Summary: A multi-generational starship is attempting to build a human colony on another world. One of the reasons that science fiction has been historically popular is that it in general a hopeful genre. Science fiction dreams of new worlds being discovered, the expansion of humanity across the galaxy, technological progress. Or at least that has … Read more
Summary: Beautifully written tragic story of desire for what cannot be. Cormac McCarthy is a spare writer. Lots of detail and almost poetic language. But this is an introvert’s book. The characters talk, but there is no extra meandering dialogue. Dialogue has purpose. McCarthy seems ideally suited to write about the idealized lone western male. … Read more
Summary: After spending a year at college, Binti goes home to face her family. Science Fiction is the perfect genre to explore so many different ideas. Binti and its follow-up book Binti: Home are both mostly about what it means to grow up, leave home, and be changed by the process so that you are … Read more
Summary: An African teen in the future leaves her (traditional) home to attend a university on another planet. A couple of days ago, I was describing Octavia Butler as the only female African American science fiction author that I could think of. The next day, I received an email from Amazon about a book they … Read more
Takeaway: Evidently I am old enough to understand and appreciate mid-life crisis books. Recently I have decided that I need to read more 20th-century literary fiction. My education missed out on that entire century. And I also have been interested in the Catholic writers that were so popular in the mid to late 20th century. … Read more
Summary: A brilliant physicist leaves his insular utopian community to study in the world that his world rebelled against. And he learns the weaknesses of both political systems. Anarres is a desert moon to Urras. Several hundred years ago, miners rebelled against their home world and created their own anarchist utopia, a ‘non-authoritarian communism’ where … Read more
Summary: A secret service agent wakes up in the woods outside of small town where nothing seems quite right. The Wayward Pines trilogy hit the world a few years ago and many people I know recommended it. Last year Fox turned it into a TV show. And because I signed up for Kindle Unlimited a … Read more
Summary: A missionary to aliens has marriage problems. The concept of The Book of Strange New Things is so simple that it really did not catch my attention when I first heard about it. But it was recommended several times by different people and when it was on sale I decided to pick it up. (Vikki … Read more
Summary: Told over a 60 year period as the world descends into dystopia, there is something more than what it initially seems. The Bone Clocks has been highly recommended by a number of people that I trust. It is well written literary fiction with elements of science fiction and fantasy. I think I should have loved it, … Read more
Summary: A scifi police procedural that is a set up for a longer series. In addition to being a stay at home Dad to two, I have a part time gig that involves lots of data analysis. I am in one of the seasons where that data has to be transferred from one format to … Read more