Microreview [book] Dark Orbit by Carolyn Ives Gilman

Deep Underground

Echopraxia is a hard act to follow. I was extremely impressed by it, and thought about the story for several days after I finished it. Dark Orbit features several interweaving plots, and a very alien environment that were all very intriguing. Unfortunately, it doesn't all shake out.

Dark Orbit chiefly follows two women: Sara Callicot, an exoethnologist, and Thora Lassiter, a sensualist who was "corrected" after her visions led to a revolt. Thora and Sara are part of an exploratory mission to the planet Iris. Thora's an important person, akin to royalty, and Sara has been sent to secretly keep an eye on her. However, a murder on the questship they use as their base leads to suspicions on who committed it, and Thora disappears shortly after planetfall. She encounters a village of people who live in utter darkness who can somehow travel far beyond their physical means. It all goes downhill from here as Thora tries to get back to the questship, Sara tries to get back to Thora, and the crew tries to solve the mysteries of Iris.

Right off the bat, there's a lot going on. The planet Iris is a mystery reminiscent of Solaris. Despite being firmly in the hard sci-fi genre, Gilman has a firm grasp on the human elements as well, such as how we perceive things is shaped by what we already know. For example, the scientists on the planetary expedition start to refer to thick areas of metallic "vegetation" as "forests" despite having absolutely no connection to any forest previously known. This idea of preconceived notions influencing exploration comes into play often as Sara and Thora individually try to come to grips with a society that operates in complete blindness. As far as the thought provoking parts of the science that goes into first contact and exploration of an alien world go, this book is top-notch.

However, the many-layered plot does come across as a bit under baked and wraps up extremely fast. With so much going on between Thora's visions and her attempts to return to her colleagues, Sara's first contact work, the plot against Thora, the corporate overlords of the mission, and the strange disturbances that surround Iris and confuse the science teams, they don't all really get enough attention. Early on, we're presented with the facts about how traveling to the questship involves lightspeed transmission and physical reconstruction that takes 58 years to accomplish, and it felt like there could've been more said about how Sara and the others on the ships' lives would change by taking a trip that would see them returning 116 years after they've left without aging. I wouldn't go so far as to say that they wrap up in an unsatisfying way, but it felt like Dark Orbit is the first part of a series. There's still a lot of ground to tread here, so I hope there will be a followup.

Regardless, Dark Orbit is rather good in what it does deliver: a multilayered story about exploration and first contact on an alien planet. It made me want more, and I will be disappointed if it ends here.

The Math

Baseline Assessment: 7/10

Bonuses: +1 the planet Iris is as much of character as any of the people in the book

Penalties: -1 wraps up so fast, your head will spin

Nerd Coefficient: 7/10 (an enjoyable experience, but not without its flaws)

***

POSTED BY: brian, sci-fi/fantasy/video game dork and contributor since 2014

Reference: Gilman, Carolyn Ives. Dark Orbit [Tor Books, 2015] 

Thursday Morning Superhero: Top 3's of SDCC

I am nearing my three year anniversary writing for Nerds of a Feather and so it seems appropriate to provide my San Diego Comic Con recap in a list of Top 3's as I have done so in the past.  As usual, the overall trip was an overwhelming blast.  It is hard to describe what being immersed in a sea of pop culture has on the soul, but it is definitely a good, albeit surreal one.  In no other setting do endless groups of adults fight tooth and nail for the opportunity to get a button, a large bag that will likely break, or camp out for a chance to view a trailer hours before it is released to the public.  I fear I am getting too old for SDCC, but I plan on continuing this tradition for the forseeable future.


