Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 218, November 2024 by Neil Clarke


Resa Nelson "LuvHome™" -- (3*) It's a feel-good story about a condo forcing its owner to perform some basic self-care. I suppose I appreciate the message, but it's pretty generic self-recrimination stuff.


Claire Jia-Wen "Mirror Stages" -- (5*) This one gave me all the feels of The Substance, with some nice Blade Runner 2049 imagery, but with the hard-hitting self-awareness of selling yourself hard. Honestly, I'm leaning to call this a gut-punch story for those willing to look hard at themselves.


D.A. Xiaolin Spires "Luminous Glass, Vibrant Seeds" -- (5*) I'm giving this 5 stars because of how it made me feel, giving me just the right kind of technological hopefulness, solar-punk, artistic awareness (glassblowing) and horticulture in a society that didn't destroy itself. So, thank you for this.


A. W. Prihandita "Negative Scholarship on the Fifth State of Being" -- (5*) This one is likely going to be my choice for "best" anything. It's about understanding, or rather, about holding, caring for whatever you can never understand. It's a very beautiful story.


E.N. Auslender "Duty of Care" -- (3*) For the most of the read, I was struck by how much this was just about Simon and Garfunkel while doing monotonous maintenance in space. However, the end redeemed it.


Oliver Stifel "The Slide" -- (3*) This one was a bit weird for me. There was hardly anything SF or F about it. It WAS, however, a fine story about race car driving. Others will get more mileage out of this than me.

Raahem Alvi "Technicolor Bath" -- (4*) A rather creepy SF about post-life coping.

Michael Swanwick "Unquiet Graves" -- (5*) Easily my favorite of the month, and not just because it's by Swanwick, someone I've always enjoyed. The story, about post-death conversations and relationships, was a bright, vibrant story in a graveyard.




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The Last Continent by Terry Pratchett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Re-Read 11/30/24:

I really said it all in the previous review, but I'll just mention: I still love re-reading all these Discworlds. Just seeing the top staff at Unseen University becoming (view spoiler)[KIDS (hide spoiler)] or seeing Australia get roasted in fantasy is a real treat.

And Rincewind, of course. Always fun to see Rincewind. :)



Original Review:

Despite the author's protestations that this isn't Australia in a thin disguise, I am back to confirm that this Last Continent is, indeed, Australia.

Even the God of Evolution basically came right out and said it. :)

Rincewind on another adventure, and this time it's in the outback, putting all his mad survival skills to the ultimate test, mate.

On a side note, the head staff of Unseen University seems to have misplaced themselves.

I can't quite tell whether I enjoyed Rincewind's ongoing adventures more than Ridcully's crew. Both were fun. But let's face it, this book is nothing but a bunch of Australian cliche jokes. Good enough for now and amusing for a moment, but I can't put this book on any "best of" Pratchett lists. I'd call this a placeholder Pratchett. Very good in general but nothing superior. :)




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Jingo by Terry Pratchett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Re-Read 11/29/24:

Still a great anti-war read, Discworld-style..

Fun fact, it came out in 1997, with memories of the first Gulf War still fresh in everyone's minds and a whole slew of echoes of a world full of complicated issues and uncomplicated jingoisms.

Of course, with enough PR, any war can be turned into something glorious... right? Even stupid islands rising up out of nowhere can be a good enough reason to go to war, right?

Yeah, well, there are worse. And TP seems to be pretty great at skewering them all. :)





Original Review:

War. War never changes.

Unless you're talking about Discworld.

And then history tends to change based on what you had to eat and whether or not a football is involved. And then, you need to remember the importance of knowing your neighbor's names.

You know... this second time reading this was much more interesting than the first. I simply had a much better time going to war. There's nothing like a bit of stabby stabby or running away from a certain man of the watch dressed up like a woman to get the blood moving.

Still, I have to say... poor Vimes. A dukedom? The poor man!!!



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Livesuit by James S.A. Corey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Very fun story. Reminded me of the awesome Alastair Reynolds short story about a never ending war with a suit that basically takes people over, to keep them going, to fantastic horror-effects.

This, however, has a bit more grounding and characterizations, being a bit longer, but I definitely had that sinking feeling the entire time.

Fortunately, this novella does a great job whetting my appetite for the next book. *rubs hands together*



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Threads of Fate: Ascend Online, Book 5 by Luke Chmilenko
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I guess I really enjoyed the lower-level, increasing-power books more than this later LitRPG. There's probably nothing explicitly wrong with this new book, except that I keep losing focus or care for what's happening.

