fat robot Archives - Tachyon Publications

January 11, 2017

The compelling, complex SLIPPING is clever and very relevant

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized clara bacou, collection, elizabeth story, fat robot, helen's bookshelf, jonathan hatfull, lauren beukes, review, scifi now, slipping, slipping: stories essays & other writing

HELEN’S BOOKSHELF enjoys Lauren Beukes’ SLIPPING: STORIES, ESSAYS, & OTHER WRITING.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After reading this collection of short stories Lauren Beukes is now firmly on my favourite authors list. Clever and very relevant, the stories are a mix of sci-fi, weirdness, and commentary on modern life.

None of the stories here are very long so it’s easy to dip in and out of. Though saying that, normally I find myself having to stop between stories in short story collections but with this book I couldn’t do that, I had to start the next straight away. I think that was partly because they are short and I knew I wouldn’t have to stop reading half way through one (I hate having to do that), and partly because these stories are just that good I didn’t want to stop reading.

FAT ROBOT praises the book.

I think I’ve read all of Beukes’ novels, that I know of. That alone says something about how I feel about her writing, doesn’t it? “Edgy” isn’t an adjective that often comes to my mind, but I suppose it applies, given that I tend to give her stories, like, 90ies MTV vignettes in my mind.

This is an excellent collection of stories, essays, and tidbits. A couple of these stories blew me away; I wanted them to be something like 800+ page novels rather than ending in just their few measly pages, but of course, that’s a feature, not a bug.

<snip>

Not all the stories in this collection are speculative in nature, some are near-future enough to be practically now, and some are entirely untouched, but the author’s voice remains the same; Sharp, clear, and with a hint of a dry laugh between the paragraphs.

Non-fiction is gathered at the end of the book. Of these, I especially liked On Beauty: A letter to my five-year old daughter, which is what the title says it is. Once you’ve made it this far through the book, you’ll have a good idea what kind of message is being conveyed.

Definitely one of the strongest story collections of my 2016, and a lot of fun for those of us who liked MOXYLAND and ZOO CITY just as much as THE SHINING GIRLS and BROKEN MONSTERS.

For SCIFINOW, Jonathan Hatfull includes the collection among his 28 Books You Should
Have Read In 2016.

If you, like us, love
Lauren Beukes’ novels MOXYLAND, ZOO CITY, THE SHINING GIRLS and
BROKEN MONSTERS, then you probably don’t need a particularly strong
nudge to go out and buy her collection of short stories and essays.
The format allows the author to dip in and out of genres (horror, SF,
relationship drama) and SLIPPING demonstrates that she can create a
compelling, complex world in just a few pages.

For more information about SLIPPING: STORIES, ESSAYS, & OTHER WRITING, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover art by Clara Bacou

Design by Elizabeth Story

June 22, 2015

SLOW BULLETS is an engaging, provocative and touching space opera

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized alastair reynolds, best science fiction books, don d'ammasa, elizabeth story, fat robot, novella, review, science ficition, slow bullets, space opera, Thomas Canty, worlds in ink

Photo: Barbera Bella

A quartet of reviews for Alastair Reynolds’ very entertaining SLOW BULLETS.

From FAT ROBOT:

I think we should mention his name a lot more often when discussing female characters in hard SF, because he provides them. He brings about these women so matter-of-factly that you barely even take notice, which is of course exactly the way to do it (according to me). When I think about it, I get the distinct idea that here’s an author who goes “Well, does this character arc specifically involve testicles? No? Then it can belong to a woman.” And this is done without automatically bringing ovaries into focus.

It’s so great.

<snip>

Read it if you want to scratch that space opera itch! Or, perhaps, if your interest is piqued by what I’ve said about the treatment of female characters. If you like this novella, and haven’t already read at least the first Revelation space novel and Chasm city, you’ll easily add those to your to-read list.

Don D’Ammassa:

The story moves quickly and fluidly as we discover not only what happened to them but to the universe at large during the interval. Very entertaining.

BEST SCIENCE FICTION BOOKS:

Slow Bullets (2015) is a mystery, the kind where science is used to shed some light on the superbly engrossing puzzle presented and without devolving into technical minutiae. It’s also a character study of a group of humans trying desperately to retain whatever shreds of societal cohesion they find themselves with (already stretched to near breaking point from the outset). At its heart, though, it is a story ultimately about memory and the preservation of knowledge.

