Salvage Crew by Yudhanjaya Wijeratne

The Salvage Crew by Yudhanjaya Wijeratne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb: They thought this was just another salvage job. They thought wrong.

An AI overseer and a human crew arrive on a distant planet to salvage an ancient UN starship. The overseer is unhappy. The crew, well, they're certainly no A-team. Not even a C-team on the best of days.

And worse? Urmahon Beta, the planet, is at the ass-end of nowhere. Everybody expects this to be a long, ugly, and thankless job.

Then it all goes disastrously wrong. What they thought was an uninhabited backwater turns out to be anything but empty. Megafauna roam the land, a rival crew with some terrifyingly high-powered gear haunts the dig site, and a secret that will change humanity forever is waiting in the darkness.

Stuck on this unmapped, hostile planet, lacking resources, and with tech built by the cheapest bidder, the salvage crew must engineer their way to payday...and beat Urmahon Beta before it kills them all.

Experience this space exploration adventure told from the perspective of a snarky artificial intelligence you won't soon forget.

Read for November 2021 book group. Read as an audio book and regular book.

Touching on the audio - loved Nathan Fillion as narrator, but unfortunately, however it was recorded, I couldn't understand what he was saying. His voice ended up being muddled and mumbled. I did read and listen for a while, then just abandoned the narration and read as normal. Which was a major bummer. Consensus was the same with others in book group.

I greatly enjoyed this. Loved the premise, interesting characters, interesting world building, a bit of an unconventional plot where it's not all rainbows at the end. AMBER ROSE's sarcasm was fantastic, I loved SHIP even tho she had such a minor role, the human characters were interesting and behaved like, well, realistic humans. The Buddhist concepts were a delightful change from the usual Jesuit's in Space that show up more frequently in SF.

I did hit a stumbling block about two-thirds of the way through after a major reveal. The overall plot became more narrative and a bit blah blah blah and I found myself skipping pages. One book group member concurred, and three others said that was one of the best parts of the book. Interesting interpretations.

I'm trying very hard not to drop any major spoilers, so going to end here and say, well worth reading, but skip the audio.

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Vicarious by Rhett C Bruno

Vicarious by Rhett C. Bruno
My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb: The real world is only where you breathe…

In High Earth, entertainment is everything. Virtual Worlds. Games. Steaming shows. Simulations—there’s something for everybody. You don't ever even have to leave your home.

For Asher Reinhart, nothing compares to Ignis: Live, a reality show that pushes human beings to their very extremes. As a volunteer director, he closely monitors the lives of those living on an Interstellar Ark, believing they're the last of humanity.

Mission is the show's brightest young star. Born in hiding, her intelligence and near-perfect genetics have allowed her to rise up the ranks faster than any before her. But now that it's her turn to provide for the Ark, everything changes...

With Mission's life placed in danger, Asher is forced to choose: between the show he loves, or the woman whose existence has been the focus of his attention since the day he was born.

The 100 meets The Truman Show in this science fiction story about the power of human connection, from USA Today Bestselling and Nebula Award-Nominated author Rhett C. Bruno. It’s perfect for fans of Hugh Howey, Kim Stanley Robinson, and Michael Crichton.

Read for Oct 2021 book group. Read on audio.

I have a love/hate relationship with this book.

What I enjoyed:
The over all concept - interesting world building, interesting future speculation, interesting characters especially with the protagonist Asher and a very interesting conclusion.

The depths to which human society has sunk as relates to virtual reality and reality TV is cause for despair. Which is part of the overall point - just look at reality shows on TV today. Where will society stop when it comes to entertainment and human depravity? Interesting question...

Where I struggled:
Some of the nuances or details of the book didn't mesh with the future society and this may be hard to describe if you haven't read the book. The main item being conditions on Ignis - shared birth control? ICK and not entirely realistic beyond a handful of generations (hormonal life span). Expecting the entire population of Ignis to abstain from sex till their appointed "breeding time"? Unrealistic and implausible. If this is such an advanced society (despite being stuck on a fake ship), use artificial insemination to achieve population and birthing objectives, not "hey, you're 20 and never had sex, here's your 50 year old partner! Enjoy!". WTHeck. Massively ick. So, some issues with the execution of Ignis.

The extremes between High Earth and the Outcasts was almost too extreme? I still waffle on this one.

The antagonist (Asher's boss and the creator of Ignis live) was almost laughable in his evil villain role.

So. I quite enjoyed this book, with aspects that at times kicked me out of the story and made me so frustrated. Kudo's to the author for eliciting such a response. This is a book you need to read and decide for yourself. Recommended with some significant reservations.



