Solution Architect. Aeronautical Engineer. Fascinated by Astronomy & Space. Addicted to SciFi.
Great to get a book gift I really enjoyed from my fabulous eldest daughter. There are some interesting and innovative biological ideas in Alien Clay from Adrian Tchaikovsky (writer of Children of Time, Children of Ruin and Shards of Earth that I’ve previously read). A combination of sci-fi with a touch of horror. Will continue to read his stuff.
I first read Consider Phlebas from Iain M. Banks over 28 years ago when I was on an overland journey to the Munich beer festival in a camper van with some friends. This was my introduction to the world of The Culture and Banks’ visionary description of a highly liberal, extremely technically capable, but morally ambiguous galactic civilisation largely run by sentient machines.
I recently re-read this novel from Neal Stephenson on Kindle. I’d originally read this in the summer of 2016 as a holiday read alongside another Stephenson title called Anathem.
This is the 10th book in David Weber’s “Safehold” series. I’ve been reading these for many years. Although notionally a science fiction series, a lot of the focus is on the historic scientific progression that was required to advance humanity’s weapons technology used on land, sea, and in the air. In that regard, the series starts from a technical base of approximately the late dark ages or early Middle Ages and brings us to a technology level close to the end of the 19th century. Weber shows an incredible amount of historical and scientific knowledge – many of the scenarios and examples in the series could have been lifted from the American Civil War, WW1 and others. There is also a huge religious aspect to the series with schisms and intrigues similar to what happened in Europe in the middle-ages. I’m still enjoying the series and hopefully David Weber will wrap it up soon.
Edward Ashton’s Mickey7 is an enjoyable Sci Fi story revolving around the topic of cloning.
It’s fun to read a sci-fi book referencing was-future dates that are now in the past. Ray Bradbury’s book “The Martian Chronicles” was written at the start of the atomic age in 1951 at the height of the Hollywood Blacklist era and Cold War paranoia.
Haven’t read Arthur C. Clarke in years. This short book “The Hammer of God” from 1993 reads well. Must re-read Rendezvous with Rama. Read in September 2023.
After reading Leviathan Wakes, I can see that “The Expanse” TV series is so well cast. The book really is like a blockbuster movie. Great holiday reading from James S.A. Corey. Read in June 2023.
Childen of Ruin: sci-fi horror from Adrian Tchaikovsky. Read in December 2022.
Implacable enemies, rich characters. Shards of Earth from Adrian Tchaikovsky was a good read. Read in May 2022.