BLACK HALO Sam Sykes PYR ISBN:9781616143558 602 pages One primary element that makes Sword and Sorcery a distinctive genre of the fantastic is the choice of protagonists. They are not Farmboys of Predestination, nor are they dethroned monarchs fighting to restore order and status to their stolen kingdoms (although for enough coin or favors they’ll […]
HIDDEN CITIES Daniel Fox Del Rey ISBN: 978-0-345-50303-9 432 Pages Warning: Spoilers for anyone who hasn’t read the previous 2 books! She was written on his skin, in some spell-crafted liquor more potent than mere ink. The third book in Fox’s Moshui series, Hidden Cities is the conclusion of a strong, quiet epic. There’s war […]
But when Worlds Collide Said George Pal to his Bride I’m going to give you some terrible thrills. –Science Fiction Double Feature Picture Show My collection of movies on DVD rivals my all-too-large book collection. While I might not have seen a movie in a movie theater until I was into my teens¹, I’ve been […]
In Starbound, Joe Haldeman tells the breathtaking tale of a select few who journey to save humanity from the Others – an enigmatic and possibly immortal race of beings. Humanity’s newly acquired space travel is seen as a possible threat by them – a threat they are unwilling to accept. Given the Others‘ superior technology, […]
I am not a fan of urban fantasy, but I was curious to read Ben Aaronovitch‘s Midnight Riot because of a recurring blurb associated with it: that it was Harry Potter all grown-up and working as a policeman. It seemed like a silly idea, but I am pleased to report two things: that is not […]
Hellhole, a novel by Brian Herbert and Kevin J Anderson Review by Paul Weimer “What is your opinion of this, Mr. Jenet?” Vincent drew a deep breath, gave his honest response. “I believe something amazing happened to him, General. Beyond that…I can’t say. Will it be worth the expense and effort to dig into the […]
Xombies: Apocalypso by Walter Greatshell begins after the world has already been infected by Agent X – killing and resurrecting almost the entire human race. The scientist Uri Miska created the formula in a desperate effort to save mankind from an impending world-wide disaster. Former humans, resurrected as xombies, can survive virtually anything. Death holds […]
Musketeers and Dragons A review of The Alchemist in the Shadows, by Pierre Pevel. Review by Paul Weimer “This is a Black Seal. Each of them contains a drop of dragon’s blood, used by the Black Claw to seal its most precious documents…” He returned the case and Rochefort pocketed it immediately. “So the Black […]
New York Times Bestselling author, Alan Dean Foster, has written a science fiction mystery – The Human Blend. Two stories intertwine, the first about a thug and a doctor who team up to find out the contents of a high-tech silver thread, the second a story about two complete opposites that meet and grow as […]
Subscribe to The Functional Nerds Podcast on iTunes and never miss an episode!