Galactic North by Alastair Reynolds
reviewed by Greg L. Johnson
The stories collected here, some of them
written and published before Revelation Space, show us even more about the future the author has envisioned, and
often give us details of characters lives and events that are alluded to in the novels. At the same time, they prove
that his writing can be just as dark and intense at shorter lengths as it is in novels like Chasm City and Absolution Gap.
Victory Conditions by Elizabeth Moon
reviewed by Sherwood Smith
The bad news is that this book would be a tough place for new readers to begin, as it is the final installment of the chronicles
of Vatta's War. Every major thread begins pretty much in medias res, pulling a long train of story
investment along with it. The good news is that this is a smashing finish to an excellent series.
Overlooked or Over-hyped?
a column by Neil Walsh
Neil has a secret: The Gormenghast Trilogy is the real reason he started this column in
the first place. He had heard about the series for many, many years. So many authors have cited Mervyn Peake as a significant
influence, that he knew he should really read him and find out what all the hype was about. But on the other hand, he had also heard
disturbing reports from readers about how tedious and progressively unreadable the series ultimately becomes. He had heard
rumours that Peake went insane while writing the series, and that the final book makes no sense at all.
2012: The War For Souls by Whitley Strieber
reviewed by Nathan Brazil
Ever since the publication of the equally celebrated and condemned Communion, the jury has been out on
Whitley Strieber. To some he's a crafty chancer, cleverly weaving his fake Grey alien stories into a modern
mythology, in tune with the American psyche. Others believe what he writes is at least prophetic fiction and perhaps
thinly disguised fact. Wherever the truth may lie, this vein has been a rich source of inspiration and
has enabled him to produce works that are entertaining and unsettling.
I Am Legend
a DVD review by Rick Klaw
Arguably the most paranoid novel ever published, Richard Matheson's powerful tale of isolation, I Am Legend, informed
the works of Stephen King, Dean R. Koontz, Joe R. Lansdale, and pretty much everyone else who has written horror since the
story's 1954 publication. The book spawned two previous movie adaptations. The first, L' Ultimo Uomo Della Terra
(The Last Man on Earth, 1964), starred Vincent Price in a dull yet faithful Italian production. 1971's The Omega Man,
starring Charlton Heston, used only the bare outline of the original story. In December 2007, director Francis
Lawrence returned Matheson's classic to film, the first to sport the book title, I Am Legend.
Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie
reviewed by John Enzinas
This final book in the First Law trilogy pushes forward like an avalanche through to the bitter end of the
various events taking place from the wars in Angland and with the Gurkish to the internal secret wars of the ruling Closed
Council. Like the avalanche, it is powerful, mesmerizing and unstoppable. However, also like an avalanche, the only way things
can end is in a crush at the base of the mountain with luck being more likely than skills or bravery to save you.
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The Magician and the Fool by Barth Anderson
reviewed by Rich Horton
Jeremiah Rosemont is a former academic, apparently an expert on the history of the Tarot, who has abandoned his
former life and is wandering through Nicaragua when he gets a curious summons to Rome where he finds strange things happening.
He becomes embroiled in a struggle over an ancient Tarot deck that might give great power to some very ancient beings.
At the same time, a homeless man, called simply Boy King, who makes his living by dumpster diving and occasional
Tarot readings in the streets of Minnesota, becomes aware that someone is after him.
In Deepspace Shadows by Kendall Evans
reviewed by Amal El-Mohtar
It isn't quite a play, it isn't quite a poem. It showcases a cast of artificially intelligent robots of different shapes and
sizes, created by humans and placed aboard a spaceship, called The TransAtlantic Tortoise,
sent out to find new, habitable worlds. The ship is also intelligent but, at the play's opening, it has mysteriously
stopped communicating with the crew. We follow Gael-all-of-metal, the dog-shaped captain, as he reflects on and tests
the boundaries of his programming, encourages mutiny aboard his ship and discovers love with another crewmate.
Rewired: The Post-Cyberpunk Anthology edited by James Patrick Kelly & John Kessel
reviewed by Paul Kincaid
We have been in a "post-cyberpunk" period for longer than cyberpunk lasted. At least, we have if you take a strictly
chronological understanding of the term. But "post-cyberpunk" has only really been bandied about for the last year or so, and
the closest we have to a definition of the term is this particular anthology. Looking at this, one might say
that "post-cyberpunk" bears pretty much the same relationship to "cyberpunk" that "postmodernism" bears to "modernism."
The Invasion of the Body Snatchers by Jack Finney
Performed by Kristoffer Tabori
an audio review podcast by Brian Price for AudioFile Magazine
In this science fiction classic, the world's population is being taken over by an alien race. Kristoffer Tabori reads the first-person narrative with gritty intensity, reminding listeners of a smart and sinister 1950's detective novel. This production reminds us why it's called a classic.
Click on link to get the MP3 podcast file.
Babylon 5.1
TV reviews by Rick Norwood
Rick has some thoughts on the return of Battlestar Galactica for one final season
and what sort of year Smallville is having. He also gives us a list of SF on TV in April.
Supernatural Magazine #1
reviewed by Sandy Auden
It's becoming a rare achievement for a genre TV series to even complete a debut season these days, so the fact that
Supernatural is now well into its third season radiates a silent message that the show has style, depth and most
importantly, great ratings. A number of factors contribute to its success like
the obvious chemistry between the two lead actors, Jared Padalecki and Jensen
Ackles along with the quality of the writing as the brothers hack their way through
a huge range of strange monsters, knee-deep in spooky adversaries, while trying to deal with their own family neuroses at the
same time.
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