We did it, everyone! We made it through the first quarter of the year! Right now, I am feeling very upbeat about the coming months. On a personal level, that is. Globally, my thoughts are more along the lines of ‘Yikes!’

My initial plan for April was to revisit last years Best of British, since I’ve got more than enough British SF in my planned reading to keep me going for more than a month. After somewhat struggling with WarhamMarch last month, however, I’ve scaled back my plans. There won’t be any formal theme for the month, but I do plan to read a fair few British authors through April.

Seeking help with a restructured TBR, I asked for input from all the random people I know on social media. The books I’ll be reading as a result of this assistance are:

• Hell’s Last, by Justin D Hill – A hangover from WarhamMarch that I am very much looking forward to.
• Sphere, by Michael Crichton – My first Crichton experience, and definitely more of a thriller than most of my recent reading.
• Perdido Street Station, by China Mieville – An absolute monster of a book that will break up my regular SF schedule.
• The Martin, by Andy Weir – Something of a modern classic, and the foremost of several reads planned for April

Half of my TBR this month is rereads. In addition to Weir, I’ve selected three British SF authors from my shelves that I read about a decade ago and never gave a proper rating to. As well as saving money by not buying new books, I’m also filling in my spreadsheets, as each of these books will tick an author off my partially-rated list. These three books are:

• Dark Intelligence, by Neal Asher – My first Asher, and a book I definitely read at the wrong time. It will be interesting to see if my opinions change on a reread.
• Creation Machine, by Andrew Bannister – A little-known book I expect to see through different eyes now that I’m more familiar with its inspirations.
• Revenger, by Alastair Reynolds – My gateway into Reynolds, and an all-round fun piece of space opera.

Before I get to ay of these, I’ll be starting the month with Stephen Baxter’s Creation Node, which has been taking up space on my TBR for more than a year now, which is unforgivable for an author I enjoy so much. I also have a loose plan to read some more Alex Benedict for Jack McDevitt’s 90th birthday on the 15th, but any spare time will probably be spent tackling my Star Trek backlog.

My audiobook listening will continue to be split between classic SF (I’ve got some Arthur C. Clarke going at the moment), and indulging myself in some historical true crime. Because everyone needs a break, right?

In terms of articles, I still have some extended thoughts on the segregation of tie-in fiction and mainstream SF to finish typing up. I’ll also be revisiting my Best of British list towards the end of the month to see how things have changed after a year. I’m also thinking about something Easter-related, but I’ve learned better than to make any promises.

I’ve got a mini-break coming at the end of the month to do some LARPing, but otherwise it’s all guns blazing here At Boundary’s Edge.

Dates For Your Diary

23rd – Star Wars: Andor: Season 2 – Not just some of my favourite Star Wars, but ne of the best science fiction TV shows of recent years. The second and final season promises to bridge the gap between Season 1 and Rogue One, and I am thrilled to be along for the ride.

29th – Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Towards the Night, by James Swallow – Despite my love of Strange New Worlds, I haven’t found time to pick up any of the novels yet. The involvement of James Swallow might change that, however, as he’s written some of my favourite Star Trek novels.