Saturday, May 18, 2019

Tour_DEEP PAST by Eugene Linden


Deep Past: A Novel by Eugene Linden



Deep Past: A Novel
by Eugene Linden

I was drawn in by the interesting find, and the political intrigue kept me reading. Deep Past isn’t a non-stop action thriller, but once I got started I needed to know how it all turned out.
~The Book’s the Thing

About the Book


Deep Past: A Novel
RosettaBooks (May 14, 2019)
Hardcover: 336 pages
ISBN-10: 1948122375
ISBN-13: 978-1948122375
Digital ASIN: B07PMF4Y17
If nature could invent intelligence of our scale in a blink of geologic time, who’s to say it hasn’t been done before…
A routine dig in Kazakhstan takes a radical turn for thirty-two-year-old anthropologist Claire Knowland when a stranger turns up at the site with a bizarre find from a remote section of the desolate Kazakh Steppe. Her initial skepticism of this mysterious discovery gives way to a realization that the find will shake the very foundations of our understanding of evolution and intelligence.
Corrupt politics of Kazakhstan force Claire to take reckless chances with the discovery. Among the allies she gathers in her fight to save herself and bring the discovery to light is Sergei Anachev, a brilliant but enigmatic Russian geologist who becomes her unlikely protector even as he deals with his own unknown crisis.
Ultimately, Claire finds herself fighting not just for the discovery and her academic reputation, but for her very life as great power conflict engulfs the unstable region and an unscrupulous oligarch attempts to take advantage of the chaos.
Drawing on Eugene Linden’s celebrated non-fiction investigations into what makes humans different from other species, this international thriller mixes fact and the fantastical, the realities of academic politics, and high stakes geopolitics—engaging the reader every step of the way.

About the Author

Eugene Linden is an award-winning journalist and author on science, nature, and the environment. Deep Past draws on his long career in non-fiction as the author of ten books, including his celebrated works on animal intelligence and climate change: Apes, Men, and Language, the New York Times “Notable Book” Silent Partners, and the bestselling The Parrot’s Lament. His book, Winds of Change, which explored the connection between climate change and the rise and fall of civilizations, was awarded the Grantham Prize Special Award of Merit. For many years, Linden wrote about nature and global environmental issues for TIME where he garnered several awards including the American Geophysical Union’s Walter Sullivan Award. He has also contributed to the New York Times, Foreign Affairs, and National Geographic, among many other publications.

Author Link
Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Rosetta Books
My Review: 5 Stars
When, early in the first few pages, I read that something has been uncovered in a forlorn, isolated, region of the world (specifically, the Kazahk Steppes), immediately I knew I was embarking on a suspense-laden thrill ride. What was revealed? Why shouldn't it have been discovered? What does this mean for humanity and the world at large?

All these burning questions ignited my intrigue, and this thoughtful (and thought-provoking), literate exposition in a thriller maintained my close attention throughout. Afterwards, I found myself lost in the possibilities: What If? DEEP PAST is a novel we all ought to read and consider.

TOUR PARTICIPANTS
May 13 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
May 13 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT
May 14 – 4covert2overt ☼ A Place In The Spotlight ☼ – SPOTLIGHT with EXCERPT
May 15 – Books Direct – SPOTLIGHT with EXCERPT
May 15 – Daydreams In The Desert – REVIEW
May 16 – The Cozy Pages – SPOTLIGHT
May 17 – The Book’s the Thing – REVIEW
May 17 – ❧Defining Ways❧ – SPOTLIGHT
May 18 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
May 20 – Into the Abyss Reviews – REVIEW
May 20 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
May 21 – Ascroft, eh? – SPOTLIGHT with EXCERPT
May 22 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT  
May 23 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT
May 24 – Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT
May 25 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT
May 26 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT

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Monday, May 13, 2019

SciFi Summer Readathon!




