Great Characters + Good storytelling + Real Science Speculation = Science Fiction that's hard to find
583155
There was a recent announcement that they are turning this 1970 novel into a mini-series (now that mini-series are popular again), so I pulled this book off the shelf. It fell apart after reading the first few pages, but I was hooked, so I ordered a new one.  I can say I enjoyed it more the second time around.

Its probably been over ten years since I first read Ringworld.  It remains very readable and fun, and shows the power of the mystery story to hold up over time no matter what genre. The basic story of Ringworld is a mystery/adventure about a guy recruited to investigate a semi-abandoned ring of land one millions miles wide and a circumference of one Earth orbit.

While fussy readers have spent years pointing out potential mistakes to the author, which he felt compelled to correct, they never did get after him about the main characters terribly dated dialogue. But heres the thing about good writing: the aliens dialogue is sharply reflective of the character and culture they belong to, so it still reads sharp, clever and often funny.
4550009
An author that I follow sent a rare recommendation to his newsletter subscribers recommending this book. I respect that author so I purchased this book by an author that I had never heard of before.  I normally read indie authors so I was intrigued and put it at the top of my reading queue.

This is a sci-fi story set in the 2790's so there is plenty of time for advancements in technology. The sci-fi stuff in this book is not outlandish, in fact quite believable.  The story is well placed with a small assortment of key characters that come to life.  I was taken in by the creative story telling.  There is a very surprising turns in the story near the end that caught me off guard. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and the skillful art of t he author.  I look forward to his next book which will be out later this year. Do yourself a favor and buy this book. It really is a very good and entertaining read. I spent several long nights and lost some sleep because I just had to read the next chapter.
1173539
Good Sci-fy, coupled with really good characters, and a very interesting story line made this a pretty darn good book. The characters however are what make this book work; interesting, unpredictable, and pretty easy on the stereotypes, although there is some of that. Good solid action from start to finish is also hard to beat. Looking forward to the next book in this series.
3600408
I keep coming back to this story after searching for that perfect blend of hard Sci fi and strong characterization. No other book does it as well.

How to tell if a Sci fi is worth the suspension of disbelief? Would you read it regardless of its science fiction context? For "Deepness in the Sky" the answer is a resounding Yes. Virtually all the characters are believable; from the brilliant prodigy Qiwi, to the friendly stooge Stud, to the creepy villain Nau, the players have motivations that are well described and understandable.

Of course, the true hero of this tale is the epic scope of the tale and the hero who Vinge allows to emerge so beautifully. As we are taken through the Odyssey of his quest, his cunning and his humanness are captivating.

Finally, as with many of Vinge's works, the introduction of an alien race is developed with such care and thoughtfulness that it bends the perspective in wonderful and enticing ways.
2621116
What does one say about a book like Kyrathaba Rising, the first in a planned series of sci-fi novels about human survival in a post-apocalyptic world?

In a nutshell - Wow!

This is one of those big ambitious sci-fi stories. Much like some of the classics of the genre, it takes on big topics such as: survival of the species, definitions of consciousness, and technology's role securing a very different future than the one we originally imagined for humanity.

In many respects, Kyrathaba Rising has more in keeping with works such as Asimov's Foundation or I Robot stories than it does with the more introspective and inward looking sci-fi of writers like Ballard or Heinlein. And although it's not space opera, Kyrathaba Rising definitely is a form of opera. Perhaps "civilization opera" would be the best way to describe it.

And like all good opera, this story is loaded with complex and layered elements that make for a solid main plot plus several interesting subplots. These elements include alien invasion, some Lovecraftian imagery and themes, virtual reality, mind transference, emerging robotic intelligence, swords & sorcery gaming, political intrigue, and even a tiny bit of good old fashioned sex.

From that list you might get the idea that Kyrathaba Rising is one of those hodge-podge "with everything but the kitchen sink" stories. But it's not. Strange as it may seem, all of those elements (plus a few I've left out) are wedded seamlessly. And all make absolute sense within the context of the story. Nothing I read seemed to have been put there purely for the sake of filler.

If nothing else, Kyrathaba Rising is an unusually well plotted story. Refreshing in an era where characterization and "character driven" fiction has pushed plot to the background in far too many stream of consciousness narratives.

Science fiction, as a genre, is supposed to be about ideas. Kyrathaba Rising is a story loaded with ideas as well as being a very enjoyable read.

Highly recommended.
1776664
This story was detailed and mysterious.  Certainly a good lead book to the series while leaving the reader anxious for more.  The characters were well defined and believable, with their eeaknesses and their stengths.  They were also likable and relatable, which is not always the case.  I thoroughly enjoyed this, the first in a series, of fine works.  I look forward to diving into the next book in the series.  I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is interested in science fiction.
1694806
Hard science fiction is notoriously difficult to get right. More often times than not, authors unload their expertise and end up burdening the story. The result is a flat plot, or worse, a loss of plausibility. On the flip side, those who do it right (think The Martian by Andy Weir), manage to create worlds that are both technically sound and totally engrossing.

