My review: I really like this story, I wish it had a more satisfying endings. Moena is a scientist, that lives in a world of her own making, sealed off from the deadly pathogens of Bangalore in her own personal biome. But when she meets Rahul, a beautiful man working to clean up his city, her need for him draws her into the danger of outside. Will she risk her life work, her health, and her life, to follow her heart? (★★★)
Started: Jan 16 2017 Finished: Jan 17 2017

My review: An incredible, eye opening literary achievement. In this book, Malka Ann Older, reflects on modern democracy, and the role of information, in a fictional, yet so realistic and so close to ours in too many ways fictional world. It's been twenty years and two election cycles since Information, a powerful search engine monopoly, pioneered the switch from warring nation-states to global micro-democracy. The corporate coalition party Heritage has won the last two elections. With another election on the horizon, the Supermajority is in tight contention, and everything's on the line. With power comes corruption. For Ken, this is his chance to do right by the idealistic Policy1st party and get a steady job in the big leagues. For Domaine, the election represents another staging ground in his ongoing struggle against the pax democratica. For Mishima, a dangerous Information operative, the whole situation is a puzzle: how do you keep the wheels running on the biggest political experiment of all time, when so many have so much to gain? (★★★★★)
Started: Jan 08 2017 Finished: Jan 16 2017

My review: An interesting sci-fi short story, set in a future where space exploration has brought humans to the far reaches of our galaxy. One of the so many colonized world is the colony of Kiruna, a satellite orbiting around a big gas giant. The biologist Petr moves to this minor, half-abandoned colony, to follow his passion for lichens. While there, he meets the village outcast Aino, and he soon fall for her. But that's just the beginning, as he soon discovers, Kiruna has some very unique characteristics...
Great story, memorable characters, entertaining writing. (★★★★)
Started: Jan 16 2017 Finished: Jan 16 2017

My review: In 2013, Karin Tidbeck wrote Sing, a short story with memorable characters, and an entertaining plot. 3 years later the author bring us back to Kiruna, and tell us more of what happened after the events in Sing. While Listen is a good story, it lacks some of the magic of the first novel. This said, I would love to read more about the Kiruna colony, and Aino. (★★★)
Started: Jan 16 2017 Finished: Jan 16 2017

My review: The Devil in America is one of my favorite books, and I was thrilled to get a chance to read more by the same author. While not as good as his previous novella, this is a remarkable book. It is not a easy read: the plot is far from linear, and the style is an odd yet interesting mix of sophisticated and refined writing, main street talking, and scientific jargon. The grammar and the word choices are often unusual to force the read to go back and read the text multiple times to understand its meaning. Despite this difficulty, the style works, it helps in world and characters building.
This is the story of Demane, an earthbound demigod, also knows as the sorcerer, since he left his homeland. With his ancestors' artifacts in hand, the Sorcerer follows the Captain, a beautiful man with song for a voice and hair that drinks the sunlight. The two of them are the descendants of the gods who abandoned the Earth for Heaven, and they will need all the gifts those divine ancestors left to them to keep their caravan brothers alive. The one safe road between the northern oasis and southern kingdom is stalked by a necromantic terror. Demane may have to master his wild powers and trade humanity for godhood if he is to keep his brothers and his beloved captain alive.

Merged review:

A very short story, set in the world of A Taste of Honey, providing more information about the intriguing fictional world of Kai Ashante Wilson. While interesting, the short length of the story limits its appeal. (★★★★★)
Number of times I read it: 2
Started (first time): Jan 07 2017 Finished (first time): Jan 08 2017

My review: Lightspeed destroy is an annual initiative focusing on the writings of traditionally underrepresented minorities. The People of Colo(u)r Destroy Science Fiction special issue exists to relieve a brokenness in the genre that's been enabled time and time again by favoring certain voices and portrayals of particular characters. It brings forth a very diverse set of talented authors, some very well-established, and other very newm from around the globe to present science fiction that explores the nuances of culture, race, and history. People of Colo(u)r Destroy Science Fiction! is 100% written and edited by people of color. It features twenty original, never-before-published short and flash fiction stories, plus five classic reprints, by the likes of Samuel R. Delany and Octavia E. Butler (believe it or not, I never had read anything from them before... I was blown away!). It also includes an array of nonfiction articles, interviews, and book reviews; and more than two dozen personal essays from people of colo(u)r discussing their experiences as readers and writers of science fiction. (★★★★★)
Started: Dec 28 2016 Finished: Jan 06 2017

My review: An impossible to put down short story, set in a post-apocalyptic near future, getting ready to bloom into civilization, after many years of violence. Will this upcoming renewed world still have a place for those who only know how to destroy? While defending a tea-growing commune in the wilds of the Pacific Northwest, one person seeks an answer. (★★★★★)
Started: Dec 24 2016 Finished: Dec 24 2016

My review: A very interesting story set during world war II. It is the story of a brilliant young physicist, one of the first women in STEM, that after excelling in her study in the face of gender based discrimination by her peers, enlists to defend her country during the war. She ends up alone on a Pacific atoll, with tons of time to spare. She there decides to chronicle the laws of motion that govern her dreams.
(★★★)
Started: Dec 24 2016 Finished: Dec 24 2016

My review: This is the story of four elderly men who regularly hang out. One of the men is worried that he’s getting Alzheimer’s, but the truth might be even more discomforting. A nice piece of fiction, with a small touch of science fiction in it.

Merged review:

This is the story of four elderly men who regularly hang out. One of the men is worried that he’s getting Alzheimer’s, but the truth might be even more discomforting. A nice piece of fiction, with a small touch of science fiction in it. (★★★)
Number of times I read it: 2
Started (first time): Dec 23 2016 Finished (first time): Dec 23 2016

My review: WildCards is the name of a book series edited by George R.R. Martin, written over the years by many different writers. In the wildcard world a new virus appeared, leaving the majority of the survivors, disparagingly called jokers, very deformed. Few lucky ones, the aces, are left with super human powers.
While I am not fond of super hero stories, I liked this novella, that is the origin story of one of this lucky survivors, the Brazilian ace "Recycler". It is the story of a young kid, living in poverty until he is abandoned by his mother. He end up living in a shack in the middle of a favela, earning few dimes each day foraging for recyclables in a landfill. And when he starts to think he has reached the bottom, he gets sick, and he lose even the little he previously had... (★★★)
Started: Nov 29 2016 Finished: Nov 30 2016

My review: An interesting story describing the end of the human race in a slowly warming world. It would be even better if not for few xenophobic missteps (as often the case in Lovecraft's stories).
The book is broken in two parts. The first describes the events that took place on Earth from a few thousand years to a few million years after the present day. The climate on Earth is getting warmer and warmer, oceans are slowly disappearing. [spoilers removed] (★★★)
Started: Nov 30 2016 Finished: Nov 30 2016

My review: Once More into the Abyss is the third and last installment of the "Stan" series, started with Adult Children of Alien Beings, and continued with Orphan Pirates of the Spanish Main.
The entire series is made by short sci-fi novelette, where the sci-fi element seems is more a narrative expedient, or a delusion of the main character. This third book regains some of the magic of the first part, that was lost in the second, and close Stan's saga with a touching (yet a little disturbing) ending.
Stan's wife get a new job, that brings the entire extended family to the mysterious abyss where their parents either perished or went back to their alien home among the stars. (★★★★)
Started: Nov 28 2016 Finished: Nov 29 2016

My review: Orphan Pirates of the Spanish Main is the second installment of the "Stan" series, started with Adult Children of Alien Beings. As for the previous book, while this is a science fiction novelette, the sci-fi element seems to be more a narrative expedient, or a delusion of the main character. But while the first story is very original, adroitly written, and often funny, and touching, this second installment is much less so: a lot of the unique magic and incredible nuances of the characters are gone. Despite that, it is still a quite enjoyable story.
In this book Stan and his brother Ollie, the children of alien (or just crazy human) parents, receive a mysterious postcard from their father, who with their mother, disappeared decades earlier into the "Abyss" in New Mexico. Along with Stan's new wife, they decide to travel again to the abyss, looking for them. (★★★)
Started: Nov 27 2016 Finished: Nov 28 2016

My review: 30 years after the publication of the original Foundation trilogy, Asimov decided to revisit one of his most famous series, and extend it further with a two part sequel. Foundation and Earth is the second book of this new duology, following Foundation's Edge.
After reading the entire robot-empire-foundations series, I had very high expectations about this book, that is the end of such an epic saga. I was disappointed. The series highlight has never been its characters, but the ones in this book are particularly flat and uninteresting. The plot, and the ultimate conclusion, are also not as good as some of the ones of the previous books. This said, Foundation and Earth is fun to read, and quite enjoyable.
Councilman Golan Trevize is wondering if he was right to choose a collective mind as the best possible future for humanity over the anarchy of contentious individuals, nations and planets. To test his conclusion, he decides he must know the past and goes in search of legendary Earth, all references to which have been erased from galactic libraries. The societies encountered along the way become arguing points in a book-long colloquy about man's fate, conducted by Trevize and traveling companion Bliss, who is part of the first world/mind, Gaia. (★★★★)
Started: Nov 21 2016 Finished: Nov 27 2016

My review: I was not aware that this short story was part of a series, set in the "Genrenauts universe". This have in all likelihood impacted my ability of fully appreciate it: there are many references to some characters and backstories I did not know.
This said, I still enjoyed this short mad-max story, where the main character makes himself a Max, a bringer of hope at a time of despair. (★★)
Started: Nov 20 2016 Finished: Nov 20 2016

My review: A remarkable short story, set in Nisi Shawl’s Amends universe, but enjoyable as a stand alone (I never read any of her work before, and I had no problem enjoying The Mighty Phin). The story is set in a cyber prison, where the prisoner bodies has been destroyed, and they have been upload in cyber space. Over there they are forced to attend mandatory virtual therapy sessions with the artificial intelligence Dr. Ops.
This story shares some of the themes (identity and what makes somebody human) with Ann Leckie's Ancillary Series. (★★★★)
Started: Nov 18 2016 Finished: Nov 19 2016

My review: A very twisted short story, that mixes audio and text in an experimental and interesting way. It is a satirical of the famous Nigerian scam, with a science-fiction spin. What sets the story apart is the underlying satirical commentary of modern society, and its deep xenophobia. (★★★)
Started: Nov 19 2016 Finished: Nov 19 2016

My review: Beautiful short story, that despite being part of an hard sci-fi, it also has interesting character development, and very touching moments.
It is the story of the life of Mia, from her toddler years forward, told as 7 time snapshots taken during 7 of her birthdays. It reminded me of another short story by the same author, Memories of My Mother. (★★★)
Started: Nov 19 2016 Finished: Nov 19 2016

My review: It is hard to review this book without giving away major plot points and spoil the story, hence I will not say much. This is a thrilling, extremely fast paced, impossible to put down book. While reading it may not change your life, it will surely help you spend few nights enthralled in its pages. It's a great book, with a well-crafted satisfying conclusion. (★★★★)
Started: Nov 13 2016 Finished: Nov 17 2016

My review: A Colder War is an alternate history novelette by Charles Stross, a modern sequel to one of the most famous Lovecraft's stories (At the Mountains of Madness): a follow-up expedition to the pole has occurred, and the Cold War is fought with monsters from the Cthulhu Mythos.
This story pre-date the atrocity archives, the first of the laundry series books, by 4 years, but it contains many of the ideas and themes that will be expanded in the series that catapulted Stross to fame.
(★★★)
Started: Nov 12 2016 Finished: Nov 13 2016

My review: A beautiful modern re-interpretation of the classic Lovecraft's mythos, that ends up being far better than the original. While Lovecraft projected his horror for the immigrants into cosmic invading aliens, in Shoggoths in Bloom, Elizabeth Bear investigates race relations in the United States of America between the two world wars without any trace of xenophobia.
The story is set in 1938, when Professor Paul Harding has come to Passamaquoddy, Maine, to study Oracupoda horibilis, common surf shoggoths, known to locals as "jellies". He finally finds a fisherman willing to take him out on the bay, where dormant shoggoths bask atop exposed rocks, blooming, that is, exuding indigo and violet tendrils topped with "fruiting bodies" from their blobbish sea-green masses. Though shoggoths can engulf and digest grown humans, in this torpid state they're safe to approach. The trip out is uncomfortable. The fisherman doesn’t fancy conversation with a highly educated black man, first he's ever met. Ironic, Harding thinks, that they probably both served in WWI, though of course not in the same units. (★★★★)
Started: Nov 09 2016 Finished: Nov 09 2016

My review: Stories of Your Life and Others is a collection of the first 8 fictional publications by Ted Chiang. I would classify the book as hard sci-fi: the stories are all build around a theorem, or a scientific or philosophical theory, and the plot is then used to explore their impact and consequences. This said, the best stories in the book also focus on human relationships, and their feelings. The best example is probably "Stories of your life", the story of a linguist tasked to learn an alien language, while also raising a daughter. The science and the human elements are woven together adroitly, each thread strengthening and giving depth to the other.
Overall it is a great book, and I am looking forward reading more by this author (even if he unfortunately does not publish much). (★★★★)
Started: Nov 01 2016 Finished: Nov 06 2016

My review: Death's End is the conclusion of the Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy by world acclaimed author Liu Cixin. The first installment of the series won the prestigious Hugo Award for best novel.
I finished reading the story a couple of days ago, but it is still stuck in my head. More I think about it, more I come to realize how adroitly woven it is. All the elements, themes, concepts from the three books fit together perfectly at the end, giving birth to a logically self-consistent, scientifically sound (and deeply terrifying) cosmology.
I also like how this third book manages to color what would have been an otherwise plot-driven hard sci-fi book, with very human, emotional, moments. Cheng Xin ethical struggles, and Yun Tianming love are some of the best elements of the story.
The story begins during the fall of Constantinople, and then moves backs to the event of the previous novels: after the Doomsday Battle, the uneasy balance of Dark Forest Deterrence keeps the Trisolaran invaders at bay. Earth enjoys unprecedented prosperity due to the infusion of Trisolaran knowledge. With human science advancing daily and the Trisolarans adopting Earth culture, it seems that the two civilizations will soon be able to coexist peacefully as equals without the terrible threat of mutually assured annihilation. But the peace has also made humanity complacent... (★★★★★)
Started: Oct 22 2016 Finished: Oct 31 2016

My review: I never listen to an audio book before, but this was free, it was from an author I like (John Scalzi), and it is not available in print, so I decided to give it a try. I REALLY liked it. I usually hate detective stories, even in sci-fi settings. This is why I was not crazy about Scalzi's locked in or Asimov's robots series. Despite that, I really enjoyed this audio book. The first chapter is intriguing, and some moments toward the end very moving and touching.
The audiobook premise is the following: one day, not long from now, it becomes almost impossible to murder anyone - 999 times out of a thousand, anyone who is intentionally killed comes back. How? We don't know. But it changes everything: war, crime, daily life. (★★★★★)
Started: Oct 24 2016 Finished: Oct 26 2016

My review: This story is set in a near feature San Francisco bay Area. Biotech has made perfection the norm, but there are exceptions. The Hearth is a little commune just outside the city, resisting the evils of modern technology, that is isolated from the rest of the world, but for one day a year, where an outsider is allowed to spy on its mists.
The writing is exquisite, and the world-building quite effective. Unfortunately Through The Eyes of a Bluebird does not really work as a stand-alone story, and I was not surprised to learn it is intended to be a tie-in for a longer story (False Hearts). (★★★)
Started: Oct 17 2016 Finished: Oct 18 2016

My review: An interesting story, set into a technological ancient Roman society. It is the story of a brilliant, unstable scientist proves that she can transcend the human body's limitations. Her test subject is her own daughter. The premises of the story, and many of its element are interesting. The conclusion is disappointing, as well as the use of some old genre tropes. (★★★)
Started: Oct 16 2016 Finished: Oct 16 2016

My review: The Ghost of Cwmlech Manoris a steam-punk tale set on the border of Wales. It is the story of Tacy Gof, a young and extremely clever woman of relatively humble origin, that always wished to be an engineer, and to see the famous ghost of Cwmlech Manor. One day a new master moves into the manor, an expert of clockwork automatons and an inventor, and Tacy gets hired to work there, giving her an opportunity to follow both her dreams at once.
Despite not being a fan of the steampunk sub-genre, I really enjoyed this story, and I loved the characters. I read already the sequel, that was as good, and I am looking forward reading more! (★★★★)
Started: Oct 07 2016 Finished: Oct 07 2016

My review: In a near future, human consciousness can be transferred, after the body death, into an artificial body.
Sonata is a young woman, living in Chicago, wealthy enough to afford this semi-eternal life. But Sonata wants to prove that living forever is not the same as living a beautiful life. When least expected, her life takes an unplanned sudden turn that make her reconsider her position.
An interesting story, a good mix of old sci-fi tropes and some new interesting elements. (★★★★)
Started: Oct 06 2016 Finished: Oct 06 2016

My review: Something Happened Here, But We’re Not Quite Sure What It Was is a sci-fi western, set in the fictional world of Paul McAuley, but it can be read as a stand-alone novellette. I did not particularly liked the story, but I am not very fond of the western genre in any form, and I suspect that this is probably what spoiled the story for me.
This is a complex story about politics, corporate greed, superstition, and luddism, set in a frontier Earth-like world, faced with the possibility of reaching out to alien cultures. (★★)
Started: Sep 10 2016 Finished: Sep 10 2016

My review: I was very surprised to realize I enjoyed this story, despite its extremely bizarre plot: a scientist with suicide tendencies makes a break-trough in the field of space travel, and decided to use his new discovery to travel back in time, and miniaturize himself to live inside the skull of the sixteenth President of the United States, in the dilated instant of time before his death. The story just get stranger and stranger, but it is nevertheless enjoyable. (★★★)
Started: Sep 10 2016 Finished: Sep 10 2016

My review: This books has an interesting story concept: it is the story of the evolution and influence of a song written in 1902 over the next 150 plus years. The narrative style is interesting as well, even if directly borrowed from Mitchell's Cloud Atlas: stories are nested into each other in a mirror structure, first moving forward in time, and then backward.
Despite this interesting bits, the story is just OK, and I struggled to finish it despite its very short length.

