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[[Category:New Reviews|Science Fiction]]==Science fiction==__NOTOC__{{newreview|author=David Brin|title=Existence|rating=4|genre=Science Fiction|summary=We are a few decades further into the 21st Century at the start of this sci<!--fi novel. The world is buckling under climate change, and overRemove -population. Those with enough funds are completely wired into a virtual world, but wherever they live out their existence things are going to be changed, when a space-based labourer, clearing space junk from orbit, finds an alien artifact containing contact with various races in a sort of memory bank cum virtual reality. Where are the aliens that had previously been so silent while we sought for them with our Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence? What is the purpose and message behind this capsule? And who can be sure that this alleged First Contact was actually the first?|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0356501728</amazonuk>}} {{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Kim Stanley RobinsonAllTomorrowsFutureCover|title=2312|rating=4|genre=Science Fiction|summary=All Tomorrow'Intellectually engaged…intensely humane… exuberantly speculative' was Iain M Banks' blurb for ''2312''. So who am I to disagree with one of the current masters of the genre? No-one. Just an ordinary reader. And actually, the more I think about the less I do – actually – as such – disagree. Banks' phrases are true and accurate. They're just not the whole story. Not for me anyway. For a reader, as opposed to another writer, the book is much more difficult than s Futures: Fictions that. ''Publishers Weekly'' called it ''challenging'' and that's much nearer the mark.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1841499978</amazonuk>}} {{newreviewDisrupt|author=Garth Nix|title=A Confusion of Princes|rating=4|genre=Teens|summary=Meet Khemri. One of the universe's chosen, he has been selected as a Prince, giving him biological enhancements, mental connection to priests to aid his psychic ability, and so much more. It has also probably led to the death of his parents, and meant he is alone except for a very close bodyguard, but - at least he is in the running to become Emperor, Benjamin Greenaway and thus almost godlike. But in a world where you can have everything - including more than one chance at living - it might still be wise to think more about what you wish for...|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0007298358</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=Paolo Bacigalupi|title=The Drowned CitiesStephen Oram (Editors)

|summary=The best thing about Paolo Bacigalupi's latest young adult novel is that you almost certainly wouldn't realise it was intended for a younger audience unless someone pointed it out to you. ''The Drowned Cities'' may lack the sex, swearing and amoral protagonists Opening up new ways of his award-winning adult novel '[[The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi|The Windup Girl]], but it has all thinking about the needle-sharp description, complex world-building and brilliant characters that have rapidly made a name for Bacigalupi as one shape of this centuries preeminent science-fiction writers.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1907411119</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=Mike Lancaster|title=1.4|rating=4.5|genre=Teens|summary=Peter Vincent lives a privileged life. His father is a world-renowned scientist and fully expects his son to follow in his footsteps. But Peter has other ideas. He wants things to study literaturecome. Although he enjoys gaming and social networking, he's uncomfortable about spending too much time on The Link, a system which connects the minds of every individual on the planet. So when he meets Strakerite Alpha, he is immediately attracted to her. Peter's father hates the Strakerites, who believe that human evolution depends on regular upgrades from alien aggressors. So when Alpha contacts Peter to tell him that people are disappearing, he is more than willing to help. Together, they will uncover a conspiracy to hide the clock ticking down to the next upgrade... |amazonuk=<amazonuk>1405258187</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=Dan Wells|title=Partials|rating=5|genre=Teens|summary=Since the Break, no baby has lived longer than three days. Scientists have studied every baby to try and find a cure, but with no luck. The human race is on the verge of extinction after the Partials (genetically engineered soldiers who were made to fight for humans) turned on their makers and released the deadly virus that has wiped out most of the population. For those lucky to survive, they now spend their time trying to cure the virus that kills every baby.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>000746522X</amazonuk>}}

