Tag Archives: science fiction

Only Bad Options

Book Title: Only Bad Options
Book Series: Galactic Bonds
Author: Jennifer Estep
Stars: 5 / 5

Spoilers Ahead!

Book cover for Only Bad Options by Jennifer Estep. Image from the internet.

It is summer vacation time and I read a book: Only Bad Options. Jennifer Estep’s new series, Galactic Bonds, has two books at the time of writing this post. Book one is called Only Bad Options and book two is Only Good Enemies. This post will quickly review book one so I can get back to reading book two!

Only Bad Options has a great title. It is so relatable. Some days you are faced with only bad options and that is the premise for our female protagonist: Vesper Quill. In attempting to reveal a fatal flaw in the design of Kent Corps’ latest spaceship, Vesper angers the head of the corporation (her employer). Vesper is a disposable research and development grunt worker, whose report gets her unwillingly conscripted into the military and shipped off planet to die in battle.

Vesper is a minor Seer, an ability that helps her figure out how things work or need to be fixed. This talent comes to her aid, allowing Vesper to survive the battle and collect one of the most feared warriors during her exit. Kyrion Caldaren is an Imperium Arrow, an elite weapon used by the leader of the Archipelago Galaxy, Lord Callus Holloway, to kill his enemies. Despite their personal feelings, a Galactic Bond or Truebond forms between the pair. What many see as a great blessing, Vesper and Kyrion see as a curse, a dangerous curse.

Of course surviving the truebond is complicated by the enemies that come after Vesper – her former employer wants Vesper dead and she will use any method possible to ensure that happens. Kyrion may be bonded to her, but his loathing for truebonds means that he is just as likely to kill Vesper as help her (at least initially). Besides, Kyrion comes with even more baggage and enemies for Vesper to navigate.

While many issues are resolved at the end of book one, there are many more problems still around for book two. Sure, Vesper doesn’t need to worry about Kent Corp coming after her. And yes, she has finally gotten over her last boyfriend. But the Techwave rebels are supported by Regal families (the nobles of this galaxy) and they want to tear down the current government. At least they want to dethrone Lord Holloway. Of course, Vesper and Kyrion would also like to take down Lord Holloway – without anyone discovering they are bonded.

Book cover for Only Bad Options and Only Good Enemies by Jennifer Estep. Image from the internet.

I like this rollicking space opera romance. It is great fun. There is lots of action, some great character building, solid bad guys and a perfect blend of magic and technology. This fits right along with writing by T.A. White (featuring elves in space), Jessie Mihalik (featuring nanobots), and Ilona Andrews (featuring gene manipulation).

Now I am off to see how book two ends!

Hunt the Stars – Book Review

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Book Title: Hunt the Stars
Author: Jessie Mihalik
Series Title: Starlight’s Shadow
Stars: 4/5

Spoilers Ahead!

Book cover for Hunt the Stars – image from the internet.

Hunt the Stars is the first book in the new Starlight’s Shadow series by Jessie Mihalik. It is a space opera – some space, some villainous plot to destroy worlds or start a war, and of course the deep attraction between sworn enemies. Everything you would expect from a solidly written space-adventure-romance.

Octavia – Tavi – Zarola is captain of her ship. Flying with the remaining members of her squad from the war, she is now a bounty hunter living on the fringes of space. The war is still a painful scar for Tavi and her tiny crew. Peace may have been decreed between the Human Federation and alien Valoff’s, but Tavi knows entering their space is not a healthy choice.

Unfortunately, creds are tight, the ship needs repairs and the best payday she can get is tied to her sworn enemy, former General Torran Fletcher. Convinced to accept the job of object retrieval from the powerful Valoff psychic, Tavi soon learns that everything is really a lie. It is not some heirloom ring that has been stolen from Torran’s mansion, but his nephew. And it wasn’t random chance that Tavi was brought deep into Valoff space. She is about to be sacrificed as the scapegoat for the kidnapping – unless, she can rescue the boy first. Of course working with Torran is a challenge. The once enemy is powerful and caring, a dangerous combination for any romance novel heroine.

