Bingo Square (Round 2): Center/Free Space I was originally going to use this as my brain candy spot, but it didn’t quite fit that category for me. There was just a bit too much going on in the first few chapters for it to be pure fluff, and required more attention than my tired brain was expecting. There are absolutely absurd and hilarious moments, but with all the details of the all different parts of the galaxies, it also demands slightly more reader attention than […]
If Douglas Adams knew about ICP…
So, this book was really fun. It kept popping up as recommended to me and I kept it on the back burner until my good friend called me to say that I had to read it next. I can’t emphasize enough how important it is that this friend picked up his phone and called me about it. Not a quick text. Space Opera necessitated a phone call. That is about as high a recommendation as I can imagine in 2018. My friend then told me […]
Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story?
On the one hand, I very rarely read short story collections because I also have a strong desire to finish a book once I start, and if I read too many short stories in a row, I get irritated about not getting to spend more time with characters. Collections of short stories related to series don’t count since those are opportunities to experience short side adventures, thus having more time with beloved characters. On the other hand, Atwood’s Gertrude Speaks is one of my favorite […]
How to prove sentience? A meta-galactic version of Eurovision, of course!
It is the near future and life is far more prevalent in the galaxy than anyone had dreamed. Humanity learns this, much to their chagrin, when an Esca appears to each and every person on planet Earth simultaneously and explains they are not alone. It would be one thing to find out that aliens exist in an astonishingly wide variety but that was not the reason for the Esca’s visit. Instead, humanity was informed that they must prove their sentience in order to continue existence. […]