The Third Kingdom

In Terry Goodkind's latest book The Third Kingdom, we revisit the world of Richard Rahl and Kahlan Amnell.  Better then The Omen Machine by far, this book is a return to the excitement that Goodkind captured in the Sword of Truth series.

The Long Earth

The Long Earth by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter is a fresh take on the idea of parallel worlds.  Mankind discovers the ability to 'step' into a string of alternate earths.  Some people are natural steppers, like Joshua Valienté, while others have to rely on an invention called a 'stepper'.  The discovery quite literally opens up endless new options for the expansion of humanity.

The idea of mankind's expansion into space is one that has been thoroughly explored (pardon the pun).  Sci-fi books tend to focus outwardly on the solar system and wider universe.  So I appreciate the unique approach to an oft used concept.  The second book, The Long War, is already out and I look forward to reading it as well. 

Redshirts

Redshirts by John Scalzi starts off as an off-kilter sci-fi exploration story.   The starship Intrepid traverses the universe to discover new civilizations and make contact with new worlds with the crew having madcap adventures along the way.  If that sounds vaguely familiar, that's because it is.  Patterned loosely after Star Trek, the story even takes its name from the crew members that die - the redshirts. Not to spoil the ending, but Redshirts breaks the proverbial 4th wall and ends up far from where it begins.  An homage or sorts, this book is a very witty and refreshing look at (or examination or even deconstruction of?) the sci-fi genre. 

The Future's so Bright

How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe by Charles Yu is funny, sad, touching, and thoroughly entertaining.  With shades of The Hitchhiker's Guide mixed with a little bit of The Time Traveler's Wife and a portion of Slaughterhouse Five on the side, this book is an entertaining jaunt through time and space.  A quick read for sure, yet for all its brevity, it packs a powerful amount of humor, angst, and metaphysics.

Small Ambitions

I am not a man for whom
great things were intended.
Small ambitions
are all that is left for me.

Chase

I'll chase the planets through their orbits
In an endless game of tag. 
Never ahead, always behind;
The stars applaud, the moons cheer. 


I'll chase the earth through its orbit
In an endless game of tag.
The ether is my home;
Soon the stars will be gone.

Book Review: Cloud Atlas

I read this book because I'd seen where it is being made into a movie with an all-star cast.  The sources I read spoke very highly of the source material, so of course I had to read it.  This is a truly fascinating narrative which weaves back an forth through several centuries, both past and future.  It could be pigeon-holed as sci-fi, but it actually transcends the bounds of the genre.  A must read for any lover of good stories.

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell