Book Review: Willful Child by Erickson (2.5 stars)

Willful Child by Steven Erickson

2.5 out of 5 stars

Read in October 2014

Releases 11/4/2014

Publisher’s Synopsis:

From the New York Times Bestselling author Steven Erikson comes a new science fiction novel of devil-may-care, near calamitous and downright chaotic adventures through the infinite vastness of interstellar space.

These are the voyages of the starship A.S.F. Willful Child. Its ongoing mission: to seek out strange new worlds on which to plant the Terran flag, to subjugate and if necessary obliterate new life-forms, to boldly blow the…

And so we join the not-terribly-bright but exceedingly cock-sure Captain Hadrian Sawback and his motley crew on board the Starship Willful Child for a series of devil-may-care, near-calamitous and downright chaotic adventures Continue reading “Book Review: Willful Child by Erickson (2.5 stars)”

Book Review: Tarkin by Luceno (3 Stars)

Tarkin by James Luceno

3 out of 5 stars

Read in October 2014

Releases November 4, 2014

Publisher’s Synopsis:

Bestselling Star Wars veteran James Luceno gives Grand Moff Tarkin the Star Wars: Darth Plagueis treatment, bringing a legendary character from A New Hope to full, fascinating life.

He’s the scion of an honorable and revered family. A dedicated soldier and distinguished legislator. 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. Continue reading “Book Review: Tarkin by Luceno (3 Stars)”

Syfy Basically Admits They Screwed Up

http://io9.com/syfy-basically-admits-they-screwed-up-1651974076

Well, duh.  It’s about time Syfy got back in the game.

The only show I watched last year was Helix and it was just okay. Looking forward to some better SF coming down the pipe

Posted from WordPress for Android via my Samsung smartphone. Please excuse any misspellings. Ciao, Jon

If You Read One Thing Today, Make It This Canticle For Leibowitz Essay

http://io9.com/if-you-read-one-thing-today-make-it-this-canticle-for-1649946606

Canticle is one of my favorite SF novels.

See my review from March 2013.

If you want to skip the I09 recap of the New Yorker essay and just get right to it, follow this link:

A Science Fiction Classic Still Smoulders

Why Millennials Are Avoiding Small-Town America | Fast Forward | OZY

http://www.ozy.com/fast-forward/why-millennials-are-avoiding-small-town-america/34058?utm_source=A1&utm_medium=pp&utm_campaign=pp

More death knells for small towns on America. I’m not a millennial – in fact I’m one of the last of the Baby Boomers – but I fled my small town just a bit.  Somewhat of a compromise – 20 miles from where I grew up (population then about 500 now abound 250) – to Lansing (population 11,000) and I work 35 miles away in KC metro (not sure of population stats for the area but probably over two million easy). I love access to culture activities but I miss dark skies.

Posted from WordPress for Android via my Samsung smartphone. Please excuse any misspellings. Ciao, Jon

Book Review: Abyss Beyond Dreams by Hamilton (3.5 stars)

The Abyss Beyond Dreams
A Novel of the Commonwealth

by Peter F. Hamilton

3.5 out of 5 stars

Publisher’s Synopsis:

The wait is over. Bestselling science fiction master Peter F. Hamilton is back with the first of a new two-book saga set in his popular Commonwealth universe. Distinguished by deft plotting, a teeming cast of characters, dazzling scientific speculation, and imagination that brings the truly alien to life, The Abyss Beyond Dreams reveals Hamilton as a storyteller of astonishing ingenuity and power.

The year is 3326. Nigel Sheldon, one of the founders of the Commonwealth, receives a visit from the Raiel—self-appointed guardians of the Void, the enigmatic construct at the core of the galaxy that threatens the existence of all that lives. The Raiel convince Nigel to participate in a desperate scheme to infiltrate the Void.

Once inside, Nigel discovers that humans are not the only life-forms to have been sucked into the Void, where the laws of physics are subtly different and mental powers indistinguishable from magic are commonplace. The humans trapped there are afflicted by an alien species of biological mimics—the Fallers—that are intelligent but merciless killers.

Yet these same aliens may hold the key to destroying the threat of the Void forever—if Nigel can uncover their secrets. As the Fallers’ relentless attacks continue, and the fragile human society splinters into civil war, Nigel must uncover the secrets of the Fallers—before he is killed by the very people he has come to save.

My Thoughts:

After spending a month or two reading World War I fiction and non-fiction as well as a somewhat depressing post-apocalyptic dystopian novel, I needed something lighter and a bit more uplifting.  I switched to space opera.  I lucked into several ebooks available as pre-release eARCs via Netgalley, this being the third one I’ve read of the four I found (see my two previous reviews on The Chaplain’s War and A Call to Duty).

I enjoyed Hamilton’s writing style, but I must admit to being a bit confused or at least uninformed about his existing Commonwealth and Void universes.  This was my first Hamilton novel so I dived right in and either sank or swam by his efforts.  To his credit, even with limited world-building or recap exposition in the Prologue, I gleaned enough to make the read enjoyable.

Continue reading “Book Review: Abyss Beyond Dreams by Hamilton (3.5 stars)”