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A Conneticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Jacket Blurb: One of the greatest satires in American literature, Mark Twain's 'A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court' begins when Hank Morgan, a skilled mechanic in a nineteenth-century New England arms factory, is struck on the head during a quarrel and awakens to find himself among the knights and magicians of King Arthur's Camelot. The 'Yankee' vows brashly to "boss the whole country inside of three weeks" and embarks on an ambitious plan to modernize Camelot with 19th c. industrial inventions like electricity and gunfire. It isn't long before all hell breaks loose!

Written in 1889, Mark 'A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court' is one of literature's first genre mash-ups and one of the first works to feature time travel. It is one of the best known Twain stories, and also one of his most unique. Twain uses the work to launch a social commentary on contemporary society, a thinly veiled critique of the contemporary times despite the Old World setting.

While the dark pessimism that would fully blossom in Twain's later works can be discerned in 'A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, ' the novel will nevertheless be remembered primarily for its wild leaps of imagination, brilliant wit, and entertaining storytelling.

Read as an audio book.

This past spring The Husband and I took a jaunt down to southeaster Missouri for a late-winter (for us) get away. It was nigh spring in Southern Missouri, and while the trees were quite leafed out nor the early flowers blooming, there wasn't any snow. We stopped in Hannibal, MO, and spent part of a day immersed in Mark Twain's world. Which lead to the realization that I've only read Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. The Husband noted A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court was an enjoyable read. It took a few more months, but I slid it into the lineup.

First noting - I greatly enjoyed the narrators performance, cadence and voices. It was a delight to listen to and I was quite bummed when the book concluded. He had the perfect voice for a commute read.

The story itself was fascinating. Despite being written nearly 100 years ago, it amazed me how much of the authors political commentary was still apropos for today. The astute reader will pick up on Mark Twain's observations and viewpoints from the late 1800's, but gosh darn if some things just don't change.

I did look this up, and while not the "first" science fiction book (that is still thought to be Frankenstein), this is considered the first time-travel book. This was well executed - probably more so than some "modern day" time travel books I've read. This isn't to say the book is perfect in all regards, it's not by any stretch of the imagination. The feasibility of one person being able to re-create the telephone, trains, gas lines, bombs and more did push the bounds of reality a tich. From a 21st Century standpoint. From a 1800's or early 1900's view? Maybe it was more believable.

This book made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me think. I'm glad I read this and I regret not picking this up earlier, but perhaps I would not have enjoyed it as much as I did. Recommended from a historical perspective.


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A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor by Hank Green (The Carls #2)

A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor by Hank Green
My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb: April May and the Carls are back in the much-anticipated sequel to Hank Green's #1 New York Times bestselling debut novel, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing.

The Carls disappeared the same way they appeared, in an instant. While they were on Earth, they caused confusion and destruction without ever lifting a finger. Well, that’s not exactly true. Part of their maelstrom was the sudden viral fame and untimely death of April May: a young woman who stumbled into Carl’s path, giving them their name, becoming their advocate, and putting herself in the middle of an avalanche of conspiracy theories.

Months later, the world is as confused as ever. Andy has picked up April’s mantle of fame, speaking at conferences and online about the world post-Carl; Maya, ravaged by grief, begins to follow a string of mysteries that she is convinced will lead her to April; and Miranda infiltrates a new scientific operation . . . one that might have repercussions beyond anyone’s comprehension.

As they each get further down their own paths, a series of clues arrive—mysterious books that seem to predict the future and control the actions of their readers; unexplained internet outages; and more—which seem to suggest April may be very much alive. In the midst of the gang's possible reunion is a growing force, something that wants to capture our consciousness and even control our reality.

A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor is the bold and brilliant follow-up to An Absolutely Remarkable Thing. It’s a fast-paced adventure that is also a biting social commentary, asking hard, urgent questions. How will we live online? What powers over our lives are we giving away for free? Who has the right to change the world forever? And how do we find comfort in an increasingly isolated world?

Read for September book group.

Book two in the Carls, or, really book two in the April May Saga. Because this is ultimately all about April May. I noted in my review of An Absolutely Remarkable Thing that there I had enough interest in the supporting characters to read this book. And I enjoyed reading Maya, Miranda, and Andy's perspective. I was disappointed there wasn't more Robin, and after a few chapters with Carl, I completely skipped those.

I continued to agree with the author's observations on what can happen - is happening - with social media. Scary shit when you stop to think about it and yet, we keep using it anyway and then wonder why things aren't getting better. Miranda's thread was perhaps the most interesting with a wonderful twist I should have seen coming and totally missed. I found the ending anti climatic. April May was made into a Very Special Snowflake, kicked some ass, apologized to her girl friend, and everyone lives mostly happily ever after. Meh.