Top 3 Winners of Comic Con:

1. Conan O'Brien - There was no avoiding Conan O'Brien at SDCC this year and this was a good thing.  He was in the airport, on hotel wraps, on bus stops, and cruising on the train.  It was hard to turn your head without seeing one of the Conan Pop! Vinyls that The buzz began when he announced he would be taping at SDCC for the first time.  Fans crashed the 1iota ticket site as they desperately tried to secure one of the hottest tickets in town.  I had the good fortune of attending the Wednesday night taping and it was an absolute blast.  On top of that Conan was moderating panels and hosting exclusive "Not Your Grandma's Bingo" events throughout the week.  If Conan's name was attached to something, it was guaranteed to be a blast.  Very excited that he is returning in 2016.

2. Super 7 - Not only did the Super 7 booth and off-site store include some of the best merchandise of SDCC (Mossman Chia Pet!), but it had some of the friendliest staff in all of San Diego.  They were knowledgeable, helpful, and excited to talk nostalgia with fellow nerds.  I secured my Skeletoken that provided me access to their store, which had been transformed into Skeletor's Lair.  From the M.O.T.U.S.C.L.E figures (I loved muscle men as a child!) which were only $6, to the pricier jumbo Master's of the Universe figures, Super 7 has something for everyone.  My only regret is not buying more.



3. Deadpool - While I was not in attendance in Hall H for Saturday's lineup of panels, it was clear that the Deadpool trailer exceeded everyone's expectations and that fans are ready for a proper movie featuring the Merc with the Mouth.  While it may not have been appropriate for some of the younger folk in Hall H, the buzz from this panel dominated my feed more than any other panel of SDCC.  Here is hoping the movie can live up to the hype.

Top 3 Panels' of SDCC:
1. Last Day of Summer: TV Guide Magazine's Farewell to Phineas and Ferb - In what was the most emotional panel I attended, TV Guide put together a fitting tribute to Phineas and Ferb.  The two brothers enjoyed over 8 years of summer with this delightful show the entertained both parents and kids alike.  Learning tidbits like how Doofenschmirtz used to be named Dr. Mittelschmirtz and watching the creators get emotional made this a wonderful experience.  I may have even shed a few tears.  While I am excited for Dan Povenmire and Swampy Marsh to move onto another creative endeavor, it was nice to visit the Tri-state Area one last time to bid adieu. 

2. Return to Gravity Falls - Kristen Schaal may be the most charming person I have ever seen.  Creator Alex Hirsch and Schaal entertained fans with a sneak preview of some upcoming episodes and answered the most questions of any panel I have ever seen.  The line for questions stretched to the back of the room, but I still don't know why Disney XD won't provide some sort of consistency with scheduling.  It is frustrating to see a show as brilliant as this have scheduling issues. 

3. Star Wars: The Force Awakens - While no new footage of the film aired, behind the scenes footage, the emphasis on practical effects, and a large number of the cast entertained fans in San Diego in what I heard was very insightful and entertaining.  Despite my lack of attendance, the reason this makes the list is for the mic drop the panel had at the end.  Attendees were invited to a special Star Wars Symphony performance on the bay.  Part of me wonders if SDCC was timing how long it takes to clear Hall H as it moves forward with its increasing popularity.

Top 3 Off-Site:
1. Funko Fun Days - Funko out did itself this year.  Fun Days was bigger, more entertaining, and great fan service for those who enjoy collecting cute vinyl figures.  There were song and dance numbers, a fan tribute video (my family made the cut!), and thousands of limited Pop! and prototype figures thrown to screaming fans.  It remains a surreal experience, but one I hope will become a tradition for me at SDCC.  Funko really has a pulse on its fans and treats its biggest collectors as they should be treated.  Well done Funko.

2.  Disney Infinity 3.0 - Thanks to Marvel Unlimited I was able to skip the line for this event, but had I waited to enter I would not have been disappointed.  There were multiple gaming kiosks, which is to be expected, but on top of that fans were treated with fancy foods, beverages, cases of prototype figures to explore, a racing contest, and an augmented reality experience the ended with each attendee walking away with a new Disney Infinity 3.0 character before they are released. 

