Bad Actors: Second Pi in the Face by Ira Nayman
As anyone familiar with Nayman’s work might expect, Bad Actors is steeped in humour in a variety of forms, including ridiculous situations, slapstick, tangential digressions, and word play.
science fiction
The Sisters Sputnik: A Novel, by Terri Favro
Ingenious, smoothly written, and funny, at times bitingly so, Terri Favro's The Sisters Sputnik is well worth a read.
Matters of Time: An Outliers Anthology
Five years after their initial meeting at a Lindsay coffee shop, a writing group known as The Outliers has released an anthology of their work, Matters of Time. This mixed-genre collection draws on an array of fantastically complex characters, drops them in strange and unusual places, and gives them free rein to explore Time.
Shapers of Worlds Volume II Edited by Edward Willett
Featuring a wide range of authors and settings, Shapers of Worlds Volume II performs the function of a speculative fiction sampler, offering a taste of different styles and themes.
Disease By Sarah Tolmie
“Sarah Tolmie’s Disease is a strangely funny book about fictitious diseases and psychological conditions. Presented in a scholarly tone that resembles a series of academic case studies, this book looks at some bizarre ailments that range from scavenging, a psychological affliction in which people compulsively move into old houses, to a poor guy who developed an allergy to comedy.
The Nominal Echo Chronicles by Manuel Panchana Moya
The Nominal Echo Chronicles is . . . a bit of a thought piece, prompting the reader to ponder the implications of humanity’s quest for other habitable worlds. That being said, the author also does a good job of conveying the human impacts of an endeavour of this nature at the individual level.
Aetherbound by E. K. Johnston
Set on a family-run interstellar freighter called the Harland and a mysterious remote space station, E. K. Johnston's latest is story of survival and self-determination.
Spectrum by Julie E. Czerneda
With Spectrum, the latest entry in the Web Shifter universe, Canadian science fiction and fantasy author Julie E. Czerneda continues the saga of a popular character, Esen-alit-Quar. Spectrum is Book Three in the Web Shifter’s Library series.
It Wasn’t Enough by Peg Tittle
What if one day, all of the women suddenly disappeared, leaving the men to take their places, fill their roles, do what they did. What would happen? How would the men react?
Deficiency by SC Eston
On the arid planet of Garadia floats Prominence City, an oasis of abundance and technological marvels. For Keidi and Artenz, life is good. Each day, they work hard to fulfill their role in sustaining Prominence. In return, they share an existence without worry or want, their every need attended to by the ruling corporations, their lives enhanced by a virtual reality accessible with a simple thought.
Generation Robot: A Century of Science Fiction, Fact, and Speculation by Terri Favro
Clever and accessible, Generation Robot isn’t just for the serious, scientific reader—it’s for everyone interested in robotics and technology since their science-fiction origins.
Journey to the Hopewell Star by Hannah D. State
For a debut novel, Journey to the Hopewell Star is an ambitious one, and I hope it leads to sequels. As a Young Adult (YA) novel, it held my interest throughout and the plot had enough threads to untangle to keep me turning pages.
Pedestal by Gareth Mitton
My introduction to sci-fi was The Muppet Show, Pigs in Space launching me into the genre. What followed were Star Wars and Buck Rogers – anything, really, with a John Williams or Queen soundtrack. I realize that doesn’t much … Continue reading
Insatiable Machine by Zoë Robertson
of the new Spring 2018 releases from Roseway Publishing (an imprint of Fernwood Publishing) is the “speculative” fiction/sci-fi thriller Insatiable Machine. Roseway kindly sent me an ARC to review in advance of its upcoming release. Speculative fiction relies less … Continue reading
2113: Stories Inspired by the Music of Rush
I was quite excited to find a book of short stories inspired by the music of one of my favourite rock bands, Rush. They have been around for forty-plus years, so this 18-story anthology covers songs from their vast catalogue … Continue reading