The writing is fun. The story is a romp. The trops are real. I love the way that aliens are so conveniently humanoid – they wouldn’t be good characters in a romance otherwise. And as aliens they need to be slightly different from humans. So obviously the Valoff are a little taller and thinner, with sculpted cheekbones and well defined abs. Think space Elves. And since we are thinking about space elves, they should have a power. The Valoff are psychics – telepathy and telekinesis. But wait, there should be more, a cultural difference. Honour. Yes, they are honourable – deeply. It is the code that they follow to the death. It is also based on military ideals. So to summarize, the Valoffs are space elves, with abs and psychic abilities following the romanticized feudal Japan Shogun code of honour and sacrifice. It is fun, not really new, but still fun.

Like the last space opera series by Jessie Mihalik, each book will follow a different couple. In Starlight’s Shadow, it looks like the individual books will center around different members of Tavi’s crew. All of them have emotional scars from the war. All of them appear to be attracted to Valoffs from Torran’s personal entourage. Weaving between the stories is a larger plot about manipulation between the Human Federation and Valoff Empire and the possibility of a new war on the horizon.

Hunt the Stars is a fun read. I will totally borrow the next book from the library. Overall, I give Hunt the Stars 4 out of 5 stars.

Axira – Book Review

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Book Title: Axira
Author’s Name: Odette C. Bell
Series: Galactic Coalition

Spoilers Ahead!

Axira book cover – image from the internet.

Axira is a space opera set in the Galactic Coalition series by Odette C. Bell. It follows the titular character, Axira, as she attempts to redeem her violent past. Forced to be the mindless weapon wielded by her Master, Axira spent centuries trapped in her own body watching as another controls her form to hunt, kill and torture other lives. Eventually she is able to free herself from her Master’s control. Seeking revenge and a new beginning, Axira enrolled in the Galactic Coalition Academy.

Oh, I forgot to mention, that Axira belongs to a species of aliens called Spacers – one of the most feared aliens in the Milky Way. And of course this is a slow-burn romance between an overly powerful female alien and a human male.

It is a space opera. It is a fun adventure – fantasy story in space. I like that Axira, while a super-powerful alien species, still has limitations. Some are self-imposed to hide her origins. Also there is always someone stronger out there. I like the character development of Axira going from feared puppet to choosing her own future – a theme many people can relate to.

This story is written in four episodes, each is like a mini story that string together to form a larger overarching plot. It is a common set up by this author. In the first two stories, Axira helps the Academy which has been infiltrated by enemies. They talk about a mole within the Academy and the second looks at how a few loud, negative voices can create racist, xenophobic environments that are hostile to those who disagree – a very relevant theme! These stories are undermined when you learn later that respected Admirals, high in the chain of command, actually are responsible for the leaks and moles in the Academy. While some of the characters are able to accept the glib response of inciting these events for the greater good, I find their motivation troubling.

At the very least, the Admirals are complete asses to cause such harmful conflict that would continue to undermine the bastion of moral high ground (the Academy) for decades to come. I got the impression we are supposed to respect and admire these Admirals and the hard decisions they make. I was not swayed. Their actions, which mostly didn’t make sense to me, were despicable.

Axira was a successfully written fantasy-romance-adventure in space. It was interesting to read, though it fell back on some modern cliches. I definitely liked it more than another story from this series. While I thought Axira was a solid character, I did struggle with the male lead, Jason, who was a bit of a weakness in the story. Overall, I would give this 3 stars out of 5.

All Systems Red – Book Review

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All Systems Red is the first book in Martha Wells’ series the Murderbot Diaries. It is actually a novella rather than a full length novel. As I sit here on the back deck, I really don’t know what to say about this book. I liked it but I didn’t love it. I am interested enough that I have ordered more books in the series from the library. Ultimately it did not move me – I neither loved it enough to gush, nor hated enough to complain.

Book cover for All Systems Red by Martha Wells; first novella in the Murderbot Diaries series. Image from the internet.

It was not what I expected, which I suppose is something. First from the title, I thought Murderbot was more actively killing humans. It wasn’t. I was mildly surprised that its job was security – but very low end security.

From a friend’s review I also expected it to be funnier than it was. There were no laugh-out-loud moments in the story.

