August 31, 2017
Sleeping Giants (2016) Written by: Sylvain Neuvel Genre: Science Fiction Pages: 336 (Hardback) Series: Themis Files #1 Publisher: Del Rey Why I Chose It: When I first read the premise of this book, it sounded like something I would not like. I was halfway to “No, thank you,” when I read “giant metal hand.” Then I read several reviews from…
August 30, 2017
Three Wishes (2016) Written By: Lisa Manifold Genre: Paranormal Romance Pages: 188 (Paperback) Series: Heart of the Djinn (Book 1) Publisher: Self-published Why I Chose It: Lisa Manifold was chosen as Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers’ Independent Writer of the Year last year. It was the first time they even had an Independent category, and I wanted to check out some…
August 30, 2017
When someone mentions fantasy book covers, inevitably a stereotypical image pops up. One of knights standing near dragons, perhaps a chain-mail bra-clad woman with him. Or at least, that’s what used to be the norm. As today’s standards of what’s “cool” and socially acceptable continue to shift, so do the covers of speculative fiction books. Fantasy, science fiction, and horror…
August 29, 2017
The question of what happens when a person dies has been grappled with for as long as humanity has existed. Is there a heaven? A sort of paradise that waits for us after we close our eyes for the last time? Is there eternal punishment awaiting those who did not meet whatever criteria that the paradise demanded? What if there…
August 28, 2017
They might not be raindrops on roses or whiskers on kittens, but that doesn’t mean that we love them any less. Welcome back to My Favorite Things, the weekly column where we grab someone in speculative circles to gab about the greatest in geek. This week, we sit down with poet and author K. Ceres Wright. What does she love…
August 25, 2017
Have you finally watched the final season of Orphan Black? Have you caught up on all of Speculative Chic’s episodic reactions? For your convenience, you can click on each poster to see what our Editor-in-Chic thought about each episode as it aired, and if you want to chat about the show, feel free to do so in the comments!
August 25, 2017
Welcome to the Speculative Chic Book Club! Each month, we invite you to join us in reading a book that will sometimes be picked beforehand and sometimes be voted on by you, our readers. We’re still working on the format, so following the review of the book and some starter questions, we invite you all to discuss your thoughts in…
August 24, 2017
Six Wakes (2017) Written by: Mur Lafferty Genre: Science Fiction Pages: 400 (Trade paperback) Publisher: Orbit Why I Chose It: So one of my favorite genre mash-ups is SF/Mystery, and Six Wakes definitely falls into that sweet spot. It’s a science fiction locked-room mystery that also made me think of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, just… in space.…
August 24, 2017
Bookburners: Season Two (2016) Written by: Max Gladstone, Margaret Dunlap, Brian Francis Slattery, Andrea Phillips, Mur Lafferty, Amal El-Mohtar Genre: Urban Fantasy Pages: 734 (Kindle version; although I listened to the audio) Series: Bookburners Publisher: Serial Box Disclaimer: I received a copy of season two of Bookburners from the publisher Serial Box. This was not done with the understanding that I…
August 23, 2017
Confession time! I adore comic book movies. There’s something about the over-the-top storylines, the super powers, the suspension of belief, and the genuine enthusiasm that (usually) goes into making such projects. I am a novice comic *reader*, however. When I come across a novel that taps into those same elements that are found in the best superhero stories, I’m almost…