The pace moves along very well and interest never wanes. There are moments where one keenly feels the efforts of a community trying not just to survive, but also attempting to stave off a desolate hopelessness, a near-explosive apprehension of an uncertain future, by trying to leave something of themselves in the form of records, even incorporating methods that would have been easily comprehensible to the myth-making primitive man. At first, the records are of a more personal nature; later, information that is pertinent for group survival, not just practicalities but also of culture.

<snip>

If you’re new to Alastair Reynolds, then this short work is an excellent starting point to get a taste. If you liked his Pushing Ice, then likewise this story is for you. It has a similar vibe with scenarios that test the bounds of human perseverance and depict the indomitable spirit that impels us to strive on whatever the odds, because, really, that’s all we can ever do.

Highly recommended.

WORLDS IN INK:

Slow Bullets is an engaging, provocative and touching space opera. It’s a story about sacrifice, redemption and ultimately of hope. It has all the hallmarks of what fans have grown to expect, but also shows that Reynolds is adapt at crafting a far more intimidate tale. With such a rich setting and a myriad of themes at play, this is a story well worth reading!

For more info about SLOW BULLETS, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover art by Thomas Canty

Design by Elizabeth Story

August 1, 2014

Reviews and comments about Daryl Gregory’s WE ARE ALL COMPLETELY FINE abound

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized chance maree, daryl gregory, elizabeth story, fat robot, horror, joe karpierz, john denardo, kirkus reviews, mt void, out of my mind, review, we are all completely fine

Reviews and comments about Daryl Gregory’s recently released We Are All Completely Fine are flooding in.

Joe Karpierz in the July 25, 2014 issue of The MT Void (Vol. 33, No. 4) enjoyed We Are All Completely Fine despite the fact it’s not the kind of book he usually picks up.

The big climax of the story is completely satisfying and follows naturally from what we’ve learned throughout the book. In my opinion, Gregory never forecast that climax; after reading in the genre for something like 45 years, I feel like I’ve seen most everything. And while the climax wasn’t wholly unexpected, the storytelling was superb enough that I wasn’t really sure and I really wanted to get to the end so I could find out because, well, I didn’t *know*. And I really wanted to know. I don’t experience that feeling very often these days. And the additional reveal, which was quite surprising to me and I *really* didn’t see coming, was a nice touch and didn’t feel forced or out of place–in fact, it made sense, given the rest of the story.

For Kirkus Reviews, John DeNardo named We Are All Completely Fine as one of Your Best Bets for Speculative Fiction Reads in August.

Horror fans needn’t feel left in the dark when it comes to reading suggestions. For starters, try We Are All Completely Fine by Daryl Gregory. Described as a “post-horror horror” novel, this unique story is about a group of people affected in various way by the horrors of life, whose stories are only believed by the psychotherapist who brings them together to form a most unusual support group.

Chance Maree on Out of My Mind found Gregory’s novel as intriguing as Lovecraft, full of suspense and dread, but unique enough that she didn’t feel the author was riding any coattails.

I’ve not encountered many authors in the horror genre who flex literary muscle as well as Gregory. His approach was perfect for the story vehicle–the characters interact mostly in group therapy. The interpersonal dynamics of the therapy sessions were consistent with those I witnessed as a university student during the year I was considering a career in psychology. The psychological accuracies added to the novel’s verisimilitude, which is a considerable feat considering the paranormal aspect in character’s story.

At Fat Robot, Karina felt We Are All Completely Fine offered an interesting premise, characters with clear voices, and a storytelling style that quietly kept me turning the page until I ran out of book.

So is there anything wrong with the book? Possibly the story, or the plot, is a bit small, but I find this acceptable because my brain files this novella as pilot episode. It’s setup, it’s introducing the characters, showing how they get thrown together. An origin story made out of individual origin stories, sort of. A good pilot is different from a good episode, or film, or whatever. Even if this doesn’t get a sequel – though I feel like it was strongly implied, and I would be happy to have one – it’s still a book that is, well, good at being what it is. I’m not disappointed.

For information on We Are All Completely Fine, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover design by Elizabeth Story.