Tag Archives: Science Fiction

The Murderbot Diaries 1 to 4 by Martha Wells

The first four books in Martha Wells’ brilliant sci-fi series The Murderbot Diaries comprise the novellas All Systems Red, Artificial Condition, Rogue Protocol and Exit Strategy, all published by Tor.com between 2017 and 2018. Across the four stories they tell the tale of a rogue SecUnit which calls itself Murderbot – a part-human, part-machine android designed and created to be hired out to anyone who needs security and can pay its parent company’s fees. Unlike most SecUnits, Murderbot has hacked its governor module to give itself freedom from company control, and is largely content to pay little attention to its actual job, and instead consume endless hours of media via its data feed. It’s also distrustful of humans, low-key sassy and emotionally vulnerable in a remarkably relatable way.

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Docile – KM Szpara

In Docile, K.M. Szpara imagines a not-too-distant America in which income inequality is so rampant that while trillionaires live lifestyles of luxury, many less fortunate souls are forced to pay off crushing debt by selling themselves to rich patrons as Dociles, to do with as they please. While most Dociles take the drug Dociline to dull their minds for the duration of their service, when Elisha Wilder signs his life away to one of the most powerful men in Baltimore he chooses to decline the drug. While Elisha is determined to retain his sense of self, his patron Alex – the CEO of the very company which manufactures Dociline – sets out to make Elisha into the perfect Docile even so.

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AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Laura Lam Talks Goldilocks

Welcome to this Track of Words Author Interview, my ongoing series of quick interviews with authors talking about their new or upcoming books. These are short and sweet interviews, with the idea being that each author will answer (more or less) the same questions – by the end of each interview I hope you will have a good idea of what the new book (or audio drama) is about, what inspired it and why you might want to read or listen to it.

For this interview I spoke to Laura Lam about her new sci-fi thriller Goldilocks, which is published on the 30th April from Wildfire in the UK, and on the 5th May in the US from Orbit. It’s a topical, relevant story of space exploration tackling big issues and complex character relationships – I’ve read it, and it’s well worth checking out.

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AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Gareth L Powell Talks Light of Impossible Stars

Welcome to this Track of Words Author Interview, part of my ongoing series of quick interviews with authors talking about their new or upcoming books. These are short and sweet interviews, with the idea being that each author will answer (more or less) the same questions – by the end of each interview I hope you will have a good idea of what the new book (or audio drama) is about, what inspired it and why you might want to read or listen to it.

In this instalment I spoke to the fantastic Gareth L. Powell about his new novel Light of Impossible Stars, which is the third and final volume of his Embers of War trilogy. With the release of this book, all three novels are out now in paperback, ebook and audiobook formats from Titan Books, and if you’re after engaging, character-driven British space opera then this series should definitely be on your list. Especially if you’re a fan of worn-down, relatable characters and sentient, talking spaceships!

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Neon Leviathan – T.R. Napper

Bringing together twelve bleak, powerful short stories into a single volume (published by Grimdark Magazine), T.R. Napper’s cyberpunk collection Neon Leviathan paints a suitably, at times harrowingly grim picture of a not too distant future. Across a deliberately jumbled, back-and-forth timeline Napper explores tales of desperation, survival, love, loss, corporate greed, oppression and fear, all set in a loosely defined world formed from a warring, conflicted melange of Australia, South and Southeast Asia. As nations, alliances and realities blur, as technology becomes increasingly pervasive and life ever more stratified, Napper asks questions of what’s real, what’s possible and what people will do to survive.

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QUICK REVIEW: Thin Red Jellies – Lina Rather

A slow-burning tale of subtle body horror by way of near-future technology and near-death experience, Lina Rather’s short story Thin Red Jellies examines the stress placed upon two people who find themselves cohabiting in a single body. When Jess ‘dies’ in a car accident, Amy agrees to have her girlfriend’s mind implanted in her own brain, sharing her body until they can arrange for a replacement for Jess. The realities of healthcare insurance and corporate greed, however, mean that Jess’ stay in Amy’s body is extended while they scrimp and save, testing their still-new relationship in new and unexpected ways.

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A Memory Called Empire – Arkady Martine

A debut novel of grand scope and elegant complexity, Arkady Martine’s A Memory Called Empire is an immersive, slow-burning space opera weaving themes of cultural identity, legacy, memory and linguistics into a tight story of courtly intrigue. Growing up on the remote Lsel Station, Mahit Dzmare always dreamed of visiting the vast, sophisticated Teixcalaani Empire, but when she finds herself sent to Teixcalaan as Lsel’s new ambassador she’s thrown into imperial politics at a uniquely dangerous moment. Tensions in the empire are high, the future of Lsel’s autonomy from Teixcalaan is at stake, and Mahit’s predecessor is dead – likely murdered. At risk, with no allies and carrying – in secret – a dangerous, but malfunctioning technology, Mahit must adapt quickly if she wants to survive and thrive in the empire.

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AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Danny Tobey Talks The God Game

In this instalment I spoke to Danny Tobey about his new novel The God Game, which is out now in the UK from Gollancz and in the US from St. Martin’s Press. If you’re in the market for a character-driven technical thriller taking in artificial intelligence, online privacy and the interplay between religion and technology – all shown through the lens of a group of high school friends – this should be right up your street! Here’s Danny to tell us more…

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The God Game – Danny Tobey

Equal parts American high school drama, augmented reality AI adventure and modern social commentary, Danny Tobey’s The God Game is a breakneck thriller about choices, consequences and the facades we hide behind. For Charlie and his friends, navigating high school brings with it a host of pains and problems, but at least they have each other – the Vindicators, a tight-knit group of talented misfits. When they’re introduced to the G.O.D. Game, a secretive AI program created in the image of the Almighty, joining in seems like harmless fun. As they get deeper into the game, however, they come to realise that there might be some truth to its outrageous claims: “Win and all your dreams come true™! Lose, you die!”

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The Death and Life of Schneider Wrack – Nate Crowley

A dark and ferociously imaginative story of revolutionary zombies, interlinked worlds and psychically-possessed marine life, Nate Crowley’s The Death and Life of Schneider Wrack is part science fiction, part horror, part black comedy and entirely bonkers. Schneider Wrack wakes to a scene of absolute terror, finding he’s not only dead – with no idea why – but a zombie, one of thousands enslaved upon the gargantuan ocean trawler Navuto. With only vague memories of his life beforehand – as a quiet, hapless librarian – and a burning sense of injustice, he stumbles his way towards becoming the figurehead for a bizarre uprising against the Navuto’s brutish overseers, setting himself upon a path he couldn’t possibly have foreseen.

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