SF Bookclub

  Constituent Service by John Scalzi was just what I needed to chase off the winter blahs. Imagine being a civil servant working for a city government addressing concerns in your district. Now imagine that your constituents are aliens, with vastly different needs and preferences from the human standard. Ashley, who is new in her position, must figure out how to navigate the problems (both important and trivial) brought by her constituents.  Coming in at 154 pages, this novella is the perfect way to spend a dreary afternoon.  It reminds me a bit of Agent to the Stars.

     Brigands and Breadknive s is a continuation of the world introduced in  Legends & Lattes. However, it is a sequel to Bookshops & Bonedust and continues the story of the bookseller, Fern. I read the books out of order [the chronological order of the series is (0) Bookshops & Bonedust (1) Legends & Lattes (2) Brigands & Breadknives], which did not give me the full experience for this book, but I still enjoyed it. It does feel a bit like being in an RPG, though. (I just saw that Baldree is a former game designer, which explains it.) Maybe the descriptions push it that way for me?   Baldree is a good narrator & I found his reading to be enjoyable. In fact, I enjoyed him so much that I listened to Bookshops & Bonedust (which he also reads) instead of reading the print version. All in all, I've enjoyed this whole series. The sequels lack the surprise and originality of the original, but they are still quite a nice way to spend ...

  Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell Themes:  monstrosity, identity, love, family, and trauma . Monstrosity and Humanity How does the novel challenge the traditional definition of a "monster"? In what ways is Shesheshen more human than some of the actual human characters, and vice versa? Shesheshen often describes humanity and human customs from a confused, alien perspective. What did these observations reveal about everyday human life and behavior? The narrative centers on a creature that eats people. How did the book successfully make Shesheshen a sympathetic protagonist despite her monstrous biology? Did you ever struggle to root for her? Do you believe Shesheshen has a moral code? If so, what is it based on, and how does it compare to the morality of the human characters? What purpose does the body horror serve in the story? Is it just for shock, or does it contribute to the broader themes of identity and connection? Identity, Shape, and Truth Shesheshen...

  Abeni and the Kingdom of Gold by P. Djèlí Clark Pub Date: Apr 29 2025 This is a middle grade book, but was still enjoyable for me, a cantankerous adult. Clark does not oversimplify the story nor provide obvious and cliched lessons. I did not realize that Abeni and the Kingdom of Gold was the second book in a series when I picked it up. However, that fact did not diminish my enjoyment. The important information from the previous book was woven in in a way that did not overwhelm the story, but provided vital information for a newcomer or a nice refresher for a returning reader. Abeni is resourceful, brave and empathic. She encounters strange creatures, some of whom wish her harm, but she continues to be open to new acquaintances and willing to ask for and receive guidance and help. She is empathetic and forgiving without being naively taken advantage of. In short, she is the kind of leader that I...

We are reading Babel by R.F. Kuang for April and May. We typically choose Hugo nominees and winners, but it seems obvious by this point that Babel should have been nominated if it weren't for the hanky-panky . A lot of people seem to have felt the same way, because there are several pretty good resources for book club questions:  Teatime Reads Duranoco Bookclubs.com Worlds Smallest Bookclub And there was a very lively discussion on Reddit

Book Club Discussion Questions for Translation Slate by Leckie.  1. The Presger Translators are a VERY alien type of alien even though they have altered DNA and human mannerisms. What did you like about them? What did you find difficult to believe? 2. There are a number of very alien things in this book, from children eating one another to ship intelligences using humans as ancillaries, was there anything in particular that grossed you out or disturbed you? Anything you found particularly fascinating? 3. There are a lot of different pronouns used in the book and each group of people seem to use them differently; the Radch use “she” as a universal pronoun, the Presger Translators as a group seem to not consider gender at all and use “they” for everyone, etc. Did you find any of the ways pronouns were used to be interesting or jarring? 4. There are three Point of View characters, Enae, Reet, and Qven. Which do you find most interesting? Why? Were there other characters you ...

Once Was Willem by M.R. Carey (who also writes as Mike Carey) is excellent. I've read some of Carey's works in comics, but never one of his novels. While it starts off a little slow, when the story begins to unfold it is riveting. The setting is a medieval village, but I didn't recognize the historic period. (I'm not a historian, so it may just be that I didn't recognize it.) Once-Was-Willem is the protagonist and narrator, and this is the story of how he fought his maker to try to save the people of his village. He is joined by shapeshifters Anna and Kel and elemental spirit Peter (and others, but to name them would give spoilers). This is the first novel I've read by Carey, but it won't be the last.

