Speculative Fiction Reading Challenge 2010

Speculative Fiction Reading Challenge 2010
January 1 - December 31, 2010

This challenge has four levels:

Inquisitive - 3 books
Enthusiastic - 6 books
Addicted - 12 books
Obsessed - 24 books

I will add my books as I read them. Who knows what level I'll reach?

Scott Sigler. Contagious - finished 1/17/2010
Kelly Link. Stranger Things Happen -- finished 2/11/2010
Vernor Vinge. Marooned in Real Time -- finished 2/13/2010
Larry Niven. Tales of Known Space -- finished 2/22/2010
Terri Windling. The Wood Wife -- finished 3/2/2010
Lois Lowry. Gathering Blue -- finished 3/3/2010
David and Leigh Eddings. The Redemption of Althalus -- finished 4/4/2010
Edmund Cooper. Sea-Horse in the Sky -- finished 4/7/2010
Matthew Cook. Blood Magic -- finished 4/22/2010
Eoin Colfer. The Wish List -- finished 5/5/2010
Terry Brooks. The Sword of Shannara -- finished 5/22/2010
Will Shetterly. Elsewhere -- finished 5/29/2010
David G. Hartwell, ed. The Year's Best Fantasy -- finished 6/30/2010
Glen Cook. The Black Company -- finished 7/21/2010
Esther Friesner. Here be Demons -- finished 8/9/2010
Iain M. Banks. Excession -- finished 11/7/2010
Fredrik Pohl. Beyond the Blue Event Horizon -- finished 12/20/2010
Garth Nix. Mister Monday -- finished 12/23/2010

Beyond the Blue Event Horizon by Frederik Pohl

First sentence:

"It was not easy to live, being young, being so completely alone."

Description:

Robinette Broadhead, made rich by the Gateway mission that had cost him the woman he loved, joined in bankrolling an expedition to the Food Factory a Heechee spaceship found beyond the obit of Pluto and designed to graze the cometary cloud and transform the basic elements of the universe into untold quantities of food.

Broadhead thought his motives were simple enough, a gamble on a breakthrough that could end famine forever and would make him the wealthiest man in history. But his understanding, tough-minded wife knew something else drove her husband, a vision of his lost love: poised forever at the 'event horizon' of a black hole. . .where Robin had abandoned her.

Every scrap of Heechee lore that could be brought back and interpreted increased the chance that he would someday, somehow be able to reach and perhaps even rescue his beloved Gelle-Klara Moynlin.

After three and a half years, messages came back from the expedition that electrified the wold: the Food Factory was still working. . .they found a human aboard. . .they had discoveed the key to the use of a whole new level of technology. . .

And, it appeared they had found the Heechee!

My thoughts:

I liked this science fiction book about discovery and relationships. I noticed that although there were spaceships and colonization of other worlds, the communication problems resembled pre-telegraph days.

Date read: 12/20/2010
Book #: 52
Series: The Heechee Saga, #2
Challenge: Speculative Fiction Reading Challenge
Rating: 3*/5 = good
Genre: SF

ISBN-10: 0345275357
ISBN-13: 9780345275356
Publisher: Del Rey
Year: 1980
# of pages: 309
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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Excession by Iain Banks

First sentence:

"A little more than one hundred days into the fortieth year of her confinement, Dajeil Gelian was visited in her lonely tower overlooking the sea by an avatar of the great ship that was her home."

Description:

"Diplomat Byr Genar-Hofoen has been selected by the Culture to undertake a delicate and dangerous mission. The Department of Special Circumstances--the Culture's espionage and dirty tricks section--has sent him off to investigate a 2,500-year-old mystery: the sudden disappearance of a star fifty times older than the universe itself. But in seeking the secret of the lost son, Byr risks losing himself. There is only one way to break the silence of millennia: steal the soul of the long-dead starship captain who first encountered the star, and convince her to be reborn. And in accepting this mission, Byr will be swept into a vast conspiracy that could lead the universe into an age of peace. . .or to the brink of annihilation." -- from the back cover

My thoughts:

I liked this book, but I think I would have liked it more if I had read the earlier books in the series first. I found myself wondering what was going on and who the characters were, and it wasn't until I was halfway through when I realized that it was part of a series. I look forward to reading the earlier books starting with Consider Phlebas.