Merged review:

This books has an interesting story concept: it is the story of the evolution and influence of a song written in 1902 over the next 150 plus years. The narrative style is interesting as well, even if directly borrowed from Mitchell's Cloud Atlas: stories are nested into each other in a mirror structure, first moving forward in time, and then backward.
Despite this interesting bits, the story is just OK, and I struggled to finish it despite its very short length. (★★)
Number of times I read it: 2
Started (first time): Sep 10 2016 Finished (first time): Sep 10 2016

My review: After a disastrous first attempt to have men on Mars in 2047, Earth is ready to try again thirty years later. A second expedition is now preparing to launch. This novelette does not focus on the crew or on the preparation, but on Emily, a hotel housekeeper at the hotel where two of the astronauts will give their final press statements, and on her life. Emily is taking care of her mother, Moolie, that worked on the crash site of the previous mission, and that shortly after developed a unusual form of Alzheimer. Moolie has an important message to give Emily, but Moolie’s memories are fading. As the astronauts' visit draws closer, the unearthing of a more personal history is about to alter Emily's world forever.
An interesting story, where the science fiction is mainly on the background, and the relationships between the various characters are on the forefront. I enjoyed despite discovering that in this fictional future, Germany still does not have full marriage equality. It is just a brief mention, but it depressed me to think of a future where we are still struggling to treat all our brother and sisters with dignity. (★★★)
Started: Sep 03 2016 Finished: Sep 04 2016

My review: A beautiful science fiction novelette about an encounter and budding relationship between two aliens, one human, who are the only living creatures occupying a planet in deep space. The human is assigned to guard a valuable find, while his colleagues leave, to file a report with the company that hired them.
I was a little disappointed by the ending, that is left quite open, and I really hope that the talented Rajnar Vajra has a sequel in the works. (★★★)
Started: Sep 02 2016 Finished: Sep 02 2016

My review: This is a very strange satirical story, where aliens arrive on Earth and promptly clean up all of the pollution caused by humans. Despite some funny and interesting part, the story is all over the places, and I found myself at a loss to understand what the point of this story was.

Merged review:

This is a very strange satirical story, where aliens arrive on Earth and promptly clean up all of the pollution caused by humans. Despite some funny and interesting part, the story is all over the places, and I found myself at a loss to understand what the point of this story was. (★)
Number of times I read it: 2
Started (first time): Aug 31 2016 Finished (first time): Sep 01 2016

My review: Liu Cixin excels in hard science-fiction stories, and this is a good example of this fact. In this story, a marine geologist with a troubled past is destined to have the first encounter with an alien civilization. The plot is interesting, but it is not the plot that makes Mountain remarkable: its simple, non fictional, hard science, adroitly leverages to create awe and wonders. Physics is really differently when you are no longer on your normal every day Earth surface setting.
In this respect, this story reminded me of Arthur C. Clarke's Rendezvous with Rama, where the wonders of space physics, and not the aliens, are taking your breath away. (★★★★)
Started: Aug 21 2016 Finished: Aug 21 2016

My review: What if an unborn baby was given all the memories of her/his ancestors? Would those memories, and all the knowledge of centuries give her/him a kick-start, an incredible advantage?
Liu CiXin try to answer these questions in this short story.
While I am a big fan of the Remembrance of Earth’s Past trilogy (most commonly known as The Three-Body Problem trilogy), I did not like this short story as much: many of the scientific concepts are too much out there to be credible. What I did like a lot was the social commentary embedded in the story, despite its grim tones. (★★★)
Started: Aug 17 2016 Finished: Aug 17 2016

My review: 30 years after the publication of the original Foundation trilogy, Asimov decided to revisit one of his most famous series, and extend it further.
The plot is adroitly waved, and everything fall into place magically like a clockwork. What I did not like were the characters, that are almost stereotypical caricatures... and don't get me started with the female ones (the books miserably fails the Bechdel–Wallace test). While this was often true for the majority of the foundation stories, with Second Foundation, Asimov managed to create a great, well-rounded character in Arkady Darell, so I was quite disappointed that Asimov would regress to the previous norm.
This said, the book is fun to read thanks to his fast paced and clever plot: some politicians at the first foundation starts to suspect that the second foundation may have not been destroyed as they thought. Some mentalist of the second foundation noticed that the Seldon plan is going too well according to plan. Is somebody else playing the galactic game of thrones? (★★★★)
Started: Jul 27 2016 Finished: Aug 05 2016

My review: This novella takes place shortly after the events in Caliban's War, and follows Bobbie Draper, an ex-marine who has been set adrift in her own life after those events, and her nephew, David Draper, a gifted chemist with a secret life as a manufacturer for a ruthless drug dealer. When his friend Leelee goes missing, leaving signs of the dealer's involvement, David takes it upon himself to save her, while the tension between Mars and Earth mounts, and terrorism plagues the Martian city of Londres Nova.
This is, by far, the weakest Expanse story I have read so far, and it can probably be skipped without missing anything of importance (I'll confirm after I read the following books). (★★)
Started: Jul 24 2016 Finished: Jul 27 2016

My review: I read this story as part of the 2016 Hugo Awards Reading Marathon.
In this story, the United States of America have control of Titan, and who controls it, controls the energy supplies for the entire human race. The People Republic of China tries to gain control of it through strategy and military action, but on its way is a Japanese star-warship, equipped with some new weapons.
I did not like the story. While fast-paced and at times entertaining, it is mainly a war story with a very thin plot, few plot holes, and some racist slurs. For example, why would the Japanese army risk all their strategic asset to protect an American possession without getting anything out of it? Is it just because of ethnic hatred?
Trigger warning: racial slurs. (★)
Started: Jul 24 2016 Finished: Jul 24 2016

My review: I am a big fan of John Scalzi books, and I was quite excited to read this one, but I ended up liking it less than his previous ones. Do not get me wrong, it is entertaining and fun, but I like space operas much more than detective stories. This is why I liked Asimov's Foundation series more that his Robot series, and this is why I liked his Old Man's War series much better that Lock In.
The book is a cyberpunk / detective story, set in a near future when a new, highly contagious virus makes its way across the globe. Most who get sick experience nothing worse than flu, fever and headaches. But for the unlucky one percent the disease causes "Lock In": victims fully awake and aware, but unable to move or respond to stimulus. The disease affects young, old, rich, poor, people of every color and creed. The world changes to meet the challenge, and creates robotic avatars for the "Hadens" to interact in the physical world with the un-affected, and a virtual agora, a virtual world. In this world, Chris Shane an Haden FBI agent, is paired with veteran agent Leslie Vann to investigate what appears to be a Haden-related murder, but would turn out to be much much more than that. (★★★★)
Started: Jul 10 2016 Finished: Jul 23 2016

My review: I read this novelette as part of my 2016 Hugo awards finalists reading marathon.
The story is enjoyable to read, but it is not very original: many plot elements have been seen before, and they are not presented in a novel way. The characters are not that memorable either. I doubt the story would have make it to the finalists list if it was not part of a slate.
The story begins with a (space) soldier coming back to consciousness in a virtual reality simulation. He believes to be kept there while his body is being regrown or repair, but his contacts from outside are mysteriously not telling him anything. Soon he gets to meet, always in VR, many of his former colleagues, including a dead girlfriend. I'm not going to say more, to avoid spoiling the story (even if I can bet you can already seeing where this is going).
P.S. As other reviewer have noted, when Southpark called the only African American character "token" was a funny critic to our society. In here the joke does not work as well. (★★)
Started: Jul 08 2016 Finished: Jul 10 2016

My review: I read this as part of the 2016 Hugo awards finalist reading marathon.
I have liked many stories written by Stephen King, and while I was young, I devoured his books. Obits is not one of his best work. Do not get me wrong, it is not bad, but there is nothing deeply original or peculiar to set it apart from many other stories. The plot is relatively straightforward: a journalist specialized in writing funny and offensive obituaries, discovers that he can cause the death of living people writing their obits. He will have to learn on how to use his power while learning how to navigate the politics at work and to deal with women. (★★)
Started: Jul 10 2016 Finished: Jul 10 2016

My review: I read this as part of my 2016 Hugo Award Finalist Reading Marathon.
Sanderson is a well-known writer, but I never read anything he wrote before. Maybe I had set my expectations too high, but I was not too impressed by Perfect State. Do not get me wrong, it is not bad, the story while not completely original is entertaining and fun to read. Still, it does not stand apart as a Hugo finalist should.
In this cyberpunk matrix-inspired story, God-Emperor Kairominas is lord of all he surveys, at least in the virtual personality tailored world every human is immersed in since birth. He has defeated all virtual foes, has united the entire world beneath his rule, and has mastered the arcane arts. He spends his time sparring with his nemesis, who keeps trying to invade Kai's world. Except for today. Today, Kai has to go on a date. Forces have conspired to require him to meet with his equal, a woman from another world who has achieved just as much as he has. What happens when the most important man of one world is forced to have dinner with the most important woman of another world? (★★★)
Started: Jul 10 2016 Finished: Jul 10 2016

My review: I read this story as part of my 2016 Hugo awards finalist reading marathon.
Despite being a finalist because of its inclusion in a slate, the work is not only enjoyable, but also novel and interesting. I found quite interesting to read a book written by a Chinese author, to see the (current and future) world through the eyes of a different culture. The population and economic growth of modern China, its economic inequalities, and its technological and engineering marvels are central to Folding Beijing.
In a claustrophobic overpopulated future, Beijing is rebuild to be three cities at once, each folding into each other, so that only one at a time is up and awake on the surface, while the other two are folded and sleeping. Time is divided across each section according to the "rank" of its inhabitants, so that the best gets to enjoy 12 hours of sun, while the poorest gets just a glimps of dawn.
A dystopian vision of our future, with a very thin and feeble ray of hope mixed in.
(★★★)
Started: Jul 10 2016 Finished: Jul 10 2016

My review: I read Slow Bullets as part of my Hugo Awards Finalist reading marathon.
This latest story by well-known author Alastair Reynolds is another fine example of a fast-paced, action oriented space-opera, the genre this author is mostly known for.
At the end of an inter galactic conflict, Scur, a conscripted soldier is captured, tortured, and left for dead by a renegade war criminal. She revives aboard a prisoner transport vessel. Something has gone terribly wrong with the ship. The passengers, the combatants from both sides of the war, are waking up from hibernation far too soon... or is it? Their memories, embedded in bullets, are the only links to a world which is no longer recognizable. And Scur will be reacquainted with her old enemy, but with much higher stakes than just her own life.
A very enjoyable and entertaining book, a perfect read for the beach. (★★★)
Started: Jul 10 2016 Finished: Jul 10 2016

My review: When faced with an incurable terminal disease, a mother decides to exploit relativity to get a chance to see her daughter grow up. Despite its short length, the story really works and it is quite moving. If you enjoy it as much as I did, you may also want to check out the short movie that is based on it: http://www.beautifuldreamerfilm.com (★★★★★)
Started: Jun 19 2016 Finished: Jun 19 2016

My review: Probably the best story I have read in years. It is very rare to find a book that have it all: exquisite writing, moving, intriguing, and enticing story, memorable characters, astounding and original world building. The Fifth Season is at the same time impossible to put down, and deep. It is the kind of book it will stay with you and make you think.
The book has three subplots adroitly waved together. The first is the story of Essun, a woman living an ordinary life in a small town, comes home to find that her husband has brutally murdered their son and kidnapped their daughter. The second is the story of Damaya, a young girl that is discovered to be a powerful orogene, and as such kept in a barn as a beast by her parents, to soon be given away. The third is the story of Damaya, growing locked up and used as a de-humanized weapon by the fulcrum.
This is an ambitious trilogy, that while set in a world so different from ours, it succeed like no other in exploring issues like slavery, oppression, discrimination, and taboos. A strongly recommended read.
This is one of the Hugo Award Finalist in the Best Novel category. I wrote more about this and the other finalist in this blog post.
(★★★★★)
Started: Jun 05 2016 Finished: Jun 18 2016

My review: I read this as part of my 2016 Hugo Awards nominees reading marathon. This extremely short story is the diary written by the commander of an alien species invading Earth. Each entry describes, day by day, the progress of the invasion. The story details the increasing confusion and puzzlement of the alien forces when faced with the biologic differences of homo sapiens.
I found particularly interesting the stellate race attempts to make sense of humans in terms of their alien stellate biology, and failing. As it is often the case, the most common obstacle to understanding, is trying to understand others in terms of our way of thinking and being.
While very interesting, this is also the weakest point of the story: do we really have to believe that a species that expended across the universe, entering in contacts with many different lifeforms, never met non regenerating life forms before? It is also made clear that the two species can communicate, and that the stellate are closely observing human behavior, making this complete lack of understanding of human biology very hard to believe. (★★★)
Started: Jun 05 2016 Finished: Jun 05 2016

My review: I read this as part of my 2016 Hugo Awards nominees reading marathon. This short story focuses on two main character: Zhang Zedong, a Chinese business manager responsible for the Chinese "settlements" (colonies) in Africa, and Scott Berens, a US CDC employee tracking diseases and virus outbreaks. Zhang is concerned that production in his African mining operation has fallen again this quarter, and that he is going to be held responsible for it. He blames the local population, that he describes in quite demeaning terms. Scott identifies it as an anomaly in the spread of diseases, and his superior Thompson thinks the Chinese may have weaponized a polio vaccine.
Despite the unimpressive characters, the central concept of the story is interesting and disturbing. The most disturbing part is the realization that the utterly xenophobic way of thinking of the fictional Chinese Colonist, exists in every country of today's world, always ready to flare up at time of crisis and economical recession. The author point of view is never revealed or hinted, to the point to make me believe he may actualy share at least some of the troubling ideas presented in the story.
Trigger warnings: colonialism, xenophobia. (★★)
Started: Jun 05 2016 Finished: Jun 05 2016

My review: I read this as part of my 2016 Hugo Awards nominees reading marathon. This title was placed on the finalist by slate voting by a group of gammergaters as an attempt to vilify the Hugo award reputation. Chuck Tingle, the author of a series of "geeky" gay erotica short stories, responded to his nomination getting Zoe Quinn (the gammergaters arch-nemesis) to receive his award in case of a victory... I decided to set the controversy aside, and read the story and decide in its own merit.
SRBI turns out to be a very unique, often humorous, gay erotic short story with a sci-fi spin. It's the story of Lance, left alone on a mission on a distant planet, having a (very) close encounter with a (possibly) alien species. (★★★)
Started: Jun 04 2016 Finished: Jun 04 2016

