Book Reviews
Classic Review: “On A Pale Horse” by Piers Anthony
After listening to the interview with Piers Anthony, I decided to try one of the books in his “Incarnations of Immortality” series. The first book in the series is titled On a Pale Horse.
Review: “7th Sigma” by Steven Gould
I have to admit that I didn’t buy 7th Sigma because of the excerpt called “Bugs in the Arroyo” that you can find for free on the Tor website. I bought it because of Summer’s love for Steven Gould’s Jumper. I’ve never read Jumper, but Summer’s enthusiasm for Gould is contagious.
Review: The Neanderthal Parallax by Robert J. Sawyer
I find it very difficult to write about these books without gushing. As much as I’ve given you in the synopses, there is more that I left out. What I found in Sawyer’s “Neanderthal” reality is a world society that is fundamentally different from our own.
And, unlike much science fiction that is based on a “really cool” idea, Sawyer also manages to write complex characters that I grew to care about deeply. The books ripped my heart out at times, made me laugh at times, and kept me at the edge of my seat till the very end. Very little science fiction out there can do all that.
Review: “Fire Study” by Maria V. Snyder
Oh, Yelena. You crazy, headstrong, impulsive, bleeding heart, acrobatic trickster, I have missed you. I hope Ms. Synder takes it as a compliment that I have read each of her books in no more than two days. For all the work that goes into them, part of me feels that I should somehow be savoring them more. But if I did, then I wouldn’t find out what happens next as quickly as I need to.
Review: “Alien Contact”, edited by Marty Halpern
I’m always on the lookout for good reading and new authors to follow. Alien Contact is something of a veritable who’s who of the current genre greats, with some names I’m not as familiar with in the mix as well.
With twenty-six short stories telling tales of man meeting with other intelligences, Marty Halpern has pulled together an anthology filled with hours of enjoyable reading.
Review: “The Devil You Know” by Mike Carey
This is a great read. It starts as a slow meandering walk but eventually becomes a frantic run towards the finish line. The twists and turns kept me guessing, I had some of the pieces of the puzzle but there were a lot that didn’t fall into place until the last few chapters. I loved how even the smaller characters had a depth to them.
Review: “The Strain” by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan
Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan originally conceived “The Strain” as a serialized television series for the Fox network. After Fox execs balked at the original vision, insisting the writers inject more humor into the storyline of a modern-day vampire apocolypse, del Toro and Hogan decided to take their toys and go home. Rather than create a movie version of this modern day retelling of “Dracula,” the two decided to go literary.
Review: “Necronomicrap” by Tim Frayser
The chapbook Necronomicrap: A Guide To Your Horoooscope, by Tim Frayser, mixes astrological “facts” with obvious lampooning. For example, while you can use the book to learn the names of Saturn’s moons, I highly doubt you should share Frayser’s interpretation that the moons regulate “various aspects of human flatulence.”