I was interested in how Wells developed the character and dealt with a constructed lifeform. I thought the setting was different enough and the future of mega-corporations fine – not new, but certainly concerning.

I struggled a bit to learn and follow the humans in the story. Their names were confusing as was the use of pronouns. I don’t know if I struggled because the pronouns did not match my expectation of gender for the names or if they were intentionally misleading because Murderbot didn’t care. Aspects of the world were difficult to understand. Were all the researchers on the planet corporations looking for mineable resources? Are there any governments in this future space setting, or only money making corps? How are constructs different from augmented humans? What parts are organic?

Certainly there are some interesting questions about personality and defining life. And I do give the author huge props for creating a shy, apathetic artificial construct who wants to spend all its time watching the entertainment feed.

Overall, the writing is strong. The author is able to raise some interesting points about humanity and our future. While I found it a bit confusing, other readers may not. It was not something that resonated with me, but it was a well written book (novella) – 4.5 stars out of 5.

We will see how the other novellas go.

Girl from the Stars Book 1-Daybreak – Book Review

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Gir from the Stars is a five book series by Cheree Alsop. I read the first book Daybreak, which I thought was fine, but not nearly good enough for me to invest in purchasing four more books. I might have ordered the rest from the library, if my library carried this series. Since I found the series lackluster, I wasn’t going to write a review. It wasn’t terrible enough to deserve a good rant and not good enough to share with the world. Still, beware of spoilers.

But that changed. I was browsing the synopsis of the other four books – out of curiosity – when I discovered these books have really high ratings, life 5 stars (out of five). Why? I am baffled. While the plot chugged along, the characters were not the best I have read. The crew of the SS Kratos is a cliched mix of different aliens. But since the aliens were not well described, I feel like they are all early Star Trek – humans with different coloured skin and eyes. Especially as the lead is half human half damaclan. Clearly we have some mingling of genetics which means the aliens are more human than not.

*** Insert break while I actually read the reviews of other readers, rather than just looking at the star count. ***

Book cover for Daybreak; book 1 in the Girl from the Stars series by Cheree Alsop.

Okay, I am going to do something a bit different I am going to comment on some of the common reviews of other people.

First, I am noticing that people who liked the book liked the fast pace adventure and the main character’s ability to kick ass. I will agree that Liora Day (the half Damaclan warrior with a traumatic past) can kick ass. She is also filled with flaws, like the inability to work with or communicate with others. An interesting problem as she is also a telepath. Yes, I appreciate that she can fight hordes of bad guys, but I am less enthused by the fact she is constantly being rescued by men. This does detract from her strength as a character.

Sure, the story moves quickly. Unfortunately this fast pace means we skip past actual character and plot development. For example (because examples are important): in the opening chapters of the story, the Captain of the SS Kratos is killed. One of the Lieutenants is sworn in as new captain. What is mentioned in passing, is the new Captain is the son of the previous Captain. There is no explanation as to why father and son are serving together. There is very little time spent on how Devren is coping with the loss of his father. He is granted one moment of grief, then continues on his day. Also, why did Devren rescue Liora from the cruel circus? And why not any of the other imprisoned species?

I will ignore the giant world destroying artifact that is tossed into the book as a key plot element that everyone will fight over. But I will not just support Captain Devren’s decision to withhold the device from his government. Yes, I am sure many of his superiors are corrupt and going to use the artifact for evil purposes. But, Devren is the son of a Captain. He has a long space military history. He is used to following orders – at least he should be. Why is he suddenly defying generals, throwing his lot in with the rebels he had previously been fighting against and in one quick move condemning the rest of the crew who we are led to believe Devren views as family? A little more dialogue would have gone a long way on this point.

A number of people commented on the books ending, or lack thereof. I can see what they mean about it being abrupt. However, I am not entirely opposed to the loose ends of the final chapters. I am more bothered by the journey to that point. The motivations of the characters and how they interact with each other and their world is the greater flaw. Devren is a great example of a character who does things because the plot says so. There is very little justification. Liora also does things, like go off on her own to hunt down her stepfather she suddenly learns is still alive. As a character she swings back and forth between running away from everyone else and trying to belong. While this is a great internal conflict, it needs to be explored more thoughtfully. Otherwise her actions hold no logic.

