Tag: science fiction

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Short Story Reviews November 2025

3 Days, 9 Months, 27 Years by John Scalzi

⭐⭐⭐/5

This short story is the first of The Time Traveler’s Passport, six Amazon Original stories that are free to read with Kindle Unlimited. I found this one quite interesting with a good twist at the end. Scalzi has an intriguing take on how time travel could work and what part it would play in society.

The Toy Car by Rose Tremain

⭐⭐/5

This is a coming-of-age story about a young man from Greece who visits his mother’s home country of England at her insistence so that he can see what else is out there before he follows in his father’s footsteps as the owner of a small taxi company. I didn’t really connect with the characters, so this was a miss for me.

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This Is How You Lose the Time War

This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

📚Summary

Among the ashes of a dying world, an agent of the Commandant finds a letter. It reads: Burn before reading. Thus begins an unlikely correspondence between two rival agents hellbent on securing the best possible future for their warring factions. Now, what began as a taunt, a battlefield boast, grows into something more. Something epic. Something romantic. Something that could change the past and the future.

Except the discovery of their bond would mean death for each of them. There’s still a war going on, after all. And someone has to win that war.

✍️My Thoughts

My first impression of this novella was that it was very odd and possibly not for me. But I decided to keep reading and eventually fell in love with it. I loved how the relationship between Red and Blue developed through their correspondence and how it changed their understanding of the world they lived in. And I especially enjoyed the twists and turns the story took at the end.

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My Short Story Weekend

I was looking through my TBR last week and noticed that I had a bunch of short stories on it, most of which were already on my Kindle.  So last weekend, I decided to read them all.

The first three are part of a series called Once Upon a Bookshop by Alice Hoffman. The main characters are two sisters who have been estranged for years but come back together when one of their children reaches out for help.

  • The Bookstore Sisters
  • The Bookstore Wedding
  • The Bookstore Keepers

The rest are standalone stories.

  • The One That Got Away by Mike Gayle – fun story about a guy trying to get over his ex and how he spends the day of her wedding to another guy
  • The Sublet by Greer Hendricks – chilling story about the hidden cost of perfection
  • The Fall Risk by Abby Jimenez – sweet, funny story about two neighbors who get stranded together over Valentine’s Day
  • The Tomorrow Box by Curtis Sittenfeld – part of the Currency collection of Amazon original short stories, an interesting look at two men who were friends in college and meet to catch up many years later
  • Giraffe & Flamingo by Curtis Sittenfeld – an Amazon original short story about a woman reflecting on her college experience 
  • The Cold Equations by Tom Godwin – a classic science fiction story first published in 1954. This was shared with me by a good friend.
  • Sebastian and the Troll by Fredrik Backman – a story about pain that Backman has published on his blog

It was kind of fun to read all of these stories back to back.  They reflect a range of styles and topics, but each one has something to offer. 

Do you enjoy short stories? Or do you prefer to stick to full length books?

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The Silo Series

I can still remember the incredible feeling of reading the first story from Wool.  Howey is masterful at unfolding the details in a way that keeps you hanging on every word.  

This is what I posted on Goodreads after reading Wool back in December 2016:

Wow, wow, wow! This blew me away! I read good things about the first story and downloaded it on my new Kindle. Once I read it, I couldn’t get the whole collection fast enough, and I am so glad I did!!

If you are a fan of dystopian fiction, you will love this set of stories. Each one is as good as the one before it and will keep you turning the pages as fast as you can to see what happens next.

Absolute must read, in my opinion!!

There are three books in the Silo series – Wool, Shift, and Dust.  Both Wool and Shift were originally released as short stories/novellas and were later gathered into books.  There is also a thriving fanfiction community writing in the Silo world.

More recently, Silo has been made into a streaming series on Apple TV.  There are currently two seasons out and two more planned.  I have watched the first season and thought they did a really good job of adapting it to the screen, although I still recommend reading the books first if you can.

Have you read or watched any of the Silo series?

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What I’m Reading – August 2020

What I’m Reading Now:

Every Breath by Nicholas Sparks – Not my usual go to author, but I was out of stuff to read and this was on the available list on my library app.

What I Recently Finished:

Molly Fyde and the Parsona Rescue by Hugh Howey – Book One of the Bern Saga. This was a good read for a young adult science fiction novel. I’m not sure I liked it enough to read more of the series, however.

To See the Moon Again by Jamie Langston Turner – I can now say that I have read all of this author’s books in the order they were published. I really enjoyed going back through her works; she has such a unique style that I appreciate a lot.

The Emperor of Nihon-Ja by John Flanagan – Book Ten in the Ranger’s Apprentice series. This was enjoyable to read. I am almost to the end of this series.

What I’ve Added to my TBR list:

The Lost Stories by John Flanagan – Book Eleven in the Ranger’s Apprentice series. This is the final book in the series.

If you’re on Goodreads, feel free to add me as a friend. I’m always looking for new recommendations!

