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Science Fiction Books and Authors Archives
King Kong: The Island of the Skull
Rumors of the Undead (30 Days of Night)
Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
Superman: The Never-Ending Battle
Read our science fiction book reviews.
All books are available on Amazon.com. Just click on any of the book covers.
Cell by Stephen King
Bravo!! One of King's best since The Stand. The Cell is about human survival when a pulse sent through cell phones drives users into mindless homicidal maniacs. It's pure post-apocalyptic chaos in perfect Stephen King style. Be sure to add this one to your King collection.
City of the Dead by Brian Keene
Imagine surviving an outbreak in the middle of New York City where millions of blood-thirsty zombies surround the only building left for solace. Oh yeah, and the zombies are organized too. How will you escape? Brian Keene establishes an amazing backdrop and dire circumstances for his characters. City of the Dead is his follow up to The Rising. If you missed the first book like I did, this one stands on its own very well. This is a perfect book for zombie fans. Keene shows no mercy and it's exactly what you might expect if zombies took over the world. Check out his website at www.briankeene.com
Other books by Brian Keene:
A Day Dark As Night (Exalted, 1)
Terrible - Exalted: A Day Dark as Night written by Carl Bowen is about an assassin reincarnated as a demigod trying to understand her recent past and the past of a former life. There are few books that I dislike. Sorry Mr. Bowen, I just couldn't get through the first 50 pages. I just don't get it nor care. I'll give that the cover art looked great and quite honestly attracted me to buy this book. Unfortunately, there was very little after that that interested me.
DC Universe: Last Sons by Alan Grant
I must be getting too old to be reading novels about superheroes. I simply haven't read one in a long time that really excited me. Last Sons is no exception. It's a basic plot about the last sons or last beings of their kind, namely Superman, Martian Manhunter and Lobo. They get tangled with a new and invincible alien threat. The ending is predictable from here. Expect more books in this series, maybe those will be better. By the way, I'm not that old.
Dies the Fire by S.M. Stirling
Welcome to the end of the world as we know it. A sudden electrical pulse renders all electronic devises and firearms useless as humanity tries to survive a new age. If you like end of the world and apocalypse plots, you'll enjoy this one. Mr. Stirling spins a fine tale woven among excellent character development and relationships.
Earth Rise by William Dietz
This novel is the second book about an alien invasion and the human race fighting back. It's a little difficult to keep the alien references straight because there are more than one race and they each call one another something different. Dietz changes this around quite a bit which further adds to the confusion. Anyway, if you can keep it all straight, Dietz spins a great original tale of human perseverance. Be sure to pick up the first book in this series called Deathday.
Exterminators (JLA)
by
Christopher
Golden
Okay - Unless you're a Justice League fan, there's better stories to spend your $8. A culmination of superheroes, of course all your favorites, take on very large worms, but somehow it gets out of control. I'm getting the feeling that we're reaching a saturation point with all the monsters the Justice League fights. I mean Superman dealt with larger threats and he just threw them at the Sun. Mr. Golden has an impressive resume, but seriously, I think his readers are a little smarter than he thinks.
Fifty Degrees Below by Kim Stanley
Robinson
The story takes place in D.C. after a massive flood nearly placing everything underwater. As the capital begins to bail out, a new natural threat may plunge North America into another ice age. This is the second book in a trilogy (sorry, I didn't read the first one). I could only read the first hundred pages and there was still nothing happening...no purpose, no build up, no interest. Don't waste your hard earned money on this one. If you get it as a gift, be sure to get the receipt.
The Flash: Stop Motion
by
Mark Schultz
The Genesis Protocol by Dayton Ward
If you're looking for fast action from cover to cover with a bunch of special ops soldiers blasting...ummm, well, dinosaurs, the Mr. Ward has your book. Protocol is actually a lot of fun and a quick read. Think Jurassic Park but in the middle of Utah when the creatures at a scientific facility fight back with a vengeance. Enjoy!
The Grays by Whitley Strieber
12.02.07 - Here’s a book written by Whitley Strieber we think you’ll like. The Grays is about…well, aliens and they are already among us and have been manipulating mankind for a long time. The story centers on a boy-genius, Connor, and how the survival of the Grays and Humans rely heavily on him. Depicted as a race that has lost all emotion and self-being, the Grays need and even feed off the human emotional state. Caught between a government that wants to kill him, an alien race that wants to bond with him, and a father and mother that never want to let him go, Connor soon realizes he is the most important person and the fate of both races rest in his hands. The Grays is a definite keeper and one you should pick up and read. The author keeps the story flowing well and shares an interesting view point of aliens among us. Check out Mr. Strieber's official website at www.unknowncountry.com/.
Other Books by Whitley Strieber:
I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
Just be aware that the book was written in the 1950's. So in classic Hollywood fashion, the movie becomes something much different than the book. In the case of I Am Legend, the movie is actually better than the book but then again the book is supposedly a classic among other horror stories. I recommend you skip the book and just go see the movie. If you're a true horror fan, then buy the book and just place it with your collection of horror stories.