My review: I read this as part of my 2016 Hugo Awards nominees reading marathon. As it is often the case with Jim Butcher's novel, this book is a light and enjoyable read, the characters are colorful, yet flat, and there is nothing to blow you away. It is probably telling that the most memorable characters are the talking cats. The fictional world is interesting, but a lot is left unsaid, to be covered in one of the planned 20+ books of the series.
The plot is relatively simple: since time immemorial, the Spires have sheltered humanity, towering for miles over the mist shrouded surface of the world. Within their halls, aristocratic houses have ruled for generations, developing scientific marvels, fostering trade alliances, and building fleets of airships to keep the peace. Captain Grimm commands a merchant ship, Predator. Fiercely loyal to Spire Albion, he has taken their side in the cold war with Spire Aurora, disrupting the enemy’s shipping lines by attacking their cargo vessels. But when the Predator is severely damaged in combat, leaving captain and crew grounded, Grimm is offered a proposition from the Spirearch of Albion, to join a team of agents on a vital mission in exchange for fully restoring Predator to its fighting glory. And even as Grimm undertakes this dangerous task, he will learn that the conflict between the Spires is merely a premonition of things to come. (★★)
Started: May 18 2016 Finished: Jun 02 2016

My review: I read this as part of my 2016 Hugo Awards nominees reading marathon. I am very partial to this story because it main fictional character, an AI, was born in the datacenters of the company I work for. It is a fun, light read, where the artificial self-conscious being end up behaving like a corky human. (★★★★)
Started: May 18 2016 Finished: May 18 2016

My review: This cyberpunk action story is extremely fast paced, impossible to put down, and fun to read. The main character, Rhye, is an artificial woman, created, used, and discarded by "regular" humans. Her hard upbringing made her somebody you would not want to mess with. She is a rough, violent, foul mouthed machine, but her meeting with Rack, a hacker, is going to profoundly affect her life. (★★★★)
Started: May 16 2016 Finished: May 17 2016

My review: This short story was release on SyFy website for the release of The Expanse TV series. It is a prequel to the main story, set in a not too far future, when man has colonized the outer asteroid belt, but space travel was still extremely slow. Drive explores a very important historical moment in the expense universe, whose ramifications are the bases of the entire book series.
Despite its short length, the story is quite entertaining, and a must-read for the expanse fans. (★★★★)
Started: May 14 2016 Finished: May 14 2016

My review: In a very near future an unknown agent hits the moon breaking it to pieces, turning Earth into a ticking time bomb. In a feverish race against the inevitable, nations around the globe band together to devise an ambitious plan to ensure the survival of humanity far beyond our atmosphere, in outer space. But the complexities and unpredictability of human nature coupled with unforeseen challenges and dangers threaten the intrepid pioneers, and the future of human race.
The book is an excellent example of hard science-fiction, where the author went the extra mile to ensure to get his fact straights (even if he admits to have taken a couple of small liberties in a couple of places where it was necessary). It is not interesting for character exploration and development, but for the breath-taking, quite scientifically accurate, and entertaining exploration of a possible future. The book is divided into three parts. The first two are very fast paced, and draw inspiration from the author work for Bezos's space mining company. The third part is very different in tones and themes, and was heavily based on the author screenplay for a video-game he is working on. It also explore some eugenic themes that are quite problematic. The abrupt change in style and themes of the last part, makes the book less cohesive. I really wish the third part was not included. (★★★★)
Started: Apr 29 2016 Finished: May 12 2016

My review: In a not too far future, Mars colonization is starting. It became possible to travel to Mars via cheap, one-person, one-way vehicles, the "jalopies". But there is no coming back. The voyage in the cramped space is hard, it has a high fatality rate, and it is one way. As a result, people signing up for it are legally dead.
The story focuses on the people taking the leap, all with different motivations, all desperately clinging on each other to maintain sanity, via asynchronous communications relayed from Earth.
This is a very poetic story, with a very original and extremely fascinating world-building, and an unsatisfying ending. I really hope that the author will develop the story further in the future. (★★★★)
Started: Apr 17 2016 Finished: Apr 18 2016

My review: This is a surprisingly good story, despite its very short length. A reflection on the position of the man in the universe, a short limited presence on a remote speck of dust, at the edge of one of almost infinite number of galaxies. (★★★★)
Started: Apr 15 2016 Finished: Apr 15 2016

My review: This is one of the earliest novels by the author, and it contains some of the elements and themes that will be further developed in his later work. The story begins with the narrator describing the night sky as observed over long sleepless nights from his window, in particular that of the Pole Star, Polaris, which he describes as winking hideously like an insane watching eye which strives to convey some strange message, yet recalls nothing save that it once had a message to convey. Then he starts speaking about his dreams, and his life in the dream world. And slowly the narrator and the reader starts wondering which one of the two is reality?
Trigger warning: xenophobia (quite frequent in Lovecraft's stories). (★★★)
Started: Apr 15 2016 Finished: Apr 15 2016

My review: Sarah tells herself she should be happy: she has a job, a loving mother, and a wonderful girlfriend. Still, something is missing in her life: a child. She does have a child in her dreams though, he is Brandon, a 6 years old, with blond hairs, that loves dinosaurs. In this dream word she did not had to transition, she was born with a female body, and her name was June. But is this parallel reality really just a dream?
This short story was a finalist for the 2015 James Tiptree Jr. Award. (★★★★★)
Started: Apr 10 2016 Finished: Apr 10 2016

My review: A short sci-fi story and a political commentary, set in a not too far future. It is a fictional transcript of a supreme court case, and I will not say more to avoid spoilers. Humorous and well-written, this is probably one of the best stories I have read so far this year. (★★★★★)
Started: Mar 30 2016 Finished: Mar 31 2016

My review: The second novel of the expanse saga picks up where Leviathan Wakes left of: James Holden and the crew of the Rocinante have been keeping the peace for the Outer Planets Alliance, and they are sent to investigate a strange situation on Ganymede, the bread basket of the outer planets. On Earth, a high-level politician struggles to prevent interplanetary war from reigniting with the unlikely help of a Martian marine, that has just seen her entire squadron slaughtered by what it appears to be a monster.
This second installment fast surpasses the first: it is even more fast paced and impossible to put done, and it introduce some new characters that are unforgettable and incredible. It is uplifting to read a military action sci-fi story where female character are not just inserted for tokenism, but they have agency (they are the characters with more agency in the story), and their gender give them even more depth and significance. If you liked Leviathan Wakes, youa re going to love Caliban's War. (★★★★★)
Started: Jan 01 2016 Finished: Mar 29 2016

My review: A moving story, dealing with family dynamics, and family separation.
Most people who have reached their eighties without raising children have every right to believe that they will go on not raising them, and Judith and I were no different until the day they turned up with the social worker, neatly scrubbed and pressed inside their vac-suits and carrying cases with all their remaining worldly possessions. There were three of them like stairsteps, their black hair cut in fringes across their foreheads and their dark eyes shining out disconcertingly familiar at me. But it wasn’t until the social worker said, “Mr. Chao and Ms. Goldstein, these are your grandchildren, Enid, Richard, and Harry,” that I remembered, sheepishly, about the genes we had given all those years ago, to that nice couple from New New Prague, before they left for the Oort Cloud.

Merged review:

A moving story, dealing with family dynamics, and family separation.
Most people who have reached their eighties without raising children have every right to believe that they will go on not raising them, and Judith and I were no different until the day they turned up with the social worker, neatly scrubbed and pressed inside their vac-suits and carrying cases with all their remaining worldly possessions. There were three of them like stairsteps, their black hair cut in fringes across their foreheads and their dark eyes shining out disconcertingly familiar at me. But it wasn’t until the social worker said, “Mr. Chao and Ms. Goldstein, these are your grandchildren, Enid, Richard, and Harry,” that I remembered, sheepishly, about the genes we had given all those years ago, to that nice couple from New New Prague, before they left for the Oort Cloud. (★★★)
Number of times I read it: 2
Started (first time): Mar 03 2016 Finished (first time): Mar 04 2016

My review: Interesting world building concepts, and plot. In the book, each universe has skunkworks that generate the universe within it, making this multiverse an infinite set of matryoshka dolls. The skunkworks that generate this universe have become faulty, and the physical constants suddenly aren't. In order to fix the skunkworks, to make physics self-consistent again, and to make the world work as it’s supposed to, Ellie will have to remember everything her mother has taught her.
While I liked the ending, it is a little abrupt, and the story would have worked out more if more space was given to Ellie's mother, to better understand her values. (★★★★)
Started: Feb 15 2016 Finished: Feb 15 2016

My review: The story was initially written by Kenneth J. Sterling, a Providence high school student who befriended Lovecraft in 1934. In 1935 he sent Lovecraft the draft of this story, which Lovecraft revised heavily, roughly doubling the word count. The result is a fascinating story, that is very different from any other Lovecraft's story, yet it has clearly some of his touch. The novelette, written in first-person narrative, depicts the story of a prospector on the planet Venus who works for a mining company looking for a powerful new form of fuel, against the wishes of the Venusians, or man-lizards. The treatment of the locals, is quite different from the one I would have expected from a younger Lovecraft, an interesting example of the author evolution. (★★★)
Started: Feb 15 2016 Finished: Feb 15 2016

My review: A novel and original take on a first-contact story. The encounter is cleverly used to explore human nature and psychology.
This is the main story of Flur, an astronaut that traveled across the stars to make first contact with the Cyclopes, hoping to forge a peace treaty between humanity and the first sentient aliens they have discovered. She has undergone careful training and study to prepare for this moment. But what if her approach is too human?
A remarkable short story that I strongly recommend. I am looking forward reading more from this author. (★★★★)
Started: Feb 15 2016 Finished: Feb 15 2016

My review: Spy thriller with a supernatural twist set during world war II. The story is told through a series of espionage transmissions between British agents in occupied France, and the UK intelligence.
In his efforts of rescuing some British prisoners of war from Nazi camps, one of the agents meets a charismatic SS officer who seems to be guarding a great and powerful secret, that might be darker and more dangerous than anything the British, or the Germans, can imagine. (★★★)
Started: Feb 06 2016 Finished: Feb 06 2016

My review: Terry Brooks tell the story of The phantom menace, the first installment of the Star Wars saga, providing more insights on the story.
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, an evil legacy long believed dead is stirring. Even the Jedi are caught by surprise, their attentions focused on the political unrest between the Trade Federation and the Republic. Now the dark side of the Force threatens to overwhelm the light, and only an ancient Jedi prophecy stands between hope and doom for the entire galaxy. On the desert world of Tatooine, far from the concerns of the Republic, a slave boy works by day and dreams by night, of being a Jedi Knight and one day traveling the stars to worlds he's only heard of in stories... of finding a way to win freedom from enslavement for himself and his beloved mother. His only hope lies in his extraordinary instincts and his strange gift for understanding the things, talents that allow him to be one of the best Podracers on the planet.
I found particularly remarkable the way Darth Sidius gathers more and more power, setting the Republic on a path that will lead to the end of Democracy, leveraging people fears to convince them that the only way to protect them is to give up some of their freedom, and giving a benevolent leader more power.
The book (and the movie as well) fails in its portrait of the chosen one: we are supposed to get goose-bumps seeing in him the future balancer of the force, but he comes across as a regular young kids. I was expecting a legend, instead I was given a cute youngling that walks to a 10 year older queen and tell her he is going to marry her. Ani cuteness and storyline does not fit well with the legendary epic surrounding him. The following episodes work much better losing young Ani, for his older self. (★★★)
Started: Jan 10 2016 Finished: Jan 17 2016

My review: This novella is a prequel of Leviathan Wakes, telling the story of Colonel Fred Johnson, one of the side character of The Expanse series.
One day, Colonel Fred Johnson will be hailed as a hero to the system. One day, he will meet a desperate man in possession of a stolen spaceship and a deadly secret and extend a hand of friendship. But long before he became the leader of the Outer Planets Alliance, Fred Johnson had a very different name. The Butcher of Anderson Station. This is his story. (★★★★)
Started: Jan 17 2016 Finished: Jan 17 2016

My review: This novelette is a prequel to the recently published Luna: New Moon by Ian McDonald. Short prequels are often disappointing and dull, but this is not, and it succeeded in getting me to read the full length Luna book.
The Fifth Dragon is about a pair of new moon workers, Achi and Adriana, who find comfort in this alien place in one another's company, only to learn that their time together is limited... (★★★★)
Started: Dec 29 2015 Finished: Dec 29 2015

My review: This short story would fit perfectly in a (Windup Girl) Paolo Bacigalupi's anthology because of its themes and its plot. It is set in a future where all the food is lab grown and lab produced. Then, one day, something unexpected starts occurring: during a religious procession, the lab grown food is turned into the real one. The "miracle" deeply shakes the faith in science of Marty, and brings up back long forgotten memories from his childhood.
An interesting read, I am looking forward reading more of this author. (★★★)
Started: Dec 28 2015 Finished: Dec 28 2015

My review: What a treat! An hilarious explanation of the Fermi's Paradox that could have been written by (Hitchhiker guide to the galaxy) Douglas Adams or (Diskworld) Terry Pratchett, featuring an alien couple that would fit perfectly in a Saturday Night Live skit. I recommend it to everyone. (★★★★)
Started: Dec 28 2015 Finished: Dec 28 2015

My review: A scientist creates a device that emits a resonance wave, which allows them to perceive planes of existence outside the scope of accepted reality. But the effect works both ways, and allows the denizens of the alternate dimension to perceive humans. (★★)
Started: Dec 26 2015 Finished: Dec 27 2015

My review: Fast paced and highly entertaining space opera. Humanity has colonized the solar system: Mars, the Moon, the Asteroid Belt and beyond. The stars are still out of our reach. Jim Holden is XO of an ice miner making runs from the rings of Saturn to the mining stations of the Belt. When he and his crew stumble upon a derelict ship, The Scopuli, they find themselves in possession of a secret they never wanted. A secret that someone is willing to kill for, and kill on a scale unfathomable to Jim and his crew. War is brewing in the system unless he can find out who left the ship and why.
Detective Miller is looking for a girl. One girl in a system of billions, but her parents have money and money talks. When the trail leads him to the Scopuli, and rebel sympathizer Holden, he realizes that this girl may be the key to everything.
Holden and Miller must thread the needle between the Earth government, the Outer Planet revolutionaries, and secretive corporations, and the odds are against them. But out in the Belt, the rules are different, and one small ship can change the fate of the universe. (★★★★★)
Started: Nov 29 2015 Finished: Dec 16 2015

My review: An incredibly original account of a first encounter between humans and a far more advanced alien civilization. Without warning, giant silver ships from deep space appear in the skies above every major city on Earth. Manned by the Overlords, in fifty years, they eliminate ignorance, disease, and poverty. Then this golden age ends...
By far one of the best sci-fi novels ever written. (★★★★★)
Started: Nov 22 2015 Finished: Nov 26 2015

My review: Beyond the Wall of Sleep is a short story by H. P. Lovecraft written in 1919 and first published in the amateur publication Pine Cones in October 1919. Lovecraft said the story was inspired by an article in the New York Tribune that cited a family named Slater as representative of the provincial Catskills population. A second inspiration was a real astronomic event, a nova near GK Persei.
While in later stories the author xenophobia is channeled and translated into the horror for alien Gods, and ancient monsters, in here the continuous attacks against what the author calls "white trash" works against him. The continuous rants are distracting (not to mention disturbing), and they de-humanize one of the main characters, making the reader care less about him. (★)
Started: Nov 19 2015 Finished: Nov 20 2015

My review: The Jermyns were a reputable and comely family until the 18th century, when Sir Wade started exploring the Congo and telling wild tales about a lost jungle city, once the seat of a prehistoric white civilization but now overrun by apes (or worse, their hybrid offspring with the last white humans.) Wade took a Portuguese wife who lived unseen in Jermyn House. She accompanied Wade on his last African expedition and never returned. Many generation later, his descendant Arthur Jermyn will discover the truth behind it. (★★)
Started: Nov 20 2015 Finished: Nov 20 2015

