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Vampires and Superheroes oh my

16/1/2021

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The Labyrinth Index (The Laundry Files #9)
by Charles Stross

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The United Kingdom is currently being run by an elder god, but it seems things are worse across the pond because most people there have forgotten the President exists. Enter Mhari, a vampire(?) who is being sent with a bunch of her colleagues to see if they can't help out the stricken US of A. Very weird things happen. Cthulu is involved.

I never, in my life, expected to stumble across a book that was a chaotic merging of Doctor Who, James Bond and Lovecraft. But it's definitely the most entertaining book to have emerged from that bargain box I bought last year. I did find it a little too choppy though, since the scenes were all arranged out of order (which can be a fun literary device, but I am so very tired and that state of being isn't likely to change soon). Jim and Mhari were a delight. This whole thing felt like a fever dream. I do think I liked it, however.

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Solid but Same-y

6/1/2021

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​The God Tattoo (Twilight Reign)
by Tom Lloyd

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This is a collection of stories set in the Twilight Reign universe, dodging through genres including fantasy, crime drama and gothic horror.

Admittedly, I'm not familiar with the series or the author, this being yet another book from the fabled bargain box that I bought. I think this is a pretty solid collection, but I'm not tempted to try out the rest of the series - mostly because I am so very tried of fantasy novels set in a male-dominated society. Given the lack of decent female characters in his collection (and the way they were written), I don't think I would enjoy Lloyd's other books.

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Post-Apocalypse Now

5/1/2021

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Mara and Dann (Mara and Dann #1)
by Doris Lessing

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Mara and Dann are taken from their family and are then rescued, but danger from those who know them better than they know themselves continues to stalk them throughout their lives and the great journey North. Marching at their heels is swift, cruel and unrelenting climate change. Thousands of years in the future, some things change - but most things stay the same.

What a fascinating book this was. At first I thought "oh dear, this was in that bargain box for reason", but then I got used to the style of writing - which befits the type of book this is. Part epic, part folktale, part philosophical (mostly about civilisation and human nature), part mystery, part love story, part adventure... it really transcends the post-apocalyptic genre. I don't think any other book I've read set in humanity's future is anywhere near this good or this thoughtful.

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Some decades ago, in our own galaxy...

2/1/2021

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Second Stage Lensmen ​(Lensmen #5)
by E.E. 'Doc' Smith

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​Kim Kinnison (often referred to as THE Lensman) just wants to settle down with his lady love, but first he must defeat Boskone through a variety of physical and mental force. Infiltration is his weapon. Getting married is his goal (well, among many things!).

It's hard to rate something like this, especially since this is the only Lensmen book I've managed to read so far. The series' impact on 20th century science fiction is undeniable. Kinnison is, to me, a very recognisable blueprint for many characters that came after him - and his adventures are so familiar as well. I usually have trouble reading older sci-fi titles, but this one was a nice surprise. The writing drew me in immediately, even in that opening recap of the previous goings-on. The part I enjoyed the most was Kinnison masquerading as a criminal with his own racket, in order to take out another racket (a la Britt Reid).

The flaws of this book primarily arise from its episodic nature (it was originally serialised) and the sexism of the time. But I'm honestly still quite impressed with it.

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Up in Smoke

30/12/2020

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Dreaming in Smoke by Tricia Sullivan

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​Kalypso was bred to assist colonists from Earth who came to T'nane, thinking that the atmosphere would be stable and habitable. To fix what they call the Oxygen Problem, they use Dreaming to sort through data and come up with conclusions - but so far to no avail. Kalypso's assistance in a Dreaming gone wrong will... result in stuff. I don't know.

Lately I've been disappointed by books that have a great premise, but suffer from poor execution. This is one of those. The world-building was chaotic, confusing - and just boring. The writing itself wasn't fluid or decent, so I wasn't able to power through the worst scenes. As a result, this might be one of the worst novels I've ever forced myself to finish. And I did want to like it when I first cracked it open.

