Paul's Picks
Similar but different. This is how I can describe Recursion to Blake Crouch's previous novel Dark Matter. And that is a good thing. You have just enough science to make the fiction plausible but not so much to turn a fun read into a text book. It can get a little too repetitive (I know right?) about 3/4 of the way through the book because you expect the protagonists are going to find the solution to their problem and you feel like a few extra plot insertions are there to fill space before the finale. Oh and the finale? Spot on.
This is the first book I have read by Peter Watts. I have been really craving ‘first contact’ books lately. Blingsight did not disappoint. I have read several books lately that spend a long time leading up to the first contact story arc but not this one. It dives in pretty quickly.
This story has biological and psychological themes that can really mess with your mind. I loved it. Plus there are human sociological twists, giving the characters internal struggle. What is an alien? How do we know if they mean us harm? Are members of the crew any more alien than the new visitor to the solar system?
Read Blindsight and seek the answers!
This is a gripping, taught, and fun techno, scifi, spy thriller. This first book takes place on Earth and Earth Orbit. The second book is off to the planets! The pace is crisp and characters you can care about.
To all my fellow MoFo's out there if you are looking for a fun, dark, humorous read that will leave you snickering and squirming in your comfy chair, look no further. This book puts a unique spin on the almost overdone zombie apocalypse genre. I only say "almost overdone" because the Zombie Land 2 is every bit as dark and humorous as the original!
Back to Hollow Kingdom. The ever optimistic crow named T.S. and his sidekick blood hound Dennis adventure through the Pacific Northwest ala "Walking Dead" offering the unique perspective of the pets and wild animals who are left behind as the human world falls apart.
Dark Matter is a mind bending multi-verse story with all the trappings of visiting alternate worlds and lives with some twists. While the uber smart scientist makes some "girl in the horror flick" what are you thinking decisions that left me shaking my head, I was always rooting for him.
