Hullo, lovely people! It’s time to do something I really mean to make a habit of – have meant to, for an entire year! It’s not gone well. Anyway: Trope Check returns for Eyes of the Void, following a year-long hiatus after the first book in The Final Architecture was released. I’ll do a list... Continue Reading →
https://youtu.be/7KUHU75NvP8 Published by: TORGenre: Science fiction, space operaSeries: The Final Architecture (#2 of many, hopefully)Pages: 593 pagesFormat: paperback The sequel to 2021’s Shards of the Earth was among my most-awaited sci-fi titles of this year. When I read Shards I fell in love with its characters, a mishmash of memorable scoundrels who made for one... Continue Reading →
https://youtu.be/B7nV20cD6ec This book has got me in a bind. It’s easy to relegate it to one of two neat classifications: either a straight-faced satire that takes the piss out of the military-industrial complex; or else, a fully realised celebration of the serving man’s fraternity, of the sacrifice of the individual for the collective’s greater good,... Continue Reading →
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCOPQofBjPQ What a complex topic James Blish tackles in his 1959 Hugo award-winning novel! Father Ruiz-Sanches is one of a committee of four researchers sent to explore the world of Lithia and offer advice on what this planet’s role should be regarding humanity’s expansion. When the Father discovers that the Lithian race of perfectly rational... Continue Reading →
I had such a great time watching the Book of Boba Fett - not only did I have the best company but I also adore spending time in that galaxy far, far away. Six hours of high-quality visuals certainly didn’t hurt my fondness for the ol’ Mouse money cow. That said, much as I wish... Continue Reading →
There's something delectably fun about a villain that's perfectly defined by their name, especially when that name is a monosyllabic nouns like "Pride" or "Sin" or "Ruin". Everything's on the label - you can be comfortable in your expectations as to the goals they'll pursue but how they get there is anybody's guess! It's also... Continue Reading →
I don’t know where to begin with this one, really I don’t.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxRaOQUz99A The first sci-fi novel I ever read by Robert A. Heinlein got me from the very first: If a man walks in dressed like a hick and acting as if he owned the place, he's a spaceman. It is a logical necessity. His profession makes him feel like boss of all creation; when he... Continue Reading →
Old science fiction! It can be endlessly entertaining in wholly unintentional ways—I owe linguistic drift alone for more than a few chuckles as I explored the very first novel awarded the Hugo for best sci-fi, all the way back in 1953. Despite certain antiquated notions, The Demolished Man made for exciting reading and I can see why it still holds a place in the science fictional canon.
Welcome to Trope Check, what is either a one-off or a possible series, in which I examine how unique works of fiction deal with familiar tropes in fun, new, and exciting ways! #0. Play Catch-Up! If you're unfamiliar with the bloody brilliant 𝖕𝖎𝖊𝖈𝖊 𝖔𝖋 🅐🅡🅣 that is Adrian Tchaikovsky's SHARDS OF EARTH, you should first... Continue Reading →
The Grimoire Reliquary 