This feels like the author wanted an epic space opera. There are elements of Star Trek in the superficial nature of the universe and the multiple species, all working well together and all appearing mostly human. Unfortunately, the book lacks the character development to make the crew of the SS Kratos memorable. Thus it is difficult to be bothered by their deaths. Also, how big is this crew? Or the ship for that matter?

The kick ass nature of Liora, her random falling in love with the doctor, and the mysterious (yet very evil) creatures of her childhood feels more like Star Wars. Unfortunately, neither aspect is well developed. So the reader meanders between two leads: the ship’s crew and the female warrior. In the end, neither side is satisfied, but a lot of messy action happens in between.

For the potential of the storyline and the effort to have a non-sexual male-female relationship, I give this story 3 out of 5 stars. Hopefully, the writing gets tight over the rest of the series, though I doubt I will ever know.

An Ancient Peace – Book Review

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Yes, I realize that my reading list is far from recent.

I have read many of Tanya Huff’s fantasy novels, but this was my first of her science fiction. An Ancient Peace by Tanya Huff is the first novel in the Peacekeeper Trilogy.

My first impressions of this book was that it was dense. It felt like pretty heavy reading, as I was dumped into a complex science fiction world filled with multiple alien races, a crew with deep relationships and a general feeling of history. It wasn’t until I reached the end of the book and looked it up I discovered this is the second series starring the same main character: Gunnery Sargent Torin Kerr. Good news, I have lots more reading to look forward to. Bad news, it makes the start of the book rather challenging to get into.

While I still feel a little like I am missing something, it helped that most of the narrative focused around Torin. Grounded by the Gunnery Sargent, I was able to navigate the rest of the book. I found the story compelling enough I want to read the sequels. I like the strength of the main protagonist; Torin is a strong and respected individual. She is legendary within the military circles of the Corps. While Torin certainly kicks butt throughout the book, she also has an attitude and force of personality that make for a very strong character.

The technology and science fiction elements were interesting, particularly the concept of an evil, manipulative organic plastic. There are multiple alien races. They are not variations on humans either. In fact, some of the races are very different indeed, with at least one being described like a group of sentient giant spiders. More than different appearances the races have different common characteristics. This is often reflected in the dialogue. Huff uses different speech patterns and occasionally an invented phrase to help convey this information. For me the most interesting was the use of zi and zer as unique pronouns for one particular race.

The rest of the crew, a mix of different species and skills, was also interesting. There are five others in Torin’s current crew; three of them are also ex-military while two are civilians. I found Torin’s distinction between military personal and civilian personal interesting. She certainly has a sense that those who have been to war are expected to deal with violence, while civilians should be protected. This really helps to forward some of the conversation about the horror of war.

There are a lot of poignant moments, scenes that discuss the impact of war, discuss racism and deal with preconceptions. It is a strongly written science fiction story, not a light read, but certainly a good one. Easily worth a rating of 5/5 stars.

Rules of Redemption – Book Review

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Title: Rules of Redemption

Series: The Firebird Chronicles

Author: TA White

I really liked this book. So much so, that I finished reading it once and two days later started re-reading the entire book again. More importantly, I my second read-through was intentionally slower. I was reading for all the little details I missed I hurried through my first read too caught up in the action and adventure of the story to be bothered with the little things.

As far as I can tell, speed reading is just a means of skimming through pages. I am not terrible at scanning and following stories as so many of them follow very familiar and predictable paths. And generally, I still get enough enjoyment out of my material to not feel the need of changing. But every so often a story resonates with me. Those are the ones that I want to read a second (or third or …) time. And this was one of those stories.

Book cover for Rules of Redemption by TA White. Image from the internet.

Rules of Redemption is a space-fantasy. There are lots of starships, space bases, aliens, laser weapons and intergalactic wars. There are also alien-wizards, who could be more advanced or just magical. As has been stated before: advanced tech is indistinguishable from magic.

