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Book Review: Defying Doomsday, Edited by Tsana Dolichva & Holly Kench

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“People with disability already live in a post-apocalyptic world.” – Robert Hoge This crowd-funded anthology of post-apocalyptic fiction showcases the theme of disabled or chronically-ill protagonists. Edited by Tsana Dolichva and Holly Kench, the collection features many Aussie female writers (though not exclusively) and names likely both familiar and new to speculative fiction readers. With all of its diversity in characters, apocalyptic setting, and featured disability/illness, Defying Doomday is remarkably consistent in tone and quality. Out of fifteen stories there is only one that failed for me, and that is completely due to personal taste. (I am done with giving stories in the second person a chance beyond two pages).

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Podcasts

300. Lynne Thomas, Michael Damian Thomas, and Michi Trota — Uncanny Magazine (Year Three)(An Interview)

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http://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/SandFEpisode300InterviewWUncannyMagazine/Sandf–Episode300–InterviewWUncannyMagazine.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSWicked unicorns, short fiction gnomes, and Year Three, oh my!  Lynne Thomas, Michael Damian Thomas, and Michi Trota return to discuss another year of Uncanny Magazine.  We discuss the future of the magazine, the latest Kickstarter campaign, editing, and much more! We hope you enjoy the episode! Note:  If you have iTunes and like this show, please give us a review on our iTunes page, or feel free to email us with your thoughts about the show! Here’s the episode (show notes are below): Episode 300 — Download (MP3) Show Notes:

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Podcasts

#47. X-Men Apocalypse (2016) — A Shoot the WISB Subcast

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http://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/ShootTheWISB47XMenApocalypse/ShootTheWisb47–X-menApocalypse.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSSuperhero hair problems, emo smurfs, and Quicksilver, oh my!  Shaun, Rachael, and Jen respond to your demands and join forces to tackle Singer’s X-Men Apocalypse (2016).  They discuss the new characters, the comic book fidelity argument, where Apocalypse goes right and where it goes terribly wrong, Quicksilver, and much more! We hope you enjoy the episode! Note:  If you have iTunes and like this show, please give us a review on our iTunes page, or feel free to email us with your thoughts about the show! Here’s the episode (show notes are below):

Blog Posts

Book Review: Spiderlight by Adrian Tchaikovsky

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A band of heroes, a priestess determined to defeat the evil that threatens the land, and a prophecy that is the necessary fulfillment of conditions to defeat the Dark Lord all sounds like your bog-standard epic fantasy. The typical sort of epic fantasy that has been around since the 1980s and probably written  in three or more volumes. Perhaps even one of those interminable series that just keeps going on and on. Almost certainly there would be your typical map, maybe a glossary, or a dramatis personae. In the hands of Adrian Tchaikovsky, however, Spiderlight is a lean short novel. It takes the epic fantasy formula template and in the midst of executing that formula, ruthlessly and entertainingly interrogates and examines it.

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Book Review: Awakenings by Edward Lazellari

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Two denizens of New York City, both with a mysterious amnesia, turn out to be connected to each other and to interdimensional intrigue with the fantasy realm of Aandor in Edward Lazellari’s debut novel Awakenings. Given that the other realms and the greater universe are offscreen and only referred to, what the novel comes out to be is an unusual take on urban fantasy, where the fantastic intrusion is from a fantasy realm rather than from, say, Faerie. The novel’s point of view primarily alternates between the two amnesiac characters.  Cal MacDonell is a model NYPD cop with a wife and a young daughter. Straitlaced, straight-up family man who does his job and holds to his word. He’s the archetype of the stalwart, respectable police officer who takes “to protect and serve” seriously. This icon of order, and he does feel like an archetype, might even take that to extremes. As we learn more about him and his past, the revelations slot in perfectly with the character as he currently exists.

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Audiobook Review: Infomocracy by Malka Older

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A timely dive into the electoral politics and shenanigans of the future, Malka Older’s debut novel Infomocracy does a deep dive into a future where even with decentralized micro democracy, the problems of power and politics remain, even if they have altered their forms. The monopolization of search engine technology by a company called Information has led to the atomization of society and nearly the entire world into  microdemocratic states with outposts throughout the world, or sometimes just regionally or locally.  Twenty years in, the next election, which has been previously globally dominated by one party, is being viewed with suspicion and alarm. If Heritage, the overall winner the last two election cycles, should win again, the microdemocratic trend might ossify and die on the vine. But governmental change is a scary thing, scary enough that people might take advantage of the election to push their own power plays.

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