June 29, 2019
Hats off to all you magical people out there! I mentioned in last week’s roundup about us not getting rain in my corner of Japan, then wished for your help in securing said rain through whimsical, unscientific means, and voilà! It rained! Not all week, but in long-enough spurts to actually mean something to the poor, dried-out land around here.…
June 28, 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! The Bone Clocks Written by: David Mitchell Genre: ????? Pages: 641 (Kindle) Publisher: Random House Premise: Following a terrible…
June 27, 2019
Zero Sum Game (2018) Written by: S.L. Huang Series: Cas Russell Book 1 Genre: Science Fiction (Audio Book) Length: 11 hours 43 minutes Publisher: Tor Why I Chose This: I originally read Zero Sum Game back in 2014 when it was a self-published e-book, and I remember finding it a real page-turner. Earlier this year, the book was revised and…
June 26, 2019
Ladycastle (2017) Written By: Delilah S. Dawson Illustrated By: Ashley A. Woods and Rebecca Farrow Genre: Fantasy Graphic Novel Pages: 112 pages Paperback Publisher: BOOM! Studios Why I Chose It: I heard it mentioned on the Writing Excuses podcast. A castle full of women saving the day their own way? Heck, yes. Sign me up. The premise: When the King…
June 25, 2019
Gunmetal Magic (2012) Written by: Ilona Andrews Series: Kate Daniels #5.5 Genre: Urban Fantasy Pages: 326 (Paperback) Publisher: Ace Why I Chose This: My 2019 Resolution Project for Speculative Chic is to read the books in the Kate Daniels series and finish up with a first read of the final book. I first read Gunmetal Magic in 2012. The Premise: Some people…
June 24, 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 award-winning artist and musician Steven Archer, whose art will be…
June 22, 2019
Hello, denizens of geek! How are things in your corner of the world? In a previous roundup I rambled about the rainy season in Japan, and since posting, a strange phenomenon has taken place in my area: almost no rain. As much as I dislike the rainy season, this isn’t a good thing. I live in the Kikuchi Valley region of…
June 21, 2019
Titanshade (2019) Written by: Dan Stout Genre: Urban Fantasy Pages: 407 (Hardcover) Publisher: DAW Why I Chose It: Because Carter’s a disgraced human cop; because Ajax is a new-to-town Mollenkampi rookie cop; together they fight crime! I am a total sucker for that premise, as I believe I’ve mentioned before. Less flippantly, I picked this one up because it looked…
June 20, 2019
Happy summer! This is your Sound Off editor, J.L. Gribble. When I’m not watching movies, I can be found working on my urban fantasy/alternate history series. Join me today in celebrating the cover reveal for Steel Shadows!
June 20, 2019
Black Mirror returned to Netflix on June 5, 2019, after a year-long hiatus (if you don’t count their full-length interactive film Bandersnatch that came out in December). I’m one of the fans that has watched every episode from day one when the series debuted in 2011, so I was eagerly waiting for the new season. Season 5 showcased three episodes…