Hosted at:

SciFi Summer at Seasons of Reading



Completed so far:
The Hungry Ghost-paranormal, metaphysical, LGBT.
New York 2140
Great Britain: The Most Important People, Places and Events That Shaped the History of Great Britain--publisher review
The Descendants: A Supernatural Thriller--Hidden Gems review
Shepherd's Warning. NetGalley ARC. Paranormal/Horror.
A House of Ghosts. NetGalley ARC. Historical Paranormal.
Hearthstone Cottage. Scottish Horror.
The Last Christmas A Repairman Jack Novel. Cosmic Horror, Genetic Engineering.
The Wasting: Descent to the Cataclysm. Science Fiction, Apocalyptic. Genetic Engineering/Modification.
Those Who Came Before. Native American Paranormal/Horror.
Candle Making: Learn How to Make Your Own Candles from Scratch
Chop Shop. Minnesota Horror/Crime
Recursion. Quantum SciFi
DARK MATTER. Quantum SciFi.


Twisted Truth Box Set. YA Thrillers, including:
Monster
Ultimate Sacrifice
Vanquished
Killer Among.
The Face in the Marsh. LGBT Horror/Canadian.
Whispers in the Dark. Horror/Supernatural/paranormal


A Meeting with Medusa. Pure SciFi. Reread. Originally read in 2017.
Campfire. YA Horror/debut.
Typhoid Mary. Horror.
The Invocation. Horror.
Mistaken Identity Crisis. Cozy Mystery--blog tour.
Brimstone. Paranormal/Horror. Strong 11-y-o heroine!
Kaidanshi Issue Zero.Japanese Horror anecdotes and classic stories.
Death by Dissertation. Academic cozy mystery. Blog tour.
Slash by Hunter Shea. Horror.
Old Bones. Suspense thriller/ historical backstory.
Kill Creek. Kansas Horror/Haunted House.
Violet. Kansas Horror. Haunted House. Family Tragedies.
The Reunion. French suspense thriller.
The Curse of Misty Wayfair. Christian romantic suspense/paranormal/contemporary and historical.
Never Nerida. Medical/psychological thriller.
Green Tea: All about the Miraculously Healthy Drink, Its Many Variations and History. Publisher review request.
If You See Her. Supernatural thriller. SCARY!!
Of Vengeance. Contemporary. Indigenous Canadian author.


She Lies in Wait. Psychological suspense.
The Year of the Rabid Dragon: A Beijing, China Thriller China: Medical thriller/sci fi.
The Cliffhouse Haunting. California Paranormal/Horror.

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IN PROGRESS:
Reread: SALVATION by Peter F. Hamilton
[Salvation Sequence #1]
New: SALVATION LOST
[Salvation Sequence #2]. ARC.



The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin. SF, Far Future, Alien.

The Winds of Altair by Ben Bova. SF, Future, Space.

Proposed/Suggested TBR:

Six Wakes. Mur Lafferty. Hugo/Nebula
Not One Of Us Anthology (Neil Clarke). May 27
Void Wraith Collection
Rings of Polaris Collection
The Winds of Altair, Ben Bova.
Grass, Sheri S. Tepper
The Collected Stories of Arthur C. Clarke
Andre Norton (SF & Fantasy)
Pamela Sargent.
Earth, Ben Bova.
NEW YORK 2140, Kim Stanley Robinson. READ.
Kim Stanley Robinson, DC WEATHER TRILOGY.
Kim Stanley Robinson, MARS TRILOGY.
CHINESE SF (and for #YARC2019 and for my personal Reading Divergence Challenge)

Print: 
Isaac Asimov, The End of Eternity
The Magic Labyrinth, Philip Jose Farmer.
Riverworld and Other Stories, Philip Jose Farmer.
The Songs of Distant Earth, Arthur C. Clarke.
The Legacy of Heorot, Niven, Pournelle, Barnes
The Martian Chronicles, Bradbury.
Quicker Than the Eye, Bradbury.
The Green Hills of Earth, Heinlein.
The Anomaly, Rutger.  

