Category Archives: Book Reviews

In which the reader shares his thoughts on the books that possess his imagination throughout the year.

Film, Short Stories

Lunch and a Story, Dinner and a Movie

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The Minority Report ~Philip K. Dick

–published 1956 in Fantastic Universe
–31 pages, read online here , recommended on Best SF Stories.
–4.25/5 stars

The Minority Report ~Steven Spielberg (based on the short story by Philip K. Dick)

–theatrical release, 2002
–146 minutes, Dreamworks/20th Century Fox
–4.25/5 stars

After this past weekend’s experience with Cordwainer Smith, I have been practically binging on short stories. This trend is thanks in no small part to the rediscovery of Best SF Stories (dot) com. Rusty’s reviews include not only links to where stories can be read online but also a handy page count feature which makes it easy to determine if I can grab a quick literary bite while grabbing a literal bite during lunch hour. I had read a different Philip K. Dick short story on Monday (which you will read about on this weekend’s Short Story Sunday) and enjoyed it so much I thought I would try another one today. When I clicked on 1950’s in Rusty’s sidebar, up near the top I found The Minority Report. At 31 pages it was not just lunch, but also a late afternoon/early evening snack. A very, very good one too.

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Book Reviews, Science Fiction, Short Stories

Space Lords ~Cordwainer Smith

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Space Lords ~Cordwainer Smith

–first edition 1965, this edition 1968
–206 pages, Pyramid Books
–4.75/5 stars

“This is science fiction, yes. But it comes from your own time, from your own world, even from your own mind. All I can do is work the symbols. The magic and the beauty will come from our own past, your present, your hopes and your experience. This may look alien but it is really as close to you as your own fingers. Some people will like this very much. Many will not understand it, and push it aside.

That is their loss, reader, not yours, not mine.

We two, we have this story between us. Read a bit and see how it goes.”

(Cordwainer Smith, from the Prologue)

Some people will indeed like this very much. I know that I did.

Continue reading Space Lords ~Cordwainer Smith →

Book Reviews, Fantasy, Friday Favorites, Science Fiction

Friday Favorites: Spectrum 15

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(Island #1, Cover image by Michael Whelan)

(-all images taken from the artists’ respective websites for use in promoting this book and their individual websites and artwork. Call for Entries image taken from Spectrum website)

Though I read this for the first time in 2008, I could not think of a better way to inaugurate the Friday Favorites posts for 2009 than to do a brief review of the best art book to come out last year, Spectrum 15: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art, edited by Cathy and Arnie Fenner.

Year after year the Fenners pull together a panel of artists and people in the industry and they converge upon Kansas City to pick the entries for the latest volume of Spectrum. For 15 years now the Fenners have been putting together the most amazing collection of fantastic art illustration and though it seems like it would be impossible to do, they manage to top themselves every year.

Spectrum 15 is no exception. This large, high quality art book is filled with hundreds of pages containing hundreds upon hundreds of examples of amazing art from many different categories. It is a thrill every year when the latest issue of Spectrum comes out. For the past 3 years my friend Jeff and I have cracked into our copies together, pouring through it page by page and commenting on the various pieces. It is a real treat and one of the highlights of every year. By way of review, and to whet your appetite for future Friday Favorites, I am including a random sampling of images from Spectrum 15. These are all images that I like, but they do not even come close to representing the variety of images contained in this volume.

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Book Reviews, Science Fiction, Young Adult

Zoe’s Tale ~John Scalzi

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Zoe’s Tale ~John Scalzi

–published 2008
–336 pages, Tor Books
–4.5/5 stars

As I embark upon reviewing this, the latest novel in John Scalzi’s Old Man’s War series, I must admit that I am feeling somewhat guilty. Over the course of the past two years John Scalzi has occupied a slot as one of my all-time favorite authors. I have devoured his books only to find myself with two conflicting emotions: satisfaction and the desire for more. So how is it that I am just now reviewing a book that came out in August of this year? I bought the book the minute it hit bookstore shelves! In fact it came out early and I was so excited that I brought it straight home and immediately started reading it. After all, it was the latest Scalzi! So what happened? Well, me–that is what happened. I was not in the mood for science fiction at the time, particularly as I was gearing up for hosting the R.I.P. III Challenge and was in a particularly gothic mood. I have never been secretive about the fact that I am a reader tossed to and fro by his reading whims and Zoe’s Tale was just not right for me at the time. Sure, I had enjoyed the first 90 to 100 pages that I read, but not the way that I wanted to. I wasn’t finding myself lost in John Scalzi’s universe the way I had been with the other three novels of this series. And so I did the unthinkable, I laid aside a favorite author with the sincere hope that it was just my timing that was off and that when I came back to Zoe and her perspective on the events covered in The Last Colony I would be able to give this author the reverence due his position in my ‘favorites’ hierarchy.

What follows will hopefully serve as an apology to Mr. John Scalzi and to all of you who would never dare to treat a cherished author the way that I have treated mine.

Continue reading Zoe’s Tale ~John Scalzi →

Book Reviews

Zanna’s Gift ~Orson Scott Card

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Zanna’s Gift ~Orson Scott Card

–published 2004
–144 pages, Tor-Forge (re-release)
–Christmas rating: well worth reading!

At this, the ‘most wonderful time of the year’, no reading is more appropriate than that which, in spite of the heavy sentiment, encourages you to look to your familial relationships as the most precious gift of all.

Chris, the quintessential Orson Scott Card fan, reviewed this book a few weeks back. In addition to making it tempting because of his review, he also pointed out that this book could be had for a mere $5.99, autographed no less, directly from the author’s website. You, however, have a chance at getting your very own copy for much less than that!

Continue reading Zanna’s Gift ~Orson Scott Card →