{{newreview|author=Johan Harstad|title=172 Hours On The Moon|rating=4I've heard it said that 'technology' is what happens after you're eighteen.5|genre=Teens|summary=It Well, I must confess that there have been more than a few decades of technology in my lifetime. I've kept up reasonably well with what's 2018 and people at NASA want to go back advantageous to me but I'm left with the moon. But no onefeeling that it's been there since all getting away from me. Some of it is - frankly - quite frightening. Of course, I could research the possibilities and the 70s, so with funding probabilities and public support limited, end up down rabbit holes without really understanding whether I'm reading someone who knows what they need an angle're talking about or the latest conspiracy theorist. A draw. Something to get I needed people all over the world buzzing. Their answer is I knew I could trust and who could deliver information in a worldwide lottery to select three teens who can accompany the NASA team on their week long jaunt into spaceway I could understand. The chance of a lifetime! An unforgettable, unrepeatable experience! An adventure that truly is out of this world!|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1907411518</amazonuk>

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Matt KindtSylvie Cathrall|title=RevolverA Letter to the Luminous Deep

|summary=Rachel's world is in There are few greater joys than a book which lives up to a state of decay. Her house is falling apart, her boyfriend has left her and civilization has crumbled in the wake of plague and extreme climate changecompelling premise. Her only friend, Stephanie, And this is separated from Rachel by the now insurmountable barrier of the Atlantic Ocean, their communication dependent on an increasingly unreliable satellite connecting their phones. At Stephanie's prompting Rachel gives her number to local trader Noah, who promises to call. Instead the number falls into the hands of the mysterious and sinister Jez White, initiating a disturbing game of cat and mouse, where the line between stalker and victim becomes blurred as Rachel finally decides to take control one of her lifethem.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1908434120</amazonuk>0356522776

 {{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Ken MacLeod1803816759|title=Intrusion|rating=5|genre=Science Fiction|summary=Pregnant Hope doesn't want to take the Fix, a genetic cure-all pill that corrects the DNA of an unborn child and protects it from all sorts of diseases. Hope's husband Hugh doesn't really understand her objections to the Fix - in fact, Hope never really articulates them at all - but supports her right to choose. |amazonuk=<amazonuk>1841499390</amazonuk>}} {{newreviewThe Unravelling|author=David Kowalski|title=The Company of the DeadWill Gibson

|summary=A man stands on It's 2038 and Joe is a bored cop policing the wealthy and peaceful New York City. Joe longs for a ship checking bit of adventure and to get stuck into some really gritty crime detection. But then something goes horribly wrong with the AI system that an iceberg has been missednow runs everything, making life easier for many, and riots start to spread. The year is 1912Finally, Joe gets to do some real policing. In the aftermath of the ship rioting global pop star Suki is the Titanic kidnapped and the man Joe is a time-traveller hoping assigned to change historybring her home. History is in fact changed as Joe isn't the only one trying to save Suki - Dylan, a result of his meddlingBritish superfan and tech nerd, but not in a good wayis also on the case.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0857686666</amazonuk>What went wrong? Did the system fail or was it hacked? And how is Suki's kidnapping connected?

 {{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=SD CrockettB0CP95J1CG|title=After the SnowOf Ghosts & Broken Promises|author=Mark Lingane

|summary=Sean Makin was a cute, much demanded child actor. Then Ronan's not entirely sure why he grew up and the cute became creepy as the baby face that had made him famous remained (due decides to a physical condition) but was unsuited go to an adult's body. So the demand dried up and Sean tries to come to terms with party but his change of fortunes interest is piqued by writing the way it arrived. And it seems like a 'how good opportunity to act' blog, intoxicating substances get out of his room and appearances on away from the online activities he makes a reality celebrity martial arts fight showliving at. One daySo he makes his way there, whilst being beaten dodging the buses that make up for most of the cameras in a wrestling ring full of cottage cheese, he realises traffic and watching the depths to which he's sunklocal energy storage indicator lights. Should be enough power. Something has to change! Luckily change soon arrives in the form of 'Alternate Reality' magnate, Dagmar ShawHopefully.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1841498254</amazonuk>