My opinion is still middle of the road - I enjoyed everyone but April May, the authors message about social media and the media is definitely notable, the overall plot was a bit slow (I admit to skipping bits). I'm glad this was a book group selection because we had some differing opinions and that always makes for interesting discussion.

Again - this is one you'll have to read and decide for yourself.

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Monster Hunter Guardian by Larry Corriea (MHI #7)

Monster Hunter Guardian by Larry Correia
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Jacket Blurb: When Owen Pitt and the rest of the Monster Hunter International crew are called away to mount a month’s-long rescue mission in a monster-infested nightmare dimension, Julie Shackleford—Owen’s wife and descendant of MHI founder Bubba Shackelford—is left behind. Her task: hold down the fort and take care of her new baby son Ray. Julie’s devoted to the little guy, but the slow pace of office work and maternity leave are starting to get to her. But when a routine field call brings her face-to-face with an unspeakable evil calling itself Brother Death, she’ll get more excitement than she ever hoped for.

Julie is the Guardian of a powerful ancient artifact known as the Kamaresh Yar, and Brother Death wants it. In the wrong hands, it could destroy reality as we know it. Julie would die before giving it up.

Then Ray goes missing, taken by Brother Death. The price for his safe return: the Kamaresh Yar. If Julie doesn’t hand over the artifact it means death—or worse—for baby Ray. With no other choice left to her, Julie agrees to Brother Death’s demands. But when you’re dealing with an ancient evil, the devil is in the details.

To reclaim her son, Julie Shackleford will have to fight her way through necromantic death cults, child-stealing monsters, and worse. And she’ll have to do it all before Brother Death can unleash the Kamaresh Yar.

It’s one woman against an army of monsters. But Julie Shackelford is no ordinary woman—she’s one tough mother!

The Monster Hunter series:
Monster Hunter International
Monster Hunter Vendetta
Monster Hunter Alpha
Monster Hunter Legion
Monster Hunter Nemesis
Monster Hunter Siege
Monster Hunter Guardian

This was an interesting departure from previous MHI books in that this is just about Julie. No Owen (he's off hunting in the Arctic with the rest of the gang), no Earl, no Franks. The Orcs do make an appearance, but it's a small one. Julie is on her own, and she's has one mission: get. her. son. back.

I consumed this over a weekend. It was a book I had a hard time putting down. Technically, it should have annoyed me: Mom on the warpath to save her kiddo and who will move heaven and earth to make it happen. But it didn't, or not too much so. Julie got some help along the way, it's an urban fantasy so liberties can be taken (portals anyone?), Management shows up and OMGosh, Mr. Trash Bags was my favorite character to date. That was worth it right there.

And a shout out - this may be the first time I have read an accurate accounting and description of CPR being performed. Spot on! Bravo!

The book is fast paced, the great humor balances out the emotional angst, and the nasties are varied and interesting. Julie's book/story was a delight to read. For myself, this might be my second favorite maybe tied with MHI: Nemesis. It's close. Very close.

Recommended if you've read the first six in the series.

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Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb: Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission--and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish.

Except that right now, he doesn't know that. He can't even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it.

All he knows is that he's been asleep for a very, very long time. And he's just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.

His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, he realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Alone on this tiny ship that's been cobbled together by every government and space agency on the planet and hurled into the depths of space, it's up to him to conquer an extinction-level threat to our species.

And thanks to an unexpected ally, he just might have a chance.

Part scientific mystery, part dazzling interstellar journey, Project Hail Mary is a tale of discovery, speculation, and survival to rival The Martian--while taking us to places it never dreamed of going.

Read for August 2021 book group.

If you read The Martian, you will probably enjoy this. Book group feedback: well enjoyed by one and all. Nearly everyone had at least one quirk they came away with, but hands down, outstanding read. Audio book version comes highly recommended. Same narrator who did the Bobiverse series.

Yes, this was a fun and engaging read that ran the gambit from simple entertaining, speculative scifi, first contact, pre-apocalypitc catastrophe, with some good emotional context and "Survivor" situation thrown in. As I mentioned in my opening paragraph, everyone in book group had a quirk that popped them out of the story. I'm not going to say what mine was because it would be a major spoiler. Not going to do that to ya'll.

Not sure what else I can say that hasn't been said in the plethora of reviews for this one. There is great emotional connection between Ryland and Rocky, Rocky has to be one of the best aliens invented to date (seriously), and while the plot is reminiscent of the Martian (sole survivor has to figure out how to survive and he *might* get h0me) it's very different too. The science seems well thought out and proofed, I honestly wouldn't know, but it seems pretty solid.

In short, this checked all my happy scifi boxes. There are plenty of gushing, more elaborate reviews you can certainly read, but bottom line, GREAT book. Go read it.