Date read: 11/7/2010
Book #: 49
Series: The Culture, #5
Challenges: Speculative Fiction Reading Challenge, TBR Challenge 2010
Rating: 3*/5 = good
Genre: SF

ISBN-10: 0553575376
ISBN-13: 9780553575378
Publisher: Bantam Spectra
Year: 1996
# of pages: 499
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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Psi Hunt by Michael Kurland

First sentence:

"The Plaza DiLauria Complex, the World's largest hotel and convention center, was stuffed from the eighth subcellar to the rotating observation platform this Power Day weekend."

Description:

"Astral Emprise sold metaphysics, mysticism, paranormal phenomena, astrology lessons--and anything else that Believers were willing to spend a dollar on.

Not the kind of operation the U.S. Navy was used to dealing with.

Until the People's Republic of China decided that it could blow up half the United States with five telepathic kids who spent their days watching grade-B war movies in an L.A. theater.

And Lieutenant Junior Grade Robert Burrows was assigned to call their bluff. . ." -- from the back cover

My thoughts:

This was a good mix of science fiction and adventure. I liked how Burrows and Friendly bluffed their way into the enemy's headquarters.

Date read: 9/1/2010
Book #: 47
Challenge: Speculative Fiction Reading Challenge
Rating: 3*/5 = good
Genre: SF

ISBN-10: 0425046648
ISBN-13: 9780425046647
Publisher: Berkley
Year: 1980
# of pages:
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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Here be Demons by Esther Friesner

First sentence:

"It's your move," said Atamar."

Description:

"The road to hell is paved with bad intentions. . .

But intentions alone are not enough. Hell hates a failure, and the archdemon Atamar has just not been pulling his weight in the competitive world of bad deeds, rotten behavior, and corruption of mortal souls. So he and his team of junior demons have been put on probation--thrown out of the comforts of Hell into the realm of the living. They won't be allowed back until they've collected a fat bonus of innocent souls, fully corrupted and ready to drag down to the Devil himself.

Unfortunately, Atamar has landed in the desert, miles from the nearest known sin--until a team of American archeology students arrives for a summer dig. And when the gleeful demons descend to do their worst, they discover that their idea of bad deeds is sadly out of date--at least when the youth of America is involved!" -- from the back cover

My thoughts:

I liked this humorous fantasy about demons and people. I look forward to reading the next book, Demon Blues.

Date read: 8/9/2010
Book #: 43
Challenge: Speculative Fiction Reading Challenge
Series: Demons, #1
Rating: 3*/5 = good
Genre: Fantasy

ISBN-10: 0441327974
ISBN-13: 9780441327943
Publisher: Ace
Year: 1988
# of pages: 233
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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The Black Company by Glen Cook

First sentence:

"There were prodigies and portents enough."

Description:

"Some feel the Lady, newly risen from centuries in thrall, stands between humankind and evil. Some feel she is evil itself. The hardbitten men of the Black Company take their pay and do what they must, burying their doubts with their dead.

Until the prophecy: The White Rose has been reborn, somewhere, to embody good once more.

There must be a way for the Black Company to find her. . ." -- from the back cover

My thoughts:

I enjoyed this first book of the Black Company series. I especially liked how the members learned about the White Rose and the powers of the Circle of Eighteen. I look forward to reading the next book in the series, Shadows Linger.

Date read: 7/21/2010
Book #: 42
Challenges: Speculative Fiction Reading Challenge
Series: Chronicles of the Black Company, #1
Rating: 3*/5 = good
Genre: Fantasy

ISBN-10: 0812533704
ISBN-13: 9780812533705
Publisher: TOR
Year: 1984
# of pages: 319
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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Year's Best Fantasy edited by David G. Hartwell

First sentence:

"I am sunning myself on the west terrace when Gilyan comes."

