This review originally appeared on Goodreads on July 25, 2017.

Old Man's War

By John Scalzi – Tor Books – January 15, 2007

Review by Robin Marx

This was an exciting military SF adventure in the tradition of +Starship Troopers*. A retiree joins the Colonial Defense Force, rumored to be able to make the elderly young again, and soon finds himself drawn into a much larger universe—one full of conflict—than he expected.

While it's touched upon briefly, I expected a bit more meditation on the psychological toll constant warfare would have on the human mind, but the general mood is kept brisk and light throughout the book. Readers looking for more emotional heft are advised to check out The Forever War or Armor. Despite its different emphasis, Old Man's War is not necessarily a shallow book, however, and fans of those other military SF classics are likely to enjoy this book as well.

Old Man's War works just fine as a stand-alone work of science fiction, but the world presented is interesting enough that the sequel volumes look appealing as well. Recommended for fans of military SF, or old fashioned space opera in general.

★★★★☆

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This review originally appeared on Goodreads on May 8, 2012.

The Airlords of Han

By Philip Francis Nowlan – Amazing Stories – March 1929

Review by Robin Marx

This is the follow-up volume to Armageddon 2419 A.D., the story that introduced Anthony Rogers—who later became known as Buck Rogers—to the world. While I didn't quite enjoy it as much as the first Rogers story, the second half more than makes up for a lackluster beginning.

The book opens with the continuing struggle of the techno-tribal Americans versus the diabolical Han, technologically advanced Mongolians and the dominant race of 25th century Earth. While there's plenty of action in these early sequences, the war scenes are described in a bloodless, clinical manner that robs them of much of their excitement. This bland description of (invariably successful) tactics is a problem that the later half of the first book shared. Things become even worse when the author takes a mystifying two chapter break right in the middle of an air combat scene to describe “ultron” and “inertron” technology in detail. There's one chapter for the American's technology, and one for the Han's equipment. I doubt most readers are as interested in the author's technobabble as Nowlan himself was, and this digression harms the flow of the story.

Fortunately, things quickly pick up after this sidetrack. In a rare moment of fallibility, Rogers's cockiness leads to him being captured by the Han and taken to their capital city, where he serves as both a prisoner of war and an honored guest to his decadent, soft captors. This portion of the story finally gives a face to the enemy. While Armageddon 2419 A.D. was fairly light on the racism despite a Yellow Peril-era premise, it appears all that was saved up for the sequel. Repeatedly we're told how decadent and soft and corrupt the Mongolians are, unlike the noble and virile (and apparently minority-free) Americans. (Ironically, I'd trade 25th century American life for a Han lifestyle in an instant. They've got luxurious housing, a welfare system, e-commerce, telecommuting, undemanding jobs, and loose women. Where do I sign up?) We even learn that the Han aren't quite real Mongolians, but actually half-alien hybrids resulting from a space ship crashing in Tibet. I guess that makes their eventual genocide at the hands of square-jawed, white-bread Americans OK, then!

Some old-fashioned thinking aside, the second half of the story is fun and exciting. Rogers makes a daring escape from the Han with the assistance of remote-controlled explosive drones. Why these remarkably versatile killer drones weren't used by the Americans in previous battles was unclear to me, but their very presence (along with the telecommuting and e-commerce mentioned previously) is pretty astonishing for a story written in 1929. Rogers's escape is also excitingly rendered and much less dispassionately described than the mass battles from the first half of the book.

The American's eventual victory seems a little too easily won, but the two volume series comes to a satisfying conclusion. Parts of the story will feel—understandably—creaky and outdated to a modern audience, but the pulp action is exciting and the futurism genuinely impressive. Both books are worth a read to pulp fiction fans and those interested in learning more about an classic American icon.

★★★☆☆

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This review originally appeared at This review originally appeared on Goodreads on August 5, 2018.

Wastelands 2: More Stories of the Apocalypse

Edited by George R. R. Martin – Titan Books – February 24, 2015

Review by Robin Marx

Much of the book didn't feel as strong as the first Wastelands anthology. That was perhaps inevitable, given the fact that the first book had decades of post-apocalyptic stories to draw from, while the second volume was mostly dependent on those published since the release of the first volume. However, many of the strongest stories are in the second half of the book, with the end result that it matches (or perhaps even exceeds) its predecessor in overall quality.