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Recursion by Blake Couch

Recursion by Blake Crouch
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Jacket Blurb: Memory makes reality.

That's what NYC cop Barry Sutton is learning, as he investigates the devastating phenomenon the media has dubbed False Memory Syndrome—a mysterious affliction that drives its victims mad with memories of a life they never lived.

That's what neuroscientist Helena Smith believes. It's why she's dedicated her life to creating a technology that will let us preserve our most precious memories. If she succeeds, anyone will be able to re-experience a first kiss, the birth of a child, the final moment with a dying parent.

As Barry searches for the truth, he comes face to face with an opponent more terrifying than any disease—a force that attacks not just our minds, but the very fabric of the past. And as its effects begin to unmake the world as we know it, only he and Helena, working together, will stand a chance at defeating it.

But how can they make a stand when reality itself is shifting and crumbling all around them?

At once a relentless pageturner and an intricate science-fiction puzzlebox about time, identity, and memory, Recursion is a thriller as only Blake Crouch could imagine it—and his most ambitious, mind-boggling, irresistible work to date.

Read for July 2021 book group.

But! I actually read this back in May of 2021 because I got it mixed up with Paradox, which was the May book group selection. In my defense, on my e-reader, the covers were quite similar, what with each having a mobius loop and a little do-dad.

There are enough reviews recapping the plot and premise that I'm going to jump straight to my opinion on this one.

I enjoyed this quite a bit and read it over the course of a weekend. I found it to be a somewhat gripping emotional roller-coaster ride. Recursion has an interesting premise - time-change rather than time-travel - a vendetta that crosses time, and world-wide ramifications when time is altered, but those ramifications aren't always apparent right away. I liked there were significant consequences to the actions of a handful of individuals.

It was, simply, fascinating.

I will also admit, I did briefly lose interest about 2/3 of the way through. I felt the plot hit a "rinse and repeat" lull that was more repetitive than informative. Thankfully, as things neared the climatic conclusion, the pacing picked up again.

I should add, book group was mixed on this one: two of us thought it was better than Paradox, one thought Paradox was better, and two folks had't started it yet.

Overall, I'd recommend this one as an unconventional scifi, strong emotional, time-change read.

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An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green
My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb: The Carls just appeared.

Roaming through New York City at three AM, twenty-three-year-old April May stumbles across a giant sculpture. Delighted by its appearance and craftsmanship—like a ten-foot-tall Transformer wearing a suit of samurai armor—April and her best friend, Andy, make a video with it, which Andy uploads to YouTube. The next day, April wakes up to a viral video and a new life. News quickly spreads that there are Carls in dozens of cities around the world—from Beijing to Buenos Aires—and April, as their first documentarian, finds herself at the center of an intense international media spotlight.

Seizing the opportunity to make her mark on the world, April now has to deal with the consequences her new particular brand of fame has on her relationships, her safety, and her own identity. And all eyes are on April to figure out not just what the Carls are, but what they want from us.

June 2021 book group selection.

I have very mixed thoughts on this book. On one hand, I quite enjoyed the cast of characters, the premise was interesting, and Carl was intriguing. The sub-text or sub-message of what social media can do to a person/society is both facinating and terrifying.

On the other hand, I did not enjoy April May and I somewhat bored with her plot line and found the pacing...slow. I thought more than once of setting the book aside but, (see first hand) there were a handful of items that kept me turning the page.

Mostly, I wanted to know more about Carl. And Andy. And Robin. And all the rest.

April, not so much.

Which I hear is the case in book two.

So I'll be reading book two because there is just enough curiosity to find out more.

This is one book you'll have to read and decide if it's worthwhile.

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Columbus Day by Craig Alanson (Expeditionary Force #1)

Columbus Day by Craig Alanson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb: We were fighting on the wrong side, of a war we couldn't win. And that was the good news.

The Ruhar hit us on Columbus Day. There we were, innocently drifting along the cosmos on our little blue marble, like the native Americans in 1492. Over the horizon come ships of a technologically advanced, aggressive culture, and BAM! There go the good old days, when humans only got killed by each other. So, Columbus Day. It fits.

When the morning sky twinkled again, this time with Kristang starships jumping in to hammer the Ruhar, we thought we were saved. The UN Expeditionary Force hitched a ride on Kristang ships to fight the Ruhar, wherever our new allies thought we could be useful. So, I went from fighting with the US Army in Nigeria, to fighting in space. It was lies, all of it. We shouldn't even be fighting the Ruhar, they aren't our enemy, our allies are.

I'd better start at the beginning....

Read as an audio book.

This book totally rocked it. A tich military scifi, a tich space opera, interesting aliens, conflict, noble cause, interesting characters and great humor - this hit all my happy buttons. Oh, and an outstanding narration. Loved all his voices.