The story was better in the past. This isn't quite as grounded as before.

That being said, I wanted to enjoy it a lot more than I did.



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The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Genuinely fun, light, and clever mystery.

I guess it has exactly that modern old-folks home feel, with all the real crabbiness, humor, and snark you might expect by a bunch of old people going about, solving ancient mysteries and new murders.

What can I say? The novel felt velvety and sweet, just like a murderous cupcake. This might be one of my favorite mysteries in a long time. I think I may enjoy it more than Christie.



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The Myth of American Idealism: How U.S. Foreign Policy Endangers the World by Noam Chomsky
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm of two minds on this newest work by Noam Chomsky. Perhaps the most damning is something that is quite natural--he is getting old and this particular work seems to be not of new ideas, but of a compilation of a select few of Chomsky's previous research and logical observations.

Indeed, I've read and have been amazed with the amount of erudite, carefully fact-supported recollection of history that Chomsky has put into all of his previous work. Indeed, his eidetic memory and endless examination of public documents is itself well-documented. But more important than that, Chomsky made a name for himself by asking simple questions, backed up with careful observation, that led to logical conclusions that *should* be unassailable now--in a thoughtful world.

Of course, we do not live in A Thoughtful World. You know, one that asks if our actions are aligned with our espoused idealism. Whether the countless spoken intents of governments ever actually align with policy.

Chomsky has always been a rational thought that lays out actual policy, history, and compares it to actual events, using vast, overwhelming facts. Almost like a scientist would posit a hypothesis and clearly look at the data to see if said hypothesis correctly predicted or supported the data, and what conclusion might be gleaned.

Weirdly, though, or maybe not so weirdly, Chomsky's thoughtful presentations have, for years, been labeled as radical leftist thought--as if asking whether people, any people, might have a right to live their lives in safety and peace, is a radical idea.

I'm not even joking. And it's not like we're not seeing this every day, still. If a person's right to live unmolested goes against the greedy goals of the powerful, then not only will the propaganda go into full swing against that person, but their lives will be forfeit.

This book will remind you, or perhaps teach you from scratch, of many, many examples that go in the face of stated idealism, showing the ugly hawkish truth. Of course, this idea may not be unknown to you--but bear in mind that Chomsky's detailed, fact-driven writing and amazingly clear conclusions make him a true treasure in the realm of rationality. Don't sleep on this. Or rather, even if you're a fan, this still works well to remind, as well as mesh in, the current climate.

Things have obviously gotten that much worse, and let me be clear: Chomsky predicted it all. He's a true modern Cassandra.

My only complaint? Well, it's more of a lament. Chomsky is getting old now, and health problems prevent him from giving us more of his sharp mind. If we needed anyone today, I'd say we'd need him to shine a bright light on our current situation. Unfortunately, I don't think we will ever be as lucky again.



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We Solve Murders by Richard Osman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is my first Osman, and I really didn't know what to expect. Popular mystery author? Sure. Let's gooooo...

So here I go with a reluctant jet-setter, a popular author and her adrenaline-junky heroine, and murders, mystery, some pretty decent banter, and a distinctively modern feel.

Indeed, I've read about 3 novels just this year that have this uber-cosmopolitan mystery vibe. Some have a bit more spycraft in them than this. Some are a lot more serious. But this one? It seems to be a pretty easy-going "I'm rich so I can do what I want even if it's solving mysteries" kind of book--without devolving into a cozy.

Did I like it?

Yes, I think I did. At least, I like it enough to call it light, popcorn fiction. Entertaining, if not deep. But not all books have to be everything, right?

Scratch that mystery itch.




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How to Defeat a Demon King in Ten Easy Steps by Andrew Rowe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Rowe, an already pretty great LitRPG writer in his own right, writes a funny novel that makes FUN of actual RPGs by exposing the old stupid tropes.

Honestly? It's okay. It skewers the tropes, capitalizes on power-leveling, makes fun of fairies, and asks the simple question: does logic work in defeating the big bad?

Well, read it and find out. :) Fast, tongue-in-cheek, and solid.


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The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ah, to never return to the days of armadas, to have to lie in the face of religion, to never have much hope if you have any magic at all.