  January's Selection:  Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein.  Reactor Magazine features a review . This one is an old favorite, and for better or worse, has influenced my political beliefs and voting choices. The terrible idea that really stands out to me, though, on this re-read is the defense of capital punishment. Heinlein overlooks so many problems with capital punishment, including, but not limited to the fact that not all murder cases are completely obvious to all who know the victims. Somehow, without a surveillance state, all authorities instantly know who is guilty. And this guilt has nothing to do with accents, race, ethnicity, or religious background.

A good critique of Double Star can be found on Reddit. The AI responses are popping up before I can even go looking for them. This is from Gemini (edited for clarity and accuracy).  For a book club discussing "Double Star" by Robert A. Heinlein, some key questions to consider could be: Character and Identity: How does Lawrence Smith's identity as actor shape his perspective and actions throughout the story? What are your thoughts on the concept of "doubling" and how it relates to Lawrence's role as a substitute for Bonforte? How does the story explore the idea of self-worth and personal agency, particularly through Lawrence's transformation into  Bonforte ? Plot and Themes: What are the key elements of the political intrigue in the story, and how does it influence the plot? How does Heinlein use humor and satire to explore the themes of political manipulation and the power of public perception? How does the nar...

  Absolution by Jeff VanderMeer This prequel is a must read for fans of the Southern Reach trilogy.  It establishes the origin of Area X and fills in the stories of some of the people referenced in the writings found there in the trilogy. This book (or the first 2/3 of it) follows Old Jim as he tries to piece together what happened to an earlier expedition of biologists, while the last third follows a different character in a team of scientists who follow up a year after the first part of the book. The story incorporates (probably) extraterrestrials, science, magic, psychics, mind control and spies, but to explain how would cause spoilers. I don't think this stands alone without being familiar with the Southern Reach trilogy, though. But having read SR, I enjoyed this.

 Let me begin by saying that I *loved* Space Opera , which was the first book in the series. I was eager to learn more about Decibel Jones, Mira Wonderful Star, and Oort Saint Ultraviolet. And, if you enjoyed Space Opera , you might enjoy this direct sequel. It continues the adventures of Decibel Jones, Mira Wonderful Star, and Oort Saint Ultraviolet. In her breezy, clever style Valente fills us in on every species from the Intergalactic Grand Prix. The result is like a cross between Douglas Adams and James Joyce. Sometimes it's brilliant, and sometimes it's a chore. I really enjoyed parts of it and parts of it I just trudged through. I had hoped it would be more about Dess, Mira, and Oort, but most of the book seemed to be about the politics of the universe and the purpose of all this was not clear, even at the end. Only a few of the species/factions were relevant to the plot. I have to wonder what Valente's editor was thinking in approving this for press. I did genuinely ...

Veycosi, a historian and musician in training, is impulsive and prone to making gaffes and mistakes. He is sincere and earnest, but can't quite manage to be successful. He is engaged, but his fiancees are not willing to go through with the marriage until he successfully completes his education. Unfortunately, he pursues a bold idea to solve a problem, and creates more problems as a result, which derails his education and his status in the community. While all this is happening to Veycosi personally, his island is being invaded by a larger, better armed group of people, and Veycosi continues to try to solve problems with clever ideas and shortcuts and keeps causing greater problems.  Hopkinson weaves a complex plot and keeps all the threads going throughout the novel. It's carefully plotted and satisfying.  I will say that the mix of English with the other language used was sometimes confusing. The words could eventually be figured out from context, but to be honest, the mix of...

  For September and October, we're reading Elizabeth Moon's Remnant Population .  I'm enjoying the story, but I couldn't think of questions to ask, so I let the AI, Claude, write questions for me.  I did adapt/correct some of the questions to be more accurate to the text. Here are some book club questions tailored to this specific book: Character: How does Ofelia's character evolve throughout the story? What drives her changes? What do you think about Ofelia's decision to stay behind when the colony leaves? Was it selfish or brave? Themes: How does the book explore themes of aging, independence, and self-discovery? What commentary does the novel offer on colonialism and its impact on indigenous species? Alien encounters: How does Moon portray the indigenous population? What makes their society unique? How does the communication barrier between Ofelia and the indigenes  affect the story? Society and culture: Compare the human colony's culture with that of...

The Mercy of Gods by James S. A. Corey is another winner from the authors who brought us _The Expanse_ series. Dafyd Alkhor is an indifferent scientist, but a skilled politician. He's worked his way into a research group whose work is so important that other groups are trying to steal it (and the credit). Then, the unthinkable happens. (Spoilers ahead). Humans are invaded by aliens more stronger and more powerful than they are, the Carryx. They Carryx pit humanity against other sentient beings in a battle for survival, but they objective that they are given is not the true objective. Dafyd has to use all his political acumen to suss out how to help humanity survive, I loved the Expanse series, and although this story is completely different, it still has the action and intrigue. I couldn't put this down!