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Philip PalmerK P O'Donnell|title=ArtemisThe Vital Link (A Spark in the Ashes)|rating=43.5

|summary=With every novelVL-15, a prototype robot, Philip Palmer is going from strength desperate to strengthunderstand who she is. IUnfortunately, before she could find any answers, the world ended, consumed in an apocalyptic war between the nations of Drexel and Renada. Over half-a-century later, civilisation is starting to rebuild. Dr Amelia Wong is determined to continue her father've not always enjoyed his writing styles legacy, building a world where machines and humans can live together in harmony, but his eye for a story is wonderful internal frictions and his imagination is seemingly endlessexternal enemies might bring it all crashing down again. Every time I open one Craig Anderson, leader of a group of salvagers called the Exhumers, has his novels, I wonder entire life turned upside down when he will find unearths a prototype combat robot: none other than VL-15 herself. Even after being buried for 65 years, her determination hasn't diminished in the limits of his inventiveness slightest, and no errant machine, no savage human tribe and itnot even Drexel's never that time. ''Artemis'' is no exception to that rule.ravaged ecosystem will stop her on her quest for answers…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1841499455</amazonuk>B0CKRYFRZM

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Marissa MeyerEmily Tesh|title=The Lunar Chronicles: CinderSome Desperate Glory

|summary=Some time ago, I read Philip Palmer''While Earth's debut novel [[Debatable Space by Philip Palmer|Debatable Space]]. Whilst there were aspects of that novel I didn't feel entirely workedchildren live, it was a well paced read for the most part and I marked Palmer as a writer to watch. His subsequent novels, [[Red Claw by Philip Palmer|Red Claw]] and [[Version 43 by Philip Palmer|Version 43]], have been well received here at The Bookbag and his fourth, enemy shall fear us''Hell Ship'', isn't bad either.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1841499447</amazonuk>}}

{{newreview|author=Ira Levin|title=The Stepford Wives|rating=4.5|genre=General Fiction|summary='It can't be Following the destruction of the Earth, amongst a coincidence that Stepford women are all the way they are' says Bobbierare number of survivors, Joanna Eberhart's only friend in Stepford. Joanna Kyr has recently come to live in been raised on Gaea Station – the home of the idyllic suburban town last scraps of Stepford with humanity – and trained relentlessly to avenge her husband people and two childrenthe world that should have been hers. She is an independent woman with All her own part-time career as a photographerlife, is intelligentshe has been conditioned to fall in line, liberated to fulfil her duty and has a keen interest in feminismensure that humanity perseveres. |amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1849015899</amazonuk>0356521834

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=James S A CoreyM R Carey|title=Leviathan WakesInfinity Gate|rating=45

|summary=Humanity has managed I'm annoyingly picky when it comes to venture into the solar system and colonise Mars, various moons and some asteroids and stations in science fiction. Not because it's a genre I dislike – nothing of the (asteroid) Belt between Mars and Jupitersort. Those inhabiting the Belt have evolved My standards are high precisely because it's a hard genre to be significantly thinner get right – and elongated compared to Earthers and Martianswhen it's bad, due it's often terrible. But the low gravity in which they live; their difference in appearance and premise of Infinity Gate had me hooked. A concept this intriguing felt like a difference in attitude form the basis for a lot of the tension and uneasy relationships in the novelhigh-stakes gamble: if it was done well, it'd be fantastic. So this is where I sum up that premise.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1841499889</amazonuk>0356518043

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Jeff SomersMichael Grothaus|title=The Final EvolutionBeautiful Shining People

|genre=Science Literary Fiction|summary=Don't assume too much when starting this book. Certainly, do not assume you can jump straight into this series at this, part five - start much nearer [[The Electric Church by Jeff Somers|the beginning]], as I did. Don't assume the first person narrative means the narrator survives, for this is a world of cyborgs, But fearing something and psychic human intelligences stored in robot hardware, and morehaving it come to pass are two different things. Don't assume the lulling opening chapters herald a simple revenge actioner, as Avery Cates lives in a tangled web of vengeful villains, and nothing is very straightforward. And donI't assume the unremarkable opening is from an author low on ideas, for when Cates is proven m willing to be the one man to save the worldbet most of what we fear will never happen, or we find it suitably meaty, and gripping, despite that old saw - and can take steps to change it.''s a rich nightmare of post-apocalypse for him to be saving, as well...|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1841499439</amazonuk>}}