Bardugo pulled off a neat hat-trick... just so long as you know what you're getting into. This is an extremely slow-burn historical romance tinged oh-so-dangerously with magic--during a time that was downright EFFICIENT with inquisitions. And oh, it was so easy to expect the inquisition, here.

BUT. The hope, the quirky conversations, the burning romance... I admit I was here for it. The historical accuracy was also very nice, and the neat twist of the Familiar, itself, got my heart pumping.

All told, if you're looking for more in the vein of Bardugo's other works, then manage your expectations. If you DO want a pretty damn fascinating look at a time both damn greedy and bloody minded, with a great deal of intrigue and human nature, inching its way to its inevitable end, then definitely pick this book up.

I enjoyed it. It's more historical romance with a healthy dollop of really creative magic. Sometimes, that's all we really need, no?



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Cold Welcome by Elizabeth Moon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A return to Vatta's series, but this time, not as a hero, but to a place... with a cold welcome. :)

All said, she's crashed and presumed dead with some she can call friends, and others, not so much. It's a fine line for a mil-SF and much more character-driven than most. All said, it's good competence porn and a pleasing re-entry into the series. She was the hero in the previous, and that hasn't changed so much here, but she's definitely in enemy territory again.

Worth the read.



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The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Bennett always seems to pull through, giving us great, interesting tales.

And this one? Think Attack on Titan meets Sherlock Holmes and Watson. Give it solid, interesting magic and plagues, stir, shake it a little, and then watch a little Class War spit and spark.

Of course, I think the characters shine the most. I really got a kick out of the mystery, too, but these characters really hit the spot.

I could read this kind of thing forever.



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Polostan by Neal Stephenson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Polostan is definitely one for Stepensonstans. While I'll never call this one a top 4 for his copious awesome-making bibliography, Neal definitely delivers on a wickedly wild alt-history ride taking us through great spycraft-grooming from the Lenin's revolution to the United States, from Bonnie and Clyde to Montana gunslingers to DC revolutionary activity to the Chicago Fair to the first glimmers of the science that will lead to the Atomic Bomb. Let's not forget the gangsters, the Gilded age, and Comrades, galore!

Seriously, this is a tour-de-force of funky fun, written like a cyberpunk (hello Stephensonstans) meets historical greatness. Of course, this just reminds me of Neal's other historical trilogy, but this hits closer to home, with all the great walk-ons of the age.

It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it's smart and wild and insanely political.

Not OUR political, mind you, but let's just say the 1920's and 1930's have a LOT in common with today.

Well worth the read!



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Farmer in the Sky by Robert A. Heinlein
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Re-Read

This is an early SF by Heinlein, way back in 1950. He tackles colonialism, as if Ganymede could handle farms, and handles the homesteading question from a YA kind of novel.

It may be slightly dated, and this damn cocky kid has RAH's trademark DIY attitude, which is fine, but the novel IS a part of its time. It's basically reflection of Boy Scouts and coming to grips with population pressures, but for as simple as this sounds, it's still a solid SF. Small town, frontier cowboy ethics IS rather a sign of the cultural zeitgeist of the 1950's.

If it's focused more on boys growing up to be men, so be it. It's not one of my favorites of RAH, but it has a pretty solid story.



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All the Skills 4 by Honour Rae
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

So far, I'm loving every new direction this series takes. The complicated nature of the card system, the whole idea of creating creative three-of-a-kind sets, getting bonuses through self-knowledge, leveling up your skillsets, etc, gives me a blast right to my own heart-deck and I not only shuffle my cards, I'm loving every hand I'm dealt.

Of course, the whole leveling nature goes hand-in-hand with the dragons, and truly, I simply can't get enough of either.

Some LitRPGs are better than others, and some, like this one, is some of the very, very best.



Fun facts: this one is in a crazy, truly nuts society full of Dark Heart scourgeling-harvesting magical Texans. They're very into magical capitalism, for good or greater ill.

What a wild ride. A truly crazy dungeon delve.



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Demon's Bluff by Kim Harrison
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What can I say? I love the Hollows. More, I can't believe how much I enjoyed our current Rachel's current obsession of *POSSIBLY* correcting a massive emotional blow from earlier in the series, through some great timey-wimey hijinks.

Yes, Kisten. No, this isn't a cheating-thing, but a life-regret thing, and as readers, WE get to re-live one of the best books in the series from a completely different viewpoint. Rachel, older, more powerful, is back in time, messing with demons who don't know her, and she's completely pissed-off because the Coven can't just LEAVE HER ALONE.

