"There's something awe-inspiring about being able to stand beneath this metal monster that is waiting to turn mA tour de force in time travel fiction.
"There's something awe-inspiring about being able to stand beneath this metal monster that is waiting to turn my brain, my humanity, into bits and bytes, then suck the whole thing away, beam it to another time, another place."
I'm going to be honest, I came into this read not expecting too much. I had previously read one of Philip Fracassi's novels and although I didn't hate it, it certainly wasn't a book that left me in awe. This book was a completely different kettle of fish. Put it this way, I devoured this within a 24-hour period. That is unheard of for me unless I'm reading a short story, which this certainly isn't. The book follows our main character (Beth) during the testing of a scientific device that for all intents and purposes is a time travel machine. Yes we are treading ground that has been well trodden over the years and some might say is rather cliche or even so overused that it's boring, but that's where they're wrong. Philip Fracassi has somehow managed to create something that flows effortlessly and pulls the reader in every step of the way. Yes there are some common tropes and the language isn't overly elaborate but this doesn't detract from what is a thoroughly engrossing, emotional and sometimes shocking story.
"..humans are made up of memories. It's the constitution of who we are. Our minds hold the reflections of a billion lives, infinite parallel worlds...but only fate can decide which of those we are allowed to see and touch."
Ultimately what I'm trying to say is that it was an amazing read and a testament to the author's ability to tell a great story.
Read this on sight!
I received an advanced copy for free and I'm leaving this unbiased review voluntarily....more
An amazing Science Fiction story. 'Deep time humbles the human moment. What do the tens of thousands of years care for your plans?'
When I was sent a coAn amazing Science Fiction story. 'Deep time humbles the human moment. What do the tens of thousands of years care for your plans?'
When I was sent a copy of Dissolution to read and review, it brightened a bit of a tough day and as it happened, it did the same for the next six days of reading.
As with his previous book Ascension, this is a speculative sci-fi thriller and it happens to tick all the boxes for me. It has a deepness that many books from the genre tend to lack. I guess you could say that it's a love story buried within a sci-fi framework, which manages to pull me deeper and deeper into the story. It's also nice that the story doesn't get lost behind all of the science involved within this novel. It's extremely accessible for science lovers or those who have no interest in science at all. As for the storytelling, it's exemplary. You'll be thinking you've sussed things out and then, bam! The story twists and turns, feeding you little hints here and there, pulling you along with it.
'But real loneliness is repetition: doing the same routines day in and day out with nothing new to reflect on or look forwards to.'
I've purposely not revealed any of the themes within due to not wanting to spoil this for anyone, but if you love a good thriller or science fiction novel then I'd suggest giving this a go. Exemplary work from Nicholas Binge, yet again.
I received an advanced copy for free and I'm leaving this unbiased review voluntarily....more
Firstly I have no idea where to start this review. The writing is amazing and conjured up so many different images in my mind, but on the other hand, Firstly I have no idea where to start this review. The writing is amazing and conjured up so many different images in my mind, but on the other hand, I have next to no idea what the hell I just read. That's exactly where my problem lies. Parts of this short story seemed to make sense and others just felt like I was in the midst of a fever dream. Hence the lack of any kind of synopsis in this review. I just don't know how to explain things. So in summary, this was beautifully written but in terms of plot, I have no idea what I've just read. So I'm awarding three stars for now due to my not following events in this story....more
'It's strange what hindsight does. Takes all the layers of emotions and flattens them, turns them either good or bad. It can take time to see the s'It's strange what hindsight does. Takes all the layers of emotions and flattens them, turns them either good or bad. It can take time to see the shadows as something beautiful.'
An exceptional piece of science fiction writing. What I loved most about reading this was the simple fact it was an easily accessible sci-fi novel but still provided a good amount of detail and world-building. I have found that the majority of books in the genre can often get bogged down with the detail, in fact, a sheer information overload. To add to this, it may be a story of science fiction but also does an amazing job of highlighting more human elements and how we deal with things such as loss and love.
The story follows a brother and sister duo of activists (let's not forget their cat), who are traveling the universe in a hunt for documents from fallen civilizations. Soon they discover the potential of some information that could potentially change the course of their civilisation's future.
A beautifully written and heartfelt sci-fi novel. One I'd suggest even non-fans of science fiction should check out.
