2025 Summary of Genre (and Genre Adjacent) Reading

 A summary of my Genre (and Genre-adjacent) reading in 2025, presented in the order they were read. Mostly gleaned from used bookstores, the public library, and the BSFS library -- mostly an old guy reading old books.

System Collapse -- Martha Wells -- 2023

      Last of the Murderbot Diaries, "novel" length, but a short one. Continues this spectacular series in fine form. This story begins from the end of the last volume, "Network Effect." SecUnit (Murderbot's polite name) and ART (Murderbot's name for his pal, an acronym for the sentient ship he calls Asshole Research Transport) work to save their beloved but hapless human employers from enslavement by the Evil Corporation. Here, Murderbot seems to be developing into something almost completely human, emotionally at least, and begins to awaken to that fact, if not anywhere near accepting it. Highly recommended, as is the entire series.

Clan of the Cave Bear -- Jean Auel -- 1980

     OK, it took me more than 40 years to finally pick up this one, which was a best-seller back in the day. A fine novel about a human child adopted by a small tribe of Neanderthals. Although a bit of a soap opera, it's an engaging and well-imagined story mostly based on the tribe's customs, technologies, diets, and social structure. Some of the technology certainly seems possible, and perhaps has been verified by archeological findings. The Genre element: the Neanderthals possess a "racial memory" that enables them to access the accumulated knowledge of the race as gathered over the prior 10,000 years.

Vacuum Flowers -- Michael Swanwick -- 1987

      Somehow missed this one, as I was devout Swanwick reader back in the day. Far future SF tale of a humanity scattered about the Solar System on asteroids, Dyson worlds and space habitats. Earth is a hive mind, Mars is full Communist with a population of true believers. Technologies have been developed to program the human mind with traits, knowledge, and skills. Corporations market these in stylish character/personality types. A fine novel, weirdness abounds. More picaresque than anything; I can't give a plot summary, if there even was one.

Other Worlds, Better Lives -- Howard Waldrop -- 2008

      A selection of some of Howard's longer stories from 1989-2003. Somewhat disappointing -- well written, but most of the tales involve unlikely, if not absurd, alternative histories. For me, not up to the very high level of his shorter fiction. I hadn't previously read any of these, except for 12 Tough Jobs, which is superb. It's a retelling of Heracle's 12 Labors, containing fantastic events, but occurring in a vividly realized 1920s Mississippi.

Strange Places -- Hellboy Omnibus 2 -- Mike Mignola, et al -- 1993/2018

      Good stories in the horror vein. I find Mignola's washed-out illos somewhat repetitive, so happy to see two stories drawn by guest artists.

Foreigner -- C. J. Cherryh -- 1994

      After a lost Earth starship beaches on this world, a war with the natives is settled after the humans start slowly releasing Earth technology to the aliens, who possess a feudal culture resembling medieval Japan. The book unfolds from the viewpoint of an isolated and threatened human diplomat embedded into a situation never knowing who he can trust and becoming a pawn in a violent struggle among factions. As always for Cherryh, very well-written, and an enjoyable read, but not a series I'd continue. Read it if the tag "Anthropological Speculative Fiction" might appeal to you.

The New Space Opera 2 -- Ed. Gardner Dozois and Jonathan Strahan -- 2009

      A decent collection of shorter fiction, but the only standout is "The Far End of History" by John C. Wright. Good stories from John Barnes and K. K. Rusch. 

Between Princesses and Other Jobs -- D. J. Butler -- 2023

      A series of stories in the second volume featuring Indrajit and Fix and their adventures in Kish. Wonderful humorous adventure with a couple of swashbucklers who are consciously trying to be heroes, but only after making those compromises needed to pay the rent. They've added a third associate, a dog-like humanoid who watches their backs while trying to avoid eating his own feces. As in the first volume, much of the stories are driven by the banter between the two heroes. I have a hypothesis that these stories are actually potential additions to Blattski Epic by the Recital Thane Indrajit. 

