Science fiction roundup
The Ferryman by Justin Cronin; More Perfect by Temi Oh; Titanium Noir by Nick Harkaway; Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward; Our Hideous Progeny by CE McGill
Fri 12 May 2023 07.00 EDT
The Ferryman by Justin Cronin (Orion, 22)The new novel from the author of The Passage could hardly be more different in tone and setting from that acclaimed horror trilogy. The island of Prospera provides an idyllic existence for the fortunate inhabitants, who display no curiosity about the wider world and accept having no children as the price of immortality: in old age they are ferried to the Nursery, from which they return, young again and memory-wiped, to start over. The reader is given plenty of hints that theres more to this reality than the characters believe, but there are 500 pages to go before the mind-boggling reveal. Thats not the end: Cronin is far too good a writer to hang his compelling tale on a single twist. What lingers in the mind are not so much the turns of plot as the issues explored: about society, human nature, and above all what it means to live a good life.
More Perfect by Temi Oh (Simon & Schuster, 16.99)In a near-future Britain, a simple operation to insert a chip in the brain allows access to the Panopticon, a network enabling friends to share thoughts and see through each others eyes. The government is pushing to make it compulsory as a way to end social isolation and prevent crime. For Moremi, suffering from depression and fear of abandonment, it means she need never be alone again; when she falls in love with Orpheus, she can be certain he shares her feelings. But gradually the dark side of the Panopticon, and the coercive ways an authoritarian government will use it, are chillingly revealed. Drawing on ancient Greek myths and modern brain science, this is a plausible, complex vision of the future, a fascinating story that never shies away from the contradictions in human nature.
Titanium Noir by Nick Harkaway (Corsair, 18.99)In Greek mythology, the Titans were the first race and the ancestors of humankind. In Harkaways seventh novel, they are the new elite: those wealthy enough to afford T7, a genetic therapy that may provide immortality. Each time the body clock is reset, the patient grows in strength and size, while gaining extra years of longevity. When Detective Cal Sounder is sent to investigate a murder, he knows it must have a connection with Titans, who are practically impossible to kill. Hes the go-to guy for such sensitive cases his ex-girlfriend, now turned Titan, is the daughter of the man who discovered T7. But the crime is even more complicated than he imagined, and there are people determined to stop him uncovering the truth. A highly entertaining, satisfying blend of classic detective noir and inventive speculative fiction.
Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward (Viper, 16.99)A novel about youthful friendships, rivalry, unspeakable crimes and the way memories mutate when dark secrets are revealed, this is probably Wards most complex and brilliant book yet. It is also about writers who turn life into fiction, and the question of who, if anyone, owns a story. Events are presented from different perspectives, as the truth (memoir, true crime) and as fiction. Its difficult to define by genre, but with touches of witchcraft and a building sense of dread, literary horror is the neatest niche. Lovers of Shirley Jackson, Barbara Vine or Patricia Highsmith will adore this intense, psychologically acute, atmospheric thriller.
Our Hideous Progeny by CE McGill (Doubleday, 16.99)Mary longs to make her mark as a scientist, but for a woman in Victorian London its almost impossible. She shares her passion for palaeontology with her husband, illustrating the papers he writes, but he has an unfortunate knack for alienating others by pointing out where their theories are wrong. When she finds a trove of old family papers detailing her great-uncle Victor Frankensteins experiments, she has a mad, or possibly genius, idea. If it succeeds, fame and fortune is assured. But if they fail? The debut authors original, feminist variation on Mary Shelleys foundational text makes for a wonderfully rich, emotionally engaging tale with the flavour and appeal of a great 19th-century novel.
