As the year tips over into its second third, it’s time to look back and reflect on the month that’s just gone. Despite being one of the shorter months of the year, April felt incredibly long. Maybe it was the weather, maybe not, but I’ve been feeling pretty grouchy all month. So, shall we get this over and done with?

Reading

Aside from a brief diversion courtesy of William Shatner, every book I read this month came courtesy of a British author. My original plan was to run a Best of British celebration, but this was slightly scuppered by a general lack of enthusiasm for the books I found myself reading. Peter F. Hamilton’s Night’s Dawn Trilogy really slowed me down, and Andrew Hunter Murray’s The Sanctuary proved to be disappointing too. Even genre stalwarts like John Brunner and Arthur C. Clarke didn’t reach my expectations. None of this is necessarily indicative of British SF as a whole (if I’d found time for Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Alien Clay, I dare say I’d be in a better mood) but it did put a damper on the celebratory mood I entered the month with.

There were some diamonds in the rough, however. Stephen Baxter proved reliably entertaining with his massive Xeelee omnibus, and I’m eager to track down the rest of the series. Likewise, my first exposure to Eric Brown’s novels has me excited for the rest of his work, especially as I’ve started with some of his earlier works, which are theoretically among his weaker offerings.

It turned out to be audiobooks that carried the month. As well as making good headway on my Warhammer 40,000 listening, I discovered some real gems in the Audible Plus catalogue. There’s a decent amount of classic science fiction available there, so I should be all set for the next few months of listening. I also started Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy as part of my Discord buddy read, but progress on that has rather stalled for a number of reasons.

Finally, I’ve got a pair of review copies on the go. David Weber’s Toll of Honor is another mammoth that’ll take me some time to slay, but in the meantime I am greatly enjoying Victoria Hayward’s Deathworlder, which is definitely up there with the best Astra Militarum stories.

Blogging

I had a great start to the month, putting up a review just about every day. Then the real world intruded, and when I did escape from work it was to attend a LARP event, so no blogging got done. That particular mudbath means I am now behind on my reviewing schedule, so the British books will continue to feature through the start of May.

More importantly, the articles I had planned were the real casualties. My bookish guide to the UK lies dead before arrival, while my ranking of British authors ran into the problem of being constantly updated. I still plan to get the latter posted at some stage, alongside the rather more involved vivisection of what makes British SF tick. I say vivisection, because the genre is still very much alive. I have made some good progress on this post, so expect it sooner rather than later.

I did share my recent interview with Victoria Hayward, author of Black Library’s Deathworlder, which I’m very happy with. Getting to interview some of my favourite authors is definitely a perk of running this blog.

There’s honestly not a whole lot more to say on the blogging front. Sometimes I debate going deeper into the analytics of views and likes and what-have-you, but then I remember that I’m probably the only one who finds these numbers interesting.

In the News

It’s been a quiet month on the SF news front. A few upcoming shows have confirmed their air dates, but that’s about all. If there’s something you think I’ve missed, just let me know.

Updates

I have no real updates to share. The Discord server is fairly quiet, but I am starting to use Instagram a bit more. I doubt I’ll ever consider myself a bookstagrammer (it sounds an awful like being an influencer, yuck), but having a way to ogle other people’s library’s is always a nice thing. On the downside, I am constantly bombarded by updates as social media tightens its grip on our attention. Beyond Instagram and Twitter/X, the only place you’ll find me lurking is the Fantasy & Beyond Forum (the successor to the much-lamented Fantasy Faction). Technically I’m on BlueSky as well, but that’s basically a post in the desert with my name attached to it for all the use I get out of it. But you can follow me anywhere, and I’ll be grateful for fellow nerds to converse with.