sci-fi – Page 2 – The Spine View

The Last Human by Zack Jordan

The Last Human by Zack Jordan is a coming-of-age, space opera tale. It is the prefer book for fans of A Hitchhiker’s Guide to Galaxy.

It is a quirky tale about Sarya the daughter, the last of her kind. Her kind being humans. She is raised by an adopted mother of another species. A mother who loves her and will give her life to protect her. Yet, she has a burning desire to know where she comes from and if there is possibly more of her kind still alive.

How can Sarya find out any information about humans when humans are the most feared species in the galaxy? Since she was very young her mother has carefully kept her hidden. No one should know that she exists; especially, since the human race was eradicated over a thousand years ago. Sarya will find out this and much more when a bounty hunter tries to capture her and she is forced to change her view on all she has ever known.

Unfortunately, I never connected with Sarya. I think it was because I found the story was just weird and not in a good way. I struggled to finish it. I put it down multiple times to go on to something more enjoyable. Each time I picked it back up I hoped it would improve. Finally, it got to the point I just wanted to be done.

The writing was good and I liked that it was reflective towards the end. It made me think about humanity and what makes us different and what makes us the same. Also, I thought about race and inequality because these two things came up repeatedly throughout the story. Ultimately, this is what kept me reading even though I never connected to the MC.

I think in hind sight I can say this one was just not my cup of tea. However, I think there are lots of fans out there of this type of story. I also think this would be a great book for a Sci-Fi book club. The story lends itself to a good discuss about cultural and political issues.

I received a free copy, from the publisher, via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal

The Calculating Stars, by Mary Robinette Kowal, is an alternative history story that feels as real as the words on the page. The story of Elma York and her desire to become a Lady Astronaut will have you gritting your teeth at the injustices she faces and clapping your hands when she overcomes them. I was captivated from the start.

Elma York and her husband are away on vacation when a meteorite strikes the east coast with devastating effects. The east coast is basically wiped off the map and the ensuing tsunami destroys coastal regions across the globe. It is not long before Elma, a gifted mathematician, realizes the full extent of the crisis. This meteor was large enough to trigger a mass extinction event.

In 1952 rocket technology is in its infancy and Washington DC and government as we know it has been destroyed. When the International Aerospace Collation is formed, Elma has dreams of going to space and then the moon as a computer. The only thing holding her back is being female. She has all the qualifications include the jet flight hours she gained as a WASP pilot in WWII. It will be an uphill battle and the stress of actually being in the public eye just maybe her undoing.

I loved, loved, loved this book. The writing was just outstanding and the author knows how to capture your attention and keep it. The writing style reminded me of Octavia Butler and George R. R. Martin. Yes, in my opinion, the author deserves to be counted in the company of these great authors. I see why this book has won so many awards, and believe me when I say it is well deserved.

Besides the writing, the charisma of the MC, Elma York, was brilliantly done. She is not your typical strong female lead. She has her failings. What endeared me to her was her strength in spite of the odds being stacked against her. She was able to recognize her short comings without letting them stand in the way of the thing she desire most, to be an astronaut. Through all the uphill battles she fought, she did it with a dignity we rarely see today and she remained true to herself.

The plot reminded me a little of A Gentleman in Moscow. There is not a lot going on, the story is all about the character and no so much about the events. The post-apocalyptic issue of an extinction event was very much on the side lines and I could have cared less. The author used the event to discuss social issues, that are still relevant today, in a thought provoking way. I highly recommend this book to all readers who love Sci-Fi. Yet, even if you are not a big fan of Sci-Fi this story will still have a lot of appeal. The quality of the writing alone will captivate you. Please don’t be put off by the Sci-Fi label because it is so much more and so good.

Writers of the Future Vol. 35 edited by David Farland

Writers of the Future Vol. 35, edited by David Farland, is an anthology of Sci-Fi and Fantasy short stories by up-and-coming new authors. In total there are twelve stories chosen from an international writing contest conducted on a quarterly schedule. Therefore, the top 3 stories from each quarter is what appears in the volume. In addition, this volume contains short stories from established, well-known writers and advice for new writers and illustrators.

The book also contains illustrations for each short story. The illustrations are chosen in the same way as the short stories and I felt were a nice bonus to the book. I also liked that each story was prefaced by a short introduction to both the writer and illustrator. I enjoyed learning about these debut authors and illustrators in the industry.

In an effort at brevity I am going to touch on only two of my favorite stories in this collection. The first story I want to talk about is Release From Service by Rustin Lovewell, illustrated by Emerson Rabbitt. In this Fantasy story, a young man must choose between what he has been trained for most of his life and what he knows is right even though the choice will cost him his life.

What I liked about the story was the character development. I prefer character driven stories over plot driven and this story is a perfect example of how a good author does not need a hundred plus pages to give the reader a character that is relatable. It also helped that the plot was spot on. This story I would rate as five stars.