Scattered thoughts about some of the more memorable stories in the book:

“Animal Husbandry” by Seanan McGuire This starts off as fairly standard post-apoc fare, but has a grim little twist that I appreciated.

“Jimmy’s Roadside Cafe” by Ramsey Shehadeh One of the quieter stories, this one deals with the emotional side of the apocalypse.

“The Postman” by David Brin I had low expectations of this story, given the bland movie adaptation with Kevin Costner, but it ended up being quite the page-turner. One of the more optimistic stories in this volume.

“Patient Zero” by Tananarive Due Very similar to The Girl With All the Gifts, but with a male protagonist and lacking zombies. Well-rendered.

“Tight Little Stiches in a Dead Man’s Back” by Joe R. Lansdale Gory and bizarre, like the best Lansdale. An interesting read, although it felt a bit overstuffed, like there were enough ideas for two different stories here. The reference to tattoos having “stitches” seemed a little odd to me, though.

“The Traditional” by Maria Dahvana Headley Written in the second person, this story is bloody and kind of splatterpunk, like old Poppy Z. Brite. A too-cool-for-school couple shelter together, giving each other outré anniversary gifts as the outside world falls to carnivorous worlds. I wasn't sure where this story was going, but the ending is surprisingly triumphant.

“Monstro” by Junot Diaz This story is about an Americanized Caribbean Islander visiting the Dominican Republic as an odd epidemic breaks out. The narrator's voice and frequent Spanglish was compelling, and the characters were all layered and interesting. The ending is a bit abrupt, but it definitely left me wanting more.

Overall, many the stories collected here had a very experimental feel. A number are written in the second person, one is written in a Wikipedia entry format, and another is written as a multiple choice test. Some of these experiments are more successful than others, but the diverse storytelling kept me interested and engaged throughout.

If you liked the first Wastelands book, this second volume is an easy recommendation. Even if you haven't read the first, this book is worth a look to fans of the post-apocalyptic subgenre.

★★★☆☆

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This review originally appeared on Goodreads on April 27, 2016.

Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen

By Lois McMaster Bujold – Baen Books – February 2, 2016

Review by Robin Marx

An alternate title for this could be “How Cordelia Got Her Groove Back.”

Lois McMaster Bujold is perhaps my favorite living author and her Vorkosigan books my favorite ongoing series. While this book has very little to offer those new to the series and characters, longtime fans may enjoy it provided they don't mind the fact that (continuing a recent trend) it's more of a romance novel than anything else.

The story focuses on Cordelia Vorkosigan (star of the first book in the series, but mostly a supporting character in subsequent books) and Admiral Jole, a pleasant but somewhat minor character that—to be honest—has never left much of an impression on me. Bujold is a master of characterization and I love spending time with her creations. After so many years, reading about them is like checking in with old friends. That feel is present in this book, but Miles' presence is all too brief.

The usual brilliant characterization aside, there's not a lot of action or really even much drama present here. While I appreciate that the romance referred to in the title begins fairly early on, without much “Will they or won't they?” jerking around, there's not much conflict in the story that follows. The romance has some obstacles to overcome, but nothing too wrenching or surprising, and they're all introduced and reconciled fairly quickly and without much trouble.

Over the course of the story, some details are revealed about Aral's past. Without getting into spoilers, I found them interesting and not particularly hard to swallow, but some readers may have trouble reconciling them with the character as presented to date. I don't think this aspect had been hinted about previously, so some readers might feel taken off guard.

The best words to describe this book are probably cozy and sedate. My rating for this book is really 3.5 stars, but rounded up for the Vorkosigan factor.

★★★★☆

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This review originally appeared on Goodreads on May 3, 2012.

Armageddon 2419 A.D.

By Philip Francis Nowlan – Amazing Stories – August 1928

Review by Robin Marx

Published in a 1928 issue of Amazing Stories, this novel is both a fun pulp adventure and the origin of the Buck Rogers character of comic strip and radio serial fame.

