Strange Horizons Reviews 2009-11-20T09:54:58Z tag:www.strangehorizons.com,2009:/reviews/1 Movable Type Copyright (c) 2009 Two Views: Moxyland by Lauren Beukes 2009-11-20T09:54:58Z 2009-11-20T08:00:00Z tag:www.strangehorizons.com,2009:/reviews/1.797 2009-11-20T08:00:00Z James Trimarco: Moxyland manages to breathe new life into this subgenre by capturing the peculiarly cynical voice of a generation that has absorbed so much branded messaging that it literally cannot imagine a gesture—not an utterance, not a political strategy, not even an act of violence—intended to do anything but stimulate the media for marketing-related purposes. Paul Raven: It's a strong fast zap to the brain that eschews science fiction's lingering tendency to chase technological gosh-wow in favour of using its toolkit to vivisect the kids of tomorrow. James Trimarco and Paul Raven book review James Trimarco: Moxyland manages to breathe new life into this subgenre by capturing the peculiarly cynical voice of a generation that has absorbed so much branded messaging that it literally cannot imagine a gesture—not an utterance, not a political strategy, not even an act of violence—intended to do anything but stimulate the media for marketing-related purposes.

Paul Raven: It's a strong fast zap to the brain that eschews science fiction's lingering tendency to chase technological gosh-wow in favour of using its toolkit to vivisect the kids of tomorrow.]]> The Year's Best Science Fiction and Fantasy, volume 3, edited by Jonathan Strahan 2009-11-19T08:26:57Z 2009-11-18T08:00:00Z tag:www.strangehorizons.com,2009:/reviews/1.796 2009-11-18T08:00:00Z The volume offers few surprises (certainly for those who read much current science fiction and fantasy), but does succeed in offering that healthy (if conventional) sampling promised in the introduction. Nader Elhefnawy book review The volume offers few surprises (certainly for those who read much current science fiction and fantasy), but does succeed in offering that healthy (if conventional) sampling promised in the introduction. Filaria by Brent Hayward 2009-11-16T16:27:31Z 2009-11-16T13:00:00Z tag:www.strangehorizons.com,2009:/reviews/1.795 2009-11-16T13:00:00Z Filaria is not a work that dazzles with new ideas, rather it impresses by deploying a greater set of storytelling techniques than many better-known works, and in so doing renews the sense of wonder associated with familiar concepts of SF and horror. Matt Denault book review Filaria is not a work that dazzles with new ideas, rather it impresses by deploying a greater set of storytelling techniques than many better-known works, and in so doing renews the sense of wonder associated with familiar concepts of SF and horror.]]> Green by Jay Lake 2009-11-13T08:27:42Z 2009-11-13T08:00:00Z tag:www.strangehorizons.com,2009:/reviews/1.793 2009-11-13T08:00:00Z Lake attempts to wrestle with big themes—individual identity, gender and racial politics, gods and religion, and sexuality, to name but a few—but the overall impression is that he has bitten off more than he can chew. Kyra Smith book review Lake attempts to wrestle with big themes—individual identity, gender and racial politics, gods and religion, and sexuality, to name but a few—but the overall impression is that he has bitten off more than he can chew. Interfictions 2, edited by Delia Sherman and Christopher Barzak 2009-11-11T09:00:04Z 2009-11-11T08:00:00Z tag:www.strangehorizons.com,2009:/reviews/1.789 2009-11-11T08:00:00Z What Interfictions 2 does offer is a set of stories that, if united by only the most tenuous thematic and generic threads, couldn't be more worth reading. T. S. Miller book review Interfictions 2 does offer is a set of stories that, if united by only the most tenuous thematic and generic threads, couldn't be more worth reading.]]> The Magicians by Lev Grossman 2009-11-09T14:00:03Z 2009-11-09T13:00:00Z tag:www.strangehorizons.com,2009:/reviews/1.794 2009-11-09T13:00:00Z There was nothing exactly wrong at first, and hundreds of pages passed with nothing exactly going wrong; so why, at p.332, should the reader (this one, anyway) find himself baulking at the thought of reading even one more page, baulking for almost a month at clawing through the last few chapters of The Magicians? John Clute book review The Magicians?]]> Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater 2009-11-06T09:00:07Z 2009-11-06T08:00:00Z tag:www.strangehorizons.com,2009:/reviews/1.792 2009-11-06T08:00:00Z Shiver's flaws, weighed against one of the most engaging and emotionally involving reads I've had recently, are slight. Hallie O'Donovan book review Shiver's flaws, weighed against one of the most engaging and emotionally involving reads I've had recently, are slight.]]> The Drowning City by Amanda Downum 2009-11-04T08:36:16Z 2009-11-04T08:00:00Z tag:www.strangehorizons.com,2009:/reviews/1.791 2009-11-04T08:00:00Z Downum takes us into that dark and dangerous territory pioneered by Robert E. Howard and Fritz Leiber. Kari Sperring book review Downum takes us into that dark and dangerous territory pioneered by Robert E. Howard and Fritz Leiber. Ark by Stephen Baxter 2009-11-02T13:01:46Z 2009-11-02T13:00:00Z tag:www.strangehorizons.com,2009:/reviews/1.790 2009-11-02T13:00:00Z Jonathan McCalmont: Is Baxter to be praised for his seemingly ever-increasing control over an array of themes and issues that few other authors bother to tackle? Or is he to be condemned for writing and re-writing the same kind of book over and over again? Alvaro Zinos-Amaro: It travels much farther than its predecessor. It takes even bigger risks, and the emotional pay-off is consequently greater. Jonathan McCalmont and Alvaro Zinos-Amaro book review Jonathan McCalmont: Is Baxter to be praised for his seemingly ever-increasing control over an array of themes and issues that few other authors bother to tackle? Or is he to be condemned for writing and re-writing the same kind of book over and over again?

Alvaro Zinos-Amaro: It travels much farther than its predecessor. It takes even bigger risks, and the emotional pay-off is consequently greater. ]]> Orbus by Neal Asher 2009-10-30T08:00:04Z 2009-10-30T08:00:00Z tag:www.strangehorizons.com,2009:/reviews/1.787 2009-10-30T08:00:00Z In other words: I hate this book. Dan Hartland book review In other words: I hate this book. 1942 by Robert Conroy 2009-10-28T12:10:32Z 2009-10-28T08:00:00Z tag:www.strangehorizons.com,2009:/reviews/1.786 2009-10-28T08:00:00Z Robert Conroy's alternate history of the Japanese attack against Pearl Harbor serves as a morality play about good guys and bad guys. Douglas W. Texter book review Robert Conroy's alternate history of the Japanese attack against Pearl Harbor serves as a morality play about good guys and bad guys. The Black Mirror and Other Stories, edited by Franz Rottensteiner (trans. Mike Mitchell) 2009-10-26T13:00:05Z 2009-10-26T13:00:00Z tag:www.strangehorizons.com,2009:/reviews/1.778 2009-10-26T13:00:00Z Overall: a very worthwhile collection of stories indeed. Adam Roberts book review Overall: a very worthwhile collection of stories indeed. Fifty Key Figures in Science Fiction, edited by Mark Bould, Andrew M. Butler, Adam Roberts and Sherryl Vint 2009-10-24T12:10:01Z 2009-10-23T08:00:00Z tag:www.strangehorizons.com,2009:/reviews/1.773 2009-10-23T08:00:00Z A wonderfully versatile book. Martin Lewis book review A wonderfully versatile book. Rampant by Diana Peterfreund 2009-10-21T08:20:00Z 2009-10-21T08:00:00Z tag:www.strangehorizons.com,2009:/reviews/1.777 2009-10-21T08:00:00Z Killer unicorns. I heard those words and Diana Peterfreund's fifth novel vaulted to the top of my to-be-read list. Sara Polsky book review Killer unicorns. I heard those words and Diana Peterfreund's fifth novel vaulted to the top of my to-be-read list. House of Windows by John Langan and Slights by Kaaron Warren 2009-10-19T22:08:39Z 2009-10-19T13:00:00Z tag:www.strangehorizons.com,2009:/reviews/1.782 2009-10-19T13:00:00Z The horror genre is lucky to have two new writers of such quality and ambition. Richard Larson book review The horror genre is lucky to have two new writers of such quality and ambition.