Oktoborror Fest 11 -Starship Trooper 2 - Heroes of the Federation (2004 - Movie)

This book it's not a sequel of the first. It's another chapter that follows the first one. You've got new characters in a new world. THey are stranded there and so they escape to an outpost where they become surrounded by thousands of Zergs. The story is not horror per se, although it's less military sci-fi than the previous one and more horror like as we've got a new type of Zerg. One that can enter and take over a human body and they have a goal.

This movie is a flick and it's good but it's a cult sci-fi classic for a reason. Although it's low budget it provided what lovers of good sci-fi horror wanted. It has a low rating as to be expected but it serves the purpose. Not material for hollywood but good for Sy-Fy channel. 

There are some interesting characters like the psyker, the general or Jax.  What's interesting is that Brenda Strong appears on this movie as she appered on the first. The difference is that in the first she was a Navy Captain and died. Here she is a Marine Sgt and... also died.  

It's one of those movies to watch on your second screen while you play a videogame.

Nudity: There is some as all other Starship Troopers movies. It's Kelly Carlson. She basically show her boobs a couple of scenes.

Book Review: The Titan Probe (Eismond #2) Brandon Q. Morris

This book follows the first one. It's almost impossible to talk about this book without spoilers. So I am going to provide minor spoilers - nothing major as you discover in a couple of pages (and even on the back cover).

This book follows the previous one, the morale is low after Marchenko being stranded on Enceladus after saving Martin & Francesca. OF course they think he is dead so this book follows two main plots. One with our astronauts as they travel to Titan after a strange transmission is captured on earth. The second part we follow Marchenko that it seems he didn't die and now it's trying to do everything to inform Earth & ILSE that he is dead yet. At the same time he is trying to meet up with the strange beings we discovered in the first novel.

This is a good book, nothing major. Sometimes it's dry reading and while the first focus a lot on the perspective of Martin, this one is more on Francesca. My issue is the not the story. It's the characters and the dry way the book was written. It does not mean I am not eagerly waiting to read the third novel. 73/100

Book Review: Sisters of Mercy by Yuval Kordov (Novella linked to Dark Legacies) - Horror & Sci-Fi

I read this novella in one day and this was my first foray into Yuval Kordov work. I've bought all of his books after reading a interview and what he believes.

This is a novella as I've said that is set on the same universe as the the trilogy "Dark Legacies" he wrote a couple of years ago. In the end he explains the reason behind the interest on writing it.

First of all, let me take two cats out of the back. This feels 40K universe - a bit less dark with the mix between human-machines symbiose & the all machine spirit feel. The praying itself remind of Catholicism mantras.

We are thrown into the action right from the bat and not much explanation is provided - probably dark legacies should be read BEFORE this , although I didn't felt lost or that some spoilers existed.

So the world is at war with some demons and some young girls are bonded with robots called god-engines (the parallelism with 40K). They go in pairs to patrol and kill those demons.

The prayers and lithurigies are very good and they give an interesting vibe to this world. It's does not feel like the author is hinting of something or educating you on religion. It's part of this characters but is well so done.

The conversations between the two characters are scarce but give them both personalities within a 80 page book. The most developed part of the novel is the world itself. It's bleak, you've got people trying to survice (that unfortunately don't get much screen time), you've got Rachel-3 which has been alive for 300+ days and can have still have faith yet piety on the people in the wasteland which turns Hannah off.

I would say that probably the 3 and 9 are version and that may hint something, because they "reincarnate" in some sort so maybe being hopeful (that's the feeling I got from Rachel) vs Hannah which has a more pessimistic view on the world - although they love one another and do anything for the other.

I enjoyed it and gives me hope to read his books in the next few months. I am really enjoying incense punk. So far , so good. 87/100

Book Review: Steel on Target (The Buzzer War #1) - Kevin Ikenberry - Military Sci-Fi

I enjoyed so much of this book that I want to read the next two at least to fully commit.

This story is not easy in the beginning. There is a lot militarist jargon thrown and sometimes you get the feeling you are not understanding. As I've read the last 200 pages in a couple of days, the terminology became easier and that's why I Want to read the next two in the next few months so I don't lose myself.