The Singularity is Nearer -- Ray Kurzweil -- 2024

      Paints a rosy picture of a post-scarcity world created by exponentially accelerating technology, primarily driven by AI. Good outline of potentially achievable advances, including super-longevity, presented in a manner that doesn't seem nothing but hand-waving tranhumanism. Who knows -- maybe some of this stuff is possible.

Aestival Tide -- Elizabeth Hand -- 1992

      Earth in the far future, after several apocalypses. Set in the final days of a doomed oceanside habitat where a tyrannical elite rules a dwindling population starkly segregated by social status. An OK novel, but not as wonderfully weird as "Winterlong".

Witchy Kingdom, Serpent Daughter -- D. J. Butler -- 2019, 2020

      3rd and 4th volumes in the series beginning with "Witchy Eye". These two continue the top shelf alternate history fantasy series set in early 19th century America. Jam-packed with a large cast of well-developed characters and wide-ranging action, both books converge to brilliant finales. The story isn't finished, and no future volumes have yet been announced. Just read it!

Wizard of the Pigeons -- Megan Lindholm -- 1986

      Urban fantasy set in Seattle (was the featured Starbucks still a single location?) where a small group of benevolent wizards with modest and obscure powers keep evil at bay. The protagonist is a troubled Viet Nam veteran struggling to retain his wizardly powers while battling an evil spirit mostly contained within himself. A very good early novel, and like all Lindholm/Hobb fantasy, eventual victory comes at terrible personal loss.

Conjure Wife -- Fritz Leiber -- 1943

      Hotshot professor involved in the usual academic rivalries at the university, except that the faculty wives are promoting and protecting their husbands' careers with powerful sorceries. OK novel, that I suspect was probably updated a bit from the original publication in this c. 1980 reprint. Not up to snuff with Leiber's post-1950's output. 

Wraithbound -- Tim Akers -- 2023

      Tedious and boring fantasy novel. A series of repetitive combats leading to the final events with a supernatural/magic system that is confusing and needlessly complicated. A little interesting in the last 10%, but story far from complete at the end; obviously, the author hoping for sequels, which I won't read. 

Our Lady of Darkness -- Fritz Leiber -- 1978

      Short novel, well-written but not outstanding. Any fantastic elements are absent in the first half, suspense builds in the second, leading to a less-than-spellbinding conclusion. It's a real "Mary Jane" story about a fantasy/horror writer named Franz living in the same residence hotel in San Francisco where Leiber lived at the time of writing.

The Martians -- David Baron -- 2025

      Mostly a biography of Percival Lowell, wealthy heir and self-made astronomer who convinced himself he saw a network of straight lines on Mars (initially observed by Italian and French astronomers), and further convinced himself that this indicated an advanced race of beings existed there. In the popular culture of the time, it was considered a possibility to many (and a probability to some) that these beings did indeed exist -- that mania reaching a peak around 1908, goosed by the galloping technological advances of the era (flight, radio, automobiles, etc.) Most academic astronomers gave Lowell's tale no credence. During the opposition of 1909, large new telescopes around the world found no sign of such a network of "canals", and Lowell's hypotheses were generally discarded, except by Lowell himself. 

Aurora -- Kim Stanley Robinson -- 2015

      The adventures and trials of the final generation on a multi-generation starship trip to Tau Ceti. Tons and tons of scientific exposition on biology, celestial navigation, quantum physics, etc. Not terrible, but boy, pretty hard Hard Science Fiction. Robinson has constructed a good case that interstellar travel and settlement probably is not viable, and points out that the descendants of the original crew are subject to danger and deprivation that they didn't sign up for.

The Dragon Waiting -- John M. Ford -- 1983

      Alternate History (with Magic and Vampires) set in the mid-15th century. Most of the action is in Great Britain, with much scheming and treachery. The protagonists, all very brooding types, are drawn together to resist the creeping Byzantine Empire, which had cast off Christianity after Constantine and came to dominate all Europe. Richard III defeats Henry Tudor, and killed his two nephews because they were vampires. Didn't like it much, most of the first half has the chief characters mostly meander about the landscape. It's a slow burn, but the novel does take off in the final third.