{{newreview|author=Daniel H Wilson|title=Robopocalypse|rating=3''Beautiful Shining People'' revolves around the question of identity and acceptance. Of what it means to be human.5|genre=Science Fiction|summary=Rob Of what is out to kill us all, real and what is going to take some beating. He already has many advantagesartificial, and can adapt easily where he finds a fault in his plans. He already has most whether the development of us dead, technology is exciting or in concentration camps. Rob is the generic nickname for all robot-kind, all controlled by one supreme Artificial Intelligence, who is set on eradication of our speciesfrightening.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0857204122</amazonuk>191458564X

 {{newreviewFrontpage|isbn=1739593901|title=Back Dated22 Ideas About The Future|author=Chris NiblockBenjamin Greenaway and Stephen Oram (Editors)|rating=3.5

|summary=Sci-fi writer Ray Flaxman returns home from a weekend away with his fiancee with a dealine to meet. But he finds his flat broken to into and trashed''Our future will be more complex than we expected. Nothing Instead of value has been taken. So Ray suspects his stalker is to blame. Serena has been calling and writingflying cars, declaring her love for Ray we got night-vision killer drones and her urgent desire automated elderly care with geolocation surveillance bracelets to have his child. But Ray has never met her. Even so, he is keen to keep this mystery girl a secret because his fiancee, Frankie, has huge jealousy issuestrack grandma. |amazonuk=<amazonuk>B004W0JR7G</amazonuk>}}''

{{newreview|author=John Trevillian|title=The A-Men Return|rating=3I've got a couple of confessions to make. I'm not keen on short stories as I find it easy to read a few stories and then forget to return to the book. There's got to be a very compelling hook to keep me engaged.5|genre=Science Fiction|summary=It Then there's science fiction: far too often it's been several years since the Phoenix Tower came down and technology which takes centre stage along with the Aworld-Men splitbuilding. Dead City is a shadow of its former self It's human beings who fascinate me: an urban wasteland the technology and the centre world scape are purely incidental. So, what did I think of the sort a book of gang warfare that finds and exploits drugs and hopelessness with a ruthless talenttwenty-two science fiction short stories? Well, I loved it. |amazonuk=<amazonuk>184876619X</amazonuk>

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Stephen Mark NormanLingane|title=Meklyan and the Fourth Piece of the ArtefactGalaxy|rating=34

|summary=Four billion years after our Sun has become a red giant and diedSpark, taking all life who is an elite pilot with the Space Academy, barely makes itthrough a battle alive. His co-pilot was not so fortunate. Waking from a coma that lasted years, there are still humans he remembers little and is in the universeno physical shape to resume his duties. How so? By man-made panspermiaBut Earth is under threat and he must. When Earth's civilisation realised it couldn't master long distance space travel in sufficient time Returned by his superiors to avoid annihilation, it sent out DNA probes filled with bacteria far out into the spacestation, he finds himself amid a last ditch attempt to planets in save humanity - and not just from the temperate zones of solar systems; planets that could potentially sustain life. And on eight planetsalien threats against it, sustain life they didbut also from its own sins against itself. |amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0956202713</amazonuk>B09X3NZ76W

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Simon MordenTade Thompson|title=Equations Far From the Light of LifeHeaven|rating=34.5

|summary=ItMichelle 's a book that Shell' Campion is certainly not short fulfilling her lifelong dream of actiongoing to space. We are not told what As first officer aboard the Armageddon event wassleeper ship Ragtime, although aspects bound for the world of it are hinted at. Perhaps that Bloodroot, she will become explained later in essentially be a babysitter for the seriesship's AI captain. What we do know is However, when she wakes up at the end of her trip to find dozens of her passengers butchered and the Ragtime's AI almost non-responsive, she begins to realise that her first mission won't be going as smoothly as she hoped it has wiped out Japanwould. Down on Bloodroot, disgraced investigator Rasheed Fin and one of his android partner Salvo are sent up to discover exactly what went wrong on the first victims Ragtime. Meanwhile, former astronaut and friend of the event Shell's father Lawrence Biz takes a shuttle to Bloodroot, half-alien daughter in London appears tow, to have been see why the Congestion Charge as it is now a heaving metropolis with gridlock traffic (although this Ragtime has gone quiet, leaving behind the politicking and bureaucracy of Space Station Lagos. What the masses five of people seem to mysteriously evaporate as them discover on the Ragtime has ramifications not just for Bloodroot, but potentially the story unfolds).entirety of human space…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>184149948X</amazonuk>0356514323

