Science Fiction

The following review is based on a complimentary Advanced Reader Copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. In the year 2263, Jason’s world and home under New Toronto is a world unlike any other. Under a dome protecting the city from raging toxic storms, New Toronto and its inhabitants are at war against an Imperial Invasion from across the Solar System while simultaneously fighting a separate battle within against a nanophage epidemic infecting humans, robots, and cyborgs alike. Haunted by strange visions and a voice in his head, Jason’s life in a hidden underground enclave is thrown into chaos when latent psychic abilities start to threaten both himself and everyone else around him. As the United Federation of Earth combats the Imperial forces in space, with the help of his brother David and friend Sam, Jason hears the calls of the mythical and extraterrestrial obelisk Abaddon that promises salvation from his uncontrollable powers, as well as information about his mysterious past. Serving as the first entry in the Abaddon Cycle series and Colin Searle’s debut novel, The Call of Abaddon is an ambitious sci-fi epic that mixes cyberpunk elements (bio and nanopunk flavors specifically) with the…

Imagine a fantasy world with an affinity for plants. Now in a pot, throw in the essence of a monster-filled world, Sherlock Holmes and Watson, dark academia alchemy, and an Agatha Christie complete collection. What you get is Robert Jackson Bennett’s impeccably crafted and compelling The Tainted Cup, the first novel in what has since become the Shadow of the Leviathan series. While considered a high fantasy novel to be expected from RJB, at its core The Tainted Cup is a brilliantly written serial murder mystery thriller embellished with a distinctly unique and creative fantasy wrapping. Featuring a complex and twisty murder investigation, a lavishly developed fantasy world, not to mention a charming pair of off-beat main characters, The Tainted Cup is an incredibly cool genre bender that I loved every minute of. “Projecting motives is a fool’s game. But how they do it- that’s a matter of matter, moving real things about in real space.” In the world of the Tainted Cup, the Imperial Empire maintains a series of hulking walls that are designed to keep giant leviathan monsters in the bordering seas from invading and destroying everything in their path (think of Attack on Titan but in the…

Imagine taking loose elements of Jurassic Park, bioengineer some crazy science fiction dinosaurs crossed with nuclear reactors, multiverse the research center onto an alien planet, and finally infuse the story with geeky pop culture references and endless popcorn entertainment. If that sounds wild, I’ve done a great job at recreating the feel of John Scalzi’s refreshingly fun The Kaiju Preservation Society. Light-hearted, comically giddy, and always unapologetically nerdy, for fans of the pop-cultured inspired side of science fiction, this novel is an absolute romp! Acknowledged by Scalzi himself as not being the most nuanced or mature novel of his works, The Kaiju Preservation Society is a fast-paced joyride and a breath of fresh air in a genre that can often take itself too seriously. This novel sees certified geek Jamie Gray, a recently fired marketing member whose master’s thesis was on the bioengineering in science fiction culture, recruited into a secretive international research program following an uber eats-style delivery gig at the height of the Covid19 pandemic. Yes, that intro alone should give you a good idea of how gleefully prodding and casually self-aware the story is shooting to be. Many prototype vaccines, hrs on the plane, and a crash…

Entry #4 in Martha Well’s Murderbot Diaries series, by this point you’re likely a devoted fan of the series and should have a pretty good idea of what to expect; Murderbot’s sarcastically dry and witty humor, a healthy balance of thriller and political scheming plot, and good ol’ high sci-fi goodness. While the abbreviated novella format continues to limit the amount of worldbuilding and concurrent storylines Wells can run with simultaneously, Exit Strategy is by far the most serialized story yet and one of the most cohesive. Referencing and tying together all of the first three novella’s narratives, Exit Strategy is easily the most balanced entry that finds a happy medium between Artificial Condition’s undercover stealth movements and Rogue Protocol’s more action thriller flavor. Additionally, this novella also utilizes every narrative plot thread featured in the past three stories, filling in the previous gaps and question marks Murderbot and the reader experiences as the scope of the series and bigger picture takes to shape. Exit Strategy’s story feels like a direct sequel to the first novella All Systems Red while the other two novella’s stories add context and larger ramifications for Dr. Mensah and Murderbot’s ongoing survival. However, with only…

An appropriate title for a unique and colorful twist on the familiar Ocean’s Eleven formula, Makana Yamamoto’s Hammajang Luck is a futuristic, high-tech, Hawaii-inspired queer romp that I never thought to want yet quite enjoyed. A scrappy breaking-and-entering story at its core featuring an entirely queer roster, Yamamoto’s debut is full of social and cultural representation. Incorporating very strong community and family values, local Pidgin English, and a familiar blend of cultures that can only be found in Hawaii, this unorthodox pairing with a cyberpunk space station aesthetic is unlike anything I’ve read before. Growing up and living most of my life in the islands, Hammajang Luck has that hidden element that only long-time locals can tap into and has my full Hawaii-resident stamp of approval. Yet underneath all the science fiction elements, queer reworking, and Hawaii cultural flavor, Hammajang Luck’s story is surprisingly simple, predictable, yet comforting. However, from a narrative perspective I often found myself wishing Hammajang’s story and cool concepts went further or more time was spent exploring the Kepler station’s intriguing world. That said, the flavors and decorative details around the story are so fun, they can almost sell the premise on their own. When I…