My review: This is the latest and final installment of one of my favorite sci-fi space operas. At the end of the previous book things seemed to be under control for Breq, formerly the AI of the battleship Justice of Torren. Then, a search of Atheok Station's slums turns up someone who shouldn't exist, someone who might be an ancillary from a ship that's been hiding beyond the empire's reach for three thousand years. Meanwhile, a messenger from the alien and mysterious Presger empire arrives, as does Breq's enemy, the divided Anaander Mianaai, ruler of an empire at war with itself. Anaander is heavily armed and extremely unhappy with Breq. She could take her ship and crew and flee, but that would leave everyone at Athoek in terrible danger. Breq has a desperate plan. The odds aren't good, but that's never stopped her before.
Learn more in my blog post. (★★★★★)
Started: Nov 08 2015 Finished: Nov 18 2015

My review: An adroitly written novel, with some remarkable characters (the AI steals the show, and it is, by far, the most intriguing and interesting part of the story), great world building, an interesting plot, and a just OK ending.
In the deepest canyon in the inhabited worlds, giant mantas soar through the air and leave patterned structures behind. A team of sapiologists seek to prove that these delicate filaments are true language, not just bee's dance. But time has run out, and their reckoning is upon them. Will they prove that their research is valid, or will they be scattered to the corners of the galaxy?
(★★★★)
Started: Nov 03 2015 Finished: Nov 04 2015

My review: This Hugo Award nominee is entertaining, but disappointing. This short military sci-fi novelette is the story of a team of three candidate space explorer: one from Earth, one from Venus, and one from Mars. They are a rowdy bunch and they got into troubles. As a result, in order to graduate, they are now required to unravel the mystery that have kept the army busy on a remote new planet for the past 3 years. An intelligent new form of life has been discovered, able to build microcircuits, but any attempt of communication have failed so far.
I enjoyed the hard science fiction elements (attempts?), but what made the story quite disappointing are the plot twists and revelations. The smart trick used by the main characters in one of the most important scenes it is never fully explained and it does not really make much sense. (★★)
Started: Oct 18 2015 Finished: Oct 19 2015

My review: An adroitly crafted and powerful story about family, time travel, and transitioning. The various themes are perfectly woven together and every scene fit into the story like a perfect tile of a beautiful mosaic.
It is impossible to say more without spoiling the story, I will just say that is, by far, one of the best short stories I have read this year. (★★★★★)
Started: Oct 08 2015 Finished: Oct 08 2015

My review: Sleep Walking Now and Then, is a weird, futuristic novelette set in a New York City of huge income inequality. It is turned into a big entertainment center, full of shows and plays, to the point of being now called "the big arena". The story is centered around an interactive theater production about the mysterious history of an old posh hotel that was theater of death in "the past".
(★★★)
Started: Oct 03 2015 Finished: Oct 03 2015

My review: I loved the first book of the trilogy (The Three Body problem), but this second book surpasses it by far. It is one of the most breathtaking sci-fi books I've read in a while. It is deep, and it is action packed. You are often left reflecting on the nature of man and of human society, or churning thrilling pages that leave you breathless. This book is surely in line for next year Hugo awards!
In The Dark Forest, Earth is reeling from the revelation of a coming alien invasion four centuries in the future. The aliens' human collaborators have been defeated, but the presence of the sophons, the subatomic particles that allow Trisolaris instant access to all human information, means that Earth's defense plans are exposed to the enemy. Only the human mind remains a secret.
This is the motivation for the Wallfacer Project, a daring plan that grants four men enormous resources to design secret strategies, hidden through deceit and misdirection from Earth and Trisolaris alike. Three of the Wallfacers are influential statesmen and scientists, but the fourth is a total unknown. Luo Ji, an unambitious Chinese astronomer and sociologist, is baffled by his new status. All he knows is that he's the one Wallfacer that Trisolaris wants dead. (★★★★★)
Started: Sep 14 2015 Finished: Sep 27 2015

My review: At the pinnacle of this demanding sport, artistry and balance is found in two moving as one. Is this way the main character was split into two, to be the world's best pair of acrobats? They do not know how this happened, who was behind it, and they do not dare to reveal to the world that their athletic brilliance has come at the price of their very identities. (★★)
Started: Sep 13 2015 Finished: Sep 14 2015

My review: It's Valentine's Day, 1938, and the Chrysler Building's tired of waiting on the corner of Forty-second and Lex for a certain edifice to notice her. Here's the story of what might happen if two of New York's greatest creations met on a day built for romance. (★)
Started: Sep 14 2015 Finished: Sep 14 2015

My review: Seriously?
This is a single, small battle during a War that sees German and American facing each other (is it a World War?). But here is the twist: the Germans rides giant, venomous spiders as cavalry mounts, and the Americans rides giant lions instead. It may sound awesome, but... it is not. There is no explanation of why or how, other than a reference to a breeding program for the lions in Texas. Also, there is no explanation of what triggered the war, and why people are fighting to death. There seem to be no point whatsoever in this disappointing story. (★)
Started: Sep 14 2015 Finished: Sep 14 2015

My review: Adult Children of Alien Beings by Dennis Danvers is a science fiction novelette, even if sci-fi element seems to be more a narrative expedient, or a delusion of the main character. The story is very original, adroitly written, and it is often funny, and touching.
This is the story of the emotional journey of a man seeking the truth about his parents, who were always rather odd, and his own heritage.


Merged review:

Adult Children of Alien Beings by Dennis Danvers is a science fiction novelette, even if sci-fi element seems to be more a narrative expedient, or a delusion of the main character. The story is very original, adroitly written, and it is often funny, and touching.
This is the story of the emotional journey of a man seeking the truth about his parents, who were always rather odd, and his own heritage. (★★★)
Number of times I read it: 2
Started (first time): Sep 10 2015 Finished (first time): Sep 11 2015

My review: Ever since Diotech Corporation released the first artificial womb, a safe and convenient new way to birth human babies, controversy for the cutting-edge product has risen as swiftly as the demand. For Rickar Hallix, however, the biomedical engineer who invented the womb, life has become steadily worse. When Rickar stumbles upon a possible defect in the latest batch of product, he suddenly finds himself thrust into the center of the endless, cut-throat battle between corporate greed and the security of human life.
I will not spoil the story, but I found the ending interesting and clever (and I seem to be the only one to think so, based on the other goodreads review). It suggests that love give us meaning and strength, even after it is lost and only pain is left behind. (★★★★)
Started: Sep 07 2015 Finished: Sep 07 2015

My review: In 1966 a one-time Hugo awards for the best all time series was given to Isaac Asimov for the Foundation saga. It is well deserved. I read this book as a kid, and I remember enjoying it, but reading it now as an adult I came to appreciate the breath of his work, how daring it is, in creating this fictional future history, modeled after historical pattern of the past.
As for the previous books, the third (and originally the last) installment of the series is a collection multiple short stories, each set decades apart from each other, each connected to the previous one to tell the history of the "foundation" over the centuries.
After years of struggle, the Foundation lies in ruins—destroyed by the mutant mind power of the Mule. But it is rumored that there is a Second Foundation hidden somewhere at the end of the Galaxy, established to preserve the knowledge of mankind through the long centuries of barbarism. The Mule failed to find it the first time—but now he is certain he knows where it lies. In the second story, the fate of the Foundation rests on young Arcadia Darell, only fourteen years old and burdened with a terrible secret.
Asimov was well known for his lack of interesting, well rounded, female character. That was quite common (unfortunately) at the time, and the author recognized his limitation and attributed it to his lack of success with women at the time. After many quite unremarkable female side characters, Second Foundation's Arcadia is a groundbreaking and welcomed change: she is captivating, smart, and well-rounded. She is definitely in control of her life, and in the center stage. She is probably one of the most interesting of Asimov's characters. It does not come as a surprise that, of all the Foundation's stories, this is often the favorite one. (★★★★★)
Started: Aug 26 2015 Finished: Aug 30 2015

My review: I usually do not like to read short stories set in the universe of a longer book series without having read the book series before. This was an interesting exception. Silly, yet extremely entertaining urban fantasy novelette, set in a world with real witches. (★★★★)
Started: Aug 27 2015 Finished: Aug 27 2015

My review: This short novella is the story of Corry, a young girl that is soon to leave her life, her friends, and her home planet (Earth) behind as a part of a generation starship expedition to colonize new planets.
(★★★)
Started: Aug 26 2015 Finished: Aug 26 2015

My review: This is the story of a human colony on a planet called Alluvium which was forced into second-class citizenship upon the arrival of another intelligent species. After a series of failed rebellions, one man, dying of cancer, attempts a kind of passive aggressive rebellion by having himself buried upon his death, a deep ritual affront to the dominant alien culture. Entertaining, but the plot is a little thin and hard to buy. (★★)
Started: Aug 26 2015 Finished: Aug 26 2015

My review: An interesting short story dealing with love, loss, and death, and the struggle to let it go. While the plot is not completely original, the writing is quite good, and the author has great potential. I am saddened that the author end up crashed between the war between the puppies and the rest of the fandom. I really hope to see more of her. (★★★)
Finished: Aug 26 2015

My review: Totaled is a short tale about the experiences of a scientist waking up in a her lab after an horrific car accident. She is reduced to a full-brain tissue sample for use in experiments on neural maps, and find herself helping her former colleagues achieving what was her ambitious goal.
This is one of the few stories in the puppy slate that would have possibly deserved a Hugo. The plot mixes seen before tropes, in a novel and original way. The biggest limitation of the story is the lack of desperation of the main character. I cannot believe she could so calmly work without constantly worrying about her kids that she left behind, or despair about her upcoming death.
This said, Kary English is a great story teller, and I am interested in reading more of her future work. (★★★)
Started: Aug 26 2015 Finished: Aug 26 2015

My review: This is the story of Lydia, a woman that sacrifice her career to her marriage. Her affluent and successful husband physically abuses her, but it is very hard to escape her tragic predicament. Eventually, after accumulating five million credits in her pocket and after hiding her nanny-clone to take her place, she is ready to finally tries to run away. Unfortunately Lydia's plans did not account for the unplanned illegal sport-fishing expedition that her husband force on her.
Another interesting story by Kary English, a promising new author in the sci-fi field. While the story in entertaining, and the story telling is remarkably good, it is short in the character building. The story has so much potential and could be extremely remarkable if more attention was given to the psychological turmoils of the Lydia, that does not seem to be deeply affected by her husband abuse. Similarly the relationship with her nanny / clone / surrogate / daughter that has such a central role in the plot, does not really feel real. I am left with the bitter realization that this story could have been a little masterpiece if more attention was paid to the feelings and emotions of the main characters. (★★★★)
Started: Aug 26 2015 Finished: Aug 26 2015

My review: This short story was nominated to the 2015 Hugo awards thanks to the controversial puppy slate. Because of its inclusion in the slate, that features a lot of mediocre books, I had very low expectations. I was surprisingly pleased by the book to the point that I would read the other short stories set in the same world. The only disappointing part is that it reads like a chapter of a biggest saga, and it is hard to enjoy it as a stand alone novella. This said, I am glad to see that there is not only rubbish in the puppy slate!
Silly tail comment: I know that we should not judge a book by its cover, but... this is possibly the least enticing book cover I have ever seen. (★★★)
Started: Aug 20 2015 Finished: Aug 21 2015

My review: This is the first book ever written by one of my favorite (and my most read) author, John Scalzi. I was curious to see if it was as good as later books, and if the writing style changed. Answers: yes to both.
This is a very hilarious sci-fi book. It is quite different from the military sci-fi of Old Man War: this reads more like the script of a comedy than of a usual sci-fi novel.
This is the story of the space-faring Yherajk coming to Earth to meet us and to begin humanity's first interstellar friendship. There's just one problem: They are hideously ugly and they smell like rotting fish. So getting humanity's trust is a challenge. The Yherajk need someone who can help them close the deal. Enter Thomas Stein, who knows something about closing deals. He's one of Hollywood's hottest young agents. But although Stein may have just concluded the biggest deal of his career, it's quite another thing to negotiate for an entire alien race. To earn his percentage this time, he's going to need all the smarts, skills, and wits he can muster. (★★★★)
Started: Aug 02 2015 Finished: Aug 07 2015

My review: Lightspeed is a very well-known science fiction and fantasy magazine. Even in science fiction, supposedly the genre of limitless possibility, where everyone is invited to the adventure, minorities are often underrepresented. Last year Lightspeed started the "destroy science fiction" series, a yearly program focusing on underrepresented minorities to give them a voice, and to see what they have to offer and to contribute to the genre. In 2014 they focused on sci-fi and women. This year (2015) they focused on queer authors and themes. Next year they will focus on people of color. While sci-fi is considered by many the more open of the literary genres, heterosexual, heteroromantic, and cisgendered are considered the default, to the extent that everything else is "deviation," and must be eyed with suspicion. But all science fiction is real science fiction. Science fiction is vast, and incredible fascinating in all its facets. It is inclusive. Science fiction is about people, and queer people, no matter how they identify [Gay, lesbian, bisexual, demisexual, asexual, pansexual, intersex, transgender, genderfluid, genderqueer.. anyone who fits within the QUILTBAG], are a big part of that. They always have been. They are just sometimes harder to see. So, in the interests of visibility and breaking stuff, Queers Destroy Science Fiction! will show you just how wide the spectrum of sexuality and gender identity can really be. This special all-queer issue features original science fiction short stories from many award winning authors includin John Chu, Kate M. Galey, Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam, Chaz Brenchley, Felicia Davin, Rose Lemberg, Jessica Yang, K.M. Szpara, Amal El-Mohtar, Tim Susman, and Susan Jane Bigelow. The issue also include an interesting assortment of author and artist spotlights, interviews, nonfiction features, plus more than twenty personal essays from writers about their experiences being queer reading and writing science fiction.
A very interesting read, looking forward reading the next "destroy" issue. (★★★★★)
Started: Jul 23 2015 Finished: Aug 02 2015

My review: While the book is entertaining I was a little disappointed by it. Probably my expectations were set too high (The Dark Between the Stars is one of the finalist for the 2015 Hugo awards), but there is nothing to set this book apart from millions of other sci-fi books. This book is the sequel of the The Saga of Seven Suns. I have not read that trilogy, and I was left with the impression I would have enjoyed this book more if I had.
More reviews of more 2015 Hugo awards nominees here on my blog here: http://goo.gl/Nz5HgV (★★★)
Started: Jun 14 2015 Finished: Jul 13 2015

My review: An interesting apocalyptic novella, describing a humanity falling to decadence as it waits for the end to arrive. This is the story of a long-married couple invited by an old friend to an exclusive artist's colony. The inhabitants of the colony indulge in suicide parties as the world teeters on the brink of extinction, worn away by some weird entropy. (★★★)
Started: Jul 13 2015 Finished: Jul 13 2015

My review: In this perfectly crafted chapter, we are back on Earth, to witness the beginning and end of all things. The nations of humanity's home planet have parted ways with the starfaring Colonial Union, the human interstellar empire originally established to keep the home planet free. The Union needs to regain Earth's trust. The alien races of the Conclave have their own hard choices to face. All of these threads culminate in this fourth part of the full-length novel, The End of All Things, John Scalzi's conclusion to the latest story set in the Old Man's War universe. (★★★★★)
Started: Jun 30 2015 Finished: Jul 01 2015

My review: This is the third installment of the serialization of The End of all Things, the latest book set in the Old Man War universe.
The story progresses, and it is now being told from a third distinct point of view: the one of the Colonial Union soldiers: they signed up to defend humans from hostile aliens, but this group finds themselves, instead, repeatedly sent to squelch rebellious human colonies that want to leave the CU. It's not a sustainable situation. Something has to give. Things seems to be building up for a big explosive finale.

Merged review:

This is the third installment of the serialization of The End of all Things, the latest book set in the Old Man War universe.
The story progresses, and it is now being told from a third distinct point of view: the one of the Colonial Union soldiers: they signed up to defend humans from hostile aliens, but this group finds themselves, instead, repeatedly sent to squelch rebellious human colonies that want to leave the CU. It's not a sustainable situation. Something has to give. Things seems to be building up for a big explosive finale. (★★★★★)
Number of times I read it: 2
Started (first time): Jun 28 2015 Finished (first time): Jun 28 2015

My review: This is the second installment of the serialization of The End of all Things, the latest book set in the Old Man War universe.
The point of view now move to the Conclave and to its leadership, facing desperate times that call for desperate measures. Faced with the prospect of major planets and species leaving the alliance, the Conclave's leadership has just a few cards left to play, to unpredictable effect.

