Reading in Science Fiction, October 2026

[Hobbit]

Welcome to October!



Cover of "The Magazine of Fantasy & SF", October 1977, with a wonderful drawing of Saturn.)

Last month's thread is HERE.

The usual message here - this thread is where you tell us about what you've been reading in Science Fiction this month.

Remember, good or bad, we still want to know what you think.

As it is October, I'll also remind you that we're doing our usual Countdown to Halloween, with reviews and ideas related towards Halloween until the end of the month. Feel free to join in!

Hobbit/Mark

 

[AtramentousFlux]

A typically Crouchian thrilling, twisty tale of temporal turmoil, and turbulent tangled timelines, tracing the tragic trajectory of thought transferred through time.

 

[Westy]

A typically Crouchian thrilling, twisty tale of temporal turmoil, and turbulent tangled timelines, tracing the tragic trajectory of thought transferred through time.

Nice alliteration!

 

[dannymcg]

I'm waiting for the release of John Birmingham's final book in his Cruel Stars trilogy (October the 15th) so I'm doing a re-read of the other books now to get my brain back into that particular universe

 

[Raf]

I'm waiting for the release of John Birmingham's final book in his Cruel Stars trilogy (October the 15th) so I'm doing a re-read of the other books now to get my brain back into that particular universe

Yeah, I'll need to re-read the first 2 as well. It's been 4 yrs since the last book

 

[dannymcg]

Yeah, I'll need to re-read the first 2 as well. It's been 4 yrs since the last book

There's another book that's set in the same universe, written by him and Jason Lambright:-
The Javian War....it's a prequel to The Cruel Stars

Incidentally there's a character in The Cruel Stars called Jay Lambright

 

[krisbslick]

There's another book that's set in the same universe, written by him and Jason Lambright:-
The Javian War....it's a prequel to The Cruel Stars

Incidentally there's a character in The Cruel Stars called Jay Lambright

Odd coincidence!?

Have you read the prequel? I'm thinking about starting this trilogy (knowing that the last one will be out next month), so I'm figuring out whether I need/worth picking up this prequel as well.

 

[dannymcg]

Odd coincidence!?

Have you read the prequel? I'm thinking about starting this trilogy (knowing that the last one will be out next month), so I'm figuring out whether I need/worth picking up this prequel as well.

I've this week finished the prequel, it's mainly about Lucinda (the female heroine of the first Cruel Stars book), it depicts her rough life as a ward of the state in a bleak children's home, then her eventual cadetship in the space navy, finally some brutal and gory battle sequences.

I certainly recommend reading it before the main series, it gives decent background on other key characters as well