Review -- Crystal Rain by Tobias S. Buckell

This might not be the most timely review, considering that Tobias S. Buckell's debut novel, Crystal Rain, originally came out in hardcover in 2006. But that's how my site works. I read the books I want to read, and then I review them. Crystal Rain has been on my wishlist for a while mostly because according to its Wikipedia page it's a "Caribbean steampunk novel." Now that I've finished the novel, I can say that that descriptor is only half accurate. Read on to find out what other genres Cyrstal Rain dabbles with.

Review -- Past Continuous by Tony Bayliss

Past Continuous was inspired by the suicide of the author's [Tony Bayliss'] son. That's the first sentence on the back cover of the book. But the summary ends with references to top secret research and robotics. So how do I categorize Past Continuous? Part semi-true story and part science fiction tale? Does it work as something of a confessional, and of course more relevant to my interests, does it work as a science fiction novel? Read on to find out my thoughts about Past Continuous, published by Sparkling Books.

Review -- Scar Night by Alan Campbell

Here's another older review to tide you all over while I deal with some personal issues. They're definitely cutting into my reading time, so I don't know how quickly I'll be able to post a "new" review.


I love stories that include angels in them. I'm not even a particularly religious person, but I do think that as characters and in religious ideology, angels are absolutely fascinating. Wayne Barlow's God's Demon was a book I bought even though it was a hard cover because it had to deal with fallen angels (but that's a review for another day). Naturally, when I read the back of Alan Campbell's Scar Night and saw that it contained angels and a city suspended by chains over an endless abyss, I had to buy it.

Review -- Finch by Jeff VanderMeer

It's been a while since I've written a review, but here's an older one from 2009. I read Jeff VanderMeer's Finch, the conclusion to his Ambergris series that began with City of Saints and Madmen. Read on to find out how well Finch fits in with the rest of the series.