Merged review:

This is the second installment of the serialization of The End of all Things, the latest book set in the Old Man War universe.
The point of view now move to the Conclave and to its leadership, facing desperate times that call for desperate measures. Faced with the prospect of major planets and species leaving the alliance, the Conclave's leadership has just a few cards left to play, to unpredictable effect. (★★★★★)
Number of times I read it: 2
Started (first time): Jun 19 2015 Finished (first time): Jun 19 2015

My review: I was very eager to get back to the world of Old man war, and I was not disappointed. This 6th book of the saga is being serialized like the previous one, but this time each installment is more self contained and chunkier, resulting in a vastly superior reading experience.
The life of the mind is the story of a down-on-his-luck Colonial Union starship pilot that finds himself pressed into serving a harsh master-in a mission against the Colonial Union. But his kidnappers may have underestimated his knowledge of the ship that they have, quite literally, bound him to piloting.

Merged review:

I was very eager to get back to the world of Old man war, and I was not disappointed. This 6th book of the saga is being serialized like the previous one, but this time each installment is more self contained and chunkier, resulting in a vastly superior reading experience.
The life of the mind is the story of a down-on-his-luck Colonial Union starship pilot that finds himself pressed into serving a harsh master-in a mission against the Colonial Union. But his kidnappers may have underestimated his knowledge of the ship that they have, quite literally, bound him to piloting. (★★★★★)
Number of times I read it: 2
Started (first time): Jun 14 2015 Finished (first time): Jun 14 2015

My review: Three very strange, bizarre, yet somehow powerfully magical short stories packed together in a fictional engineering exam that explores new concepts in machine design and function. (★★★)
Started: May 17 2015 Finished: May 17 2015

My review: I was quite excited to read a book of China's most beloved science fiction author, Liu Cixin. I was even more excited to read it translated by a Hugo/Nebula winner author, Ken Liu.
The book starts during China's Cultural Revolution, and today's China. The sci-fi component of the plot emerges quite slowly, the first part of the book focuses on the horrors of the Cultural Revolution, and the terrifying experience of Ye Wenjie through it. That was, to me, the most interesting and powerful part of the entire book. After reading it my expectations were so high, that the rest of the book (while still good) was a little bit disappointing.
As the book progresses, it switches to full sci-fi mode and moves away from historical towards purely fictional. It is an interesting story, that deals with the effects on human and alien societies after their first contact.
I wrote more about this and the other Hugo awards nominees for best novel on my blog here: http://goo.gl/Nz5HgV (★★★★)
Started: May 03 2015 Finished: May 16 2015

My review: I am usually wary of prequels and short stories set in the world of a bigger book series, because they often fail to deliver. This is a surprising exception. I have not red the Tin Star series, but after reading this novelette I might.
This is the story of Heckleck, a Hort alien, raised to understand that breeding and propagating his own kind is the sole reason for living. When he is called upon to settle on a new planet, he meets the daughter of a politician, Goglu, with whom he falls helplessly in love, and is determined to win over. But nothing is easy in love and space exploration. (★★★)
Started: May 16 2015 Finished: May 16 2015

My review: I liked the story (even if it borrows many of Lekie's Ancillary Justice themes, and explore them in a less remarkable way). I was saddened to read it was written by "require hate", famous for her highly reprehensible conduct, and extreme cyber-bullying. You can learn more about it in Laura Mixon's expose here: http://goo.gl/FtyGLx (★★★)
Started: May 15 2015 Finished: May 15 2015

My review: Of all the crime scenes in all the timelines in all the multiverse, Detective O'Harren walks into the basement on West 21st. In every possible universe, Johnny Rivers is dead. But the questions that need answering, who killed him and why, are still a matter of uncertainty. (★)
Started: May 03 2015 Finished: May 03 2015

My review: As in Ann Leckie's Imperial Radch series, the protagonist is the artificial intelligence controlling a warspacecraft. In this case the AI finds itself struggling between its programming imperatives and its morals. The struggle is very successfully portrayed. Levine is a promising author I will keep an eye on. (★★★★)
Started: May 03 2015 Finished: May 03 2015

My review: In 1966 a one-time Hugo awards for the best all time series was given to Isaac Asimov for the Foundation saga. It is well deserved. I read this book as a kid, and I remember enjoying it, but reading it now as an adult I came to appreciate the breath of his work, how daring it is, in creating this fictional future history, modeled after historical pattern of the past.
As for the previous book, the second installment of the series is a collection of multiple short stories, each set decades apart from each other, each connected to the previous one to tell the history of the "foundation" over the centuries.
Led by its founding father, the great psychohistorian Hari Seldon, and taking advantage of its superior science and technology, the Foundation has survived the greed and barbarism of its neighboring warrior-planets. Yet now it must face the Empire, still the mightiest force in the Galaxy even in its death throes. When an ambitious general determined to restore the Empire's glory turns the vast Imperial fleet toward the Foundation, the only hope for the small planet of scholars and scientists lies in the prophecies of Hari Seldon. But not even Hari Seldon could have predicted the birth of the extraordinary creature called The Mule, [spoilers removed] (★★★★)
Started: Apr 18 2015 Finished: Apr 23 2015

My review: In 1966 a one-time Hugo awards for the best all time series was given to Isaac Asimov for the Foundation saga. It is well deserved. I read this book as a kid, and I remember enjoying it, but reading it now as an adult I came to appreciate the breath of his work, how daring it is, in creating this fictional future history, modeled after historical pattern of the past.
The story starts with Hari Seldon, a scientist that spent his life developing a branch of mathematics known as psychohistory, a concept of mathematical sociology. Using the laws of mass action, it can predict the future, but only on a large scale. Seldon foresees the imminent fall of the Galactic Empire, which encompasses the entire Milky Way, and a dark age lasting 30 thousand years before a second great empire arises. Seldon also foresees an alternative where the interregnum will last only one thousand years. To ensure the more favorable outcome, Seldon creates a foundation of talented artisans and engineers at the extreme end of the galaxy, to preserve and expand on humanity's collective knowledge, and thus become the foundation for a new galactic empire.
The book is a collection of multiple short stories, each set decades apart from each other, each connected to the previous one to tell the history of the "foundation" over the centuries. (★★★★★)
Number of times I read it: 2
Started (first time): Apr 13 2015 Finished (first time): Apr 18 2015

My review: An interesting fantastic novel set in current times. One day the world turned upside down that is to say the gravity makes people fall towards the sky. Nobody knows why it happened. Some wondered whether it was their fault. Whether they had been praying to the wrong gods, or whether they had said the wrong things. But it wasn’t like that, the world simply turned upside down. (★★★)
Started: Apr 18 2015 Finished: Apr 18 2015

My review: This is the story of astronaut Mark Watney, one of the first men to walk on the surface of Mars, and the first one to get stranded there. It started with the dust storm that holed his suit and nearly killed him, and that forced his crew to leave him behind, sure he was already dead. Now he is stuck millions of miles from the nearest human being, with no way to even signal Earth that he's alive. And even if he could get word out, his food would be gone years before a rescue mission could arrive. Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to get him first. But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills, and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit, he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. But will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?
One of the most entertaining, fun, impossible to put down, scientifically accurate, book I read in a long while. I strongly recommend it to everybody. (★★★★★)
Number of times I read it: 2
Started (first time): Feb 16 2015 Finished (first time): Feb 19 2015

My review: The novel follows the lives of four women living in parallel worlds that differ in time and place. When they cross over to each other's worlds, their different views on gender roles startle each other's preexisting notions of womanhood. In the end, their encounters influence them to evaluate their lives and shape their ideas of what it means to be a woman.
This book is novel in both the themes that it explores, and in the writing style and structure. It is of historical significance as one of the most successful example of feminist science fiction, challenging the sexist views of the 70s. It is also a remarkable literary achievement, that not only breaks many of the preexisting notions of gender roles, but also common narrative tropes. The chronological order is broken, each chapter is set in a different time and place. The narrative switches from third to first person during the book, to even feature (quite effectively) stream-of-consciousness at some point. While this departure from the stylistic tropes makes the book harder to read at times, it also effectively and powerfully help deliver some of the messages of the book. For example the change of narrative prospective from third to first person highlights the awakening of Jannine Dadier, from the woman living in a repressive and sexist great depression world, desperate to show that her life has a meaning finding a man to marry, to the woman ready to take action to break the gender roles of her world.
I strongly encourage everybody to read this book, for its historical and literary significance, despite some transphobic themes that appear in one of the latest chapter and that really mar and stain what would have been otherwise a perfect masterpiece. (★★★★)
Started: Jan 29 2015 Finished: Feb 15 2015

Publisher review: A short story set in the world of Ancillary Justice, published by Strange Horizons as part of their annual funding drive.
My rating: ★★★
Started: Jan 11 2015 Finished: Jan 12 2015

My review: I'm at a loss on how to review this book. I loved the original Clark's Rama book. I was deeply disappointed (and disgusted) by the two sequels books that followed it. I strongly suspect Clarke had very little to do with the first two sequel books beside putting his name on the cover. I found those two books sexist, and I disliked the attempts to distort Science findings to give them a spiritual interpretation. I continued to read the series because I do not like to not finish something I have started.
This last book was an uttermost surprise to me. While it has all the bad elements of book 2 and 3, while its structure is a little episodic, I had a very hard time to put it down. The weird characters of the previous books have grown on me, I became quite fond of them, and emotionally attached to this crazy bizarre set of characters. I was deeply moved by their lives, their sacrifices, and (for some of them) by their death.
I do not think I ever had such an emotional response to a book ending in my entire life, so even if the book is real rubbish for so many reasons, I must give the book 5 full stars. It was worth reading through the previous horrible books and endure that sexist manure just to experience it. (★★★★★)
Started: Jan 04 2015 Finished: Jan 11 2015

My review: From the author of the Hugo-winning Six Months, Three Days, a new wrinkle on the old story of three wishes, set after the end of the world.
The main character struggles to think of three wishes to save the world, without accidentally causing another apocalypse by not wording everything properly: wishes are tricky things, and rarely work out the way people think. (★★)
Started: Jan 11 2015 Finished: Jan 11 2015

My review:
"The Hero of the Five Points" is a short adventure set in 1853 in the world of the League of Seven fantasy series. I usually stay away from "short story set in the world of" novels, they tend to be quite bad. I am happy to have read this one though, it was entertaining and fun. It is the story of Dalton Dent as he tracks down the foul creature known as Mose. (★★★)
Started: Dec 31 2014 Finished: Jan 01 2015

My review: “Where the Trains Turn” is the well deserving winner of the Finnish science-fiction magazine Portti’s annual short story competition and of the Atorox Award for best Finnish science fiction or fantasy short story.
The main character of the story, Emma Nightingale, prefers to remain grounded in reality as much as possible. Yet she’s willing to indulge her nine year-old son Rupert’s fascination with trains, as it brings him closer to his father, Gunnar, from whom she is separated. Once a month, Gunnar and Rupert venture out to follow the rails and watch the trains pass. Their trips have been pleasant, if uneventful, until one afternoon Rupert returns in tears. "The train tried to kill us" he tells her. Rupert’s terror strikes Emma as merely the product of an overactive imagination. After all, his fears could not be based in reality, could they? (★★★★)
Started: Jan 01 2015 Finished: Jan 01 2015

My review: I cannot say I was disappointed: I was expecting a book as bad as Rama 2, and I got it. I loved Rendezvous with Rama and I was excited to discover that there were sequels. Unfortunately the so called "sequels" were co-written by a second author, Gentry Lee, and there is nothing of the original story on those sequels.
Clarke was a skillful writer and a scientist, and this did shows in the first book of the Rama series: the focus was on the science part of science fiction, and the plot was plausible and scientifically accurate, and incredibly fascinating. The first book read like an entertaining science article, were strange phenomena were explained using physics.
The sequels are nothing like the original Rama book. While the first book read like a explorer journal, able to fill the reader with wonder and awe, the second and third books read like the screenplay of a cheap and trashy reality TV series.
There are many aspects of the plot that make me think that Clarke had absolutely no role in the writing of this book. (★)
Started: Dec 18 2014 Finished: Dec 25 2014

My review: Interesting short story, set in Lovecraft's universe, but full of humor. This is the story of Cthulhu, written from his point of view, with never heard before details regarding his birth and childhood. (★★)
Started: Dec 25 2014 Finished: Dec 25 2014

My review: Paolo Bacigalupi's debut collection demonstrates the power and reach of his science fiction short stories: social criticism, political parable, and environmental advocacy lie at the center of his work. Each of the stories herein is at once a warning, and a celebration of the tragic comedy of the human experience.
The eleven stories in Pump Six represent the best Paolo's work, including the Hugo nominee Yellow Card Man, the nebula and Hugo nominated story The People of Sand and Slag, and the Sturgeon Award-winning story The Calorie Man. (★★★★★)
Number of times I read it: 3
Started (first time): Dec 03 2014 Finished (first time): Dec 18 2014

Publisher review: “Night’s Slow Poison” is from the same setting as Ancillary Justice, and tells a rich, claustrophobic story of a galactic voyage that forces one guardsmen to confront his uneasy family history through the lens of a passenger with his lost lover’s eyes.
My rating: ★★★
Started: Nov 17 2014 Finished: Dec 14 2014

My review: I did not realize this was intended to be a tie-in short story / sequel until I was in the middle of it. It may be a good story to read if you have read the previous books of the Incrementalists series, but it is very difficult to follow and to appreciate as a stand-alone story. (★)
Started: Dec 09 2014 Finished: Dec 13 2014

My review: This is a surprisingly entertaining short story set in a post fossil fuel future, following one of the last remaining circuses. The main character build a strong bond with a un-extinct bio-enginered mastodontic mammal, Billie. They both do not fit in easily in the world they live in. (★★★)
Started: Dec 03 2014 Finished: Dec 05 2014

My review: I realized too late that this was a prequel to Gideon Smith's steampunk "Rowena Fanshawe" novels. As it is often the case, those books are hard to enjoy as stand-alone stories.
This is the story of Rowena and her attempt to save Shandri-La, the land of eternal youth, and its inhabitant. She will discover that heroes do not necessarily always behave with honor. (★★)
Started: Dec 05 2014 Finished: Dec 05 2014

Publisher review: After being unjustly committed to a mental institution, Connie Ramos is contacted by an envoy from the year 2137, who shows her a utopian future of sexual and racial equality and environmental harmony. But Connie also bears witness to another potential outcome: a dystopian society of grotesque exploitation. One will become our world. And Connie herself may strike the decisive blow...
My rating: ★★★★
Started: Nov 25 2014 Finished: Dec 03 2014

My review: This is a story of a dog and a waitress dating an handsome but selfish artist. I know, it sounds horrible and uninteresting, but it is surprisingly a remarkably good story. I do not want to spoil it, so I won't say more, but give it a try, it's good. (★★★★)
Started: Dec 03 2014 Finished: Dec 03 2014

My review: The Lord of the Radch has given Breq command of the ship Mercy of Kalr and sent her to the only place she would have agreed to go -- to Athoek Station, where Lieutenant Awn's sister works in Horticulture. Athoek was annexed some six hundred years ago, and by now everyone is fully civilized, or should be. But everything is not as tranquil as it appears.
The second installment of the Imperial Radch series touches and develops many of the themes of the first. Particular focus is given to the ills of imperialism and how its promise of equality is hollow because some citizens are more equals than others.
I wrote more about this and the other Hugo awards nominees for best novel on my blog here: http://goo.gl/Nz5HgV (★★★★)
Started: Nov 02 2014 Finished: Nov 19 2014

My review: On a remote, icy planet, the soldier known as Breq is drawing closer to completing her quest. Once, she was the Justice of Toren, a colossal starship with an artificial intelligence linking thousands of soldiers in the service of the Radch, the empire that conquered the galaxy. Now, an act of treachery has ripped it all away, leaving her with one fragile human body, unanswered questions, and a burning desire for vengeance.
What I found particularly interesting in this book was its interesting treatment of gender. We are told that the Radch language (and society) does not distinguish between genders, as a result the gender of every character is undetermined. This prevent readers from applying gender biases and stereotypes to the characters, leaving them often confused, and making them realize how strongly gender influences the way we judge and perceive other people.
Learn more in my blog post. (★★★★)
Started: Oct 13 2014 Finished: Oct 27 2014