Frankly, that was the best part of this. Her little tag-along is SUCH a PAIN.

I chuckled throughout this novel. Total fan-service AND an interesting jaunt/plot.

I feel GREAT.



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All the Skills 3 by Honour Rae
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I would say this is rapidly becoming one of my favorite LitRPG series, but I've already said that about the previous ones. So let me say: This is one of my favorite LitRPG series.

Indeed, if ANY of ya'll love dragons AT ALL, you probably should be reading these, because we have TONS of dragons now. Everywhere. Fighting the good fight, with or without riders. It's a fun, fast, glorious glut of dragons.


Mind you, I've read a ton of dragon-rich books in the past, not limited to Pern, but this one is seriously overflowing.

The LitRPG aspects, card-based skills, quests, fights, are all very creative and hopping wonderfully. I just want to drop everything else I had planned to read to get on with the next in this series. I'm quite gleeful about it.

Dragons, yes, but wonderful dragons. :)


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Infinite by Jeremy Robinson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was an honestly fun ride. A modern take on an old series of ideas, featuring cold sleep, long space travel, murder, AI, and virtual natures--(multiple kinds).

But here's the fun part: Robinson writes well. He just sticks to having a wild time and dragging us along with some great characters, decent reveals, a bit of horror, anguish, acceptance, and then even wonder. As a SF, I can't really ask for much more. As a novel, it's just FUN and easy.

There's a lot of good that can be said about having just that. Of course, having a great novel that throws us head-first into (view spoiler)[universe simulation (hide spoiler)] is a major hook.


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Arrival by Matthew Peed
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I think I held off on reading more of this series, before, because of the way the power creep was handled. At this point, I'm not sure there's much tension left. I mean, sure, we have godlings and gods, and the next tier up, etc, but it feels awfully formula. Sure, we can say that about most LitRPG, but this kind of thing still needs to grab and be interesting.

Fan service must go hand-in-hand with caring for the characters. These particular characters are all just so in love with the MC god that it's ... boring.



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Flattering the Flame: A Great Ship novelette by Robert Reed
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I think these short stories and novelettes within the Great Ship universe are pretty neat. The worldbuilding is vast, each story builds upon the rest even while self-contained, and all told, it feels like coming home.

Cocky species, cocky commanders, versus the Great Ship, forever plodding through space, picking up, dropping off, countless species. It's fascinating and rather funny. Aliens always think they're hot shit.

But this.. this is always about grand diplomacy. :)



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Village in the Sky by Jack McDevitt
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This one was... let me be frank... meh.

A little happened in many different circumstances and while some of the mild ideas were relatively warm and fundamentally interesting, the book came off (and we should all realize it was a pandemic book) as somewhat phoned in.

There were a lot of situations that recalled a lot of the same things being handled in the same ways from the other books, but none of these current archeological discoveries did much to wow me. It was competent writing, to be sure, and it stayed within the comfort-read SF lines I'm used to with this series, but alas... it was meh.

I will likely come back for more, if there are more, considering the end of this novel, but I can only hope it heats up more than this one had.



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Gnomon by Nick Harkaway
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Fantastic. Superb. Deep, creative, complex, and above all, fascinating.

Let's put it this way: if you've read Stephenson's Fall; or, Dodge in Hell, you'll know what kind of novel this is, sans Milton, but rather more psychological, interesting, while being just as creative.

In short, this is the kind of novel that GETS me on a subconscious level, exploring personas and narratives on a self-aware Greek journey that is, at once, a modern thriller, a psychologically and philosophically dense mirror, and a hard-SF delve into the mind and AI Godhood.

Gnomon, is, in its root, a knowledge of yourself. But what if that's the purpose of the Hunter? And in this rich novel, nothing is very obvious. It's a mystery and an artistic expression and a serious piece of literature.

When I think of SF being Literature, I don't mean the modern kind of LitSF that's three parts whining about the human condition, one part SF trope, and one part pastiche. I mean deep, wild, creative SF interwoven beautifully with a complex tale, with great great characters, and a heavy-ass punch in the gut that makes a person say, "OWWWWWW, that's gonna leave a mark for years."

Fortunately, THIS novel is the latter.

