Tag: SciFiMonth2020

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Hidden in Sight by Julie E Czerneda

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  During Sci-Fi Month 2018 I first made the acquaintance of the most charming of shapeshifters, Esen-alit-Quar, in Beholder’s Eye by Julie E Czerneda. Then in Sci-Fi Month 2019 I renewed our friendship when I read Changing Vision. So it seems only fitting that I should round off this year’s Sci-Fi Month participation with the final part of Czerneda’s original Web Shifters trilogy, Hidden in Sight. If you have any intention of reading this trilogy please be aware that from here on in SPOILERS lurk. I’ll keep them to an absolute minimum, but something might slip, so please, tread carefully! … Continue reading Hidden in Sight by Julie E Czerneda

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Tales from the Loop by Simon Stålenhag

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  “The stories I tell here are mostly based on the memories of myself and others: especially my childhood friend, Ola, who possesses a near-eidetic memory and has been able to recall all our schoolyard stories down to the smallest detail. I am eternally grateful to him for his help with the content of this book.”   The Loop. The world’s largest particle accelerator, built in Sweden in 1969. Active between 1970 when the first experiment was conducted and 1994 when it was decommissioned.   Last year I was introduced to Simon Stålenhag’s work for the first time when I … Continue reading Tales from the Loop by Simon Stålenhag

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Read-along: Golden Witchbreed by Mary Gentle (Week 4)

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After travelling the length and breadth of the land, playing the Orthean game of intrigue to the best of her ability, and surviving imprisonment, sickness and assassination attempts, Dominion envoy Christie is finally coming to the end of her stay on Orthe. Will her memories be fond? Has she made a good impression? Will she make it out alive? It’s the final week of the Golden Witchbreed read-along for SciFi Month, and we’re discussing part eight. And as we’re talking about the end here, I hope it’s obvious that this is as spoilery as it’s going to get! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! … Continue reading Read-along: Golden Witchbreed by Mary Gentle (Week 4)

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A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine

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  This was a good solid reading experience. It had some great characters, an incredible world for them to play in and a political shenanigans plot that bounced along at a steady pace without ever being so indecorous as to break into an all-out run. I should be squeee-ing all over the place. But I’m not. And I don’t know why. I enjoyed reading this. I was invested in the characters and events, I laughed out loud at some of the snarkier dialogue, and I had Thoughts as a result of Martine’s exploration of language, colonization and what makes a … Continue reading A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine

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Fun for Monday: 6 Degrees of SFnal Separation

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Another year, another SciFi Month, another Monday … it must be time for another round of six degrees! I was sitting on the fence about doing this tag again this year, but imyril tipped me over the edge by getting SF giant Peter F(rigging) Hamilton to play – I mean, how am I supposed to resist that?! This tag was inspired by Kate over at Books are My Favourite and Best, but had its dial tweaked round to sci-fi by imyril for SciFi Month 2019. It is an addictive, frustrating, ultimately satisfying tag/game that can be played again and again, … Continue reading Fun for Monday: 6 Degrees of SFnal Separation

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Buddy Reading Do You Dream of Terra-Two? with the Curious SFF Reader

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Maryam the Curious SFF Reader and I did a buddy-read of Do You Dream of Terra-Two? by Temi Oh earlier this year and had such a lot of fun! Maryam was the perfect person to read this book with. The first half of our resulting conversation can be found over on Maryam’s site here, and that’s definitely where you need to start if you’ve come here first. If you’ve found your way here from there, then hi! and welcome. So, to continue from where we left off, and with a warning that there are SPOILERS ahead …   How did you feel … Continue reading Buddy Reading Do You Dream of Terra-Two? with the Curious SFF Reader

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Read-along: Golden Witchbreed by Mary Gentle (Week 2)

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  Have I mentioned that I’m enjoying myself immensely reading Golden Witchbreed? No? Prepare yourself for unapologetically enthusiastic gushings. Because, frankly, my husband needs a break. Details for this read-along can be found here on imyril’s blog, and each week the prompts will be posted on the Goodreads page here. It’s week two, we’ve read parts three, four and five, all kinds of crap has gone down, let’s talk!   ***SPOILERS ALL THE WAY***   Last week, Christie gained a nickname. This week, she takes an arykei. Were you surprised by her choice (and who she chose)? …and how did … Continue reading Read-along: Golden Witchbreed by Mary Gentle (Week 2)

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Luna: Moon Rising by Ian McDonald

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It occurs to me that Luna: New Moon, Luna: Wolf Moon and Luna: Moon Rising are really just one big book chopped into three … Anyway, I’ve talked about the surface stuff going on in Luna in my previous post, now let’s talk about the ideas stuff. This is going to be a bit random. Stick with me:   “This world is a laboratory, where humans experiment in culture and societies and philosophies. New politics, new religions. To the end of creating something that will endure.”   In Wolf Moon it becomes clear that McDonald’s story is about more than a … Continue reading Luna: Moon Rising by Ian McDonald

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Luna: New Moon & Luna: Wolf Moon by Ian McDonald

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  I read the three books that currently comprise McDonald’s Luna series back to back over an intense couple of weeks. I am going to talk here about the first two books New Moon and Wolf Moon because to my mind they form a natural pair, and then I’ll follow up this post with a second one in which I talk about Luna: Moon Rising which is a different beast, about which I have different things to say. Set in the most hostile of environments and peopled with a vicious and ambitious cast, these first two volumes took me completely … Continue reading Luna: New Moon & Luna: Wolf Moon by Ian McDonald

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Read-along: Golden Witchbreed by Mary Gentle (Week 1)

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It’s the SciFi Month read-along, people! And we’re reading a book I had only the barest awareness of previously (double excitement!). Details for this read-along (and a gripping blurb for the novel) can be found here on imyril’s blog and each week the prompts will be posted on the Goodreads page here. It’s week one, so I’ll be talking about parts one and two in this post. Now, come with us to technophobic Orthe, meet Earth’s envoy Lynne de Lisle Christie and watch as two worlds collide!   Apostrophes and italics everywhere! What’s your approach to pronouncing the challenges SFF writers … Continue reading Read-along: Golden Witchbreed by Mary Gentle (Week 1)