Publisher review: Long after his humiliating defeat at the hands of Earthman Elijah Baley, Keldon Amadiro embarked on a plan to destroy planet Earth. But even after his death, Baley's vision continued to guide his robot partner, R. Daneel Olivaw, who had the wisdom of a great man behind him and an indestructable will to win....
My rating: ★★★★★
Started: Oct 05 2014 Finished: Oct 13 2014

My review: A sci-fi western time travel novellette, centered around a spacecraft crashed on Earth, just outside Tombstone, with something alive inside. I am not a fan of the Western genre, and probably because of it the story did not work for me. (★★)
Started: Oct 01 2014 Finished: Oct 02 2014

My review: I enjoyed the story, that is fast paced and entertaining. I enjoyed the fantasy world that the author created, the original symbiotic relationship of the various species, and the everything but subtle social commentary of the role of humans in the destruction of our planet. This is definitely not a character driven story, because its characters are as dull and flat as they can get. Despite this, it is quite an enjoyable book. (★★★★)
Started: Sep 28 2014 Finished: Oct 01 2014

My review: What's not to like? A talented author, one of my favorite ones, writing about one of my (and her) favorite fictional character. The result is a treat: an entertaining novella with a touching plot and full of nostalgic love for the character has loved for so many years. (★★★★)
Started: Sep 27 2014 Finished: Sep 28 2014

My review: On a savage backwater world, the last ragged survivors of an expedition to hunt down the infamous war criminal known as The Beast Magrison set off into an inhospitable wilderness in search of the alien village that may be sheltering this beast. The hunters are aliens from two different species, the village is inhabited by strange aliens of yet another species, and Magrison himself is no sterling advertisement for humanity. Who’s human in this situation? The answer may surprise and upset you. (★★)
Started: Sep 21 2014 Finished: Sep 21 2014

Publisher review: They called her Water Claire. When she washed up on their shore, no one knew that she came from a society where emotions and colors didn’t exist. That she had become a Vessel at age thirteen. That she had carried a Product at age fourteen. That it had been stolen from her body. Claire had a son. But what became of him she never knew. What was his name? Was he even alive? She was supposed to forget him, but that was impossible. Now Claire will stop at nothing to find her child, even if it means making an unimaginable sacrifice. Son thrusts readers once again into the chilling world of the Newbery Medal winning book, The Giver, as well as Gathering Blue and Messenger where a new hero emerges. In this thrilling series finale, the startling and long-awaited conclusion to Lois Lowry’s epic tale culminates in a final clash between good and evil.
My rating: ★★★
Started: Sep 14 2014 Finished: Sep 18 2014

Publisher review: The line between utopia and dystopia ... is, often, who you are. Or who your neighbors think you are.
My rating: ★★
Started: Sep 12 2014 Finished: Sep 14 2014

My review: What if one day you woke up with a new imaginary friend, following around. What if, that imaginary friends turns out to not be that imaginary after all, but a visitor from far away? (★★★)
Started: Sep 14 2014 Finished: Sep 14 2014

Publisher review: We are marked by what we have been. And erasing either of those can have unpredictable consequences...
My rating: ★★★★
Started: Sep 08 2014 Finished: Sep 09 2014

My review: A remarkable sci-fi novella, loosely inspired by Dicken's christmas carol. The title of the novel gave me pause at first, I was not in the mood for a fairy tale, but this short story turned out to be one of the best tor.com short stories I have read so far. The main character is a scientist that just discovered how to see her own future and past, but soon realize the truth of Heisenberg's principle and how her observation has already affected her past life, and how it will shape her future. (★★★★)
Started: Sep 07 2014 Finished: Sep 07 2014

My review: Charles Stross (the author) attends a conference along with many other science fiction writers and cold war engineers: the idea was to put all these minds together in the hope that some interesting conversations may lead to novel ideas. Allegedly this little tale is one of the resulting conversations. The result is an enjoyable short story of international politics and rocket science. (★★★)
Started: Aug 31 2014 Finished: Sep 01 2014

Publisher review: Lois Lowry's Gathering Blue continues the quartet beginning with the quintessential dystopian novel, The Giver, followed by Messenger and Son. Kira, an orphan with a twisted leg, lives in a world where the weak are cast aside. She fears for her future until she is spared by the all-powerful Council of Guardians. Kira is a gifted weaver and is given a task that no other community member can do. While her talent keeps her alive and brings certain privileges, Kira soon realizes she is surrounded by many mysteries and secrets. No one must know of her plans to uncover the truth about her world and see what places exist beyond. May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture Award: Lois Lowry
My rating: ★★★★
Started: Aug 24 2014 Finished: Aug 27 2014

My review: This book is impossible to put down once you start it. It is also relatively short, so you will probably end up reading it in a single sitting. While entertaining, I do not understand why it is ailed as one of the masterpieces of the 20th century. It is fun, the story is interesting, but it does not really offer anything that was not written before by other authors.
It is the story of twelve-year-old Jonas, a boy living in a seemingly ideal world. In this world everybody is given his life assignment (i.e. a job for life). He is picked to be the next Receiver, the receiver of all the memories so that he alone can carry their burden. Jonas suddenly realizes that his world is far from perfect, and he begin to understand the dark secrets behind this fragile community. (★★★★)
Started: Aug 22 2014 Finished: Aug 23 2014

My review: Dormanna is the story of a little kid that woke up one night with a new "imaginary friend" that turns out to not be imaginary, but not of this world either. (★★)
Started: Aug 23 2014 Finished: Aug 23 2014

My review: This book describes the events taking place shortly after the famous knife throwing scene as seen from Tobias point of view. In this short story Four uncovers the details of an Erudite plan that could threaten the faction system, while getting to know and falling in love with Tris. I would recommend this only to divergent fans that are eager to re-live moment of the story they loved, even if this book does not add much to the saga. My in depth reviews of the divergent saga books here: http://goo.gl/kaszXT . (★★★)
Started: Aug 21 2014 Finished: Aug 21 2014

My review: Another charming novel set in the geeky insane "laundry" world. It's the longest non-novel-length Laundry story so far. And it explains (among other things) precisely what H. P. Lovecraft saw behind the wood-shed when he was 14 that traumatized him for life, the reproductive life-cycle of unicorns, and what really happened on Cold Comfort Farm. (★★★★)
Started: Aug 17 2014 Finished: Aug 20 2014

My review: I read this novelette shortly after it was announced that it won the 2014 Hugo award. I had really high expectations, and, because of it, I was expecting to be disappointed. This turned out to be one of the best novelette I have ever read in my life. In just 32 pages it creates such well rounded, real characters, that you can't avoid to relate with. The main character, Elma, is a senior astronaut dreaming to fly again between the stars. One day an opportunity opens up, and she can fulfill her dream. The only problem is, she'll be gone for three years, and her husband has less than a year to live.
This is an adroitly crafted, powerfully moving short story, that manages to touch complex themes like aging, disabilities, and the difficult balance between the pursuit of our own dreams and family, with extreme honesty, respect, and sensibility.
I strongly recommend it to everybody, not only to sci-fi fans. (★★★★★)
Started: Aug 17 2014 Finished: Aug 17 2014

My review: This is a Damon Runyon-esque tale of courteous guys, bulletproof dolls, and the fedora-clad spacemen that bring them together. The story was written by the author as a tribute to Damon Runyon, for the seventy-fifth anniversary of its death. It tries to use Runyon's delightful, distinctive prose style and the post-Prohibition New York atmosphere in a sci-fi setting. (★★★)
Started: Aug 07 2014 Finished: Aug 08 2014

My review: This short novel is set in Japan in the future, in a world where nanotechnology is extensively used for everything, from food processing, to plastic surgery. The main character, Miho, is faced with the sudden illness of her father, the prospect of poverty, and her boyfriend leaving her for robot. While the story has many interesting elements and poetic moments, the ending (do not worry, no spoilers here) really left me puzzled and a little disturbed. It is not just unexpected, but it really does not seem to have any functional value in the story. (★★★)
Started: Aug 08 2014 Finished: Aug 08 2014

My review: Interesting short novel, a collection of very brief portraits of different alien civilizations. The author describes what drives them, what are their dream, in a very poetic and allegoric way. (★★★★)
Started: Aug 08 2014 Finished: Aug 08 2014

My review: An interesting fictional portrait of Nigeria, where science, magic, and African history and culture are mixed together effectively. I just wish the ending was less open. (★★★★)
Started: Aug 08 2014 Finished: Aug 08 2014

My review: An intriguing "alternative history" short novel, set in a world where Hitler won the second world war. It is a moving story of survival of "Jews" in a world where every single one of them has been killed.
It is the story of two professional actors, Veit Harlan and his wife Kristi, two happy citizens of the prosperous, triumphant Reich. It's been over a century since the War of Retribution cleaned up Europe, long enough that now curious tourists flock to the painstakingly recreated "village" of Wawolnice, whee, along with dozens of colleagues, Veit and Kristi re-enact the daily life of the long-exterminated but still frightening "Jews". Veit and Kristi are true professionals, proud of their craft. They've learned all there is to know about this vanished way of life. They know the dead languages, the turns of phrase, the prayers, the manners, the food. But now they're beginning to learn what happens when you immerse yourself long enough in something real... (★★★★★)
Started: Aug 08 2014 Finished: Aug 08 2014

Publisher review: Doug and Judy have both had a secret power all their life. Judy can see every possible future, branching out from each moment like infinite trees. Doug can also see the future, but for him, it's a single, locked-in, inexorable sequence of foreordained events. They can't both be right, but over and over again, they are. Obviously these are the last two people in the world who should date. So, naturally, they do. Six Months, Three Days is the winner of the 2012 Hugo Award for Best Novelette. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
My rating: ★★
Started: Aug 06 2014 Finished: Aug 07 2014

My review: While some of the plot elements were interesting, the story was not so great. The story is set long after wars that almost destroyed the planet. The wars are over, but many things are left behind from it...things more than human. And they have scores to settle with one another. (★★)
Started: Aug 07 2014 Finished: Aug 07 2014

My review: What a disappointment! I loved Rendezvous with Rama and I was excited to discover that there was a sequel. I should have noticed that the so called "sequel" was co-written by a second author, Gentry Lee, and I should have lowered my expectations accordingly.
Clarke was a skillful writer and a scientist, and this did shows in the first book of the Rama series: the focus was on the science part of science fiction, and the plot was plausible and scientifically accurate, and incredibly fascinating. The first book read like an entertaining science article, were strange phenomena were explained using physics.
This second book is nothing like the first one. While the first book read like a explorer journal, able to fill the reader with wonder and awe, the second book reads like the screenplay of a cheap and trashy reality TV series. The focus is not on science, but on the petty murderous schemes of some of the characters to achieve fame and to get rich.
There are many aspects of the plot that make me think that Clarke had absolutely no role in the writing of this book. The departure from scientific realism and the unsuccessful switch towards a character driven story, the presence of some mild misogynist, racist, and homophobic passages, the focus on Catholic inspired spirituality are very typical of Gentry Lee writings, but find no place in Clarke books (he was quite vocal in his distaste for organized religion, he prided himself for the focus on science in his writings, he was gay, and his "only perfect friend of a lifetime" was SriLankan). I am quite surprised that he agreed to put his name in such a distasteful, poorly written book that stains his legacy.
My recommendation: avoid this book at all costs. (★)
Started: Jul 20 2014 Finished: Jul 27 2014

Publisher review: Alternate Cover Edition of B00JCXK3PS.

Discover the history of Haden's Syndrome, the virus that created the world of John Scalzi's inventive near-future thrillers Lock In and Head On, in the prequel novella Unlocked. Not long from now, a virus will sweep the globe. Most will suffer no worse than flu-like symptoms, but an unlucky one percent will be changed forever. Hundreds of millions become "locked in", awake, aware, but completely unable to control their bodies.

This is the story of the doctors, scientists, engineers, politicians, and heroes who remade the world. It is the story of the chaotic outbreak, the fight for a cure, the changes that followed. It is an oral history, straight from the mouths of those who survived the most dynamic period in human history.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

My rating: ★★★★
Started: Jul 27 2014 Finished: Jul 27 2014

My review: I am a fan of John Scalzi. His books are witty, entertaining, and fun to read. This said this is not one of his best stories. Do not get me wrong, the book is fun and it has an interesting conclusion, but it is not emotionally steering or epic as many of his other stories.
The novella is the story of a Presidential brain that vanishes on thin air, without any visible change in the commander in chief.
Despite the title seems to suggest a political commentary intent, the author is quite careful to avoid any political nuance. It's a pity, it would have frankly being interesting. (★★)
Started: Jul 19 2014 Finished: Jul 20 2014

My review: Another prequel to the divergent series, that should be read after divergent to avoid spoilers. "The son" is set shortly after the end of "the initiate" and follows Tobias as he struggles to find a place in the hierarchy of the Dauntless.
For my extended review and book series suggested reading order see: http://goo.gl/78SX85 (★★★)
Started: Jul 20 2014 Finished: Jul 20 2014

Publisher review: Anderson Lake is a company man, AgriGen's Calorie Man in Thailand. Under cover as a factory manager, Anderson combs Bangkok's street markets in search of foodstuffs thought to be extinct, hoping to reap the bounty of history's lost calories. There, he encounters Emiko... Emiko is the Windup Girl, a strange and beautiful creature. One of the New People, Emiko is not human; instead, she is an engineered being, creche-grown and programmed to satisfy the decadent whims of a Kyoto businessman, but now abandoned to the streets of Bangkok. Regarded as soulless beings by some, devils by others, New People are slaves, soldiers, and toys of the rich in a chilling near future in which calorie companies rule the world, the oil age has passed, and the side effects of bio-engineered plagues run rampant across the globe. What Happens when calories become currency? What happens when bio-terrorism becomes a tool for corporate profits, when said bio-terrorism's genetic drift forces mankind to the cusp of post-human evolution? Award-winning author Paolo Bacigalupi delivers one of the most highly acclaimed science fiction novels of the twenty-first century.
My rating: ★★★
Started: Jun 28 2014 Finished: Jul 19 2014

My review: Tobias / Four is by far the most interesting and faceted characters of the divergent series. Even the author realized it: in Allegiant she switched the narrative to Four POV, and she started writing short novelettes focusing on the character. This one is set during Four's initiation, how he managed to complete it without losing a single match.
For my extended review and book series suggested reading order see: http://goo.gl/78SX85 (★★★)
Started: Jul 19 2014 Finished: Jul 19 2014

My review: This alternative history Nebula award winner novella is set in a world where Pizarro did not completely wipe out the Mayan empire and their culture to the point of obliteration. In this world the empire is still standing, under the rule of a Emperor worshiped by his subjects as a living God. The empire is fighting against Scarlet Fever, a disease originated in Europe that disproportionately affects American. It wipes out entire villages, the few survivors are believed to be blessed by the Gods. The hope of a cure comes with an envoy from 13 British colonies in North America that are trying to free themselves from the rule of the monarchy.
What makes the story remarkable is not the portrait of a long lost culture, the entertaining plot, or the quite believable reconstruction of alternative historical events. What set this novella apart is the honest portrait of our own real history. I won't say more to avoid spoilers.
For more information about this and other 2013 nebula finalist, please refer to my blog post here: http://books.zennaro.net/category/hug... (★★★★)
Started: Jun 15 2014 Finished: Jun 16 2014

My review: I probably did not enjoy the short novella as much as a person that read the previous installments of it would. I liked the focus of psychology, but I really could not get into the dog sized buffalo with an internal fusion reactor pet idea.
For more information about this and other 2013 nebula finalist, please refer to my blog post here: http://books.zennaro.net/category/hug... (★★★)
Started: Jun 15 2014 Finished: Jun 15 2014

My review: The Water That Falls on You from Nowhere is a clever and touching coming out story of Matt, a talented Chinese American biotech engineer, with an interesting fantastic twist: one day, everywhere on Earth, it starts raining every time somebody lies. The intensity of the rain is correlated with the intensity of the lie. This causes some troubles to Matt. First a torrential rain reveals his love for Guss, the guy that he is dating, when he is trying to deny it. Things gets even more complicated when he decide to take Guss to his family dinner. (★★★★)
Started: Jun 14 2014 Finished: Jun 14 2014