Review: Alliance Unbound by C.J. Cherryh and Jane S. Fancher I'm going to preface this by saying that I have loved most of what I read by Cherryh. And overall, I liked this book. However, and this is a big however, I felt like I must have missed the previous book in this series.* I felt a bit lost through much of this book. It was also poorly edited with some information repeated multiple times and other information given once, and never again. Like Downbelow Station , this book has a complex political setting, but there was way too much rumination by Ross Monahan. The book opens with Ross trying to find his place with a new crew and a new ship. Most ships are crewed by literal families who take on the various roles within the crew from navigator to captain to kitchen staff. Ross and some of his Monahan cousins are displaced from their family's ship for a political situation that occurred in the first book. This situation is described several times.  At 535 pages, this book is...

  Haunt Sweet Home by Sarah Pinsker was an absolute treat to read. Mara Billings, an indifferent college student who is drifting through life, takes a job on her cousin's reality show that combines haunted houses with home renovation. She doesn't seem to fit in with the crew any better than she did at college, until she meets Jo. Jo is kind to her and Mara impulsively invites her to join her family for the weekend, which leads to a falling out. That is when things get odd. I greatly enjoyed this book, even though I figured out the "twist" well before it happened. The plot was well-supported and plausible, given the rules established in the story. It was a fun read, with actual character development and a satisfying ending. At just 176 pages, it was a quick read. Perfect to wiling away an afternoon. (I was allowed to read this for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)

  The Book of Elsewhere by Keanu Reeves; China Miéville   The Book of Elsewhere begins in a military barracks, but this isn't really a military book. Instead, it is a book about a god who is grappling with metaphysical questions while dodging a rival god. I did enjoy the book, but the choices that the authors made in narrative structure made it more difficult to follow. The overarching plot, though, was intriguing. I liked some of the characters, but many of them were unlikable and/or underdeveloped. I would read more by Reeves and Miéville, though.  I received access of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The 2024 Hugo nominated novels are  Best Novel The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty (Harper Voyager, Harper Voyager UK) The Saint of Bright Doors by Vajra Chandrasekera (Tordotcom) Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh (Tordotcom, Orbit UK) Starter Villain by John Scalzi (Tor, Tor UK) Translation State by Ann Leckie (Orbit US, Orbit UK) Witch King by Martha Wells (Tordotcom) I've read all the novels at this point. My favorite, and the one that is least like anything I've ever read, is Leckie's Translation Slate.  It has all my favorite themes, too. What does it mean to be human? And how does communication (or lack thereof) change the world. My second favorite is Wells' Witch King. Fantasy is not usually my thing, but this one was really interesting.  I enjoyed all the others, and I have to give a shout-out to The Saint of Bright Doors for about being an UNchosen one. That is refreshingly different. I'm not quite finished with it yet, so it ma...

    The Saint of Bright Doors by Chandrasekera Reddit's 2024 Hugo Readalong: The Saint of Bright Doors, Vajra Chandraseker  Also from Reddit, a nice explication of the religious aspects of Buddhism that are embedded as well as some commentary on Sri Lankan politics and culture. Spoilery Review from Asking the Wrong Questions  Book review from Reactor.com  Another review from Every Book a Doorway Another spoilery review, that actually explains some of what's going on from Paige Reviews Books    Characters The Unchosen: Caduv (unchosen to be Singer of the Red), Koel (unchosen daughter of the Prophet of the Walking), Ulpe (unchosen of the Man in the Fire), Hejmen: Fetter's love interest.  Coema, Gerau, and Tomarin-- the committee who oversee Nine Yellow Oxen, the door that Fetter (as Peroe) studies.  Pipra-- the head of the group who studies the appearance of bright doors at the abandoned mall. (First Blue Heron is one of these doors) Janno...

 For June, we are reading the always fun Kaiju Preservation Society. This is not a weighty book, but as Scalzi points out, 2020 was a dark time and the world needed more fun.  Resources for our discussion:  Tor offers a screening quiz to test if you are ready to join the KPS . And, as ReactorMag, they offer a nice review of the book .   Also, there are workplace guidelines for KPS.  Questions: What is Jamie Gray's gender? I've seen reviewers assume both male or female. "Jamie" is an ambiguous name, and the first person narration does not clarify.  Would you read a sequel?      Just for fun, I let Gemini write questions for me. I've listed them below, and it's likely that you'll spot some, ahem, issues with them: Kaiju Preservation Society Discussion Questions: Characters and Relationships: The novel features a quirky cast. How do the personalities of characters like Marvin, Hiro, and Jaime mesh (or clash) within the KPS? (Martin Satie, Tom...