Science Fiction

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Book Review: The Race by Nina Allan

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Ecological collapse, genetically modified dogs that bond with their human trainers and owners, the darker side of decaying worlds and the people trapped within them, and metatextual games. The Race by Nina Allan is a SF novel that is much more on the literary end of science fiction, much more Rachel Swirsky than Linda Nagata. The Race is composed of several interlinked and interlaced stories, and finding and discovering the connections, even below the immediately obvious, is part of the joy of the novel. In part one, Jenna’s story is of a hardscrabble existence in a town devoted to genetically uplifted dogs, and the desperate life people on the margins sometimes live. It encapsulates the domino problem and the fragility of people on the edge: just one domino falling can bring down an entire chain of lives. In terms of more straightforward science fictional elements and their use, this was by far the strongest section of the novels.

Shaun's Rambles

Shaun’s Rambles 013: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz (w/ Special Guest Mareen Kincaid Speller)

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https://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/ShaunsRambles013TheBriefWondrousLifeOfOscarWao/ShaunsRambles013–TheBriefWondrousLifeOfOscarWao.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSGeek references + the Dominican Republic = instance classic.  In this episode, Maureen Kincaid Speller joins me to discuss the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz.  We tackle the novel’s treatment of geekery, its exploration of masculinity, romance, and the coming-of-age narrative, and much more! I hope you enjoy it!

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Podcasts

#02. Dark Force Rising — Thrawn and On and On (A Star Wars Literary Podcast)

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http://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/ThrawnAndOnAndOnEpisode2DarkForceRisingByTimothyZahn/ThrawnAndOnAndOnEpisode2–DarkForceRisingByTimothyZahn.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSOur journey through the Star Wars Expanded Universe continues!  In our second episode, Rachael Acks, Kate Sherrod, and Shaun Duke discuss Timothy Zahn’s Dark Force Rising, the second book in the Thrawn Trilogy.  Also included:  we discuss the trailer for Rogue One and the reactions by certain fans — much ranting ensued! We hope you enjoy the episode! Since this is our second episode, we hope you’ll take a moment to tell us what you think.  Want to suggest a book?  Think we should add a feature?  Send us an email at skiffyandfanty[at]gmail[dot]com! 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):

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Podcasts

295. Roundtable Discussion on Novellas w/ Eugene Fischer, Fran Wilde, Malka Older, and C.S.E. Cooney

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http://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/SandFEpisode295RoundtableDiscussionOnNovellas/Sandf–Episode295–RoundtableDiscussionOnNovellas.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSNovella warriors, wordsmiths, and craft, oh my!  In this special episode, Julia and Mike join forces for a roundtable discussion about novellas featuring Eugene Fischer, Fran Wilde, Malka Older, C.S.E. Cooney, and, yes, even Mike Underwood himself!  They cover the craft and art of novellas, some favorite examples, recommendations, 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):

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Podcasts

293. Michel Encinosa Fu (a.k.a. The Techno Wizard) — On Cuban SF (An Interview)

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http://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/SandFEpisode293InterviewWMichelEncinosaFu/Sandf–Episode293–InterviewWMichelEncinosaFu.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSRoleplaying games, gender roles, and the future, oh my!  In this special edition of the show, Shaun interviews author and critic Michel Encinosa Fu about Cuban SF.  They discuss Michel’s fiction, how roleplaying games played a role in his development as a writer, what it’s like coming to the U.S. for the first time, 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: Lagoon by Nnedi Okorafor

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Lagos. It’s one of the most populous cities in the world and yet it is a city that is relatively mysterious to most Western audiences. Its geography, its nature, and even the languages spoken there (did you know the first language for many in Lagos is a Pidgin language and not English?) do not readily come to mind. But why would aliens, if they would come, necessarily park their ship above London, or crash into New York Harbor outside the U.N., or send troops into Los Angeles? Why wouldn’t they pick, instead, say, Lagos? What would a first contact be like if shapeshifting aliens who decided to come to stay on Earth for a while decided to skip the usual suspects and land in the lagoon outside the city of Lagos? Lagoon, by Nnedi Okorafor explores that exact first contact scenario.

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