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Ross (3284 KP) rated Mothership Connection by Parliament in Music
May 26, 2020
Adrienne White (5 KP) created a poll
Jul 9, 2018 (Updated Jul 9, 2018)
David McK (3425 KP) rated Rendezvous with Rama - Rama Book 1 in Books
Jan 28, 2019 (Updated Mar 14, 2021)
Not the worst book I've ever read, but not the best either.
Early sci-fi (as opposed to space opera), suffering a bit from the inadequacies of that genre in that sometimes one-dimensional characters are suddenly introduced simply to move the plot along, then seem forgotten about once that event is resolved.
Early sci-fi (as opposed to space opera), suffering a bit from the inadequacies of that genre in that sometimes one-dimensional characters are suddenly introduced simply to move the plot along, then seem forgotten about once that event is resolved.
David McK (3425 KP) rated Deathstalker (Deathstalker, #1) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
Not so much science fiction as it is science fantasy, this novel pretty much proves the old matra that you can't judge a cover by it's (in this case, dodgy) cover. Not the best book I've ever read, not even the best by Simon Green, but still worth a look if you like space opera.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Moonraker (1979) in Movies
Jun 14, 2020
Seminal piece of late-70s camp is a bit dubious as a Bond film but good fun as a knockabout space opera. Someone steals a space shuttle in mid-air and Bond ends up discovering another diabolical mastermind intent on world domination: though this makes it all sound far too grounded and sensible.
Viewed as a whole it *is* completely absurd, even for a Bond movie, but the awkward fact is that it is made up of set-piece after set-piece which are simply polished and great fun (not that there isn't the occasional badly-misjudged moment). Good action, good effects, great music and possibly the greatest closing gag in Bond history: I really shouldn't like it, but I do.
Viewed as a whole it *is* completely absurd, even for a Bond movie, but the awkward fact is that it is made up of set-piece after set-piece which are simply polished and great fun (not that there isn't the occasional badly-misjudged moment). Good action, good effects, great music and possibly the greatest closing gag in Bond history: I really shouldn't like it, but I do.
Rachel Howser Roberts (96 KP) rated Salvage Trouble (Black Ocean Mission 1) in Books
Jul 9, 2018 (Updated Jul 9, 2018)
Firefly Meets Wizards
This book was advertised as Firefly with wizards, and that's pretty much what it is. There is almost a one-to-one correlation between the characters in the book and the characters in Firefly. That being said, I love Firefly and enjoyed the story very much. It's a fast-paced space opera. The story felt a little short to me, more like a TV episode verses a movie. The book was self-published and had some editing problems (specifically typos).
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Zima Blue and Other Stories in Books
Nov 29, 2019
A collection of short stories by science fiction writer Alastair Reynolds, these stories showcase his world building outside of his more well-known Revelation Space epics. Each story is told with his flair for hard physics combined with space opera but always driven by the psyche of his characters.
With so many well-written stories here, there is bound to be much to be enjoyed by anyone who enjoys futuristic science fiction. The ideas are intriguing and clever, often provoking considerable thought. The writing is deft and fluid, keeping the pace up. Every story feels like a perfect capsule of the idea it contains, rarely too long and flabby or too short and rushed.
If you are a fan of Reynolds' other works or if you have never read a word he has written, this book will not disappoint.
With so many well-written stories here, there is bound to be much to be enjoyed by anyone who enjoys futuristic science fiction. The ideas are intriguing and clever, often provoking considerable thought. The writing is deft and fluid, keeping the pace up. Every story feels like a perfect capsule of the idea it contains, rarely too long and flabby or too short and rushed.
If you are a fan of Reynolds' other works or if you have never read a word he has written, this book will not disappoint.
David McK (3425 KP) rated Death Troopers (Star Wars) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
Take a classic Space Opera saga (Star Wars), add a soupcon of horror (Aliens), and a large dose of Zombies (Resident Evil), and what do you have?
This book.
The plot? An Imperial prison barge breaks down, and then comes across a seemingly abandoned Star Destroyer out in the wastes of space. It transpires that the Destroyer is not abandoned after all, and that it had been carrying out bio-weapon experiments ...
Definitely felt like the author was (heavily) inspired by the Resident Evil games/films: the Zombies are such not as the living dead back-to-life of Romero, but as a result of a engineered virus. The Aliens link I mentioned comes in on the 'set-on-prison-<s>planet</s>barge' setting, and I'm also not entirely sure why he felt the need to drop Han Solo and Chewbacca into the mix, unless that was just so you would know it is a Star Wars novel?
Not the best Extended Universe book.
This book.
The plot? An Imperial prison barge breaks down, and then comes across a seemingly abandoned Star Destroyer out in the wastes of space. It transpires that the Destroyer is not abandoned after all, and that it had been carrying out bio-weapon experiments ...
Definitely felt like the author was (heavily) inspired by the Resident Evil games/films: the Zombies are such not as the living dead back-to-life of Romero, but as a result of a engineered virus. The Aliens link I mentioned comes in on the 'set-on-prison-<s>planet</s>barge' setting, and I'm also not entirely sure why he felt the need to drop Han Solo and Chewbacca into the mix, unless that was just so you would know it is a Star Wars novel?
Not the best Extended Universe book.
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
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