Category: Science Fiction
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Ancillary Mercy – by Ann Leckie
After reading Ancillary Sword, I thought I had found a pattern in the Imperial Radch trilogy – so if the first book had built the world in broad strokes, and the second one had got a more focused scope, I expected the final volume to go back to large-scale conflicts and wrap up all themes and plots in an epic conclusion. It turns out I was wrong. While Ancillary Mercy does develop some themes that had been foreshadowed from the very beginning, it does so in a less expected way; in the end not everything is tied up as I had imagined, but the novel feels like a satisfying conclusion anyway. Perhaps even more so.
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Summer Frost – by Blake Crouch
Summer Frost is the last story I’ve read from the Forward series (coincidentally, I realised just now from goodreads that they were supposed to go in a different order… Not that it matters since they aren’t interconnected in any way). My other experiences with the series had been quite mixed, and I confess I only knew Blake Crouch by his reputation, so my expectations were once again very vague and open-ended. If last pick had been a major letdown, however, this time I was pleasantly surprised.
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You Have Arrived At Your Destination – by Amor Towles
Okay, time to talk about yet another short story from the Forward collection. Once again, I dove into it with no idea what to expect, and mainly because on my list of Things To Complete within the end of the year. So without any further ado, let’s talk about…
