Science Fiction and Other Suspect Ruminations

Reviews of Vintage Science Fiction (pre-1985)

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Book Review: Doomtime, Doris Piserchia (1981)

September 5, 2010February 18, 2021 / Joachim Boaz / 5 Comments
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Tedron (the green tree) looks like a huge piece of celery

3.75/5 (Good)

“The body of the woman was retrieved from the shiny pool and they all headed home.  Two days into the journey the corpse sat up on the stretcher and screamed.”

and Continue reading →

Book Review: The Fall of Chronopolis, Barrington J. Bayley (1974)

September 3, 2010May 22, 2012 / Joachim Boaz / 11 Comments

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4.25/5 (Very Good)

The Fall of Chronopolis (The Last and Final Days of the Chronotic Empire) by the relatively unknown British sci-fi author, Barrington J. Bayley, is one the best time travel books I’ve ever read. Other reviewers have suggested that this is Bayley’s best as well — I’ll reserve judgment until I’ve read The Garment Continue reading →

A Film Rumination: Five, Arch Oboler (1951)

August 23, 2010January 3, 2011 / Joachim Boaz / 15 Comments

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4.5/10 (Bad BUT historically important for the sci-fi genre)

Although there are enough plot holes for glaciers and an assortment of national landmarks and buildings to waltz through, Arch Oboler’s Five (1951) is an underrated and historically important sci-fi Continue reading →

Book Review: Double Star, Robert Heinlein (1956)

August 22, 2010September 14, 2011 / Joachim Boaz / 9 Comments

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3/5 (Average)

Winner of the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1956

I’ve never been blown away by Heinlein — twenty-five Heinlein novels later, the trend continues (well, I must admit, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress was very good).  Supposedly deserving of the Continue reading →

Book Review: Earthlight, Arthur C. Clarke (1955)

August 19, 2010August 1, 2011 / Joachim Boaz / 9 Comments

4.5/5 (Very Good)

This is one of my all time favorite Arthur C. Clarke books. Published in 1955, Earthlight still remains a practically unknown work in Clarke’s massive canon. The minimalistic Continue reading →

Update: The Nebula Award for Best Novel (and the ones I’ve read)

August 19, 2010November 22, 2010 / Joachim Boaz / 26 Comments

Early in the history of the Nebula Award, the winning novels often corresponded to the Hugo award winning novels.  In recent years, this has changed somewhat.  The Nebulas — unlike the Hugos — are awarded by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (so, by their peers).  Of the Continue reading →

Update: The Hugo Award for Best Novel (and the ones I’ve read)

August 17, 2010November 22, 2010 / Joachim Boaz / 10 Comments

Many years back (9 years) when I really got into sci-fi I decided to use the Hugo Award for Best Novel list as a way to find interesting authors and read the classics.  I’ve done pretty well!  Continue reading →

Book Review: The Dueling Machine, Ben Bova (1969)

August 14, 2010August 1, 2011 / Joachim Boaz / 4 Comments

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2/5 (Bad)

This novel feels like two separate stories connected by the presence of the dueling machine. The story when the dueling machine is a dueling machine and the story when the Bova decides that the dueling machine is also teleportation device and a therapy device and only occasionally used for duels. The first part of the novel Continue reading →

Book Review: The Seedling Stars, James Blish (1957)

August 4, 2010August 1, 2011 / Joachim Boaz / 11 Comments

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Overall score 3.75/5 (Good)

James Blish’s The Seedling Stars is a collection of three novelettes (Seeding Program, The Thing in the Attic, Surface Tension) and a short story (Watershed).  Each is loosely connected by internal chronology and subject matter: pantropy (the modifications of humans for live on other planets instead of terraforming).  The quality Continue reading →

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