by NRB | 7 Mar 2017 | SFF |
World building is the real star of Lotus Blue, the debut science fiction novel for Australian author Cat Sparks. Very quickly in this novel Sparks creates a vision of a future Australia – an already ancient land – that’s further weighed down by centuries of...
by NRB | 19 Jul 2016 | SFF |
The Stars Askew continues Australian fantasy author Rjurik Davidson’s dark tale of revolution, treachery and personal sacrifice begun in his debut novel Unwrapped Sky. Again, this story is set in the richly imagined city of Caeli Amur where magical beasts, grinding...
by NRB | 14 Apr 2016 | SFF |
Leviathan’s Blood covers a lot of ground and introduces a whole new world of wonders, all vividly and indelibly portrayed. I’m not overstating things when I say that Ben Peek is one of the most accomplished writers of richly detailed and intricately plotted epic...
by NRB | 15 Dec 2015 | SFF |
Virgin Jackson confronts demon wolves, gang lords and stone witches in this sequel to Peacemaker. In 2014, Marianne De Pierres pulled off an impressive hat-trick with Peacemaker, the first book in her Virgin Jackson series, effortlessly blending crime, sci-fi and...
by NRB | 10 Nov 2015 | SFF |
This science fiction epic combines cutting-edge science and technology with strong characters and high stakes. Neal Stephenson came to the fore with his third book Snow Crash, which gave William Gibson a run for his money in the cyberpunk stakes. Since then he’s...
by NRB | 17 Sep 2015 | SFF |
Here is a post-apocalyptic novel that still allows for hope, beauty and art in a terrible world. Station Eleven is a book that will defy your expectations. It may be set on an Earth where 99 per cent of the population has been killed by a virulent influenza, but...
by NRB | 11 Aug 2015 | SFF |
This novel centres on surely the greatest adventure any group of humans could embark upon: a one-way trip in search of a new Earth to call home. Kim Stanley Robinson is pretty much a god in science fiction circles. Winner of 11 major science fiction awards, including...
by NRB | 14 Jul 2015 | SFF |
Which is more dangerous? Aliens bearing gifts? Or human nature? Paul McAuley is a multi-award-winning speculative fiction author whose Quiet War series, which spawned four novels and a collection of short stories, is one of the most enjoyable space-based speculative...
by NRB | 3 Mar 2015 | SFF |
James Bradley’s new novel reveals a frightening future that grows more possible day by day. A near-future novel that uses the devastating effects of climate change as its setting and yet isn’t a complete downer: that’s quite an achievement, particularly as it also...
by NRB | 10 Feb 2015 | SFF |
The father of cyberpunk returns with a new novel that deals in corporate wars, time travel and murder. William Gibson is one of the most famous science fiction authors of the modern age. His now classic Sprawl Trilogy, Neuromancer, Burning Chrome and Mona Lisa...
by NRB | 27 Nov 2014 | SFF |
A mission to discover a new planet is sabotaged in this debut SF full of plot twists and wonder. There are two main schools of space opera today: military SF, where some version of the US marines arrives on the scene, kills everybody, and lets God sort out the good...
by NRB | 25 Sep 2014 | SFF |
Ben Peek’s debut gives George RR Martin a run for his money. The best epic fantasy is a seamless blend of intricately wrought elements that creates a fully-realised world with a comprehensive and weighty history that continues to affect the lives of the equally real...
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EMILY TSOKOS PURTILL Matia. Reviewed by Ann Skea22 October 2024Emily Tsokos Purtill’s debut novel ranges across continents to tell the stories [ … ]
STEVEN HAMILTON and RICHARD HOLDEN Australia’s Pandemic Exceptionalism. Reviewed by Braham Dabscheck17 October 2024Australia’s Covid response may have had problems, but Steven Hamilton and [ … ]
ELIZABETH STROUT Tell Me Everything. Reviewed by Michael Jongen15 October 2024Pulitzer-winner Elizabeth Strout explores themes of isolation and connection in [ … ]