Tag Archives: science fiction

A Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet

Posted on November 22, 2024 by smellincoffee

Rosemary Harper is a newly certified clerk, fresh from college, signing aboard the good ship Wayfarer for her first gig. It’s going to be a long one, too: galactic politics have just opened up the possibility of a lucrative job … Continue reading →

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Eruption

Posted on November 21, 2024 by smellincoffee

There’s trouble brewing in paradise. Rumblings and earthquakes and the swelling of Mauna Loa indicate that an eruption is imminent, and it may be a big one, threatening the single urban area on Hawaii’s Big Island. Unfortunately, the situation is … Continue reading →

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The Illustrated Man

Posted on November 18, 2024 by smellincoffee

I’ve read to encounter a Bradbury piece that didn’t give me food for though, and The Illustrated Man is no exception. A collection of short stories framed by a mysteriously-tattooed stranger showing off his array of colorful and ever-changing ‘illustrations’, … Continue reading →

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Firefly: Lifesigns + SciFi Prompt 7

Posted on November 7, 2024 by smellincoffee

SciFi Month prompt #7 is, “What’s your favorite SF book read in the last year”, which is easy: Influx by Daniel Suarez. The ending was too “make this a movie, you guys, Michael Bay will make it EPIC”, but the … Continue reading →

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SciFi Prompt #4 — and, the worst novel I’ve read this year

Posted on November 4, 2024 by smellincoffee

Today’s SciFi prompt is “Little Blue Dot”, or books about coming and going from “this fragile Earth, our island home”. Contact comes to mind immediately, and given that today is Carl Sagan’s birthday, I can’t imagine a better response.  Contact … Continue reading →

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The War of the Worlds as witnessed by Teddy Roosevelt

Posted on November 2, 2024 by smellincoffee

There came suddenly a blinding flash of flame from the pit, andanother and another, and the whole delegation met with a terrible instant death, forty souls in all. The fiery beam also ignited adjacent trees and brought down a portion … Continue reading →

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SciFi Prompt #2: Astronavigation

Posted on November 2, 2024 by smellincoffee

Today’s prompt for SciFi Month is “AstroNavigation”, or discussing the books that got us into science fiction. I’ve talked about that a bit before, but what follows is a shorter/sweeter iteration. What book got you into science fiction?   This … Continue reading →

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SF Month 2024: We Are “Go” for Launch

Posted on November 1, 2024 by smellincoffee

This month I’ll be participating in SF Month 2024, with a focus on science fiction: in addition to my reading, I’ll also occasionally participate in the prompts that are posted, combining them with Top Ten Tuesdays and What are You … Continue reading →

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Deck Z

Posted on September 22, 2024 by smellincoffee

(Don’t worry, I only read two of these.) Captain Smith is preparing for his triumphant final voyage, captaining the Titanic in her first trip across the Atlantic. Unfortunately for him, those nasty Germans are going to muck things up. Smith … Continue reading →

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The Last App

Posted on September 19, 2024 by smellincoffee

If there was an app that could crunch all the numbers of your medical history, diet, lifestyle, etc, and predict how many days you have to live — would you try it? The Last App opens with that premise, featuring … Continue reading →

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