Mars being unfit for humans, there is no alternative but to make humans--or at least a human--fit for Mars.
Man Plus (Man Plus, volume 1) by Frederik Pohl
Mars being unfit for humans, there is no alternative but to make humans--or at least a human--fit for Mars.
Man Plus (Man Plus, volume 1) by Frederik Pohl
Seven books new to me. Well, six and one replacement. Four fantasy, one historical, one horror, one science fiction. Two appear to be part of series.
Books Received, October 11 to October 17
Poll #33737 Books Received, October 11 to October 17
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 48
Which of these look interesting?
View Answers
Boys With Sharp Teeth by Jenni Howell (July 2026)
6 (12.5%)
Behind Five Willows by June Hur (May 2026)
16 (33.3%)
Daggerbound by T. Kingfisher (August 2026)
31 (64.6%)
Heir of Storms by Lauryn Hamilton Murray (June 2026)
4 (8.3%)
City of Others by Jaren Poon (January 2026)
19 (39.6%)
Starry Messenger: The Best of Galileo edited by Charles C. Ryan (November 1979)
7 (14.6%)
How to Lose a Goblin in Ten Days by Jessie Sylva (January 2026)
17 (35.4%)
Some other option (see comments)
0 (0.0%)
Cats!
32 (66.7%)
Tags:
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james_davis_nicoll Oct. 17th, 2025 08:57 am)
james_davis_nicoll Oct. 17th, 2025 08:57 am)
A selection of speculative fiction stories by Black Canadians.
As The Earth Dreams: Black Canadian Speculative Stories edited by Terese Mason Pierre
Once again I seem to be suffering some kind of 48 hour bug. This time it’s a full D&V. I went to bed at 16:00 and am up because I can’t sleep and thought that a lemon and ginger tea might help.
So far it hasn’t, I’m just being sick again, and my stomach hurts, just under my ribs. It’s miserable.
So far it hasn’t, I’m just being sick again, and my stomach hurts, just under my ribs. It’s miserable.
Tags:
The tabletop science fiction roleplaying game of transhuman survival from Posthuman Studios.
Bundle of Holding: Eclipse Phase 2E (from 2022)
Tags:
The American orbital transfer station offers employment to Byron McDougall, a chance for Charlie Bond to search for an alternative to MAD, and for Diana Osborne, escape from her violently abusive father.
The Moon Goddess and the Son by Donald Kingsbury
Tags:
Another revival, the July 2022 Eclipse Phase 2E Bundle, featuring the 2019 Second Edition of thetranshuman survival SFRPG:
https://bundleofholding.com/p
The last time around my comments mostly quoted my comments on a previous and somewhat different bundle:
'"I'll be honest - these look like good deals, they're just not where I want to be right now with role playing. As usual with these bundles you get a shedload of stuff for your money, and they do look like pretty good deals. I'll probably download a couple of the supplements because they address areas that interest me - most notably Panopticon - but I'm not going to try to get my head around another new (to me) RPG at this stage in my increasing decrepitude. But I think I can recommend them, subject of course to all the usual YMMV disclaimers."
This time the offer is a bit different, with fewer supplements, but it's a good starting point if you're interested, and all of the supplements from the earlier offers are still compatible.'
Unfortunately Panopticon didn't make it into the bundle, but the rest is a pretty good horror / SF setting - unfortunately still not something I want to run at present, but you get a lot for my money and if you are in the mood for a primarily SF horror setting it's worth a look.
As expected, these bundles will mostly be horror of some sort from now to the end of the month - I have no idea what else is coming as yet.
https://bundleofholding.com/p
The last time around my comments mostly quoted my comments on a previous and somewhat different bundle:
'"I'll be honest - these look like good deals, they're just not where I want to be right now with role playing. As usual with these bundles you get a shedload of stuff for your money, and they do look like pretty good deals. I'll probably download a couple of the supplements because they address areas that interest me - most notably Panopticon - but I'm not going to try to get my head around another new (to me) RPG at this stage in my increasing decrepitude. But I think I can recommend them, subject of course to all the usual YMMV disclaimers."
This time the offer is a bit different, with fewer supplements, but it's a good starting point if you're interested, and all of the supplements from the earlier offers are still compatible.'
Unfortunately Panopticon didn't make it into the bundle, but the rest is a pretty good horror / SF setting - unfortunately still not something I want to run at present, but you get a lot for my money and if you are in the mood for a primarily SF horror setting it's worth a look.
As expected, these bundles will mostly be horror of some sort from now to the end of the month - I have no idea what else is coming as yet.
(james_davis_nicoll Oct. 15th, 2025 10:13 am)
james_davis_nicoll Oct. 15th, 2025 10:13 am)
Growing up is hard enough without the entire world falling apart around you.