Publisher review: When Ranjit Subramanian, a Sri Lankan with a special gift for numbers, writes a three-page proof of the coveted “Last Theorem,” which French mathematician Pierre de Fermat claimed to have discovered (but never recorded) in 1637, Ranjit’s achievement is hailed as a work of genius, bringing him fame and fortune. But it also brings him to the attention of the National Security Agency and a shadowy United Nations outfit called Pax per Fidem–or Peace Through Transparency–whose secretive workings belie its name. Suddenly Ranjit–along with his family–finds himself swept up in world-shaking events, his genius for abstract mathematical thought put to uses that are both concrete and potentially deadly.
My rating: ★★★★
Started: May 24 2014 Finished: May 27 2014

Publisher review:
My rating: ★★★★
Started: Apr 03 2014 Finished: Apr 04 2014

Publisher review: Following the events of The Last Colony, John Scalzi tells the story of the fight to maintain the unity of the human race. The people of Earth now know that the human Colonial Union has kept them ignorant of the dangerous universe around them. For generations the CU had defended humanity against hostile aliens, deliberately keeping Earth an ignorant backwater and a source of military recruits. Now the CU's secrets are known to all. Other alien races have come on the scene and formed a new alliance—an alliance against the Colonial Union. And they've invited the people of Earth to join them. For a shaken and betrayed Earth, the choice isn't obvious or easy. Against such possibilities, managing the survival of the Colonial Union won't be easy, either. It will take diplomatic finesse, political cunning…and a brilliant "B Team," centered on the resourceful Lieutenant Harry Wilson, that can be deployed to deal with the unpredictable and unexpected things the universe throws at you when you're struggling to preserve the unity of the human race. Being published online from January to April 2013 as a three-month digital serial, The Human Division will appear as a full-length novel of the Old Man's War universe, plus—for the first time in print—the first tale of Lieutenant Harry Wilson, and a coda that wasn't part of the digital serialization.
My rating: ★★★★
Number of times I read it: 2
Finished (first time): Apr 04 2014

Publisher review: A secret backdoor meeting between Ambassador Ode Abumwe and the Conclaves Hafte Sorvalh turns out to be less than secret as both of their ships are attacked. Its a surprise to both teams but its the identity of the attacker that is the real surprise, and suggests a threat to both humanity and The Conclave.
My rating: ★★★★★
Started: Apr 03 2014 Finished: Apr 03 2014

Publisher review: United States Diplomat Danielle Lowen was there when one of her fellow diplomats committed an unthinkable act, which had consequences for the entire planet. Now shes trying to figure out how it happened before it can happen again. Putting the puzzle pieces together could solve the mystery or it could threaten her own life.
My rating: ★★★★★
Started: Apr 03 2014 Finished: Apr 03 2014

My review: Really? That is the conclusion to the book series?
I loved the human division series, and this last instalment is no exception: it is thrilling, fun, and impossible to put down. This said, while Earth Below, Sky Above does explain where the missing ships went and what the apparent endgame was, we still don't know who's behind the nefarious plot. We are left with a lot of open questions, that hopefully will be answered in the upcoming sequel series. (★★★★)
Started: Apr 03 2014 Finished: Apr 03 2014

Publisher review: Colonial Union diplomat Hart Schmidt is back home for Harvest Day celebrations to a family whose members wonder whether its youngest son isn't wasting his life clinging to the lowest rung of the CUs diplomatic ladder. When his father, a legendarily powerful politician, presents him with a compelling offer, Schmidt has to take stock of his life and career.
My rating: ★★★★
Finished: Apr 02 2014

Publisher review: In an effort to improve relations with the Earth, the Colonial Union has invited a contingent of diplomats from that planet to observe Ambassador Abumwe negotiate a trade deal with an alien species. Then something very bad happens to one of the Earthings, and with that, the relationship between humanitys two factions is on the cusp of disruption once more. Its a race to find out what really happened, and who is to blame.
My rating: ★★★★
Finished: Apr 01 2014

Publisher review: The Colonial Defense Forces usually protect humanity from alien attack, but now the stability of the Colonial Union has been threatened, and Lieutenant Heather Lee and her squad are called to squash a rebellion on a colony world. It seems simple enough but there's a second act to the rebellion that finds Lee captive, alone, and armed with only her brains to survive.
My rating: ★★★★
Finished: Mar 31 2014

My review: The liked the sequel of Jurassic park more than the original book. As always, the author spend time to collect information to give some scientific credible foundation to his work, and this make the book much more enjoyable. I found the focus on social behaviour and evolution particularly interesting. What I did not like is the strong hostility of the author towards science. Scientist are described as people that gets a lot of power for free, without doing anything to earn it, inheriting it from our ancestors, and unable to not abuse it. I believe that everything, from Science to Art to Religion, can be abused and misused. I also recognize the incredible contribution of Science to humanity, how it helped feeding the masses, cure diseases, and improving life condition. Science should be encouraged and celebrated, and not disparaged because of the moral shortcomings of those that abuse its gifts. (★★★★)
Started: Mar 22 2014 Finished: Mar 30 2014

Publisher review: CDF Lieutenant Harry Wilson has one simple task: Watch an ambassador’s dog while the diplomat is conducting sensitive negotiations with an alien race. But you know dogs - always getting into something. And when this dog gets into something that could launch an alien civil war, Wilson has to find a way to solve the conflict, fast, or be the one in the Colonial Union’s doghouse.
My rating: ★★★
Started: Mar 30 2014 Finished: Mar 30 2014

Publisher review: Captain Sophia Coloma of the Clarke has a simple task: Ferry around representatives from Earth in an aging spaceship that the Colonial Union hopes to sell to them. But nothing is as simple as it seems, and Coloma discovers the ship she's showing off holds suprises of its own...and it's not the only one with secrets.
My rating: ★★★★
Started: Mar 25 2014 Finished: Mar 25 2014

Publisher review: The Conclave is a confederation of four hundred alien racesmany of whom would like to see the Colonial Union, and the humans inside of it, blasted to extinction. To avoid a conflict that neither side can afford, Conclave leader General Tarsem Gau appoints Hafte Sorvalh to resolve an emerging diplomatic crisis with the humans, before the only acceptable solution is war.
My rating: ★★★★
Started: Mar 25 2014 Finished: Mar 25 2014

My review: There is no doubt that Michael Crichton is an adroit writer, able to produce impossible to put down, thrilling and entertaining books. Jurassic Park is clearly no exception. I also like the fact that the author spend time to collect information to give some scientific credible foundation to his work. I found the anti-GMO intro quite fascinating, especially because it was written long before the general public was even aware of the existence of GMO products.
What I did not like is the strong hostility of the author towards science. Scientist are described as people that gets a lot of power for free, without doing anything to earn it, inheriting it from our ancestors, and unable to not abuse it (just one quote from the book: You know what's wrong with scientific power? It's a form of inherited wealth. And you know what assholes congenitally rich people are.). I believe that everything, from Science to Art to Religion, can be abused and misused. I also recognize the incredible contribution of Science to humanity, how it helped feeding the masses, cure diseases, and improving life condition. Science should be encouraged and celebrated, and not disparaged because of the moral shortcomings of those that abuse its gifts. (★★)
Started: Mar 13 2014 Finished: Mar 22 2014

Publisher review: Albert Birnbaum was once one of the biggest political talk show hosts around, but these days hes watching his career enter a death spiral. A stranger offers a solution to his woes, promising to put him back on top. Its everything Birnbaum wants, but is there a catch? And does Birnbaum actually care if there is?
My rating: ★★★★
Started: Mar 22 2014 Finished: Mar 22 2014

My review: This is the second installment of the new John Scalzi's book set in the Old Man's war universe. It reads as a stand alone story, it does not share any character with the previous chapter, but it will be soon tied in with the main plot in the next installment. Walk the plank is the story of a pirate attack survivor landing on a Wildcat colony. (★★★★)
Started: Mar 10 2014 Finished: Mar 10 2014

My review: Under the pressure of readers' request, John Scalzi adds a new book set in the Old Man's War universe. The story take place after the events described in the previous two books, but it features a completely new set of characters. The format is also different: the author is serializing the story in 13 novellas. This first book is quite intriguing, and it is a very promising beginning. Let's see how the plot develops in the next installments. (★★★★)
Started: Mar 08 2014 Finished: Mar 09 2014

My review: Tobias / Four is by far the most interesting and faceted characters of the divergent series. Even the author realized it: in Allegiant she switched the narrative to Four POV, and she started writing short novelettes focusing on the character. This one tell the famous knife throwing story from the point of view of Four, adding more depth to it. Reading it really made me think that the author should have alternated between Four and Tris POV from the very beginning: it would really have improved the storytelling and the quality of the book. While enjoyable, the book is extremely short. Did you really just charged me almost one dollar for a 10 pages long short story? I wish I was told that this 50 pages long eBook was 40% excerpts and only 10% unpublished work.
For my extended review and book series suggested reading order see: http://goo.gl/78SX85 (★★)
Started: Mar 07 2014 Finished: Mar 07 2014

My review: At the end of The last colony, the author said that that book was going to be the last one of the Old Man's War series. Under the pressure of readers he changed his mind and he later added this new book to it. Zoe's Tale does not read as a sequel, but more like a tribute to the series. It feels like seeing the places of your childhood through the eyes of a grown up... or the exact opposite: the story is the one of the previous book, but it is now told by young Zoe from her point of view. At first I was afraid that writing a second book with the same plot was going to be boring, but few chapters in it became clear it was not going to be the case. The book explores many previously untold events, that adroitly fit in and give more depth to the main story. Moreover, even the already told events reads and feel so differently when lived, seen, and told by Zoe. The Old Man's War universe assume some of the emotional tones of young reader / teen novels, while retaining all its wit and its cleverness. My favorite part of the book is chapter 4, where Zoe summarize her life story in an emotional, extremely moving way. (★★★★)
Started: Mar 02 2014 Finished: Mar 07 2014

My review: The Old Man's War book series is one of my favorite book series. It does not come as a surprise that some of the book of the series were nominated for the prestigious Hugo Best Novel of the year award.
The Sagan Diary is a short story written for a charity fundraising event. It does not stand on its own, it does not have its plot: it narrates some events of the book series from the point of view of Jane Sagan. As such it should be read only after the first two books, and only by the most ardent fans of John Scalzi's work. (★★★)
Started: Feb 28 2014 Finished: Mar 02 2014

My review: Tobias / Four is by far the most interesting and faceted characters of the divergent series. Even the author realized it: in Allegiant she switched the narrative to Four POV, and she started writing short novelettes focusing on the character. This one is set to Four early years, to his life with an abusive parent, and his choice of leaving his faction behind. This turned out to be an interesting, enjoyable story, that I recommend you to read along with the main books of the series.
For my extended review and book series suggested reading order see: http://goo.gl/78SX85 (★★★★)
Started: Mar 02 2014 Finished: Mar 02 2014

My review: While reading the book, I felt it did not belong to the same series of the previous two. While the story is the natural development of the plot of Divergent and Insurgent, the narrator suddenly changes in the third book: Allegiant is written from the perspective of both Beatrice/Tris and Tobias/Four. The change deeply modified the storytelling, the style, and the feel of the book: the whole divergent world is not quite the same when seen through a different set of eyes. The whole trilogy would have worked better if the same multi-prospective narrative style was adopted from the very beginning.
Another big change are in the themes, but in this case the change does not feel abrupt, but as a natural evolution and growth of the characters. Divergent explores the adolescent anxiety caused by the painful realization that coming into one's own sometimes means leaving family behind, both ideologically and physically. Divergent shows the pressure of having to choose between following in your parents' footsteps or doing something new. Allegiant shows that those different paths and new different ways can led to the same destination our parents were aiming to.
For my extended review and book series suggested reading order see: http://goo.gl/78SX85 (★★★★)
Started: Feb 21 2014 Finished: Feb 28 2014

My review: Veronica Roth is clearly an adroit writer: she knows how to write addictive, impossible to put down, very enjoyable books. This said, there are a some aspects in the book that make me a little uneasy. In a world divided in "factions", the one devoted to Science and Rationality is often described as the Evil one, ready to take away people's freedom and lives in the name of comfort and wealth. Science and rationality seems to have been the cause of the end of morality and of an apocalyptic disaster. This troubles me deeply, because it reflects a growing anti-scientific attitude that I am observing in society. I hope I am mistaken and that the third book will bring some clarity on the topic.
For my extended review and book series suggested reading order see: http://goo.gl/78SX85 (★★★★)
Started: Feb 08 2014 Finished: Feb 15 2014

My review: Despite the very strange and hard to believe premises, the book is quite entertaining and very hard to put down. Dystopian novel, from Fahrenheit 451 to 1984, often make us reflect about some aspects of modern society. Divergent does not convey such a strong warning yet, but there are hints and suggestions that are probably going to be developed in the following books of this trilogy. There is only one aspect of the book I did not like: in a world divided in "factions", the one devoted to Science and Rationality is described as the Evil one. This troubles me, because it reflects a growing anti-scientific attitude that I am observing in society. I hope I am mistaken.
For my extended review and book series suggested reading order see: http://goo.gl/78SX85 (★★★★)
Started: Jan 25 2014 Finished: Jan 27 2014

Publisher review: Alternate cover edition of ASIN B003JTHWKU Among the seminal texts of the 20th century, Nineteen Eighty-Four is a rare work that grows more haunting as its futuristic purgatory becomes more real. Published in 1949, the book offers political satirist George Orwell's nightmare vision of a totalitarian, bureaucratic world and one poor stiff's attempt to find individuality. The brilliance of the novel is Orwell's prescience of modern life—the ubiquity of television, the distortion of the language—and his ability to construct such a thorough version of hell. Required reading for students since it was published, it ranks among the most terrifying novels ever written.
My rating: ★★★★★
Started: Jan 19 2014 Finished: Jan 25 2014

My review: In this third installment of the Old Man's War series, John Perry, his wife Jane, and their adopted daughter Zoe, are at last living quietly in one of humanity's many colonies. John and Jane are asked to lead a new colony world, and they decide to give it a try... But they soon find out that nothing is what it seems, for his new colony are merely pawns in an interstellar game of war and diplomacy between humanity's Colonial Union and a new, seemingly unstoppable alien alliance that is dedicated to ending all human colonization. As for the previous books of the series, the book is witty, extremely clever, enjoyable, a real pleasure to read. I strongly recommend it. (★★★★★)
Started: Jan 03 2014 Finished: Jan 06 2014

My review: The novel is a collection of individual accounts, where the narrator is an agent of the United Nations Postwar Commission ten years after a fictional Zombie War. The accounts record a decade-long desperate war against the zombie plague, as experienced by people of various nationalities. The personal accounts also describe the social, political, religious and environmental changes that resulted from the war.
The book is quite remarkable not only for the originality of the storytelling, but for the deep understanding of different cultures and human psychology. (★★★★★)
Started: Nov 30 2013 Finished: Dec 19 2013

Publisher review: The terrifyingly prophetic novel of a post-literate future. Guy Montag is a fireman. His job is to burn books, which are forbidden, being the source of all discord and unhappiness. Even so, Montag is unhappy; there is discord in his marriage. Are books hidden in his house? The Mechanical Hound of the Fire Department, armed with a lethal hypodermic, escorted by helicopters, is ready to track down those dissidents who defy society to preserve and read books. The classic dystopian novel of a post-literate future, Fahrenheit 451 stands alongside Orwell’s 1984 and Huxley’s Brave New World as a prophetic account of Western civilization’s enslavement by the media, drugs and conformity. Bradbury’s powerful and poetic prose combines with uncanny insight into the potential of technology to create a novel which, decades on from first publication, still has the power to dazzle and shock. --back cover
My rating: ★★★★
Started: Nov 03 2013 Finished: Nov 15 2013