Wednesday, May 8, 2019

Review: RADIOACTIVE REVOLUTION

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45553595-radioactive-revolution" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="Radioactive Revolution: A Dystopian, Post-Apocalyptic Adventure" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1557255939m/45553595.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45553595-radioactive-revolution">Radioactive Revolution: A Dystopian, Post-Apocalyptic Adventure</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/322529.Richard_Hummel">Richard Hummel</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2813943110">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
I love a well-written Dystopian or a well-written post-Apocalyptic, or the two types in combination. Such is the case with this exciting new series, which so far includes RADIOACTIVE EVOLUTION and RADIOACTIVE REVOLUTION. The author demonstrates keen insight into culture and human nature. Best of all, dragons!
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/7302570-may-fungi-from-yuggoth">View all my reviews</a>

Monday, May 6, 2019

Review: THE GEMINI EXPERIMENT

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42789392-the-gemini-experiment" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="The Gemini Experiment" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1556247107m/42789392.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42789392-the-gemini-experiment">The Gemini Experiment</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/288505.Brian_Pinkerton">Brian Pinkerton</a><br/>
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What drew me in to this near-futuristic thriller was the sci fi and the science: the possibility of creating a replica body--a machine, a robot--and digitizing human consciousness to download into the replica. What a boon for those in ill health, with progressively deteriorating conditions or terminal diseases. And of course, immortality.<br /><br /><br />What kept me reading falls under the umbrella of the thriller genre: political, espionage, military; and the excellent characterizations. It was easy to identify with these realistic characters and their essential humanity, even the criminals, the spies, the assassins, the military.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/7302570-may-fungi-from-yuggoth">View all my reviews</a>

Friday, May 3, 2019

Review: WALPURGIS III by Mike Resnick

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1404054.Walpurgis_III" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="Walpurgis III (Birthright #3)" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1552578304m/1404054.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1404054.Walpurgis_III">Walpurgis III</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/54475.Mike_Resnick">Mike Resnick</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2807129705">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
WALPURGIS III is a beautifully accomplished and psychologically terrifying novel originally published in 1982, by outstanding science fiction author Mike Resnick. Mr. Resnick accomplishes an epic of space exploration and colonization while simultaneously critiquing culture, human nature, and studying the nature of evil and what happens when good people stand by and let evil flourish.<br /><br />On the planet of Walpurgis III, originally colonised a century and a quarter ago by sects of witchcraft, Satanism, and related beliefs, life is under control, until the arrival of a planetary mass murderer who revels in evil and destruction of life. Once Conrad Bland is granted asylum (and some of the sects begin to consider him the Dark Messiah), the populace of Walpurgis III is subject to terror, torture, murder, and wholesale destruction. Detective John Sable, a good man with a moral code of integrity, tries to warn Bland's security chief that an assassin from the Republic (the planetary federation) has been sent to Walpurgis III to assassinate Bland, whose own murder totals are in the multiple millions. Assassin Jericho seems to be a man with no moral code, a moral cipher, almost robotic in regard to his lack of emotions. But he is going against a virtual force of Nature, truly an embodiment of evil, a microcosm of the Cosmic drive to Entropy.<br /><br />WALPURGIS III is a story to read, to savor, and to keep as a re-reader and a reminder of the perils to which humanity falls prey.<br /><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/7302570-may-fungi-from-yuggoth">View all my reviews</a>

Thursday, May 2, 2019

Review_Atmosphæra Incognita

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43799943-atmosph-ra-incognita" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="Atmosphæra Incognita" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1549535855m/43799943.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43799943-atmosph-ra-incognita">Atmosphæra Incognita</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/545.Neal_Stephenson">Neal Stephenson</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2806072534">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
The geniuses of our era, in my opinion, are the late Stephen Hawking, John Connolly, and Neal Stephenson. I never miss anything Mr. Stephenson pens, even though sometimes I have to really stretch my brain to comprehend, because isn't that the point of science fiction? Of any literature? To stretch us, mold us, trigger us to evolve into our better selves?<br /><br />In his very new novella Atmosphæra Incognita, a self-made, crusty, often irritable, and very bullishly determined billionaire decides to build a Tower: twenty kilometers in height, it will reach into that elusive junction of Earth's atmosphere with outer space. Why? Why do modern humans construct skyscrapers? Why the Tower of Babel? Why the Hanging Gardens of Bablyon? Perhaps here it is that unconscious desire of humankind to "knock on heaven's door," to "reach the stars," "ad astra per aspera." Mankind always reaching above himself: Icarus, Prometheus, billionaire Carl.
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/7302570-may-fungi-from-yuggoth">View all my reviews</a>