Hugos 2020 – Short Stories

Posted on August 7, 2020 by Bruncvik

This year, the short story ballot was very strong.  Unlike the last few years, the stories feel complete, gradually tapering off instead of an abrupt ending, and they all made actual sense to me.  I found it quite difficult to rank them according to my preferences, as I felt that the top three were serious contenders for the Hugo award, and another two still showed very high quality.  After overthinking the rankings a little, here is my take on the 2020 Hugo Short Story finalists. Continue reading →

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Philip K. Dick vs. Hollywood, Part 2: Paycheck

Posted on July 1, 2020 by Bruncvik

A blockbuster movie directed by John Woo and starring no less than four A-list actors at the height of their popularity, in a movie based on Philip K. Dick’s short story.  What could go possibly wrong?  Well, a lot of things.  When the dust settled, the movie may have recouped its costs thanks to the international box office, but that didn’t save it from being savaged by the critics.  In the current cultural climate, the critical response may be common for both the movie and the short story, but other than that and the basic premise they aren’t much alike.

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Book Review: The Last Emperox (Interdependency 3) by John Scalzi

Posted on June 25, 2020 by Bruncvik

The Interdependency series is one of the rare trilogies where each sequel gets better than the previous book, and despite a single linear storyline, each novel has its own distinct character.  I was unimpressed with the first book, considered the second one a good, light read, and was very pleasantly surprised by the depth of the last part, as well as the emotions it managed to drag out of me.  If Scalzi was a new author, I’d think I saw him mature throughout the series, but being a veteran writer, this was probably a deliberate, cynical plot to keep his readers engaged to the very end, and I love him for it.

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Philip K. Dick vs. Hollywood, Part 1: Second Variety

Posted on June 23, 2020 by Bruncvik

Philip K. Dick’s work had been hot property for Hollywood studios for decades.  It’s not all that surprising to see why.  Most of the works that made it to film feature a novel concept, around which a skilled screenwriter can spin a compelling story.  This works best on short stories, relatively unburdened with Dick’s musings on governmental tyranny, the perception of reality and questions of one’s identity.  But even so, Hollywood’s track record with understanding Dick’s work is rather abysmal.  In this series of articles, I’ll explore the movie adaptations of Dick’s stories, one by one.

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Book Review: Lines of Departure by Marko Kloos

Posted on June 13, 2020 by Bruncvik

Lines of Departure is the second book in the Frontlines series.  It is a solid piece of military science fiction, with plausible main characters and a story that goes beyond the usual futuristic action.  There is more character development than one would expect from a book of this genre, and despite the well crafted battle scenes, the peeks into soldiers’ lives outside the conflict are far more interesting.

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Book review: Fall; or, Dodge in Hell by Neal Stephenson

Posted on May 7, 2020 by Bruncvik

In a sense, Fall is a typical Stephenson novel.  It has all the hallmarks of an author who is constantly evolving, refining his style and endlessly polishing his prose, so that not a single word or comma is out of line.  However, it seems to contain all the wrong elements one would expect from Stephenson.  It’s like the author decided to pick the worst characteristics of his precious works, and manically throw together multiple concepts, none of which he brings to completion.  If this was the work of a lesser author, I’d be afraid he was deranged, but in the case of Neal Stephenson I like to believe that Fall; or, Dodge in Hell is a grand experiment.  Of throwing shit on the wall and seeing what sticks…

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TV Review: Star Trek: Picard, Season 1

Posted on May 1, 2020 by Bruncvik

It’s quite difficult to describe the latest Star Trek offering, especially to a fan.  One may attempt to say that it boldly goes to where no other Star Treks went before (sorry).  Others may call it an unnecessary fan service or an apology for the disastrous Discovery.  I see it as a hot mess, with too many stories that lead nowhere, but still somehow manages to stay compelling.

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Classic Review: Anvil of Stars by Greg Bear

Posted on April 17, 2020 by Bruncvik

It is not too often that a sequel outshines its predecessor, but Anvil of Stars does it with style and aplomb.  It is expansive, imaginative and still very human.  It presents questions of morality and revenge, features believable character development and operates just as well on the micro scale of a small, isolated community, as on the macro scale of solar systems with trillions of sentient beings.  It introduces realistic warfare with powers beyond the imagination of most people.  The book is also very dark and disturbing, and it will stay on my mind for a long time.

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Book Review: Will Destroy the Galaxy for Cash by Yahtzee Croshaw

Posted on March 9, 2020 by Bruncvik

The sequel to the supremely funny Will Save the Galaxy for Food leaves a lot to be desired.  It still features more of the same humor, but the worldbuilding has dissipated in favor of action, and the gradual discovery of new, quirky features of this fictional universe was replaced by a non-linear plot that feels all the more linear.  Sure, there is still the feeling of nostalgia and longing for the good old days, and the one-liners are still funny, but this title does not reach the qualities of its predecessor.

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On the Importance of Beds in Science Fiction

Posted on February 27, 2020 by Bruncvik

Humans spend about a third of their lives sleeping.  Quality of our sleep may vary, but we are creatures of comfort, and prefer a good sleep over a bad one.  This may sound self-evident, but apparently, it’s not always so.  While some science fiction movies and TV shows allow their protagonists to sleep well, others don’t.  This has a great impact on the overall feel of the story.  I believe that the quality of beds in science fiction stories is of greater importance than the quality of spaceships, range of blaster rifles or inventiveness in alien costumes.  Sleep overrules them all.

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