The Shattering Peace, and aliens who have consciousness as an augmentation

The cover of The Shattering Peace showing a spaceship over what looks like a wreck on a surface, with another alien planet in the background.

For people looking to dip their toe in the sci-fi literary genre, John Scalzi is often a good place to start. A lot of sci-fi literature assumes certain knowledge from the reader (such as what "burning at two gees" means). Scalzi's fiction tends to only assume what you might pick up watching sci-fi TV shows … Continue reading The Shattering Peace, and aliens who have consciousness as an augmentation

The success of John Scalzi’s descriptive minimalism

One of the categories here on the blog is Science Fiction, mainly because I read and watch a lot of it.  Occasionally, someone wanting to get into the literary version of the genre asks me for recommendations on good initial books to start with.  My recommendation often depends on the person, but I frequently suggest they try … Continue reading The success of John Scalzi’s descriptive minimalism

Ancillary Justice: an excellent read

I just finished reading Ann Leckie's new novel, Ancillary Justice, after reading about it on John Scalzi's site.  I found it one of the most absorbing books I've read in a while.  If you enjoy space opera science fiction, with AIs, strange societies, and generally mind bending ideas, then you owe it to yourself to … Continue reading Ancillary Justice: an excellent read