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Paolo BacigalupiClaire North|title=The Windup GirlNotes from the Burning Age|rating=3.54

|summary=Although only recently released in paperback in the UK, Paolo BacigalupiAt its core 's The Windup Girl has been gaining considerable critical acclaim across 'Notes From the pondBurning Age''by Claire North is a spy thriller, with as many double crosses, interrogations and night time escapes as Le Carre or Fleming. Set in However, as with the best novels, it wears many masks and its most affecting one is that of a future version of Thailandnew and timely genre, cli-fi, itor climate change fiction. North's an interesting take on the environmental meltdown scenario that has garnered it novel tells of a couple world devastated by climate change where humans have been forced to start anew and live alongside nature without any of science fiction awards (the Hugo modern and Nebula awardscorrupting "luxuries" (read: fossil fuels, weapons of mass destruction, intensive farming) . There is a growing unhappiness with this limiting world, and was named as one group, the ninth best fiction book of 2009 by Time magazine. No less than three of Brotherhood, aims to master these processes no matter the review extracts used by cost to the publishers in this edition liken Bacigalupi to William Gibson. High praise indeedEarth. Does it rise to these expectations?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0356500535</amazonuk>0356514757

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=K S TurnerAdrian Tchaikovsky|title=Chronicles Shards of Fate and Choice: TumultusEarth|rating=34|genre=FantasyScience Fiction|summary=This is Eighty years ago, Earth was destroyed, warped into an unrecognisable shape by the follow up to [[Before moon-sized aliens known as the Gods (Chronicles of Fate and Choice) by K S Turner|Before The Gods]]Architects. Humanity is scattered, a debut novel lauded for bringing a breath of fresh air constantly fleeing as world after world falls to the world of speculative fiction and one of Bookbagarchitect's [[Bookbag's Christmas Gift Recommendations 2009|top picks of 2009]]reshaping. Then, just when they had the human race on the run, the Architects vanished. Tumultus is And so, the second memories of the planned trilogy war fades, heroes are forgotten, and humanity begins to fracture and I was looking forward fight among themselves. Idris Telemmier, a man genetically engineered to seeing how the author would really cut loose now that readers were already familiar try and communicate with the Shaa-kutu Architects, does not want to be remembered. But, when he and the story crew of their link the salvage ship he calls home discover what appears to be recent Architect activity, suddenly he is thrust back into the origin of spotlight. As he and his allies bounce from star system to star system, chased by alien crime syndicates, human secret police and rich slavers, he slowly begins to realise that the human race.real war is only just getting started…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0956224210</amazonuk>1529051886

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Tricia SullivanTerry Miles|title=LightbornRabbits|rating=4.5

|summary=In an alternate but contemporary United StatesWelcome to the world of The Game. Or should that be the game, everyone uses Lightborn technologyfor while it ought to be capitalised to high heaven, or shineit never leaves lower case throughout this book. It's also called Rabbits, although only as a slangy term for it's nicknamed. Providing entertainment– as far as anyone knows, it has no official title, no official source, education no hard and self-knowledgefast structure, people live in and to the ultimate plugged-in societyaverage person no obvious entry point. And A bit like the game of life then . Yes, this is the game of life for a certain tribe of people – the Fall comesfan of the conspiracy, the computer game, the hack from the darkest of webs. Rogue AIs People like our hero, K, named like that in the shine field around least Kafkaesque manner possible. K and his bezzies are trying to be historians of the game, and have studied amongst many things the most unique of high score boards, for the city lists of Los Sombres start sending out bad shine who has successfully won the game are in the most peculiar places, and are still very short. However this time it's different. This time the adults all go loco - becoming violent game seems the most dangerous, nay lethal, the most broken it's ever been – morally and murderousotherwise. Unfortunately for K, in trying to sort out what the game is doing, if it's even being played, or broken down and reduced how his loved ones might be kept safe, he is only to performing repetitive tasks over find out that the line between observing and overlearning about the game, and playing it, is a very thin one indeed...|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1841494070</amazonuk>1529016932

