The nitty-gritty: A thought-provoking tale of survival, The Effort raises interesting questions about life in the face of impending disaster. The Effort is an ambitious debut about a comet that is hurtling towards Earth and the team of scientists who are tasked with stopping it. There are all sorts of directions you can take with […]
The nitty-gritty: A macabre glimpse into the mind of a female serial killer, In the Garden of Spite is a compelling page-turner, rich in historical details and fascinating characters. Halfway through the meal, Moira had to excuse herself, as she was feeling ill. I wished her a speedy recovery as she made her way upstairs. […]
The nitty gritty: Brutal and beautiful, heartbreaking and healing, Betty is an extraordinary coming-of-age story that I won’t soon forget. Depending on which way the wind is blowing, the snow comes in. At first the flurries melt before they land. Then they pile lightly like dust, bringing their cold in. I can see my mother’s […]
The nitty-gritty: An ambitious genre mash-up that tackles such diverse topics as poverty, imaginary friends, space exploration and family bonds. We Hear Voices caught me off guard, but in a good way. I don’t know what I was expecting, but I didn’t realize this was science fiction/dystopian when I started reading it. It looks like […]
The nitty-gritty: Andrew Shaffer skewers publishing and 80s horror in this homage to the genre, complete with a Christmas setting. Lussi parked Agnes’s Yugo around the corner from the Blackwood Building underneath a burned-out streetlight. It was nearly three in the morning. She had never stolen a car before and never planned to again. Tonight […]
The nitty-gritty: Escape Pod the podcast celebrates fifteen years with this very strong collection of fifteen short stories that illustrate the vast imagination and high quality of science fiction today. Anthologies are usually a mixed bag for me, but wow, I’m happy to say that Escape Pod is one of the strongest anthologies I’ve ever […]
The nitty-gritty: Lovecraft meets The Twilight Zone in this fast-paced, monster-filled horror story. This was a lot of fun! I wasn’t sure what to expect from Eight Cylinders, and I definitely got something a little different, but I ended up really enjoying this book. As you might have guessed from the cover, there’s a Lovecraft […]
The nitty-gritty: A stunning follow-up to The Bone Ships, R.J. Barker’s thrilling, intricately plotted seafaring fantasy is just as good, if not better, than the first book. The gullaime made their way to the windspire, a curved, pale bone-like piece of rock that sang to Joron—the spires always sang, and it was a song Joron […]
The nitty-gritty: I enjoyed the well thought out futuristic world and exciting action sequences, but overall the story suffered from a few rookie mistakes. The Rush’s Edge is a fast-paced space opera debut that had plenty of thrilling moments and lots of action, and I enjoyed parts of it very much. However, I did have […]
The nitty-gritty: DiLouie explores the emotional aftermath of surviving a doomsday cult in his latest, a dark and atmospheric tale steeped in mystery. The Children of Red Peak is my third Craig DiLouie book, and once again I’m in awe of his storytelling skills and the way he is able to evoke emotions. DiLouie tends […]