Book Review: Sublimation by Isabel J. Kim

Pros: thought provoking, unique mechanic

Cons:

When people move between boarders there's a chance that their curiosity and uncertainty will create an instance of themselves, a version that stays behind while they move forwards, allowing them to, in essence, live both possible futures. When Soyoung and her mother moved from Korea to the United States, they left instances behind. Twenty years later, now going by Rose, she's invited to visit Korea for her grandfather's funeral where she meets her instance that stayed in Korea for the first time. She doesn't know that her grandfather has left her some possessions in his will. She doesn't know that her instance is considering his dying wish, for them to reintegrate.

The book is told from the alternating points of view of Rose and Soyoung, with Yj and Yujin also getting chapters later in the book. Chapter headings explain whose point of view you're inhabiting. The narratives are first person present, which gives the book a feeling of immediacy. It's strange to read though, and took a while to get used to.

I love how the author uses historical literature to give intancing a historical precident. It makes the idea feel weightier. The idea of instancing itself is a unique mechanic for examining how people act and how their own histories change them. It's especially interesting to see how the characters actions and desires change as they learn more about themselves as the book progresses. The book seems to propose that the conditions that lead to forming an instance upon crossing a border also leaves both parts less decisive moving forward. They end up in a state of stasis, unable to move forward with their lives. The book's premise poses a lot of thought provoking questions.

I wasn't really a fan of Rose or Soyoung, as they're not the nicest people. But I found them compelling characters to follow. At times I wanted to take one or both of them aside and tell them to think about the consequences of their actions before they did something drastic. I started out liking Yj and Yujin more, though my feelings toward them became complicated as their relationship became more complex

The book includes a lot of untranslated and unexplained Korean terms. They're mostly food items, but some cultural terms are used too. I felt a little left out as a result, as I couldn't fully understand the text, but I don't think it harms the book at all. And honestly, feeling a little left out gives me a window into how all of the protagonists in the book feel. That the other version of themselves had what they lack. Obviously there will be some readers who know all the Korean, so I suspect this was just a thematically lucky coincidence.

The more I think about the book the more layers I uncover. And there's a lot to think about. It's a challenging, brilliant first novel.

TV Show Review: Murderbot Season 1

IMDb listing; available on Apple TV

Pros: Skarsgard is brilliant as Murderbot, really good special effects and sets, interesting characters, good soundtrack, social commentary, thought provoking, lots to discover on subsequent viewings

Cons: uncomfortable to watch at times the first time through, a few gauche sexual comments

The first time I watched the show I’d only read the first novella in the Murderbot Diaries series by Martha Wells that this show is based on, All Systems Red. That was in 2018, so while I remembered the premise of the book, I couldn’t remember any details. I thought the story was interesting, the characters were fun, and the special effects and set designs impressively realistic. I also thought the show had a lot of cringey, uncomfortable moments.

The second time I watched the show I’d read all of the books and stories. This time I realized that the show is designed to be uncomfortable on one side and shocking on the other. The books are all told from Murderbot’s point of view. And Murderbot finds human interactions awkward and uncomfortable. By making the show uncomfortable to watch at times, the directors are putting US in Murderbot’s shoes. We feel uncomfortable because IT feels uncomfortable. My third time through I started noticing just how brilliant an actor Alexander Skarsgard is as Murderbot. While horror and discomfort come easily to its features there are very tiny, very subtle facial movements when it’s happy. On the flip side, several scenes are incredibly shocking and while Murderbot is nonchalant in the face of violence, the humans aren’t, so this time we’re put in THEIR shoes. Because of the shock you can’t appreciate the humour of Murderbot’s commentary in those scenes until you’ve watched them a couple of times and – like it – have become inured to the violence of their world.

The show also does an incredible job of showing not telling. There’s a scene in episode 7 where Murderbot is fighting an enemy SecUnit and the humans are ‘helping’ as a visual play on the sarcastic comments Murderbot scatters all over the books. It’s even funnier when they’re congratulating themselves for the good job they did in the next episode and we get flashbacks of what actually happened.