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What I’m Reading – July 21st

What I’m Reading Now:

Molly Fyde and the Parsona Rescue by Hugh Howey – Book One of the Bern Saga. I’m just a couple of chapters in, but it’s good so far.

To See the Moon Again by Jamie Langston Turner – Still on my nightstand. I am definitely going to read this one soon so I can say I’ve read all of her books in order.

What I Recently Finished:

Erak’s Ransom by John Flanagan – Book Seven in the Ranger’s Apprentice series. This one actually goes back in time a bit to fill in a gap that he felt was left in the series.

The Kings of Clonmel by John Flanagan – Book Eight in the Ranger’s Apprentice series. This one picks back up after the events of book six.

Halt’s Peril by John Flanagan – Book Nine in the Ranger’s Apprentice series. Can you tell that I’m enjoying this series? The earlier books had a wait to check them out on the library app, but it’s been no waiting for these last few.

What I’ve Added to my TBR list:

The Emperor of Nihon-Ja by John Flanagan – Book Ten in the Ranger’s Apprentice series. I might take a little break before getting this one to read some other stuff, but I’m definitely going to finish the series. There are eleven books in this one, but he has written spin-offs.

Becoming Us by Robin Jones Gunn – Book One in the Haven Maker’s series.

If you’re on Goodreads, feel free to add me as a friend. I’m always looking for new recommendations!

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What I’m Reading – July 14th

What I’m Reading Now:

Erak’s Ransom by John Flanagan – Book Seven in the Ranger’s Apprentice series. This one actually goes back in time a bit to fill in a gap that he felt was left in the series. It’s a good read so far.

Molly Fyde and the Parsona Rescue by Hugh Howey – Book One of the Bern Saga, this is his first novel. I have only read the first chapter, but it seems good. I absolutely loved Wool and its related stories, so I wanted to check out some of his other writings.

To See the Moon Again by Jamie Langston Turner – Still in pending mode, but I will read it once the library books slow down.

What I Recently Finished:

Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire: The Guide to Being Glorious You by Jen Hatmaker – I have to be honest, I mostly skimmed this book. I need to be more realistic about what I choose to read – I am just not that into nonfiction anymore.

The Siege of Macindaw by John Flanagan – Book Six of the Ranger’s Apprentice series. Very enjoyable!

The Case of the Spellbound Child by Mercedes Lackey – Book Fourteen in the Elemental Masters series. Combines fairy tales with Sherlock Holmes and magicians – what could be better!

What I’ve Added to my TBR list:

The Kings of Clonmel by John Flanagan – Book Eight of the Ranger’s Apprentice series.

If you’re on Goodreads, feel free to add me as a friend. I’m always looking for new recommendations!

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What I’m Reading – June 16th

What I’m Reading Now:

The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner – My library only has this in audiobook, so I’m trying to listen to it. I’m not very far into it. I have trouble finding time when I can really focus on listening to the story. I may have to put this back on my TBR list until I can find a print copy.

Sometimes a Light Surprises by Jamie Langston Turner – I’m rereading her books in the order they were published, and this is the seventh one.

When We Were Young by Karen Kingsbury – One of the Baxter Family books that I missed somehow.

What I Recently Finished:

No Dark Valley by Jamie Langston Turner – I’m rereading her books in the order they were published, and this is number five.

Winter Birds by Jamie Langston Turner – Her sixth book. It actually is set in Mississippi instead of South Carolina, although there are a few characters from her other books who show up in this one a little bit.

What I’ve Added to my TBR list:

Molly Fyde and the Parsona Rescue by Hugh Howey – I absolutely loved his Wool series and am going to give the Bern Saga a try – this is book one.

If you’re on Goodreads, feel free to add me as a friend. I’m always looking for new recommendations!

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A Few Good Sci Fi Shows

I have always enjoyed science fiction and fantasy. When I was younger, I had an extensive book collection and would reread favorites over and over. I no longer have the books but I still enjoy the genre. Recently I have been watching a few good sci fi shows that I wanted to share.

travelersTravelers – this is a time travel show. Travelers come from the future to our time to try to change events to make the future better. I absolutely loved this show and binged watched it in one weekend. It has two seasons and is on Netflix.

extantExtant – led by Halle Berry, this is a show set in the future that involves both humanoid robots and alien life. I really enjoyed the futuristic setting and the different ethical dilemmas that came up. It is also two seasons and is on Amazon Prime as well as CBS All-Access.

lost in spaceLost in Space – this is a remake of an old show which I have surprisingly not seen. It is also set in the future and centers on a group of people who have set out to colonize another planet. Something goes wrong and they end up stranded somewhere else. This is on Netflix and there is one season so far. Joe and I watched it together and both liked it.

crossingThe Crossing – this is another time travel show. A group of people appear in the water off the coast of an American town and say they have come from the future to escape a war. The US government gets involved and the mystery deepens as the show goes on. It’s quite good! It’s a current show on ABC and all seven episodes that have come out so far are available on their app at the time of this post.

Have you seen any of these and, if so, what did you think of them?  Do you have any recommendations of other shows I might like?