Category: Science Fiction
-
Deep Wheel Orcadia – by Harry Josephine Giles
Deep Wheel Orcadia is easily one of the most unique books I have read lately. Or ever. Not that I expected any less, from a sci-fi verse novel written in the Orkney tongue. For context, I read the paper book while occasionally listening to some piece of the audiobook, to get at least a feel of how the original language sounded like.
-
Station Six – by S.J. Klapecki
Station Six is a sci-fi novella featuring class struggle and queer people in space – which is, in a sentence, both the entire list of reasons I was drawn to this book, and also pretty much everything I have to say about it. Well, ok, I can try to elaborate a bit if I try.
-
Too Like The Lightning – by Ada Palmer
Terra Ignota is yet another series that intrigued me as soon as I read its concept: that is to say, a story told in an affectedly antiquated language by a morally dubious unreliable narrator, set in an imperfect utopia with its unique take on gender and featuring heaps of philosophical themes. So, let’s talk about its first book, shall we?
-
Imago – by Octavia E. Butler
Here I go again. I’ve just finished reading the third and last book of Octavia E. Butler’s Xenogenesis series. I want – no: I need – to talk about it, and also to share some reasoning about the entire series now that I can see it as a whole.
-
Far From The Light Of Heaven – by Tade Thompson
I was intrigued by this book because I had enjoyed the Wormwood trilogy by the same author, and also because the concept of a mystery novel set in space sounded appealing. In the end, Far From The Light Of Heaven had more than that, which may or may not be good news, but it’s surely worth talking about.
-
How Long ‘Til Black Future Month? – by N.K. Jemisin
If you know me, odds are you know how much I love N.K. Jemisin: I have read and enjoyed all her novels and some of her shorter works, and whatever she publishes is on my auto-buy list. So, why hadn’t I read this specific book yet? Perhaps because, in general, I am not always the greatest fan of short story collections; I must say, however, that this one ended up being a very satisfying read. Not that I expected anything less.
-
Adulthood Rites – by Octavia E. Butler
After my recent (and fairly enthusiastic) review of Dawn, I am once again talking about Octavia E. Butler’s Xenogenesis series. I’ve just finished Adulthood Rites, which is the second book of the trilogy, and, well, there is a lot to say about it.
-
Dawn – by Octavia E. Butler
Here I am, finally catching up with some seminal work I hadn’t read yet – and for no good reason, because we’re not talking about some supposeddly ingenious and actually quite offputting masterpiece, we’re talking about themes and styles that are absolutely my thing. So, better late than never, they say.
-
To Be Taught, If Fortunate – by Becky Chambers
I thought I knew what to expect from Becky Chambers: a futuristic setting, lots of cosy slice of life scenes, a very natural representation of queer characters, but most importantly an endless supply of hope and optimism. Her books are generally what I call “comfort reads”, in the best possible sense. Does this novella match the same description? Yes and no – let’s see why.
-
Unwieldy Creatures – by Addie Tsai
There are premises that are inherently going to sell me a book they’re based on. For instance, if I hear about a queer, multiracial retelling of Frankenstein, with futuristic science, emotionally troubled characters, and multilingual references on the top of it, of course I am going to read it, it’s an unavoidable consequence if I’ve ever seen one. Does it mean I am automatically going to love the book? That’s something worth discussing more in depth.