August 5, 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 J.L. Gribble, whose latest book, Steel Shadows, comes out on…
March 20, 2019
Tiamat’s Wrath (2019) Written by: James S. A. Corey (pen name used by Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck) Genre: Science Fiction Pages: 534 (Hardcover) Series: Book Eight of The Expanse Publisher: Orbit Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from Orbit for the purpose of review. Why I Chose It: The Expanse is a great series, and there’s…
February 26, 2019
What are conlangs? I’ll be honest, I’d answer that in Klingon, Irathian, Quenya or Sindarin, but I don’t know how to speak any of them. I do know I enjoy marveling at listening to constructed languages, and science fiction and fantasy are full of them—everything from Tolkien’s fantasies to The Expanse (more about that below). I am no language expert.…
November 21, 2018
Ahhhh. The unrelenting heat and humidity of summer has passed. It’s finally time for sweaters and boots and hot chocolate and curling up in front of the fire with a good book. It’s also a great time to dig into a new (or new-to-you) series. If you’re looking for some amazing worlds and some richly drawn characters to warm you…
December 2, 2017
Goodbye, November, and hello December. How is it already the last month of the year? Where has the time gone? Nevertheless, here we are, and I hope that you had a great week, as always. We’ve had a lot of fun here at Spec Chic, and I am your humble guide to what we’ve been doing. Take a moment from…
November 29, 2017
Persepolis Rising (2017) Written by: James S. A. Corey (pen name used by Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck) Genre: Science Fiction Pages: 549 (Hardcover) Series: Book Seven of The Expanse Publisher: Orbit Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from Orbit for the purpose of review. Why I Chose It: I have read, and loved, all of the…
October 2, 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 writer and editor Erin S. Bales! What does Erin love?…
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…
June 30, 2017
What if I told you that the savviest science fiction story on bookshelves right now features a stolen warship, a Martian cowboy, a lady marine who’s nearly seven feet tall, an endearing sociopath and a farm boy who has come close to accidentally instigating interstellar war at least twice? What if I told you that the person with the most…
January 31, 2017
Imagine Earth, retaining walls surrounding the Statue of Liberty to fend off rising sea levels from effects global warming. The United Nations government is desperate for more resources to sustain a population so swollen you have to prove yourself worthy of more than Basic, the guaranteed subsidy that meets humanity’s baseline needs. Then you have independent Mars, boasting a small…