Science fiction book reviews

2018-08-14 The most exciting part of this book was the cigarette burn toward the end of the paperback, from when my dad read it. I used to buy him the latest in the Dune series for his birthday – now I know I was punishing him. To summarize Chapter House: People talk with each other, then remember earlier conversations, go back to the current one,... Continue reading

2018-08-06 This isn’t a particularly bad book, but neither is it a particularly good book. The writing is fluid, so no problem there. It’s just that it’s very much a pulpy space fantasy that I felt would probably appeal better to younger readers than myself. I also hadn’t realized this was part of a series, so I may have missed further meaning in some of... Continue reading

2018-07-30 Finished Heretics of Dune, where whores from outer space threaten humanity with orgasmic amplification – but, luckily for the Bene Gessirit they have created a man irresistible to women who can turn the ecstasy of vaginal pulsation against the user. Seriously. It’s all there in the book – though luckily it’s mostly just talked about rather than described. Actually, there’s a lot of talking... Continue reading

2018-07-30 A curious book that offers less of a plot as much as a long reflection in the final days of Leto II, the God Emperor of Dune who has ruled for 3,000 years. Frustratingly, despite its 450 pages, at no point is it revealed why Leto chose this option, or this end, or what the Golden Path actually means. Gold Emperor joins Children of... Continue reading

2018-07-13 It’s not a bad book, but not a great one either. There’s a better sense of story than “Dune Messiah”, but it still feels inconsistent: the treatment of Alia’s character especially, and the previous omission of a rival heir to the empire come immediately to mind. I can’t shake the feeling that Frank Herbert lacked an overall plan for the Dune series and ended... Continue reading

2018-07-10 Dune Messiah felt disjointed and directionless, with most chapters being nothing more than characters in a room talking about nothing much of substance. Any sense of conflict tended to be vague: Paul thought he could see the future, only to be surprised by everything; Alia thought she could see the future, only to be surprised by everything. A book as exceptional as Dune was... Continue reading

2018-07-07 Simply an exceptional book, and deservedly the biggest selling SF novel to date. Rating: 5/5 Continue reading

2018-06-28 I wasn’t so sure about the first novel in this Omnibus, Shards of Honor – there were a couple of features that undermined enjoyment of the story for me. However, the second one, Barrayar, really ramped up the tension nicely. In the end I felt as thought I’d read a familiar story through a refreshingly unique and interesting perspective. Rating: 5/5 Continue reading

2018-06-24 An enjoyable and interesting space opera, mostly focused on the relationship between Cordelia and Aral, with most of the plot occurring as exposition. There were some nice details and story developments, but nothing particularly insightful or profound, which was a surprise considering the reputation of this series. It lost a star for the sexual threat scene, which seemed more like a gratuitous author fantasy... Continue reading

2018-06-18 An enjoyable novel with some great plot elements and a blistering pace. The inclusion of Carey was a show-stealer that kept the story nicely grounded. However, I couldn’t shake the feeling that toward the end it became a little too seasoned for my taste – but not enough to put me off wanting to find out what happens next with this series. Rating: 4/5 Continue reading