2012-02-08T08:09:09Z tag:www.strangehorizons.com,2012:/reviews/1 Movable Type Copyright (c) 2012 2012-02-08T08:09:09Z 2012-02-08T08:00:00Z tag:www.strangehorizons.com,2012:/reviews/1.1474 2012-02-08T08:00:00Z

Both Fact and Faerie in The Man Who Rained remain insufficiently defined, and consequently neither feels completely real.

Nina Allan The Man Who Rained remain insufficiently defined, and consequently neither feels completely real.]]> 2012-02-06T21:49:12Z 2012-02-06T13:00:00Z tag:www.strangehorizons.com,2012:/reviews/1.1471 2012-02-06T13:00:00Z

The problem with Songs of the Earth is that it lacks any sort of self awareness.

Marina Berlin Songs of the Earth is that it lacks any sort of self awareness.]]> 2012-02-03T09:55:27Z 2012-02-03T08:00:00Z tag:www.strangehorizons.com,2012:/reviews/1.1457 2012-02-03T08:00:00Z

Anne Sheldon's The Bone Spindle collects fourteen short pieces, mostly poetry, on the subject of women and the cloth-making arts: spinning, weaving and knitting. Each piece responds to a story—usually a fairy tale, though Sheldon also engages with Dickens, a history of textiles and an overheard story from the University of Chicago. The result is a book whose form expresses its content: it feels woven, with various story-threads combined into whole cloth.

Sofia Samatar The Bone Spindle collects fourteen short pieces, mostly poetry, on the subject of women and the cloth-making arts: spinning, weaving and knitting. Each piece responds to a story—usually a fairy tale, though Sheldon also engages with Dickens, a history of textiles and an overheard story from the University of Chicago. The result is a book whose form expresses its content: it feels woven, with various story-threads combined into whole cloth.]]> 2012-02-01T08:24:03Z 2012-02-01T08:00:00Z tag:www.strangehorizons.com,2012:/reviews/1.1458 2012-02-01T08:00:00Z

I would rather have a novel that continues to unfold its meanings rather than one which has a clear, unambiguous narrative thread, and Gods Without Men undoubtedly satisfies that need.

Maureen Kincaid Speller Gods Without Men undoubtedly satisfies that need.]]> 2012-01-30T13:06:41Z 2012-01-30T13:00:00Z tag:www.strangehorizons.com,2012:/reviews/1.1456 2012-01-30T13:00:00Z

Children is a vast tapestry of political manipulation, but does it deliver the same scope, and the same bangs, as its predecessor?

Andy Sawyer Children is a vast tapestry of political manipulation, but does it deliver the same scope, and the same bangs, as its predecessor?]]> 2012-01-28T14:20:53Z 2012-01-27T08:00:00Z tag:www.strangehorizons.com,2012:/reviews/1.1455 2012-01-27T08:00:00Z

Roberts is a deeply self-aware—and self-reflexive—satirist, who seeks to challenge and even alienate as much as he does to entertain. It is not so much that he doesn't take his own characters and stories seriously, but rather that he is deeply invested in the project of deconstructing them before our eyes.

Nic Clarke Roberts is a deeply self-aware—and self-reflexive—satirist, who seeks to challenge and even alienate as much as he does to entertain. It is not so much that he doesn't take his own characters and stories seriously, but rather that he is deeply invested in the project of deconstructing them before our eyes. 2012-01-26T11:43:25Z 2012-01-25T08:00:00Z tag:www.strangehorizons.com,2012:/reviews/1.1452 2012-01-25T08:00:00Z

Numerous authors have developed Asimov's Robot/Foundation universe over the last two decades, with varying degrees of success. The selling point of this first volume in a new trilogy is that it takes us back to the early days of Susan Calvin.

Alvaro Zinos-Amaro Numerous authors have developed Asimov's Robot/Foundation universe over the last two decades, with varying degrees of success. The selling point of this first volume in a new trilogy is that it takes us back to the early days of Susan Calvin. 2012-01-23T13:18:38Z 2012-01-23T13:00:00Z tag:www.strangehorizons.com,2012:/reviews/1.1432 2012-01-23T13:00:00Z

One of the most invigorating aspects of a Kennedy story is that you can start on page one confident only in the knowledge that you have no idea of where this writer is going to take you.

Nina Allan One of the most invigorating aspects of a Kennedy story is that you can start on page one confident only in the knowledge that you have no idea of where this writer is going to take you. 2012-01-20T08:11:25Z 2012-01-20T08:00:00Z tag:www.strangehorizons.com,2012:/reviews/1.1431 2012-01-20T08:00:00Z

Cloud Permutations is fascinating and infuriating because it is about its own failure to tell its story.

Aishwarya Subramanian Cloud Permutations is fascinating and infuriating because it is about its own failure to tell its story.]]> 2012-01-18T08:00:04Z 2012-01-18T08:00:00Z tag:www.strangehorizons.com,2012:/reviews/1.1416 2012-01-18T08:00:00Z

Rosen is interested in the small events: getting accepted to your dream school, choosing what to wear, first love. And he is interested in the small players of Victorian times: women, servants, unknown scientists in basements.

Sofia Samatar Rosen is interested in the small events: getting accepted to your dream school, choosing what to wear, first love. And he is interested in the small players of Victorian times: women, servants, unknown scientists in basements. 2012-01-16T13:15:20Z 2012-01-16T13:00:00Z tag:www.strangehorizons.com,2012:/reviews/1.1418 2012-01-16T13:00:00Z

If it had jokes, American Horror Story would be a situation comedy, albeit one with rape, torture, vivisection, and massacre.

Roz Kaveney American Horror Story would be a situation comedy, albeit one with rape, torture, vivisection, and massacre.]]> 2012-01-13T08:21:01Z 2012-01-13T08:00:00Z tag:www.strangehorizons.com,2012:/reviews/1.1417 2012-01-13T08:00:00Z

Michael J. Sullivan is that rare beast, a man who self-published six books to moderate financial success, and parlayed that success into a deal with a major publisher. As of this writing, I want to hunt down every single soul associated with the decision to give this series the imprimatur of a major publishing house and rub their noses in it like a bad puppy.

Liz Bourke bad puppy.]]> 2012-01-11T08:25:24Z 2012-01-11T08:00:00Z tag:www.strangehorizons.com,2012:/reviews/1.1396 2012-01-11T08:00:00Z

Further Conflicts does not attempt to define a genre or make any particular point about war or the way war is dealt with in SF, but rather to allow its thirteen authors to ring the changes on war as theme, setting, and subject matter.

Katherine Farmar Further Conflicts does not attempt to define a genre or make any particular point about war or the way war is dealt with in SF, but rather to allow its thirteen authors to ring the changes on war as theme, setting, and subject matter.]]> 2012-01-09T13:00:04Z 2012-01-09T13:00:00Z tag:www.strangehorizons.com,2012:/reviews/1.1383 2012-01-09T13:00:00Z

Hull Zero Three is further proof that Bear is one of the best writers of science fiction out there.

Finn Dempster Hull Zero Three is further proof that Bear is one of the best writers of science fiction out there.]]> 2012-01-06T09:23:37Z 2012-01-06T08:00:00Z tag:www.strangehorizons.com,2012:/reviews/1.1374 2012-01-06T08:00:00Z

The Highest Frontier takes the experience of college and amplifies it, transforming a campus into a place where young minds have to use their privileged position to try and figure out how to save the world. Literally.

Indrapramit Das The Highest Frontier takes the experience of college and amplifies it, transforming a campus into a place where young minds have to use their privileged position to try and figure out how to save the world. Literally.]]>