Category Archives: Updates + Articles

Updates + Articles

Update: Recent Science Fiction Acquisitions N. VIII

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My month of infrequent posts is over — I’ve returned to Austin after a month long sojourn across Colorado, New Mexico, France and Italy….  So, what do I do in my jet lagged state?  Head to the Half Price Books.  Not the best haul this time but a few potentially interesting reads.

1. Witch World (1963), Andre Norton

I’ve yet to read any of Andre Norton’s immense number of novels.  Not knowing exactly where to start I picked up what is generally considered among her best works — Witch World (1963).  It was nominated for the 1964 Hugo award for Best novel and often places in best Fantasy/Sci-fi lists.  And the cover is Continue reading Update: Recent Science Fiction Acquisitions N. VIII →

Updates + Articles

Updates: Recent Science Fiction Acquisitions N. VII

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Austin’s Half Price Books will be my downfall.  I’ve broken my promise not to buy any more science fiction books this summer…

1. The Big Jump (1955), Leigh Brackett (MY REVIEW)

I’ve yet to read a work by the famous female sci-fi writer and screenwriter (The Big Sleep, The Empire Strikes Back, Rio Bravo, El Dorado) Leigh Brackett.  I look forward to this “pulp” work with great Continue reading Updates: Recent Science Fiction Acquisitions N. VII →

Updates + Articles

Updates: Recent Science Fiction Acquisitions N. VI

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I’ve held to my promise not to buy any more books this summer considering I have at least 40 unread sci-fi books looming over my shoulder.   However, other people are welcome to procure books FOR me! And they have — all of the following were gifts! Thank you!

1. The Last Starship from Earth (1968), John Boyd (MY REVIEW)

I’ve read multiple reviews which claim that John Boyd’s The Last Starship from Earth is a lost classic.  However, opinion are far from unanimous (for example, the sci-fi author Joanna Russ wrote a scathing review blaming the publishers for subjecting her and fellow readers to Continue reading Updates: Recent Science Fiction Acquisitions N. VI →

Updates + Articles

Update: Recent Science Fiction Acquisitions N. V

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I promised not to buy any more books over the summer unless I ran out — alas, Memorial Day Sale at one of the best Half Price Books in the country (Austin) is a “bad” combination.  I had to reduce my gigantic pile by half before I dared approach the buy counter….

I’m proud of this haul!

1. Hawksbill Station (1968), Robert Silverberg (MY REVIEW)

I’ve wanted to procure Hawksbill Station for quite a while — the premise is fantastic, five dangerous prisoners are held at Hawksbill Station located in the Cambrian era… One bizarre use of time travel!  I hope Silverberg is at his best à la The World Inside and Downward to the Earth.

2. Master of Life and Death, Robert Continue reading Update: Recent Science Fiction Acquisitions N. V →

Updates + Articles

Update: Recent Science Fiction Acquisitions N. IV

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I’ve finally acquired enough science fiction books to hold me (hopefully) over the summer YET few enough that I’ll clear out 90% of previous unread novels languishing in dark forgotten corners of my bookshelves….  A valiant statement I know.  Most likely more will arrive mysteriously in the mail — when I sleepwalk I buy books (books in the mail = evidence of sleepwalking)…

1. The Time Hoppers, Robert Silverberg (1967) (MY REVIEW)

https://i2.wp.com/www.isfdb.org/wiki/images/b/b4/THTMHPPRSC1968.jpg

Another overpopulation themed novel!  From the few reviews I’ve read this pales in Continue reading Update: Recent Science Fiction Acquisitions N. IV →

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Update: Sci-fi about the social ramifications of overpopulation, a call for suggestions

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I need reading suggestions.

After reading John Brunner’s Hugo winning masterpiece Stand on Zanzibar (1968) a few years back I became entranced by science fiction exploring social themes (intelligently) extrapolated from a future Earth condition of extreme overpopulation.  In the recent months I’ve read and reviewed a glut of similarly themed works of uneven quality.  Many of these works were inspired by Paul and Anne Ehrlich’s non-fiction The Population Bomb (1968) which warned of the mass starvation of humans in the 1970s and 1980s as a result of overpopulation. Continue reading Update: Sci-fi about the social ramifications of overpopulation, a call for suggestions →

Updates + Articles

Update: Recent Science Fiction Acquisitions N. III

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1. The Complete Stories of J. G. Ballard, J. G. Ballard (2009)

My girlfriend gave me this MASSIVE (1196 pages) newly released volume of all of Ballard’s short stories  (arranged in chronological order) for my birthday.  I’m extremely excited because I enjoyed my first Ballard work, High-Rise (1975).  Does anyone have a particular story which I should start with? Continue reading Update: Recent Science Fiction Acquisitions N. III →