Sci Fiction at SCIFI.COM
reviewed by David Soyka
David supposes that SF fans should welcome this sort of web site with open arms. After all, a future in which paper books
are replaced by sleek disposable video displays was imagined way back in the Golden Age of the 30s and 40s, along with
personal jet packs and interplanetary travel. Here in the once mythical 21st century, David hasn't had much opportunity to
either blast off to the grocery store or vacation on Mars, but it's not news to anyone that the dawning of "screen-based"
reading is upon us. Hell, you're doing it right now.
Ethan Hamilton Trilogy by Jefferson Scott
reviewed by Suzanne Krein
Ethan Hamilton is an unlikely hero. He is a computer nerd who is completely immersed in the world of virtual reality. The
virtual world has become as real to him as his wife, son, and daughter. Perhaps this is why Ethan is able to perceive
the pattern in a series of "accidental" deaths where each victim was in the virtual world at the time of death.
Papaya Myths by Kimberly Scott
reviewed by Lisa DuMond
Don't you fall for any labels attached to this book; it defies such
comfortable categorization to become more than the sum of those simple parts. The author has found a way to
take a little science fiction, a bit of mystery and suspense, and a tale of lives past, and combine them into
a narrative that flows like a river through deep, quiet pools into deadly white water. Dive in at the first chance.
Boudica: Dreaming the Eagle by Manda Scott
reviewed by William Thompson
Opening in 32 C.E., the earliest Roman legions under Caesar have departed, leaving Britain under the hereditary rule of loosely related
tribes, bound by religion and a shared cultural history, past enmities and friendships, linked by trade and dominated politically if not
in fact by Cunobelin, known as the Sun Hound, from a dun in the southeast that will eventually become present-day Colchester. Son of
the military leader who first opposed the legions of Caesar, he has since united two of the southern tribes and grown wealthy and powerful
through trade with Rome. Astute political marriages have given him three sons and extended his influence, though he has violently
expelled the dreamers of Mona in order to consolidate his power. But Cunobelin grows old and his three sons are at visible odds...
Point of Dreams by Melissa Scott and Lisa A. Barnett
reviewed by Victoria Strauss
Every winter in Astreiant, a masque is held. Based on ancient
traditions and aligned with the stars, it's integral to the health
of the queen and the realm -- and more important now than ever, for
the queen is soon to announce her chosen successor. This year, the
play that is the source of the masque is itself sourced in an
ancient text, the Alphabet of Desire, a compendium of
flower- and plant-based spells, which most people believe to be a
hoax but which may, just possibly, be real.
The Hickory Staff by Robert Scott & Jay Gordon
reviewed by John Enzinas
This novel tells the story of three people from modern Colorado who fall through a mystic portal into another world. There they join
forces with freedom fighters who are struggling to free their world from the grip of Evil. The presentday trio discover that both
their modern skills and their newly discovered powers will be instrumental in freeing this other world. If this sounds familiar,
it should. The juxtaposition of modern man and fantasy man has, of course, been done many times before.
Paper Cities edited by Ekaterina Sedia
reviewed by Mario Guslandi
As pointed out in Jess Nevins' introduction to the volume, urban fantasy -- intended as a type of fiction where cities are the setting
and the supporting character of the story -- has a long-established tradition in the literature, can be traced as far back as the
Arabian Nights and appears throughout the centuries in Gothic novels, Dickens' London and modern horror and SF fiction.
Doctor Who Regeneration by Philip Segal with Gary Russell
reviewed by David Maddox
With an almost forgotten wheezing and groaning sound, time and space were torn asunder to reveal the
familiar shape of a blue police box. The TARDIS appeared. The Doctor had returned. It had been 7 long years
that the heroic Time Lord had been absent from the television screen and BBC Enterprises, Universal Studios along
with Fox Entertainment were determined to make his return the spectacle it should be.
The entire history of the made-for-TV film is recounted in this volume
which succeeds in bringing back the excitement surrounding the attempted resurrection of Doctor Who.
Nightmare Logic by Larry Segriff
reviewed by Cindy Lynn Speer
Lately Jonathan Hayes has been plagued by nightmares, but usually they end when he wakes up. But not today. The police surround
his house and tell him to come out peacefully. He is arrested for the extremely brutal murder of a sixteen-year-old girl. Someone
apparently called in and accused him, and when they ran his name through the computer they found warrants out on him for the murder
of two agents -- another act he never committed.
