Does listening to audiobooks count as reading? Here it does. Let’s discuss your favorite reads — or listens.
All tagged scifi
It’s hard to judge “Carl” as a standalone, because it barely wants to be one. This is a long opening act. Still, I’m impressed by Dinniman’s imaginative reach and curious how many of the seemingly throwaway details will later reveal themselves as deliberate groundwork. As the first entry in an eight-book (and counting) series, it’s clearly doing foundational labor but that doesn’t always make it enjoyable.
Chuck Tingle’s “Lucky Day” blends gore, grief and cultural critique into absurdist horror that’s unsettling, chaotic and surprisingly moving.
Octavia E. Butler’s storytelling is gripping but uneven, blending chilling foresight with a narrative that sometimes felt disjointed. While her vision of America is undeniably powerful, the novel’s fragmented structure and numerous themes occasionally dilute its impact.
José Saramago's “Blindness” is a harrowing exploration of humanity stripped bare. The novel’s premise—a sudden, inexplicable wave of blindness—is a chilling backdrop for a descent into a Hobbesian world of survival and savagery.
My enjoyment of the novel fully hinged on Adina being a true alien. When Bertino made me question this fact, everything that preceded the reveal felt tawdry. While others seem to enjoy this, it ruined an already mediocre story for me.
Expectation: A straight-forward espionage thriller about a man inheriting his uncle’s dirty deeds.
Reality: An outlandish, action-packed sci-fi comedy that won me over with talking animals and some solid social commentary.
Expectation: Stories to chill-the-bones from a noted voice in the Black horror genre.
Reality: Interesting scenarios and characters are largely overshadowed by ancillary details and incomplete endings.
Expectation: An exploration of second chances and following your passion.
Reality: A completely underrated, highly influential novel that introduces a wealth of ideas about regret and happiness.
Expectation: A science fiction/horror classic with historical elements.
Reality: A no holds barred exploration of the horrors of slavery through the lens of 20th century sensibility. It was devastating and utterly engrossing.
Expectation: A science fiction bro-fest with predictable and outlandish plots.
Reality: More political and emotional than anticipated, it reminded me of a 1980s action film — over-the-top and ridiculous but a ton of fun.
Expectation: A quasi-scifi family drama about carrying the weight of your family’s hopes and dreams.
Reality: A strong first half was ruined by a mid-point plot twist that rendered the rest of the novel far less interesting.
Expectation: Highbrow science fiction.
Reality: Science fiction almost takes a backseat to this moving examination of relationships and fate.
Expectation: A modern retelling of “The Stepford Wives” for the #MeToo era.
Reality: Definitely not what I expected but, in the best, most WTF ways.
Expectation: A richly drawn character study that brings the tears.
Reality: The epitome of a character-driven story that lacks the emotional heft of Yanagihara’s “A Little Life” but is still an exceptional work of fiction.
Expectation: A quirky workplace comedy.
Reality: A funny, thought-provoking satire that nailed corporate/creative agency absurdities. It also had an understated M/M love story.
Expectation: A science fiction snooze-fest.
Reality: A surprisingly funny and touching story about second chances and building community.
Expectation: A scattershot collection of stories from King’s uneven period of the mid-aughts.
Reality: A completely passable and often entertaining collection that bring forward some classic, and previously unpublished stories, and set the groundwork for some of his later works.
Expectation: A heartfelt story about forming connection.
Reality: A solid first half is squandered by several convoluted plot twists that put Klara in the backseat.
Expectation: A kooky, scifi comedy with political themes and “After School Special” lessons on tolerance and second chances.
Reality: Funnier than expected with a fair amount of heart, it’s mostly feel-good plot starts to fall apart near the end.
Expectation: A science-fiction version of “It’s A Wonderful Life.”
Reality: A deeply emotional, highly philosophical and ultimately feel good “what if” story.
