SF Bookclub

  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...

 So I am a terrible person who lazily copied this from the official site . I had only read Starter Villain by Scalzi when the list came out, but I will read as many of these as I can before Voting ends.  I have, so far, read three of the novelettes, which are all excellent. I read Ivy, Angelica, Bay by Polk, On the Fox Roads by Vo, and One Man's Treasure by Pinsker. Of these, Ivy, Angelica, Bay is my current favorite. 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) Best Novella “Life Does Not Allow Us to Meet”, He Xi / 人生不相见, 何夕, translated by Alex Woodend ( Adventures in Space: New Short stories by Chinese & English Science Fiction Writers ) Mammoths at...

  Kelly Link's _The Book of Love_ is excellent. Daniel, Susannah, Mo, and Laura found a magic object of great power, but lost it because they didn't know how to use it. Then, Daniel, Mo, and Laura disappeared. When they return, they, along with Bowie (whose origins are uncertain), Susannah (Laura's sister), Thomas (who lives to avenge his brother's death), and Mr. Anabin (their music teacher), must find the lost magical object and complete their quest, preferably before winter break is over. Although the characters are all adults, they are very young adults and have not really assumed adult roles. Laura and Susannah still bicker with each other. Laura, Susannah, and Daniel are in a band together. Susanna and Daniel have an on-again-off-again romance. Despite the characters seeming immature, they are sexually active. And some of the sex scenes are explicit, if not especially erotic. I really enjoyed the book. Exposition and world building can...

A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher Pub Date: Aug 06 2024  Cordelia's mother is not like other mothers. Cordelia's mother is a sorcerer who can make Cordelia be Obedient so that Cordelia has no will of her own and her mother can control her like a puppet. Other than this, Cordelia's life is like most other people's lives. Cordelia helps out around the house, and goes horseback riding. One day, though, her mother decides to remarry and introduces Cordelia to her fiance's family. Cordelia immediately hits it off with Hester, the Squire's sister, and knows that she has to intervene before her mother does something terrible. I've liked everything I've read by Kingfisher, and this is no exception. I do not read a lot of fantasy but if more of it were written like this, I would. The female characters are ...