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Sarah Seymour (3 KP) rated The Expanse - Season 1 in TV
Nov 26, 2017
Gripping and believeable
On a Netflix troll one night we gave this a whirl and ended up binge watching it because we were gripped from the first episode. I loved Firefly and although the plot is very different it reminds me of that show because of how well drawn the characters and world are. Its classed as a space opera so whilst an obvious choice for sci fi fans to give a go I think it would also be worth trying if you just enjoy a good pot-boiler
The Crown Of Draga (Draga Court #2)
8.0
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Book
The Draga Galaxy is on the brink of war and Adelina will do everything she can to help, including...
4 stars space opera fantasy/sci-fi romance
Star Marque Rising
10.0
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Book
The future is governed through a genetic hierarchy—superhumans at the top, humans and defects at...
Hard Science Fiction
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated The Wrong Stars in Books
Aug 26, 2018 (Updated Aug 26, 2018)
Diversity (2 more)
World-building
Amazing alien species
I've watched my fair share of Space Opera (Firefly, Dark Matter, Farscape, Star Trek, Star Wars - don't try to tell me those last two aren't Space Opera, THEY TOTALLY ARE) - but I haven't read much of it. I picked up The Wrong Stars mostly because reviews said it had a demisexual main character, rather than because it's a Space Opera. Regardless, I am SO GLAD I DID. The book is excellent.
First off, the diversity! Over the course of the story, we meet people who are, in no particular order, gay, bisexual, demisexual, asexual, transgender, and non-binary. The story is set 500 years after Earth sends out its first colony ships, and in that time, culture has evolved. Marriage is not common, but contractually-bound relationships exist. Promiscuity and non-monogamy aren't viewed any different than monogamy, and in the same way, the distinctions between gay, straight, and bi don't carry any negative connotations. It's not a complete utopia - it's still a capitalist society, and there is still scarcity - but socially, at least, it has definitely evolved a lot from the present!
Elena, one of our main characters, was a biologist sent out on one of the first colony ships. Stocked with seeds, crude replicators, and cryo-sleep pods, a small crew was sent out, in stasis, on a five-hundred year journey to a system with probable life-supporting planets. They were called Goldilocks ships, in the hope they'd find a planet that was "just right." What humanity didn't expect was that in the intervening five hundred years, they would make contact with an alien species and be given the means for true space travel via wormholes. Some of the ships arrived at their destinations to find human colonies already thriving on their target planets! Elena, however, found something quite different, and it's a very disconcerting difference. She is rescued by the motley crew of the White Raven, and they quickly get drawn into the mystery.
I really enjoyed the world-building and characterization in The Wrong Stars. The science of it made sense to me, but I'm not very versed in science, so I can't really say how realistic it is. It was at least pretty internally consistent. I'd like to learn more about how the AIs are created, though. Luckily, there is a sequel coming! The Dreaming Stars should be coming out this September, and I'm DEFINITELY going to read it.
If you like Dark Matter, Firefly, or Farscape, you should definitely read The Wrong Stars. There's a little bit of light romance threaded into the larger plot, and one fade-to-black sex scene. It's definitely not the focus of the book. There is some violence, but nothing incredibly graphic. I would put it at about the same maturity level as Star Trek.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
First off, the diversity! Over the course of the story, we meet people who are, in no particular order, gay, bisexual, demisexual, asexual, transgender, and non-binary. The story is set 500 years after Earth sends out its first colony ships, and in that time, culture has evolved. Marriage is not common, but contractually-bound relationships exist. Promiscuity and non-monogamy aren't viewed any different than monogamy, and in the same way, the distinctions between gay, straight, and bi don't carry any negative connotations. It's not a complete utopia - it's still a capitalist society, and there is still scarcity - but socially, at least, it has definitely evolved a lot from the present!
Elena, one of our main characters, was a biologist sent out on one of the first colony ships. Stocked with seeds, crude replicators, and cryo-sleep pods, a small crew was sent out, in stasis, on a five-hundred year journey to a system with probable life-supporting planets. They were called Goldilocks ships, in the hope they'd find a planet that was "just right." What humanity didn't expect was that in the intervening five hundred years, they would make contact with an alien species and be given the means for true space travel via wormholes. Some of the ships arrived at their destinations to find human colonies already thriving on their target planets! Elena, however, found something quite different, and it's a very disconcerting difference. She is rescued by the motley crew of the White Raven, and they quickly get drawn into the mystery.
I really enjoyed the world-building and characterization in The Wrong Stars. The science of it made sense to me, but I'm not very versed in science, so I can't really say how realistic it is. It was at least pretty internally consistent. I'd like to learn more about how the AIs are created, though. Luckily, there is a sequel coming! The Dreaming Stars should be coming out this September, and I'm DEFINITELY going to read it.
If you like Dark Matter, Firefly, or Farscape, you should definitely read The Wrong Stars. There's a little bit of light romance threaded into the larger plot, and one fade-to-black sex scene. It's definitely not the focus of the book. There is some violence, but nothing incredibly graphic. I would put it at about the same maturity level as Star Trek.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
David McK (3396 KP) rated Imperfect Sword (The Lost Stars #3) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
The third book in [a:Jack Campbell|55547|Jack Campbell|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1302415236p2/55547.jpg]'s (aka John Hemry) 'The Lost Stars', this continues the story of Gwen Iceni and Arrur Drakon from the star system Midway in the wake of their revolution against their former Syndicate rulers.