The next story I want to talk about is a Sci-Fi story, Super-Duper Moon Girl and the Amazing Moon Dawdler written by Wulf Moon and illustrated by Alice Wang. This story actually made me cry. It is about a young girl living on the moon with her parents. She is the sole surviving student of a school bombing that left her unable to breathe on her own. She has an AI unit in the shape of a dog who breathes for her and is her protector. Yet, some times protectors are too good at what they do. This is also a five-star story. Same as the previous story, I loved the character and felt a real connection.

There are other stories that I feel rated five stars or close and some I would give a four too. There was only one I was not crazy about and that was Yellow Submarine. I felt the plot was not very inventive. Yet, the prose was good. I would rate that one as three stars.

As a whole, I was surprised at the quality of the writing and illustrations. There was a big variety in this collection and the stories were, for the most part, first-rate. Therefore, it made me want to read the next story and the next, until the end, which came a bit too quickly for me. I am left with the quandary of how to rate the book overall. As a whole, I would rate this collection as 4 stars, maybe even pushing 4.5.

I highly recommend this anthology to lovers of Sci-Fi and Fantasy. There is something to love in every story and the illustrations were fabulous. I am excited to see what the future holders for these new authors and illustrators and once you read this collection I suspect you will be too.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine

Title: A Memory Called Empire
Author: Arkady Martine
Pub. Date: 26-Mar-2018
Rating: 5 Stars

In this preview of the debut novel by Arkady Martine, A Memory Called Empire, I was treated to some in depth world building, an MC I loved and an exciting plot. I am totally hooked. This is going to be a great series, I can feel it.

Because I only read the preview, the suspense is killing me. I want to know what happens. That’s the thing about previews, while I love getting a taste of what is to come, the down side is the wait. I am hoping I will be able to get my hands on the complete ARC or galley copy before the publication date.

I know this is a rather abbreviated review, but remember, I did get only a preview. Here is the synopsis according to the publisher.

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 received the preview for free from the publisher, via NetGalley. In addition, my rating is based on the preview alone. I reserve the right to change my rating once I have read the book in its entirety.

Street Freaks by Terry Brooks

Title: Street Freaks
Author: Terry Brooks
Pub. Date: 2-Oct-2018
Rating: 4 Stars

Street Freaks is not your typical Terry Brooks novel. He is best known for his fantasy novels. I remember reading his Sword of Shannara series when I was younger and loved his story telling, characters and brilliant world building. I have never doubted his writing ability; however, I was surprised to realize this is a YA Sci-Fi book. Regardless, of the genre, Terry Brooks is a great writer and Street Freaks just goes to show how great his skills are.

The story is set in the future where technology has advanced to the point that machine and man can and have been seamlessly integrated to overcome debilitating illnesses and injuries. At the beginning we meet Ashton (Ash) Collins. He is your typical teenager who lives at home with his Dad and 3 robots until one day he gets an urgent call from his Father to run as fast as he can to the Red Zone and go to Street Freaks. Ash has lived a sheltered life thus far and he is not prepared for what he finds in the Red Zone or at Street Freaks.

Fortunately for Ash, the kids (actually young adults) at Street Freaks, a place where street cars are built and raced, take him in and make him part of their community of misunderstood rejects of experiments. That’s right, in this dystopian future, companies have experimented on kids and then disposed of them. They help him to discover what happened to his father. Together this band of unlikely allies sets out to take down the person and company who is responsible for Ash’s father’s disappearance and in the process hopefully expose the terrible things that have happened to kids.

Even though this was not the typical Terry Brooks story I am accustomed to, I liked it. Mr. Brooks has developed characters that you can empathize with and I was routing for them throughout the story. The future he has envisioned in this story was well thought-out and worked nicely with the plot. There is a lot of attention to detail and the story and characters are better for it.

The plot was paced nicely and I appreciated that Mr. Brooks did not just do a data dump to the reader in the beginning. All the facts and information important to the story were doled out only as needed. There were several twists in the story and a couple of real surprises that keep me interested and yet I did not get a feeling of the plot being overworked.

As I said, the story is well told and I think it will appeal to Sci-Fi and Fantasy readers alike. Though a note of caution, it is a YA book but some of the topics are not suited for the younger reader. Therefore, I recommend only for ages 16+.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Time and Time Again by Robert Silverberg

Title: Time and Time Again
Author: Robert Silverberg
Pub. Date: 6-Nov-2018
Rating: 5 Stars

Robert Silverberg is one of the first Science Fiction authors I remember reading as a young adult. His stories always seemed to contain that special quality… that euphoria I get when a story sweeps you away. No doubt that is why he is considered among the masters in the field of Science Fiction.

In this anthology of time travel stories, Silverberg explores various problems and contradictions that time travel could cause. Despite being a collection of sixteen stories, each story is unique in some way. I think that is one of the reasons I have always loved his works, he has never failed to impress with his unending imagination. This collection served to further reinforce my feelings.

It is not feasible to write a synopsis of each story. However, I will tell you that Silverberg has written a short introduction to each story that explains how he came to write the story and where and when it appeared. I actually liked this addition information and it did shed light on his thought processes. Therefore, I am glad the publisher had the foresight to include the introductions.

In addition to the story introductions, there is a lengthy introduction to the collection that I found interesting. Silverberg, among other things, talked about those that influenced him in his career. Because I have not read much about Silverberg himself, I found it intriguing.