3. Nerdist Conival - Nerdist Industries really upped its game this year.  Taking over all of the PetCo space, the Conival featured Lego Raptors, a Dragonball Z arcade, laser tag, gaming sponsored by Geek and Sundry, and a packed list of free panels to name a few.  Fans who were unable to secure a Comic Con badge or tickets to the Nerd HQ still had a home for some quality panels and the lineup included SDCC gold, like Nathan Fillion, Daniel Radcliffe, and David Hasselhoff.

Top 3 Prizes:
1. Conan O'Brien Pop! - I think it is a little guy made more happy than he should have.  Just look at him!

2. M.O.T.U.S.C.L.E. - SDCC is good at bringing on the nostalgia, but nothing prepared me for a mash-up of Master's of the Universe and Muscle Men.  Thank you Super 7.
 

3.  Skylanders Supercharger - There is a reason why my son thinks I am a cool dad.  Let me continue to enjoy this lie while I can.

 POSTED BY MIKE N. aka Victor Domashev -- comic guy, proudly raising nerdy kids, and Nerds of a Feather contributor since 2012. 

Summer Reading List 2015: The G

Like Charles, I have a "to be read" pile that is exceedingly tall and exceedingly heavy. And I'm a slow reader too. That said, I do mean to get through as many of them as possible. Here are the first 12 in the rotation, though I'm pretty sure a couple will inevitably end up switching places with stuff I got at Comic-Con...

1. Deryni Rising by Katherine Kurtz

Cheating a bit here as I'm actually done with this one, but I did technically finish it during the summer, so it counts! Regardless, it's been an interesting journey back to a childhood favorite. I've found that it mostly holds up across the decades), albeit with a surprise problem I wasn't old enough to pick up on at age 13.  

2. The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi

I'm batting one-for-two with Bacigalupi, having loved The Drowned Cities while finding The Windup Girl to be a well-written but ultimately frustrating book. This one, about the social implications of water scarcity in a near-future American Southwest, certainly has buzz about it, and the cyberpunk aficionado in me is intrigued by the links to Gibson's Sprawl trilogy (e.g. arcologies).

3. The Red: First Light by Linda Nagata [indie, 2014]

Those following my 'Message Fiction' column for tor.com will have surely noticed a tilt toward military and war fiction. Though that will change over the coming months, this well-regarded, indie-published novel should allow for further explorations of themes developed in the first two (one, two) subjects of the column.

4. Sword of Destiny by Andrzej Sapkowski [Orbit/Gollancz, 2015]

Have I ever mentioned that this is the best fantasy series EVER?! Possibly three or four times...but the fact is that it's true. Of course Sword of Destiny is not the awaited fourth installment in the Saga proper, but the second short story collection that sets the stage for the Saga. This should have been published years ago, and it's great to finally get the book in print (or e-ink, as it were). 

5. Aurora by Kim Stanley Robinson [Orbit, 2015]

Every year there is one book sent to me by the publisher that I'm committed to reading, but which somehow never makes it to the top of my to-read pile. Aurora is the 2015 iteration of that book. However, unlike previous years, I am committed to reading it! After all, it's about a generation starship, and that's pretty much my all-time favorite SF trope. Plus Robinson is just an excellent writer--perhaps the best working within the hard SF paradigm.

6. The Price of Valor by Django Wexler [Ace/ROC, 2015]

Another fantasy series that I really dig--this one of the "flintlock" variety. Wexler is a very careful writer, with strong prose, memorable characters and a distinctly historical approach to worldbuilding. I expect more of the same from book #3!

7-12. The entire Old Man's War series by John Scalzi [Tor, 2005-15]

Some of you may be reading my serialized review of the serialized Old Man's War novel, The End of All Things (episodes one, two, three, four). What you may not know is that I'll also be re-reading the entire series this summer for tor.com, to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the series' debut. I'm very curious to see what bubbles to the surface on the second go-around--something usually does when returning to a series you positively devoured the first time.




***

POSTED BY: The G--purveyor of nerdliness, genre fanatic and Nerds of a
Feather founder/administrator (2012).