The musical score by Amanda Jones is great and reminds me of background music in the Portal games by Valve (composed by Kelly Bailey and Mike Morasky). The theme song for Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon is surprisingly addictive.

The show does deviate from the text in a lot of places. Several new plot twists were added to make up the run time for the season and most notably, except for Mensah the humans never really trust Murderbot.

I did find LeeBeeBee’s sexual comments genuinely uncomfortable, and not just in a Murderbot kind of way. Those scenes make it harder to wholeheartedly recommend the show to everyone I know who likes science fiction.

This is a show that, like the books, really benefits from contemplation and revisiting.



After finishing the show I came across a video called The Murderbot Ending is Different in the Best Way by Pete Peppers that covers Murderbot’s journey of emancipation. It’s really good and mentioned several things I’d missed. It contains full spoilers for the show, so only watch it if you’ve seen all the episodes.

Book Review: System Collapse by Martha Wells

Book 7 of the Murderbot Diaries

Pros: character development, some interesting fight scenes

Cons: some of the quieter sections dragged a bit

System Collapse picks up a short time after Network Effect. Perihelion’s crew is trying to help the colonists on the colony planet reject the claim over them by the Barish-Estranza corporation. They learn of a group that split off and is living in a blackout zone, so Murderbot and a small group go to warn them of what’s going on.

A redacted traumatic event has reduced Murderbot’s operating capacity and lowered its self-confidence. Murderbot’s avoidance of emotion hampers its recovery, even as it makes the SecUnit less able to do its job. Murderbot feels the most human in this book. I thought their resolution to the separated group was brilliant. There are a few honest laughs and more snarky humour.

There are a few fight scenes, but not as many as the previous book.

I did find some of the exploration scenes tense, but they got a bit boring as they stretched on. Though I felt that more my second time reading it than the first.

On the whole it’s an interesting story with Murderbot having to face its trauma, despite its attempts not to.

=> The next book is Platform Decay, coming out in May 2026.

Book Review: Network Effect by Martha Wells

Book 5 of the Murderbot Diaries, but chronologically comes after book 6, Fugitive Telemetry

Pros: lots of character development, fight scenes, exciting twists

Cons:

Network Effect starts with the survey mission mentioned in Fugitive Telemetry. The survey team returns to Preservation space and is immediately attacked by a transport. Murderbot is horrified to learn it’s ART/Perihelion. It needs to learn what happened to its friend while keeping Mensah’s daughter alive.

The story is novel (rather than novella) length, and it needs the space. It’s a fast paced story with a lot of exciting twists. There are some nice flashback scenes on Preservation planet that help develop Murderbot more as a complex entity. This novel also brings up trauma more and how individuals (human, bot, and construct) deal with it. There are some great fight scenes and banter among the characters. Murderbot’s narrative is sarcastic at all the right times.

There’s so much going on and such fun conversations that this is probably my favourite book in the series.

=> The next book to read is System Collapse.

Book Review: Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells

Book 6 of the Murderbot Diaries, but chronologically comes between books 4 and 5

Pros: several plot twists,

Cons: not much action

Fugitive Telemetry takes place on Preservation Station where Murderbot is acting as Mensah’s security. A murder has just been uncovered, and Mensah suggests station security and Murderbot work together to solve it.

This is basically a murder mystery novella, so there isn’t as much action as the other books in the series have had. The characters are mostly new, though Gurathin and Ratthi show up for a bit. The mystery is good, with some interesting twists.

It’s entertaining, but not my favourite.

=> The next book Chronologically is Network Effect.

Book Review: Exit Strategy by Martha Wells

Book 4 of the Murderbot Diaries

Pros: lots of action, clever hacking and planning, character development

Cons:

After its mission on Milu, Murderbot learns that Dr. Mensah has been kidnapped by the GrayCris corporation and heads to TranRollinHyfa to rescue her.

