I, Alien: Memoirs of a UFO Spy
Book
The long awaited iconic book from Tony Topping They chose him, but why? Veteran UFO researcher...
memoir UFO science fiction
Perestroika
8.0
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Book
Perestroika is a historical fiction novel that provides thrilling insights into the late Communist...
A Most Unsettled Man: the Triumphs and Travails of George Matcham
Book
George Matcham, dubbed the most unsettled man alive, was born in East India Company controlled...
Non Fiction Historical Biography
Restless Dolly Maunder
8.0
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Book
The Women's Prize-winning and Booker-shortlisted international bestselling author returns with a...
Historical fiction Australia
The Bookshop of Secrets
10.0
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Book
In a bookshop nestled in the sprawling streets of Lisbon, a shopkeeper leads a double life… ...
Historical World War II Romance Women's Fiction
Lalji's Nairobi
Book
British Gujarat, 1905. Despairing of the social injustices and crippling taxes under the British...
Historical Fiction Africa
The Wild Robot (2024)
10.0
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Movie
*The Wild Robot** is a 2024 animated science fiction film directed by Chris Sanders, based on Peter...
David McK (3562 KP) rated Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) in Movies
Feb 22, 2025
While it is a close call, for me, the original *just* pips it to the post.
This is the movie that re-defined science fiction, with a young Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher all being launched to superstardom on its back (Ford in particular), and that is - as has oft been said - in many ways a modern fairy-tale, taking its form and structure from such.
It's also the movie that introduces the iconic Darth Vader, X-Wings and TIE fighters, with the final assault on the first Death Star one of the best action scenes in any movie I have ever seen, period.
Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated Micro in Books
Jan 9, 2020
In Micro a group of young graduate students at a college or approached by the head of a company called Nanigen. The graduate students are invited out to the Nanigen lab in Hawaii to see for themselves the work being done there and to see if they want to work for the company. Out of curiosity all the approached graduate students agree to go but their trip to Hawaii becomes more than what they bargain for.
Nanigen is studying the micro world mainly looking for chemicals that micro animals are making that could be useful to humans in some way. Also like many scientific companies in the private sector Nanigen is doing top secret work for the government. Greed gets in the way for some of the scientist already working for the company and the trip becomes extremely dangerous and even deadly for the graduate students. Having to deal with micro-bots and new technology never heard of before the students must fight to survive a world very different from our own.
What I like most about the book was one of the same features that keeps me reading Michael Crichton's work. The author does his research very thoroughly. The book may be a work of science fiction but there is a bibliography in the back for the curious reader to be able to learn more about the fascinating topics brought up in the book. For being a work of fiction the animals, plants, chemicals, technology,and scientific concepts are not. What I liked least about the book was how similar to another one of his books it was and how predictable some parts felt to me. Again though, I am very familiar with Michael Crichton's work and that would probably explain why it felt so predictable. I cannot hold that against the book.
Overall I would rate this book a 4 out of 4 and would highly recommend it. It has a very strong story and is believable which is an important factor for science fiction. The target readers for this book would start around high school age if not older. I feel like high school students will get the basic concept of what book was talking about but they might be lost on some of the finer detail. It all just depends on if the book is being read for the story or if the reader is interested in science specifically microbiology and nanotechnology.
I feel like I need to note on here that Richard Preston finishing the book did not harm it in any way.
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tanuki (2 KP) rated The Poppy War (The Poppy War #1) in Books
Feb 6, 2019
The opening chapters seem inspired by wuxia novels and the tale of Yim Wing Chun - kung fu practitioners will note a number of references here to their origin tales, as well as some beautiful descriptions of the biomechanics of the art - mixed with Hogwarts. We have the neglected orphan who works hard to achieve her school place and study the fields of combat, lore, medicine and so on. There is an unusual teacher occupying the position of wise sage and there's the handsome rival. So far, so comforting. One can enjoy this fairly cosy ride.
But then there is a distinct undercurrent. It creeps up on you, darker and more earthy than the tone suggests. Just as the students spend their days training for a war that'll never come, we read this schoolyard tale as if the latter half of the book won't come.
It hits with a bombshell, and they just keep coming. Now fiction isn't fiction at all. History is woven through the narrative. We can see the major players and we know how it ends. And yet the deftly woven plot, excellent prose and gripping characters keep us on the edge of our seats.
A phenomenal debut and the start of a thrilling trilogy.