In this book humanity has expanded throughout space and colonized other worlds. One of these worlds is invaded by an alien beings - sure look like Tyranids in some way or Zerg. Unfortunately that's something I was not very glad which was the lack of information we had on them. Maybe that's conscious but I didn't enjoy as I love to hear more about the factions and where we are. Aliens invaded and humanity throw some of our infantry against it - and they were massacred. Our main protagonist (Sandhurst) is saved by a tank regiment and taken back. Of course top dogs in the military want a spacescapegoat and so the solution is going into armour. He returns Earth where he quickly (a bit too quickly as we never really know if it took one day or three months) learn the art of tanks.

At the same time our other main protagonist Llewelyn is switching up as well. She is pilot and she understand that the air force needs to help more the infantry with CAS and having a good connection (via direct line) with them.

Everything I am saying here takes hundreds of page due to the politics in-between the armed forces and battle scenes.

I am not going to delve much more or else I would enter the spoiler territory but I enjoy they fighting back and how the new combination worked - to be fair reminds me of Hearts of Iron IV where everyone says CAS is king. And here in this world is the same thing. Without CAS the infantry suffers a lot.

Looking forward for the second one.

Book Review: Skyward by Brandon Sanderson

Skyward by Brandon Sanderson
My rating: 92 of 100 stars

Pages : 544

Year : 2018

Genre : YA Sci-Fi

Series : Skyward #1/4

This book was my second foray into Brandon Sanderson stuff. The first was Emperor's Soul and it was awesome read. Now I tried this and after reading the first story I am going to read the all series. It's my second YA this year after Kathleen O'Neal One.

This tale we follow Spensa (Spin) as she is going through the pilot's school to be a fighter like her father who was labelled as a coward for fleeing a battle. So basically is a YA novel , hints of dystopia and sci-fi and the revelation in the end made me really interested to read more of it.

In terms of plot, it's simple one. Spin must overcome her difficulties being a pilot like her father whilst most people look down on her due to her father coward behaviour. We are talking about a nation, cities, that are highly militaristic - due to continuous attack of alien species called the Krell. They attack quite frequently and so society must produced teenagers to fight those battles. Usually the Krell don't use that many ships and Defiant (the place) usually defeats them. Of course, since the start you get the feeling something is not right... why the krell fill only 100 ships at most. Why do they target the best pilots first. Why do they not destroy the cities from above the sky since they have weapons more powerful than atomic bombs. All of these questions will be answered, or at least partially on this book.

One of the most interesting happens is also the M-Bot ship that appears and it's IA and takes Spin under it's wing. Their conversation are quite funny and although it can't really be human it sure tries, or else it will write a new routine for that purpose. It's the comic relief of the story, although Spin is also. If this was not Brandon Sanderson, probably it would be overused...

There are interesting characters like Jurgen, Ironside, Cobb, MF, the Sniper among others... He really tries to give them personality to all of them and they really feel like full grown characters as the story progress. After 500 pages he really flesh them out. They grow, they change, it's very good.

For all woke people out there, although there is a gal as a MC, Jurgen a first citizen - a noble - is black, ironsides which is high marshal is also black. But that's the interesting part, although we know the colour of their skin it really doesn't matter. He doesn't use the race or sex of a character to make part of the plot or character development. It's a good breath of fresh air.

Overall is a good first novel and start of series. Looking forward to read the next three. 

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Book Review: Ship of Fools by Richard Paul Russo

Ship of Fools by Richard Paul Russo
My rating: 93 of 100 stars

Pages : 384

Year : 2001

Genre : Sci-Fi, Space Opera, Horror

Series : Solo

This book is flag as Sci-Fi Horror. After finishing the novel I think the Tags my mislead you thinking this is a Alien-alike book but it's not. The Horror here is not visceral or monsters that will make you fear the night. No. The Horror is more psychological that anything else. There are a couple of situations that you feel horrible situation but not horror per se.

In this tale we follow Bartolomeu which follows the captain of a generation ship, giving him hints, advices and such. Bartolomeu is not a well like person, first because he has some handicapped problems (to be honest, they are mention from time to time but I didn't see anything that really made me think, well that's because he is handicapped or something like that. No it's handicapped but in the end is more "capped" that "regular" people. It was a bit strange and a missed opportunity. We also have other interesting characters like the Bishop , the Captain, Par - the dwarf and Father Veronica. Yes a woman, not trans or something like. They just call the clergy woman as Father (don't know if it's normal in protestant religion but I will check later).