I actually don't have anything more to say. I loved it and I'm going to read the next one as soon as I can.

Shortest review yet. Go read the book!

Recommended!

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14 by Peter Clines (Threshhold Series #1)

14 by Peter Clines
My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Book Blurb: Padlocked doors. Strange light fixtures. Mutant cockroaches.

There are some odd things about Nate’s new apartment.

Of course, he has other things on his mind. He hates his job. He has no money in the bank. No girlfriend. No plans for the future. So while his new home isn’t perfect, it’s livable. The rent is low, the property managers are friendly, and the odd little mysteries don’t nag at him too much.

At least, not until he meets Mandy, his neighbour across the hall, and notices something unusual about her apartment. And Xela’s apartment. And Tim’s. And Veek’s. Because every room in this old Los Angeles brownstone has a mystery or two. Mysteries that stretch back over a hundred years. Some of them are in plain sight. Some are behind locked doors. And all together these mysteries could mean the end of Nate and his friends.

Or the end of everything...


Read as an audio book. Narrator was same performer who does the Bobiverse books by Dennis E Taylor.

Read for February 2021 book group.

Book blurb summarizes the basic plot so I won't rehash. I have rather mixed thoughts on this selection. I was engaged for about the first 2/3 of the book, and annoyed in the last 1/3. Annoyance factor came from one bad thing after another happening to our main characters and they just couldn't catch a break. A bit of a drawn out climatic conclusion where I seriously thought about skipping a bit. But I didn't. I thought about it though.

What I liked was the diversity of the characters (narrator was great with voices). The Lovecraftian homage was interesting (noting here - I really didn't care for the voice of the nasties, nor how the nasties "spoke". It was too, simple? childish?). There were some strong similarities with another classic SF book whose name and author eludes me at them moment...argh.

Overall...Hm. Just...hm.


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Fuzzy Sapiens by H. Beam Piper (Fuzzy Sapiens #2)

Fuzzy Sapiens by H. Beam Piper
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Jacket Blurb: Are Fuzzies People? Pendarvis' Decision had finally declared the Fuzzies to be intelligent beings, and that meant some drastic changes for the Earthmen who had colonized their planet, changes that a lot of people weren't going to accept easily. But why worry? said others. The Fuzzies seemed lovable, fun-loving creatures, only two feet high, and covered with soft, golden fur. Give them plenty of extee-three and they'd do anything you asked. What ruling race of invaders could ask for a more ideal native population? Read for January 2021 book group.

Fuzzy Sapiens picks up right where Fuzzy Nation left off. A Zarathrustra Corporation no longer has control of the planet, the planet is trying to establish a new government, and Jack Holloway is in charge of the Department of Native Liaisons. Zarathrustra Corporation has had a complete change of heart with its CEO finds a Fuzzy in his own apartment and realizes there are four missing Fuzzies. Enemies become allies as everyone discovers there's a larger problem at stake.

Loosely summarizing...

Written in 1964, this has all the makings of a classic science fiction book - planetary drama, futuristic society, newly discovered alien species, Good Guys vs Bad Guys and triumph over evil. The plot is still engaging, the story moves smartly along, and its an interesting look back at how authors were looking forward.

From a modern perspective I found it to be a bit cringe-worthy: patronizing, androcentric, and socially unbelievable. From a modern perspective. It amazes me how authors could create a space faring future with interstellar travel, float cars, and more, but keep people in a 1960's mindset of women as secretaries and fuzzy sitters and where everyone smokes. Scientifically looking forward, socially stuck. Rather fascinating and I wonder why that was.

I do believe it's worth reading when viewed with a historical eye. It an easy and entertaining read if that is kept in mind. Recommended.

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Heaven's River by Dennis E Taylor (Bobiverse #4)

Heaven's River by Dennis E. Taylor
My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb: Civil war looms in the Bobiverse in this brand-new, epic-length adventure by Audible number-one best seller Dennis E. Taylor.

More than a hundred years ago, Bender set out for the stars and was never heard from again. There has been no trace of him despite numerous searches by his clone-mates. Now Bob is determined to organize an expedition to learn Bender’s fate - whatever the cost.

But nothing is ever simple in the Bobiverse. Bob’s descendants are out to the 24th generation now, and replicative drift has produced individuals who can barely be considered Bobs anymore. Some of them oppose Bob’s plan; others have plans of their own. The out-of-control moots are the least of the Bobiverse’s problems.

Undaunted, Bob and his allies follow Bender’s trail. But what they discover out in deep space is so unexpected and so complex that it could either save the universe - or pose an existential threat the likes of which the Bobiverse has never faced.

