Saturday, August 22, 2020

Review: FULCRUM OF ODYSSEUS by Eric Michael Craig (Shan Takhu Legacy Book Two)


5 Speculative Stars!

SHAN TAKHU LEGACY Book Two

After the mind-blowing revelations of Book 1, LEGACY OF PANDORA,  FULCRUM OF ODYSSEUS leaps into an electrifying emergency situation leaving readers wondering,  "Is there a viable solution? Will anyone escape, alive?" Don't devalue the Captain and crew of the "Jakob Waltz," despite the very real dangers, and the fact that the Alien matrix in which they may be trapped does not and cannot relate to nor even recognize human emotions and elements of danger.

Philosophy,  politics,  Artificial intelligence,  Rebellion & Resistance,  Alien Mindsets...it's all here in a fascinating novel of serious science fiction. Fans of SF author Daniel Gibbs' characters of integrity and conscience will find much to delight in here.

Review: THE CARRION SEA by Steven McCumaskey


5 Speculative Stars!

Beautifully lyrical in execution,  this Oriental-setting, medieval-style fantasy strums all the themes of Man against Nature, Man against Monster,  and Man against Himself. In a small village of fishermen and hunters, an anomalous Winter refuses to end. Fishing is poor, animals are scarce, elderly and newborns can't survive.  Is this a freak weather event--or something more?

The answer is the proverbial lone brave warrior,  a man formerly of battle and now of peace, the one who will sacrifice all to save his village. 

Friday, August 14, 2020

Review: LEGACY OF PANDORA by Eric Michael Craig


5 Speculative Stars 

LEGACY OF PANDORA is an engrossing "hard science" science fiction novel,  first in the SHAN TAKHU LEGACY Series.  By "hard science, " I mean that a diligent focus of the story is on the sciences, astrophysics for example,  but also other sciences, as well as on character and plotting [think for example of SF authors Larry Niven and Peter F. Hamilton and Arthur C. Clarke.) As with these, while I enjoyed the story, I could feel my brain awakening and my mind stretching to accommodate new scientific concepts and creative, cosmic, possibilities.