So, this tale , we follow a generation ship that has been traveling through space for hundreds of years, so much that nobody knows how long. There was a revolution two hundreds years before and much history was destroyed. In this "day" of age, the ship is divided in the higher deck and lower decks. The lower decks work on maintaining the ship while the higher are just "nobles" and lead the ship and important stuff. We also have a religion, Christian religion and the Bishop and the Captain are always frightening to get the higher hand. To be honest the first 150 pages is basically politics and getting to know the characters and don't get me wrong, probably my favourite part. The second part of the tale is their investigation of a strange ship that appear form nowhere. And here lays some of the horror stuff they talk about it and there is BUT not that much. Some are just hinted...

So what's good about this? Well, in terms of characters I really love it. I love reading about our main protagonist and his ways within the echelons that hate him and his interest on the lower decks and also his love for Father Veronica. The investigations on the ship is also interesting and the last 50/60 pages just fly by. To be honest I was a bit sad about one character but alas, not going to tell you about it.

What's also good? Well the philosophy and theologian debates that we have between almost all characters... One of the best is chapter 40 where Father Veronica & Bartolomeo talk about god and the debate of free will and\or maybe not. One of the most interesting was the Christ Crucification explanation where Father explains the "official" view and her view - god's own guilt.

"He create us. He gave us Free Will. Therefore He is in some real way ultimately responsible for the suffering we inflict upon one another. He Has His own Guilt. And sacrificing His Son, Himself, was a way to help expiate that guilt."

So that's it.. It's an interesting tale about discover, about theology where the main character is atheist and in love with the most pious of women. It's much more. If you enjoy books that deal with Generation Ships then this book is for you. You love books that deal with discover of a truly alien species and not humans in other shapes then this book is for you.

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Book Review: Songs of Distant Earth by Arthur C. Clarke

Songs of Distant Earth by Arthur C. Clarke
My rating: 71 of 100 stars

Pages : 256

Year : 1986

Genre : Sci-Fi

Series : Solo

Giving 71 and recommending? Well, yes. First of all, have in mind that this book was written and re-written but it's old. The premises come from the golden age of Science Fiction and it's one of the most memorable being written at that time. IT was then re-written in the 80's. Don't know what was changed but I believe the premises stay the same.

This book deals with space exploration, colonization of a new world. Being a 230 page novel it has a lot of ideas from the ones I mentioned before to interaction between two different branches of humanity (imagine shogun stuff when Europeans saw for the first time Japanese people. They were for all purposes aliens). this book also deals with the end of the earth (due to neutrino problem that was solved a couple of years after Arthur C Clarke died). There is a reason why this is his most beloved novel.

So why the 71 rating? Although it deals with a lot of interesting topics (I forgot xenobiology , encounters with other species, terraforming, spaceships stuff) it never really dwell much on each individual topic. IT's like he crammed all of this interesting topics , probably being the top runner in several, but never really solving\delving to much on them. So, you may find interesting stuff on terraforming, psychology, sociology etc it never really provides anything too deeply and so was a bit boring...

So, I didn't talk about what's the book about right?

So basically earth is doomed and they know it's being destroyed around 3500 (or so). So humanity started exploring other planets with different methods (again we don't really know much about them) but the vast majority just lost contact. In a last stretch finally we discovered something that allow to send people (hibernating) instead of embryos. Hop we go to another planet but had to stop in a previous colonized world to get more ice. One of the things that most annoyed me was the lack of info on this... how did humans who stayed behind felt about being left on a doom planet? Did they revolt? I mean as the time progress I Would think there would be wars and revolt since everyone would want to go and not being on sinking ship...

So as I said, this ship arrived and encounter the inhabitants living in paradise with no knowledge of war, gods and so on. While I would think it would be interesting of more clashes between two different societies it was cool to see. But again very very superficial... This book could have been 500 pages. The end was interesting since it deals with idea of staying on that planet or leaving to their destination... there were dissidents but again too superficial.. Alas... great premise but lack of depth. (

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Book Review: Valuable Humans in Transit and Other Stories - qntm

Valuable Humans in Transit and Other Stories by qntm
My rating: 73 out of 100 stars

Pages : 101

Year : 2022

Genre : Science Fiction

Series : Anthology

So let's start...

