SF Universe

Tag: New Space Opera

  • Some New and Old SF Novels

    [I]\’ve picked up a few books recently, so I\’ll list them, a few at a time. Starting off firstly with the novels. Two new purchases from Amazon.co.uk, and two old/used books from local car-boot sales. SATURN\’S CHILDREN by Charles Stross (paperback, Orbit Books, London, 2008, ISBN: 978-1-84149-568-2) NEPTUNE\’S BROOD by Charles Stross (paperback, Orbit Books,…

  • Remembering Iain M. Banks (1954-2013)

    This month marks the first anniversary of the passing of science fiction author Iain M. Banks, who died on June 9th, 2013. He was taken from us at the tragically young age of only fifty-nine, after many months battling against terminal cancer. His death robbed the science fiction world of one of its greatest authors…

  • Remembering Iain M. Banks (1954-2013)

    This month marks the first anniversary of the passing of science fiction author Iain M. Banks, who died on June 9th, 2013. He was taken from us at the tragically young age of only fifty-nine, after many months battling against terminal cancer. His death robbed the science fiction world of one of its greatest authors…

  • Reading Science Fiction

    Reading Science Fiction literature has always been one of my main interests in life, and I\’ve been reading \”proper\” science fiction since I first signed out H.G. Wells\’ The Time Machine from the local library at the tender age of about eight or nine years old (circa 1969-1970). I usually prefer older (classic) SF, pre-\”New…

  • What Do I Look For in a Good SF Story?

    I know that everyone has their own views on what makes a good SF story and what doesn\’t, and I\’ve obviously got a few opinions of my own. As with most things, it\’s obviously all a matter of personal preference. Indulging my own completely subjective views, here\’s what I look for (or don\’t) in an…

  • Welcome to Science Fiction Reader

    Welcome to the new Science Fiction Reader blog. This blog is focused solely on science fiction literature, and is intended to review and recommend the best – in other words, my favourite 🙂 – SF anthologies and single-author short fiction collections that I\’ve come across over the years, as well as any new material that…

  • Alastair Reynolds – Galactic North and Zima Blue

    [A]nyone who knows me is very aware that I\’m a huge fan of the science fiction writing of leading British/Welsh \”hard\” SF author, Alastair Reynolds (and of New Space Opera/Hard SF in general). I have most of his novels, with the exception of a couple of the most recent – I\’ll have to rectify that…

  • Iain M. Banks (1954-2013)

    I was really saddened to learn of the death of science fiction author Iain M. Banks on June 9th. It wasn\’t really a surprise, given that he\’d announced to the world two months before that he had terminal cancer. But most of us thought he\’d be with us for a few more months at least,…

  • SF Labels and Categories – Useful, or a Waste of Space?

    SF fans just love to categorize and pidgeon-hole their fiction, to label it so that it fits neatly into certain little boxes with other fiction of exactly the same kind. I\’m referring primarily to all those little categories, sub-categories, sub-sub-categories, and so on, that we invent to identify and promote the various kinds of SF&F…

  • It\’s a Geek\’s Life… (Part Three)

    This one has been a long time coming, far too long. But better late than never, I suppose… 🙂 The Barren Years – The Near-Death of Geekery During the Eighties All throughout the first half of the 1970\’s, I was in geek heaven, having seemingly unlimited time to spend on my obsessions with comics, sf…