This also takes place mostly alongside the events of [b:Steadfast|576565|The Steadfast Tin Soldier|Hans Christian Andersen|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348002883s/576565.jpg|2146970], with 'Balck Jack' Geary making a brief cameo about two-thirds of the way through, for reason explained in that other book.
The bulk of this novel concerns a preemptive attack on a neighbouring star system in which a former Syndic CEO has set up his own little Empire: an Empire that will, in time, threaten the security of Midway itself. As is usual, however, things are not as they seem ...
If you've read any of the other novels in this series, you will know pretty much what to expect: internal politicking, massive space battles (following Newtonian laws rather than the Space Opera of, say, Star Wars), and - especially in this book - ground battles,with Iceni and Drakon still just as unable as ever to admit their feelings to each other!
This also takes place mostly alongside the events of [b:Steadfast|576565|The Steadfast Tin Soldier|Hans Christian Andersen|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348002883s/576565.jpg|2146970], with 'Balck Jack' Geary making a brief cameo about two-thirds of the way through, for reason explained in that other book.
The bulk of this novel concerns a preemptive attack on a neighbouring star system in which a former Syndic CEO has set up his own little Empire: an Empire that will, in time, threaten the security of Midway itself. As is usual, however, things are not as they seem ...
If you've read any of the other novels in this series, you will know pretty much what to expect: internal politicking, massive space battles (following Newtonian laws rather than the Space Opera of, say, Star Wars), and - especially in this book - ground battles,with Iceni and Drakon still just as unable as ever to admit their feelings to each other!
Nickg24 (492 KP) rated Another Life in TV
Aug 11, 2019
Another netflix sci fi
This series began well,the opening 2 episodes were ok and steadily set the tone for the rest of the series BUT instead the series just gradually went downhill to the point of ridiculousness.
The Story is divided into two sections.A mysterious alien artifact lands on earth and a crew are sent into space to try to trace its origins while on earth scientists/government officials try to make contact with the artifact.
The earth set story is fine but the story set on the spaceship gets worse as the episodes go on.Everyone at some point is either screaming,shouting,trying to kill someone or trying to get off with one another.
A very bog standard Netflix drama all in all.
The Story is divided into two sections.A mysterious alien artifact lands on earth and a crew are sent into space to try to trace its origins while on earth scientists/government officials try to make contact with the artifact.
The earth set story is fine but the story set on the spaceship gets worse as the episodes go on.Everyone at some point is either screaming,shouting,trying to kill someone or trying to get off with one another.
A very bog standard Netflix drama all in all.
Princess Of Draga (Draga Court #1)
Book
In the first book of the Draga Court series, Princess Adelina's coming-of-age party will declare to...
Science_Fiction Romance Reverse_Harem
Awix (3310 KP) rated La derniere vague (The Last Wave) in TV
Aug 8, 2020
Le goings-on spooky in the south of France: a mysterious, apparently sentient cloud which may or may not embody nature's vengeance on civilisation abducts a group of surfers for five hours and then returns them, with strange powers. (Not that the media takes any notice of any of this.) This provides everyone in town with un beaucoup lovely chance to work through all their various personal issues before the end of the last episode.
Comes across a bit like a mid-table Stephen King novel, or possibly just a very glossy soap opera with a guest appearance by Giant Space Monster Dogorah. Fairly engaging stuff, though unlikely to feel terribly original to the clued-up viewer; passes the time nicely without demanding your full attention. Avoids too many explanations (they're clearly hoping for a second season), which could be irritating, but the end-of-series cliffhanger is okay.
Comes across a bit like a mid-table Stephen King novel, or possibly just a very glossy soap opera with a guest appearance by Giant Space Monster Dogorah. Fairly engaging stuff, though unlikely to feel terribly original to the clued-up viewer; passes the time nicely without demanding your full attention. Avoids too many explanations (they're clearly hoping for a second season), which could be irritating, but the end-of-series cliffhanger is okay.
Poseidon's Wake
Book
MANKIND HAS REACHED THE STARS. Two hundred years after the fall of Mechanism, human society has...
David McK (3396 KP) rated A Little Rebellion (Crimson Worlds #3) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
Like the previous two entries in [a:Jay Allan|6477659|Jay Allan|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]'s 'Crimson Worlds' series, this is probably more accurately called space opera than science fiction: set in a distant future where man has colonised the stars, this concerns itself with an act of rebellion, an act whereby the colony world's of the Alliance are seeking the gain their freedom from the autocratic rule of the latter.
Cue divided loyalties of Eric Cain and his compatriats in both the Marines and the Fleet ...
I found this to be an OKish read: it did keep me reading and turning the (electronic) pages, but it never really sucked me in all that much, never really hooked me enough to go looking for any further entries in the series. Don't get me wrong, I may read them if I come across them, just not actively search them out ...
Cue divided loyalties of Eric Cain and his compatriats in both the Marines and the Fleet ...
I found this to be an OKish read: it did keep me reading and turning the (electronic) pages, but it never really sucked me in all that much, never really hooked me enough to go looking for any further entries in the series. Don't get me wrong, I may read them if I come across them, just not actively search them out ...