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Philip PalmerC J Carey|title=Version 43Widowland

|summary=In It's April 1953, and Adolf Hitler's schedule includes going to Moscow to attend the near-future USA that they call Gileadstate funeral of Joseph Stalin then within weeks coming to London, parading around a bit, and watching over the sanctioned return to the throne of Edward VIII with his wife, society has changedQueen Wallis. For yes, Britain caved in the lead-up to the worseWorld War Two that certainly didn't happen as we know it, and we are now a protectorate – well, we share enough of coursethe same blood as the Germanic peoples on ''the mainland''. The population But this is dying outmost certainly a different Britain, for Nazi-styled phrenology, and people who are capable ideas of female purpose, has put all of breeding the next generation are given that gender into a cherished status of Handmaid caste system, ranging from high- gifted brow office bigwigs to any male of enough esteemthe drudges, and beyond those, called a Commanderright on down to the childless, who balances the household with his wife husbandless and what the widows. Female literacy is practically a walking wombactively discouraged. Other women get drudge workAnd in this puritanical existence, our heroine, Rose Ransom, or run horrid finishing schools is employed with the task of bowdlerising classical literature to take all encouragement for the Handmaidsfemale emancipation out of it – after all, or are packed off to what are reported to not every book can be polluted hellholes abroadbanned, for laborious work for life. Men are restricted too - Handmaids are off-limits to everybody but their Commanderand not every story excised immediately from British civilisation, and those households are patrolled carefully by other eunuch typesso they just get a hefty tweak towards the party line before they're stamped ready for reprint. It's up to our nameless narrator and main characterThat is her job, howeverat least, to show us just how cherished until the status first emerging signs of Handmaid feelsfemale protest come to light, with their potential to spoil Hitler's visit.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0099511665</amazonuk>152941198X

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Iain M BanksEverina Maxwell|title=Surface DetailWinter's Orbit

|summary=It Prince Kiem is perhaps appropriate for a book that centres around the battle for the afterlife to begin this review with a confession: this was my first encounter with Iain M Banksfamous political disappointment. He' Culture series of science fiction novels. At firsts outgoing, I worried that this put me at a significant disadvantage as for the first 100 or so pagescarefree, I spend most of and has gotten into many drunken scandals over the time being completely confused about what was going on. However, as the strands started to come together, it became apparent that this is partly Banks' style and indeed it's one he uses in his non-science fiction books too. Keep going, it does come together.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1841498939</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=William Gibson|title=Zero History|rating=4past few years.5|genre=Literary Fiction|summary=It's almost obligatory So when writing anything about William Gibson to recall that in an earlier short story, he invented the term 'cyberspace'. Gibson remains at the cutting edge of what important political alliance is 'cool'. Like most of his books, Zero History is a thriller, but at its core are issues surrounding technology, how we interact with it, branding and marketing. It would to be easy to criticise much of his content as being too shallow and concerned with 'nothing' - but then arranged – one that's part of his point.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0670919527</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=Charles Stross|title=The Fuller Memorandum|rating=4|genre=Science Fiction|summary=Our world is not as it seems. We share it with aliens, zombies, demonic spirits, with ancient god-like entities that are all keen supposed to eat our bodies and devour our souls. It's lucky, then, that we have the British secret service prevent an interplanetary war – no one expects him to protect us, more specifically a top secret branch of be chosen for the secret service called The Laundryrole. This organisation is so secret that even the bosses at MI6 don't know Least of its existence. The point of the Laundry is to keep all the myriad of terrors endangering the Earth at bay by the careful use of science, technology and magic, magic being a little known branch of applied mathshim.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1841497703</amazonuk>0356515885

