Pirate Sun by Karl Schroeder
reviewed by Rich Horton
In the third novel in the Virga series, the focus is the Admiral himself, Chaison Fanning who is a
prisoner of the nation he defeated in the first book until he is freed. But
in the process Chaison gets lost again -- his sense of duty causes him to also help free a couple of other
Slipstream natives -- and he and his friends, along with the mysterious "winter waif" Antaea Argyre, end up in a major
city of the enemy Falcon Formation.
Mr. Fooster Traveling on a Whim by Tom Corwin
reviewed by Georges T. Dodds
Visually, it is a lovely book, the detailed line drawings of Craig Frazier,
complementing the whimsical story of Mr. Fooster who goes on walking excursions armed with only his senses and an old
bottle of soap with a bubble-making ring. But what bubbles! one becomes a vintage car, another an immense flying bird
cage full of tropical fish. Mr. Fooster meets a lost newt, a giant insect, spends a winter as a tree, and meets an
isolationist wall-builder.
Nexus Graphica
a column by Rick Klaw and Mark London Williams
Speaking of summer travel, as noted at the end of the last column, Mark London Williams is back from the San Diego Comic Con.
In some ways, there's not a lot to say about the Con anymore. This is because everyone else is already saying it. Which
is to say: It has apparently become the mainstream America media/pop culture event of the year.
The Shadow Isle by Katharine Kerr
reviewed by Tammy Moore
The Shadow Isle is Book Six of the Dragon Mage series and the penultimate novel
in the epic Deverry series. A bitter-sweet read for anyone who has read the series from the
very beginning. Or it would be, if one had time to dwell on that instead of focusing all one's attention on keeping up with
the events that start unfolding the moment you open the book.
Devil's Cape by Rob Rogers
reviewed by Nathan Brazil
This is an entertaining, effortlessly captivating read, dripping with what Alannah Myles once called a slow southern
style. It's this sweltering Deep South ambience, and to some extent pacing, which makes it stand out from other
superhero based novels. Occasionally, the sheer laid back approach slows to a crawl, which is usually the antithesis
of the superhero genre, but the author knows what he's doing.
The Dead Fathers Club by Matt Haig
an audiobook review by Sarah Trowbridge
Suppose that Hamlet were an 11-year-old modern-day English boy, and his late father not the King of Denmark but
the owner of a pub in Newark-on-Trent. That is the starting point of this refreshing novel that is part ghost story,
part coming-of-age tale. Paying homage to Shakespeare's masterpiece throughout, Matt Haig nevertheless has created a
story all his own.
Mini-Masterpieces of Science Fiction edited by Allan Kaster
an audiobook review by Susan Dunman
This collection includes nine selections originally published between 1991 and 2007, offering a variety of topics ranging from an
aging superhero grandmother ("Grandma," by Carol Emshwiller) to how a mother and daughter cope with the end of the
world ("Last Contact," by Stephen Baxter). Narrators Tom Dheere and Vanessa Hart give fine performances.
Supernatural Origins by Peter Johnson and Matthew Dow Smith
reviewed by Sandy Auden
John Winchester's wife has been murdered. She was pinned to the ceiling of her son's bedroom then she burst into flames. Nobody
believes John when he tries to them how she died, they all believe the tragedy was caused by an electrical fire and that John
is just under the emotional stress of grieving for his lost wife. Only one person has an inkling of what really happened and
she tracks John down to a bar where he's hustling pool.
The Year's Best Science Fiction: by Volume
compiled by Rodger Turner
In 1984, Gardner Dozois gathered together what he thought was the best short science fiction of the previous year. He
scrutinized as many of the magazines, collections and anthologies published in 1983 that he could get his hands on and
chose those which he felt best represented the science fiction field. Jim Frenkel published it as part of his Bluejay
Books line (for three years) and it has been produced every year since then (by St. Martins's Press).
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Saturn's Children by Charles Stross
reviewed by Michael M Jones
Two centuries after mankind died out, its legacy continues, as all manner of self-aware robots have spread out to conquer the
solar system, building outposts and cities from Mercury to Eris, and beyond. Some made in the image of their creators,
others built for very specialized jobs, they've created a society all their own, as complex as any humans ever formed. From
living hotels and spaceships to decadent slave-owning aristocracy, they pursue their dreams and schemes. Enter Freya, one
of a dwindling number of femmebots, robots originally designed to bring pleasure and companionship to their human masters,
now obsolete and purposeless in an all-robot universe.
New Arrivals
compiled by Neil Walsh
This time, we're looking at the latest from Greg Bear, Harry Turtledove, Mark Chadbourn, Paul McAuley, Eric Brown, Steven Brust, Alastair Reynolds, Stephen Baxter, and many others.
News Spotlight -- Genre Books and Media
a column by Sandy Auden
There's so much news happening in the world that it's hard to keep up.
SF Site sifts through the details picking out the interesting stuff and following them up.
Sandy has information on Alastair Reynolds' latest SF novel, Tony Richards' new collection,
Elastic Press's two new SF collections and PS Publishing launch of some great titles at this year's Fantasycon.
Babylon 5.1
TV reviews by Rick Norwood
Rick doesn't plan on reviewing The X-Files: I Want to Believe and has some notes on
Jeremiah. He also gives us a list of SF on TV in August.
Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D
a movie review by Rick Norwood
Jules Verne really wasn't a very good writer. The James Mason, Pat Boone version of Journey to the Center of the Earth
really wasn't a very good movie. Neither is this one. But Rick has a soft spot in his head for all three. They have charm.
The Dark Knight
a movie review by Rick Norwood
This movie certainly gives action fans their money's worth -- there is enough action on the screen for
a double feature, a Batman vs. The Joker movie and a Batman vs. Two Face movie. This film is much better on all counts
than Batman Begins, where Rick has to take time to even remember who the villain was -- oh, yes, Ras Al Gul, but not the memorable
Neal Adams version of that character.
The Turtle Moves!: Discworld's Story So Far by Lawrence Watt-Evans
reviewed by Steven H Silver
With nearly four dozen volumes, Terry Pratchett's Discworld series can be somewhat daunting to new
readers, especially since the series is not as linear as most fantasy series. While books such as The Discworld
Companion are aimed at readers who are already familiar with the series, Lawrence Watt-Evans has created something
else.
Havemercy by Jaida Jones and Danielle Bennett
reviewed by Tammy Moore
Volstov has been at war with the Imperialistic Ke-Han for centuries; both sides have magic and both sides have armies,
but Th'Esar's Dragon Corps, a fourteen strong crew of magic-powered, mechanical dragons and their bonded riders, have
given Volstov the advantage. Ke-Han has no corresponding air-force. Unfortunately, the dragons do have their limitations: their range is limited
by the amount of fuel they can take on.
If the Ke-Han armies ever get their hands on a dragon they could reverse-engineer a flock of their own.
A Lovecraft Retrospective edited by Jerad Walters
reviewed by Stephen M. Davis
The book weighs in, according to the U.S. Postal Service, at 14 pounds. And it seems
at least 13 pounds of that is Lovecraft-inspired madness, running the spectrum from the black-and-white Weird
Tales interior illustrations to
a digitally manipulated collage created in 2007. This makes a nice 80-year period of art inspired by a man whose fiction
influenced many writers and who has been loathed by at least as many writers of fiction and criticism for all of those years.
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