It's truly good and overflowing with great ideas, story, and surprise, being true SF and a serious look at our minds, our direction, and the richness of our lives.

So, look within, or look within this book. It's a real gem. If you like the best of Stephenson, you'll love this.


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The Star Pit / Tango Charlie and Foxtrot Romeo by Samuel R. Delany
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Star Pit by Delany is actually rather amazing. Early 60's, full on into the New Wave period of SF, marks the departure of the Science Supremacy of SF and the deep delve into strange, wonderful characters, psychology, and stories of a literary bent.

In other words, it is a perfect complement to the Becky Chambers style of writing, but half a century before Becky Chambers.

No, it's not a feel-good kind of thing, but it is crazily great for characterizations, longing, and even tight plots wanting... or rather... just wanting. To see, experience, to thumb your nose at the consequences, to stare down the face of insanity (for that IS what you'd expect to find, the farther you go from the ancestral world of Earth), and just LIVE.

At least, that's what I got out of this, if not a bit more.

I've always appreciated Samuel R. Delany. The writing is lush and, above all, interesting. He was always FAR from being a simple, churn-it-out, writer. This early piece spells it out.

It should be noted, for those of you who have never even heard of Delany in the modern reading marketplace, that he is absolutely the definition of a PoC author and fully expresses it in very colorful and often heart-wringing ways. So. This is a shout out to some real history, you newer readers. :)





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Not Till We Are Lost by Dennis E. Taylor
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

On an enjoyment level, this totally succeeds. I mean, it's Bob. And Bob adjacent. And not-Bob. And for a great amount of storytelling, we're on a long, singularity-jumping hop across a vast portion of time and space, figuring out what happened to a now-defunct galactic civilization.

I mean, come on. I don't think I could ever get tired of this stuff. I mean, I've played Mass Effect way too many times, right? And let's not forget countless old-and-new SF that attempts to answer those long-asked questions. You know. The Fermi ones.

But to have a geek-turned-von-Neumann probe be our guide? Priceless.


As for an actual analysis of this as an SF, however? Well, it's just episodic and focused more on thinking things through than actual plot, but who cares. It's FUN.



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All the Skills 2 by Honour Rae
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The first book wasn't a fluke. I fell in love with the skill cards and the dragons and the whole society that bands together with the carded and the dragons to fight off the scourge. I know this is way too little info, and the society has a lot to answer for, but following Arthur and his legendary cards and now... spoiler time... his own dragon... I'm simply, utterly, hooked.

I'm having a 100% fun time.

I can't say that about most. Indeed, despite my many pretty high ratings and general love of books in general, there's a lot of 4 star average, and beyond that, there's good, excellent, and legendary. I think this is sitting between excellent and legendary on the power of sheer enjoyment.

SO LET'S GET TO LEARNING ALL THE SKILLS.



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Simulacron 3 by Daniel F. Galouye
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This 1964 book has a storied history and influence on way too many people.

First of all, I always thought of Neuromancer as the first real Cyberpunk, and it is, at least in popularity, but let's fast forward a bit to when the whole crew of the MATRIX is told to read this little gem to get them into the imagining of that future world. Sidestep THAT a moment and realize that the actual movie, being made and released at the same time as the Matrix -- 13th FLOOR -- is BASED on this novel.

Fast forward to me, now, finally reading this old SF and making all those connections now, and even thinking of a certain ST:TNG episode with Moriarty fitting this story well, as well, and I just have to let out a deep breath.


Yeah, I've loved this story for a long time. I just didn't realize it.

But that being said, the original is simply pretty good. I mean, for 1964, we DO have the great PKD's writings, getting a bit more strange and paranoid versus this one's logical and steadfast, (being more of an SF mystery), and I think I prefer Ubik, after all. That's not to say this wasn't pretty good, but let's put it in perspective a bit. And truly, perspective, realizing this IS a VERY early Cyberpunk, is kinda mind-blowing.

So, Bravo!



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All the Skills by Honour Rae
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ah, a breath of fresh LitRPG air. I've been reading a lot of average stuff lately, so when I got into this, I didn't have all that much hope. I mean, sure, it has some friendly dragons and relatively horrible people, so I was wondering. Plus, I knew from the start it was going to be a skill-deck kind of fantasy, so I kinda had some high hopes for it.

Fortunately, it reads well. YA in feel, it's more a "kid gets a legendary card that allows him to level up (with practice) any kind of skill he sets his heart on" than a "let's ride dragons and kill the dark lord" kind of thing.