Kira is a fantastically strong and perfectly flawed lead character. Once she lead one of humanity’s most effect military groups in fighting the dastardly Tsavitee aileen race bent on universal domination and destruction. Nicknamed Pheonix, Kira was a powerful fighter and leader until she abandoned that life for the quiet solitude of a salvager. But of course fate will not leave such an interesting character alone. Docked at a space station for repairs, Kira will draw unwanted attention for both the human military leaders and visiting Tuann ambassadors. This will lead to some uncomfortable truths about her own origins as Kira is swept away to a home she doesn’t remember and family she doesn’t want. Though the feeling is mutual, as her family is reluctant to welcome her back into the fold.

With plenty of action, future tech and alien creatures it is a fun read. There is also some interesting characters with deep histories and just a hint of romance to keep me properly engaged. So much is learned in this first book of the series, but there are also many unanswered questions. Such that I wish I had a bookclub with whom I could discuss this book.

Note: incase it needs to be stated, spoilers will follow

Some things that drew my attention: Odin, the experimental base, the source of the Tsavitee and Greydon.

Who is Odin? Is he (or she – it doesn’t specify, but for now I will use male pronouns) really the genius out to help Kira or does he have another motive? Could odin be a Tsavitee in hiding? Could Odin be part of the human political network, the consortium? Have we met this character going by another name? Because if that is the cause I could make a guess at who it really is. Does the author even know who Odin is? There are so many questions, mostly stemming from the fact that Odin knows both that Kira is on that space station and she is being followed. Sure he could have hacked the stations cameras, but he could also have been present on the station. My gut feeling though, is that Odin is going to be the cause of betrayal in the next book. Either he will directly betray Kira, or cause Kira to do something that has her betraying her new friends/family.

Despite my second read through, I cannot remember if the location of the evil research facility that held Kira when she was growing up was in human space or not. It is mentioned that the scientists working at the facility were Tsavitee, does this explain how she knows the language? But were humans also present? Because that would only spike the tensions between Tuann and humanity. Did anyone else escape from the centre?

Where do the Tsavitee come from? It is discussed that they look very different, but are genetically similar. Did they create themselves or were they created by someone else? Is there a greater link between the Tsavitee and say the Tuann than anyone realizes? And why would they keep a human hostage for over a decade?

Greydon, the Emperor’s Face, is from the House Roake. Is he also a primus? Because he doesn’t shift, but certainly acts like he would be strong enough to do so. And exactly does Kira fit into that House? Though I am guessing that her father was the previous Overlord, so she is likely going to be tested for that potential. This I think is where the second book will pick up. But will Kira take responsibility for a House when she has a personal mission to infiltrate and free those captured by the Tsavitee?

There are so many exciting and unanswered questions with brings me to the biggest complaint. Why do I have to wait so long for the sequel?

Final Rating: 5/5 stars

Star Nomad – Book Review

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Despite my personal bias I find myself reading a number of science fiction books of late. Before you get excited, these are not serious, heavy, intense science fiction books exploring quantum metaphysics the existential relationship between artificial intelligence and souls. These are light, space-opera type books packed with space pirates, laser battles and a hint of romance. Oh, and occasionally an alien – but not always.

Book cover for Star Nomad, book one in the Fallen Empire series. Image from the internet.

Star Nomad is the first of the novel in Lindsay Buroker’s Fallen Empire series. It doesn’t have any aliens. It does have space pirates!

Our daring protagonist is a survivor of the recent war between Empire and rebel Alliance. She is determined to return home and reclaim her daughter and the first step in accomplishing this goal will be acquiring a ship – a freighter, not a warship. In the wake of all great space adventures our heroine does not have a huge arsenal at her disposal. Rather the odds are stacked heavily against her. She is joined however by a colourful caste of crew and passengers which include the hated cyborg, loyal engineer, security office running from the mafia, passenger with a love of narcotics and a monk with some dubious morals.

This is a book heavy in the tradition of Star Wars and Firefly – two science fiction universes I love. From Star Wars we have the existence of space magic. This comes in the form of the mystic Starseers and probably my least favourite aspect of the work so far.

While the opening of Star Nomad struck me heavily with its familiarity to Firefly. My worries that I was destined to read a pale version of the TV cult classic disappeared as the author’s own strong voice came through. This is not a space-western. The similarities in the crew are superficial at best. There is depth to these characters that makes for great reading.

Book cover for Honor’s Flight, book 2 in the Fallen Empire series. Image from the internet.

