I was born blind, so books became my movies. Fantasy and Science fiction, thrillers and spies, and the occasional goodfeel novel or fanfiction from my youth round out my reading record. I don't do nonfiction: I read enough technical stuff at work!
Strangers from the Sky is a novel, originally released in 1987, by Margaret Wander Bonanno.
Review of 'Strangers from the sky' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Whilst much of this novel has now of course been outcanoned and probably retconned to boot, it was compelling for its time. I never quite felt the emotional connect I wanted to, I think Federation still holds my top spot for a good read in the Pre-Kirk era, but I enjoyed this more than I was expecting to nevertheless.
Imzadi: to the people of the planet Betazed, including Counselor Deanna Troi of the Starship …
Review of 'Imzadi Forever' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
For some reason, enjoying Imzadi didn't mean I had read the sequel. I don't think I even knew about it until I saw this signature edition, which is a bit poor of me given my appreciation of both the Trekverse and PAD as an author.
So yes, it's contrived. Peter's written a story into an era already lapsed onscreen, so we know what happens afterward. Of course he knows that we know this, but we know that he knows we know too, so the story has to be careful. and it works, it's a clever series of contretemps based on the Rikers, a cleverly circumnavigated ménage à Deanna, with plenty of backreferences to good Next Generation stuff and a sprinkling of Peter's original trek work. as an opener to a new year, it is somehow very satisfying to pull something out from the solidity of Classic Star Trek.
An actor is brutally murdered while sitting alone in his fully locked car.
A note …
Review of 'Destructive Reasoning' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Practically a re-run of the first book without the introductory chapters, this one pitches us straight into the action. Just what you'd expect of this entertaining continuation. Well worth a few hours curled up with a couple of warm drinks on a cold day.
The UN warship Magellan is twelve light-years from Earth, exploring a cold eye, a tidally-locked …
Review of 'Cold Eyes' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
One of Peter's best for me. A vivid, plausable exoplanet, a whip-smart lead, and plenty of action and adventure mixed with sometimes very quick thinking yet clear and profound cogitation. Just the proper recipe for a truly cracking story. Even from the very beginning, the nature of the crew's birth shows us we're not in for your stereotypical action story, yet when we see the warring factions later on and all that lead to them (the drill thing scared me, I clenched up), it was also evident that when action needs to happen it happens well. I felt a bit like I was reading some james White at times, and at others, heinlein.
From the master of the space opera comes a dark, mind-bending adventure spread across time …
Review of 'Eversion' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
Wow. I was totally on the wrong track with this, despite plenty of clues. Intriguingly unfolded from start to finish and with a twist I should have seen coming but delightfully didnt, I gratefully devoured this book in a few short hours thanks to Michael's recommendation. Reynolds isn't a new name to me, but I can't recall reading anything of his before for some reason. IF this is any indication of the standard, I've seriously been missing out.
Anthropological fiction can sometimes come across a little didactic and I felt that here. An interesting idea, though -I’d read more, but not if I had something I knew would be more exciting.
A snappily told story with lots of heart, this may well be one to keep on the shelf until it catches my daughter's eye. It reminded me of a toned-down creepy x-files episode, although of course the idea of dolls getting their wicked way with people isn't new. Nonetheless, it was handled well here, and carries through the idea of speaking up for yourself tremendously. Very much enjoyed.
Though conceptually I was looking forward to this, it didn't really work for me. Mainly I think it's a language problem - Cook's dialectal efforts just don't really hold water, not when you've enjoyed Dave Duncan's Past imperative or David Walton's Quintessence. The behaviour also felt a little off: William was your typical good-in-a-fight but drinks and is a troublemaker, Nathan just seemd very easily lead but with some attempted flavourings of 20th century honour and Clara just got angry at men things. Then there is the typical time travel trope of hearing something but it being too subtle to identify or worry about and it later proving to be you all along - that's par for the course these days - as is a second shady travelling figure who's out to thwart our heroic do-gooders from completing their mission.
