Book Reviews
Review: “Thomas the Rhymer” by Ellen Kushner
Apparently, the big screen is not the only medium in which remakes are popular. There are many authors that have written successful versions of children’s stories and fairy tales. Ellen Kushner brings us Thomas the Rhymer, winner of the World Fantasy Award.
Review: “Daemon” by Daniel Suarez
The story of how Suarez’s novel went from a self-published story to a major book contract and potential movie deal is one that will give hope to every aspiring writer out there. Suarez got his book into the hands of a target audience and created a buzz for himself that it was impossible for a conventional publisher to ignore. But the thing is–if “Daemon” weren’t a good book, no one would be talking about it. And “Daemon” is that good.
Review: “Coronets and Steel” by Sherwood Smith
The setup for Coronets and Steel reminds me irresistibly of Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Glenraven. Tho’ to be honest. I think this is a better book with more realistic characters. And that is saying a lot when the plot involves identical cousins, magic, kidnappings, royalty, mysterious middle European countries and much daring do and plot twists.
Review: “My Soul To Keep” by Tananarive Due
Tananarive Due writes a character driven adventure with an African-American heroine in a literary field of plot driven stories about white male heroes. That alone makes me recommend it. The fact that the book will chew you up, spit you out, and make you beg for more? Gravy.
Review: “Star Trek: Summon the Thunder” by Dayton Ward and Kevin Dilmore
It all began with the granddaddy of them all, Peter David’s superlative New Frontier series and has continued to expand with the continuation of the DS9, Voyager, and Enterprise sagas as well as exploring unique areas of the Star Trek universe. Add to this on-going exploration of the Trek universe, Pocket’s newest spin-off series, Star Trek: Vanguard.
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: “Omnitopia Dawn” by Diane Duane
This was a refreshing read. A.I. has been through the ringer when it comes to scenarios, but Diane Duane brought something new to the table. It’s fascinating to see such an expansive game from multiple points of view – the players, the creators, etc.
Review: “Nexus” by Ramez Naam
Nexus is a thriller for the post-human age, Ramez Naam does a phenomenal job of taking modern cutting edge science and building a realistic world of the near future. In Nexus, Naam asks the question, “what if?”.
