Paul Levinson (The Plot To Save Socrates) reminds us that a few years ago he reviewed the entirety of Apple’s short-lived and not-very-well-received attempted reboot of the mid-1980s eponymous Spielberg, which attempted to recapture “family […]
Robert J. Sawyer has written a sequel to his bestselling The Downloaded. This one adds complications and piles Pelion upon Ossa to the hapless victims… er, I mean protagonists of The Downloaded. It’s a fun and exciting book because of the writing, which is crisp and never stops moving. I heartily recommend it.
It can be hard to have solid opinions and identities when we live in a world of mixed messages and misinformation. With propaganda running rampant, how can we be sure if reality is really real? […]
We’ve all got a beast inside us, waiting to be unleashed. For some, they never hold it back. For others, they keep it caged until it can be repressed no longer. Enter author Sam Beckbessinger, […]
When it comes down to it, all humanity really has at the end of the day is our stories. Telling stories around the fire is a tale as old as humans themselves, and author Ada […]
While it may seem like fantasy is as far from the real world as possible, author Jill Rosenberg suggests that indulging in fantasies and fiction actually connects people instead of isolating them from reality. Dive […]
The title of this piece draws upon a quote from Chandler’s most storied character, Commodore John Grimes, former officer of the Interstellar Federation’s Survey Service (secretly still a reserve officer, intelligence branch), private (space) ship […]
A John Carpenter movie from 1986 starring Kurt Russell didn’t do very well at the box office, oddly enough. It has since become somewhat of a cult classic, but why has it taken so long to catch on? There might be some answers in Steve’s column this week. Read it and see.
While we all know that technically our lives could end at any moment, sometimes that fact can feel far away. Author Andrew Dana Hudson brings that little known fact into the spotlight in his newest […]
Do we as a society tend to abide by the phrase, “if you love something, let it go,” or are we more likely to dig our claws in and refuse to part ways? Author Martha […]
In his new novel Ashland, author Matt Harry posits a world that is a little bit… gooey. If you don’t know what that might mean, or what it would mean for anyone who has to […]
Imagine a world where political servants actually served us, and whose decisions were backed by the will of the people, rather than their greed. If it sounds like fantasy, you may want to check out… Source: The […]
Though humans have a strong desire to be an individual, slightly stronger is our innate need to not be alone. Humans are not solitary creatures, so why do we try so hard to act like […]
Over on his substack, Robert Charles Wilson, Hugo Award-winning author of Spin, has decided to review the Library of America’s anthology of 1950s (highly regarded) novels, novel-by-novel. Part 1 can be found here. Part 2, […]
Dean Koontz is often mistakenly categorized as a horror-genre writer. I believe that’s a misconception—I feel he’s a thriller writer for the most part. His thrillers often contain sfnal concepts, like this 1998 book, False Memory, which deals with some pretty scary stuff. It’s pretty thrilling, and one of his best, I think.
Recent Substack Posts Here are some recent reviews I’ve done on my Substack. Human Voices, by Penelope Fitzgerald The Mills of the Gods, by Tim Powers Cumberworld & Farther, by Gregory Feeley Beloved, by Toni […]
This an extended review I wrote back in 2001, on the occasion of the nomination of L. Ron Hubbard’s short novel “To the Stars” for a Retro Hugo. I go into some detail at the […]
Replanted Review: Deepdrive, by Alexander Jablokov by Rich Horton [I wrote this back in 1998, when the novel came out. I haven’t revised it at all (save for a few bracketed additions] so what I […]
I’m back home, with not a little bit of convention adventure under my belt. Bottom line: the event appears to have been a success on many levels: this was probably the last convention I’ll be […]
This review was written originally in 1999 for SF Site, about two YA novels by Sherwood Smith, one called Crown Duel (1997), the second Court Duel (1998). At the time I rather grumpily concluded my […]
The sequel to 2019’s “Ready or Not,” while keeping up the bloody body count of the first movie, seems a bit flat to me. While it attempts to match the dark humour of its predecessor, I found it lacking in that respect. It not only has the same strong female protagonist, but it even doubles down by adding a sister to the mix. You may like it a bit better than I did, though I thought it somewhat enjoyable.
I resurrect another review of a rather nice original anthology from a small press, back in 2008. This review originally appeared in Locus, as a Divers Hand review. Lace and Blade, edited by Deborah J. […]
SF Site isn’t the only place I reviewed for that has gone defunct. (Not by a long shot, alas!) I also did a number of reviews for Fantasy Magazine. Here’s one, of a really fine […]
Pets are more than just roommates we feed and scoop poop for, they’re often a source of emotional support and comfort in our complicated, lengthy lives. Author Eleanor Lerman explores the bond between furry friends […]
You know ’em, you love ’em, authors Tiffani Angus and Val Nolan are back again with another installment of their speculative fiction guidebooks. Hop on board the Big Idea to see how they’ve done it […]
The recent Netflix movie War Machine is an action/science fiction movie, full of the usual stuff action movies are full of. I call it a “popcorn” movie, because it’s the kind of movie you sit down with a drink (soft or otherwise) and a bowl/container of popcorn to watch. Nothing intellectual or deep, but a lot of fun.
When there’s a million and one paths in front of you, how do you know which decision to make? What if you don’t even have control over which one you end up on? Author A. […]
The Scientific Method is immensely helpful, but so is literal magic. Would the power of science prove to be more powerful than the power of wizardry? It’s tough to say, but author Cameron Johnston certainly […]
Source: The Big Idea: Christian Bieck | Whatever John Scalziwww.scalzi.com
Family ties aren’t always a prettily done bow, sometimes they’re fraught with fraying ends and tricky knots, all woven together in the branches of family trees. Love ’em or hate ’em, everyone’s got parents, and […]
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