The Time of the Hawklords -- Michael Moorcock and Michael Butterworth -- 1976

      Bad fan fiction, hard to believe Moorcock had anything to do with it. Gave up at the halfway point. Superpowered Hawkwind members attempt to save a small remainder of humanity living in post-apocalypse London. How? By playing Hawkwind music! Occasional (all in good fun?) digs at those other horrible music making artists, e.g. Sinatra, Yes, 10cc, Bob Dylan. Pretty sure I bought this at the long-gone Book Nook in College Park MD 30+ years ago, finally picked it up to (attempt to) read.

Esperance -- Adam Oyebanji -- 2025

      Excellent sci-fi novel considering the burden of guilt and anger of the descendants of the perpetrators and victims of the triangle trade. Better than the author's (still good) "Braking Day", it's a well-paced adult novel set in our current time. The only flaw is that the characters as drawn are too beholding to Hollywood cliches. 

The Human Division -- John Scalzi -- 2013

      A re-read, but I remembered only one plot event, and also that it was in the Old Man's War series (number 5.) But a great book with lots of humor mixed in. Harry Wilson, retired from combat, is CDF liaison to a diplomatic crew that is trying to lure alien races to their side, and away from the Conclave's, while also hoping to end Earth's estrangement from the CDF. A series of diplomatic missions are attacked by an unknown foe, but Harry Wilson always saves the day, until the final mission ends with Earth Station and the Elevator being destroyed by the unknown foe.

The End of All Things -- John Scalzi -- 2015

      Re-read? It's been on my Kindle since 2016, but I don't remember any of it. Another very good novel in the Old Man's War series. A collection of four novellas, from different voices, but mostly continuing events and featuring the same characters from The Human Division.

Deadbone Erotica -- Vaughn Bode, Mark Bode -- 2025

       Massive compilation of cartoons published 1969 - 1975 in the skin mag Cavalier. Bode's original drawings were B&W, but his son Mark has colored them all -- and fabulously well. The material is not as good as the Cheech Wizard compilation, and it's all either 3-panel or 6-panel one-shots. But still weird and wonderful in the Bode fashion, and generally pretty funny. With plenty of bare-breasted, quite improbable curvy Bode cartoon broads, it's a real cool blast from the early 1970's.

The New World on Mars -- Robert Zubrin -- 2024

      Very optimistic account on the possibilities of settling Mars. Zubrin has been publishing various versions of this for decades now, and this latest account is charged with excitement from the possibilities of SpaceX's Starship. He's a true believer and ardent cheerleader, and his science seems sound, but he's a little bit Pollyanna-ish on human nature and the personal risks inherent for early settlers. Still, a good projection of potential technologies and opportunities.

The Blacktongue Thief -- Christopher Buehlman -- 2021

      Fabulous picaresque fantasy. During the first half of the book I'm thinking, like, "greatest fantasy ever." By the end, that rush became normalized enough to simmer down to "great fantasy." Our hero is a thief who's in debt to the Thieves' Guild and is compelled to attempt a mission, the purpose of which is hidden from him. Serious, murderous encounters, but accompanied by the protagonist's humorous, self-deprecating take on everything. 

Infinity's Shore -- David Brin -- 1996

      Slowly re-reading my way through the Uplift novels, this is the penultimate, second in the second trilogy. The last Uplift novel, "Heaven's Reach", was published in 1998; it doesn't seem like we'll see another. Here, the Streaker gets involved in the action, and the Sooners are threatened by the arrival of rival extraterrestrials. Ends with a cliffhanger, as the Streaker is pursued by a Jodphur battlecruiser. Not as enthralled with the series as I was as when these novels first arrived -- now long ago -- but still a good space opera romp, with plucky backworlders outwitting the stodgy galactic powers.