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Category Archives: Literature

Reviews, Top N lists, and other sundry literary stuff.

A Fire Upon the Deep

by Rob Friesel

Among other recommendations, A Fire Upon the Deep appeared on io9’s “Twenty Science Fiction Novels that Will Change Your Life” post and after Newton’s Wake ^^See also, my review on Goodreads.com.^^^, I thought it would be a chance for that list to redeem itself a little. Though far from life-changing, this story is strong and […]

The Windup Girl

by Rob Friesel

“What took you so long to pick it up?” I did not believe the hype. Before The Windup Girl, my exposure to Bacigalupi’s work was through two short stories: “The People of Sand and Slag”–which seemed to pop-up everywhere ^^Previously reviewed here.^^^ for a while; and then “Yellow Card Man”–which was in the same milieu […]

Kafka on the Shore

by Rob Friesel

If you happen to be unfamiliar with Haruki Murakami: he writes these delightfully weird, surrealist ^^I can’t bring myself to use the phrase “magical realism”.^^^ novels that are somehow simultaneously indecisive yet utterly certain of their subjects. Declaratively ambiguous dreamscapes that are half-hatched out of unimaginable futures. So with that in mind: Kafka on the […]

Federations

by Rob Friesel

In many ways, I’ve started to come to believe that you can’t go wrong with a John Joseph Adams’ collection. Wastelands was incredible, The Living Dead was great, and Federations…? Also very very good. The “dust jacket description” of this anthology pretty much sums it up… It collects a few different modern takes on the […]