This, it turns out, is everything I wanted to read. Let's learn and get good at better learning and maybe sometimes be a great thief while we're at it.

Yummy.

I can't wait to get on with the next. :)




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The Eye of the Bedlam Bride by Matt Dinniman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What can I say with this?

It's crazy. At least, it's crazy with naming, characters, wild action, snark, and increasingly depressing fighting situations. The cards are really stacked against the Crawlers. Literally, this time. Summoning decks are a big part of this volume, giving all you Magic players a treat.

I honestly can't say if this is some of my favorite LitRPG ever, but it definitely has its foot-licking charm. And then, there's Uzi Jesus. He's okay in my book.



Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to DM requests. I think it's about time I get some eyes on them.

Arctunn.com

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Lost Moon: The Perilous Voyage of Apollo 13 by Jim Lovell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

So. A little more than half a century ago, we were already going to the moon, regularly.

The fact that Apollo 13 is commemorated by a near-tragedy, where a good portion of their spacecraft was blown away, back when their spacecraft were really nothing more than tin foil held together with duct tape, is not an indictment of poor planning, but of weight necessity and massive limitations. Indeed, a McGuiverism.

This is rather amazing. After all, this is true history. A time where pride and guts fed a whole nation's imagination, even if it was beset with small-time concerns politics, still filled us with imagination and ambition.

This non-fiction, far from being proof that we shouldn't have attempted it, is proof that when there is a will, there CAN be a way. And these three astronauts got home.

Remember that.

Almost 55 years ago, people could still be awed and amazed. Now, at least to me, I'm amazed we haven't torn ourselves to pieces. We need some serious ambition and pride in our lives. And I don't mean sacrificing a bunch of poor people to raise yet another rich-person's monument to hubris--but doing something truly amazing for ALL of us.

Of course, to do that, we need to make sure we're all healthy enough to put our hearts and minds into the project, but that's neither here nor there.

It was a different time.

But let's not forget that we MIGHT get back to the dream.





Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to DM requests. I think it's about time I get some eyes on them.

Arctunn.com


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Raising Allies by Sarah Lin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Growing stronger, still grousing about the nearly magic-less build of his game character, our necromantic lord finally gets to play with a lot more than his bones.

Honestly, it's an okay LitRPG. It has some humorous moments, mostly with in-party sniping and the infernal "boxes", but I did enjoy the undead developments.



Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to DM requests. I think it's about time I get some eyes on them.

Arctunn.com

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Transference by Ian Patterson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After reading this, I'm very much sitting on the fence between admiring this story for all the old SFnal ideas it pulls forward to today's evils and being a tiny bit annoyed with the same.

The core SFnal detail reminds me a lot of old classics, be it Niven's body harvesting ghoulishness or Harrison's Make Room, Make Room (Soylent Green), or even a bit of B5 or Voyager, where illnesses can be transacted. You know, where the rich stay rich and the poor go ploop, only it's sickness transference.

In this respect, I guess I simply don't mind. The ideas are fun -- but they DO feel a bit heavy handed. Those who are wealthy in this world get away with everything. It's literally the call of Eat the Rich -- because they're absolutely doing it to all the rest.

Never mind the final point made in this book. Population pressures, et al., are old hat, even as they're ever more prevalent for us now than they've ever been before.

So, I'll just say that this is fun for what it is. I'd love to see readers appreciating these old ideas with fresh eyes again.

As for the real end of this -- I'm looking forward to seeing just how big this can really get.

Worth the read.



Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to DM requests. I think it's about time I get some eyes on them.

Arctunn.com

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The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wendig has done it again.

He's quickly becoming my go-to for beyond-solid horrors. He's got great, complicated, messy characters, a discovery-till-you-puke vibe, and some serious growth for these guys. As teens, then messed-up adults, we've got a while IT vibe going on here that I absolutely love.

Friends, people. Growing up, growing apart, growing back together. That's what this one is about. I LOVED it.

Oh, and be forewarned, there's so much characterization going on here that I got lost in it. Wendig is usually pretty fantastic for this, but I truly got lost in these peeps. And, let's not forget, this IS a horror, but I've never seen a horror serve so much THERAPY as SK's IT as this.

Plus, let's be real, this one's a very Gen X kind of therapy. So, whatever. It is what it is. Muahahahahaha

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