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Ian McDonaldRob Winters|title=The Dervish HouseHis Name Was Wren

|genre=Science FictionConfident Readers|summary=The reader is plunged straight away into In September 1944 something came down in Oban Woods, near the busy, bustling centre village of IstanbulHurstwick. And climate change appears to have arrived. In 2022 thousands It came down hard, taking the spire of Istanbul's citizens died in the village church with it, destroying a heatwave stone shack, and nowleaving a wide trail through the wood, only three years later but no trace of what it's 'Thirty-three degrees in April, at seven in the morning. Unthinkableactually was.' You can almost hear German secret weapon was the collective thrum local gossip, but there should have been an explosion and a crater, and there were neither of all those air-conditioning units trying to make life bearable for the local peoplethings.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0575080531</amazonuk>B08KGVNVNB

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Jeff SomersMark Lingane|title=The Terminal StateNote to Self: An Education

|summary=In this future, desolate, post-apocalyptic Kry's world, the last thing Avery Cates wants to do is choose discovery that human cells replace themselves every seven years results in a side. The police are androids, artificial cases for clones cascade of people who die medical "advances": in the making, and the other source of power is not much better. But 2030 it's them found that pressgang him into joining radiation can return cells back to their army. What little freedom and power he had as a lone gunman is lostregeneration state seven years before, as hein 2035 it's given nanotech augments possible to make him a super-soldier. Which is bad news - as is cure cancerous tumours but with the fact side effect of erasing seven years of memory, by 2045 the two most powerful and hated people in Cates's universe are cosmetics industry is using the very people who buy him from the army same technique to do one last job "de- age" their customers by seven years. In a society obsessed with image and they can be very persuasive about him accepting it...youth, who needs memories?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1841498750</amazonuk>B08LY8J4KS}} {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Terry DehartChristopher Paolini|title=The UnitTo Sleep in a Sea of Stars|rating=3.5|genre=Science Fiction|summary=We all know about On the moon of a distant gas giant, Xenobiologist Kira Navárez is helping with the efforts to make the nuclear familyplanet habitable to human life. However, well now meet a discovery of an ancient alien bunker under the post-nuclear family in Terry De Hartmoon's brutal vision of surface leaves her bonded with a post apocalyptic Americastrange alien entity. We know After the entity bonded to her loses control and kills half the staff of the score; terrorists attack key US cities with nuclear devicesresearch station, US retaliates on the nations supporting United Military Command cruiser Extenuating Circumstances arrives in the terroristsystem to take Kira in for examination. There Things go from bad to worse when the Extenuating Circumstances is only one possible outcomeattacked and destroyed by an alien ship, mass casualties and she has to flee to the breakdown 61 Cygnus star system. She is revived aboard the freighter Wallfish, crewed by Captain Falconi and a rag-tag bunch of civil society leading to misfits, and the news is grim. The same aliens that destroyed the rise Extenuating Circumstances are now wreaking havoc across all of barbarism in human-occupied space, and only a devastated landscape in mythical weapon known as the grip Staff of a nuclear winterBlue can stop them. Within As the death toll climbs and more players are introduced into this madness war, Kira slowly begins to realise that she may have had a family survives not knowing how much of greater hand in the country or the world has been destroyed.conflict than she could've possibly imagined…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1841499331</amazonuk>1529046505

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Ken MacLeodLaura Lam and Elizabeth May|title=The Restoration GameSeven Devils|rating=54|genre=Science Fiction|summary=Lucy Stone works for Eris is one of the foremost operatives of the Novantae, a videogame company resistance movement fighting against the ruthlessly expansionist Tholosian Empire – an Empire she was destined to inherit in Edinburghher past life as Princess Discordia, whom everyone believed has been dead for years. She enjoys Clo, an ace pilot for the job - particularly being one of Novantae, has a mission: hijack a Tholosian spacecraft to gather information vital to the boys - and itwar effort. Although she's given less than pleased to discover that her former friend Eris is her partner on this mission. Things get more interesting as the mission commences; aboard the ship are three defectors with a sense of belonging secret that she'd craved but never had. And then her mother callscould potentially cripple the Empire. A CIA spook, Amanda wants LucyEris's firm to rewrite their upcoming game brother Damocles, the runner-up heir to feature the mythology of a small ex-Soviet republic. Krassnia Empire, is where Lucy was born, where she lived for her first seven years, plotting to disrupt peace talks between Tholos and where she spent the scariest day last of her lifethe free alien species. Amanda wrote It's a seminal work on Krassnian mythology and Lucy uses this to reshape race against time as the game, knowing that it's likely rebels move to be used as put a tool stop Damocles' plans, with millions of lives hanging in a hoped-for colour revolution. the balance…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1841496472</amazonuk>1473231140

