My search for good indie sci-fi novels goes on. It is a perilous test of literary endurance, an endless journey through a wilderness of Kindle previews---perhaps an expedition into the heart of darkness itself. Some days I doubt I shall return with my health or sanity intact... Just kidding. There is no place for snobbery... Continue Reading →
Book Review: Patrol Craft Zero Two Two, Reporting!
As much as I love indie books, they're a minefield. You never know what you're going to get in terms of quality. I've had some books that started promising, then turned into total slogs; I've had others that were actually pretty solid. The novel I'm reviewing today definitely falls into the latter category---in fact, it... Continue Reading →
Sci-Fi Film Review: Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984)
Hello, everyone! You might have noticed that there have been a lot of film reviews lately. That's because, going by traffic and likes, they are by far the most popular content on this site---so why not make more? Besides, it's a lot of fun putting them together, especially when I'm talking about my favorite movies.... Continue Reading →
Sci-Fi Film Review: Interstellar (2014)
Now here's a movie I look back on fondly. I was in tenth grade when Christopher Nolan's Interstellar came out, and in the months leading up to its release I excitedly reposted the trailers to Google+ (anyone else remember Google+? May it rest in peace). Five of my friends went with me to see it in... Continue Reading →
Sci-Fi Film Review: Starship Troopers (1997)
Hello again, all! Sorry for the unannounced hiatus, these last few months have been godawful. I'm finally back on my feet again, though, and ready to resume blogging---so here's that review of Starship Troopers I promised. Fair warning, this is one of my favorite movies. Expect some gushing. Starship Troopers was directed by Paul Verhoeven, and... Continue Reading →
Sci-Fi Film Review: Event Horizon (1997)
It's almost Halloween, everyone, and I'm sure you can guess what that means: it's time to take a look at the spookiest space film out there, Event Horizon. Like Ad Astra, it is about an expedition to a doomed ship around Neptune; unlike Ad Astra, it's actually good. Some spoilers (but no gore) ahead: What a beautiful... Continue Reading →
Sci-Fi Film Review: Ad Astra (2019)
I'm a little late to the party with this one---Ad Astra came out a while ago, now---but I just saw it in theaters, and boy do I have an opinion on it. My expectations were sky-high going in. I'd been looking forward to Ad Astra since it was announced (it was pitched as Heart of Darkness in... Continue Reading →
Sci-Fi Film Review: Apollo 18 (2011)
In 1970 the final three Apollo flights---18, 19, and 20---were cancelled, victims of the penny-pinching Nixon administration, and their hardware was either shelved or used for the Skylab program. As a result, only twelve humans from six missions have walked on the Moon. Or so the government would have you believe. I've recently rewatched Apollo 18,... Continue Reading →
Sci-Fi Film Review: A Dream Come True (1963)
This site's been on hiatus for a little while, but I'm back, and I'm kicking it off again with a review of a hidden gem of Soviet science fiction: A Dream Come True. It's an hour-long film from 1963, depicting first contact between humanity and an advanced alien race known as the Centurians. The aliens are... Continue Reading →
Book Review: The Killing Star
Here we will explore how not to write a science fiction novel. Now, I really wanted to like The Killing Star. Pellegrino and Zebrowski's novel is beloved in some sci-fi circles, and I can see why: their vision of the galaxy is a brutal place, where any civilization becomes an existential threat the moment it develops... Continue Reading →