The Ink Readers of Doi Saket by Thomas Olde Heuvelt is something different is something different. And, for some reason, it’s a Hugo nominee, too. Near the end of the Mae Ping River in Thailand, a town plays a special role in an annual ritual that runs river long. Villagers will put their wishes in […]
Archives for 2014
The Water that Falls on You from Nowhere by John Chu is not Scifi
2014-09-25 · by ·
The Water That Falls on You from Nowhere by John Chu is not scifi. Clever, maybe, but Hugo worthy? There’s something clever about this story. Water that falls on you from nowhere…when you are fibbing. The conceit is the narrator is an in the closet gay, at least to his parents, and without the ability […]
25 Best Sci-Fi Books of All Time…Maybe
2014-09-24 · by ·
What are the 25 best sci-fi books of all time? In a genre that has constantly evolved since before the days of Mary Shelley, Jules Verne and H.G. Wells (okay, okay… I recognize that the days of Shelley and Verne and Wells are not the same days. Not by a long shot. Let’s just call that the […]
Equoid by Charles Stross: Hugo Winner
2014-09-22 · by ·
Equoid by Charles Stross is a Hugo winner, in a year that’s had quite a bit of controversy. Initially, I was impressed by the story, but the more I think about it, the less I am. Intelligent, articulate, and witty, it has undercurrents that are dark and disturbing. It’s hard not to see echoes of Larry […]
I, Robot by Isaac Asimov: Modern Scifi Owes a Debt
2014-09-19 · by ·
I, Robot. Is there a selection from the golden age of science fiction that better epitomizes the era? There’s no doubt that Isaac Asimov’s I, Robot is a science fiction classic. Complete with the three laws of robotics, it casts a tall shadow over almost every work of science fiction, book or movie, and you hear […]
Book Review | The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
2014-09-18 · by ·
Don Tillman is not your average guy. He’s got his life scheduled and organized for optimal efficiency and zero time waste. He’s a brilliant professor of genetics, but socially he’s inept, and he’s smart enough to know it. He had written off finding a life partner, but from the encouragement of a few close friends, he’s […]
Star Wars and the Hero’s Journey
2014-09-17 · by ·
If you’ve ever wondered why Star Wars continues to resonate with viewers young and old decades after its special effects have been eclipsed by new technology, look no further than Joseph Campbell’s book The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Star Wars did not spring from George Lucas’ pen like Athena from Zeus’s head, fully grown […]
Book Review | Allegiant by Veronica Roth (Divergent Trilogy #3)
2014-09-16 · by ·
Well, friends, I finally read the concluding book of the Divergent series. It’s difficult for me to fully review this book without discussing spoilers. So…if you don’t want to know spoilers, stop reading this review right now. Sigh. I have mixed feelings about Allegiant. The things I liked: I liked seeing Four’s weaknesses. I liked when […]
A Moving Tribute to a Jedi: Kenobi by John Jackson Miller
2014-09-15 · by ·
Kenobi is a beautiful surprise, a wonderful scene in the larger arc of the Star Wars drama. I had no idea what I was in for when I started it, and I’m glad I gave it a try. It’s an exciting and moving story of one of Star Wars most important characters. I had stopped […]
A Ten Dollar Investment: Million Dollar Productivity by Kevin J. Anderson
2014-09-11 · by ·
Spoiler alert: the trick to writing productivity is writing all the time. And you have a lot more time than you think. I promise. Seriously. I picked this gem of a book (Million Dollar Productivity (The Million Dollar Writing Series)) up at Salt Lake Comic Con after a panel that included the author was […]
