104. Paul McAuley, Beyond the Burn Line. In the future a scholar (who turns out to be an uplifted raccoon) searches for the answer to a mystery his late boss left behind. Nice presentation of the society and how it worked. Spoiler: halfway through it jumps forward a generation because this is a deep mystery). I would hope for another set in the same worldforgot this one so the numbering is wrong
103. Alastair Reynolds, On The Steel Breeze. Several hundred years in the future, our heroine splits themselves into three people. One goes off on a generation ship to colonise a star with alien life signs on it. Another goes on a quest. The third stays on Earth. Lots of nice space opera ideas, uplifted races, AIs up to shenanigans, weird alien things and a plot that kept me reading fast.
105. Kirill Yeskov, The Last Ringbearer. Retelling of that Middle Earth book from a different perspective with a different outcome. Absolutely fascinating. I particularly liked the spook touches with a variety of secret services running around, and the court politics was also excellent.104. Paul McAuley, Beyond the Burn Line. In the future a scholar (who turns out to be an uplifted raccoon) searches for the answer to a mystery his late boss left behind. Nice presentation of the society and how it worked. Spoiler: halfway through it jumps forward a generation because this is a deep mystery). I would hope for another set in the same world
106. Jo Walton, Among Others. Rec from a WorldCon panel, this has fairies/ghosts, welsh landscape, boarding school, weird parents, and discovering science fiction and fantasy novels for the first time. It was lovely and there may have been dust in my eye at the end.105. Kirill Yeskov, The Last Ringbearer. Retelling of that Middle Earth book from a different perspective with a different outcome. Absolutely fascinating. I particularly liked the spook touches with a variety of secret services running around, and the court politics was also excellent.
107. Christopher Brookmyer, One Find Day in the Middle of the Night. Much better "high school reunion" than I was expecting. Got the recommendation from a Scottish SF author and laughed somewhere on page 1. Definitely a farce, well plated, will probably keep an eye out for other books of his now I've read one.106. Jo Walton, Among Others. Rec from a WorldCon panel, this has fairies/ghosts, welsh landscape, boarding school, weird parents, and discovering science fiction and fantasy novels for the first time. It was lovely and there may have been dust in my eye at the end.
108. Various, The Empire Strikes Back: From A Certain Point Of View. Anthology of "alternate shots" on the second Star Wars film, with a lot of backstory filling from later works in the series by the looks of things. Sort of interesting, I didn't find it too hard to make it to the end, but hasn't fired me with enthusiasm to read more in the extended universe.107. Christopher Brookmyer, One Find Day in the Middle of the Night. Much better "high school reunion" than I was expecting. Got the recommendation from a Scottish SF author and laughed somewhere on page 1. Definitely a farce, well plated, will probably keep an eye out for other books of his now I've read one.
56. H G Wells - The Island of Doctor Moreau