Description:

"Tales as deep as legend and as new as dawn.

Acclaimed editor David G. Hartwell has gathered a harvest of shimmering beauty and powerful writing in this inaugural volume of the very best fantasy from the last year. Established masters rub elbows with rising stars in this outstanding collection of short stories rich with imagined land and finely etched, unforgettable characters. Travel to distant realms--and around the block--with stories by:

Terry Goodkind
Nicola Griffith
Nalo Hopkinson
George R.R. Martin
Robert Schekley
Michael Swanwick." -- from the back cover

My thoughts:

I enjoyed this collection of short stories. Some of my favorite stories were George R.R. Martin's "Path of the Dragon" which gave some insight into Daenarys Targaryen and Sherwood Smith's "Mom and Dad on the Home Front," which illustrated what parents go through when the children have otherworldly adventures.

Date read: 6/30/2010
Book #: 40
Challenges: TBR Challenge 2010, Speculative Fiction Reading Challenge
Rating: 3*/5 = good
Genre: Fantasy

ISBN-10: 038081840X
ISBN-13: 9780380818402
Publisher: EOS
Year: 2001
# of pages: 490
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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Elsewhere by Will Shetterly

First sentence:

"I knew I was in the Nevernever when I saw a wild elf through the train window."

Description:

"All MESSED UP and NOWHERE to go?

Bordertown lies halfway between the world of humans and the realm of Faerie. Here, elf and human gangs clash by night, magic works better than technology, and runaways like Ron show up with dreams of changing themselves into someone new. Ron's come searching for something he thought he's lost, but instead he finds all sorts of other things - a makeshift family of punk castaways; a friend in half-elf biker Mooner; and maybe true love in Mooner's beautiful - and dangerous - sister, Wiseguy.

Getting to Bordertown took Ron a bit of luck and magic. Surviving there will be another story altogether." -- from the back cover

My thoughts:

I enjoyed this urban fantasy set in the NeverNever. I especially liked the interactions between Ron and the people he meets.

Date read: 5/29/2010
Book #: 36
Series: Borderland, #5
Challenge: Speculative Fiction Reading Challenge
Rating: 3*/5 = good

ISBN-10: 0152052097
ISBN-13: 9780152052096
Publisher: Harcourt
Year:
# of pages:
Binding: Trade Paperback
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The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks

First sentence:

'The sun was already sinking into the deep green of the hills to the west of the valley, the read and gray-pink of its shadows touching the corners of the land, when Flick Ohmsford began his descent."

Description:

"Long ago, the wars of ancient Evil had ruined the world and forced mankind to compete with many other races--gnomes, trolls, dwarfs, and elves. But in peaceful Shady Vale, half-elfin Shea Olmsford knew little of such troubles.

Then came the giant, forbidding Allanon, possessed of strange Druidic powers, to reveal that the supposedly dead Warlock Lord was plotting to destroy the world. The sole weapon against this Power of Darkness was the Sword of Shannara, which could only be used by a true heir of shannara. On Shea, last of the blood line, rested the hope of all races.

Soon a Skull Bearer, dread minion of evil, flew into the Vale, seeking to destroy Shea. To save the Vale, Shea flees, drawing the Skull Bearer after him.

Thus begins the seemingly hopeless quest of a simple man against the greatest power of evil the world has ever known." - from the back cover

My thoughts:

I enjoyed this epic fantasy. I especially liked the way Shea, Flick, Hendel, Balinor and others face trials in their quest to find the Sword of Shannara.

Date read: 5/22/2010
Book #: 34
Series: Shannara Trilogy, #1
Challenges: Speculative Fiction Reading Challenge, TBR Challenge 2010, 1st in a Series Challenge

ISBN-10: 0345314255
ISBN-13: 9780345314253
Publisher: Del Rey
Year: 1977
# of Pages: 726
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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The Wish List by Eoin Colfer

First sentence:

"Meg and Belch were doing a job."

Description:

"Meg Finn is in trouble. Unearthly trouble.

Meg's soul is up for grabs as Heaven and Hell try every sneaky trick imaginable to claim it. Helping a lonely old man complete tasks on his wish list is her only chance. But even if she takes that chance, will she really have enough points to face up to St. Peter?" -- from the back cover


My thoughts:

I enjoyed this fantasy about a young girl who learns about helping people. I especially liked the interactions between Meg and Lowrie and between St. Peter and Beezlebub.

Date read: May 5, 2010
Book #: 31
Challenges: Speculative Fiction Reading Challenge, TBR Challenge 2010, Celebrate the Author Challenge 2010
Rating: 3*/5 = good
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

ISBN-10: 014131592X
ISBN-13: 9780141315928
Publisher: Puffin
Year: 2000
# of pages: 200
Binding: Trade Paperback
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Blood Magic by Matthew Cook

First sentence:

"For three days we run, and the Mor follow."

Description:

"When the inhuman Mor crawl up from the underground to torment the world above, Kirin joins the battle against them as scout and archer for the Imperial Army. The power of her blood magic, a dark sorcery even she does not understand, has given her the ability to raise grotesque creatures from souls and dead flesh -- loyal, lethal warriors that aid her in the fight to survive. She finds comfort in the arms of Sergeant Jazen Tor, but it is beautiful and gentle Lia Cho, a woman who can call lightning from the skies, who helps Kirin discover the truth about herself . . ." -- from the back cover

My thoughts:

This was a good fantasy featuring Kirin, a young woman with powers she doesn't always understand. I liked how she gradually learned about the cost of her actions and I look forward to reading the sequel, Nights of Sin.

Date read: 4/22/2010
Book #: 28
Series: Kirin Widowmaker, #1
Challenge: Speculative Fiction Reading Challenge
Rating: 3*/5 = good
Genre: Fantasy

ISBN-10: 0809572001
ISBN-13: 9780809572007
Publisher: Juno Books
Year: 2008
# of pages: 264
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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Seahorse in the Sky by Edmund Cooper

Description:

"Eight men and eight women, with curious bumps on the backs of their heads, and no memory of anything but an interrupted journey, a flight that never landed. They emerged from their green plastic coffins one by one, into the sunlight of an endless alien plain." -- from fantastic.fiction.co.uk

My thoughts:

This is a good science fiction story about different groups of people finding themselves in a very new and unexpected place. I liked how they figured out how to get beyond the river valley and learn who brought them there and why.

Date read: 4/7/2010
Book #: 25
Challenges: Speculative Fiction Reading Challenge, Celebrate the Author Challenge 2010
Rating: 3*/5
Genre: SF

ISBN-10: 0340129751
ISBN-13: 9780340129753
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Year: 1980
# of pages: 192
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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The Redemption of Althalus by David and Leigh Eddings

First sentence:

"Now before the Beginning, there was no Time, and all was Chaos and Darkness."

Description:

"Althalus is an unrepentant rogue and scoundrel. Yet of all men in the world, it is Althalus who will become the champion of humanity in its desperate struggle against the forces of an ancient god determined to return the universe to nothingness.

On this way to stealing The Book from the House at the End of the World Althalus collides head-on with his unique destiny-- and Dweia, a seductive goddess who just happens to be a cat. Dweia can manipulate time. Unfortunately, as can her evil brother. . . and he has been using his own dark magic to rewrite history itself. The only people who can stop him are Althalus and a ragtag group of men, women, and children. But they have no reason to trust Althalus -- or one another." -- from the back cover

My thoughts:

I enjoyed this fantasy adventure very much. I liked how Althalus and his friends learn to work together as they battle Daeva and the forces of darkness. I also like the use of "doors" to get from place to place (and from time to time).

