John Scalzi’s Redshirts explores the reliable
trope of expendable extras prevalent in the realm of classic sci-fi
television. Though clearly a comedic
look through the eyes of these hapless, perpetual victims, Redshirts is remarkable
for its excursions into existentialism and postmodernism. What’s more, owing in part to the three codas
tacked on to the story’s end, much like bonus features on a DVD, there’s an
unmistakable degree of tenderness underlying the overall narrative. These elements, interwoven with fast-paced and
endlessly amusing dialogue, combine to create a story told with terrific depth
and nuance, one which leaves the reader not only entertained, but thoroughly
satisfied...
The Man in the Seventh Row, film journalist Brian Pendreigh’s
debut novel, is not particularly easy to summarize. Part surrealism in the vein of The
Twilight Zone, part bittersweet, nostalgic narrative reminiscent of
Jean Shepherd’s In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash, part romance rife with
loss and redemption, The Man in the Seventh Row is many
things, converging around the central theme of escapism by way of the cinema...
David Brin's Existence is, from the outset, quite
challenging to summarize, at least if any semblance of brevity is to be
maintained. A wealth of
future history, countless, fully-developed characters, and a span of decades
that only hint at eons to come all combine within the boundaries of this single
volume. In this subgenre-bending work of
hard social science fiction Brin delivers far more than a story, crafting for
the reader an expert analysis of not only our present situation as a people,
but the possible futures of civilization itself...
Ben Bova is a unique figure in the world of
science fiction. Though he has authored
well over a hundred titles, Bova is perhaps best known to
fans of the genre for having helmed Analog magazine following the sudden
death of founder John W. Campbell in 1971. Bova garnered six Hugo Awards during his time at Analog, but more than
these he also acquired a wealth of experience with science fiction’s roots in
the pulp stories of the Golden Age. The
essence of the pulp era is on prominent display, shining brightly throughout
his latest work, Orion and King Arthur...
In simplest terms, speculative fiction—of which
science fiction is but one sub-category—can be defined as a genre intent on
conjuring answers to “what if” questions. In Energized,
physicist and computer scientist Edward M. Lerner employs his technological acumen
in weaving a host of such questions into a richly thrilling fictional fabric...
Absurdly surreal, and surreally absurd, The Rapture of the Nerds: A Tale of the Singularity,
Posthumanity, and Awkward Social Situations is a challenging book to summarize. A collaborative
effort between digital-era demigod Cory Doctorow and science fiction juggernaut
Charles Stross, the novel is, at times, humorously poignant; at others, more
humorously profane. It is a farcical caricature of an impossible future,
populated by the warped result of modern humankind's metaphysical
spaghettification after passing through the pinpoint opening of the
Technological Singularity...
At first glance, Falling Under—the debut novel of
Canadian stage actress and playwright Danielle Younge-Ullman—appears to be a
rather simple tale, recounting the interpersonal struggles of a troubled young
woman attempting to recover from a challenging past. However, just beneath the
veneer of the title’s basic description lies a multifaceted story every bit as
nuanced as human nature itself.
The novel is set in a future that sees humankind traveling through “gimelspace”—which reads as a less-generic moniker for “hyperspace”—to reach distant, alien worlds. Their first encounter, with the ancient Sholen, is well behind them by the time A Darkling Sea has begun. The Sholen, a race that has witnessed the potential dangers of interplanetary travel first-hand, act as a policing organization, putting in place guidelines that dictate the behavior of Earth’s space-faring explorers. So it is that while exploring Ilmatar, the icy oceanic moon of the planet Ukko, the crew of the underwater station Hitode must research the indigenous life in secret. Contact is strictly forbidden...
Click here to read the complete review @ A Reader's Respite
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