Read as an audio book.

If you have not read We are Legion (We are Bob), book one, start there. These do need to be read in sequence.

I love The Boooobbbb's. Bob, Will, Howard, Bridget, all the regulars. I love the universe building and the variety of aliens the Bob's come across. The Bobiverse is an interesting idea and refreshing to read.

However, I struggled with this installment. For myself, it moved so slow. I struggled to stay engaged, I resisted skipping ahead, I even resisted giving up. Yes, the thought crossed my mind. Many times. I think it was because I found the plot predictable, the chase scene through Heaven's River *much* too long, and the resolution with the "Starfleet" and "Skippies" incomplete. The overall plot, like the size of Heaven's River, was robust and the interesting bits that make up the Bobiverse and the main set of characters, were left undeveloped.

So while I'm disappointed, one small redeeming factor was the AI. I'm not going to say more because I'm moving into spoilers. I liked the AI a lot.

Not much else to say on this one - recommended with reservations IF you've read books one - three.

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Rouge Protocol by Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries #3)

Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Jacket Blurb: SciFi’s favorite antisocial A.I. is again on a mission. The case against the too-big-to-fail GrayCris Corporation is floundering, and more importantly, authorities are beginning to ask more questions about where Dr. Mensah’s SecUnit is.

And Murderbot would rather those questions went away. For good.

Book three follows a similar format to book two: Murderbot decides to investigate some information, hitches a ride across the system, makes the acquaintance of a particular AI, infiltrates station, and saves the humans.

Despite the formulaic plot, it's still an engaging, interesting and humorous read. Murderbot admits SecUnits have depression and anxiety issues - they them self have social issues in being unable to relate to humans, in addition to struggling with guilt, uncertainty, and perhaps a bit of jealousy because someone cared for and AI. It's relatable because it's what being human is and we don't get other humans.

What I particularly noticed in this installment is just how much hacking Murderbot is able to do on the fly. In my opinion (which amounts to a pile of jelly beans) what was a neat character trait in the first two books was somewhat overdone in book three and even for scifi, started to move into the realm of improbability. Is this enough to prevent me from reading the next book? Heaven's no, but it is worth noting.

These are great "Doritos" reads for me right now - they are the perfect length where I don't have to invest a buttload of time I don't have, Murderbot is interesting and the whole premise is engaging. Recommended.

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Artificial Condition by Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries #2)

Artificial Condition by Martha Wells
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb: It has a dark past – one in which a number of humans were killed. A past that caused it to christen itself “Murderbot”. But it has only vague memories of the massacre that spawned that title, and it wants to know more. Teaming up with a Research Transport vessel named ART (you don’t want to know what the “A” stands for), Murderbot heads to the mining facility where it went rogue. What it discovers will forever change the way it thinks…

A short, humorous and engaging installment in the Murderbot series.

Murderbot returns to the scene of their beginning, where they initially went rogue and killed a slew of humans. With a little help from Asshole Research Transport (ART), they become a little less SecUnit and a little more human. Not that they wanted to. To facilitate moving around the system and mining facility, Murderbot takes on a job as a security consultant for a group who thinks they are going to get their research files back after being forcibly ejected from their contract. What should be a straight forward in-out situation becomes anything but.

For a short story, this feels like a longer book. It's engaging watching Murderbot struggle with insecurities, uncertainty, decisiveness, fear, morality, guilt, boredom, sarcasm, and more - all the attributes that make a human, human.

Because this is a short story, the world building is trimmed down to the bare essentials - transports, terminals, asteroids/planets. Enough to establish setting. The strength of this gem is the character building. I'm really hoping we'll see ART again. Which means I need to read the rest of the books.

Recommended.

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The Last Emperox by John Scalzi (The Interdependency #3)

The Last Emperox by John Scalzi
My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb: The collapse of The Flow, the interstellar pathway between the planets of the Interdependency, has accelerated. Entire star systems—and billions of people—are becoming cut off from the rest of human civilization. This collapse was foretold through scientific prediction… and yet, even as the evidence is obvious and insurmountable, many still try to rationalize, delay and profit from, these final days of one of the greatest empires humanity has ever known.

Emperox Grayland II has finally wrested control of her empire from those who oppose her and who deny the reality of this collapse. But “control” is a slippery thing, and even as Grayland strives to save as many of her people from impoverished isolation, the forces opposing her rule will make a final, desperate push to topple her from her throne and power, by any means necessary. Grayland and her thinning list of allies must use every tool at their disposal to save themselves, and all of humanity. And yet it may not be enough.
Will Grayland become the savior of her civilization… or the last emperox to wear the crown?


Read as an audio book for November 2020 book group.

Book three in the Interdependency Series - this can not be read as a stand alone.

