Jan 7
Review of Hum by Helen Phillips
The dystopian future of Hum is haunting in its familiar elements, its plausible, terrible climate-change effects, the extreme reliance on...
Nov 8, 2024
Six Great Stories about Robots, Humans and Alien Life, and AI
The Robot Books I love a good artificial intelligence- or robot-focused story, and these six (plus, in several cases, their sequels)...
Apr 10, 2024
Review of Annie Bot by Sierra Greer
The shallow, emotionally stunted character of Doug made my blood boil. His base desires stood in contrast to Annie's unanticipated...
Feb 8, 2024
Review of System Collapse (Murderbot #7) by Martha Wells
System Collapse provides more of SecUnit's emotional coping with PTSD than action, and I missed the faster pacing of other books, but I...
Sep 13, 2023
Review of World Running Down by Al Hess
Hess's dystopian Utah relies on AI, robots, and the growing, stark split between the haves and have-nots. Trans salvager Val is just...
Mar 9, 2023
Review of August Kitko and the Mechas from Space (The Starmetal Symphony #1) by Alex White
White's first Starmetal Symphony installment offers deadly deep-space robots, showcases the power of music, and illustrates how love can...
Oct 5, 2022
Review of A Psalm for the Wild-Built (Monk and Robot #1) by Becky Chambers
Chambers's slim book explores a man's search for meaning--and how a robot's simple questions about maintaining the status quo might open...
Jun 9, 2022
Review of Activation Degradation by Marina J. Lostetter
Lostetter's standalone science fiction is a story about robots, a ragtag space crew, friends like family, and reimagining one's place in...
Apr 26, 2022
Review of Nightwatch on the Hinterlands by K. Eason
In Eason's science fiction mystery, an unlikely pair who get on each other's nerves work together to determine who is responsible for a...
Mar 18, 2022
Six Science Fiction Favorites to Dive Into
Science Fiction Faves I've been giving book talks lately about stories I've loved and upcoming titles I'm excited about, and I've seen...
Jan 20, 2022
Review of A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe (The Salvagers #1) by Alex White
The first in Alex White's Salvagers space opera series offers diverse characters, strong women, a heist setup, and, ultimately, a ragtag...
Jul 19, 2021
Review of Fugitive Telemetry (Murderbot #6) by Martha Wells
Fugitive Telemetry is full of more wonderfully grumpy Murderbot, flummoxed by humans' behavior and saving their skins at every turn. It's...
Jul 16, 2021
Three Books I'm Reading Now, 7/16/21 Edition
The Books I'm Reading Now I'm reading Down Comes the Night, a young adult fantasy story featuring magical healing and warring kingdoms;...
Jun 18, 2021
Six Great Stories about Robots, Humans and Alien Life, and AI
The Robot Books I love a good artificial intelligence- or robot-focused story, and these six (plus, in several cases, their sequels)...
Jun 15, 2021
Review of Sleeping Giants (Themis Files #1) by Sylvain Neuvel
ICYMI: I've been thinking lately about robot books and specifically about this great series by Neuvel, in which a girl stumbles upon...
Jun 2, 2021
Review of An Absolutely Remarkable Thing (The Carls #1) by Hank Green
ICYMI: This is a gloriously oddball book with lots of heart featuring unorthodox friendships, the frightening power of social media, the...
May 31, 2021
Three Books I'm Reading Now, 5/31/21 Edition
The Books I'm Reading Now Two of these books are largely about redemption, two focus on the twisted blessing-and-curse of technology, and...
Mar 1, 2021
Review of Machinehood by S.B. Divya
Space! Robots! Artificial intelligence! Divya has crafted strong female main protagonists who navigate the sometimes dark, always...