Book Reviews
Review: “Mercury Rises” by Robert Kroese
Mercury Rises is, above all things, a humorous book. It made me laugh, snicker, giggle, and snort (an embarrassing but satisfying thing to happen in the middle of a crowded room).
Review: “The Plot to Save Socrates” by Paul Levinson
Levinson, author of The Silk Code and The Consciousness Plague, among others novels, brings us one of the more peculiar time travel books I’ve read. In it, a group of time travellers brought together by forces unknown—and you never really find out whom—conspire to rescue Socrates from hemlock poisioning at the hands of the Athenian democracy, bringing him to the future for the benefit of all mankind.
Review: The Piaculum
Just between you and me, I thought the life of a book reviewer would have more glamour to it, you know? A little cash, a little flash, a little redheaded something on my arm once in a while.
Nope. The life of a book reviewer sucks. No chicks. No cool cars. Have to dig around in the couch cushions for laundry money.
But sometimes I come across a book that makes me smile.
Review: “Green” by Jay Lake
Jay Lake is best known for his steampunk series of novels, and yet by weird coincidence (for I am a steampunk myself), the first book of his that I’ve read is Green, which is a standalone fantasy. I cannot judge how this novel ranks against those others.
Green seems to me to be very much a blending of two books: Jacqueline Carey’s Kushiel’s Dart and Karen Miller’s Empress.
Review: “Phoenix Tales” by Gregory Bernard Banks
I’ve heard it said that the fear of death so permeates us as a species that all of our endeavors serve as distractions intent on keeping us from thinking about our eventual deaths.
Sometimes, when the clock clicks over at two thirty in the morning, and I can’t sleep, I wish I could come up with more distractions.
Some people apparently decide that rather than distract themselves from thoughts of death, they will turn a brave face into the wind and speculate on the landscape of the undiscovered country.
Review: “Ready Player One” by Ernest Cline
Before I get started with my review of READY, PLAYER ONE, let me state my admiration for the publicity campaign surrounding it. This campaign has generated rapturous reviews all over the blogosphere and multiple author interviews on numerous podcasts. It’s a little intimidating to review a book that has been so widely (and positively) reviewed. For authors, I think it would be useful to study this campaign and see what has made it so successful.
Review: “Twisted Rhymes: For the Theater of Your Mind!”
Of all the forms of speculative fiction (i.e. science fiction, hard science fiction, space opera, space western, fantasy, dark fantasy, horror, time travel, magical realism, fairy tales, mythology, Authurian legend, chick fantasy, romantic horror, action/adventure fantasy, etc.), horror is easily my least favorite genre. I know all the monsters and demons are supposed to be evil incarnate, but I always find myself wondering why they have to be so mean, you know?
Also, I’m not a big poetry fan. I mean, shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Um… you’re hot and sweaty and full of mosquitoes. Whose woods these are I don’t think I know. I’ve seen lots of things more lovely than a tree. Stop with all the pretty words, just gimme the story.
Review: “Empress” by Karen Miller
Hekat, in Empress, is a difficult woman. And while I know that a part of me should cheer for this woman who raises herself up from a nameless no one to a ruler of her country, the other part of me can’t stand how difficult she is. Hekat is touched by the god. She is not inventing this. She really does have her deity on her side, protecting her as she slaughters the people who get in her way. Everything she does is fated. But I cannot get beyond how completely cold and ruthless she is to everyone around her.