The premise is simple but intriguing. World War I veteran and scientist Anthony Rogers (he doesn't gain the “Buck” nickname until the comic adaptation) finds himself caught in a mine cave-in and immersed in radioactive gas. He awakes to find himself nearly 500 years in the future, where after a devastating second World War Mongolians have taken over the world, with Americans reduced to a semi-tribal existence hiding in forest camps. Although there's a tinge of the Yellow Peril themes prevalent of the time, the Mongolians aren't painted in too racist a light. They're decadent and soft, unlike the hard-living Americans, but they're also clever and technologically advanced. Given the period the book was written in, I was surprised by the egalitarian role of women in the story as well. Wilma Deering plays a strong, active role, working and fighting alongside the men.

The writing itself is workmanlike. There are some bits of info-dump style exposition, and none of the characters are very complex, but the action is engaging and the pace brisk. The technology presented in the story (anti-gravity belts, rocket pistols, levitating airships, etc.) is fun and exciting, even today. The main theme, of an outsider leading a group of underdogs to victory against technologically-advanced enemies, is pretty well-worn territory, but it may have been fresher at the time. It was interesting how Rogers serves as sort of a reversed example of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court: he's from a primitive past, but his knowledge of WWI tactics—lore lost over the centuries—ends up playing an important role in the story's battles.

While this book didn't quite enthrall me as much as Edgar Rice Burrough's A Princess of Mars, a thematically similar pulp yarn, I enjoyed this look at Buck Rogers's origins. I look forward to reading the sequel, The Airlords of Han.

★★★☆☆

#CapsuleReviewArchive #BookReview #ScienceFiction #SwordAndPlanet #Armageddon2419AD #BuckRogers #PhilipFrancisNowlan

This review originally appeared on Goodreads on May 28, 2012.

The Master Mind of Mars

By Edgar Rice Burroughs – A. C. McClurg – 1928

Review by Robin Marx

Despite being the 6th novel in the series, in this story Burroughs proves that there are plenty of stories left to tell on Barsoom, and that John Carter or Carthoris don't need to be present to have a compelling story.

Our protagonist is a World War I soldier with the incredibly badass name Ulysses Paxton. When he gets blown in half by an artillery shell, he finds himself on Barsoom, a planet he knows well from Edgar Rice Burrough's stories. I like that—as with John Carter's original teleportation to Mars—Burroughs doesn't go into detail about how the journey takes places. Paxton himself has no time to care, he immediately gets attacked by an angry local. I also like that there aren't any An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge hints that Paxton's adventures are dying hallucinations. Paxton's adventures are genuine.

Like many of the Barsoom stories to date, the plot involves a dashing man's quest to rescue a damsel in distress. While this is familiar territory, Burroughs gives it a twist in this story by having the body of Paxton's love interest be spirited away, while (due to a brain transplant at the hands of a fun mad scientist character) her mind remains prisoner in the used-up body of a rich harridan.

Through charisma and respect-earning manliness Paxton quickly assembles a team of trusted comrades, including a master assassin and an experimental gorilla/human hybrid. The pace of the book is brisk and there's plenty of swashbuckling action to be had. Burroughs is clearly sticking to an established recipe, but the meal is satisfying.

★★★★☆

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This review originally appeared on Goodreads on June 24, 2012.

Warlord of Mars: Dejah Thoris Volume 1 – The Colossus of Mars

By Arvid Nelson (Writer), Carlos Rafael (Artist) – Dynamite Entertainment – November 1, 2011

Review by Robin Marx

Set four hundred years before the events of Edgar Rice Burrough's A Princess of Mars, this comic focuses on the adventures of Dejah Thoris, princess of Helium. This five issue miniseries is about a renegade jeddak (Martian chief) and his attempt to destroy rival city-states through the use of an ancient golem-like war machine.

While it'd be disingenuous to deny that cheesecake artwork—Dynamite's specialty—is a major selling point (as in ERB's original stories, Martians wear very little clothing, and they don't call her “the incomparable” Dejah Thoris for nothing), I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the storytelling.

If anything, Dejah Thoris is a stronger character here in the comics than in the original Barsoom tales. While in the novels she tends to function as a kidnapping victim or quest object, here she takes a much more pro-active approach. She's generally in a leadership role, comfortable in battle, and proves herself to be exceedingly competent and resourceful. She's got more depth than the cover would suggest.

This story was much more engaging than Dynamite's other Warlord of Mars spin-off, Fall of Barsoom. I look forward to future volumes.

★★★★☆

#CapsuleReviewArchive #ComicReview #ScienceFiction #SwordAndPlanet #DynamiteEntertainment #WarlordOfMars #DejahThoris

This review originally appeared on Goodreads on May 29, 2012.