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Chris Wooding|title=Black Lung Captain: Tales of the Ketty Jay|rating=4.5|genre=Science Fiction|summary=Things on board the Ketty Jay have never been as low. Darian Frey and his crew are even having trouble thieving from defenceless orphanages. So when the next token job-they-can't-refuse comes along, they fall under it's spell. An explorer has returned with tales of untold riches, courtesy of the most mysterious artefacts and treasures of an unknown civilization. The fact that the remains are those of an aircraft crashed in the most Arctic of rainforests, inhabited by the most evil beast-men monsters, is neither here nor there. The problems start with what they find there, which is worse than anyone could have expected - or indeed years ago, with a mysterious connection between the remains Frederic Beigbeder and the more unusual crewmember...|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0575085177</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=Chris BeckettFrank Wynne (translator)|title=The Holy MachineA Life Without End

|genre=Science Literary Fiction|summary=In I looked at the near future, only Illyria city stands for sciencecalendar the other week, technology and progress in disappointedly realised I have a world dominated by religious fundamentalism birthday this year – I know, yet another one. It won't be one of every faith (and the major numbers, but the time when I have the same number as Heinz varieties looms on the horizon. And then some). The city was founded as a haven for those intellectuals not possessing any such religious convictionsfew of the big 0-numbers, who advocated reason and logic insteadif all goes well, and were persecuted I'll be an OBE. (Which of course stands for their Over Bloody Eighty.) Now if that'blasphemies' in s the early stages extent of the upheavalmy mid-life crisis, I guess I have to be happy. George Simling Our author here doesn't use that exact phrase, but he might be said to be living one. Determined to find out how to prolong life for as long as he wants – he would like to see 400 – he hops right into bed with the assistant to the introvert protagonist first geneticist he interviews, and second generation Illyrian, falls in love they end up with a beautiful woman called Lucy. Unfortunately howeverchild, Lucy which is actually at least a syntecway of continuing the life of his genes, and a robot ASPU: Advanced Sensory Pleasure Unit, a prostitutemotive to keep on going. As George obsessively visits her, But how can he realises that she is starting get to develop a level of consciousness and self-awareness outside of her programming. Lucy is due for a routine mind-wipe not flick the 'final way out' switch, especially when foie gras tastes so George decides to flee with her to the technophobic outlands in order to save this newly discovered consciousness.nice?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1848874626</amazonuk>1642860670

{{newreview|author=Pittacus Lore|title=I am Number Four|rating=3.5|genre=Teens|summary=Meet John Smith. By all appearances he is the usual fifteen year old American kid, except for the fact he and his 'father' shift location every few months. John is certainly not his real name, but has to face up to reality - school bullies, hot girls and in fact any friends being unattainable with such a peripatetic lifestyle. 'Dad' stays at home, scanning the internet and all news sources, in order to protect the pair - for they are among the remaining dozen or so inhabitants of Lorien, living in hidden exile Move on Earth, but hunted by their enemies from yet another alien race. Can the fact they are permanently pursued grant them any peace - especially when 'John' is about to undergo some rather prominent alien-style puberty?|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0141332476</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=Michael Cobley|title=The Orphaned Worlds (Humanity's Fire)|rating=3.5|genre=Science Fiction|summary=The planet Darien, once a lost outpost where earth colonists co-existed with the native Uvovo, is now the focal point of an intergalactic struggle. Hegemony forces are in occupation mode, Earth is standing back reined in by inter-planetary politics, whilst planet-side local alliances are fighting back guerrilla-style. This is the least of the galaxy's concerns, however. It might even get air-brushed out as a little minor difficulty in the history-books-to-come. There is a much bigger problem to worry about.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1841496332</amazonuk>}}[[Newest Short Story Reviews]]