However, one of the things that I am really starting to enjoy are the different perspectives of interstellar governance. The war between the Empire and the Alliance is over at the start of the first story. The characters are now dealing with the consequences of war and the emergence of a new ruling body. With characters coming from both sides of the conflict we are able to glimpse some of the problems inherent in rebuilding afterwards.

While I might be spoiling somethings, I really found the discussion over the oppression of the Empire being compared to the current lawlessness under Alliance leadership. Is it really repressive that civilians are denied access to weapons? Or was the order and safety provided by those rules a worthwhile trade off. The presentation of this debate has been interesting to follow – especially as it is packaged in this fun, futuristic setting!

So far, I am loving this series. Star Nomad achieves the 5 out of 5 star rating. It has a solid plot, a caste of interesting characters and successful use of banter. I like this book and recommend it to fans of the lighter aspects of science fiction.

Season of Sequels: Of Bone and Ruin

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This a book, a sequel, I actually bought, spending real money! Of Bone and Ruin is the direct sequel to T.A. White’s Dragon Ridden novel.

Image from the internet.

Title: Of Bone and Ruin (book 2)

Series: Dragon Ridden Chronicles

First book in the Series: Dragon-Ridden

Author: T.A. White

Genre: Sci-fi-fantasy hybrid

Synopsis: Of Bone and Ruin begins a little time after Dragon Ridden. Our female lead, Tate is back and struggling to adapt to the world she finds herself living in. Her memories, and thus her entire past, continue to be a mystery to Tate. Rather than continue struggling at school for developing magical skills, Tate is offered the chance to work. It is a dangerous, life-threatening job that will bring Tate in contact and conflict with the heads of various factions living on the planet. Tate’s nearly non-existent mediations skills are challenged when she is given the role of witness in settling the dispute of who owns rights to a recently uncovered archeological find.

What was good: Of Bone and Ruin continues Tate’s journey of fitting in and self-discovery, though I am not certain how much headway was made in that department. I suppose if you look at Tate’s relationship with her dragon, than things do improve over the course of the novel. We also learn a bit more about several of the secondary (or even tertiary) characters which is interesting.

What was less impressive: It seemed that some characters have information that they should not. There were a couple of instances when motivations and character consistency appeared off. However, I am not certain if this was done intentionally to make the reader think and look at the information in a different light.

I am both fascinated and put-off by the strange mix of science-fiction and fantasy. We have ancient, abandoned spaceships with crazy advanced technology and genetic manipulation alongside straight up magic. The need for blood, specific genetics, to use certain equipment is a difficult balancing act for me. Occasionally it seems artificial and randomly imposed into the story, while at other times it resonates strongly with the sci-fi mood.

This book certainly left me more confused about the difference between the Creators and the Saviours, which I hope is to be addressed in future stories. And while I really enjoyed the elements of sci-fi past coming through in the first book, Dragon Ridden, I found those moments nearly contradictory in Of Bone and Ruin.

Image from the internet.

How it compared to the first book: In the end, I still preferred book one. I feel like we got a better understanding of Tate and her extraordinary past in Dragon Ridden than in book 2, Of Bone and Ruin. It is that back story that has the greatest draw for me. So my biggest fear is that the author will tease only hints about the past in the vaguest way while writing an ever expanding and convoluted succession of sequels. I hope I am wrong. I hope that each book helps to shed light onto the origins of this world and is complicated past.

Prognosis: I find this world to be an interesting mix of sci-fi and fantasy. There is magic and genetic engineering. There are archaic elements to the civilizations mixed with more modern ideas, dress, manners, and language. It is different and that is perhaps the element that will bring me back for a third book – should another be written.

Rank and Reason: 3.5 out 5 – because I thought there were too many inconsistencies between this book and the first book in terms of who the world works and the past.

The Power of Speculation

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I had not heard the term “speculative fiction” until the last two years when Derek decided he was going to be incredibly educated in an incredibly niche field. For me, all that stuff had been “fantasy.” It was the sort of hushed about genre. I come from a family of readers but when I was growing up, mystery was the king of the household. As a wee little lad, I had the romping adventures of the Hardy Boys to spark my imagination. My sister, naturally, had Nancy Drew. My mom read pretty much any detective fiction that was ever printed. There was also a series of books we read which followed two kids as they solved mysterious across Canada. I want to say they were Eric Wilson’s Tom and Liz Austen series?