This is a light space opera (series) that is meant to amuse and entertain. If you're looking for hard scifi, look elsewhere. And yes, I was amused and entertained. Heck, Will Wheaton is narrating. He could read off the back of a cereal box and make it sound great. And that was the strong point of The Last Emperox - Wheaton was narrating.

Because ultimately, the overall plot stumbled, the characters spent oh so much time in their heads re-hashing the previous book, the crisis ended up being political when the real problem was left unresolved (the fading flow streams), and somewhere in all of this, the science and data were just kinda lost in everything else. There was political grandstanding, conspiracy theories galore, noble causes, true love, righteous vengeance, and so many loose ends left dangling they could have formed their own flow stream.

But I was happily entertained during my daily commute. Though I did find myself zoning out and then having to backtrack to listen to what I missed. Which was never much. While not what I would consider Scalzi's best work, if you're a fan and you've read the first two, then you'll find some enjoyment from this.

Recommended with some small reservations.

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Resurgance by CJ Cherryh (Foreigner #20)

Resurgence by C.J. Cherryh
My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb: The twentieth book in the beloved Foreigner saga returns to the trials of diplomat Bren Cameron, as he navigates the tenuous peace he has struck between human refugees and the alien atevi. Bren Cameron, diplomat in residence, usually represents the ruler of the atevi state. But Ilisidi, the dowager, has been known to borrow his services from time to time--and she has her own notions how to solve the simmering hostilities in the south of the atevi continent, playing one problem against another. This time, she is betting the hard-won northern peace--and the lives of the people--on being right. She has commandeered the Red Train, taken aboard what passengers she chooses, and headed for the snowy roof of the world, where a hard-scrabble town and its minor lord are the first pieces she intends to use.

I had speculated at the conclusion of Emergence (#19) that Emergence felt like an ending, a conclusion to the series. It was not. While I am happy to delve back into the world of Bren and the Atevi, I admit I'm beginning to wonder if it's time to bring this series to a conclusion. I honestly don't expect every book to be a "knock my socks off Wow! that was spectacular!" installment, but I would like something other than perceived crisis after crisis.

Resurgence brings Bren back to the Atevi mainland and right into another one of Ilisidi's machinations. As Ilsidi's plot unwinds, I realized Bren's role was actually quite small and, honestly, mostly irrelevant. A crisis where there was no crisis, a Padhai where there didn't need to be one, a terrorist attack to add action and so much repetitive exposition.

What kept me reading was Cajeri's plot line - his success from Tirnamardi and his relationship with his Mother, his interaction with his household, his father and the (finally) decision to re-home Boji. I found myself wanting to skip Bren's plot line to get to Cajeri.

Ultimately, when all was said and read, this is a straight-up transition book. Characters were maneuvered into place for the next installment. That's it, nothing more.

And yet, this is still a good read. It's a Cherryh book through and through. Recommended if you've read the first 19 books.

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All Systems Red by Martha Wells (Murderbot #1)

All Systems Red by Martha Wells
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb: In a corporate-dominated spacefaring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. Exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids, for their own safety.

But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn't a primary concern.

On a distant planet, a team of scientists are conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied 'droid—a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module, and refers to itself (though never out loud) as "Murderbot." Scornful of humans, all it really wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is.

But when a neighboring mission goes dark, it's up to the scientists and their Murderbot to get to the truth.

Read for September 2020 book group.

General consensus from the book group was this was an enjoyable, quick, and interesting read. For myself, this was just the length I needed at this moment in time. And being a short story, this is going to be a short review.

I've said this in the past, a good short story can be difficult to write as you need to engage the reader within the first couple of pages and keep their attention with a minimum of background "fluff". I thought the author did that - this is a character driven story and there is just enough background to provide the setting. A couple folks did note in book group that they would have liked more background information, and a couple of us thought it was good the way it was.

I haven't read any reviews on this selection, and I'm sure this has been discussed at length, but the notable lack of gender reference was quite interesting. For those in the group who "read" this as an audio book, they assigned a male gender because the narrator was male. I read on my e-reader and I thought the character came across as female. When really, the character is gender-less. Fascinating. This lead to discussions on Ann Leckie's books and similar.

Overall, a good read and I plan on picking up the next few books in the series. Recommended.

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Dark Deeds by Mike Brooks (Keiko #3)

Dark Deeds by Mike Brooks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb: In the third book of the “entertaining” (Kirkus Reveiws) Keiko series, Captain Ichabod Drift and his crew find themselves in another mess as a ship-wide vacation leads to their second-in-command taken hostage by the planet’s criminal mastermind.

