I really liked True Names, by Vinge, but haven’t been as impressed with some of his other stuff, like A Fire upon the Deep, and A Deepness in the Sky. However, when I saw this for $1 at the used bookstore, I figured I’d give it a shot, especially since some of his other short […]

This is a pretty standard sci-fi book, picked up randomly from the new book section of the library mostly because of the review on the back from Melissa Scott (whose work I like): “Imagine a Stand on Zanzibar written by a left-wing Robert Heinlein, and infused with the most exciting possibilities of the new cyber-technology”. […]

While at the library a few days ago, I was browsing along and noticed this book by Bruce Sterling. As a longtime subscriber to his Viridian mailing list, I’d almost forgotten that Sterling makes his living as a writer. So I picked this up and read it. Our protagonist is Leggy Starlitz, a band promoter […]

I borrowed and read this while at a friend’s house on vacation. It’s got some interesting ideas. While I don’t think much of Gibson as a writer, he’s definitely a sharp observer of cultural trends. This book follows the adventures of Cayce Pollard, a “coolhunter” (somebody who hits the streets trying to observe new trends […]

I loved the original Ender’s Game series, so this re-examination of the universe bothers me. This is the third book in the series (Ender’s Shadow and Shadow of the Hegemon were the first two) detailing what happens on Earth after Ender leaves, when all of his fellow “soldiers” battle it out for control of Earth. […]

I’ve read several other books by John Barnes, and have enjoyed them, so I picked this one up from the library. It’s got a very odd premise, and is very confusing, even after he starts to explain what’s going on. I’m not sure I particularly liked it. But the premise is interesting, so I’ll roll […]

After rediscovering the library recently, I took the opportunity to read several of the Pratchett Discworld novels that I had never gotten around to. My personal collection petered out at Feet of Clay (book 15 or so), and I’d lost track of the ones since then. The library had several of the more recent ones, […]

After reading Memory and Dream from the library, I was reminded of the interesting worlds that de Lint constructs, so I picked this up on my next visit. Not much to say – magic is real, faeries are real, you choose what kind of world you live in, etc. Eh.

Caitlin reminded me when I saw her over Christmas of the works of de Lint, one of the best urban fantasists around. I’ve read only a couple of his books, so when I noticed one in the library recently, I picked it up. As seems to be common in his novels, a straightforward story quickly […]