Tag archives for book review - Page 20
Book Review – The Martian by Andy Weir
The Martian by Andy Weir My rating: 5 of 5 stars Last night I finished reading 'The Martian'. I can completely understand why it was voted the best science fiction book of 2014 by goodreads users. It's an engaging rollercoaster of a story. The main character is left behind on Mars when his mission is scrubbed because of a massive storm that threatens to destroy their ascent vehicle. The wind blows part of the comms array into him, knocking him unconscious and destroying the bio-monitor in his suit. The rest of the crew believe he is dead and take off before the wind blows over their ship. Artist concept of a Mars sample return mission (Photo credit: Wikipedia) This is a story of overcoming incredible odds to survive, and you are left almost to the last page wondering whether or not he is going to…
Book Review – Far Orbit compiled by Bascomb James
Far Orbit: Speculative Space Adventures by Bascomb James My rating: 4 of 5 stars This modern science fiction anthology is in the classic style, with a positive feel and no dystopias, at least not in a grim pass the razor blades sort of way. I really enjoyed the collection and there are authors in there that I need to go and see what else they've written. I bought this anthology because I am thinking about submitting stories for publication, and I saw an article that there would be a follow-up anthology called Apogee from the same anthologist. Also I like reading science fiction, and short stories are easier to read when I'm studying (and I'm in the middle of B203, which is a real monster). Having read the anthology I was inspired, I've outlined a story and written a couple of thousand words towards…
Book Review – Zoo Station by David Downing
Zoo Station by David Downing My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is the first book that I have read entirely in 2015. Amazon had the whole series as a deal of the day for 99p each. I'd had this one, the first in the series, for a little while so I dipped in to see if the rest were worth buying. I got hooked and spent a fiver! I bought this one as an amazon recommendation. I've been buying first hand accounts and histories of the SOE for decades. I picked up the pace a bit a year ago when doing background reading for the short story Hunting Nazis which I used for the end of module on A215. I also read cold war spy fiction too. So amazon recommended me Downing's series. The link is fairly obvious. This…
Book Review – Fatal Choices by Seth Owen
Fatal Choices: Wargames, Decisions and Destiny in the 1914 Battles of Coronel and Falklands by Seth Owen My rating: 5 of 5 stars I backed the Kickstarter campaign and got both the ebook and the paperback version of this as well as some pre-cut counters for playing the scenarios. The book is a fascinating tour of the what if as well as the real history. It takes us through the technical and political backgrounds of both sides, the vessels and the commanders. Owen explains why the situation was what it was, why the protagonist navies had chosen their strategy and how they had got their ships on station when the first world war started. Map showing British and German ships and movements at the Battle of Coronel, 1 November 1914. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Each of the battles is presented as…
Book Review – Heroes Wanted by Allen Donnelly
Heroes Wanted by Allen Donnelly My rating: 4 of 5 stars I have enjoyed reading this, and laughed out loud in places too. A fantasy tale with a different, not a serious quest for honour and glory, but a wry and humourous take on the genre from the point of view of a young woman who has inherited the Dragon's Flight pub in a village called Heroes Rest, the last stop before the adventuring in the mountains begins. The humour is laced through the story, and reminds me very much of some of Terry Pratchett's earlier works. The world Allen Donnelly has created is believable and seems real. It has fantastical bits, there are elves and dwarves as customers, but these are background mostly. There's also a dragon which is sort of foreground too. However these are a natural part…