This was a slow, casual re-read in the form of an audiobook. The narrator sounded like an A.I. and had the most stilted voice, but I tried not to let that mar the experience too much. Normally my featured image art matches the book edition I read, but I couldn't find anything official for the... Continue Reading →
[Book Review] Destiny Doll – Clifford D. Simak (1972)
There are two separate Simak "to-read" piles that I mentally keep track of: the "I think this might be good" pile and the "completionist" pile. Destiny Doll fell into the latter. The other three books I'd read from his 70's output did not impress me and so, while I was interested in the premise, I was expecting... Continue Reading →
[Book Review] New Writings in SF-13 – John Carnell (Editor) (1968)
One of my random charity shop finds, purchased in the hopes of discovering some forgotten gem or author. Individual stories reviewed: "The Divided House" by John Rackham - 3.25 "Divided we both fall." Interesting dystopian novelette touching on slavery, class divide, intellectual discrimination, "thinkers" vs. "dreamers". The prose is dry and competent, without flair. The characters are fairly... Continue Reading →
[Book Review] A Clockwork Orange – Anthony Burgess (1962)
A classic that has sat on my shelf much too long, and one that I think in some ways I had built up in my mind as being something detestable and likely unpleasant to read. However, while the subject matter and goings-on are shocking, dirty deeds are not nearly as prominent as I was expecting... Continue Reading →
[Book Review] A Boy in Darkness and Other Stories (Centenary Edition) – Mervyn Peake (1956)
My rating covers the overall package, as well as the stories; the forewords and accompanying art. It's a nice little package, even if nothing is quite as good as the title story. While not outstanding, the collection shows that Peake bordered on literary chameleon. His style, rhythm and pace seems to change from story to story... Continue Reading →
[Book Review] Time and Again – Clifford D. Simak (1950)
Sutton sensed resurrection and he fought against it, for death was so comfortable. Like a soft, warm bed. And resurrection was a strident, insistent, maddening alarm clock that shrilled across the predawn chill of a dreadful, frowzy room. Dreadful with its life and its bare reality and its sharp, sickening reminder that one must get... Continue Reading →
[Manga Review] Memories – Katsuhiro Otomo
I'm really glad to have gotten ahold of this, though it's not what I expected. Otomo is eclectic, to say the least. It's quite a strange collection, with the quality ranging widely from good to bad to distasteful. Despite Otomo's anthology film adaptation being of the same name as this collection, there is little relation... Continue Reading →