Welcome, one and all, to the second half of 2025. July looks set to bring more searing heat, scorching sun, and maybe even a thunderstorm or two. It’s the sort of weather that can almost tempt me to read outside for a change. Wherever I end up reading, I’ve got plenty of books to read.

Last month’s bumper book hauls have left me with a TBR of more than sixty books. A number that is quite frankly unacceptable. For that reason, I’m placing myself on a book buying ban for at least this month, and possibly into August as well. I’ll be helped in this by a) not going anywhere for most of those two months, and b) a slow release schedule over the summer. Realistically, I now have enough books to see me through the rest of the year, so it’s past time to make some progress on that TBR stack.

I had a few ideas for a July reading theme, but a public vote has pushed me towards knocking out some of the shorter books on my TBR. I’ve picked up ten books that are all under three-hundred pages in length. These range from 1927’s The Man with Six Senses, by Muriel Jaeger, to 1999’s Forever Free, by Joe Haldeman. There are even some award winners in the selection from the likes of Bob Shaw, Alexei Panshin, and Barry Malzberg. I’ll also be tackling the first two books of C. S. Lewis’ Space Trilogy, which fill in some missing years in my History of SF project.

Of course, reading books this short is likely to leave some gaps in my schedule. I’m planning to plug one of those gaps with some Stephen King short fiction, likely towards the end of the month. Aside from that, I should probably get back to some series I’ve been reading for a while. That puts the likes of Ben Bova, Timothy Zahn, and Brian Herbert/Kevin J. Anderson squarely in my sights. If all else fails, there’s always Star Trek.

Outside of reading, July means I’ll be doing my usual half-year retrospective. Likely one for books and one for how the blog is going. Since this month is less hectic than the last couple have ended up being, I’d also like to get back to some article writing, even if I don’t have a set topic in mind for what any articles might be about just yet. I do have an author interview in the works, so stay tuned for that one. As ever, if there’s a science fiction topic you’d like me to explore, just let me know in the comments, via my contact form, or through social media.

Dates for your Diary

11th – Foundation: Season 3 (Apple TV+) – The somewhat loose adaptation of Asimov’s classic series continues, and I am incredibly excited for two reasons. One, I love how the show is bringing new ideas to the story. Two, the Mule is here. In spite of the divergences from the original (and perhaps because of them), Foundation is one of my favourite shows going right now.

17th – The Immeasurable Heaven by Caspar Geon – I’ve got an eARC for this and have been slowly plugging away at it. It’s one of the most stunningly alien universes I’ve ever read, but to say more will have to wait for my review.

17th – Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Season 3 (Paramount+) – Having just announced that it’s fifth season will be the final one, the best show of Trek’s current renaissance returns for its third outing. I for one am looking forward to more episodic action, and hoping for some oral wrangling amid all the fun.