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Michael Cunningham recommended Solaris in Books (curated)
The Chocolate Lady (94 KP) rated The Room in Books
Oct 7, 2020
This fascinating little novel is a speculative fiction study about fitting in vs. being different, that's witty, surreal and thought provoking. Read my full review here. https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2015/06/02/in-his-own-space/
Books Editor (673 KP) shared own list
Oct 4, 2017
Founded in 2008 by Three Percent at the University or Rochester, the focus on finding the best books in translation from the past year has been constant.
Super Extra Grande
Yoss and David Frye
Book
“Intergalactic space travel meets outrageous, biting satire in Super Extra Grande…. Its author...
Science fiction
Moshi Moshi
Banana Yoshimoto and Asa Yoneda
Book
In Moshi-Moshi, Yoshie’s much-loved musician father has died in a suicide pact with an unknown...
Fiction
My Marriage
Jakob Wassermann and Michael Hofmann
Book
Alexander Herzog, a young writer, goes to Vienna to escape his debts and a failed love affair. There...
Thriller
Vampire in Love
Margaret Jull Costa and Enrique Vila-Matas
Book
“Arguably Spain’s most significant contemporary literary figure” (Joanna Kavenna, The New...
Fiction
Memoirs of a Polar Bear
Susan Bernofsky and Yoko Tawada
Book
Someone tickled me behind my ears, under my arms. I curled up, became a full moon, and rolled on the...
and 20 other items
The Chocolate Lady (94 KP) rated The Heart Goes Last in Books
Oct 5, 2020
Charmaine and Stan are sick and tired of being homeless, unemployed and hungry. So much so, that they're willing to sign their whole lives away for jobs and a home, but at what price? Read my review of Margaret Atwood's latest speculative fiction book here. https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2015/09/19/positron-not-positive/
Emma Watson recommended The Handmaid's Tale in Books (curated)
ClareR (5542 KP) rated The Future in Books
Mar 26, 2024
I couldn’t get enough of The Future by Naomi Alderman. This book pressed all of my Sci-Fi/ Speculative fiction/ dystopian buttons ALL AT ONCE!!
I’m not actually sure how I should explain this… There’s so much going on in this book - doomsday preppers with an awful lot of money, climate breakdown and pollution, social media influencers.
Actually, that doesn’t explain half of it.
This is the story of a heist. A pretty daring one, and one that could so easily fail, but in order to save the future, a group of friends decide that they will have to do something to protect the world from three of the most powerful and influential billionaires.
The story is told in punchy, short chapters, interspersed with excerpts from a chatroom ( I loved these parts - I didn’t think I would to begin with, but I really enjoyed them). This style really propels the story forward. Actually, the STORY propels the story forward.
Look, I just really, really loved this book, and I think you should go and read it. Ok?
I’m not actually sure how I should explain this… There’s so much going on in this book - doomsday preppers with an awful lot of money, climate breakdown and pollution, social media influencers.
Actually, that doesn’t explain half of it.
This is the story of a heist. A pretty daring one, and one that could so easily fail, but in order to save the future, a group of friends decide that they will have to do something to protect the world from three of the most powerful and influential billionaires.
The story is told in punchy, short chapters, interspersed with excerpts from a chatroom ( I loved these parts - I didn’t think I would to begin with, but I really enjoyed them). This style really propels the story forward. Actually, the STORY propels the story forward.
Look, I just really, really loved this book, and I think you should go and read it. Ok?
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Black Mirror - Season 5 in TV
Jun 21, 2019
Black Mirror has been going downhill since Netflix acquired it from Channel 4.
The first season was fantastic, and the second season wasn’t too bad. It’s like the Black Mirror writers are in a competition to make each season worst than the last.
It used to be speculative fiction, but even that is no more in season 5. I wish there were more than just 3 measly episodes especially with how long it took them to release season 5.
Striking Vipers was the worst episode in my opinion. To me, it focused too much on sex instead of the actual story which had the potential to be good.
Smithereens was the best episode in season 5 although it was just alright. At least there was a heartfelt story behind it all. Plus, the acting was fantastic for the most part. Yes, there were a few shoddy acting bits, but most of it was good.
Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too started off being a good episode, but it just turned ridiculous towards the end. It did start with a good message, but the ridiculousness of it turned this episode into more of a comedy. I guess they were just too focused on Miley Cyrus bringing in the viewers instead of the actual story.
I’m really losing hope for Black Mirror. They need to just stop making episodes or hire better writers.
The first season was fantastic, and the second season wasn’t too bad. It’s like the Black Mirror writers are in a competition to make each season worst than the last.
It used to be speculative fiction, but even that is no more in season 5. I wish there were more than just 3 measly episodes especially with how long it took them to release season 5.
Striking Vipers was the worst episode in my opinion. To me, it focused too much on sex instead of the actual story which had the potential to be good.
