May 31, 2019
Welcome to the Speculative Chic Book Club! Each month, we invite you to join us in reading a book that is voted on by YOU, our readers. Following a short review, please feel free to discuss the book in the comments! Shards of Honor (1986) Written by: Lois McMaster Bujold Genre: Science Fiction Pages: 255 (paperback) Publisher: Baen Premise: When…
May 30, 2019
On March 23 and 24, I experienced the wonder of Anime Japan, where 146,500 people flocked to Tokyo Big Sight to celebrate an industry loved the world over. A four-day event, Anime Japan is geared towards professionals as well as fans. The first days of the convention (Thursday and Friday) are reserved for attendees who work in the business, then…
May 29, 2019
In 2018 I resolved to read George R.R. Martin‘s A Song of Ice and Fire and watch HBO’s Game of Thrones, both series. It only seemed right, then, that I finish off my “Year of Thrones” with Season 8, even though it is well after my year ended. Why I Chose it: I had tried watching the series a few times and…
May 28, 2019
In January 2018, I set myself a goal of reading six translated SFF works. Amatka is my third book. (I know, it’s 2019!) Prior to this, I attempted Eden, by Stanislaw Lem, which I’m sorry to say was a slog, and one of Lem’s admittedly more difficult works; and I Remember You, by Yrsa Sigurdardottir, a properly chilling ghost story…
May 27, 2019
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 Courtney Bates-Hardy, whose poetry collection, House of Mystery, is available…
May 25, 2019
This week marked a milestone: the end of HBO’s Game of Thrones! The finale ended Sunday in America and Wednesday for me in Japan. It was impossible to avoid the discussions online about how things went down, so I ended up knowing things before I got to sit down with the episode, but it didn’t really diminish the finale for…
May 24, 2019
European Travel for the Monstrous Gentlewoman (2018) Written by: Theodora Goss Series: The Extraordinary Adventures of the Athena Club #2 Genre: Fantasy/Gothic Horror Pages: 720 (kindle) Publisher: Saga Press Why I Chose This: My 2019 Resolution Project is to tackle three super-sized sequels to books that I really enjoyed. European Travel for the Monstrous Gentlewoman is the second of those three books.…
May 23, 2019
There’s a city that erupted on the map in January of 1975, a decrepit mid-western one, isolated and populated by the grotesque and strange, through which a wandering kid explores his sexuality and encounters the fantastic — Bellona, the stuff of suburban nightmares and concealed urges given volition and form. Bellona, the city of Samuel “Chip” Delaney’s Dhalgren, can be…
May 22, 2019
Outland (2019) Written By: Dennis E. Taylor Narrated By: Ray Porter Genre: Science Fiction Length: 10 hrs 30 mins Publisher: Audible Original Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. Why I Chose It: I’ve really enjoyed the Bobiverse books and when Shara asked if I wanted to try something new from the same…
May 21, 2019
Welcome back to Sound Off!, a semi-regular column where members of Speculative Chic gather together to chat about the latest BIG THING in entertainment. This time, arm yourself and discuss John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum, which premiered in the United States on Friday, May 17, 2019. Sound Off! is meant to be a reaction, but not necessarily a review. After all, while…