My review: Ira Levin's dystopian novels is set in a seemingly perfect global society. Uniformity is the defining feature, there is only one language and all ethnic groups have been eugenically merged into one race called The Family. The world is ruled by a central computer called UniComp that has been programmed to keep every single human on the surface of the earth in check. People are continually drugged by means of regular injections so that they can never realize their potential as human beings, but will remain satisfied and cooperative. They are told where to live, when to eat, whom to marry, when to reproduce. Even the basic facts of nature are subject to the UniComp's will. Men do not grow facial hair, women do not develop breasts, and it only rains at night. But not everybody is willing to accept this. With a vision as frightening as any in the history of the science fiction genre, This Perfect Day is one of Ira Levin`s most haunting novels. (★★★★★)
Started: Oct 29 2013 Finished: Nov 03 2013

Publisher review: The Ghost Brigades are the Special Forces of the Colonial Defense Forces, elite troops created from the DNA of the dead and turned into the perfect soldiers for the CDF's toughest operations. They’re young, they’re fast and strong, and they’re totally without normal human qualms. The universe is a dangerous place for humanity—and it's about to become far more dangerous. Three races that humans have clashed with before have allied to halt our expansion into space. Their linchpin: the turncoat military scientist Charles Boutin, who knows the CDF’s biggest military secrets. To prevail, the CDF must find out why Boutin did what he did. Jared Dirac is the only human who can provide answers -- a superhuman hybrid, created from Boutin's DNA, Jared’s brain should be able to access Boutin's electronic memories. But when the memory transplant appears to fail, Jared is given to the Ghost Brigades. At first, Jared is a perfect soldier, but as Boutin’s memories slowly surface, Jared begins to intuit the reason’s for Boutin’s betrayal. As Jared desperately hunts for his "father," he must also come to grips with his own choices. Time is running out: The alliance is preparing its offensive, and some of them plan worse things than humanity’s mere military defeat…
My rating: ★★★★★
Started: Jul 09 2013 Finished: Jul 10 2013

Publisher review: John Perry did two things on his 75th birthday. First he visited his wife's grave. Then he joined the army. The good news is that humanity finally made it into interstellar space. The bad news is that planets fit to live on are scarce-- and alien races willing to fight us for them are common. So: we fight. To defend Earth, and to stake our own claim to planetary real estate. Far from Earth, the war has been going on for decades: brutal, bloody, unyielding. Earth itself is a backwater. The bulk of humanity's resources are in the hands of the Colonial Defense Force. Everybody knows that when you reach retirement age, you can join the CDF. They don't want young people; they want people who carry the knowledge and skills of decades of living. You'll be taken off Earth and never allowed to return. You'll serve two years at the front. And if you survive, you'll be given a generous homestead stake of your own, on one of our hard-won colony planets. John Perry is taking that deal. He has only the vaguest idea what to expect. Because the actual fight, light-years from home, is far, far harder than he can imagine--and what he will become is far stranger.
My rating: ★★★★★
Started: Jun 23 2013 Finished: Jun 29 2013

My review: This is the story of Rick Deckard, an escaped android bounty hunter, living in a dystopian post-apocalyptic future. Rick is facing one of the hardest assignments in his life: tracking and terminating six nexus-6, the most advanced and sophisticated android model built so far. One of the main and more interesting themes of the book is the reflection of what means to be human: as androids become indistinguishable from us, to the point where people start to suspect they may be androids with implanted memories, what set humans apart? The book raises many of the same questions that were raised back in the 19th century by Mary Shelley, but it comes up with quite different conclusions. A strongly recommended read, even for people that are not big fan of Science Fiction. (★★★★)
Started: Jan 26 2013 Finished: Jan 29 2013

My review: Store of the worlds is a collection of short sci-fi stories by Robert Shekley. Some of the first stories are entertaining and memorable, full of interesting plot twists. After reading a bunch, the stories starts feeling less original, and the twists a little predictable. To sum it up: I did not regret reading this book, I got enough entertainment out of it to justify the time investment, but I won't recommend it to anyone. (★★★)
Started: Nov 25 2012 Finished: Dec 09 2012

My review: I have read only few books by Philip Dick, and all of them were incredibly modern both in the themes they discuss, and in their form. The Penultimate Truth has a very classic structure, it could almost pass for an Isaac Asimov book in that respect. The themes are very modern though: the story is set in a far dystopian post world war III world, where people are fed fabricated Truth via news and television to keep the entire world in the hands of lucky few. (★★★★)
Started: Oct 20 2012 Finished: Oct 25 2012

My review: A fun short story, easy to read in a single sitting to kill the time. The story is interesting, but it is quite surprising they managed to get a full movie out of it. (★★★)
Started: Aug 05 2012 Finished: Aug 05 2012

My review: I found the previous two volumes of the strain trilogy a little disappointing: despite being entertaining, those two books felt like a collection of almost unconnected scenes from which a relatively thin plot emerged. Things change in this third volume: many of the mysteries are revealed, the action is more and more fast paced. This volume is impossible to put down, and a continuous adrenaline rush. I would have never recommended the series based upon the first two volumes, but the third one makes up for the shortcoming of the others. (★★★★)
Started: Jul 25 2012 Finished: Jul 28 2012

My review: The book disguise itself as a science fiction story set in the near future, but in reality it is a fictionalized auto-biography of the author real-life experience in the 70s American drug subculture. The story is narrated by the main character, a cop in disguise investigating a new drug, called substance D. While investigating he became addicted and he starts suffering more and more severe brain damages. His perception of reality and his narrative became distorted, confusing. The result is extremely powerful and deeply disturbing, and, thanks to the autobiographical nature of the text, authentic. I will not lie, it is not the easiest read, but the book really succeeds in capturing the ordeal of a troubled community, its fall, its beliefs and paranoias. As such, it is a great literary achievements that all sci-fi fans should not miss. (★★★★)
Started: May 26 2012 Finished: Jun 12 2012

My review: Clarke was a skillful writer and a scientist, and this shows in his writing: the focus is on the science part of science fiction. This is why his plots are plausible and scientifically accurate, and incredibly fascinating. Rama is an extra-terrestrial artificial planet, coming from the depth of space toward Earth. The world is built inside a rotating cylinder, creating artificial gravity using inertia. The book reads like a (readable and entertaining) science article, were strange phenomena are explained using physics. It is also reads like a explorer journal, filling the reader with wonder and awe. (★★★★)
Started: Feb 01 2012 Finished: Feb 29 2012

My review: While still enjoyable and hard to put down, this is not as original as the first volume of the series. The plot is quite similar to the previous one and it really reads like an encore. This second installment does not focus entirelly on Katniss and Peeta survival at the games like the previous one, but more space is given to the oppression of the districts and to the growing tension and rebellion. (★★★)
Started: Feb 01 2012 Finished: Feb 16 2012

My review: This is a great conclusion for one of the most enjoyable book series of the decades. This third installment does not follow the format of the previous two books (that was getting already a little repetitive), but instead focus on Katniss rescued from the Quarter Quell, her willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels' Mockingjay, no matter what the personal cost. (★★★★)
Started: Feb 01 2012 Finished: Feb 16 2012

My review: Suzanne Collins really knows how to write an impossible to put down book. I literally spent every free second reading the book for few days in a row, losing precious hours of sleep reading it. I was afraid I was going to get in trouble with my sweet half, but he started the book at the same time, and got even more addicted than me, so I guess things worked out at the end. This is not the type of book that shake you to the core, it has not a great message or lesson to deliver. It is just an action packed thrilling ride, where each single chapter finishes with a cliffhanger, and each page make you want to read more and more. It's not the kind of book that make you a better person or help you in the path towards understanding, but it is pure enjoyment. For the curious, the Hunger Games is set in a post apocalyptic North America, where a central government keeps 12 districts in a state of semi-slavery. As a punishment for an ancient rebellion two kids from each district are selected each year and sent into a televised death match, where the only survivor is going to be declared the winner. (★★★★★)
Started: Jan 30 2012 Finished: Feb 01 2012

My review: This book was quite a disappointment. I really enjoyed the previous volume of the Empire series and I had high expectations. While very entertaining "The Star, Like Dust" has a quite uninteresting storyline. Some of the "twists" are so banal and stereotypical to make you yawn. I guess the book was less un-original in the 50s, but this book has very little to offer to a modern reader. My advice: if pick Asimov's Pebble in the Sky instead. (★★)
Started: Jan 08 2011 Finished: Jan 11 2011

My review: This book made me understand why Isaac Asimov is considered one of the fathers of science fiction. The book is impossible to put down: I found myself staying up all night to see how it ends. On top of being so entertaining, the book also explores interesting themes like xenophobia, and how Religion ("customs" and "traditions" in the book) can potentially be used to enslave people. I recently read Asimov's Robot's series (that was fun, but not that special), and this is by far superior. (★★★★★)
Started: Jun 30 2010 Finished: Jul 02 2010

My review: In the third volume of Asimov's "Robot" series all the characters of the previous books (Elijah, Daneel, Gladia) are back. The book was written more than 20 years after the first two, and it shows. It is quite interesting to witness the cultural changes occurred in those 2 decades while reading the books. While I was reading the first two volumes, I was quite surprised by the prevalent gender inequality in the "future" societies described in the books. It was rather funny to see the shortcoming of the Western world of the 50s in a "future society". In the third book, things are changed quite a lot. While the previous books were almost puritan, here sexuality is a central element. But while the author describe a society in which sex is quite free, he continues to make the point that sex without love is worthless. It come out a little bit hypocritical: on one side he speaks about free sex to lure readers, on the other he judges it. Anyway, there has been huge social progress in this 20 years, and the progress is astonishing and clear when you read these books. (★★★★)
Started: Oct 06 2009 Finished: Nov 05 2009

My review: I read many Asimov's books (translated in Italian) when I was young, and I used to love them. I recently started to read them again, in English, and he was clearly a master of mass market (sci-fi) novels. His books are hard to put down. Many of his ideas now are clique, but they weren't at the time. The only disturbing part is to see some sexist comment in the book. Maybe Asimov was not sexist, maybe it was "normal" to treat female differently at the time, but I still find it quite disturbing. (★★★)
Started: Sep 01 2009 Finished: Sep 26 2009

My review: I read many Asimov's books when I was a kid, and it has been quite interesting to read them again, in their original language. He was an adroit writer, able to capture the reader. I enjoyed this book, I was very surprised by the author continuous mentions to the bible (given his views on religion). (★★★)
Started: Jul 25 2009 Finished: Jul 31 2009

My review: The book is a collection of two related stories. The concepts behind them are quite interesting, but the execution of the first story (i.e. the atrocity archives) is not great. It is confusing and the plot flow does not work well at times. On the contrary the second story (i.e. Concrete Jungle) is great. The interesting ideas are finally used in a adroitly written geeky and fast paced story. The best way to describe this book I can think of is: Lovecraft meet Dilbert. (★★★)
Started: Feb 17 2008 Finished: Mar 03 2008

My review: I grew up reading Asimov's novels. It was strange to read one of his books after so many years, in the original language it was written. I devoured the book as I devoured his book when I was a child. Definitely a fun book. (★★★★)
Started: Nov 22 2007 Finished: Nov 27 2007

My review: Another fast-paced intriguing book from Dan Brown. This is by far my favorite, despite the fact that all his books are very similar to each other. I was a little disappointed by the conclusion: the Mary Magdalene "secret" is reveled too soon and after that the book is less interesting to read. (★★★★)
Started: Aug 22 2005 Finished: Aug 25 2005

My review: Another fast-paced intriguing book by Dan Brown. I find it less interesting than the previous two. I think I am getting used to his style and his books read less and less original. I liked the coded greeting at the end of the book. It toke a little bit to crack it but... it is just a cesar box code, and the numbers can be substituted with letters (hint: use chapter numbers). (★★★)
Started: Nov 11 2004 Finished: Nov 14 2004

My review: Quite enjoyable fast-paced sci-fi thriller full of plot twists and surprises. (★★★)
Started: Apr 09 2004 Finished: Apr 15 2004

My review: This is a great summer reading, to relax at the beach without having to think to much.
I enjoyed it in particular because it discusses technologies similar to what I was working on in grad school (UAVs swarms). (★★★)
Started: Dec 19 2003 Finished: Dec 22 2003

My review: I really enjoyed the book. It made me go back in time, to the time when I was working at C.E.R.N. in Geneva at the LHC project. In one of the first chapters the main character visits the building where I used to go to do my laundry, he walks in front of the building where I lived and he ends up in a lab close to LHC itself. Even if almost all the Italian quotes are wrong (bad grammar, incorrect word choices, etc), even if the scientific background is not as solid as the author would like us to believe... I liked it a lot. (★★★★)
Started: Dec 01 2003 Finished: Dec 04 2003

My review: This is the conclusion of the saga started with 2001. Despite having none of the epic grandeur of the first installment, the book is very entertaining. I found particularly intriguing the author take on religion and spirituality. (★★★★)
Started: Nov 07 2003 Finished: Nov 08 2003

My review: Fifty years after the alien message forbidding humans to approach the moon Europa, an expedition to Halley's Comet is forced to violate the prohibition in the name of mercy. Though it is entertaining, it lacks the epical tones of the previous volumes. (★★★★)
Started: Sep 16 2003 Finished: Sep 19 2003

My review: Almost 20 years after the first book, Clarke wrote this sequel. I was quite surprised to realize how much the world changed in those 20 years just reading the two books one after the other. The world geopolitical balance is changed: for example China enters as a third super power in the second book, and it is not even mentioned in the first. The civil right movement worked hard for a world where every person is given a fair change whatever his or her color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation or identity, etc: for example in the second book a character in the Leonov spaceship is gay, and treated with all the respect he deserve. After reading the two books I was filled with hope and faith in human progress. (★★★★)
Started: Oct 07 2002 Finished: Oct 12 2002

My review: A classic of sci-fi literature, epic in its scope, very original and enthralling. Clarke is able to keep his readers in awe, on the edge of some spiritual and cosmological revelation. The sarcastic humor of the author is the perfect icing on the cake. (★★★★)
Number of times I read it: 2
Started (first time): May 28 2002 Finished (first time): Jun 02 2002

My review: Ero a casa del mio ex a Milano, ove m'ero recato per un colloquio di lavoro. Terminato questo aspettavo ora di cena e cominciai a leggere, terminandolo, il libro sul comodino. Le storie del volume sono abbastanza insignificanti, la migliore e' quella che ha ispirato Spielberg... Ma anche quella non e' poi un granche'. (★★)
Started: Oct 24 2001 Finished: Oct 24 2001

Publisher review: Also available in Pump Six and Other Stories “The People of Sand and Slag” starts as straight military sf — and then twists. It was nominated for both the Hugo and Nebula Awards. Originally published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, February 2004.
My rating: ★★★★

Publisher review: Also available in Pump Six and Other Stories “The Tamarisk Hunter” originally appeared in the environmental journal High Country News. It was inspired by the only thing that really matters in the Western U.S. — water.
My rating: ★★★★

Publisher review: Set on the desert planet Arrakis, Dune is the story of the boy Paul Atreides, heir to a noble family tasked with ruling an inhospitable world where the only thing of value is the "spice" melange, a drug capable of extending life and enhancing consciousness. Coveted across the known universe, melange is a prize worth killing for... When House Atreides is betrayed, the destruction of Paul's family will set the boy on a journey toward a destiny greater than he could ever have imagined. And as he evolves into the mysterious man known as Muad'Dib, he will bring to fruition humankind's most ancient and unattainable dream. A stunning blend of adventure and mysticism, environmentalism and politics, Dune won the first Nebula Award, shared the Hugo Award, and formed the basis of what is undoubtedly the grandest epic in science fiction.
My rating: ★★★★★

Publisher review: Seconds before the Earth is demolished to make way for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is plucked off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised edition of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy who, for the last fifteen years, has been posing as an out-of-work actor. Together this dynamic pair begin a journey through space aided by quotes from The Hitchhiker's Guide ("A towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have") and a galaxy-full of fellow travelers: Zaphod Beeblebrox--the two-headed, three-armed ex-hippie and totally out-to-lunch president of the galaxy; Trillian, Zaphod's girlfriend (formally Tricia McMillan), whom Arthur tried to pick up at a cocktail party once upon a time zone; Marvin, a paranoid, brilliant, and chronically depressed robot; Veet Voojagig, a former graduate student who is obsessed with the disappearance of all the ballpoint pens he bought over the years. Where are these pens? Why are we born? Why do we die? Why do we spend so much time between wearing digital watches? For all the answers stick your thumb to the stars. And don't forget to bring a towel!
My rating: