Reading in Science Fiction, October 2026

[mylinar]

After months of driving with the windows down and summer wind loud and enjoyable winter is arriving. I returned to audio book listening today.
I heard the first chapter of ‘Kingdoms of Death’ by Ruocchio. I was hesitant on this installment because how dark it is described, something of a preachy nature and that some characters don’t make it through. All secondhand information.
I might try starting ‘The Traveler’ by Joseph Eckert tomorrow as an alternative. Perhaps I’ll even alternate depending on my mood though not sure that’s a good idea. I’ve a collection of Audible credits piled up from summer and perhaps I’ll veer off back to Bobiverse. Lots of options and good listening ahead.

 

[suciul]

After months of driving with the windows down and summer wind loud and enjoyable winter is arriving. I returned to audio book listening today.
I heard the first chapter of ‘Kingdoms of Death’ by Ruocchio. I was hesitant on this installment because how dark it is described, something of a preachy nature and that some characters don’t make it through. All secondhand information.

This (Kingdoms of Death) is worth listening/reading (I did it in parallel - mostly listening, but whenever I stopped at an interesting point when my drive ended, I read a little ahead to see what is next); it starts with a diplomatic mission to North Korea of the future and then twists - as for darkness, true as per title (though for the truly dark parts, we know from page 1 of book 1 that Hadrian survives all to the end), but personally I found the next volume (Ashes of Man) more emotionally tragic; this one reminded me a little of the ending of Richard Morgan's fantasy trilogy, with the "live forever in peace, nah, not for us, we are warriors so we should go out guns blazing" vibe and is glorious...

 

[suciul]

Back on topic - went through a cross-country move (Denver to Buffalo NY, so while not quite back where I lived when I joined the site in 2005 - NYC suburbs - is the closest since 2011), which was not fun, but went faster than expected (had to drive 1600 miles in 2 days rather than 3 etc) and in the meantime I finished a few sf novels which I will list with a few comments in order of interest for me:

The Melding Furnace (and associated novella Yodrill's razor) - book 10 and presumably next to last in Olan Thorensen Yosef Kolsko/Anyar series: moves the storyline along a few months preparing for the ultimate showdown in Landolin; of course that will happen if the two AI systems around (from the original movers of humanity there which are also offshoots of the Object from Harbinger versus the recent aliens who brought Yosef and co to Anyar) do not object...
A few surprises - most notably the Assessor corps and their discoveries - but mostly a let's follow the multiple cast of characters type of novel.
Very curious how the author plans to end the storyline (the hints are mixed) and definitely plan to listen to the audio release as that adds always a lot.
As a note, the Yodrill's Razor novella mentioned in the introduction is summarized here so while a decent read in itself, is not really needed.
Overall, a book cementing the series status as one of the best recent SF offerings with something for almost everyone

Keepers of the Flesh - book 2 in the Saints of the Void series by Glynn Stewart
An excellent reunion with Captain Webster and the crew of Santa Mica after their unexpected adventure at an extraterrestrial dig. Now the oldest company translight freighter, Santa Mica is destined for the scrap yard - while the crew are heroes and repairs are possible, they are not particularly economical for the Santiago Corporation - unless something can be done. And so it goes with another adventure (predictable after a while but still very entertaining)

The Chronicles of Tiris book 2 by V Mahanenko
Fast and fun space opera with two big adventures with some imperial academy staff in-between; a crazy ending that changes things in a major way, though I expect that Baron Kael Golden aka Xhorkh (in simulations he is unbeatable as a Xhorkhian commanding mind and sub mediocre as a human fleet commander) and his team will rise to the occasion even under the new circumstances and their new patrons

Heavy Water (Bomb light 2) by N Stephenson
Couldn't get into Polostan though I tried a few times, but this one - technically a sequel though it can easily be read independently - gripped me from the first page; a serious storyline but a whimsical tone and a bit of a picaresque novel with the fate of the world at stake. Unexpected fun considering that the first series volume hasn't worked out for me (at least yet).

The Interstellar Relic by Mark Alexander
A (fairly) near-future first contact/mystery/solar system exploration novel that uses a true historical mystery as a motif. Fast and entertaining, with pages turning by themselves.

 

[chitman13]

Other Worlds Than These by King/Straub - third and final in the Talisman trilogy and I found this one much like the previous two, okay but nothing amazing. Perhaps I'm just not invested in Jack's story as much and found it to be a meandering tale that I didn't feel had the highest of stakes.

 

[Westy]

found it to be a meandering tale

I've read that a bit too, don;t think I'll bother.

 

[Westy]

I read Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel - set in 2031 and America is broken apart and at war with itself. When Ari goes to a party, strange things occur, including a person disappearing, and the events come back to her in later life.

While the premise was good and the writing decent, I felt this was the least enjoyable of the author's books I've read. There just wasn't enought to keep the interest going, the multiple characters meant it felt like there was a lack of focus, and

Spoiler

the alt universe plotline as been done so many times before it needed to be something special and it wasn't

.

3/5 for me (nice cover though!)

 

[Hobbit]

I read Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel - set in 2031 and America is broken apart and at war with itself. When Ari goes to a party, strange things occur, including a person disappearing, and the events come back to her in later life.

While the premise was good and the writing decent, I felt this was the least enjoyable of the author's books I've read. There just wasn't enought to keep the interest going, the multiple characters meant it felt like there was a lack of focus, and

Spoiler

the alt universe plotline as been done so many times before it needed to be something special and it wasn't

.

3/5 for me (nice cover though!)

Currently being read by lots of non-genre readers around me, after Station Eleven. I have a copy but have yet to dip in. From what you've said, Westy, this does sound like another one of those books written by literary types attempting to genre, but not really getting it. *sigh*