Stormhaven Rising by Eric Michael Craig is one such book. My appreciation of this story can be boiled down to a single word: restraint. When considering end-of-world scenarios, it's all too easy for authors to employ the Michael Bay technique, i.e. lots of ridiculous action that is entirely detached from reality. Craig shows a keen understanding of both the scientific and sociopolitical ramifications of a catastrophic event. You don't need forced conflict when a simple strategy session between the President and her aid has you on the edge of your seat.

Another aspect I appreciate is the treatment of factions as characters. Sure, there are individual protagonists (Colton Taylor is just too much fun as a Richard Branson type), but the groups they belong to represent character arcs themselves. It's a complex and thoughtful narrative that has you rooting for entire movements. I can easily recommend this book to any science fiction fan. It's a balanced, reasonable, and gripping tale that leaves you wondering just how prepared we actually are.
2554218
I love science fiction, but I don't usually enjoy reading it for three reasons: names I can't pronounce, science  you need several degrees to understand and so much tech the story gets lost in all the explaining.

Thankfully, Holly didn't do any of that! I could say everyone's names and the science is understandable and interesting along with some cool gadgets. The story is a real jewel too.

Cady is someone that's not only a great character, she's so well written it feels like she's going to walk off the page and join me for coffee!  Her world is complex and so is Cady.

Hunting the Corrigan's Blood is not only great science fiction it's also a really good mystery with several twists and turns I never saw coming. I highly recommend this one to anyone that enjoys a good story that's well written.
1784283
Trigger is the first complete novel by Todd Durrant, owner of A Different Drum record label. While A Different Drum is known for great modern Synthpop, Todd Durrant will quickly be known for great and philosophically thought provoking science-fiction. I was extremely impressed with this as a first work by him and anxiously look forward to more. The story was riveting and I couldn't put it down! It is the type of story with many interesting layers of plot revelation that keeps the reader on edge waiting to see what will happen next. I loved that it was not overly predictable as I find many stories both written and filmed to often be. Instead, this just seemed to get more curious with every page turned.

The most difficult thing about writing this review is that I really don't want to include too many, if any, spoilers as the greatest fun about reading it was the interesting turns the plot took as more information was revealed. Basically, the story takes place in two different timelines. In one, you have a group of human exiles from Earth who are trying to make their way in space after forcefully leaving the planet due to a an invasion by mechanical "lifeforms". In this timeline, there are divergent political perspectives revolving around either going back to retake Earth by force or expanding further into space and pioneering further development and growth. In the other timeline, which is pre-invasion, the focus revolves around a major corporation, scientific development, and a secret project to help prevent human annihilation by creating a device which is only activated after the calamity has occurred by using a trigger backwards in time to activate it.

The only criticism I have at all about this work is that I think more development could have been done on the desperation that humans faced in the future on these remote space colonies. However, in many ways the author did make it obvious and other readers may likely disagree with me on this one as much of the first part of the book does have quite a bit relating to this in it. However, I have to admit, character development is probably the most difficult aspect of writing a fiction novel and a marked improvement was shown as the story developed. Overall, I think Todd did a great job and I really liked the characters he created. They are all unique and interesting, no carbon copies, archetypical or stereotypes here except maybe where The Admiral is concerned but that is at it should be in my opinion. I also like that he has strong female characters and sensitive male characters. He also shows many situations where their actions are very human indeed, sometimes logical and sometimes purely emotional, but most often a combination of both as their plight is very unique and unusual. I also like the tech in this book and how he stuck to realistic descriptions regarding the physical dynamics of space, unlike the hollywood movies where you see and hear great explosions and flames in space.

Overall, the book has great technological ideas, interesting philosphical questions, multiple timelines, fairly well developed characters, mostly unpredictable plot lines and a very compelling story!

<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Trigger/dp/1432711520/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Trigger</a>
3028852
Here's what I know. I love sci-fi. I've been reading the genre for 30 years. This story is good sci-fi in the area of the cyberpunk, hard sci-fi, dystopian genres. After reading Episode 1 I have the suspicion that this is more than a mere repeat of those genre tropes. The setting, for one, is extremely intelligent and well-crafted. The world feels real, and is entirely plausible. The technology, specifically how it is immersed with the world in the story is equally as realistic and without flourishing extravagance. However, neither the setting or the technology are the central point of this beginning story. This story, like all great fiction, turns on the characters and these characters are well done, realistic, human, and believable.

Episode 1 only introduces us to this setting and these characters, but what I've read so far is awesome.

So, the question you're probably wondering is why did I give this 5 stars, and not 4... or less?

Well, here's why:

1. The prose is crisp and moves the story along. These authors are skilled.
2. The story itself (the characters in this world) is interesting and at the end I really wanted to keep reading. It had me hooked.
2339397
This story is written in first person by a young woman named Lily Aldern. She finds herself between jobs and is hired as a secretary at her brother's detective agency. He is one of a two man partnership at C & A Detective Agency. The company is investigating suspicious activity at an aerospace company, Legacy Towers. The team comes across a strange man, Joe, and it appears that all of his past memory has been wiped clean, yet he has an uncanny knack for predicting little snippets of the future. Exactly what kind of experimentation is going on at Legacy Towers?