My favorite story of the batch was Gianni. I was intrigued just from the introduction where Silverberg explained about his desire to be published in Playboy and how the editor at the time insisted that he change the story. In the story a musical genius that died at a young age from TB is brought forward in time from the 18^th century where now he is cured but suffers from, shall we say, excesses. At the heart, the story is suggesting that karma follows a person even in time travel.

I highly recommend Time and Time Again to all lovers of Science Fiction. This is a fantastic assembly of time travel stories from one of the best writers of our time.

I received an ARC from the publisher via LibraryThing’s Early Reviewers program. For more of my reviews, and author interviews, see my blog at www.thespineview.com.

Salvation by Peter F. Hamilton

Title: Salvation
Author: Peter F. Hamilton
Pub. Date: 4-Sept-2018
Rating: 3.5 Stars

I am always excited to read a new to me author, especially in one of my favorite genres, however that excitement dwindled a little because I had a hard time becoming invested in the story. I loved the plot. However, there were a few things about the book I did not enjoy. I’ll get into that later.

The story opens with aliens, disguised as humans, landing on Earth. Skip forward to the beginning of the 23^rd century and the Olyix, another alien species, has made contact. They are on a religious mission and are making a stop over to refuel before continuing on their journey to the end of time to meet their God. They have given humans technology to greatly extend life expectancy in exchange for the fuel they need. In addition, humans have now begun to colonize the galaxy. A new technology of jump gates, literally, makes far flung plants just one step away.

A crashed alien ship is found on a newly discovered planet and this has a highly skilled team assembled to review the findings. As the team travels to the crash site, we learn more about each team member and how their lives, and what they do from this point forward, will affect the future of mankind.

Interspersed with the team member’s stories is a look at life in the future at least 1000 years later. The humans of this time are being genetically modified to do battle against a group of hostile aliens. The reader learns that the crash site investigation team members are now called “Saints”. Therefore, you know something is not at it seems and the reader does not yet know why they are called “Saints”.

I loved the story. My beef is with the execution. First problem, there is no main character. Therefore, I never had someone to identify with and root for. In addition, I did not enjoy all the various stories and the jumping around between time lines. It made the pace of the plot rough. Basically, it felt like a bunch of short stories strung together.

I liked the inventiveness of the story and a couple of characters I liked a lot. I just wished the author had focused on one or two of the characters to advance the plot. I did like the story enough that it over came some of the problems and I liked it enough to read the next book in the series.

One addition items to note, this book ends on a cliff hanger so if you enjoy the book it will be a wait for the next installment.

I recommend this book to all those who love Science Fiction. If you are a true Sci-Fi fan, I think the flaws in the book are not fatal and you will still enjoy this one.

I received an ARC from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest opinion.

Brightly Burning by Alexa Donne

Title: Brightly Burning
Author: Alexa Donne
Pub. Date: 1-May-2018
Rating: 4 Stars

Brightly Burning by Alexa Donne is a futuristic remake of Jane Eyre. At first it was kind of hard to wrap my head around the idea of Jane Eyre in space, but it worked. I am sure it helped that I am a fan of Science Fiction. Though the focus is on the story and not the science.

The setting is in the future when the Earth is covered in ice. This new ice age is a result of an eruption of a super volcano. All people that were able to evacuate did so, and now live in colony ships in Earth’s orbit. Stella is an engineer on one of these ships and stuck in a job she hates, on a ship that is on its last legs, and she wants off. She does have marketable skills and applies to various jobs in the fleet. Continue reading “Brightly Burning by Alexa Donne”

The Lightning Stenography Device by M. F. Sullivan

Title: The Lightning Stenography Device
Author: M. F. Sullivan
Pub. Date: 19-Mar-2018
Rating: 1 Star

The Lightning Stenography Device by M. F. Sullivan was not what I expected. I can sum it up in one word – boring. I tried multiple times to finish. In the end I could not force myself beyond 28% complete. Therefore, it goes to the DNF list with no regrets.

I knew going in the book was classified as literary ; therefore, I expected the pace to be slow and the story thought provoking. I got the slow part, but never in a million years would I count it as thought provoking. Maybe I did not read far enough to get into the real philosophical parts. Continue reading “The Lightning Stenography Device by M. F. Sullivan”

All the Stars Are Suns by Seaby Brown

Title: All the Stars Are Suns
Author: Seaby Brown
Pub. Date: 15-Oct-2017
Rating: 5 Stars

As some may already know, I am partial to indie authors. I admire their tenacity, among other things. Therefore, I am always delighted to read a book by an indie author that captivates me from the beginning. That is exactly what happened to me with All the Stars Are Suns by Seaby Brown.

The story opens with the attempted rape of a young woman named Quan Yin, who unbeknownst to the perpetrators, is actually an optoelectronic analogue of a real human brain and uses an avatar to interact with humans. Quan Yin has been the brain child and life’s work of Dr. M ‘Beke and a well-kept secret up to now. Continue reading “All the Stars Are Suns by Seaby Brown”