With its slower pace and the many concepts it introduces and leaves unresolved, West’s debut novel will appeal to readers who appreciate philosophical fiction and fans of Scott Westerfeld’s “Uglies” and “Impostors” series.
Chambers’s second “Monk and Robot” novella (following A Psalm for the Wild-Built) continues the quiet, contemplative journey through philosophy, nature, and personal experience.
Fans of John Scalzi’s Lock In and Brandon Sanderson’s Legion will be enthralled with this deft blend of murder mystery and science fiction. In the end, the motives for the crime are all too human, while the means, methods, and opportunities are all firmly part of this futuristic setting. Highly recommended.
Readers will empathize with Joey’s dilemma and get caught up in the minutiae of her life. The novel’s theme, that the truth does not and cannot set anyone free, is as disturbing as it is thought-provoking.
Swirsky’s slice-of-life UBI stories present just a few possible effects of this hotly debated topic. Without either political rhetoric or exhortation, these brief glimpses of other lives give readers the chance to see what might be in a world with a social safety net. Highly recommended for readers of political and social science–oriented SF.
Luli is a compelling character both on and off the screen in this story that takes the mythmaking of Hollywood and transforms it and her into something transcendent. Highly recommended.