Five Novels About Coming of Age During the Apocalypse
Tags:
Why do Cheolma Rehabilitation Hospital patients keep plummeting from the 6th floor, and why do none of them bleed when they hit the tarmac? The explanation is outside Detective Suyeon's field of expertise.
The Midnight Shift by Cheon Seon-Ran
Tags:
Surprise! Another post from me, this time about the first snowfall. No, not here at the house, but not far away, either.
( First Winter Storm )
I know that Kevin Roche and Andy Trembley had been in Reno for the rodeo and had to thread the weather needle to get home over the mountains, where a winter storm warning was in effect.
( First Winter Storm )
I know that Kevin Roche and Andy Trembley had been in Reno for the rodeo and had to thread the weather needle to get home over the mountains, where a winter storm warning was in effect.
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We will be playing the Best Classic Filk Song and Best Filk Song nominees. You can find all of the info at this link, oh, and you can vote, especially now that you've heard them all!
https://www.ovff.org/pegasus/2025finalballot.html
Available on iTunes, Google Play and most other places you can get podcasts. We can be heard Wednesday at 6am and 9pm Central on scifi.radio.
filkcast.blogspot.com
https://www.ovff.org/pegasus/2025finalballot.html
Available on iTunes, Google Play and most other places you can get podcasts. We can be heard Wednesday at 6am and 9pm Central on scifi.radio.
filkcast.blogspot.com
(james_davis_nicoll Oct. 14th, 2025 08:53 am)
james_davis_nicoll Oct. 14th, 2025 08:53 am)
Fallen Woman turned private investigator Sarah Tolerance is hired to recover a fan. Carnage ensues.
Point of Honour (Sarah Tolerance, volume 1) by Madeleine E. Robins
Tags:
During which I encountered:
* A person supine on the sidewalk, having apparently been struck by a car exiting the expressway. There were EMTs so I didn't interfere.
* A person driving their RC car on the LRT tracks as the train was approaching, who seemed put out that I told him to get off the tracks.
* An angry screaming apparently deranged guy between me and where I needed to be to catch the bus.
* A person supine on the sidewalk, having apparently been struck by a car exiting the expressway. There were EMTs so I didn't interfere.
* A person driving their RC car on the LRT tracks as the train was approaching, who seemed put out that I told him to get off the tracks.
* An angry screaming apparently deranged guy between me and where I needed to be to catch the bus.
This all-new Huckleberry Bundle presents Huckleberry, the mythic Wyrd West tabletop roleplaying game about tragic cowboys in a world doomed to calamity – unless you save it.
Bundle of Holding: Huckleberry
Tags:
Another Bundle of Holding offer: the Huckleberry Bundle, featuring the "mythic Wyrd West RPG about tragic cowboys in a world doomed to calamity."
https://bundleofholding.com/p
This basically seems to be cowboys (and other interested parties) in a world full of chaotic monsters. I don't think it's really a game that interests me much, but it's well-presented and you get quite a lot for your money, It's just not a genre I particularly like.
Seeing this makes me suspect that we are now in the run-up to Halloween with these offers, which usually means a lot of horror.
https://bundleofholding.com/p
This basically seems to be cowboys (and other interested parties) in a world full of chaotic monsters. I don't think it's really a game that interests me much, but it's well-presented and you get quite a lot for your money, It's just not a genre I particularly like.
Seeing this makes me suspect that we are now in the run-up to Halloween with these offers, which usually means a lot of horror.
2018: Tories vote to pitch the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, PM May’s Brexit progress is strangely uneven, while Prince Harry and Meghan Markle conduct an experiment to determine the depths of British racism.
Bold for have read, italic for intend to read, underline for never heard of it.
Which 2018 Clarke Award Finalists Have You Read?
Dreams Before the Start of Time by Anne Charnock
American War by Omar El Akkad
Borne by Jeff VanderMeer
Gather the Daughters by Jennie Melamed
Sea of Rust by C. Robert Cargill
Spaceman of Bohemia by Jaroslav Kalfař
Poll #33722 Clarke Award Finalists 2018
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 7
Which 2018 Clarke Award Finalists Have You Read?
View Answers
Dreams Before the Start of Time by Anne Charnock
1 (14.3%)
American War by Omar El Akkad
2 (28.6%)
Borne by Jeff VanderMeer
5 (71.4%)
Gather the Daughters by Jennie Melamed
0 (0.0%)
Sea of Rust by C. Robert Cargill
1 (14.3%)
Spaceman of Bohemia by Jaroslav Kalfař
1 (14.3%)
Bold for have read, italic for intend to read, underline for never heard of it.
Which 2018 Clarke Award Finalists Have You Read?
Dreams Before the Start of Time by Anne Charnock
American War by Omar El Akkad
Borne by Jeff VanderMeer
Gather the Daughters by Jennie Melamed
Sea of Rust by C. Robert Cargill
Spaceman of Bohemia by Jaroslav Kalfař
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