SF Reviews, Views and General Musings
-Click here for a full index of all my Star Trek reviews- Era: Enterprise Publisher: Simon & Schuster Genre: Space Opera Pages: 475 Publication Date: 2008 Verdict: 5/5 The Romulan Star Empire wages a secret war against the nascent Coalition of Planets. Haunted by piracy and split by hidden agendas, the Coalition may be over … Continue reading BOOK REVIEW: Kobayashi Maru, by Michael A. Martin & Andy Mangels
-this review contains major spoilers. Proceed with caution- Era: Post-Voyager Series: Voager: Full Circle (#1) Publisher: Simon & Schuster Genre: Space Opera Pages: 561 Publication Date: 2009 Verdict: 4/5 A year after Kathryn Janeway led her ship and its crew back to the Alpha Quadrant, Starfleet prepares for the next mission of the USS Voyager. … Continue reading BOOK REVIEW: Full Circle, by Kirsten Beyer
Era: The Lost Era Publisher: Simon & Schuster Genre: Space Opera Pages: 382 Publication Date: 2016 Verdict: 3/5 Decades after the adventures of James T. Kirk, Demora Sulu sits in the captain's chair of the Enterprise-B. When an away team takes losses and Sulu leads the rescue mission, she finds that the past is keen … Continue reading BOOK REVIEW: One Constant Star, by David R. George III
-this review contains major spoilers for the Enterprise series finale, continue at your own risk- Era: Enterprise Publisher: Simon & Schuster Genre: Space Opera Pages: 446 Publication Date: 2007 Verdict: 5/5 Everyone thinks they know the story of the NX-01's finale voyage, and how Jonathan Archer helped found the United Federation of Planets. But what … Continue reading BOOK REVIEW: The Good That Men Do, by Andy Mangels & Michael A. Martin
-this review contains mild spoilers, continue at your own risk- Era: The Original Series/The Animated Series Publisher: Simon & Schuster Genre: Social SF Pages: 384 Publication Date: 10/03/2016 Verdict: 5/5 Kirk and the Enterprise are on a mission to initiate diplomatic relations with a newly-spacefaring species. But when they arrive for the talks, they find that … Continue reading BOOK REVIEW: The Latter Fire, by James Swallow
It's been 54 years since Star Trek debuted on televison, and it has been with us in one form or another pretty much solidly since then. But for those who aren't yet invested, a franchise with almost a thousand episodes can be daunting. Don't worry though, because almost every episode can be watched with very … Continue reading STAR TREK DAY 2020: Why You Should Watch Star Trek
-minor spoilers- Starring: Patrick Stewart, Alison Pill, Isa Briones, Michelle Hurd, Santiago Cabrera, Harry Treadaway, Evan Evagora, Peyton List, Jeri Ryan, Brent Spiner Episodes: 10 Genre: Social SF, Space Opera Broadcaster: Amazon Prime (UK) First Aired: 23/01/2020 Verdict: 5/5 Star Trek: Picard set itself an almost impossible task right from the start. Take one of … Continue reading TV REVIEW: Star Trek: Picard, Season 1
Aliens have been a part of science fiction for a very long time. You only need to look the success of Star Wars and Star Trek to see this. Both franchises suggest a galaxy teeming with alien life, from the cellular level to interstellar empires. Aliens that could be anything from a human with a … Continue reading LET’S SEE THEM ALIENS: The Fermi Paradox & The Kardashev Scale
As we head into the futuristic space year 2020, it's time to look ahead at what sort of SF we're going to be treated to. This list is by no means comprehensive, as I'm not the omniscient superbeing I'd like to be. But here's a sampling of what we can look forward to. All dates … Continue reading THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME: Upcoming SF in 2020
Today marks a full year since I started this blog. While there have been times it felt more like a chore than a hobby, overall it's been fun. It's brought me into conversation with both creators and fans from across the SF community, and I know at least one person has picked up a book … Continue reading Boundy Awards 2019