Thankyou to to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC copy to review....more
This is my second time reading a book from this author, and I have to say his writing is exceptional. This novella is a 50/50 mix of horror and scienceThis is my second time reading a book from this author, and I have to say his writing is exceptional. This novella is a 50/50 mix of horror and science fiction set in an asylum unlike any you have known, it's on the moon and it's safe to say that things aren't as they initially seem. As far as novellas go, this is a top-drawer effort. It has it all, a great storyline, amazingly well-drawn characters, with plenty of mystery and action thrown in for good measure. I cannot wait for the next book in the series. Exceptional and highly recommended!...more
What a fun and captivating, out-of-this-world read this turned out to be.
'My name is Annabelle Crisp. This is the story of what happened to me, what IWhat a fun and captivating, out-of-this-world read this turned out to be.
'My name is Annabelle Crisp. This is the story of what happened to me, what I did about it, and the consequences thereof.'
This book is called The Strange and as the title suggests, this is a very strange yet hypnotising novel. Events play out in a Martian world, colonised by human settlers within an altered timeline so similar to, yet unlike our own. As the story progresses the characters encounter many strange and fascinating events and entities, including the titular Strange. You will have to read this to find out about that yourself. To me, this book was a real breath of fresh air. It has all the elements you would want from a science fiction novel, along with plenty of elements that you wouldn't necessarily expect.
'As if summoned by an invocation, ghosts appeared around us in the darkness, too: phantoms curling in the wind with the sand from the dunes, rising up in breezy spirals, coalescing into the suggestion of a form, and the dissolving into the wind like blown seeds.'
The story is narrated by and follows the scintillating adventures of Annabelle, a rather headstrong, petulant, and larger-than-life young girl. She has all the traits you would assume a young girl would have, yet she is so much more than that. My thoughts on her varied throughout my reading experience. One moment, I would feel caringly towards her or feel some kind of pity for the situations she finds herself in. Yet within a few more pages of reading, I would maybe feel something closing in on hatred for her but when thinking back to my youth, things were far more black and white than they appear later on in life, so ultimately this can be forgiven with foresight. I loved this story having such a conflicted and multifaceted main character.
This felt like an amazing blend of science fiction, horror and a dystopian frontier western, with plenty of otherworldly supernatural elements thrown in for good measure. I loved this mix of influences. It felt fresh and full-bodied compared to the majority of science fiction I have read recently and kept me on my toes trying to anticipate what would happen next. The writing was brilliantly descriptive and kept to a very pleasant pace from start to finish. The overall reading experience was very rewarding and enjoyable with a good balance between action, dialogue, really well-drawn characters and a great knack for telling an extremely enjoyable and multilayered story. I know a book is good when I can picture the events within my mind's eye, with this I almost felt like I was on that lonely and hostile red planet myself.
'I was drawn to it, though it stirred a primordial fear in me. It was the original terror, the knowledge of a predatory hunger lurking beyond the firelight's edge.' Strange by name, even stranger by nature. Highly recommended!!
Thanks to Netgalley and Titan Books for providing me with an ARC copy for review....more
The Tommyknockers is a book that often gets a bad rap, but I think it deserves more praise than it receives. It's not flawless but is still a remarkabThe Tommyknockers is a book that often gets a bad rap, but I think it deserves more praise than it receives. It's not flawless but is still a remarkable novel.
'Insanity is refusing to go down certain paths of speculation even though the logic is there . . . like a token for the turnstile.'
It is a gripping and terrifying story of how an ancient alien force that lies hidden in the woods takes over a small town in Maine and awakens its latent abilities and changes them into something else. The book is full of suspense, horror, humour and emotion, as we follow the fates of the townspeople, especially the two main characters: Bobbi Anderson, a writer of Westerns who stumbles upon the spaceship and becomes consumed with excavating it; and Jim Gardener, her old friend and lover, who is an alcoholic poet with a metal plate in his head that protects him from the alien influence.
'In that brief movement he could see how it would look coming out of the ground – he could see its shadow rippling slowly over the ground as it came up and out, could hear the unearthly wailing of its hull scraping over the bones of bedrock, could sense everyone in Haven looking this way as it rose into the sky, hot and glittering, a monstrous silver coin slowly heeling over to the horizontal for the first time in millennia, floating soundlessly in the sky, floating free . .'
This was such a rich novel, blending so many different stories into one huge captivating story. For me, Book Two: Tales of Haven was a standout of the book, which I couldn't help but compare with Needful Things in the way that it linked multiple stories and showed the real consequences of Bobbi's discovery in the woods. For me Gardener was the star of the book, he made me chuckle, gasp and feel a few very moving moments. He was a nuanced and imperfect character, struggling with alcoholism and alien influence, but also showing courage and loyalty. I loved his sarcastic remarks and his bond with Bobbi. A fantastic anti-hero if there ever was one. Hee also provided a great background of paranoia and scepticism which then added to the tense and uncertain nature of events.