However, this was not to last. When I was in Grade 4 I got very sick with appendicitis. While bemoaning my imminent death, I was bed bound for a few weeks at home. A child is apt to get bored during that time and no doubt I complained incessantly about there being nothing to do. My mom eventually returned with the entire Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. These were on video since it was far easier to put them on and let me drift off and on in sleep as I recovered.

I found these films absolutely fascinating. Perhaps it was the drugs but the bewitching idea of being transported through an old wardrobe (did not understand what they were for the longest time) into a magical land was incredibly appealing. I learned quite a lot of useless information from those books. Information that did not translate well into my own world. Primary among them is that Turkish Delight, despite its appearance, is not tasty at all.

Accessed from http://www.wga.hu/framex-e.html?file=html/i/ibbetson/balloon.html

George Biggin’s Ascent in Lunardi Balloon by Julius Caesar Ibbetson (1785).

Regardless, the fantasy world was revealed and I dove in enthusiastically. I was far more prolific in my reading when I was younger and it, no doubt, prompted my desire to write. On the heels of Narnia came the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings as well as my nostalgic Thieves’ World anthology. Even into high school I was chewing through the fantasy genres and I had a couple of friends who suggested their own favourite series for me to read.

It took about five years but I eventually discovered that I don’t particularly like fantasy anymore. It’s primary focus is on escapism and epic battles between ultimate forces. It was all… incredibly samey. Each series was just like the last, sometimes blatantly so. The genre certainly became very rigid in its portrayal and as it grew more and more entrenched, I found myself drifting further and further away.

Now, I hadn’t entirely ignored science fiction. Both genres had been smashed rather inelegantly together in every library and book store I visited. I picked up a few, read a couple more that were recommended. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy certainly had the greatest lasting appeal but even the Left Hand of Darkness is something I look back on with ever growing respect. My first novel is a fantasy and though I feel it deviates from the norm, I’m not entirely convinced it does it to any remarkable manner. When I started my short stories, I was hesitant to start into the science fiction genre. I didn’t feel I was properly equipped to write within it. I haven’t read a lot of the seminal works nor am I particularly familiar with its most prominent tropes.

Accessed from http://www.wga.hu/framex-e.html?file=html/g/gautier/backfema.html

Back of Female by Jacques-Fabien Gautier-Dagoty (1746).

However, I find I am enjoying it more and more as I write. There seems a far greater avenue to write on topics which are relevant to the present without needing tireless research into fields which I am uneducated. There is also a kind of perverse pleasure in thinking about current scientific theory and inquiry and imagining the future implications of them. There’s something very… sharp about science fiction. And my short stories certainly take a greater and greater focus on the present now than they did when I was writing purely for pleasure.

Not that entertainment is a terrible thing. There are just less rules to follow in science fiction and that freedom is both liberating and daunting. You don’t have key great works to point at and say definitively “this is what science fiction is.” Aasimov, Le Guin, Herbert and Gibson are about as varied as the topics they cover. Even now, I’m puzzling out the ramifications of modern American capitalism and the possibilities of what corporatehood would be when taken to its greatest extremes. My last short story looked at the existential question of what constitutes individuality and the relationship between mind and body.

There’s a fleeting sensation of being the Oracle of Delphi when tossing your mind against the future and the direction society could take in its endless march. Most of the time, it’s incoherent and drug induced rambling but every now and then I feel I stumble upon a genuinely though provoking idea. For all our learning and understanding, there’s so much we don’t know and even less than we can predict. I will never have the impact of Gibson or create a world that hits as many realities as his but I don’t need to either. All my speculative worlds essentially examine questions we struggle with now or will struggle with in the future. How will body modification affect as both on an individual and societal level? What will it mean to be human when we are able to replace large portions of our body with plastic and steel? These are certainly not the first time the questions been raised but that we have no right answer means that there is room for novel results.

Future earth worlds are also infinitely easier to create than fantasy worlds as well which is also a large plus.