Lenna and I didn't knew about it, was photo and standard test image used in the field of digital image processing starting in 1973. In this tale we follow another character which instead of a photo, the brain was scanned. This is the history of their uses... highly interesting sci-fi (not so distant) where we can achieve for all purposes immortality... but is it a good thing?

If You Are Reading This a story told in blog-like entries and was a bit weird for me

The Frame- it's basically the story of a self-driving car and deciding their actions when they encounter someone right in front of them. You get the supervisor, the video, the brake, the wheel, the abs etc. Very interesting and comedic

The Difference this was a comic , and unsettling story that deals with a man being trapped somewhere while other people log in and out and he tries those people to help him out... (view spoiler)

Gorge a pure sci-fi story about humanity discovering a weird planet... to be honest was a bit confusing

cripes does anybody remember Google People this is a chat log, twitter probably, where a man is talking about a now-defunct google application called Google People which was a bit weird since , it worked like facebook, but it did a lot more things like fake entries, adding randomly people, asking if x or y was known to them etc. It was interesting. the ending was a bit like the Difference story... or was it?

Driver this story follows the first one. If you enjoy the first you going to enjoy the second.

I Don't Know, Timmy, Being God Is a Big Responsibility This tale is very good. It's about a computer, above the most powerful we have nowadays, the quantum computing, and these two IT create a simulation of a world (imagine Populous game) but then things got out of hand and strange stuff starts to happen mixing realities and existences.. (you can deduce by the title)

A Powerful Culture is a story about a world where something is discovered that links this world to another parallel world. And that world is using another earth as a dumping ground of pollution. Great ending.

Valuable Humans in Transit this was interesting tale where an AI narrator saves humanity from an asteroid impact... But there are more stuff in there. I was confused until I re-read again.

Overall a very interesting tales Some were more impactful than others. That's why I will rate 73/100. Because some stories really brought down the top ones... Read in one day. What more can I wish? This person is very good.

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Book Review: Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke

Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke
My rating: 69 of 100 stars

Pages : 256 

Year : 1986

Genre : Sci-Fi , Post Apocalpytic Fiction

Series : solo

Let's go...
Arthur C Clarke was a man of ideas and a visionary in the golden age of sci-fi. As you read his books, if you have read, watch and more modern stuff it's almost impossible to not say, well this is outdated. I've seen this and so on. BUT, per example this book was written in 1953. That's 70 years ago. Of course nowadays, someone copied, used and so on.. But the idea comes from him.

This book was interesting and I was getting vibes of "V", you know ? but it went another way. You've got this aliens who drop one day and say to earth people, stop fighting or we will destroy you (Well they never said like this) and after seeing their power, people stop fighting. It was a bit too simple but okay. Probably if you've got a pistol point to your head all the time you will not complain much of your grievances.

So peace was achieved and humanity finally could focus on what was important.. Is it good, right? Right? (insert meme of Padme and Anakin)

The vast majority of the novel, the author didn't really try to focus much on that, showing us good things, some mystery on the overlords and by the end a bit on their planet, their intentions and so on...

I think the author went on a simple path and in one phrase he convey that without adversaties humanity cannot evolve and that's true. Humanity in times of war and strife evolve and then use that stuff for the common man. Please research all the things that were discovered during WW2 or even due to it. Even ideas come out of war, the idea of freedom, equality rose when (in the USA)? when they were at war in the Vietnam. Without it , probably things would not evolve as they did. I believe that difficult, strife and war makes us humans (and at the same time makes us un-human).

The author, either does not believe or try not to talk about it. He wanted to tell a tale about a race of beings being our overlords/guardians... to talk more I will have to into the spoiler section... 7/10
In terms of characters is bland, the only reason to read it would be story itself.

