Space | Raging Biblio-holism

Moonglow

January 23, 2017 by Drew

The Short Version: A young man named Michael Chabon sits with his grandfather in the weeks before his death, hearing stories about his life. He takes these stories, in turn, and creates a narrative out of them – but, as he expresses at the beginning, the reader might do well to question how much is true and how much is fiction… The Review: The trickery begins before you’ve even started reading the book. Open it, flip page by page – […]

Categories: Fiction, Literature • Tags: Autofiction, Biography, Book Review, Book Reviews, Books, Fiction, Indiespensable, Literature, Memoir, Metafiction, Michael Chabon, Moonglow, Non-Fiction, Reviews, Space, The Tournament of Books 2017

Leviathan Wakes (The Expanse #1)

December 11, 2015 by Drew

The Short Version: Humanity has colonized and monetized the solar system – but we have not achieved peace. A series of mysterious attacks bring the Asteroid Belt to the brink of war with Mars, a washed-up detective is trying to find a missing girl, and the crew of one small ship make a horrific discovery that will change everything. The Review: I don’t know exactly why, but I’ve been in a mood for space recently. Sci-fi is all well and good here […]

Categories: Fiction, Sci-Fi • Tags: Book Review, Book Reviews, Books, Fiction, Horror, James S. A. Corey, Leviathan Wakes, Mystery, Reviews, Sci-Fi, Space, Space Opera, The Expanse

Luke Skywalker Can’t Read and Other Geeky Truths

November 25, 2015 by Drew

The Short Version: Maybe you’ve never seen Star Wars or read Harry Potter, never imagined you were running from the boulder in Raiders of the Lost Ark or solving a mystery with your deerstalker cap. But chances are, you’ve got a bit of geek in you – we all do. Ryan Britt definitely does and he sets out to consider as much of geekdom as he can in this debut collection. The Review: I don’t know if you’ve figured it out yet, but I’m a […]

Categories: Essays, Non-Fiction • Tags: Barbarella, Essays, Fandom, Fans, Fantasy, Luke Skywalker Can't Read, Luke Skywalker Can't Read and Other Geeky Truths, Non-Fiction, Pop Culture, Ryan Britt, Sci-Fi, Space, Star Wars

The Last Pilot

September 2, 2015 by Drew

The Short Version: Jim Harrison is a test pilot for the US Air Force, flying alongside legends like Chuck Yeager as they push – and break – the sound barrier. As America turns its eye to the stars, he must weigh personal tragedy against the chance to go boldly into a new era. The Review: When you look back on it, especially in our present moment (devoid of such inspiration or relentless drive towards anything but torpor, repression, and mundanity), it seems […]

Categories: Fiction, Literature • Tags: America, Benjamin Johncock, Book Review, Book Reviews, Books, Fiction, Historical Fiction, History, Literature, Reviews, Space, Space Race, The Last Pilot

Armada

June 29, 2015 by Drew

The Short Version: Zack Lightman much prefers the videogame worlds he lives in as opposed to the real world but when he sees an actual flying saucer straight out of said videogames, he starts to wonder if he’s losing it. Turns out, that videogame was a training simulator – because the alien invasion is real. And it’s coming today. And Zach just joined up to fight for Earth. The Review: Ready Player One came out of nowhere, it seemed. It was like […]

Categories: Fiction, Sci-Fi • Tags: Action, Advance Review, Adventure, Armada, BEA15, Book Review, Book Reviews, Books, Ernest Cline, Ernie Cline, Fiction, Literature, Music, Reviews, Sci-Fi, Space, Video Games

Saga (Book One)

December 9, 2014 by Drew

The Short Version: The inhabitants of the planet Landfall and its moon Wreath have been at war for as long as anyone can remember. But when two soliders fall in love – the very epitome of star-crossed – and have a child together, this strange new family must go on the run from bounty hunters, robot royalty, and all kinds of other astonishing space-things. The Review: This series first crossed my radar a little while back, when I saw the third […]

Categories: Fantasy, Fiction, Sci-Fi • Tags: Adventure, Book Review, Book Reviews, Books, Brian K. Vaughan, Fantasy, Fiona Staples, Graphic Novel, Reviews, Saga, Saga Book One, Sci-Fi, Space, Space Opera, War

Embassytown

September 8, 2014 by Drew

The Short Version: Out at the edge of the known universe on a planet called Arieka, humans have established an outpost called Embassytown. The natives, the Ariekei (or Hosts), speak a complex form of language that only allows for truth; even similes must be literally created in order to be spoken. When a new human Ambassador (genetically-modified twins, mentally linked to be able to accurately mimic the Host’s two-voiced speech) arrives and throws the balance of Embassytown into disarray, a few human […]

Categories: Fiction, Sci-Fi • Tags: Ambassadors, Ariekei, Book Review, Book Reviews, Books, China Miéville, Embassytown, Fiction, Language, linguistics, pedagogy, Reviews, Sci-Fi, Space

Raging Biblio-holism

The overwhelming urge to collect, consume, and consider books

Tag: Space