Date read: 4/3/2010
Book #: 23
Challenge: A-Z Challenge 2010, Speculative Fiction Reading Challenge, Celebrate the Author Challenge 2010
Rating: 3*/5 = good
Genre: Fantasy

ISBN-10: 0345440781
ISBN-13: 9780345440785
Publisher: Dell Rey
Year: 2000
# of pages: 792
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry

First sentence:

"Mother?"

Description:

"Kira, an orphan with a twisted leg, lives in a world where the weak are cast aside. She fears for her future until she is spared by the all-powerful Council of Guardians. Kira is a gifted weaver and is given a task that no other community member can do. While her talent keeps her alive and brings certain privileges, Kira soon realizes she is surrounded by many mysteries and secrets. No one must know of her plans to uncover the truth about her world -- and to find out what exists beyond it." -- from the back cover

My thoughts:

This was a very good story about a world in which the weak are cast aside. I liked how Kira learned about her gift and the truth of the Council of Guardians. I look forward to reading the next book in the series, Messenger.

Date read: 3/3/2010
Book #: 17
Challenges: Celebrate the Author Challenge 2010; 2nd Reading Challenge; Speculative Fiction Reading Challenge
Series: The Giver Trilogy #2
Rating: 3*/5 = good
Genre: Fantasy

ISBN-10: 0440229499
ISBN-13: 9780440229490
Publisher: Random House
Year: 2000
# of pages: 215
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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The Wood Wife by Terri Windling

First sentence:

"On the night that Davis Cooper died, coyotes cam down from the hills to the town in the desert valley below."

Description:

"Leaving behind her fashionable West Coast life, Maggie Black comes to the Southwestern desert to pursue her passion and her dream. Her mentor, the acclaimed poet Davis Cooper, has mysteriously died in the canyons east of Tucson, bequeathing her his estate and the mystery of his life--and death.

Maggie is astonished by the power of this harsh but beautiful land and captivated by the uncommon people who call it home--especially Fox, a man unlike any she has ever known, who understands the desert's special power.

As she reads Cooper's letters and learns the secrets of his life, Maggie comes face-to-face with the wild, ancient spirits of the desert--and discovers the hidden power at its heart, a power that will take her on a journey like no other."

My thoughts:

This was a good fantasy set in the American Southwest. I liked how Maggie learned about the land and people around her and how she discovers the truth behind Cooper's death.

Date read: 3/2/2010
Book #: 16
Challenges: What's in a Name 3 Challenge, Speculative Fiction Reading Challenge
Rating: 3*/5 = good
Genre: Fantasy

ISBN-10: 0812549295
ISBN-13: 9780812549294
Publisher: Tor Fantasy
Year: 1996
# of pages: 292
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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Marooned in Real Time by Vernor Vinge

First sentence:

"On the day of the big rescue, Wil Brierson took a walk on the beach."

Description:

"Fifty million years in the future, all the time in the world might not be enough to save mankind. . .

The Extinction happened at some point in the 23rd century. Beyond that point, all that remained of humankind survived locked in timeless limbo inside spherical force fields known as 'bobbles'.

The rebuilding of civilisation and the rescue of survivors fell to the 'high-techs', themselves survivors of the technologically advanced decades just before The Extinction.

When they reached the 'bobble' where the last members of the Peace Authority lived on in stasis, one of the 'high-techs' was murdered, cruelly abandoned in real time.

Wil Brierson, the last detective in the world, was called in to handle the case. Seeking the murderer through a complex web of mysteries, he stumbled on a plan for a new -- and final -- Extinction . . ." -- from the back cover

My thoughts:

This book had a good mix of mystery and science fiction. I liked how Wil and Della Lu learn who abandoned Marta Korolev in the past and who was still a danger to them in the present.

Date read: 2/13/2010
Book #: 10
Challenges: A-Z Challenge 2010, Winter Words Reading Challenge, Speculative Fiction Reading Challenge 2010
Series: Across Realtime, #2
Rating: 3*/5 = good
Genre: SF

ISBN-10: 0330299603
ISBN-13: 9780330299602
Publisher: Pan Books
Year: 1987
# of pages: 269
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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Stranger Things Happen by Kelly Link

First sentence:

"Dear Mary (if that is your name), I bet you'll be pretty surprised to hear from me."