A bit on the spoilers , (view spoiler)[ so, by the end we start to realize the purpose of these beings.. first of all, they very alike demons - that's the reason we have in our mythologies this beings as evil. But the reason they are "evil" it's not because they are our overlords, or trying to kill us. This is linked with reason of their appearance. Basically they are like shepherds who appear on societies that are going to make a evolution transition - basically humankind is evolving from normal human beings to beings that have the means to connect with an overmind (via telepathy and such) So this beings are just there to ensure we don't kill ourselves. After we made our transition they will leave the planet, human beings as we know (homo-sapiens) will die out and our sons\daughters will evolve, transcendence to another state we don't really understand... what happened to those kids we never really understood... Humanity has disappear, even our planet basically cease to exist... And that's why we have demons on our books... They were a warning with their appearance, we would die as a species.. neat, no? I believe the author try to explain as racial memory- It's like we have an instinct fear of darkness or spiders. Nobody teach us. We just are. This is the same. Oh well.. (hide spoiler)]

interesting concepts, interesting plot, poor characters, an ending that leave us some questions...

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Book Review: Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card

Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card
My rating: 9 of 10 stars

Pages : 382 (feels longer)

Year : 1986 

Genre : Sci-Fi

Series : 2 on Ender's Saga

One of the best novels I've read for a while. It started slow and I was not enjoying as much as ender games but as the book progress it turn philosophical and I started enjoying the novel each page more and more... The novel follows the first one , well in a way 2000 years after the one. So how are they alive? Shenningans of time Travel. Travelling from one planet to another can take 20 years of "real" time but for those travelling it takes 2 weeks. So basically you can be immortal. It's a bit strange to be honest.

So, Ender is now a Speaker for the Dead where he goes from place to place talking about people who died, telling the true and so on... A bit strange but ok.

You've got , for the first time a new world called Lusitania (ancient name of Portugal) where a bunch of people went to live there and find out a sentient species. There the first xenobiologits try to talk with them, learn but never interfering for fear of what happened 2000 years ago (Ender went from an hero to the most evil person)

There are lot here, we've got as I said philosophy, there is Christianity beliefs and interaction between and science, you've got questions on how humanity should approach other species, you've got questions about morality, about personality, about community and most of all character development. In the end it was a very good book that make me think a lot. I know why it won so many awards.

Just a warning, although I would rate the same as Ender Game, it's totally different book. Different approach. Different themes and flows. This is no action.

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Book Review: Dinosaur Beach by Keith Laumer

Dinosaur Beach by Keith Laumer
Pages 151

Year 1971

I have finished. IT took me a while, I play videogames.
This is Daw book, number 21 and it was published back in 71.
So, what's this book about? If you have read the back cover, it has nothing to do with dinossaurs. They appear 1 or 2 pages and are barely there. The Dinoussaur beach is a a beach where the time travellers have their HQ. From there they go, through time, changing stuff. Well not changing, our main protagonist (Ravel) is a third generation time traveller which is solving the problems created by the first two eras. It's a simple book, fast pace. It has 40 chapters in 150 pages and it's okay book.

BUT I have a problem with Time Travels and this book really brought the issue back. If I went back in time and kill person X, then a second age from far into the future went bacck to stop me from killing person X. How does this work? Killing X (I know you all want to kill Hitler, so let's go with Stalin). I am in a future and go back and kill Stalin - right from the bat our timeline would be different (better or worse) , would my timeline even exist at all? Then how the second guy would know he had to act, because if he is in the future but acting on the past, well it doesn't need right? It's very hard dealing with timesweepers and I don't like it and this one felt confused.. man by the end we had 7th era timsweepers... all thinking we are the last, we are the last.
Want to solve everything? go to the past and kill the inventor. Job Done BUT WAIT... if timesweepers were never invented how could you go to the past to kill the creator of it? Well... I give up.

Overall, nice fast pace story. Don't think to much. 5/10

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Book Review: Icehenge by Kim Stanley Robinson

Icehenge by Kim Stanley Robinson
My rating: 3

Pages 266

Years 1984

I didn't enjoy the novel. I will rate 3/10 for it's incoherent plot or lack of it. Character wise is okay at best. I will have to go to spoiler, although I a bit worried since I have at least 8/9 of his books including Red Mars Trilogy & the one dealing with freaky weather..

So this book is told in three chapters, each chapter a different persons. You can almost read one chapter and not read the other ones - although it's advisable.

The synopsis say

"It stands at the north pole of the planet Pluto-- a giant's dance of ice frozen harder than stone, harder than steel. Each slab towers two hundred feet above the crater-pocked surface; the one in the center bears an inscription in Sanskrit.

