Reviews

Books Reviews 

Jake Casella Brookins Reviews Prophet by Sin Blaché & Helen Macdonald

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Prophet, Sin Blaché & Helen Macdonald (Grove Press 978-0-8021-6202-1, 480pp, hc) August 2023.

Seeing Helen Macdonald’s name show up on a speculative fiction list immediately fixated my attention. H is for Hawk is, without a doubt, the most mesmerizing combination of memoir, nature writing, and mini-T.H. White biography out there, and so I knew Prophet was not one to skip. Written together with Sin Blaché, the novel is a ...Read More

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Books Reviews 

Liz Bourke Reviews System Collapse by Martha Wells

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System Collapse, Martha Wells (Tordotcom 978-125082-697-8, $21.99, 256pp, hc) November 2023. Cover by Jaime Jones.

The seventh of Martha Wells’s Murderbot long-form stories, System Collapse is a novel-length sequel to Network Effect, picking up within days of that novel’s conclusion. Murderbot fans are unlikely to be disappointed here: Wells is on form with the series’ trademark black humour, razor-sharp tension, Murderbot’s all-too-relatable interpersonal interactions, action, and high stakes. ...Read More

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Books Reviews 

Paul Di Filippo Reviews Jewel Box: Stories by E. Lily Yu

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Jewel Box: Stories, E. Lily Yu (Erewhon 978-1645660484, hardcover, 336pp, $27.00) October 2023

Recently I had the good fortune to acquaint myself for the first time with a classic of fabulism: Japanese Fairy Tales, by Yei Theodora Ozaki. Witty, elegant, timeless yet timely, these stories aim straight at the human heart, mind and soul, and lodge therein like arrows variously tipped with balm and bane. And now, encountering ...Read More

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Gary K. Wolfe Reviews A Haunting on the Hill by Elizabeth Hand

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A Haunting on the Hill, Elizabeth Hand (Mul­holland 978-0-31652-732-3, $30.00, 336pp, hc) October 2023.

Angry architecture of one sort or another has been a fixture of Gothic fiction since Walpole and Radcliffe – long before it evolved into the haunted house story as we know it today–and it shows no sign of loosening its grip on our imagination (even Disney was at it again this summer). Only a few ...Read More

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Books Reviews 

Alvaro Zinos-Amaro Reviews The Spice Must Flow: The Story of Dune, from Cult Novels to Visionary Sci-Fi Movies by Ryan Britt

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The Spice Must Flow: The Story of Dune, from Cult Novels to Visionary Sci-Fi Movies, Ryan Britt (Plume 978-0593472996, $18.00, 288pp, pb) September 2023.

In 13 breezy chapters, Ryan Britt traces Dune from its original conception as a non-fiction piece by Frank Herbert titled ‘‘They Stopped the Moving Sands’’ to its latest multi-installment cinematic adaptation at the hands of director De­nis Villeneuve. ‘‘What I hope lifelong fans get from ...Read More

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Books Reviews 

Ian Mond Reviews The Circumference of the World by Lavie Tidhar

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The Circumference of the World, Lavie Tid­har (Tachyon Publications 978-1-61696-362-0, $17.95, 256pp, tp) September 2023. Cover by Elizabeth Story.

If you’re a fan of Lavie Tidhar’s work (and you really should be), you’ll know he has a deep and abiding fascination with the history of science fiction. Tidhar’s short stories and novels are peppered with nods, winks, and hat tips to luminaries who have shaped the field, whether it ...Read More

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Books Reviews 

Gabino Iglesias Reviews The Legend of Charlie Fish by Josh Rountree

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The Legend of Charlie Fish, Josh Rountree (Tachyon Publications 978-1-61696-394-1, $16.95, 192pp, hc) July 2023. Cover by John Coulthart.

One of the best things about reading and editing anthologies is that you’re exposed to the work of many talented writers who are new to you or new to writing in general. I remember reading Josh Rountree’s work here and there and then publishing his work in an anthology. Every ...Read More

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Books Reviews 

Colleen Mondor Reviews Rook by William Ritter

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Rook, William Ritter (Algonquin 978-1-64375-240-2, $17.99, hc, 368pp) August 2023.