Summer Reading List: Charles

I will admit that my To Be Read queue at the moment is incredibly long. I tend to buy books about a year in advance of when I'll be able to read them, and this year I've definitely fallen behind. There's just so much to read! Anyway, that's why none of my picks for my Summer Reading List are new books. Not all of them are that old, but it's definitely a mix of newer and older things. First and foremost is catching up on some short fiction anthologies that I picked up at WisCon 38 (so they've been languishing for over a year now). But I am very excited about getting to these, as they are all sure to be better than the last book I finished, Circumpolar!**

Long Hidden: Speculative Fiction from the Margins of History eds. Rose Fox and Daniel José Older

I really need to read this collection. The talent involved is truly impressive and I am a sucker for historical fantasy. Really, I should have read this already (I feel like given the amount of short fiction I read admitting that I haven't read this yet is a mark against me). But time and circumstance have conspired to keep me from it. No longer! This is at the top of my list of books to read next and I'm doing it!

Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire

Given Seanan McGuire's output where novels are concerned, it's nearly criminal that this will be the first novel of hers that I will read. Really, I've meant to seek out her work ahead of this but whenever I went to the bookstore I either couldn't figure out where her work was shelved or they didn't have the first book in any of the series. This only further cements my opinion that genre distinctions (especially when it comes to how things are shelved) are not exactly doing anyone any favors. But that's a dead horse for another day. Anyway, I've been reading more urban fantasy and wanted to check out this series, which sounds like it's right up my alley. Mystery and magic and San Francisco!

Un Lun Dun by China Miéville

This really is turning into a list of authors that I should have already read but haven't gotten around to. Miéville is an author who I've heard so many good things about. I really really want to read Embassytown, but this book made it into my greedy little paws first and so it looks like it will be my first introduction to the author. It's apparently for younger readers but that's never stopped me before and sometimes I think it's a testament to a writer's skill how they choose to write to a young audience. In any event, the description evokes both Alice in Wonderland and the Island of Misfit Toys and seems like it will be a fun and rather creepy read.

Line and Orbit by Sunny Moraine and Lisa Soem

I will admit that, despite the other titles on this list, this is the one that I'm most excited about. Sunny Moraine has been one of my favorite writers of short fiction since I stumbled across their work and here is a novel for me to read by them. A novel with a science fiction romance between two men. And I am nearly certain, given what I know of the author's writing, that it will make me cry at least twice. Which might seem like a weird thing to look forward to, but emotional connection is something I look for and it is a huge reason that I really, really want to read this book!

Beyond Binary ed. Brit Mandelo

Here is the second fiction anthology that I need, that I need to read soon. It seems like such a great theme for a collection, examining gender and sexuality in way that needs to be examined. Not that stories like this never show up in publication, but to see an entire collection of them is important. Plus the talent involved is again amazing, including Nalo Hopkinson, Ellen Kushner, Delia Sherman, and Catherynne M. Valente. Just wow. So yes, very much needing to read this collection.

The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin

And lastly, a book that I've been meaning to get to for quite a while. I never really knew that Left Hand of Darkness was part of a series, and from the description it's not exactly the most narratively link series of novels, but this one is technically part of the same cycle. Do people write cycles any longer? Hmm... But this looks like an interesting story that examines the line between utopia and dystopia and seems like a fascinating read.




**I cannot take complete blame for choosing this book. It has become a tradition that each WisCon partner and I scour the bargain-priced books of A Room of One's Own bookstore in Madison, WI, and select for the other person the most ridiculous-looking book we can find. This one features the Red Baron riding a mechanical Pegasus and waiving a gun. It's...well, it was certainly an experience.


POSTED BY: Charles, avid reader, reviewer, and sometimes writer of speculative fiction. Contributor to Nerds of a Feather since 2014.

On the "Classics"

Been thinking about Renay's excellent column in Strange Horizons, as well as Nina Allan's equally good follow-up, and the questions they raise about the alleged centrality of science fiction "classics" to the genre as it stands today. I'm still feeling the post-SDCC buzz, so I'll keep this brief--and limited to the question of whether it's "necessary" to read the "classics." But here goes...

