The City and the City by China Miéville
Read September 12, 2013 - September 20, 2013

Premise: Two cities co-exist in the same geographic space--to the point of adjacent buildings being in different cities--only separated by the culture of each and the compliance of the citizens to maintain the boundaries. A detective in one city investigates the ( Read more... )

The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson
Read July 3, 2013 - July 21, 2013

Premise: In the not-too-distant (but not too close) future, you can compile anything you want almost-for-free out of centralized matter compilers, the world has split into "Phyles" or self-defined ethnic groups based more on shared values than on national boundaries (which are ( Read more... )

The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov
Read August 14, 2012 - August 17, 2012

(Yes, I'm back! You'll note the over one-year gap between novels. I was in grad school and had a master's paper to write. Now I'm thoroughly over-educated and unemployed. A lot has happened to me over that big break, but I'll endeavor to keep the reviews the same.)

Premise ( Read more... )

Memory by Lois McMaster Bujold, published 1997 ( Read more... )

Mirror Dance by Lois McMaster Bujold
Read March 6, 2011 - March 17, 2011

Premise: ( I give up--I'm way too into it now to try and not write spoilers )

Borders of Infinity by Lois McMaster Bujold, published 1989 ( Read more... )

Brothers in Arms by Lois McMaster Bujold, published 1989
(In-Universe #7 chronologically in the Miles Vorkosigan Saga)

I skipped Ethan of Athos 1.) because it's not in my library and 2.) because it doesn't have Miles. I'm fairly sure I'll go back later and read it at some point ( Read more... )

Cetaganda by Lois McMaster Bujold, published 1996
(In-Universe #5 chronologically in the Miles Vorkosigan Saga)

This one was fairly weird and utterly not like the others in the least. Miles and his cousin Ivan are sent to Cetaganda ( remember evil Cetaganda? They're really just a weird eugenics culture that's pretty nuts) as a diplomatic courtesy ( Read more... )

The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold
Read February 6, 2011 - February 9, 2011

Premise: Miles Vorkosigan ( remember Miles?) has a problem following orders. As in if it would be better to disobey the order to achieve the goal, he cannot obey it. So he ends up gallivanting across the universe, rather by accident, and rescuing Barrayar from the evil ( Read more... )

The Warrior's Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold, published 1986
(In-Universe #3 chronologically in the Miles Vorkosigan Saga)

Basically, stunted "mutant" Miles Vorkosigan (who you may remember from last time), fails to get into Military Academy, goes to see his grandma on the liberal planet, ends up accidentally getting into a war, and is (as he ( Read more... )