First Publication: Tor.com, December 2013
Cover Artist: Ross MacDonald
I remember fondly watching “Frosty the Snowman” on the television each holiday season. Lewis Shiner must have watched it too. He incorporates parts of the song into this fascinating short story about reincarnation, being a stranger in a strange land, Nietzche, and the horror of finding your work subverted into something it was not meant to be. After reading this touching story, “Frosty the Snowman” will never be the same again. I know I will be thinking of this story every time I hear the song.
Highly recommended.
Author: Steven Erikson
First Publication: November 2014
Source: NetGalley
Steven Erickson has made a name for himself in the fantasy field in recent years with his “Malazan” series. “Willful Child” is his first attempt at writing a science fiction novel. According to comments the author has made, it is a loving spoof that is his tribute to “Star Trek”. I understand where the author is coming from. You can tell that he is a fan of “Star Trek”. Unfortunately this falls under the category of too much of a good thing for me. I would have enjoyed it more if this was a shorter work. The only author I have read who could write comedy that would keep my attention for a whole novel is Terry Pratchett. If this had been a shorter work, I would have liked it. As it is I can see that it is well written and would appeal to many readers. At some point, I would like to see Erickson tackle a serious science fiction novel.
So if you are a fan of spoofs, I would recommend this one to you. Otherwise, it can be skipped.
Author: Karl Schroeder
First Publication: 2014
Source: Amazon
Publisher: Tor
Cover: Victor Mosquerra
Karl Schroeder is an author I always thought of trying but never got around to it. When I saw “Jubilee” was available I thought it would be a perfect time to try his work. It is a far future version of “Romeo and Juliet”. The other thing is that it belongs to the same universe as his recent “Lockstep” novel. Schroeder chooses to tell the story from one of the planet’s natives who is supporting the main story. If this is typical Schroeder, I have another author to add to my must read list. He seamlessly works in classic style science fiction ideas with a modern storytelling style.
Based on this story, I have to read “Lockstep” in the near future.
Highly recommended.