• Anyone who tells you that you need to read Heinlein to appreciate, understand or have a valid opinion on, say, Old Man's War is not worth listening to. However...

• Having read Heinlein's juveniles, and Starship Troopers in particular, does add context to Old Man's War, because the latter book is in direct conversation with the former. This can lead readers to draw what I think are important and interesting conclusions about Old Man's War. At the same time, it should also be noted that...

• The act of having read Starship Troopers may also funnel the reader toward certain conclusions and interpretations of Old Man's War--a process that may, as a secondary effect, lead readers away from making other, equally important connections. 

Note: I'm not trying to devalue the act of reading older SF--in fact, I do see value in it. Literature is a conversation, and one enacted over time. Stuff comes about, in part, because older stuff exists. Sometimes that older stuff is the source of inspiration; sometimes it's a sclerotic status quo in need of a good shattering. At others it forms a cultural moment or zeitgeist with causal properties beyond its constituent parts. I think this meaningful and interesting because, as fellow nerd of a feather Jemmy once said (on a very different topic), I have a historian's soul.

But it's arrogance itself to suggest that this is the only path to understanding.  

Dean's (Mostly) Indie Reading (and Review!) List

You guys. I love parentheses. Not as much as commas, and perhaps a little more than ellipses, but as punctuation goes, I mean, look at that title. Love 'em. A little bit of whimsy, a little extra information- it's a thing of beauty.

Know what I hate? Writing reviews. "You probably write for the wrong site, Dean," you point out smugly. Yes, I know. And lord knows I am not short on opinions, but for whatever reason, putting them down in review format (unless it's something like my recent review of Sing Me Your Scars, where I can just drool all over it and call that a review) is somehow hard for me.

"We just want your reading list, Dean," you continue with an annoyed tone. Well, FINE. But you also get a REVIEW list, because I am going to review each of these books in upcoming Adventures in Indie Publishing posts.

As one brief aside before I give you my list (do try to contain yourselves), when I was approached about writing AiIP for this site, we discussed making it a place to showcase the better indie books out there. Results were... disheartening. Books I found, books authors sent in were lacking in quality in nearly every area that counts- structure, writing, editing, art- all of it. Which is one of the reasons the AiIP archive is me ranting a lot. However, recently standards seem to be on the rise. Two of these books were sent in and they look good. I obviously haven't read them yet, but books that look appealing is a pleasant shift.

On to the list, in no particular order:

The Glass Falcon, E. Catherine Tobler:

A bungled museum theft.

An ancient Egyptian riddle.

The rumor of strange creatures moving beneath the streets of Paris.

Eleanor Folley knew she was in for a challenge when she accepted the task of cataloging Mistral's archive of purloined artifacts, but she never expected to discover an Egyptian mystery buried in the heart of Paris.

When Anubis and Horus task her with a quest, she cannot refuse the ancient gods, even if it means venturing into the cathedrals of bones that clutter the catacombs of Paris.

The Deep Link, Veronica Sicoe

When an unstoppable warlord meets an unyielding rebel, their link becomes a new force of nature.

Taryn's dream of forging an alliance with a powerful alien race has become a nightmare. She is linked to a ruthless warlord, an alien killing machine who could destroy humanity on a whim.

Taryn will go down fighting before she surrenders to the monster invading her mind.

But in her struggle to regain control, she finds her tormentor has irreversibly changed her, and she has in turn changed him. The link is turning her into a weapon, drawing strength from the world-slayer who had no regard for another's life—until now.

As death and destruction erupt around them, they carve their way out of their old lives with a single common purpose: unite their forces and change the future.

Emergence, Nick M Lloyd

The Gadium have been ruling the galaxy for millennia, manipulating probability to ensure their continued domination.

On Earth, Jack Bullage survives a horrendous car accident.