it felt like this book borrowed from plenty of other …
Though conceptually I was looking forward to this, it didn't really work for me. Mainly I think it's a language problem - Cook's dialectal efforts just don't really hold water, not when you've enjoyed Dave Duncan's Past imperative or David Walton's Quintessence. The behaviour also felt a little off: William was your typical good-in-a-fight but drinks and is a troublemaker, Nathan just seemd very easily lead but with some attempted flavourings of 20th century honour and Clara just got angry at men things. Then there is the typical time travel trope of hearing something but it being too subtle to identify or worry about and it later proving to be you all along - that's par for the course these days - as is a second shady travelling figure who's out to thwart our heroic do-gooders from completing their mission.
it felt like this book borrowed from plenty of other time travel stories without adding much original. No explanation is given as to why things are set during the Great War, and the differences in technology between that era and the book's future are massive, without needing to add alien intelligences into the mix. Read to complete, but did consider at several points just putting it down. oh and the typos - calvary! It's like solider, you can't escape it. And the other interesting one was "a little courtesy", not a curtsey.
Review of 'The Cross-Time Engineer (Adventures of Conrad Stargard, Book 1)' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
Worryingly, I have had this book on my to-read shelf since I was 16 years old. I had no idea of anything other than its name, and of course have read plenty of similar works in the interim.
I still managed to totally enjoy myself and kept reading until about 2:15 in the morning. I seriously considered getting out of bed and buying the next one, but sense prevailed and I went to sleep instead. Somehow, Conrad is just fascinating and I want to read moooore!
The classic thriller and "New York Times" bestseller is reissued with a new look. Prone …
Review of 'The terminal man' on 'Goodreads'
2 stars
People keep calling Douglas Richards a worthy successor to Crichton. Either I had a dodgy copy, or this isn't one of his best works. The entire plot seemed to be expensive medical thing goes in guys head, guy gets worse due to medical thing. Like that wasn't predictable?
A thrilling untold adventure based on the acclaimed Star Trek: Picard TV series!
Following the …
Review of 'Star Trek : Picard' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
I was gripped from the first chapter. Despite Picard having gone down some directions onscreen that I find curious, the opening to this novel portrayed Jean-Luc to perfection as an elder statesman pulling strings and having his way with a society where he’s already done so much. This is hugely contrasted with the final act of the work, where Una touches on “The history that Jean-Luc Picard had lived through”, and it begins with the Romulan Supernova, of all things. I know that, technically, that is where this chapter of his life begins now, but it seems rather tawdry to dismiss the first 75 years of his life as having no historical significance.
Apart from that, the book had solid footing all the way through. The protagonist – who I will not name due to his identity being only implied early on - is of course one of my very …
I was gripped from the first chapter. Despite Picard having gone down some directions onscreen that I find curious, the opening to this novel portrayed Jean-Luc to perfection as an elder statesman pulling strings and having his way with a society where he’s already done so much. This is hugely contrasted with the final act of the work, where Una touches on “The history that Jean-Luc Picard had lived through”, and it begins with the Romulan Supernova, of all things. I know that, technically, that is where this chapter of his life begins now, but it seems rather tawdry to dismiss the first 75 years of his life as having no historical significance.
Apart from that, the book had solid footing all the way through. The protagonist – who I will not name due to his identity being only implied early on - is of course one of my very favourite characters whom I had not heard mention of for several decades in the trekverse. I loved every minute he was in view, enjoyed – or imagined – the callback to the White Star of Night, and will want to read more closely the scenes with the old Vedek if, other than penetrating eyes, there are more subtle clues I might have missed on the first go around.
I’ve had a rocky time with pic novels: The Last Best Hope did Romulans well, and here too, Sokara is vivid. The Dark Veil was my favourite – it had the feel of an episode about it, it was set on a starship, it returned us to what we thought of as old Trek at times. Rogue Elements was harder, because I’d not warmed up to Rios, and now here we are, with second Self pressing my buttons in a good way (and it’s only now I’ve typed that title that I realise there is more than one meaning behind it. Very clever). Given the previews of Pic Season 3 going around, I can only imagine the enjoyment authors will have with stories set around it. Tldr? A worthwhile couple of hours with my kindle, thanks very much!
