Nova By Samuel R. Delany Published January 1968 (Doubleday) Score: 9.5/10 Wow, I knew this book would be a fun read, but I didn’t realise I would be coming across a hidden gem. If I had done some research I would have known what I was reading. Algis Budrys once said: “Samuel R. Delany, …
Author: Jayde Holmes
The Left Hand of Darkness + The Wind’s Twelve Quarters Vol. 2
The Left Hand of Darkness By Ursula K. Le Guin Published 1969 Score: 9/10 Alright, now I understand why Ursula K Le Guin was such a giant in the field. The Left Hand of Darkness isn’t the first thing I’ve read by her, but this is the novel that made me go ‘ahh, I …
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Hugo 2018 and Retro Hugo 1943 Finalists Announced
I am excited to report that the finalists for this year’s Hugo and Retro Hugo Awards have been announced. Yes, I will actually look into the Retro Hugos this year. I think I’ll have time. For a full list of Finalists for 2018, see here (and the 1943 finalists can be found here I’ll be …
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Review – Frankenstein in Baghdad
Frankenstein in Baghdad By Ahmed Saadawi English Translation Published January 2018 (Penguin) (original March 2013) Score: 6.5/10 I’m still trying to decide how I feel about this one. Frankenstein in Baghdad feels a lot more like literary fiction than genre fiction, and has won the International Prize for Arab Fiction. It is exactly what …
Keeping Busy
So, there is an embroidery machine in my house at the moment. My partner borrowed it from a friend to make Monster Hunter-related patches. The monster designs are still a work in progress, but whilst he was working out how to work the machine he asked me if there were any designs I would like …
Review – American Gods
American Gods By Neil Gaiman Published August 2017 (Del Rey) Score: 8/10 I started off 2018 with a big book that has been sitting on my shelf for way too long. American Gods won the 2002 Hugo for Best Novel and was partly chosen because of my goal of reading more Hugo winners, but …
Review – Phasma
Phasma By Delilah S. Dawson Published August 2017 (Del Rey) Score: 7/10 I haven’t read a lot of tie-in novels, and I probably wouldn’t have picked up this one normally. I got Phasma because I was looking for an audiobook my partner and I could listen to in the car during the long Christmas holiday …
My 2017 in Books
The End of Year Novella Rush At the start of the year, I set myself a reading challenge on Goodreads. 50 books in one year seemed doable in January, but towards the start of December, less so. Which meant I turned my attention to all those novellas I’d been putting aside in favour of full-length …
Review – The Winter Tide
The Winter Tide By Ruthanna Emrys Published April 2017 (Tor.com) Score: 7.5/10 There have been a lot of Lovecraft-related stories recently. The Dream-Quest of Vellitt Boe by Kij Johnson and The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle were both finalists for this years Hugo Award for best Novella. 2016 also saw the release …
Review – The Fox’s Tower and Other Tales
The Fox’s Tower and Other Tales By Yoon Ha Lee Published June 2015 Score: 9.5/10 I purchased this collection after I first read Ninefox Gambit and then forgot about it. The Fox’s Tower is a collection of Yoon Ha Lee’s fairytale-inspired flash fiction, which is not my usual thing, but I love Yoon Ha …
Jayde Holmes 