Reporter Louise Harding has a score to settle with Jack. She investigates all the options, even the most unbelievable ones.

How did he get to be so lucky?

The Gadium have the answers. They know why Jack is special. It’s just evolution; he’s developing the ability to ‘ride the parallels.’

This could herald Earth's Emergence, a new era, an end to its isolation in the galaxy – but Gadium approval is not assured and Jack may be evolving too fast for their plans.

Tide of Shadows and Other Stories, Aidan Moher

(Other stories- EEEEEE- Ed.)

From Aidan Moher—Hugo Award-winning editor of A Dribble of Ink—comes Tide of Shadows and Other Stories, a collection of five science fiction and fantasy stories spanning adventure, comic whimsy, and powerful drama—from a star-faring military science fiction tale of love and sacrifice, to a romp through the dragon-infested Kingdom of Copperkettle Vale.

“A Night for Spirits and Snowflakes” is the story of a young man reliving the last moments of his fellow soldiers’ lives; “The Girl with Wings of Iron and Down” tells the tale of a broken family and a girl with mechanical wings; “Of Parnassus and Princes, Damsels and Dragons” introduces a typical prince, princess, and dragon—and a not-so-typical love triangle; “The Colour of the Sky on the Day the World Ended” follows a girl and her ghost dog as they search for a bright light in the darkness; and “Tide of Shadows” is about a soldier and his lover, a mother, and planetwide genocide.

-DESR

Dean is the author of the 3024AD series of science fiction stories (which should be on YOUR summer reading list). You can read his other ramblings and musings on a variety of topics (mostly writing) on his blog. When not holed up in his office
tweeting obnoxiously writing, he can be found watching or playing sports, or in his natural habitat of a bookstore.

Summer Reading List 2015 - brian

Summer doesn't mean much to me anymore, besides the changing of the seasons. I work a corporate job, so my hours don't change, and neither does my workload. No more time to read, but also no less time to read. And when it's actually nice out (and not as rainy as it's been in my part of the world), I might actually do less reading because I'm out running or riding my motorcycle. But the heat and summer travel does give me some opportunities to grind through some books, so here are a few what I'm looking forward to!

1. Dark Orbit by Carolyn Ives Gilman

This one is cheating. I'm actually halfway through it. Review is incoming. But it initially interested me because I'm into sci-fi, space exploration, and alien worlds.





 
2. Blindsight by Peter Watts

Surely you've read my review of Echopraxia by now. I absolutely must go back and read Blindsight.







3. Reaper's Gale by Steven Erikson

Er, uh, yeah. I've been reading the Malazan series for probably eight years now, and I'm still not done. I'm kind of a slow reader, and I took several breaks between books and during them to read something else. Not that I'm not enjoying them! They're rather good! But they're enormous. So maybe this summer, I might finish Reaper's Gale, and then I'll be one book closer to the end.




And hey, what would a summer reading list from brian be without summer video games?

1. The Talos Principle

Stay with me here: a first person puzzle game, in the vein of Portal, made by Croteam, the same people who made the Serious Sam games. I can't think of two things less alike than Portal and Serious Sam. However, it got a lot of positive reviews and I did love Serious Sam.

2. Apotheon

Stylish, Greek mythology themed metroidvania. I'm a huge fan of the metroidvania genre and I picked up Apotheon during GOG.com's summer sale. Though I've seen reviews that say it's got a few flaws, I'm very much looking forward to it.



 

3. Terra Nova: Strike Force Centauri

This is a classic that I never got to play. I got into Looking Glass Studios around System Shock 2, which was a little beyond when Terra Nova was easy to find. I wasn't even really aware of it until much later. But good news! It's been re-released on GOG.com, so I grabbed it! Though I don't exactly have the highest hopes, I love mech suit type games, and it kind of sounds like it takes an Armor approach to mech warfare. There's a great retrospective at Rock, Paper, Shotgun.



***

POSTED BY: brian, sci-fi/fantasy/video game dork and contributor since 2014