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As an avid consumer of sci-fi and fantasy in all its forms, please allow me to say a few words about my favorite subject.
Author Archives: Bruncvik
Book Review: The Android’s Dream by John Scalzi
Scalzi’s second published science fiction novel already features his signature humor and themes, which would permeate many of his more mature works. Even though it lacks polish and changes directions rather unexpectedly, it is still a fun short read for … Continue reading
Book review: The Luna Missile Crisis by Jaime Castle and Rhett C. Bruno
Imagine a situation where the first manned space flight crashes into an alien spaceship nobody knew was there. Follow this up with a nuclear strike gone wrong. Top it up with a reconciliation with the aliens who decided to stay, … Continue reading
Mini review: Berlin Is Never Berlin by Marko Kloos
In all honesty, the Wild Cards universe is not my favorite urban fantasy setting. It is a distant second to Larry Correia’s Grimnoir Chronicles, but it does have its charm. The different writers add variety, and in particular the early … Continue reading
Book review: Auxiliary: London 2039 by Jon Richter
Stop me if you heard this before: a gruff, alcoholic detective is roped into a routine homicide investigation, where he is pressured to come to a clean, politically expedient but ultimately wrong conclusion and frame an innocent man. Instead, his … Continue reading
Book review: To Be Taught, if Fortunate by Becky Chambers
Becky Chambers has quickly become one of my favorite new authors, with her unconventional, humane view of science fiction settings. Her characters are almost always likable, conflict is kept at a minimum, and the resolution is usually peaceful. She looks … Continue reading
Book review: The Prefect (Revelation Space 5) by Alastair Reynolds
The Prefect is one of the most popular books in the Revelation Space universe. It rates marginally higher than the other books in the series on Goodreads, even though it didn’t amass as many reviews. I think the positive reception … Continue reading
Classic Review: Use of Weapons by Iain M. Banks
Many people consider this to be the best book from The Culture series. Many more think it’s the most gut-wrenching book. I am simply amazed at the depth of characters, quality of writing and a story structure that was very … Continue reading
Modern Classic: The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi
The Windup Girl is essential reading for the early 21st century. It deals with incredibly important themes in an accessible and very engaging fashion. The characters are all well fleshed out, the story is plausible, and the setting is exotic … Continue reading
Posted in Book reviews, Hugos
Tagged classic, ecology, hugo, locus, nebula, post-apocalyptic
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Hugos 2020 – Novelettes
This year, the selection of novelettes did not reach the quality of the previous years. Back in 2018 and 2019, I was hard-pressed to find my favorite story, and even to select the top three was difficult. In 2020, only … Continue reading
Hugos 2020 – Short Stories
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 … Continue reading