An anthology of authentic and realistic hard science fiction
While reading Marianne de Pierries’ Dark Space last week (see here), it struck me that sf writers are all too keen to extrapolate or invent science and technology in their fictions – FTL, AI, anti-gravity, etc. – but they then insist on imagining socially regressive societies. The world of Araldis in Dark Space is markedly [...]
Filed under: science fiction, world-building, writing | 13 Comments »
It has just been pointed out to me that one of the writers on my sf mistressworks meme list isn’t actually, er, female. I forget where I got the name from, but I should have realised straight away – because if Francis Leslie Ashton was female, “her” name would be Frances Lesley Ashton. There aren’t [...]
Filed under: science fiction, women in sf | 1 Comment »
Marianne de Pierries is one of several Australian authors published in the UK by Orbit. Her first book, Nylon Angel, the first of the Parrish Plessis cyberpunk trilogy, was published in 2004. Dark Space is the first book of her second series, The Sentients of Orion. It is space opera. A lone mineral scout with [...]
Filed under: 2011 reading challenge, marianne de pierres, science fiction, women in sf | 2 Comments »
I must not buy so many books. I must not buy so many books. I must not buy so many books. I tell myself this every day, but it doesn’t seem to work. See: Some mainstream fiction. Strangers and Brothers, CP Snow, the second book of the series of the same name (although the first [...]
Filed under: book haul, books | Tagged: cp snow, david pringle, dg compton, don delillo, francis spufford, frédéric chaubin, gwyneth jones, jan kempenaers, jg ballard, john m ford, jonathan strahan, justina robson, keith roberts, ken bulmer, liz jensen, michael swanwick, mj engh, piers bizony, simon raven, wg sebald | 7 Comments »
Here’s yet more pictures and photos from around the internet. This is how we could be living now, instead of watching powerlessly as our scumbag Tory government robs us and stuffs the proceeds into the pockets of the filthy rich. The twentieth century, despite – or perhaps because of – two world wars, seems like [...]
Filed under: jetpunk | 1 Comment »
The meme has been out there now for a week, and a number of people have picked up on it. This is excellent. There have also been a few comments about the books which appear on the list. So here’s something of an apologia… Yes, there are many authors I should have included but missed [...]
Filed under: meme, science fiction, women in sf | Leave a Comment »
During the mid to late 1980s, The Women’s Press published a line of feminist science fiction novels by women writers. The books all boasted the same cover design: a grey border and spine, and distinctive cover-art. The books were a mixture of new works and older classic books. I remember the books quite well, and [...]
Filed under: meme, science fiction, women in sf | 4 Comments »
Oops. Been a while since the last one of these, so this is going to be a bit of a marathon listing. You know how it goes… Books American Adulterer, Jed Mercurio (2009). I thought Mercurio’s Ascent was excellent when I read it several years ago, and was much impressed by his intense, meticulously-researched prose. [...]
Filed under: books, films, readings & watchings 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Pushing on with the Women in SF theme, I decided to have a go at a full-on meme-type list. And here it is… A few things to bear in mind about the titles listed below: science fiction only, no fantasy; and no YA or children’s works. One work per author, because I wanted breadth (otherwise [...]
Filed under: meme, science fiction, women in sf | 34 Comments »
Since 2011 is becoming the Year of Women in SF (and so it should)… and my reading challenge for the twelve months involves reading a dozen sf novels by women writers… and various other websites and blogs have been posting on the topic since the beginning of the year… and today people were throwing around [...]
Filed under: science fiction, women in sf | 42 Comments »
