Steampunk, Zombies and Alternate History: Boneshaker, by Cherie Priest

On December 7, 2011, in Book Review, Paul Weimer, by Paul Weimer

Its late 19th Century Seattle.  The gold rush of the Klondike a couple of decades earlier  meant that the city was large and growing when inventor Leviticus Blue’s magnum opus due too greedily and too deep, releasing a gas that turns those who breathe it too deeply into the walking dead.  Those bitten or injured […]

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Review: Boneshaker by Cherie Priest

On November 30, 2011, in Book Review, Cathy Russell, by Catherine Russell

  Boneshaker, by Cherie Priest, grabs the reader from page one and refuses to let go. The characters stand out, the setting is fantastic, and the situation dire. What better way to start a horror story? Set in the late 1800’s during the Civil War, the scientist Leviticus Blue invents an incredible drilling machine called […]

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Review: Earth by Mur Lafferty

On October 26, 2011, in Book Review, Cathy Russell, by Catherine Russell

    Dealing with the running of Heaven, the creation of a new Earth, and a literal administrative Hell has the newly deified Kate and Daniel both frazzled and emotionally drained in Earth, the third book of Mur Lafferty‘s Afterlife series. Despite their godly powers and knowledge, they lack the experience to handle their new […]

Review: Tales of the Arabian Nights

On October 3, 2011, in News, by Scott Suehle

I remember when I was in school one of my favorite things was getting my new “Choose Your Own Adventure” book from the weekly reader. Now many years later I think I have found the boardgame equivalent. “ Tales of the Arabian Nights” is an amazingly rich story telling game that will lead you down […]

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The Problem of Free Will: Prospero Regained and the Prospero’s Daughter Trilogy by L. Jagi Lamplighter

On September 21, 2011, in Book Review, Paul Weimer, by Paul Weimer

      “Ah!” Malagigi’s eyes flickered over the three staffs of power we carried—the staffs that were our Prospero Family legacy: Gregor’s Staff of Darkness, Erasmus’s Staff of Decay , and my flute, The Staff of Winds—before coming to rest upon Durandel riding in its sheath at Erasmus’s side.  Softly, he murmured. “Maybe, with […]

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Video Game Review – inFAMOUS 2

On September 14, 2011, in Jenn E, Video Game Review, by Jenn E

This review originally appeared on the Femme Gamer blog and is reprinted with the permission of the author. Platform: Playstation 3 ASIN: B002I0GX88 ESRB Rating: Teen Blood Drug Reference Language Sexual Themes Use of Alcohol Violence Developer: Sucker Punch Productions Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America Release Date: June 7, 2011 Infamous 2 is the follow-up […]

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Review: Mark Charan Newton’s Nights of Villjamur

On September 7, 2011, in Book Review, Jaym Gates, by Jaym Gates

Publisher: Spectra ISBN-10: 0345520858 ISBN-13: 978-0345520852 Nights of Villjamur Mark Charan Newton Shrouded in snow and ice, and facing the threat of an endless winter, the city of Villjamur is–understandably–under a great deal of stress. Refugees stream from all over the Empire, the Emperor is mad and paranoid, councilors are being murdered, cultist tensions are […]

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Review: Never Never Stories by Jason Sanford

On August 29, 2011, in Book Review, Cathy Russell, by Catherine Russell

    Jason Sanford‘s newest anthology, Never Never Stories, contains the most original speculative fiction that I’ve ever read. The ten stories, some of them previously published, were selected as the crème de la crème of his collection; and they explore themes and questions common throughout truly great science fiction. What does it mean to […]

The return of the Hierophant of the New Weird: The Thackery T. Lambshead Cabinet of Curiosities, edited by Ann and Jeff Vandermeer

On August 15, 2011, in Book Review, Paul Weimer, by Paul Weimer

hierophant noun. 1. (Historical Terms) (in ancient Greece) an official high priest of religious mysteries, esp those of Eleusis 2. a person who interprets and explains esoteric mysteries Back when I wrote a review of Finch, I called Jeff Vandermeer the “Hierophant of the New Weird”.  I used that unusual word on purpose, then, and I use […]