Smithereens was the best episode in season 5 although it was just alright. At least there was a heartfelt story behind it all. Plus, the acting was fantastic for the most part. Yes, there were a few shoddy acting bits, but most of it was good.
Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too started off being a good episode, but it just turned ridiculous towards the end. It did start with a good message, but the ridiculousness of it turned this episode into more of a comedy. I guess they were just too focused on Miley Cyrus bringing in the viewers instead of the actual story.
I’m really losing hope for Black Mirror. They need to just stop making episodes or hire better writers.
Ross (3282 KP) rated Black Mirror - Season 1 in TV
Jan 8, 2018
These three near-future / alternative reality episodes tell of a different chilling aspect of human life. All are fantastical, though worryingly plausible. Charlie Brooker has pretty much nailed the line between believable and speculative fiction.
The first episode sees the UK prime minister forced into considering an unpleasant act after a ransom demand from a kidnapper. It serves as a good representation of media coverage and their involvement in spreading panic and stoking outrage.
The next episode was a near-future look at a world where some classes of people spend their days on exercise bikes, presumably powering society. They are forced to watch endless hours of a small number of TV shows and are charged a fee to skip pop-up adverts for porn shows. The indictment of where society is headed, including the disposability of talent shows and how much more mandatory watching adverts could become, felt like something of a warning to turn back now!
The final episode revolved around people having the ability to instantaneously rewind and re-view moments of their lives and cast it to TV screens. The story looks at how this plays a part in a man's suspicions over his wife's faithfulness to their marriage. Similar to the previous 2 episodes, it shows that the technology, and people's reliance on it, does not help real life in any way, rather it further fuels suspicion and malcontent.
Three stories about the way the human race is headed told brilliantly.
The first episode sees the UK prime minister forced into considering an unpleasant act after a ransom demand from a kidnapper. It serves as a good representation of media coverage and their involvement in spreading panic and stoking outrage.
The next episode was a near-future look at a world where some classes of people spend their days on exercise bikes, presumably powering society. They are forced to watch endless hours of a small number of TV shows and are charged a fee to skip pop-up adverts for porn shows. The indictment of where society is headed, including the disposability of talent shows and how much more mandatory watching adverts could become, felt like something of a warning to turn back now!
The final episode revolved around people having the ability to instantaneously rewind and re-view moments of their lives and cast it to TV screens. The story looks at how this plays a part in a man's suspicions over his wife's faithfulness to their marriage. Similar to the previous 2 episodes, it shows that the technology, and people's reliance on it, does not help real life in any way, rather it further fuels suspicion and malcontent.
Three stories about the way the human race is headed told brilliantly.
Bookapotamus (289 KP) rated No Less Days in Books
May 29, 2018
I won a copy of this book and I didn't know it was Christian Fiction. Definitely not something I would grab for myself to read. I was not turned off by the religious aspects of it though, as most are subtle and not in your face. I tended to glaze over them, which makes me believe this book would have been just as good without them. I won't say they didn't add anything as that's not my place to judge, but I won't judge the book either on parts that I wasn't particularly interested in. I wouldn't judge a mystery on it being mysterious, or a romance for being romantic. So now that we're past that...
The premise of this story is really cool. I admit, it reminded me of that Blake Lively move, Age of Adeline, but WAY better. There was thought here, and it drew me in the second I started reading.
The main focus of the story is that David Galloway cannot die. It should have happened, many times. But nope. Still here... 100 some odd years later and still looking every bit a healthy 35 year old man. We learn a lot of David's history, as well as his present situation, and we wonder: How did he become this way? Are there others like him? Will he ever die? How does he live live without ever aging?
I read this book really fast as I honestly wanted to find out what would happen. Page after page, it kept me riveted. I would give it 5 Stars, but I had some issues with parts of the story. Particularly all the themes going on - some felt really unnecessary. There was a lot of mystery, racial stuff, domestic abuse, love stories, historical references, religion, murders, celebrity, books.... I'm probably missing more. I felt like too much was happening and a lot could be toned down or eliminated. And it's very obviously set up for a sequel, but the way this "strange character" just showed up and then left... felt really disjointed and out of place.
I'm also not a big Speculative Fiction reader as well as the Christian Fiction genre. I would have never bought this book and read it on my own. But that is how you lose certain generalizations about things, and find some of the best stories. I took a chance, and I won :)
I'm happy to have read this book. And I'm pretty sure this is a sequel in the works, and I'll most likely seek that one out to read!
The premise of this story is really cool. I admit, it reminded me of that Blake Lively move, Age of Adeline, but WAY better. There was thought here, and it drew me in the second I started reading.