Description:

"This first collection by award-winning author Kelly Link, takes fairy tales and cautionary tales, dictators and extraterrestrials, amnesiacs and honeymooners, revenants and readers alike, on a voyage into new, strange, and wonderful territory. The girl detective must go to the underworld to solve the case of the tap-dancing bank robbers. A librarian falls in love with a girl whose father collects artificial noses. A dead man posts letters home to his estranged wife. Two women named Louise begin a series of consecutive love affairs with a string of cellists. A newly married couple become participants in an apocalyptic beauty pageant. Sexy blond aliens invade New York City. A young girl learns how to make herself disappear.

These eleven extraordinary stories are quirky, spooky, and smart. They all have happy endings. Each story contains a secret prize. Each story was written for you." -- from the back cover

My thoughts:

This was a very good collection of fantasy stories with a twist. I especially liked the stories "Travels with the Snow Queen," "Flying Lessons," and "Shoe and Marriage."

Date read: 2/11/2010
Book #: 9
Challenges: A-Z Challenge 2010, Speculative Fiction Reading Challenge
Rating: 3*/5 = good
Genre: Fantasy

ISBN-10: 1931520003
ISBN-13: 9781931520003
Publisher: Small Beer Press
Year: 2001
# of Pages: 266
Binding: Trade Paperback
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Contagious by Scott Sigler

First sentence:

"It had to be a joke."

Description:

"From the acclaimed author of Infected comes an epic and exhilarating story of humanity’s secret battle against a horrific enemy.

Across America, a mysterious pathogen transforms ordinary people into raging killers, psychopaths driven by a terrifying, alien agenda. The human race fights back, yet after every battle the disease responds, adapts, using sophisticated strategies and brilliant ruses to fool its pursuers. The only possible explanation: the epidemic is driven not by evolution but by some malevolent intelligence.

Standing against this unimaginable threat is a small group, assembled under the strictest secrecy. Their best weapon is hulking former football star Perry Dawsey, left psychologically shattered by his own struggles with this terrible enemy, who possesses an unexplainable ability to locate the disease’s hosts. Violent and unpredictable, Perry is both the nation’s best hope and a terrifying liability. Hardened CIA veteran Dew Phillips must somehow forge a connection with him if they’re going to stand a chance against this maddeningly adaptable opponent. Alongside them is Margaret Montoya, a brilliant epidemiologist who fights for a cure even as she reels under the weight of endless horrors.

These three and their team have kept humanity in the game, but that’s not good enough anymore, not when the disease turns contagious, triggering a fast countdown to Armageddon. Meanwhile, other enemies join the battle, and a new threat — one that comes from a most unexpected source — may ultimately prove the most dangerous of all.

Catapulting the reader into a world where humanity’s life span is measured in hours and the president’s finger hovers over the nuclear button, rising star Scott Sigler takes us on a breathtaking, hyper-adrenalized ride filled with terror and jaw-dropping action. Contagious is a truly grand work of suspense, science, and horror from a new master." -- from the publisher

My thoughts:

Having listened to Sigler's books Ancestor and Infected as podcasts, I knew to expect a gripping story in Contagious - and I was right. In fact, I could hear Sigler in my mind reading the words and encouraging me to turn one more page and then another page and another. But the book is more than one exciting scene after another. Sigler builds in-depth characters that you care about and root for them to fight the alien invasion. I look forward to the next book in the series.

Date read: 1/17/2010
Book #: 4
Challenge: Speculative Fiction Reading Challenge
Series: Infected, #2
Rating: 4*/5 = great
Genres: Thriller/SF

ISBN-10: 0307406318
ISBN-13: 9780307406316
Publisher: Crown Publishers
Year: 2008
# of pages: 436
Binding: Hardcover
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