{{topLeft}}
{{bottomLeft}}
{{topRight}}
{{bottomRight}}
{{.}}
Original post:
The best recent science fiction, fantasy and horror reviews roundup - The Guardian
- Indestructible UConn One Win Away from Immortality After Final Four Win over Alabama - Bleacher Report - April 8th, 2024 [April 8th, 2024]
- Why We Die: The New Science of Aging and the Quest for Immortality - BusinessLine - April 8th, 2024 [April 8th, 2024]
- Immortality Is PossibleWe Just Have to Overcome One Stubborn Law of Physics - Popular Mechanics - April 8th, 2024 [April 8th, 2024]
- Naruto: Orochimaru and Madara could have achieved immortality easier if an Akatsuki member helped them - Sportskeeda - April 8th, 2024 [April 8th, 2024]
- Most The Last Airbender Fans Don't Know Only 1 Avatar Knew a Secret Immortality Technique She Learned from a ... - FandomWire - April 8th, 2024 [April 8th, 2024]
- Revolutionizing Grief: How AI is Redefining the Concept of Immortality - elblog.pl - April 8th, 2024 [April 8th, 2024]
- IRaH - The Immortality App Movie Review: Rohit Roy Starrer Is A Thrilling Dive Into Digital Deception - Times Now - April 8th, 2024 [April 8th, 2024]
- One Piece's Final Villains Are Officially Immortal (And The Series Already Explained Why) - Screen Rant - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- One of the great sporting gestures: How Jared helped Jasmin to Barkley Marathons immortality - Run247.com - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- One Piece: The Immorality Of The Gorosei, Explained - GameRant - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- Dilraba Dilmurat and Chen Xing Xu Start Filming the Search for Immortality Mystery C-drama Love on the Turq... - A Koala's Playground - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- Grief Tech And Digital Immortality: How Far Would You Go? - Sify - March 16th, 2024 [March 16th, 2024]
- When Celine Dion paid emotional tribute to the Bee Gees with poignant rendition of 'Immortality' - Smooth Radio - March 16th, 2024 [March 16th, 2024]
- Nobody Wants to Die will explore immortality and transhumanism later in 2024 - TheXboxHub - March 16th, 2024 [March 16th, 2024]
- Nike Giannis Immortality 3 "White On White" DZ7533-102 - Sneaker News - February 22nd, 2024 [February 22nd, 2024]
- Cosmism: The philosophical movement that predicted space travel - Big Think - February 22nd, 2024 [February 22nd, 2024]
- Is Immortality Really All Its Cracked Up to Be in The Lord of the Rings? - CBR - Comic Book Resources - February 22nd, 2024 [February 22nd, 2024]
- Elves Immortality Is More of a Curse Than a Blessing in The Lord of the Rings - IMDb - February 22nd, 2024 [February 22nd, 2024]
- Dragon Ball's Weakest Villain Killed All The Strongest Heroes (In ... - Screen Rant - August 18th, 2023 [August 18th, 2023]
- The Recorder - Connecting the Dots: Project Immortality - The Recorder - May 14th, 2023 [May 14th, 2023]
- Opinion: Gordon Lightfoot | The immortality of a shipwreck - News Courier - May 14th, 2023 [May 14th, 2023]
- A Classic Spider-Man Villain Almost Killed the Hulk - CBR - Comic Book Resources - May 14th, 2023 [May 14th, 2023]
- Ilkay Gundogan has evolved and can now reach Manchester City immortality - Yahoo News - May 14th, 2023 [May 14th, 2023]
- Keanu Reeves Wont Ever Die! A Conspiracy Theory Of His Immortality By Fans Brings Up An Uncanny Resemblance To A Centuries-Old King, His Graceful... - May 14th, 2023 [May 14th, 2023]
- Amrit and the terror of impermanence - The Economic Times - May 14th, 2023 [May 14th, 2023]
- 20 Split-Second Decisions Made in Movies That Completely ... - MovieWeb - May 14th, 2023 [May 14th, 2023]
- 10 Movies like Renfield you must watch - Ready Steady Cut - May 14th, 2023 [May 14th, 2023]
- 10 Anime with immortal protagonists, ranked by likability - Sportskeeda - May 14th, 2023 [May 14th, 2023]
- Superman's Final Fate in DC Canon is Worse Than Fans Can Imagine - Screen Rant - May 14th, 2023 [May 14th, 2023]
- Palpatine Was Never a Star Wars Jedi - And It May Explain His Power - CBR - Comic Book Resources - May 14th, 2023 [May 14th, 2023]
- INDYCAR Championship: Full Driver Standings After GMR Grand ... - Crash - May 14th, 2023 [May 14th, 2023]
- Tale Of The Nine-Tailed 1938 Promises An Explosive 2nd Season ... - soompi - May 14th, 2023 [May 14th, 2023]
- DARLINGTON RACEWAY NOTEBOOK: Some of Sunday's drivers ... - SCNow - May 14th, 2023 [May 14th, 2023]
- Rumours Reimagined to hit the stage in Harrison this weekend ... - Agassiz Harrison Observer - May 14th, 2023 [May 14th, 2023]
- Unity (U) Q1 2023 earnings results beat revenue expectations - Shacknews - May 14th, 2023 [May 14th, 2023]
- Who is the real villain in Hells Paradise? - Dexerto - May 14th, 2023 [May 14th, 2023]
- Mark Patinkin's mom celebrates 73rd Mother's Day as center of family - The Providence Journal - May 14th, 2023 [May 14th, 2023]
- Deadpool 3 Has A Hilarious Way To Tie Into The MCU Infinity Saga - Screen Rant - May 14th, 2023 [May 14th, 2023]
- WATCH: Exclusive Clip from Cartoon Network's We Baby Bears ... - GLAAD - May 14th, 2023 [May 14th, 2023]