It’s nice seeing some of the characters from All Systems Red again, and how they react to Murderbot’s evolution. There’s a lot of clever hacking and some great chase and fight sequences. Seeing Murderbot back with its favourite human was awesome. I had *feelings* when Murderbot let Mensah hug it. We also learn why it likes The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon so much. As the books progress there’s more subtext regarding trauma and how different entities are impacted by it. An event at the end of the book shows Murderbot some of the benefits of its human side, which is neat. As always, Murderbot's narrative is full of an enjoyable dry humour.

This is one of my favourite novellas in the series.

=> There’s a short story called “Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory” that fits in before the next book. It deals with Mensah on Preservation Station and how she’s coping in the aftermath of her kidnapping.

While Network Effect was published as book 5, Fugutive Telemetry chronologically comes next.

Book Review: Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells

This is the 3rd book in the Murderbot Diaries series.

Pros: complex fight scenes, character development

Cons:

This novella picks up where Artificial Condition leaves off, with Murderbot on a transport arriving at RaviHyral station. It sees an interview with Mensah talking about a terraforming platform recently abandoned by GrayCris, and decides to check it out to see if they’ve left any incriminating evidence behind. Sneaking aboard means befriending a bot and protecting a new group of humans.

Murderbot needs to lie its way through a bunch of human and bot encounters, trying to keep its story straight. There’s corporate intrigue and some great fight scenes. Since it doesn’t have access to a repair cubicle or medsystem anymore, Murderbot needs to be more careful about taking damage. So it’s getting clever about how it approaches conflict. It’s really cool seeing it learn and develop as the series goes on.

Murderbot’s dry sense of humour shines through. The fight scenes are great and again, while the novella is short, it’s impactful.

=> The next book in the series is Exit Strategy.

Book Review: Artificial Condition by Martha Wells

Book 2 of the Murderbot Diaries

Pros: interpersonal conflict, new settings and characters, lots of hacking

Cons:

Beginning directly after the events in All Systems Red, Murderbot hitches a ride on the intelligent transport ART to the mining installation where its mass murder event took place. It needs to reconcile its past before it can decide its future. But visiting the installation means pretending to be an augmented human security consultant. Luckily ART has some ideas to help it with that.

Murderbot and ART are both sarcastic and start off rubbing each other the wrong way, making their interactions very entertaining to read. You get a great feel for the concerns Murderbot has about getting caught while trying to investigate its past. It doesn’t know how to act like a human, so it’s fun watching it help the young humans who don’t know what they’re doing either. More of the wider world is hinted at, with other corporations that put profits over people.

It’s a novella, so it’s on the short side, but the story packs a punch.

=> If you’re reading the short stories as well as the novellas, here is where you read “Rapport: Friendship, Solidarity, Communion, Empathy”. This story centres on ART/Perihelion’s crew and a mission they’re on as they wonder why their intelligent transport seems different after it’s last unmanned cargo run.

Otherwise, the next book in the series is Rogue Protocol

Revisited review: All Systems Red by Martha Wells

I first read a year after it was published and loved it but thought it was on the short side. I like books with a lot of detailed world building and character development. Though I’d collected the other books in the series as they came out, I never seemed to have time to read them. I recently reread All Systems Red and continued with the rest of the Murderbot Diaries series (novellas, novels, and short stories), then read them all a second time and have a better appreciation for this book. Sometimes you find a book at the right time and it just speaks to you. And Murderbot’s journey has had a massive impact on me this time through. As the series continues you learn so much about the world and the other characters. As someone who never seems to know what to do or say in social situations, Murderbot’s anxiety is highly relatable. I also appreciate how, as the series progresses, the author deals with trauma and its aftermath. Murderbot's narrative has a dry sense of humour and sarcasm, which I absolutely love. As I've reread the books I've also discovered a real depth to the material. Each time through I learned new things, and could better appreciate Murderbot's journey. I'm also impressed how each book tells a different kind of story. One is about uncovering the past, one is a murder mystery, one is a rescue mission. This keeps the series feeling fresh, as it's not just similar plots with minor variations each time. I can't wait to see where Murderbot goes in the future.

