Out of the thirteen books that I’ve read so far in 2021, this one is the first (and so far only) one that I’ve given five-stars. I read this book just before the January 6th riots at the Capitol, where the lead-up to that event and the controversy surrounding the 2020 elections had acquired an …
Continue reading “Joe Reviews: The Folk of the Fringe by Orson Scott Card”
I really need to get a handle on the rapidly growing backlog of books to review, so I’m going to focus on books that I’ve read this year and catch up with the older ones as I go. This book showed a lot of promise, and to be fair, it held my interest through to …
This review is going to have spoilers for the first book. If you want to read my take on the series as a whole, read my review for All Systems Red. Of all of the Murderbot books, this one is my least favorite. It’s still pretty good, but not as good as the first. Thankfully, …
Continue reading “Joe Reviews: Artificial Condition by Martha Wells”
Ah, the Murderbot diaries. If you haven’t heard of these books yet, you’re in for a treat, because this is one of the best ongoing series currently in science fiction. This review will mostly just be for the first book, but since my reviews of the other books will probably contain spoilers, much of what …
Continue reading “Joe Reviews: All Systems Red by Martha Wells”
Brandon Sanderson is known for his massive, door-stopping tomes, but after reading The Emperor’s Soul, I think might like his short fiction better. Of course, “short” for Brandon is still a decent-sized novella. The world is rich and full of magic and history—but Brandon doesn’t explain all of it, just the parts that are relevant …
Continue reading “Joe Reviews: The Emperor’s Soul by Brandon Sanderson”
This the most important book I’ve read all year—quite possibly, the most important book I’ve read since graduating from university in 2010. In some ways, it’s the antithesis of Saul Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals, or at least it provides a useful and practical counterpoint to it. In other ways, it’s a history of the parts …
[This review originally appeared on my writing blog in July 2009.] This book was incredible. Magnificent. It made me think, it made me cry–it made me want to be a better man. David Gemmell examines issues and themes such as life, death, and love in ways that are as meaningful and honest as they are …