The first mission to Pluto found it there already, waiting for them.

Is it a starlit message from an alien race? Or does it mark a human mystery? For there was one ship that might have passed this way, forgotten decades ago-- if the crew survived. If the ship existed at all..."

This description has nothing to do with book or Mars and half the novel is set on Mars and the thingy on the cover and back cover is only mentioned at page 111 out of 266 and the first time we really go there is on page 244. So as you can see, if you expect something akin archaeology SF stuff, you will surely disappointed

In the first tale we follow Emma Weil as she is travelling through the stars and a rebellion happened on that ship. The ship is rebelling because they want to go outside of Solar System but are against the Committee that rules Mars and all spaceships. The Committee is basically ruled by USA & URSS. She must either accept their invitation or go back. Basically that's it. Overall my favourite of the three, but nothing really groundbreaking

I would say that Kim really took me, well I don't know it would have pictures of mathematic schematics or I would study beforehand (I'm kidding. It's nothing really far fetch)

Interesting stuff, a Russian & English speaker is talking and say;

"You have a vision-"

"Not just me!"

"I meant all of you."

"Ah sorry. English should make that distinction."

Well, going around with "they" and other makeup pronouns also does not help hah. In the anglosphere there are people who identify as they as they don't want to be know of male and female. To a latin, spanish, portuguese, italian or french (among other) don't understand this. Or at least can't really translate They. They to portuguese per example is the plural of he/her in portugues ele/ela. The plural of these are eles/elas. There is no neutral form in Latin. The words are either masculine or feminine .. okok I diverge but I can understand the Russian getting confusing with "you"

The second tale is set 200 year (or 300) into the future and a man is excavating on Mars where something happened hundreds of years before. He thinks that the committee is hiding something while the official version was that the rebellion destroy the city and as you know the story is written by the victors. This second tale deals with several stuff, first the impact of living a thousand years. How it would influence a person's mind - due to not ageing as fast and memory-wise. Even if can reverse the effects of dying, how our mind would be influenced? Strange here we've got a guy who was on that city 300 years before and his opinion is not important due to memory loss (that it seems happens after 100 years and so they have to remember by writing memoirs or reading the official propaganda of events). This story is also a bit political as well, not democracts vs republicans, don't you worry. Finally we get to know a bit of that thing on pluto but rather on small scale.

The third tale we follow the great-son of the second character as he himself is investigating those megalithic structure, although he believes that those are not aliens, nor even made by the group of the first story but another person, he thinks it's a hoax.

So what's wrong with all of these. IT's the premise. I wanted a investigation megalithic alien bulding, probably connected with stonehedge with weird connections and I was not happy with direction.

These are three independent stories and it shows, they can all be read independently and that times it felt convulated. I had hope for more sci-fi and more archaeological stuff and I Got more a mystery, hoax , political stuff. Not that good. I hope Red mars trilogy fares better. I've read that this one it reads as try to write red mars.

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Book Review: Children of Dune by Frank Herbert

Children of Dune by Frank Herbert
Pages 407

Year 1976

Finally I am finish with this novel... it stook me two months and not like other novels it takes me this long but I stop reading for days, weeks. No, no, no. I kept reading a chapter a day or two.

I just couldn't get into it, and at times it was boring , but so boring it made me sleepy. The last hundred pages I read in one sitting since I Was awaiting a medical appointment and I brought the book on purpose to force myself to finish.

This novel continues the previous 2 and they are like a full length novel (a very big full length novel if you wish). Paul has disappeared and the people that stay now have to take care of the political power struggle. Everyone has their own agenda, Jessica, Alia and the twins. Then we've got new contenders like old Corrino people who sees as a chance to take back their throne.

4/10
To be honest, I think it's so heavily on politics and characterisation that there is almost to no action. The problem is that it's a bit confusing to be honest to see which is which. If you had to choose on main character, well you would got 2. The first is Alia and her descent into madness and second is Leto as he understands his purpose (or what he thinks its his purpose). Jessica is , well there.

My main problem was this plots going forward, and each one had one, or two, and counter plots and confusion that If you ask me, Stilgar or any other characters are in favor/against Leto, I would not know.

Interesting is that Frank Herbert had no qualms in destroying some characters you would thought - "those are the main characters of the series" and I have to give praise to that action.

I will continue the series, but book four probably only next year... 4/40

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Book Review: Alien Horrors by Tim Curran

Alien Horrors by Tim Curran
Pages 231

Year 2022

This was the best anthology I read this month, and the month is not even over...
As you know Tim Curran is one my favorite writers and this is the reason why. This collection basically joins several stories, probably in the same universe and creates several types of horror. The reason I say it's interconnected is because there are several hints (in this case technology) like the armor they wear that is truly a find, basically takes cares of the wearer, giving food, taking charge of the waste and even technology information. There are other info that connects like some organizations. Apart from that, each story is set in a different planet (as far as I am aware).

Do you love Aliens? Event Horizon? The Thing? Predator among other stories? Then this book is for you.
Do you love star wars, star trek or dune? Well maybe this will not be your cup of tea since this is not space opera.

-Each tale is different and no two try to be the same, you've got people stranded on planets
-You've got some monsters that defy all kind of logic and are at top of the food chain.
-There is a story about a solitary man living in a dead world by himself.
-You've got a migration of alien hive through a mining camp on a previous thought-unhabitable world

If you wish to read sci-fi horror novel , then this is it. There aren't many to be honest.
There are like some two stories I didn't enjoy as much but overall perfect
9/10

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Book Review: There is no Antimemetics Division - qntm

Overall this is a great novel. It's confusing at times but it's awesome.

This novel is linked to SCP foundation project (it's basically a a non-official shared world with no marketing value but have countless writers and stories witin). Each SCP is mystery, something odd, a monster and problem to humanity and the Foundation work it out.

This novel deals with antimemetics and although they try to explain several times in the end I can't even understand fully. You have to read it to understand. BTw, the novel is divided in two parts, I prefer the first part. The second part is a bit confusing and I kept losing myself on what was happening. The main issue is the situation of memory loss, memory gain, then after all are fake memories and so so, and you keep failing to understand what is real or not.

I will buy more from this author. They are cheap books. this guy is not interested in money to publish. He wants the books out.

Book Review: The Lost Starship - Vaughn Heppner

Read in February of 2021
390 pages published in 2014
Sci-Fi

I have one word - Boring.

After reading Marko Kloos I've tried this one because it remind me of Stargate Universe so I tried and was really upset it didn't check my internal boxes. Probably it was my own fault... But alas...

So humanity is facing extinction due to some really powerful called "New Men". Why the name? Don't know. Makes no sense - but let us see in the next novels ; oh wait will not see because I will not read the next one.

One of first things that bother was the almost perfect captain (genius and physically).

Second some parts of the novel were so boring that I skimming some pages.

All other characters are also very normal in the 70's and you've seen everywhere.

I really don't want to read more books on this series. I will rather read Marko Kloos second novel.

Book Review: Terms of Enlistment - Marko Kloos

Read in January of 2021
347 pages in 2014
Military Sci Fi

This is military fiction novel. Not space opera. Truth be told, it's not that well written, after all the writer is german BUT it's okayish. I didn't saw any grammatical errors but it's simple. It's action after action. Comparing to Jack Campbell would not be fair.

Jack Campbell series is space opera. It's slow space battles with a lot of political drama behind. Marko Kloos's on the other end it's a novel that focus on characters and there are very small hints of political drama behind.

So what this novel is about?

In this novel we follow Andrew has he tries to escape earth to a colony. The only way he can do it is true the army. After making their enlistment and trial they are assigned to the marines who will protect colonies, navy (space navy) or PA (basically marines that stay on earth to protect the armies interest).

So, basically the novel is divided in three sections. The first part we learn about Andrew life on earth and the initial training in the army. The second part regards on his take on the army and we learn a bit about the world (either the cold war or America (not just usa) and Sino-Russian alliance and also the internal struggles between people and the government. The last part deals with his take on the space battles and then a big last battle.

Well, this is a first person narrative so there's that. There are several other characters, mainly his girlfriend halley and probably the most interesting of them all Sargent Fallon.

If you are expecting a hard-sci-fi in the vein of Jack Campbell don't expect it here. If you want some light read between some more dense novels this will be perfect. Expect action scenes after action scenes. Some light romance. No bullshit.

