I’ve been taking a break from the H. P. Lovecraft collection I have been reading to re-read one of my favorite science fiction series: The Chronicles of the High Inquest. I finished the first book the other day, and I wanted to blog a bit about why I like this series so much.
First and most obvious is that these books are science fiction. From the very first page, the characters talk about displacement plates which teleport matter from one place to another, and before long we are introduced to humans that live in complete darkness without eyes and ears, tachyon bubbles used to travel through space, and carnivorous alien plants. However, Somtow doesn’t leave it there, there are fantastic elements as well – the twin cities of Effelkang and Kallendrang where the latter hangs inverted above the former, the purple trees of Shtoma, and the whale-like delphinoids that float in the currents of the wind and make their music and light shows. Continue reading Light on the Sound→
Just before my Thanksgiving holiday, I finished reading The Martian, by Andy Weir. This book came highly recommended to me by one of my coworkers a while back, and was something I was keeping an eye on. Unfortunately, I didn’t get around to buying it until after the movie came out and the cost went up – bad timing I guess. However, the book was certainly worth it, and made for an enjoyable read. Continue reading The Martian→
I recently finished reading Landlocked Lighthouse, the recent thriller by Mixi J. Applebottom. Mixi and I have been friends for quite a while, so this one was pretty high on my reading list; when she was offering a free copy for signing up on her newsletter, just as I finished The Martian, it became a no-brainer.
One of my favorite types of horror is what I have described to my friends as “house horror”. As an introvert, my home is where I go to recharge and relax, as a result, stories about people feeling uncomfortable in their homes strikes a particular chord in me that really hits me (House of Leaves comes to mind, and if you remember that I also like epistolary, it was a double-whammy of amazingness). As a result, I love this kind of horror, and while I feel that Landlocked Lighthouse was more thriller and less horror, I still quite enjoyed it. Continue reading Landlocked Lighthouse→
I’ve been reading The World’s Best Science Fiction 28 when I get the chance, and the latest story I read, “The Emperor of Mars” was quite a treat. Sure, the plot was a bit predictable (I’m not sure that it wasn’t supposed to be), but it was a real treat for me, as someone who has a soft spot for the Golden Era of Sci-Fi. Spoilers and a short review after the jump.
I recently finished The Ghost King by one of my favorite authors, R. A. Salvatore. I’ve been reading the books in this series (the saga of Drizzt Do’Urden) since I was in middle school, and this one was a nice continuation of the storyline. Major and minor spoilers after the jump.
The last time Cam went to Montana, he picked up a book for me: Decade of the Wolf: Returning the Wild to Yellowstone by Douglas W. Smith and Gary Ferguson. As someone who likes wolves, I was looking forward to this book, and really enjoyed my reading of it. More details after the jump.
I finished the Novella A Hole in the Sun by Roger MacBride Allen today. It appeared in the April 1987 edition of Analog, which I picked up while I was at MileHiCon the weekend before last. The other stories in the magazine were definitely fun to read, but I wanted to comment on this one because it struck me a little closer than the others. Spoilers below.
Just before my comprehensive exam, I finished Road of the Patriarch by Robert A. Salvatore. Now, those of you who know me well probably recognize that name as he is one of my favorite authors. For me, Road of the Patriarch did not disappoint, and was quite a good novel. Spoilers below.
I finished Howard Bloom’s The Lucifer Principle today, and I must say, it was an enlightening read, even the second time through. The first time I read this book, it was my second year in college, when I had all the time in the world to read. It took me 24 hours to finish. This time, I’ve had far less time, but I also read it more carefully, letting the details sink in, and thinking about them. I also read the impressively long annotated bibliography (a weighty 74 pages in it’s own right), which was also quite rewarding.
I finished Colors of Chaos the other day; it’s the third and final book in the Weapons of Chaos trilogy by Robert E. Vardeman, and after it’s all over I have a great appreciation for this series. I very nearly wrote about each book in turn, but decided that it would be best to roll them all into one larger post. Not only because each book is short (about 200 pages), but also because when my choice came down to whether I wanted to read the next book or write about the one I just finished, my choice always ended up being “read the next book”.
That being said, now that I’m done with the series, here’s what I have to say:
