Science Fiction

A futuristic scifi, techno hacker speculative fiction, and queer retelling of the Great Gatsby is a concept I never would’ve considered and one that made me do a double take, but in Jay Gatsby’s own words per K.M. Fajardo’s author’s note, “why not”? Fajardo’s debut novel Local Heavens is a brilliantly crafted book that not only is wildly creative but is also a faithfully adapted love letter to F. Scott Fitzgerald’s original story. Modernized for the 21st century with a crazy genre-shift, this interpretation smartly capitalizes on all the best aspects of a retelling without being hindered by the typical drawbacks through careful artistic choices. Featuring beautifully poignant writing, excellent characterizations, and original storylines that work seamlessly with the original framework of events, Local Heavens is an amazing and unique read for both fans of the original book and new ones alike. “Though in this disquiet summer, a summer that pushed us forward into hedonistic apathy, Gatsby was the singular exception, flying over the dust and toils of our world on fire. Beyond that famous, corrupted name, he clung to a vestige of that old cosmic hope I’d readily believed did not exist anymore, his indestructible sincerity blossoming like an…

Most sci-fi alien invasion stories are told from the frontline defenders, innocent bystanders, or the invader themselves, but not many are told from the perspective of the early vanguards planted in place to test the soil before the interstellar fleet arrives (sorry couldn’t resist the pun). Putting a unique botanical spin on the classic alien invasion story, Mira Grant’s Overgrowth is a unique, intellectual, and ambitiously crafted novel written from the perspective of Anastasia Miller who has believed herself to be an alien for nearly thirty years. Constantly telling others she’s an alien sent ahead of an invading armada for years and being written off as an eccentric oddity, her unassuming life in Seattle is upended when an alien signal is received announcing that said alien armada is finally coming to Earth. While most stories of similar content show off the epic scale and flashy combat of the invasion, Overgrowth instead chooses to focus on the ramifications for individuals like Anastasia, with conflicting loyalties and the often cruel and destructive nature of human behavior on full display. Featuring slow pacing interrupted by frequent political and social commentary, Overgrowth is not for everyone (myself included), but it’s nonetheless an intriguing sci-fi…

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…