I will be reading the next in the following months. I have no doubt.

Book Review: Siberian Incident - Greig Beck

Author: Greig Beck

Book: Siberian Incident
Year: 2019
Pages: 246
Part of Series: Solo 
Reading Time:  10 days (2020)
Rating:  6 Stars

When I started reading stuff from Tim Curran and other Severed Press authors and I saw a Greig Beck story I thought I would love to read it. I've known his novels for several now and they look cool thrillers in the same vein of other novels mixing thriller with adventure and ancient monsters and so on (I'm looking at you Jeremy Robinson and James Rollins)

Well, what we've got here is an American guy who makes a deal with some Russian guys to create a farm on sturgeon. But then stuff doesn't happen the way he wants after all this are Russians and Russian mafia has it's hands on everything/anything. When he disappears , his ex army brother and wife go to Russia to deal with it.

Apart from these mafioso other stuff start to happen and so more Americans (ex-military) arrive at Russia. Then the book changes a bit and if it was more thriller to more commando fighting the Thing from OuterSpace.

What about the monsters... some spoilers ahead!

Well what we've got here is some monsters that transverse space but when they arrive at earth they have no technology... how? They use dead bodies to make things and use them so they walk on land and so on... they built things out of corpse but then Greig Beck never explained how they transverse the cosmos. Poorly written this part.

Spoilers Finish

My main problem with most of these kind of novels Thrillers/Adventures/Monsters seldom end bad. They usually overcome their problem and all is fine which is a bit boring and predictable.

Book Review: Jewel of Jarhen (Cap Kennedy #5) Gregory Kern

Author: Gregory Kern
Book: Jewel of Jarhen
Year:  1972
Pages: 142
Part of Series: Cap Kennedy 5 our of 14
Reading Time: 3 days (2021)
Rating:  3 Stars

What a weak novel. To be honest it's pretty bland. This is the fifth novel, not fourth as someone said. In this novel Cap Kennedy is sent to another world to drag them to Terra fold instead of it's counterparts that exist.

So what was bad? Well, short - novella length. They try to talk about sci-fi, superstition in one novel - that clash but unfortunately it was not that well made.

Then there is the all Terra vs adversaries. Earth is America and the remaining factions are like China/Russia - which to be honest made sense since this novel was written back in the 70's - in the middle of the cold war.

Then there is the all Kennedy character - he tries to solve everything either by bullying others into coercion and/or strength of arms - like USA.

Enfin, this tale also had minor appearance from Kennedy and more Prof Luden.

There is a over reaching arc about the aliens that existed before and left things all over the place. I will read the next but not right away

Book Review: Masters of the Pit (Michael Kane #3) - Michael Moorcock

Author:  Michael Moorcock
Book: Masters of the Pit
Year: 1965
Pages: 160
Part of Series: Michael Kane #3
Reading Time: 2 days (2021
Rating: 3 Stars

So this was the third story on this short novels from Michael Moorcock. And that's a wrap.

Michael Kane was another character in the world of sword and sorcery on Mars. Nothing really particular interesting on him besides the idea of peace instead of strength of arms. That's different at least.

All other characters are not that flash out besides Hool Haji. There are some enemies, human-cats; dog-humans, mechanical and some bird things. It remind me of Island of Dr Moreau mixed with Burroughs own story.

There are some complains, identical with the previous one that deals with the fastpace novel. Moorcock says that he wrote this novels in a week, we are talking at 500 pages so, 100 per day more or less. And it shows. The story at times jumps and jumps and we don't know "what the heck is going on?" Then the action scenes are frankly bad. Rushed and not that fluid.

I have to give a discount since Moorcock was around 25 - well I won't give a discount - because Lovecraft, HP Lovecraft already wrote at that time this kind of novels and frankly way better.

Overall, I read and finish because one of my goals for this year is to finish pending trilogies or series...

Should you read it?
- Well, if you want to read everything from Moorcock multiverse - Yes
- You want to read Sword and Sorcery - Then, no. Way better out there. Most are older than this - late 20's, 30's , 40's and 50's.

Some new writers are going around with this again, so the future could be bright. I've read a couple of weeks before - and it's frankly way better. Go read my review