Shadow Planet by William Shatner
reviewed by Cindy Lynn Speer
Jim Endicott and a group of young people are leaving the colony ship Outward Bound. They fought a group of Kolumbans,
a race of aliens that look like huge gorillas, and have stolen their ship. These Kolumbans were selling a drug
called Heat, whose main effect is killing who ever takes it, and Jim Endicott wants to find out why the Kolumbans
are producing this poisonous drug and stop them. Before he can accomplish any of this, he needs to settle things on board.
Mindswap by Robert Sheckley
reviewed by Greg L. Johnson
The nature of reality, and the consequences of living in a universe where reality seems to depend to some extent on our own perceptions
and expectations is one of those topics that inspires writers to deep and serious discussions packed with insight into the human condition
and its place in a hostile universe. Thank goodness, then, that Robert Sheckley came along to skewer all those pretentious and serious
discussions with a series of novels that took serious subjects and mixed them all up into one hilarious concoction that left his
readers certain that even if the nature of reality is not readily comprehensible, it sure is funny.
Close To My Heart: The Scherezade Machine by Robert Sheckley
reviewed by Trent Walters
The book that changed Trent's life (not to mention the world's) was Robert Sheckley's The Scherezade Machine -- what they
later called a "sleeper."
He hadn't heard about it before when he found it in the Barnes and Noble bargain bin. There were a few enthusiastic quotes
on the back that were interesting...
Joe R. Lansdale's Lords of the Razor edited by Bill Sheehan and William Schafer
reviewed by Mario Guslandi
Theme anthologies are tricky, especially when the subject is as narrow as the one generating the present
volume: the horrific monster created about twenty years ago by Joe Lansdale for one of his early stories. Reproduced
here, "God of the Razor" is a frightening tale of pure horror where the basement of an old, dilapidated house becomes the stage for the terrifying
appearance of an evil creature apt to turn your blood into ice. Taking inspiration from this malevolent, superhuman character,
a number of skilled genre writers have developed their personal nightmares.
Officer-Cadet by Rick Shelley
reviewed by Lisa DuMond
Anyone familiar with police procedurals and their concentration on the process of investigating a crime
will recognize this novel as, perhaps, a new branch of the genre: the military procedural.
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Kris Longknife: Audacious by Mike Shepherd
reviewed by Michael M Jones
Naval lieutenant Kristine Longknife, Princess of Wardhaven, is in dire need of a vacation,
after the way things have gone for her over the past few months. Thusly, she packs her bags and her entourage, and hies off to
the planet of New Eden, where she hopes things will stay quiet for the time being, while she (reluctantly) fulfills various
diplomatic and military obligations. The first assassination attempt suggests that things aren't going to be quiet.
Star Wars: Jedi Trial by David Sherman and Dan Cragg
reviewed by David Maddox
The time draws near, a Jedi Padawan's training is almost complete and he nears full Knighthood. But there is something more
growing within him, something dark and dangerous. Will this mission prove his courage and valor, or lead him down a darker path?
Changeling by Delia Sherman
reviewed by Amal El-Mohtar
Set in a place called New York Between, one of many potential New Yorks sharing the same space as
New York, it's a vibrant, colourful mishmash of folkloric and literary creatures and characters living in Central
Park, on Broadway, in the Metropolitan Museum, in Chinatown or Wall Street. Each of these places has a Genius, a spirit that
embodies it. Into all this comes Neef, a mortal changeling girl being raised in Central Park and longing to take part in adventures.
Before long, her curiosity has her breaking rules and getting into trouble
and the only way to get out of it is to complete a quest.
Through A Brazen Mirror by Delia Sherman
reviewed by Lisa DuMond
Here is quite possibly the finest, most accurate fantasy written since the middle ages. This is a stunning
recreation of a place, a time, and its people long gone, with such a vivid depiction that readers will
feel firmly in the heart of the action. Sherman's grasp of setting, language, and behaviour act as a
snare to pull readers ever deeper into the story of a widowed woman's search for peace and survival.
Son of Darkness by Josepha Sherman
reviewed by Alexander von Thorn
A prince of the Unseelie Court abandons his world to hide in the realm of
mortals. A demon of death and disease strikes people down at random. A dark
hunter sends his spellbound minions to sacrifice their lives. A fanatic cult
dabbles in occult mysteries. Nothing too unusual in the days and nights of
New York City.