"It sounds like a bad ethnic joke. Imagine yourself driving along an American thruway – I-95 or I-70, maybe – and coming up on a sign that says PLEASE CLOSE ALL WINDOWS, TURN OFF ALL VENTILATION ACCESSORIES, AND DRIVE AS FAST AS YOUR CAR WILL GO FOR THE NEXT TWENTY MILES."
The book explores themes of addiction, creativity, identity and power, as well as the risks of technology and nuclear war. The book also pays homage to many classic works of science fiction and horror, such as The War of the Worlds, The Thing and The Twilight Zone.
'It looked like the surface of a harsh, dead world. The gray earth was dry and cold; cracks gaped like dead reptilian mouths. They went zigzagging away in every direction. Overhead was a sky blacker than jewelers’ velvet, and a billion stars screamed down – they were brighter than the stars anyone on the surface of the earth had ever seen, because the place Hilly was looking at with the wide, horrified eye of his imagination was almost or totally airless.'
The Tommyknockers is a splendid and inventive work of fiction that will keep you engrossed and horrified until the end....more
This book follows Harold, who as part of an exploratory team is investigating the mysterious appearance of Ascension is a modern science fiction epic!
This book follows Harold, who as part of an exploratory team is investigating the mysterious appearance of a gigantic mountain in the middle of the ocean. The story is told in the form of letters to his Niece, in which Harold has described his extraordinary experiences, thoughts and outlined the slow agonizing unravelling of his mind. I could easily compare Ascension to books like The Martian (Andy Weir), The Story of Your Life (Ted Chiang), The Ruins (Scott Smith) and to movies like Alive, Arrival and Interstellar. It has elements of all of these but also much more.
'Nobody spoke. Words felt insufficient, out of place. In the face of its magnitude, simile and metaphor felt ridiculous. This mountain - it rejects language. It renders it impotent. All that exists in its place is utter disbelief, and almost religious awe.'
This novel had me hooked from very early on. It's so well-paced and beautifully written that it didn't relinquish its grip on me until the very last word. The story had it all. From moments of true horror, suspense and violence to moments of immense beauty and cosmic mystery.
'"To see a world in a grain of sand", 'Jet said, his eyes wild. '"And heaven in a wild flower. Hold infinity in the palm of your hand and eternity in an hour."'
I gave this a perfect rating of five stars and wouldn't hesitate to recommend this phenomenal novel.
Nicholas Binge is one to watch!
I received an advanced copy for free and I'm leaving this unbiased review voluntarily....more
'What if, instead, to forget is to open a door to a void; the memory is not retrievable because it is not there, was never there.'
This was the sec'What if, instead, to forget is to open a door to a void; the memory is not retrievable because it is not there, was never there.'
This was the second time reading anything by Paul Tremblay and the fifth story from the Forward collection. Possibly my favourite from the collection so far.
I'm not going to write any kind of overview for this one, but I will say that I loved this piece of work, it's creepy, oppressive, disorientating and hugely thought-provoking work. Hopefully, you can experience it for yourself.
'Your consciousness recedes toward the singularity that you fear.'
This has really got me thinking about our memories and to what extent they remain original or accurate, rather than just a shadow or interpretation of the event. I guess no memory is authentic....more
Would you like to manipulate and preview your child's future?
“No promise was ever quite kept; no bill ever quite paid; no dream ever quite realized.”
SWould you like to manipulate and preview your child's future?
“No promise was ever quite kept; no bill ever quite paid; no dream ever quite realized.”
Sam is visiting Vitek, a fertility clinic of sorts, where parents can enhance traits to improve their offspring's chance of success in life. At Vitek Sam is shown three short films, each showing a video of what his child would be like depending on the characteristic he selects for him.
The writing was great, with plenty of detail considering that it is only a short story. I absolutely loved the premise of this story. My only dislike was the ending, it felt forced and just didn't resonate with.
This was the fourth part of the forward series for me and while not my favorite so far it was an immensely captivating and thought-provoking work....more
An explorer is sent back to investigate a civilisations original planet, while there we get to hear the progaganists experience from second and third An explorer is sent back to investigate a civilisations original planet, while there we get to hear the progaganists experience from second and third parties.
I really liked the premise of this but ultimately the writing style didn't gel well with me at all. It's almost like a one sided log of correspondence and conversation. It would have been nice to have explored or experienced a little from a first person perspective.