Okay - This was supposed to be the movie tie-in version but I was fooled into original works of Mr. Asimov. Probably one of the classic sci-fi novels but I just didn't feel it or get it. Each storyline dealt with the three laws of robots. It got old as the story progressed.
King Kong: The Island of the Skull by Matthew Costello
There are some things in this world you just need to leave alone. King Kong is one of them. This is really a pointless book. Listed as a precursor to the King Kong remake film, there was absolutely no reason for this book to exist. The book was a failed attempt at cross-marketing. I can't imagine they broke even on this book...then again, maybe they didn't have to.
The Last World War
Good - The Last World War written by Dayton Ward is about two warring aliens that invade Earth through a network of hidden interdimensional portals. The book tended to default to the standard alien description, so no surprises there. It's interesting that advanced alien species will walk around naked. Makes you wonder if we'll eventually shed our clothing in place of superior intelligence. In any case, I enjoyed this book. There was a lot of subplots going on which gave the illusion of a war actually going on and the chaos around it. If your feeling a little anxious for the War of the Worlds film, then read this book to get you ready.
Mammoth by John Varley
The back cover has a great hook and a reason why I read this one. Figuring it might drop off quickly, Mr. Varley actually prepares a good read under a backdrop of the woolly mammoth and time travel and mixes them together. You may find few surprises however there're enough it keep the story interesting. There's no new discovery on the time travel theories but Varley spins it well.
Next by Michael Crichton
One of Michael Crichton's latest novels and his spin on genetic engineering, it's a book you'll want to pick up. Set in modern times, there's plenty of corporate espionage, corruption, and fear of the possibilities with our DNA. Don't be alarmed by 547 page paperback. The story actually reads very quickly. The author has divided the chapters into small sections. Along with multiple storylines, you'll be able to get through it quickly. Good book - Crichton fans will enjoy it more for certain.
Predator: Forever Midnight by John
Shirley
Those pesky Predators are up to no good again by harvesting humans and setting up their hunting games on a distant planet. Meanwhile a colony of humans have settled on the planet and the space marines are on their way to check in...then all hell breaks loose. You like action? You like Predators' merciless killing and carnage? Then this is your book. The book is a lot of fun and a quick read. Enjoy!
I'm a big Dungeons and Dragons fan and enjoy reading stories that relate to it even more but this one absolutely sucked. It was originally published in the late 1970's at the time the original D&D was gaining momentum. The author actually credits the creators of D&D for helping with insight into the game. It's real hard to follow, some of the characters speak backwards like Yoda, and the plot is hard to believe. I recommend you skip this one. There are better ones out there.
Isaac Asimov's Odyssey : Robot City: Book1 by Michael P Kube-McDowell
Good - Isaac Asimov's tale written by Michael Kube-McDowell. I never read Asimov before until I saw the iRobot movie. It held my interest; plot was good and the characters were believable.
I wasn't familiar with the comic books when I read this one so there's a number of references that I don't full understand. Nile and Mariotte give a new spin to the vampire genre. Even so, it's just another vampire story with a basic plot about an FBI agent trying to uncover a national cover-up about an Alaskan vampire massacre. You may find some sections dry. If you skip around a little, you won't miss much.
Excellent - This was a fun read. The story was original, fast paced, and interesting. If you have an afternoon, time at the beach, on vacation, or a few hours, grab a copy of this book.
This is the follow up to Coonts' first book Saucer where the main characters are called into action a second time when another saucer is stolen from Area 51 and used to attacked Earth in an attempt for world domination. The book wasn't as good or original as the first but it'll still keep your attention and the story moves quick enough. If you haven't read the first novel, pick up that one first before reading the second.
Shadowrun: Born to Run by Stephen Kenson
In the future, magical forces and fantastical creatures will return to the Earth. Great premise with a basic plot, I think. The story is fairly predictable so don't expect any surprises. I only stuck with the story until the end because of the story's backdrop. It's a tough book to stand on its own without the other games and merchandise to support it.
Star Wars: Dark Lord by James Luceno
As a sequel to Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars fans won't be disappointed reading about the rise of Darth Vader. The plot is solid and new characters come forward in this action filled adventure. It's interesting to read Vader's continued inner struggle with good and evil. But at the end, you'll understand why the Dark Side is important to him. Add this one to your collection.
Labyrinth of Evil,
Star Wars by
James Luceno
Revenge of the Sith
Superman : The Never-Ending Battle
Terrible - JLA Superman: The Never-Ending Battle is tough to get through. I got half way through it only because I like JLA and Superman of course. Roger Stern wrote the Life and Death of Superman, which was pretty good, and a long list of other comic credentials. It's too bad this one sucked. The other JLA novels weren't that bad. I would have expected Superman to top them. Instead, it was worse. The dialogue between characters was forced and unnatural. The target audience must be for a younger group, perhaps ages 6-12. I think Stern really excluded the audience that watches JLA.
AlienAlmanac.com 2004-2008