Star Trek: Vulcan's Forge by Josepha Sherman & Susan Shwartz
reviewed by Alexander von Thorn
The novel introduces David Rabin, a human who befriends Spock.
The plot shows two intersections in their lives, once as boys and then years later when both
men hold the rank of Starfleet Captain. Alex found the writing style deft and the pacing
easy for tracking the novel's events.
Elsewhere and NeverNever by Will Shetterly
reviewed by Michael M Jones
Somewhere beyond the World, past the ever-changing expanse of the Nevernever, there's a city that used to be part of the
real world, now just known as Bordertown. It's a place where humans and the Fae live and interact between their respective
worlds, where magic is real and sometimes works as planned, where music plays an important part and anything can happen. Into
this world comes Ron, a young man trying to escape his mundane past and follow in his missing brother's footsteps. And for Ron,
it's the start of a long, strange journey.
The Works of M.P. Shiel
reviewed by Georges T. Dodds
Unless you're a fairly diehard aficionado of early science fiction or detective literature, you're likely wondering who
M.P. Shiel was, and why close to 1800 pages of biography, bibliography, literary criticism, reprinted magazine appearances
of his stories as well as letters are being discussed here. M.P. Shiel wrote what remains among the two or three best
last-man-on-Earth novels: The Purple Cloud (1901), an equally
seminal collection of early detective tales: Prince Zaleski (1895), as well as classic horror short stories.
Shimmer, Autumn 2005
reviewed by Amal El-Mohtar
Shimmer is a glossy, perfect-bound quarterly magazine devoted to speculative short fiction. The first issue,
released in the autumn of 2005, features stories by J. Albert Bell, Mel Cameron, Dario Ciriello, Edward Cox, Richard S.
Crawford, Stephen M. Dare, Kuzhali Manickavel, Michael Mathews, and Jeremiah Swanson; it also showcases artwork by Sam
Tsohonis, Mary Robinette Kowal, Chrissy Ellsworth and Stephanie Rodriguez.
Earth Abides by George R. Stewart / The Purple Cloud by M.P. Shiel
reviewed by Georges T. Dodds
Classics of science fiction, both are post-holocaust novels in which a
single man survives. Beyond being rousing adventures, and having almost
opposite approaches to the human nature of their last man, they explore the
role of personal integrity and of knowledge in the development of humanity
-- one centred on the concept of the all-controlling, all-conquering
Übermensch; the other on its hero's uneasiness of the absolute
power his deification by fellow survivors has brought him.
365 Views of Mount Fuji by Todd Shimoda
reviewed by Lisa DuMond
You have never read a book quite like 365 Views of Mount
Fuji. Probably, you have read nothing remotely like it.
It's time to correct that flaw in your cultural character.
Really, Really, Really, Really, Weird Stories by John Shirley
reviewed by Lisa DuMond
Sometimes there's just no way to keep reading a variety of material and come out unscathed. Sooner or
later, exposure to all the experimental, creepy, stomach-churning fiction sneaks up on you.
Lisa suggests substituting such words words as "clever," "inventive," "unique," for all those "really"s in the title.
Silicon Embrace by John Shirley
reviewed by Glen Engel-Cox
Yes, the aliens are among us, and they have been for thousands of years. The
fractionalization of the U.S., including a second Civil War, has resulted in
the world of 2017 resembling John Carpenter's Escape from L.A., complete with
megalomaniac warlords and ex-military commandos. Glen loved the book.
An Alternate History of the 21st Century by William Shunn
reviewed by David Hebblethwaite
In his afterword, the author cautions against the natural human tendency to look for patterns in
everything. And, indeed, anyone trying to fashion a single, coherent future history from the six stories in the book will be
disappointed. Nevertheless, the tales do comprise an interesting set of snapshots of where we might be heading -- or (as Cory
Doctorow's introduction reminds us) where we are now.
Thief of Souls by Neal Shusterman
reviewed by Georges T. Dodds
This is the second installment in the Star Shards Chronicles.
It follows 6 young men and women who receive special powers when
the radiation from a distant supernova reaches them on Earth.
This time around they must defeat a powerful enemy that has survived since the days of ancient Greece.
Cross and Crescent by Susan Shwartz
reviewed by Steven H Silver
Steven finds Shwartz exhibits a strong knowledge of the period and location.
Even if her characters' motivations often seem strange,
Shwartz's understanding of the political situation and culture comes through, making
her characters seem even more extraordinary than they already are.
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