Winterfair Gifts

By Lois McMaster Bujold – Spectrum Literary Agency – January 5, 2011

Review by Robin Marx

Winterfair Gifts first debuted in a genre romance anthology called Irresistible Forces, but I'd only recommend it to those already familiar with the Vorkosigan stories, as it doesn't stand on its own very well. While not an indispensable entry in Bujold's long-running Vorkosigan series, this novella was a very satisfying read, one of those rare stories that left me with warm fuzzies after the story's conclusion.

Taking place between A Civil Affair and Diplomatic Immunity, plot is secondary in this story. This is a trait shared with some of the other recent Vorkosigan books, but this isn't a gripe. People read Bujold for her characters, which are second to none. With more than two dozen Vorkosigan stories available, Miles Vorkosigan, his family, and comrades have all become like friends to this reader. Every new Vorkosigan story is a welcome chance to visit with these longtime friends again.

★★★★☆

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This review originally appeared on Goodreads on November 16, 2013.

Starfish

By Peter Watts – Tor Books – July 1999

Review by Robin Marx

Starfish tells the story of the rifters, a group of misfits surgically altered and equipped to work deep undersea on a geothermal power plant. It takes a special breed to cope with the psychological extremes of such a habitat, and it turns out that those best suited to the environment are abuse survivors and sociopaths. The Juan de Fuca Ridge station ends up populated by an unusual crew that includes an incest victim, a wife beater, and even a serial child molester.

While the plot is fairly low-key for the first three quarters of the book, the setting and characters were so compelling that I raced through this book. Already set apart from the bulk of humanity by their violent and traumatic pasts, it was interesting to watch how the rifters, altered by both their implants and their living conditions, gradually became post-human. While some may find the characters unsympathetic and hard to relate to, those readers would be missing the point. They start off damaged humans and end up even more alien.

The climax was exciting and interesting, if a little cryptic in parts. This is the first book of a trilogy, and while I'm excited to see what happens next, I hope that even with the drastic changes introduced at the end of Starfish the series continues to stick with the deep sea setting.

#CapsuleReviewArchive #BookReview #ScienceFiction #Starfish #RiftersTrilogy #PeterWatts

This review originally appeared on Goodreads on July 20, 2015.

Coldbrook

By Tim Lebbon – Titan Books – April 8, 2014

Review by Robin Marx

Zombie Stargate. If this premise appeals, by all means pick this book up.

The beginning was intriguing and exciting, reminiscent of the beginning of the Half-Life video game. Scientists working Coldbrook, a top-secret underground research complex, succeed in tearing open a rift to a parallel Earth. After days of passive monitoring by the scientists, one of the alternate Earth's inhabitants stumble through the portal. Unfortunately for the researchers, their first contact happens to be with a zombie.

The situation goes to hell almost immediately, and in a realistic manner. Despite all the protocols in place, one highly placed staff member has a very human moment of weakness, choosing to flee the facility and ensure the safety of his family, rather than stay for the security lock-down. While selfish characters in zombie stories tend to get their just desserts fairly soon after their betrayal, Vic remains for the remainder of the book as one of the main viewpoint characters, lending an interesting perspective to the apocalyptic events that follow.

While I enjoyed this book—the first half was unputdownable—there were some issues that kept it from greatness. Despite an abundance of action, it still felt like the second half lost steam. Many interesting elements (the culture of the alternate Earth humans, the search for a cure, etc.) were introduced, only to receive only perfunctory or lackluster development. Without revealing too much, the backstory behind the mysterious Inquisitor turned out to be a disappointment, nowhere near as exciting and cool as initially hinted. New characters (such as a biker gang leader named Chaney) were introduced too late and in too convenient a manner for me to care much about their eventual fates.

I also noticed a few Britishisms crept into the text. Seeing multiple American point-of-view characters referring to their flashlights as “torches” took me out of the story, and it was particularly jarring when a rough-and-tumble all-American biker promises scared children candy and ice cream “for tea.” Sure enough, the About the Author mentions that Lebbon is Welsh. It's a minor point, but I feel like the editor should have caught these anachronisms.

Coldbrook was a good read, but not quite a great one. While there's plenty of room left for a sequel, I think I'm satisfied with just the one book.

★★★☆☆

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