Category Archives: Science Fiction

Book Reviews, Science Fiction

A Call to Duty ~David Weber and Timothy Zahn

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Travis Uriah Long craved order, something his neglectful mother made no effort to provide. When he comes of age, it seems like the most logical thing in the world to join the Royal Manticoran Navy, the military is built on the concepts of structure and order. So without even a farewell to his mother, Long becomes the newest volunteer in the RMN.

For Travis Uriah Long, order is a mixed blessing. Long desires order and he quickly becomes a very strict rules and procedures navy man, only to discover that not everyone is as dedicated to following the rules as he is, nor is everyone appreciative of a team member who knows the rules inside and out and expects them to be fully honored.

Adding to Long’s difficulties is the fact that he has enlisted in a time when various political factions are viewing the Royal Manticoran Navy as increasingly obsolete and are working behind the scenes to shift the focus of the Star Kingdom of Manticore’s budget to areas domestic, rather than foreign.

David Weber, creator and author of the best-selling Honor Harrington series, teams up with award-winning author Timothy Zahn to explore a time period in the Honorverse several hundred years earlier than time time in which Honor lives. In so doing they create a great jumping-on point for new readers while giving fans of Honor Harrington a new set of characters to root for.

A Call to Duty is an accessible, engaging military science fiction novel with interesting characters, political intrigue, and the kind of life-in-space adventure that makes fans of science fiction long for a future in which mankind ventures out among the stars.

9/10 stars

Continue reading A Call to Duty ~David Weber and Timothy Zahn →

Book Reviews, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Short Stories

2014 Nominees for the Best Short Story Hugo

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To begin with, let me wish a “Happy Independence Day!” to all of my fellow Americans.

I hope that you all have great plans for spending time with family and friends, enjoying good food and the occasional exploding item in celebration of this great nation.

Today on SF Signal I return with a Short Fiction Friday post that looks at the four stories nominated for Best Short Story for the 2014 Hugo Awards.

All the stories are available for reading for free online and are linked in my reviews. All four are fine contenders and it will be interesting to see what wins. If you’ve read them, please head over and share your opinions. If not, take some of your holiday reading time and enjoy some of what short genre fiction has to offer.

Art/Photography, Book Reviews, Science Fiction

The Art of John Harris: Beyond the Horizon

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Today at SF Signal I review The Art of John Harris: Beyond the Horizon, which will be released on May 27th, 2014 by Titan Books.

This is the long-awaited second collection of the works of John Harris, spanning over 35 years of his career as a fine artist whose subject matter is often the massive landscape of space.

John Harris was one of my nominations for the Hugo Award for Best Professional Artist this year and I am happy to say he made the ballot. This book is particularly timely as it contains examples of much of the work he did that is eligible for this year’s award.

This is an affordable, beautifully produced must-have art book for fans of science fiction imagery. I encourage you to check out my review as it is accompanied by many gorgeous examples of Harris’ work.

Book Reviews, Science Fiction, Short Stories

Unlocked: An Oral History of Haden’s Syndrome by John Scalzi

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In anticipation of the August 2014 release of his novel, Lock In, John Scalzi has released a prequel novella that covers the rise of the epidemic which is the cause of the condition for which the novel is named.

Fifteen years in our future a virus arises worldwide that causes minor symptoms in most cases, but in extreme cases causes victims to be “locked in”.  Those experiencing this reaction to the virus are alert and aware but are unable to communicate or function in any meaningful way, they are trapped within a no longer fully functional body.

Unlocked is told in the form of interviews from doctors, scientists, politicians, journalists and regular people who were affected by Haden’s Syndrome and/or played a significant role in the world’s response to and investigation of the disease and its most devastating effects.

Unlocked is a story with an unsettling air of plausibility that examines a broad spectrum of the history of this virus in a way that feels intimate and personal.  It is a story filled with characters that are easy to relate to–they are us–and as such it overcomes a criticism often leveled at short stories, which is that there is no character development.

In Unlocked John Scalzi employs a fascinating storytelling device that engages the reader, and along the way he takes the story in an unexpected direction that will leave readers anticipating the summer release of Lock In.

Continue reading Unlocked: An Oral History of Haden’s Syndrome by John Scalzi →

Book Reviews, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Short Stories

Blooded on Arachne ~Michael Bishop

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Not long ago I was asked by Joachim Boaz to participate in a series of guest posts showcasing the work of author Michael Bishop. I agreed to read the first part of Bishop’s collection, Blooded on Arachne, with Boaz reading and reviewing the second half.

This was my first experience with Michael Bishop and it turned out to be a GREAT experience. I really enjoyed his short fiction and plan to read the rest of the collection. It is a special pleasure to agree to take part in a reading only to discover an author who writes the kind of fiction that excites your imagination.

You can see my thoughts on the stories I read over on Science Fiction and Other Suspect Ruminations by clicking here.

Thanks for including me in the project, Joachim. It was a real pleasure.