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The Nightmare Stacks: A Laundry Files Novel
The Nightmare Stacks: A Laundry Files Novel
Charles Stross | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Another fun entry in the Laundry Files series, this one is narrated by Dr. Schwartz, from the previous novel. Poor Alex is trying to come to grips with his sudden career change and living life as a PHANG (vampire, to the rest of us). He has also fallen into social interactions with an actual female person, which is vastly unusual in his life. In fact, having a social life is rather foreign.

There are a fair number of cringe-worthy scenes, if you (like me) are embarrassed when anyone else is. Of course, this is a comedy/horror/science fiction/fantasy series, so there are the requisite horrid things in the plot. If you've gotten this far in the series, I shouldn't need to warn you about that. I really wouldn't choose this volume as an entry point if I were you.
  
Powersat (The Grand Tour #1)
Powersat (The Grand Tour #1)
Ben Bova | 2005 | Fiction & Poetry, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Thriller
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Dan Randolph has a dream - cheap power for all delivered via a series of orbital sun-powered 'Powersats' that will beam their energy down to Earth. However this is a huge project and there are any number of things that can go wrong. Dan will need to summon all his resources as a businessman and format astronaut to ensure his brainchild has a future.

This is a pretty solid start to the Grand Tour series of books, which seek to show the reader every corner of the solar system together with a gripping story. The science is accurate and plot is certainly gripping.

However this is a fairly workmanlike book, feeling a lot like Bova was writing with gritted teeth to actually get it finished. As a result it is a good but not great work of fiction.