The tone and voice are unique and for the most part believable. The interaction between Lily and the other 3 characters create a hint of comic relief to the story. The wonderful thing about science fiction is the many facets it can take, so many possibilities. I think this could be a great story if it was expanded upon. The characters needed to be more developed. The reader learns a little bit about Lily, and a little bit about Joe, but her brother and his partner, who have some major story line, are just there, much like a prop, and the reader is left wondering about them. This story ends abruptly, and leaves me to wonder if there is going to be a sequel, but it wasn't hinted that there would be more. I really do like the premise of this story and I am left wanting more. I would love to see this expanded to at least a longer story, but it has great possibilities for a novella or even a novel. I would definitely like to see more from this writer, and would read this again with an expansion or if a sequel is coming, I would like to see that.
1886362
Very, very good hard scifi. Reminiscent of the better writings of Greg Bear and Greg Benford.

The science is plausible but the reader is not expected to understand it completely for the story to be clear. The characters are complex and interesting people, not one sided caricatures. Expect to laugh or mourn at times along with the characters in the story, as they seem real.

I will be buying and reading the other books in this series. This author has what it takes to write a great story about the near future.
1816070
Solid science fiction with characters that feel like real people.  Kress is such a good writer and her science here is compelling.  I'm still a little bereft that I've finished the book, as every sentence hums with understated emotion.  Great story, highly recommended.
3443411
WOW. That's all I've got to say.
Well, maybe I've got a bit more to say. This is an example of speculative fiction that is truly speculative: what if the dinosaurs had not gone extinct, but instead developed into a sentient culture? Harrison answers that question in this thrilling epic that pits the dinosaurs (Yilan&egrave; in their own language) and their bio-technology against the slowly emerging, primitive humans. Harrison has expertly created an alien psychology and biology for his reptilian race, one that is a pleasure to read and explore as the book unfolds.
But through the character of the human Kerrick, who was brought up amongst the Yilan&egrave; and escapes from them to later lead the human tribes into the mutually genocidal combat, Harrison also has created a wonderful story in which his science marvels can achieve their dramatic potential. This is what great hard science fiction strives for, but rarely achieves: fascinating, well-developed new science that drives a superior, emotional narrative, instead of existing for its own sake.
2258777
Great combination of science fiction and mythological figures, along with magical happenings. It is a wonderful, unpredictable story for those readers open to things that shouldn't exist or even be imagined. I look forward to the next books in the series.
1763130
Irradiance, the first of the Dream Guild Chronicles series, will delight avid readers of science fiction and newcomers alike. The familiar themes of a dystopian society, big brother government and dissident protagnists are all there, but added to these is a more modern theme of how climate change is dealt with in a society where the ruling elite would rather maintain the status quo than deal with a very real threat.
The story is set on Sindra, a world that echoes our own planet cosmologically but is further along Earth's possible timeline. It's main protagonist, Maribel, is a scientist who monitors solar radiation and maps changes in the behaviour of their solar system's sun, which leads to an alarming discovery that threatens the future of the entire civilisation. She is also tied up, together with her mate, Reese, and their twins, Sariah and Gideon, in a larger conspiracy concerning the telepathic abilities of their children.
In this first installment, the reader is introduced to Sindra and it's people. For those who have read books such as Brave New World and 1984, the underlying themes will seem as familair as old friends. However, Bruns adds a number of fresh twists to these themes that make them just as compelling, if not entirely original. The writing is well-paced - starting with a number of important events over the span of a decade that set the scene and then moving into real-time towards the end as the main conflict is dealth with.
As someone who loves sci-fi and is interested in cosmology and climate change, I am very pleased to have discovered this author. The story is very well-contructed and scientifically plausible. The writing is excellent - this author knows his craft - and does not waste space on unneccesary devices. The final chapters, especially, are nail-biting adrenaline-fueled pages that had me forfeiting sleep over the three days that it took to read it. I thoroughly enjoyed this first installment and am eager to read book two.
699272
I picked up this book from my library without realizing it was part of a series - and midway through it, at that.  Despite that, it was a rollicking good read, fun and fast, and I aim on picking up the rest in the series soon.

Lois McMaster Bujold has created a plausible future for humanity as it spreads into the stars.  The reader isn't bombarded with the science behind the technology of this era, the simple secret of longevity in the science fiction industry where a scientific theory has the lifespan of a ferret on speed.  On the other hand, fans of hard science fiction may not be as enthralled by the lack of cyberware and nanotechnology everywhere, but I found it easy to pick up and read.

The characters are interesting and human - not supermen or novices, but real people who are competent at what they do.  This time, the main character is paired off with a loving spouse (as the book begins by interrupting their long-delayed honeymoon), a refreshing change from the many "finding love" stories that imply that you can't fall in love with your wife.  Light dashes of humor here and there help to keep you smiling as you read through what quickly becomes a fast-paced adventure, mystery and political thriller all in one.

This was not the best book I have read by Lois McMaster Bujold (Curse of Chalion reserves that title), nor the best science fiction I have read.  But it made for a very enjoyable read, and I don't regret it one bit.