The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year, Volume Eleven
Book
The 11th volume in this much lauded series with incisive and genre-defining stories chosen my...

Underground Airlines
Book
"The most timely of alternate history novels. Ben Winters has created a spellbinding world that...

Darren Hayman recommended Into the Gap by Thompson Twins in Music (curated)

Aces of the Pacific
Video Game Watch
Aces of the Pacific features various warplanes of the era, such as the F6F Hellcat and the Zero. The...

Ross (3284 KP) rated Doors: Field of Blood in Books
Apr 8, 2021
This book sees the group enter a door that takes them to an alternate version of middle-ages France/Germany and the reign of the Frankian empire. As with the World War II element of the second book, this was more or less a passing interest to the book rather than a key element of the story.
The group have found themselves in a version of history where women rule the empire and generally take positions of power, and a building conspiracy among men seeks to reverse this and look to change this in the history books. For me, this was the most interesting aspect of the book, and one that could be plausible. Sadly, I couldn't see past some modern day people apparently conversing comfortably with people from the 9th century without issue, and there being no attempt to address this at all.
Meanwhile in the real world, we learn more about the doors, their use and the mysterious agency controlling them. We learn more in this one book than the other two put together, and between the three we now have a good amount of knowledge about these portals. Some aspects of their use don't add up though, as with any sort of time travel/portal notion.
The book ends fairly abruptly with a long voyage which is skipped over in a very 'sod it, that's the word count reached, wrap it up' style.
Overall, I was very disappointed with these books. While I liked having to piece together things from each book and start to get a feel for the world, I felt so much of it fell short. As with the other two books, it offered so much promise but fell flat.

Radio Free Albemuth
Book
A preliminary to Dick's masterwork, Valis, in which Phil appears as an explicitly named...

Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated That Inevitable Victorian Thing in Books
Jan 11, 2018
It's not realistic in the least - everything falls together nicely and it's a bit of a "princess saves the day by virtue of being a princess" kind of plot. But the twist on the history is a very pleasant one - and making the British Empire an Empire that values diversity and the melding of cultures and not looking down on anyone because they're different is a really nice change of pace. It's a WONDERFUL bit of escapist fantasy given today's world, I have to say.
I'd actually really like to see the darker side of this same world explored. One of the main plot points in the book is that there is a computer database of genetics. Everyone in the British Empire, when they turn 18, is encouraged to have their DNA sequenced and entered into the computer to find good genetic matches. They then have the opportunity to chat with those matches and eventually meet them. It's accepted custom, and you're definitely viewed as odd if you choose NOT to do it, though Helena's parents were a love match and never had their DNA matched through the computer. Helena's love interest is a boy she grew up with, she really only ran her DNA through the computer for kicks. So it's not mandatory - except for royals. But that this computer and database exists leaves room for a darker side. What about genetic modification? Forced marriages for certain genetic outcomes? That has to be happening somewhere. That Inevitable Victorian Thing really only looked at the fun, light-hearted, good uses of this technology. I'd love to see the other side.
Oh - while the book definitely has a Victorian flavor, it's definitely set in modern day, or perhaps a little past. It's not Victorian era.
Fun little book. A good escape from a racist, homophobic world to a more diverse, accepting one. But a little TOO fluffy bunny for my personal tastes.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
The Invention of Peter: Apostolic Discourse and Papal Authority in Late Antiquity
Book
On the first anniversary of his election to the papacy, Leo the Great stood before the assembly of...

The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage: The (Mostly) True Story of the First Computer
Book
'So impossibly funny, clever, demented, charming and altogether wonderful that I was a convert...

Twilight Struggle
Games
App
The #1 rated strategy board game gets its first expansion! Twilight Struggle: Turn Zero is a new...
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