Prior to New York 2140, the only other work by Kim Stanley Robinson I had read was Red Mars, the first in his Mars trilogy. Now that I have followed that up with New York 2140 though, I don't know why I have avoided his books for so long! In fact, that could be misleading as I haven't … Continue reading Review – New York 2140, Kim Stanley Robinson ★★★★☆
Looking at the tomes that make up the seven book series (plus a novella) that is The Dark Tower, there is no doubt that it's a daunting prospect even to avid fans of Stephen King. I've always thought that this seems kind of appropriate given what the tower actually is in the books themselves. It … Continue reading Review – The Dark Tower, Stephen King ★★★★☆
I will never get tired of reading these stories. It feels like I read Bradbury's science fiction in sepia tone and each story is accompanied by a wave of nostalgia. Some are hopeful and simply short, elegant and beautiful, but others have the ability to set you on edge and make you ask real questions … Continue reading Review – The Illustrated Man, Ray Bradbury ★★★★★
I feel like I should be apologising for not having read Mistborn sooner. Sanderson seems to have become the big influence in the modern sff field and he is an author who has been on my radar for a long time. I was never put off by the hype around his work and always thought that … Continue reading Review – Mistborn, Brandon Sanderson ★★★★★
There's something charming about this book. It's a blissful bit of escapism as Holden breaks free of his regular routine for a few days to simply experience something else. He's waiting for the day his parents expect him back home but the few days in between seem to last a lifetime. Holden Caulfield is a … Continue reading Review – The Catcher in the Rye, J. D. Salinger ★★★★★
Full disclosure: this is one of my favourite books! I studied Never Let Me Go at school for my A levels and felt as though I came out of every lesson liking it a little bit more. When I first read it, I wasn't convinced. I didn't quite see the point to the whole story … Continue reading Review – Never Let Me Go, Kazuo Ishiguro ★★★★★
After backing this on Kickstarter about a year ago, I've finally received my copy and found the time to sit down and read through Astrobiology #1. It's a beautifully put together comic book about (surprise, surprise) an astrobiologist, Dr Leopold Bell, on the hunt for new species out in the universe regardless of the risk … Continue reading Review – Astrobiology #1, Seth Jacob ★★★★☆
I have a very mixed relationship with this book. I was so (and possibly too) excited to start after I was given it for Christmas. As far as fantasy books go, it sounded pretty great, having all the usual elements but then a key twist to the formula and I loved the look and feel … Continue reading Review – Lord Foul’s Bane, Stephen Donaldson ★★☆☆☆
There's a complexity to The Left Hand of Darkness that goes far beyond the surface. I loved this book for the fact that its science fiction elements are the elements that are the easiest to understand; the ones that require a greater effort are the human elements littered throughout the pages. An envoy visiting a new … Continue reading Review – The Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula K. Le Guin ★★★★★
This was one of the first books that I read last year and it has taken me this long to get round to this review. I don't often give one star reviews and, as such, I thought it only right that I try to justify my opinion. Of course, I don't want to be too … Continue reading Review – Still Life with Woodpecker, Tom Robbins ★☆☆☆☆
Curio-scify 