- Frightening and fascinating facets of a deathless world - The New Indian Express - May 2nd, 2023 [May 2nd, 2023]
- A Timeless Tale of Immortality and the Battle between Light and Dark - Digital Journal - May 2nd, 2023 [May 2nd, 2023]
- The keys to longevity are hidden in the microbes that give us beer and wine - EL PAS USA - May 2nd, 2023 [May 2nd, 2023]
- Ding Liren Wins 2023 FIDE World Championship In Rapid Tiebreaks - Chess.com - May 2nd, 2023 [May 2nd, 2023]
- Hells Paradise: The history of Shinsenkyo explained - Dexerto - May 2nd, 2023 [May 2nd, 2023]
- For Succession, Everything Is IP - Paste Magazine - May 2nd, 2023 [May 2nd, 2023]
- Canon U.S.A. Supports 18th Annual Japan Center Essay ... - InvestorsObserver - May 2nd, 2023 [May 2nd, 2023]
- What I Learned at a Funeral about the Power of Love - spokanefavs.com - May 2nd, 2023 [May 2nd, 2023]
- Benedict Cumberbatch Is Perfect As Lord Voldemort, See The Photo - Giant Freakin Robot - May 2nd, 2023 [May 2nd, 2023]
- 2023 European Championships Here comes the sun... 4barsrest - 4barsrest.com - May 2nd, 2023 [May 2nd, 2023]
- What it means to have a perfect resurrection body - The Christian Post - May 2nd, 2023 [May 2nd, 2023]
- The Flash Just Unlocked Immortality as DC's Most Un-Killable Hero - Screen Rant - April 27th, 2023 [April 27th, 2023]
- Bucks County Community College names winners of High School ... - The Bucks County Herald - April 27th, 2023 [April 27th, 2023]
- 10th Old School Kung Fu Festival: The Ghost Hill (1971) Review - Voices From The Balcony - April 27th, 2023 [April 27th, 2023]
- The Sith Weren't The First Darkness The Jedi Unleashed On The ... - Screen Rant - April 27th, 2023 [April 27th, 2023]
- Jamie Carragher lauds Manchester City as 'superior to Man United's Treble winners' - Daily Mail - April 27th, 2023 [April 27th, 2023]
- Carol Burnett's 90th birthday special stars Cher, Bob Mackie creations - USA TODAY - April 27th, 2023 [April 27th, 2023]
- Biological Clocks Have Been 'Rewired' to Increase Lifespan by 80 Percent - Newsweek - April 27th, 2023 [April 27th, 2023]
- One Piece chapter 1081 reveals the fate of the Heart Pirates - Dexerto - April 27th, 2023 [April 27th, 2023]
- Sweet Tooth Season 2 Episode 3 Recap - why does Becky enlist ... - Ready Steady Cut - April 27th, 2023 [April 27th, 2023]
- Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku and BLEACH Have This Interesting ... - GameRant - April 27th, 2023 [April 27th, 2023]
- The Story of the Tree Has Artistic and Scientific Branches - UConn ... - University of Connecticut - April 27th, 2023 [April 27th, 2023]
- The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood is an Inspired Tarot-Crafting Game - Hardcore Gamer - April 27th, 2023 [April 27th, 2023]
- Honkai Star Rail Officially Available On Mobile And PC; PlayStation ... - Noisy Pixel - April 27th, 2023 [April 27th, 2023]
- ChooxTV's iconic tank Layla build will have you scratching your head - ONE Esports - April 27th, 2023 [April 27th, 2023]
- 'Sisu' review: Nazi-killing World War II film is a gory good time - The Arizona Republic - April 27th, 2023 [April 27th, 2023]
- Biological immortality - Wikipedia - February 20th, 2023 [February 20th, 2023]
- Immortality Director Considering Using Graphics, Rather Than Actors and Sets, for His Next ... - Latest - LatestLY - January 19th, 2023 [January 19th, 2023]
- Immortality (video game) - Wikipedia - December 21st, 2022 [December 21st, 2022]
- Lionel Messi attains footballing immortality and receives royal coronation on the grandest stage of them all - VAVEL.com - December 21st, 2022 [December 21st, 2022]
- Immortality for PC Reviews - Metacritic - December 18th, 2022 [December 18th, 2022]
- Netflix Subscribers Can Download Immortality Game for iOS Devices - December 18th, 2022 [December 18th, 2022]
- Immortality review | PC Gamer - November 23rd, 2022 [November 23rd, 2022]
- 'Immortality,' the latest game from 'Her Story' creator Sam Barlow ... - November 23rd, 2022 [November 23rd, 2022]
- Nike Giannis Immortality 2 "Floral" FD0213-400 | SneakerNews.com - November 23rd, 2022 [November 23rd, 2022]
- Guerrero: I once fell for the fantasy of uploading ourselves. It's a dangerous myth - Los Angeles Times - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- Grand Rapids landmarks to light up Oct. 13 to raise awareness for metastatic breast cancer - MLive.com - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- Make It Stop: Colbert Will Host Celebrity Pickleball Show - UPROXX - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- Interview with the Vampire stars Jacob Anderson and Sam Reid on the "endurance and acceptance" of immortality (Exclusive) - Sportskeeda - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- What Was The Significance Of The Paragon "Hourglass" Symbol? Was Stanton Feeding The Dead Patients To The Ghosts? | DMT - DMT - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- Next Day I Will Be in the Gym: Ronnie Coleman Shared an Optimistic Message With Concerned Fans Before Heading for His Seventh Surgery in 2016 -... - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]