Maker, sailor, appreciator of the natural world. I live in Sacramento, CA with my wife, daughter, and house full of pets.
He/Him
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For better, for worse. In sickness and in health. It’s a legal vow of care for families in 2050, a …
John Dies at the End is a comic horror novel written by David Wong that was first published online as …
"For the First Time, Again" was the final book in the "Take Them to the Stars" trilogy. Overall I quite enjoyed the series and would recommend it. It's not sci-fi in the traditional sense, but uses it to tell an interesting story.
I think the setting and world-building is a little better than they actual story, but it's definitely engaging. While the ending wasn't what I would describe as fulfilling, it still felt appropriate for the story and characters. In a lot of ways, I think this whole series might have felt better and more cohesive as a single book without attempting the theatrical act structure.
All of that said, these books were easy to read and certainly kept my interest. I'd recommend them if you're looking for something new but also somehow familiar.
John Dies at the End is a comic horror novel written by David Wong that was first published online as …
Doro is an entity who changes bodies like clothes, killing his hosts by reflex or design. He fears no …
Like I often do, I'm withholding a review of Until the Last of Me for when I can finish the next book. I will say that I found the end of this book very unsatisfying and wish that Neuvel had done more to tie things up or at least leave a cliffhanger. Where it stands now, this book feels unfinished; like he wanted to keep writing, but realized he needed to split to a third book so he threw an "ending" chapter in to set up the next one.
I'm hopeful he sticks the landing, but we'll see.
Doro is an entity who changes bodies like clothes, killing his hosts by reflex …
I have to pause on this one a little way through it because my library loan expired and since someone had a hold I couldn’t renew. They don’t have any more copies available so I’ll catch up and finish it as soon as I can get a copy.
Doro is an entity who changes bodies like clothes, killing his hosts by reflex or design. He fears no …
Just a quick note that I’m going to hold off on reviewing A History of What Comes Next until I read the rest of the series. I suppose if you’re dying to hear my thoughts, the fact that I’m planning on (and looking forward to) reading the next books is an endorsement but don’t blame me if he doesn’t stick the landing.
Environmental devastation and economic chaos have turned America into a land of depravity. Taking advantage …
I think it makes sense to review Parable of the Talents along side Parable of the Sower, especially since Butler says she originally intended them as a single book.
That said, I really enjoyed these. I really think that women authors are far better equipped to write certain genres and topics. One of those is the horrors of life in a dystopian world. The key thing is that they seem better equipped to discuss the trauma and emotional impact of violence without fetishizing it. It makes everything flow better and focuses on the right things.
These books were very engaging and I found myself quickly engrossed. The journal style was reminiscent of The Martian and it makes me wonder if there’s something about that format that I’m drawn to. My only complaint with it is that I often found myself flipping back to find out how much time had passed …
I think it makes sense to review Parable of the Talents along side Parable of the Sower, especially since Butler says she originally intended them as a single book.
That said, I really enjoyed these. I really think that women authors are far better equipped to write certain genres and topics. One of those is the horrors of life in a dystopian world. The key thing is that they seem better equipped to discuss the trauma and emotional impact of violence without fetishizing it. It makes everything flow better and focuses on the right things.
These books were very engaging and I found myself quickly engrossed. The journal style was reminiscent of The Martian and it makes me wonder if there’s something about that format that I’m drawn to. My only complaint with it is that I often found myself flipping back to find out how much time had passed between entries as I read.
I found a lot of her commentary on society and social movements depressingly prophetic and I think that makes this an important set of books for the current moment. I do wish Butler had had a chance to continue this story before she died because in some ways it left me unsatisfied and like certain things were pending. That said, it’s can be refreshing to face that realism because things don’t always get wrapped up with a nice little bow.
I don’t know that it makes sense to recommend these books from the perspective of whether I liked them. I did. I thought they were amazing. But my feeling on it doesn’t really mean anything because I think these books stand on their own so very independent of me. It’s almost like they weren’t written for the reader, but for the author. That may just be an effect of reading fiction presented as someone’s personal journal, but either way I really appreciated getting to know the author through it.
Environmental devastation and economic chaos have turned America into a land of depravity. Taking advantage of the situation, a zealous …
One snowy night Arthur Leander, a famous actor, has a heart attack onstage during a …
I really enjoyed Station Eleven. It told a post-apocalyptic tale without relying on the shock value or gore you so often see in the genre. I loved the way it wove in the stories of the characters leading up to the pandemic that ended civilization. I appreciated the hope and optimism that carries the survivors through.
Strongly recommend this one.
