Why I Maintain This Blog

Posted on July 19, 2021 by Bruncvik

For my 100th article in this blog, I decided to do something different.  I’ll try to articulate why I’m actually putting an effort in this blog, what I’m trying to achieve, and what I don’t care much about.  Nothing here will be groundbreaking; in fact, I suspect that it will be so mundane that the most surprising aspect of this article will be that I even bothered to write it.

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Book review: Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi

Posted on July 14, 2021 by Bruncvik

This 2021 Hugo Award nominee is a difficult but rewarding read.  It features compelling characters and exciting worldbuilding.  It blends history with fantasy and predicts some disturbing technological growth.  On the other hand, its structure is sometimes confusing to follow, and the prose is difficult to read, with switching viewpoints and generous use of colloquialisms.  When read slowly and carefully, though, this novella may be worth the reader’s time.

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Movie review: Color out of Space (2021)

Posted on July 12, 2021 by Bruncvik

I freely admit that I’m a huge fan of Lovecraft’s writings.  For me, no other classic author struck such a careful balance between exposition and mystery, which let my imagination freely flowing.  His terrors are largely unnamed and not well described, and nowhere it is true more than in The Colour out of Space, where the antagonist is an alien color that is indescribable.  I was thus interested in how a movie could portray such a force.  The result was fascinating…

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A few notes on Sci-Phi: Science Fiction as Philosophy by David Kyle Johnson (Great Courses)

Posted on July 7, 2021 by Bruncvik

Great Courses has a few very good lectures on Science Fiction.  So far, I’ve found all of them very insightful, inspirational and even aspirational.  This one is no exception: the depth of analysis Johnson performs on movies and TV shows is astounding and I, who rarely watches anything and even more seldom pays attention, was blown away by the level of detail than can be found in these works.  On the other hand, I was not so impressed by the philosophy angle of this course.  Not because it was bad, but because I know so little of philosophy that I couldn’t tell when to be impressed, and how much.  One thing I do know about, though, is written science fiction, and in this regard the course is severely lacking.  The author acknowledges as much in the end, so the following is not a criticism.  I just want to point out a few works that I found insightful to further explore certain philosophical questions the author poses.

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Book review: This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

Posted on June 23, 2021 by Bruncvik

This multi-award winner is not for everyone.  I’ve seen opinions from people who love it, and opinions from people who couldn’t finish it.  I enjoyed parts of this work, while outright dismissing others.  I’ve had fun with this story, but I’d still belong to the camp who is dumbfounded at the awards this novella has garnered.

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Modern Classic: A Dry, Quiet War by Tony Daniel

Posted on June 17, 2021 by Bruncvik

Not many people remember this novelette.  It never got any awards, and instead faded away just like what its protagonist tried to do.  This makes it one of the most underrated science fiction stories I know of.  It not only features some amazing concepts (some of which were later repeated in award-winning stories), but it’s also beautifully written, letting the reader experience the world rather than look at it.

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Book review: Wayward Galaxy by Jason Anspach and J. N. Chaney

Posted on June 10, 2021 by Bruncvik

The Soviets are back to their old tricks against the Americans.  But this time, it’s warfare in space!  This military science fiction is a wonderful return to the past, but with updated concepts and technology.  I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of nostalgia I could squeeze out of the book, even though I must assume that the authors were cynically including obscure references, just to create a little online buzz as readers try to find all of them.  The story is not groundbreaking, but it offers some great set pieces, good action, and authentic characters.

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Hugos 2021 – Best Novelette

Posted on June 4, 2021 by Bruncvik

Similar to previous years, the 2021 novelette ballot is very strong.  I’ve found all six stories interesting, and really enjoyed four of them, all of which I consider Hugo contenders.  All six stories feature superb writing, and it’s mainly the premise and the richness of the imaginary worlds that determined my final rating.

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Book Review: Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Posted on May 28, 2021 by Bruncvik

Necromancers in space.  Walking skeletons, magic, sword fights, all in a galactic empire setting with spaceships, planetary invasions, and armies.  Throw in a fairly pedestrian, yet amusing language, and you have a literary concoction that has the potential to blow up in your face.  Muir, however, manages to make it work, creating a light-hearted romp with a believable redemption story and characters who outgrow their obnoxious selves.

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Book review: Middlegame by Seanan McGuire

Posted on May 19, 2021 by Bruncvik

Seanan McGuire has a very vivid imagination that produced some of the best combinations of folklore, modern fairy tales and urban fantasy in recent years.  Her Wayward Children series is a superb take on classic children literature, with a dark, beautifully ambiguous twist.  As a result, I was very excited to pick up Middlegame, but as much as I enjoyed most of it, this slow burner fizzled out at the end.  The superb writing offsets the drawn-out plot, one-dimensional characters and the lack of any emotional attachment, which may work well in the author’s shorter stories, but thinking back at this novel, I must admit I’m likely to forget this book soon.

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