The Crystal Spheres by David Brin

The Fermi paradox asks why, if aliens exist, they haven’t contacted us yet. While a vast number of explanations have Continue reading →

The Streets of Ashkelon by Harry Harrison

This brings back memories. When I was ten I read it, loved it and described it to my sister, who Continue reading →

The Tear by Ian McDonald

Summing this up is difficult. More than one person has said this novella has enough ideas for a trilogy of Continue reading →

The Tourist by Paul Park

There’s that wonderful feeling when you try an author for the first time, and as you read you realize you Continue reading →

Aristotle and the Gun by L. Sprague de Camp

Most time travellers, when they decide to change history for the better, opt to kill Hitler or tweak the American Continue reading →

Yellow Card Man by Paolo Bacigalupi

If you’re not familiar with Bacigalupi’s first novel, The Windup Girl (which won just about every award under the sun), Continue reading →

Alone by Robert Reed

Yesterday’s story was on a large scale, a four kilometre long spaceship. Let’s try something larger. Indeed, today’s one is Continue reading →

Monkey Suit by Alastair Reynolds

Reynolds loves things on a large scale. Take the opening paragraph: “A lighthugger is a four kilometre spike of armour Continue reading →