Blog Posts

Book Review: The Architect and the Castle of Glass by Jade Mere

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Jade Mere’s debut work with Dreamspinner Press, The Architect and the Castle of Glass, takes readers on an adventure to a strange castle in a distant land, where the main character, Tahki, is faced with the greatest architectural challenge of his life, that may or may not lead him to love.  A high fantasy novel with touches of steampunk that mix with fascinating class systems, The Architect and the Castle of Glass is a coming-of-age tale that follows a troubled path.  And while it may not be a complete stunner, it’s a comfortable novel that has some great themes and a solid ending.

SF in Translation, The Skiffy and Fanty Show Podcasts

Speculative Fiction in Translation #4: Francesco Verso, Italy and Japan

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https://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/SFiTEpisode4FrancescoVersoItalyAndJapan/Sfit-Episode4-FrancescoVersoItalyAndJapan.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSItaly and Japan dominate this week’s episode, which includes SFT updates for April and an interview with the very talented and very busy Italian author/editor/publisher Francesco Verso. Rachel fills you in on the Chinese, Italian, Korean, Dutch, French, and Spanish short SFT available in the past month, several novels, excerpts you can read online, reviews, and a new feature on her site:  Daniel Haeusser reviewing short SFT each month. With new stories and books coming to our attention each week, make sure to check the SFT website for updates. Enjoy, and keep reading! A bientôt! Show notes:

Blog Posts

Book Review: Gate Crashers by Patrick Tomlinson

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In Patrick Tomlinson’s Gate Crashers, the author takes the worldbuilding, dry sense of humor and relatable characters of his previous series to a new universe where First Contact has gone far wilder than expected. The Magellan, state of the art spacecraft for the American-European Union, is thirty light years from our Solar System, the furthest any human spaceship has voyaged into space, in the mid 24th century. More than a half century of travel, the Magellan’s crew is on ice, the AI of the Magellan guiding the ship toward the star it is targeted toward. However, a chance encounter with a stationary alien probe launches humanity into a first contact scenario that it is not prepared for. And, frankly, neither are the aliens.

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Podcasts

Signal Boost #39 — Joseph Brassey (Dragon Road) and Michael R. Underwood (Born to the Blade)

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https://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/SandFSignalBoost39BrasseyUnderwood/Sandf–SignalBoost39–BrasseyUnderwood.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSIn today’s episode of Signal Boost, Paul talks to Joseph Brassey about the second book in his Drifting Lands series, Dragon Road. Careful, because there are spoilers for the first book in the series, Skyfarer, which you should definitely go read right away. When you’re ready, listen to Joseph discuss how he likes to explore what makes good characters good people, what type of redemption arc he has written, and a little bit about how comedy and his improv background inform his writing. Then Paul is joined by our very own Michael R. Underwood to talk about his brand new Serial Box Publishing project, Born to the Blade. They discuss the process that Mike went through to get Born to the Blade from a concept to a Serial Box project and what it’s like to work with 3 other authors (Marie Brennan, Cassandra Khaw, and Malka Older) in a collaborative story-telling process, including what changed from the original concept. We hope you enjoy the episode!

A Quiet Place Poster
The Skiffy and Fanty Show Podcasts

At the Movies #69 — A Quiet Place w/ Zin E. Rocklyn

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https://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/SandFAtTheMovies69AQuietPlace/Sandf-AtTheMovies69-AQuietPlace.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSSign language, killer aliens, and polar bears, oh my! In today’s episode of At the Movies, Shaun, Alex, David, and the lovely Teri (a.k.a. Zin E. Rocklyn) discuss the science fictional horror film, A Quiet Place, which is probably the only film produced by Michael Bay that doesn’t have anything blow-up… except the fireworks. Damn you, Michael Bay! Together, our intrepid crew explores the film’s treatment of disability, the underlying themes of family and terror, the Nail of Evil, the direction, and so much more. We hope you enjoy the episode!

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SF SF SF Review: March/April

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My favorite stories this month were either relationship dramas or haunted house stories, broadly construed. For a story about a trans witch falling in love, check out “Graveyard Girls on Paper Phoenix Wings” by Andrea Tang, which appears in Glittership Episode 51 (March 5, 2018). It’s a story with marvelous worldbuilding and really cute and likable characters. In “Assistance” by Kathryn DeFazio, which appears in Escape Pod Episode 621 (March 29, 2018), a nonbinary person with anxiety is emotionally supported by an assistive android. It’s a simple and mundane story that’s also incredibly gentle and moving. “All Profound and Logical Minds” by Bennett North, which appears in Escape Pod Episode 618 (March 8, 2018), is a relationship drama between two sisters that’s also a haunted space station adventure. It’s fun, gripping, and inventive. Finally, I was seriously spooked by “Red as Water, White as Ruin” by Benjanun Sriduangkaew, which appears in Mythic Delirium 4.4 (April—June 2018). In this story, a shipful of exiles and outcasts investigate a planet that has suffered an inexplicable apocalypse.

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