Science fiction book reviews

2018-04-09 I’ve really enjoyed this series so far, and this book does not disappoint. Everything we’ve seen so far finally comes together and wraps up nicely. And yet… there remains the possibility of further books in future. The Locus Trilogy has been a really great science fiction thriller, and showcases the best from both genres. Here’s hoping we see more again sometime. 🙂 Rating: 5/5 Continue reading

2017-12-05 Over-promised and under-delivered. Some great story elements, but ultimately Simmons was neither able to hold it all together, nor to conclude the novel. The last chapter was taking the piss. Rating: 3/5 Continue reading

2017-10-30 I enjoyed Unfathomed, but as the story was quite self-contained I didn’t feel in any rush to read the sequel, especially because of the size of the TBR pile I have. However, after reading an advance copy, all I can say is: If you enjoyed Unfathomed you’ll love Expedition – Kern’s best novel yet. 🙂 Rating: 5/5 Continue reading

2017-10-30 The positives: Really nicely written, and great emotional depth. The negatives: Felt more like a long short story than a short novel, which didn’t fully satisfy in terms of story arc. Rating: 4/5 Continue reading

2017-10-06 This is a story that opens with no infodumps, no explanations – it’s a journey of discovery. To begin to recount any part of the plot effectively tells the story, and I wouldn’t want to spoil that for anyone. What I can perhaps say is that it’s a literary science fiction novel, about a Christian preacher who has to leave his beloved wife behind... Continue reading

2017-08-20 Thoroughly enjoyed it. More of the same, which meant it took a little while to get acquainted with the different Bobs. Ended nicely enough, and I’m kind of hoping we might see some more books in this setting – certainly there’s plenty more he could write about that I’m sure we’d enjoy reading. 🙂 Rating: 5/5 Continue reading

2017-01-29 “I was really beginning to long for the days of just running after thieves and shoplifters down Islington Upper Street. Instead, here I was in a starship, racing toward the most destructive force in the universe at full burn, chasing down a cybnetically enhanced killing machine while worrying about whether the laws of physics would rip me to shreds.” Ralph Kern is fast becoming... Continue reading

2017-01-29 An entertaining read, but was made uncomfortable by the undercurrent of casual prejudice. Rating: 3/5 Continue reading

2017-01-29 So I had a few minutes to kill and picked this up just to see what it was like. And – I know it’s a cliche – but it grabbed me immediately and wouldn’t let me go. The story is simple enough – the setting is 2024, and a state-of-the-art cruise liner suddenly finds itself lost in the Caribbean and everything starts to look... Continue reading

2017-01-29 I’ve just finished this and it’s fantastic. It’s engaging, intelligent, funny – and very original. 🙂 The negative: the first 5 pages didn’t really hook me, though I appreciate why they are there. The positive: Plenty of humour, and an astonishing coverage of so many hard SF topics approached in a very accessible and entertaining manner. Am already halfway through reading the sequel and... Continue reading