William Ritter returns to his successful Jackaby series with Rook, a new, somewhat standalone entry that will delight fans. Focussed on Jacka­by’s sidekick, Abigail Rook, the title follows the near-catastrophic events of The Dire King, the book where everything changed for the citizens of New Fiddleham, and most especially for Abigail. Now the one who wields a ...Read More

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Reviews Short Fiction 

Charles Payseur Reviews Short Fiction: GigaNotoSaurus, Fantasy, and Lightspeed

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GigaNotoSaurus 7/23 Fantasy 6/23 Lightspeed 7/23

GigaNotoSaurus dives into secondary world fantasy with July’s “Canyon Masks” by Reed Mingault, which imagines a world where gods Mark individuals with their power, and goddess sisters of luck have chosen Lyssa to be their agent in the world. A deft hand at manipulation and planning, Lyssa finds years of work on the edge of ruin when a Marked of the ...Read More

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Books Reviews 

Liz Bourke Reviews A Fire Born of Exile by Aliette de Bodard

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A Fire Born of Exile, Aliette de Bodard (JAB Books 978-1-6256-7652-8, $9.99, 406pp, tp) October 2023. Cover by Ravven. (Gollancz 978-1-47322-343-1, £18.99, 432pp, hc) October 2023. Cover by Alyssa Winans.

A Fire Born of Exile is Aliette de Bodard’s second novel-length Xuya universe space opera. It’s a compelling, atmospheric tale of consequences, romance, and revenge. (I should note that I’m mentioned in the acknowledgements, which may cause you to ...Read More

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Books Reviews 

Gary K. Wolfe Reviews The Circumference of the World by Lavie Tidhar

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The Circumference of the World, Lavie Tidhar (Tachyon 978-1-61696-362-0, $17.95, 256pp, tp) September 2023. Cover by Elizabeth Story.

For an author who I think can lay a reason­able claim to being one of the most innova­tive voices in modern science fiction, Lavie Tidhar never tires of displaying his affection for some of the older classics of the field. His new novel The Circumference of the World man­ages in a ...Read More

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Books Reviews 

Ian Mond Reviews Fever House by Keith Rosson

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Fever House, Keith Rosson (Random House 978-0-59359-575-6, $28.00, 448pp, hc) August 2023.

I am a sucker for a great front cover. Emily Temple’s monthly showcase on Literary Hub of the best covers from the preceding four weeks has led me to purchase a book based purely on a striking image or an eye-catching arrangement, regardless of subject matter. Keith Rosson’s fifth novel, Fever House, has a cover deserving ...Read More

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Books Reviews Short Fiction 

Alexandra Pierce Reviews You are My Sunshine and Other Stories by Octavia Cade

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You are My Sunshine and Other Stories, Octa­via Cade (Stelliform Press 978-1-77908-264-0, $19.99, 384pp, pb) September 2023. Cover by Rachel Lobbenberg.

Across the 15 stories collected in You are My Sunshine and Other Stories, Octavia Cade takes the reader through possible outcomes of climate change – what it may be like to through it, what might come out the other side. Written across the better part of a ...Read More

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Books Reviews 

Gabino Iglesias Reviews Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

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Silver Nitrate, Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Del Rey 978-0-59335-536-7, $28.00, 336pp, hc) July 2023. Cover by Fritz Metsch.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia seems to reinvent herself with every novel. Known for jumping around and mixing literary fiction, science fiction, crime, historical fiction, and horror, Moreno-Garcia, who has won numerous awards and built a huge readership that goes with her wherever she goes, obeys the demands of every narrative instead of sticking to the ...Read More

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Books Reviews 

Alex Brown Reviews Forged by Blood by Ehigbor Okosun

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Forged by Blood, Ehigbor Okosun (Harper Voyager 978-0-0631-1262-9, $32.00. 400pp, hc) August 2023.

Readers looking for a high-octane story with an equal amount of romance and fight scenes should look no further than Ehigbor Okosun’s Forged by Blood, the first in the debut author’s Tainted Blood duology. It’s the perfect summer adventure story.

Forged by Blood begins when Dèmi is a child living in desperate poverty with her ...Read More

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Reviews Short Fiction 

Charles Payseur Reviews Short Fiction: FIYAH, Diabolical Plots, and Flash Fiction Online

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Fiyah 7/23 Diabolical Plots 7/23 Flash Fiction Online 7/23

The theme for the July issue of Fiyah is ‘‘Car­nival,’’ celebration, costume, and commu­nity. Things that Salmik, the main character in Nkone Chaka’s novelette ‘‘Sentience’’, initially refuses to take much part in. They are a scien­tist – a famous one – who helped to stop the spread of a deadly fungal infection responsible for untold devastation across the ...Read More

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Books Reviews 

Colleen Mondor Reviews Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz by Garth Nix

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Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz, Garth Nix (Harper Voyager 978-0-06-329196-6, $30.00 hc, 304 pp) August 2023.