Review: White Elephant

On July 27, 2011, in News, by Scott Suehle

I recently received a copy of White Elephant from Brian Kelley. Brian is trying to fund his game thru kickstarter and sent out a few demos to get feedback on and also to get the word out about this fun party card game. White Elephant is based on the annual tradition of holiday party gift […]

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Desdaemona: Ben Macallan

On July 25, 2011, in Book Review, Jaym Gates, by Jaym Gates

Desdaemona by Ben Macallan Desdaemona is a stand-alone Urban Fantasy set in London. The protagonist, Jordan, hears a banshee’s scream late at night. He finds a teenage girl cowering in a bus station, under attack by a pack of werewolves. The girl has no one else to help her, so seventeen-year old Jordan stands between […]

Review: Galileo’s Dream by Kim Stanley Robinson

On July 22, 2011, in Book Review, Cathy Russell, by Catherine Russell

    Galileo’s Dream, by author Kim Stanley Robinson, takes the reader on a time traveling adventure between the moons of Jupiter and the most famous cities of the Renaissance, between the political turmoil of the distant future to the inner turmoil of Galileo’s own mind. Our guides throughout the journey are a man named […]

Exploring the domain of Hard SF and beyond: A review of Jonathan Strahan’s anthology Engineering Infinity

On July 21, 2011, in Book Review, Paul Weimer, by Paul Weimer

  A Review of Engineering Infinity, edited by Jonathan Strahan   Jonathan Strahan is a freelance editor known for the wide variety of anthologies and author collections he has helped mold into shape. Ranging from collections of Jack Vance and Larry Niven to the New Space Opera to the Sword and Sorcery anthology Swords and […]

Review: Timecaster by Joe Kimball

On July 7, 2011, in Book Review, Cathy Russell, by Catherine Russell

      Do I dare disturb the universe? – (TS Elliot) quoted by The Mastermind Timecaster by Joe Kimball, a self described Eco-punk novel set in a green utopean future, promises all the thrills, violence, sex, and groin punches that you probably wouldn’t expect in that setting. It’s not short on humor either. In […]

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The Coming of the Quantum Paratime Princes : A review of Cowboy Angels

On June 9, 2011, in Book Review, Paul Weimer, by Paul Weimer

Cowboy Angels A novel by Paul McAuley Review by Paul Weimer   “There are white-tailed deer and woodland caribou and mule deer. Wolves and black bears, and short-faced bears too-those are as big as grizzlies. A few panthers.” “Pretty good hunting in Manhattan” “We call the island New Amsterdam here…If you want to hunt something […]

Music Review: Presto Ballet Invisible Places

On June 6, 2011, in Mike Frighetto, Music Review, by Mike Frighetto

If you’ve never heard of Presto Ballet, that’s okay, I didn’t either until I came across them as a suggested band on iTunes about a year ago. Presto Ballet is a progressive rock band formed by Kurt Vanderhoof, guitarist for Metal Church. He wanted to pay homage to the prog bands from the 70s so […]

Vodka, Spirits and Secondary World Fantasy: The Winds of Khalakovo

On May 19, 2011, in Book Review, Paul Weimer, by Paul Weimer

The Winds of Khalakovo A novel by Bradley P Beaulieu Review by Paul Weimer “You look thin” Rehada said, perhaps growing tired of the silence. She held two snifters of infused vodka, one of which she handed to Nikandr as she settled gracefully upon the nearby pillows. “The work on the Gorovna…” Thankfully the wasting […]

The Outsiders: A Review of Black Halo by Sam Sykes

On May 11, 2011, in Book Review, John Ginsberg-Stevens, by John Ginsberg-Stevens

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 […]

Review: Starbound by Joe Haldeman

On April 20, 2011, in Book Review, Cathy Russell, by Catherine Russell

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, […]

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Bridges and Rivers: A Review of Ben Aaronovitch’s Midnight Riot

On April 11, 2011, in Book Review, by John Ginsberg-Stevens

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 […]

Old School Space Opera is alive and well—A review of Hellhole

On April 7, 2011, in Book Review, by Paul Weimer

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 […]

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Review: Xombies Apocalypso by Walter Greatshell

On April 4, 2011, in Book Review, Cathy Russell, by Catherine Russell

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 […]

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