Tag: Reviews

Everfree by Nick Sagan

My review of Everfree by Nick Sagan was just published in Science Fiction Weekly. I interviewed Nick too, and that should be published over there some time soon as well. 

[Excerpt:] Readers new to Nick Sagan’s work probably have some lofty expectations. His father, the world-renowned Carl Sagan, was both a brilliant scientist and the author of many books, including the terrific SF novel Contact. So he clearly has the genes for good writing and smart science; the question is, does he live up to expectations? The answer is yes and then some, and luckily for SF fans, the younger Sagan has his father’s gift for storytelling, but has chosen to devote his life not to writing science but to writing science fiction.

Read More

CAMERA OBSCURA: April 2006

Intergalactic Medicine Show just published the first installment of my new “small screen” or TV/DVD review column, CAMERA OBSCURA. In the column, I review the first three episodes of season one of the new Dr. Who.

Go read the review!

I expect a lot of people will disagree with my opinion, so let the hating begin!

Read More

STRONG MEDICINE: March 2006

The latest installment of my book review column, STRONG MEDICINE: Books That Cure What Ails You, has just been published at Intergalactic Medicine Show

In this column, I review The Ghost Brigades and Questions for a Soldier by John Scalzi, The Plot to Save Socrates by Paul Levinson, In the Eye of Heaven by David Keck, and issue #1 of the audio magazine MechMuse, which features two stories by David Farland, two by David Barr Kirtley, and a few other stories by people not named David.

Read More

Review: Wild Things

Shocked and dismayed that Charlie Finlay’s collection, Wild Things, had no customer reviews at Amazon, I whipped one up, which I shall reproduce here:

If this book only contained Finlay’s brilliant Nebula and Hugo Award-nominated reinvention of space opera, “The Political Officer,” it would be worth buying for that story alone. But fortunately, the book’s also got thirteen other compelling and finely-crafted tales, which run the gamut from humor to alternate history to swords-and-sorcery. This variety makes for an interesting reading experience, as if Finlay wanted to take the reader on a tour through all of what science fiction and fantasy has to offer. And Finlay seems equally adept at each of the subgenres he explores, so it’s not a matter of him trying new things until he finds something that works; it’s more like having written a great story in one subgenre, he goes looking for new kingdoms to conquer.

Technorati Tags: , ,

Read More

STRONG MEDICINE: Books That Cure What Ails You

The premier issue of Orson Scott Card’s InterGalactic Medicine Show is now live. It includes the first entry of my monthly book review column, which will be called STRONG MEDICINE: Books That Cure What Ails You. In this installment, I review S. M. Stirling’s Dies the Fire and The Protector’s War, The King in the Window by Adam Gopnik, and Thud! by Terry Pratchett (on audio). I think it turned out pretty well, what do you think?

Read More