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Science Fiction & Fantasy Book Reviews Available Now (page 3)

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Cover art for BOWL OF HEAVEN
FICTION
Released: Oct. 16, 2012
BOWL OF HEAVEN
by Gregory Benford, Larry Niven
"BDO or BSO, there's nothing wrong with the hardware; it's the wetware that's disappointingly deficient."
The first full-length collaboration from Niven (Fate of Worlds, 2012, etc.) and Benford (The Sunborn, 2005, etc.), featuring a science-fiction trope, the Big Dumb Object--or, as the authors distinguish it, a Big Smart Object since it's dynamically stable, as opposed to passively stable like Niven's BDO, Ringworld. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE HYDROGEN SONATA
FICTION
Released: Oct. 9, 2012
Kirkus Star THE HYDROGEN SONATA
by Iain M. Banks
"Sheer delight."
Addition to Banks' wonderful space-opera series (without the middle initial, he also writes impressive mainstream novels) about the far-future galactic Culture (Surface Detail, 2010, etc.), a liberal-anarchic, multispecies civilization guided and sustained, more or less invisibly, by Minds, artificial intelligences that take such physical forms as spaceships and habitats. Read full book review >
Cover art for IRONSKIN
FICTION
Released: Oct. 2, 2012
IRONSKIN
by Tina Connolly
"An intriguing and ambitious fantasy tale."
Connolly, in her debut, delivers a supernatural spin on Jane Eyre set in a gothic, alternate version of the Victorian era, in the aftermath of a war with powerful, forest-dwelling beings called the fey. Read full book review >
Cover art for DARK CURRENTS
FICTION
Released: Oct. 2, 2012
DARK CURRENTS
by Jacqueline Carey
"Beautifully articulated and intriguingly populated: Altogether, an arresting kickoff."
The inaugural volume of a new urban fantasy series, from the author of Naamah's Blessing (2011, etc.). Read full book review >
Cover art for TARNISHED KNIGHT
FICTION
Released: Oct. 2, 2012
Kirkus Star TARNISHED KNIGHT
by Jack Campbell
"All the more impressive for being a significant departure from previous entries."
Beginning a sort of spinoff series taking place, chronologically, between Campbell's last two outings (Beyond the Frontier: Dreadnaught, 2011, and Beyond The Frontier: Invincible, 2012) wherein the influence of "Black Jack" Geary is palpable, though he makes no actual appearance. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE UNINCORPORATED FUTURE
FICTION
Released: Aug. 21, 2012
THE UNINCORPORATED FUTURE
by Dani Kollin, Eytan Kollin
"A satisfying wrap-up for series fans."
Space battles, politics, religion and revolution: final entry in the series following The Unincorporated Woman (2011, etc.). Read full book review >
Cover art for THE IRON WYRM AFFAIR
FICTION
Released: Aug. 7, 2012
THE IRON WYRM AFFAIR
by Lilith Saintcrow
"Intriguing but messy; two of the chief ingredients would have sufficed, four is extreme overkill."
Sorcery, steampunk, Sherlock Holmes and an alternate world: first of a series from the author of Angel Town (2011, etc.). Read full book review >
Cover art for THE WAR THAT CAME EARLY: COUP D'ETAT
FICTION
Released: July 31, 2012
THE WAR THAT CAME EARLY: COUP D'ETAT
by Harry Turtledove
"A fair middle chapter in the series, which will undoubtedly appeal to Turtledove's fans."
Turtledove (The War That Came Early: The Big Switch, 2011, etc.) delivers the fourth installment in his latest series, depicting an alternate-history version of World War II. Read full book review >
Cover art for ENERGIZED
FICTION
Released: July 17, 2012
ENERGIZED
by Edward M. Lerner
"An overdose of Message."
Near-future struggle over energy resources, previously serialized in Analog magazine, from the author of Moonstruck (2005, etc.). Read full book review >
Cover art for THE COLDEST WAR
FICTION
Released: July 17, 2012
Kirkus Star THE COLDEST WAR
by Ian Tregillis
"Grim indeed, yet eloquent and utterly compelling."
Independently intelligible sequel to the dark fantasy Bitter Seeds (2010), something like a cross between the devious, character-driven spy fiction of early John le Carré and the mad science fantasy of the X-Men. Read full book review >
Cover art for EARTH UNAWARE
FICTION
Released: July 17, 2012
EARTH UNAWARE
by Orson Scott Card, Aaron Johnston
"Like the similarly endless Dune saga, it's impossible to pass up a new entry no matter how unpromising it may seem at first glance."
The beginning of a prequel series to Card's iconic Ender's Game yarns (Shadows in Flight, 2012, etc.), this greatly expands on material from existing backstory and a suite of Marvel comics. Read full book review >
Cover art for ORION AND KING ARTHUR
FICTION
Released: July 3, 2012
ORION AND KING ARTHUR
by Ben Bova
"A pleasant, if unremarkable, time-travel diversion."
Prolific sci-fi author Bova (Leviathans of Jupiter, 2011, etc.) returns with the sixth installment of his Orion series, his first since 1995's Orion Among the Stars.This latest story of time-jumping warrior Orion opens with him helping Beowulf defeat the monster Grendel (and Grendel's mother) in ancient England. Read full book review >