Published over the past 15 or so years, Garth Nix’s tales of Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz are now collected in a single volume titled after the two characters. Set in a variety of towns and kingdoms across an imagined landscape, these stories of sword and sorcery follow a knight and his powerful ...Read More

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Books Reviews 

Gabino Iglesias Reviews Mother Howl by Craig Clevenger

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Mother Howl, Craig Clevenger (Datura 978-1-91552-303-7, $17.99, 300pp, pb) June 2023. Cover by Kyerin Tyler.

The Contortionist’s Handbook, published in 2002, and Dermaphoria, published in 2005, made Craig Clevenger a household name and both became huge cult hits. Then readers had to sit and wait for whatever Clevenger did next. That long wait came to an end this year with Mother Howl, and the wait was ...Read More

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Books Reviews 

Liz Bourke Reviews Cassiel’s Servant by Jacqueline Carey

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Cassiel’s Servant, Jacqueline Carey (Tor 978-1-25020-833-0, $30.99, 548pp, hc) August 2023. Cover by Mélanie Delon.

Kushiel’s Dart, Jacqueline Carey’s debut novel, was first published in 2001. I read it perhaps two or three years after that, when I was 17 or so: I remember being terribly annoyed at myself when I cracked the spine on the UK trade paperback almost as strongly as I remember the impact ...Read More

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Books Reviews 

Jake Casella Brookins Reviews The Saint of Bright Doors by Vajra Chandrasekera

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The Saint of Bright Doors, Vajra Chandrasekera (Tordotcom 978-1-250-84738-6, 368pp, hc) July 2023.

Books that are good to mediocre, but enter­taining or idea-filled, are easy to talk about. Books that are troubling or problematic are easy to talk about. Even badly written books, if they’re entertaining or problematic, are easy to talk about. Truly superb books – ones that are complete, that are organic, that invite themselves into your ...Read More

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Alex Brown Reviews A Song of Salvation by Alechia Dow

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A Song of Salvation, Alechia Dow (Inkyard Press 978-1-33545-372-3, $18.99. 352pp, hc) July 2023.

Although technically a standalone, Alechia Dow’s new young adult space opera A Song of Salva­tion is part of the larger world shared by her two earlier YA novels The Sound of Stars and The Kindred. It helps, but you don’t need to read the other two to enjoy and understand the third. That said, ...Read More

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Books Reviews 

Ian Mond Reviews Oh God, The Sun Goes by David Connor

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Oh God, The Sun Goes, David Connor (Melville House 978-1-68589-062-9, $18.99, 240pp, tp) August 2023.

With its intriguing title, striking all-black cover marred by an iridescent circle (where the title sits) and absurdist conceit, David Connor’s de­but feels like it has been marketed just for me. I love nothing more than an unabashedly weird and experimental story, and Oh God, The Sun Goes fits that bill, an adventure in ...Read More

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Reviews Short Fiction 

Charles Payseur Reviews Short Fiction: Strange Horizons, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Baffling, and Kaleidotrope

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Strange Horizons 6/19/23, 7/3/23, 7/10/23, 7/17/23 Beneath Ceaseless Skies 6/29/23, 7/13/23 Baffling 7/23 Kaleidotrope 7/23

Samovar’s sibling publication, Strange Horizons, opens July with, among other, C. H. Lindsay’s poem “The Legacy of Granny Van Helsing”. The piece fleshes out a bit more of the family tree of the famous vampire hunter, revealing a rich line of people who know how to keep evil at bay through herb ...Read More

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Books Reviews 

Archita Mittra Reviews Shanghai Immortal by A.Y. Chao

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Shanghai Immortal, A.Y. Chao (Hodderscape 978-1-399-71741-0, £18.99, 352pp, hc) June 2023.