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A Rose By Any Other Name

26/12/2020

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The Everlasting Rose (The Belles #2)
​by Dhonielle Clayton

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​Camille is a Belle, which means she has a form of magic that allows her to manipulate the beauty of others. She has been on the run since the ascension of a new queen who intends to subjugate all the Belles, so that Orlean's punishing system of beauty remains as intact as ever.

I hadn't read the first book and I think my enjoyment suffered because of that (the same box of bargain books is to blame!), mainly because I hadn't built up any connection to the characters. The world itself is fascinating. I would love some teacup dragons! But I wasn't particularly invested in the story, since the stakes seemed low and Camille never really encountered what I would consider true danger on her path to revolution. Maybe I've read too many YA fantasy novels like this lately. I don't know. I don't think I'll seek out the first book.

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Lonely Planet

21/12/2020

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The City in the Middle of the Night by Charlie Jane Anders

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Sophie feels out of place and invisible beside Bianca, the glamorous roommate that she adores. When Sophie takes the fall for Bianca's small seditious action, their bond will change as much as the planet around them. Humans came to a world they never understood and if they never try to change that, they will face extinction.

Hmm. This had a great premise and I enjoyed the world-building - heck, I was delighted to see a queer neurodiverse main character. But that's all there was to it. I'm not even sure what the plot was after finishing it, though "finishing" is a relative term - there is no ending. The book fails to finish and I see the author does not intend to continue the story unless it's made into a TV show! Wow. Just wow. What a slap in the face. I could go on and on about the problems with this book, but I have better things to do with my time.

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What Happens on Mars

14/12/2020

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No Way (Frank Kitteridge #2)
by S. J. Morden

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Frank was never supposed to survive. Frank was supposed to be conveniently culled by XO, the corporation that promised NASA a base on Mars built by robots (not actual human beings, much less convicted criminals). Now he's the only one left of his crew, a survivor, a murderer, and the sole inhabitant of a planet far, far from home. But XO's secrets run deep. And Frank might not be as alone as he thinks.

I'd never heard of this series and this book came my way via a box of bargain books. But I definitely want to check out the first instalment after this, even knowing how things went. No Way is like a darker version of The Martian, with a bit of Moon sprinkled in. I was hooked from the blurb, if I'm honest, and I'm sure there are flaws, but I just had too much fun reading this book to care. Frank is so easy to root for. XO is so easy to find disturbing and evil. What's more, I could easily envision this happening at some point.

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Water, Water, Not Everywhere

12/12/2020

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​Martian Time-Slip by Philip K. Dick

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In a future that was conceived in the 1960s, Mars is colonised and inhabited by flawed individuals who all seem balanced on the edge of insanity. A Union leader's desire to use an autistic boy to access time in unusual ways (primarily to make money) may not end in the way that he hopes.

Hmm. This was my first Philip K. Dick novel. I was impressed with the writing and how Austen-esque Dick's observations were. His characters are very much people of the time this book was written in, explored, expanded and explained. The way everything came together at the end was just masterful. But, not surprisingly, the outdated views on certain issues (sexism, racism, ableism, etc) hampered my enjoyment of the book. And Dick clearly didn't understand enough about autism or schizophrenia to be writing about them (although that might be because that's what was understood at the time).

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24th Century Classic

7/12/2020

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The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester

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​Ben Reich wants a merger, but it seems he'll have to murder his rival instead. But murder is not so simple when the police are "peepers", telepaths capable of plucking motive and truth from your mind. Reich thinks he has a way around this. He isn't ready for Lincoln Powell, however.

This was a fascinating read, mostly because the world that Bester created is established quickly and sucks you in just as fast. I enjoyed the cat-and-mouse antics between Reich and Powell - it was fun and well-paced. But things got a bit too weird for me in the end and I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the treatment of female characters (yes, I realise this was written in a different time, but it is hard to ignore something like that). Still, it's easy to see why this was the first winner of the Hugo Award.

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    About

    Alyce Caswell, when she isn't buried in a book or drinking her way through a giant pot of tea, is a keen writer of science fiction and romance. She has published two novels and four novellas in her space opera family saga, The Galactic Pantheon Series.

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