He/Him. In the USA... for now. Mastodon
I only track books that I read for pleasure, mostly SF/Fantasy. I've fallen out of the habit of actually writing reviews beyond giving a star rating. It would be nice to get back into that habit.
This link opens in a pop-up window
Zoo City is a 2010 science fiction novel by South African author Lauren Beukes. It …
Interesting premise. Moved well. Didn't overexplain.
Interesting premise. Moved well. Didn't overexplain.
Journalist Mikael Blomkvist and hacker Lisbeth Salander investigate the disappearance of Harriet Vanger which took …
I thought this was clumsily-written, full of tedious and irrelevant details, and I didn't care overmuch for the plot, but it was strangely compelling reading after the first couple hundred pages.
I thought this was clumsily-written, full of tedious and irrelevant details, and I didn't care overmuch for the plot, but it was strangely compelling reading after the first couple hundred pages.
In the far future, humans have colonized a distant planet, home to the enigmatic Ariekei, …
Interesting exploration of the idea that language shapes thought.
Sailing Alone Around the World is a sailing memoir by Joshua Slocum in 1900 about …
A good travel account. Made me want to learn to sail. Slocum makes it sound like, apart from a few rough patches, the trip was actually pretty easy. I think that's generally true of most travel. People believe it's harder than it is because the rough patches make the good stories.
A good travel account. Made me want to learn to sail. Slocum makes it sound like, apart from a few rough patches, the trip was actually pretty easy. I think that's generally true of most travel. People believe it's harder than it is because the rough patches make the good stories.
The Light Fantastic is a comic fantasy novel by Terry Pratchett, the second of the Discworld series. It was published …
The Last Continent is a fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett, the twenty-second book in his Discworld series. First …
"May you live in interesting times" is the worst thing one can wish on a citizen of Discworld -- especially …
Eric, stylized as Faust Eric, is the ninth Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett. It was originally published in 1990 as …
Broken Angels (2003) is a military science fiction novel by British writer Richard Morgan. It is the sequel to Altered …
Swords Against Wizardry is a fantasy short story collection, first published 1968, by Fritz Leiber and Harry Fischer, featuring their …
When last seen, the singularly inept wizard Rincewind had fallen off the edge of the world. Now, magically, he's turned …
The Colour of Magic is a 1983 fantasy comedy novel by Terry Pratchett, and is the first book of the …
Traveling back in time, from Oxford circa 2060 into the thick of World War II, …
Connie Willis has really managed to get into the heads of her characters in Blackout and All Clear. The problem with that is that her characters are anxious, depressed, or disoriented for huge swaths of the books. I think it's a testament to the author's skill that she can convey the feeling of dread and the sensation of being unable to focus because of panic. The balance between fear and relief in these books is heavily tilted towards fear, and I found myself spending most of my time wishing the books were over.
Connie Willis has really managed to get into the heads of her characters in Blackout and All Clear. The problem with that is that her characters are anxious, depressed, or disoriented for huge swaths of the books. I think it's a testament to the author's skill that she can convey the feeling of dread and the sensation of being unable to focus because of panic. The balance between fear and relief in these books is heavily tilted towards fear, and I found myself spending most of my time wishing the books were over.
See All Clear
