djwudi's reviews
1066 reviews

Here There Be Dragons by John Peel

2.0

Possibly could have been an interesting take on the Preservers, or a fun TNG-crew-in-a-medieval-society romp, but was marred by bad character decisions (we must stay undercover in a medieval human society, so Geordi and Worf obviously can't come, but sure, bring the Bajoran Ro and the android Data, that totally makes sense) and overly unfortunately stereotypical plotting decisions (Ro, of course, is nearly immediately

stripped naked and placed in jeopardy of sexual assault, and Troi is later threatened with the same, because what other peril would women face?

). Even the titular dragons barely make an appearance. Any interesting bits are far overshadowed by the rest.

Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 206 by Neil Clarke

3.0

 Standouts in this issue for me were James Van Pelt’s “The Long Mural” and Louise Hughes’s “The Parts That Make Me”.

Uncanny Magazine Issue 55: November/December 2023 by Lynne M. Thomas, Michael Damian Thomas

3.0

My favorites this issue were Naomi Kritzer’s “The Year Without Sunshine”, Cecil Castelluci’s “We’re Looking for the Best”, and John Scalzi’s “Speed Racer’s Long Road”, which actually has me thinking about rewatching _Speed Racer_, which I haven’t seen since it first hit video.

Escape Route by Cassandra Rose Clarke

3.0

The last of the three Prodigy middle-grade novels. Where the first two were set roughly during the break between the first and second half of the first season, this one is set during the gang's shuttle trip to Earth. In need of a spare part for the shuttle, they find a mysterious moon that may have the part they need…if they're all allowed to leave.

As with the rest, it's another fun, quick adventure. To my (50-year-old) eyes, when reading all three back-to-back, it suffered a bit from having so many similarities to the first book, also by the same author: a search for a missing part leads the crew to a mysterious location where they get captured and have to figure out how to escape with the part they need. But for the age range these books are actually aimed at, the similarities might not be as noticeable.

Supernova by Robb Pearlman

3.0

The Prodigy kids continue on their adventures, this time following a clue to a planet where they have to face nightmares from their past. This one is a little more Gwyn-focused, expanding on her backstory a little bit.

A Dangerous Trade by Cassandra Rose Clarke

3.0

A fun, quick adventure with the Prodigy crew as they try to acquire a replacement part at a disreputable market, and Dal learns a bit more about command. The first of three middle-grade books released to tie into the show.

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

dark mysterious

4.0

I first read this just a few years after it came out, when it was very much a "thing". A few years ago I picked up another copy and it's been waiting for the right time for a re-read; apparently this October was the right time. I really enjoyed diving back into this. It's definitely not something everyone will enjoy, with its multiple narrators, footnotes-within-footnotes, pseudo-academic tone for one through line, and experimental layout. But it has an incredibly effective sense of eerie, creeping dread, and the unusual structure brings the labyrinthine nature of the house into the story. Fascinating and perfect for the Halloween season.

Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 205 by Neil Clarke

3.0

Standout stories for me this month were by Suzanne Palmer and David Goodman.

Guises of the Mind by Rebecca Neason

3.0

A somewhat surprisingly Catholic approach to Star Trek. Not badly done, though as other reviewers have noted, does give it a very monotheistic viewpoint; though it does note that there are other options, those definitely aren’t its focus. Given that, outside of DS9, religion isn’t often focused on in Star Trek, I found it an interesting approach, particularly the choice to focus on Tori rather than Data, the perennial outsider (though his interest is a present side thread).

Queen Wallis by C.J. Carey

3.0

A sequel to Widowland, one of this year's Philip K. Dick Award-nominated books, set in an alternate-history UK where Germany won WWII, and the UK is now an allied protectorate of Germany, under the nominal reign of Queen Wallace Simpson, entirely reduced to a figurehead. Following the events of Widowland, and in anticipation of the first diplomatic visit from the United States in years, England is under even tighter control. The importance of literature and poetry are important threads again, and the book does a good job of continuing the story after the climax of Widowland, picking up threads and quite believably ratcheting up the tension. I'll definitely be interested to see if the series continues on.