Shanghai Immortal by A.Y. Chao’s is a flamboyant debut fantasy novel featur­ing deities and demons from the Chinese pantheon that follows the escapades of Lady Jing – a half-vampire and half-hulijing fox spirit – as she traverses through the realms of Hell, 1930s Shanghai, and the Celestial lands. Vaguely remi­niscent of Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Gods of Jade and Shadow ...Read More

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Books Reviews 

Paul Di Filippo Reviews Starter Villain by John Scalzi

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Starter Villain, John Scalzi (Tor 978-0765389220, hardcover, 272pp, $28.99) September 2023

Graham Greene was fond of labeling some of his books as “entertainments,” implying that they were lighter, less serious, more pop-culture-oriented than his “novels.” Other artists have made similar distinctions, either implicitly or explicitly, switching from solemn works to less weighty ones and then back again. For instance, after the gravitas-laden Nebraska album, Bruce Springsteen chose to release ...Read More

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Books Reviews 

Gary K. Wolfe Reviews Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz by Garth Nix

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Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz, Garth Nix (Harper Voyager 978-0-06329-196-6, $30.00, 304pp, hc) August 2023.

Although writers as diverse as Joanna Russ and Terry Pratchett have paid tribute to Fritz Leiber’s classic Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser stories, ar­guably the most prominent current descendants of these tales are the Darger and Surplus stories of Michael Swanwick and the Hereward and Fitz stories of Garth Nix, now collected for the ...Read More

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Books Reviews 

Paul Di Filippo Reviews Creation Node by Stephen Baxter

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Creation Node, Stephen Baxter (Gollancz 978-1473228955, hardcover, 448pp, £25.00) September 2023

Stephen Baxter’s latest foray into mind-blowing cosmic speculation, a truly satisfying “done in one,” features an enchantingly real cast of characters exploring our solar system (and beyond), commencing in the year 2255, and extending for decades of future history afterwards. However, the book is almost two different beasts in one skin. Up to Chapter 33, it’s one type ...Read More

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Colleen Mondor Reviews Where Echoes Die by Courtney Gould

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Where Echoes Die, Courtney Gould (Wednes­day Books 978-1-250-82579-7, $20.00, hc, 337pp) June 2023. Cover by Peter Strain.

I so rarely see young adult science fiction that a short description of Courtney Gould’s Where Echoes Die was enough to get me ex­cited. (Abandoned military structures! Mysteri­ous ‘‘treatment’’ center! An entire town suffering from sporadic memory loss!) Two sisters pursue their deceased mother’s obsession of a small town in Arizona. On ...Read More

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Books Reviews 

Russell Letson Reviews Lords of Uncreation by Adrian Tchaikovsky

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Lords of Uncreation, Adrian Tchaikovsky (Orbit 978-0316705929, 624 pp, $29.00, hc) May 2023. Cover by Steve Stone.

Lords of Uncreation is the third entry in Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Final Architecture sequence that began with Shards of Earth and Eyes of the Void, which introduced a me­nagerie of alien civilizations living and dead, allies and opponents of all species, and a galactic history of interstellar warfare, ruined worlds, and refugees ...Read More

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Alex Brown Reviews Magic Has No Borders edited by Sona Charaipotra and Samira Ahmed

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Magic Has No Borders, Sona Charaipotra & Samira Ahmed, eds. (HarperTeen 978-0-06320-826-1, $19.99. 352pp, hc) May 2023. Cover by Jyotirmayee Patra.

Given how many young adult fiction heavy hit­ters there are in Sona Charaipotra and Samira Ahmed’s new YA fantasy anthology Magic Has No Borders, I came in with high expectations. Fourteen authors, all of whom I’ve read and loved before, coming together to share their South Asian ...Read More

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Paul Di Filippo Reviews Exadelic by Jon Evans

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Exadelic, Jon Evans (Tor ‎ 978-1250877734, hardcover, 448pp, $29.99) September 2023

The neologism that constitutes the title of Jon Evans’s mind-blowing new book (it’s the name of an all-powerful corporation) is certainly meant to conjure up echoes of “psychedelic,” and that allusiveness is substantiated by the over-the-top, enjoyably gonzo story itself. This off-the-rails, generously overstuffed, continuously surprising tale is what you might have gotten if Greg Egan had written ...Read More

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Reviews Short Fiction 

Charles Payseur Reviews Short Fiction: Escape Pod, Cast of Wonders, Worlds of Possibility and Samovar

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Escape Pod 6/22/23 Cast of Wonders 6/24/23 Worlds of Possibility 6/23 Samovar 6/26/23

This June saw a new original from Escape Pod with Andrew Dana Hudson’s “The Uncool Hunters”, which follows Rocky, an uncool hunter (or a fucking uncool hunter to properly capture the seriousness of the profes­sion) – who wades through the actual habits of the median consumer, helping corporations to understand and profit from the ...Read More

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