'Tellus is nearly a thousand light-years from home, meaning that the light we receive from that world is hundreds of years old.' Also someone clearly didn't work out the science, this above quote makes no sense. I suppose that got me started on a bad footing.
The underlying message didn't work so well for me either, for me it was like being force fed the writers beliefs.
This short story did have its good points and wasn't a terrible read, it just wasn't for me....more
A captivating and thought provoking science fiction short story about sentient technology and the human condition.
“Without pain, there’s no beauty, MA captivating and thought provoking science fiction short story about sentient technology and the human condition.
“Without pain, there’s no beauty, Max. The beauty is worth the price.”
This was my second time reading Blake Crouch and I must say I'm impressed with his level of detail. This book felt like a cross between Westworld, Ex-Machina and Morgan. Throughout the writing was enjoyable and well-paced, with some beautiful written passages. The only real drawback being its similarity to the movies I mentioned previously, this being my reason for only giving three stars.
'>>>Hello, Riley. >>>What have you done since our last session? >>>Max read 895,013 books.'
If you're at all interested in reading science fiction, then this may well be worth checking out....more
That's was fun and thought provoking. Think of an end of world scenario and how it would make you feel an think. The first story in the Forward collectiThat's was fun and thought provoking. Think of an end of world scenario and how it would make you feel an think. The first story in the Forward collection was a real treat....more
An interesting take on the concept of alien first contact, science and religion's influence on this, then what develops after. Not bad for such a shortAn interesting take on the concept of alien first contact, science and religion's influence on this, then what develops after. Not bad for such a short story....more
A wholesome science fiction tale of good versus evil, told in typical Dean Koontz fashion.
'Disbelief gave way to fright and incomprehension. He was teA wholesome science fiction tale of good versus evil, told in typical Dean Koontz fashion.
'Disbelief gave way to fright and incomprehension. He was terrified, his grip on reality eroding. He faced the unknown, something mysterious, maybe occult. He had no interest in the unknown, no curiosity about it.'
I'm going to keep this review relatively short. This was a real mixed bag for me, the beginning was gripping but as the book progressed things slowly became predictable and I'm sorry to say, quite cheesy. There are moments of great writing and then moments where I was left almost laughing at what I was reading. Predictably Koontz did manage to shoehorn a few dog-related moments too, which were totally unnecessary and then there were even mentions of characters from his previous books. “What’re you—Jane Hawk?” “Who’s Jane Hawk?” “This kick-ass rogue FBI agent in these novels my mom likes. Even if you were Jane Hawk, it won’t work the way you say. It never will.” There were moments of beautiful writing and imagery and the concept itself was an interesting idea, along with many of the characters being well-drawn and reasonably believable. I also loved some of the scientific and philosophical ideas used within the plot.
Overall this wasn't a bad book, it had plenty of promise early on, then sadly became bang average at best.
'Yet as he’d stood in the red sunset, in the dying of the light, he had felt that he was being watched. In fact, the feeling had been so intense that, surveying the yard and willows nearest to him, he’d been overcome by the bizarre conviction that whoever watched him was right there, not concealed in the distance and using binoculars, but within a few yards, maybe even within arm’s reach, real but somehow invisible.'...more
A short prequel to 'Innocence'. This serves its purpose as a companion piece but doesn't really add anything new.
'Many hearts contain great beauty andA short prequel to 'Innocence'. This serves its purpose as a companion piece but doesn't really add anything new.
'Many hearts contain great beauty and the smallest measure of darkness. In many other hearts, beauty brightens only remote corners where otherwise darkness rules.'...more
Time Travel, colonization, loss, loneliness and a pandemic (no idea where that idea came from). Simply put this is a good, quick read but there is alsTime Travel, colonization, loss, loneliness and a pandemic (no idea where that idea came from). Simply put this is a good, quick read but there is also nothing exceptional about it in my opinion....more
A story about religion, telepathy, mutation, eugenics, civilization and how as a race we just don't learn, set in a post-apocalyptic world somewhere iA story about religion, telepathy, mutation, eugenics, civilization and how as a race we just don't learn, set in a post-apocalyptic world somewhere in the future.
The story is told in a fairly simplistic style with typical language for the mid 1900's, which can mean long, boring, unneeded passages at times and some outdated views. This grated on me a few times during my reading, but it's to be expected when reading books from the time.
I came into my reading with some expectations of a more grandiose sci-fi read but gradually changed or lowered my expectations. For the most part I enjoyed my first time reading John Wyndham.
Note: Goodreads didn't save my longer first review so you'll have to make do with this mess....more