This book seriously freaked me out. It is a reminder, as only a science fiction novel can be, of what a tenuous thing subjective reality is. I have never done acid, but based on the testimony of others I would say that this book resembles an acid trip in that it is both mind-altering and …
Tag: Science Fiction
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2014/12/23/the-lathe-of-heaven-by-ursula-k-le-guin/
Nov 17 2014
Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie
Ancillary Sword puts author Ann Leckie in a strong position to be the first author since 1991-92 to repeat as winner of the Hugo for best novel, and indeed to be only the second person ever to repeat Hugo/Nebula awards in that category. Which is mainly to say that Ancillary Sword is a terrific book, …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2014/11/17/ancillary-sword-by-ann-leckie/
Nov 01 2014
Endgame: The Calling by James Frey and Nils Johnson-Shelton
For a puzzle book, this is actually well-written. I sure as heck wasn’t expecting the death toll at the end (or even near the beginning: if I were a member of that particular bloodline, I’d be pissed,) but the authors certainly seem to be of the “kill your darlings” school of writing, which leads to …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2014/11/01/endgame-the-calling-by-james-frey-and-nils-johnson-shelton/
Oct 25 2014
Ancillary Sword (Imperial Radch Book 2) by Ann Leckie
This book is the long-awaited sequel to Ancillary Justice, and it did not disappoint. I read the first book and then the newly released sequel, so that I could keep everything in my head straight. It was wonderful. So wonderful that I didn’t want the story to stop and when it did, and I realized …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2014/10/25/ancillary-sword-imperial-radch-book-2-by-ann-leckie/
Sep 30 2014
The Chaos Walking Trilogy by Patrick Ness
Now this is how young adult science fiction should be written! The three books in this trilogy are The Knife of Never Letting Go, The Ask and the Answer, and Monsters of Men. They were wonderful. These books addressed wide-ranging topics from terrorism and tyranny to morality and how difficult love can be, all while …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2014/09/30/the-chaos-walking-trilogy-by-patrick-ness/
Sep 29 2014
The Southern Reach Trilogy by Jeff VanderMeer
It is time for me to get off of my patootie and actually write up some of these books that I’ve been reading. At this point in time I am three trilogies and two novels behind, which doesn’t speak very well of my time management or my self discipline. Regardless, here we go with trilogy …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2014/09/29/the-southern-reach-trilogy-by-jeff-vandermeer/
Sep 14 2014
Lock In by John Scalzi
“Lock In,” while still well within the realm of Science Fiction, struck me as being a little bit off the beaten path for John Scalzi. In addition to the SF elements there was also some direct discussion of physical disability and how society deals with it, and a refreshing dollop of police procedural to make …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2014/09/14/lock-in-by-john-scalzi/
Sep 26 2006
Ringworld by Larry Niven
I hadn’t read Ringworld in at least a decade, and probably closer to two, when I picked it up again a couple of weeks back. Originally published in 1970, the book has held up terrifically. Not for Niven, one of those far-future societies that’s a replication of the author’s own era. The use of “men” …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2006/09/26/ringworld-by-larry-niven/
Feb 11 2005
Ray Bradbury
Through a series of stupidities, when I moved from Washington to Germany, I lost a fair number of books. Several hundred, I think, but it’s a little too sad to count them up. There was, and still may be, a list I made when packing. An indulgent winter evening’s thought is which one I would …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2005/02/11/ray-bradbury/