The main focus of the story is that David Galloway cannot die. It should have happened, many times. But nope. Still here... 100 some odd years later and still looking every bit a healthy 35 year old man. We learn a lot of David's history, as well as his present situation, and we wonder: How did he become this way? Are there others like him? Will he ever die? How does he live live without ever aging?
I read this book really fast as I honestly wanted to find out what would happen. Page after page, it kept me riveted. I would give it 5 Stars, but I had some issues with parts of the story. Particularly all the themes going on - some felt really unnecessary. There was a lot of mystery, racial stuff, domestic abuse, love stories, historical references, religion, murders, celebrity, books.... I'm probably missing more. I felt like too much was happening and a lot could be toned down or eliminated. And it's very obviously set up for a sequel, but the way this "strange character" just showed up and then left... felt really disjointed and out of place.
I'm also not a big Speculative Fiction reader as well as the Christian Fiction genre. I would have never bought this book and read it on my own. But that is how you lose certain generalizations about things, and find some of the best stories. I took a chance, and I won :)
I'm happy to have read this book. And I'm pretty sure this is a sequel in the works, and I'll most likely seek that one out to read!
Ross (3282 KP) rated Slow Motion Ghosts in Books
Jan 8, 2019
Some good twists (1 more)
Parallel personal story
A decent intriguing thriller set in the 80s
*** Disclosure - I received a free advance copy of this book from netgalley in return for an honest review ***
Jeff Noon is a writer of speculative fiction who has been on my reading list for some time (not through recommendation, but through finding his books in discount shops and liking the sound of them). Here he travels somewhat less speculative ground, telling the tale of a murder investigation during the aftermath of the Brixton riots of the early 80s.
The body of Brendan Clarke is found in unusual circumstances, with his face mutilated in certain odd patterns and with no apparent signs of struggle. The investigation into his murder leads the detectives to look into the earlier suicide of a Bowie-esque rock star as the links between the two are too big to ignore. There then follows an investigation into the cult-like group of misfit teenagers set up in Hastings and the cult status of King Lost, aka Lucas Bell.
There is the usual conflict within the investigative team - one jaded, opinionated DS, one DS that is hard-working and reliable and one DC that is off-screen most of the time researching things. An added element is the recent controversy surrounding DI Hobbes, as he recently shopped in his colleagues for battering a young black man in retaliation for the Brixton riots.
The main storyline is good, with enough mystery and emerging evidence to keep the interest. The link in to the past suicide of the cult figure adds an extra element. However it feels Noon went a little too far out of his way to make there a reasonable number of plausible suspects, all of whom are fairly interchangeable if I'm honest (I still can't remember which one of two characters died and which didn't).
It was interesting to read a crime book written about pre-Google times, so there really was a need for more hard work, door-knocking and evidence gathering.
There were some early incongruous events that came across as quite needlessly jarring, for example when someone says they can't remember what someone looked like, it was only a quick glimpse, can't remember anything at all and then somehow when asked about facial markings (apropos of nothing) suddenly remembered a facial tattoo. A couple of instances like that really took me out of the book.
All in all, this was a reasonably well-told crime book with a decent setting, but not exactly a ground-breaking storyline.
Jeff Noon is a writer of speculative fiction who has been on my reading list for some time (not through recommendation, but through finding his books in discount shops and liking the sound of them). Here he travels somewhat less speculative ground, telling the tale of a murder investigation during the aftermath of the Brixton riots of the early 80s.
The body of Brendan Clarke is found in unusual circumstances, with his face mutilated in certain odd patterns and with no apparent signs of struggle. The investigation into his murder leads the detectives to look into the earlier suicide of a Bowie-esque rock star as the links between the two are too big to ignore. There then follows an investigation into the cult-like group of misfit teenagers set up in Hastings and the cult status of King Lost, aka Lucas Bell.
There is the usual conflict within the investigative team - one jaded, opinionated DS, one DS that is hard-working and reliable and one DC that is off-screen most of the time researching things. An added element is the recent controversy surrounding DI Hobbes, as he recently shopped in his colleagues for battering a young black man in retaliation for the Brixton riots.
The main storyline is good, with enough mystery and emerging evidence to keep the interest. The link in to the past suicide of the cult figure adds an extra element. However it feels Noon went a little too far out of his way to make there a reasonable number of plausible suspects, all of whom are fairly interchangeable if I'm honest (I still can't remember which one of two characters died and which didn't).
It was interesting to read a crime book written about pre-Google times, so there really was a need for more hard work, door-knocking and evidence gathering.
There were some early incongruous events that came across as quite needlessly jarring, for example when someone says they can't remember what someone looked like, it was only a quick glimpse, can't remember anything at all and then somehow when asked about facial markings (apropos of nothing) suddenly remembered a facial tattoo. A couple of instances like that really took me out of the book.
All in all, this was a reasonably well-told crime book with a decent setting, but not exactly a ground-breaking storyline.