After the riotous civil war in Dark Sky, the crew of the Keiko decides to go on vacation at an illegal gambling port for a little fun. What they don’t realize is that the casinos are run by an ex-client who didn’t get his shipment due to the war. The mob boss decides to take Tamara Rouke, the Keiko’s second-in-command, and hold her hostage until the crew raises enough money to pay him back for the lost shipment. If they don’t pay up in time, Rouke will be killed.

Captain Ichabod Drift and his crew agree. But as they find a way to get the funds, one will betray everyone and one will die…

Read for June book group - except for me because I got June and July books mixed up.

Book three in the Keiko series, where the crew of the Keiko find themselves back at the mercy of the gangster? Mob boss? Orlov, that they inadvertently pissed off in a previous book. Orlov takes Tamara Rourke hostage and demands Drift comes up with the money Orlov lost in their previous dealings. Drift hatches a crazy plan and everything goes wrong.

Folks compare this to just about any other popular series with a ruggedly good-looking captain and a ethnically diverse crew, but where this deviates from other popular series is this was darker and a tich more violent than the previous two books. It lacked the light-heartedness typically found in this particular sub-genre. Dark Deeds had it's moments of quirky replies and off the cuff remarks, but when taken as a whole, it was on the darker side of things.

Was it still entertaining? Absolutely. Was the ending what I expected? Not remotely. And that's what I enjoyed about this one. I like to be surprised.

Recommended if you like space opera. Definitely start with book number one - Dark Run.

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Agent to the Stars by John Scalzi

Agent to the Stars by John Scalzi
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Jacket Blurb: The space-faring Yherajk have come to Earth to meet us and to begin humanity's first interstellar friendship. There's just one problem: They're hideously ugly and they smell like rotting fish. So getting humanity's trust is a challenge. The Yherajk need someone who can help them close the deal. Enter Thomas Stein, who knows something about closing deals. He's one of Hollywood's hottest young agents. But although Stein may have just concluded the biggest deal of his career, it's quite another thing to negotiate for an entire alien race. To earn his percentage this time, he's going to need all the smarts, skills, and wits he can muster. Read as an audio book. July's book group selection. I read out June and July out of order.

If you enjoy John Scalzi's books, you'll probably enjoy this one. It's a light read, engaging, entertaining, a bit silly, yet manages to ask some interesting questions about human perceptions and life. I did read this as an audio book simply because Will Wheaton is a fabulous narrator and I will read almost anything he narrates.

It's not a perfect book, there are flaws - and those will be dependent upon the reader viewpoint - but it's entertaining and I quite like to be entertained when reading. This would be a good selection if traveling, hanging out at the beach, a hot summer day in a hammock, or similar situation. It's easy to put down and pick up if commuting.

Recommended if you like Scalzi. Recommended if you want to try Scalzi.



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Sea of Rust by C. Robert Cargill

Sea of Rust by C. Robert Cargill
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Read as an audio book.

This was interesting and engaging. A "meaning of life" story though the eyes of robots/artificial intelligence's; a story of survival, friendship, mortality and having a soul.

I'll start with the narrator - well done performance. Each character had its own "voice", and while I didn't agree with all the accents, it worked for the purposes of the story and nothing grated on my nerves.

The story is about Brittle, a former care-giver robot who is now scavenging parts from The Sea of Rust - an area roughly in former Ohio that has become a desiccated, deserted desert. The world has been decimated by the robots in their quest to eradicate humans - which they did, along with all biological life on the planet. Now robots try and eke out an existence while avoiding the battle between the One World Intelligence's who are systematically uploading robots to their mainframes (or some such) creating basically a hive mind. Brittle, fighting for her own survival and facing imminent parts failure is caught up in a quest for a third World Mind who wants to ensure the survival of AI's.

Things I quite enjoyed - it's all robots. All sorts of different robots struggling for survival in various means and ways. The plot just rolls along and the reader rolls along with it. It made for a very enjoyable commute - no shouting in the car, no pounding of fists on the steering wheel, just an engaging story.

A handful of things seemed incongruous and didn't quite work for me: the frequency Brittle swore using "fuck" and "shit". In a future world, I would have expected a robot to use it's own terminology. There were all these little enclaves of robots, yet no robot was manufacturing parts for other robots?

It was emphasized that robots really couldn't overwrite - so to speak - their base programming. Yet Brittle seemed to have no problem not giving a crap about anyone but herself. That seemed a bit incongruous with her programming.

The last think I'll talk about is the robots refering to themselves as "people" or "persons" - human terminology. Early in the story Brittle used the term "citizen", which seemed more apropos for AI's living in an AI world. There were other instances similar to that and combined, threw me out of the flow of the story.

Overall, an easy to listen to story that kept me engaged, held interesting concepts, and had a good performance by the narrator. Recommended.

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