So here’s my slightly modified 2018 review:

Pros: interesting protagonist

Cons: short

Murderbot is a SecUnit made of cloned human and mechanical parts that’s hacked its governor module so it no longer has to obey commands. It’s been assigned to provide security for a small survey group looking at a new planet. But the group encounters an unknown hostile life form that wasn’t mentioned in the original survey report, which makes them wonder what else was missed - or possibly removed on purpose.

This is a 100 page novella, so it’s fairly short. That means it’s light on the world-building and character development. While you get to know Murderbot pretty well, the other characters, with the exception of Gurathin (who’s a light antagonist) and Mensah (the group leader) felt interchangeable. Having said that, Murderbot is fascinating and you really get inside its head.

The plot was interesting and quick paced. There are some tense moments, though the ending comes up so fast it didn’t feel particularly climactic (which may be due to my reading the story in 2 sittings instead of all at once).

It’s fun and entertaining and I’ll definitely read the next one.

=> The next book in the series is Artificial Condition

Book Review: Providence by Max Barry

Pros: interesting characters, asks some interesting questions

Cons: standard aliens, not the most charismatic crew

Jackson, Gilly, Beanfield and Anders are the human crew on the 5th Providence AI ship sent to battle against the alien “Salamanders”. But as their 4 year mission drags on they realize just how little the ship needs them, and how much the aliens seem to be learning from their encounters.

The chapters are told from the point of view of different characters, mainly Gilly, their Intel officer, and Beanfield, the Life officer (whose job it is to keep everyone sane). Things on the ship aren’t as they anticipated, and the characters have personalities that clash more than they complement.

I didn’t really like any of the characters for the first half of the book. Gilly seemed the most relatable, in certain ways. But as the story changed and you got POVs from all of them, their quirks became more understandable as you learned more of their histories and why they act the ways they do.

A lot of emphasis is put on manipulating people on Earth to pay for the war effort. Making videos showing how heroic the Providence crews are, risking their lives. I appreciated the extent to which psychology played a role in the book. There’s so much behind the scenes manipulation that the crew only become aware of as time passes.

The aliens, called Salamanders by the army, are the standard ‘bug’ that comes up in SF a lot. They have hives and appear somewhat intelligent, even if they mostly swarm ships en mass.

It’s an interesting read, with some good commentary on war, AI, and how humans manipulate each other.

Book Review: Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Pros: interesting protagonist, optimistic SF

Cons: got a bit tedious at times

When Ryland Grace wakes up on a spaceship in an unknown location next to 2 dead astronauts he doesn’t know what’s going on or who he is. As the days pass he slowly pieces together that his mission is humaity’s last hope of stopping an invasive microscopic alien species that’s slowly devouring the sun’s energy. After arriving at his target, he learns that humanity isn’t the only species at risk.

This is a mostly hard SF novel. That is, there’s a lot of accurate science and math used to flesh out the made up scenarios. I appreciated that as an elementary school science teacher Grace explains complex things in simplistic terms, but towards the end the constant asides of formulas and calculations got a bit tedious.

The plot is interesting. Learning what happened on Earth via flashback’s that directly relate to what Grace is doing in the present was great. It allowed for character development and story progression. Rocky is also a wonderful character.

The book deals with alien contact in unique and often unexpected ways.

Humour is very subjective and hard to pull off well. I thought the author did a great job. While nothing was laugh out loud funny, I enjoyed how the author bypassed swearing. A few jokes were low brow body humour, which I am not a fan of, but I didn’t find anything particularly objectionable.

I loved how the world came together to build the Hail Mary. So often science fiction pits nations against each other, so having them co-operate made this feel more optimistic as a result, even though the situation was dire at times.

It’s a great book. I found it mostly fast paced and fairly quick to read.

Movie Review: Boss Level

Directed by Joe Carnahan
IMDb listing

A washed up former special ops agent must figure out why he keeps reliving the same day over again, pursued by a group of assassins.

This is an enjoyable action movie. Don’t think about the plot too hard, just watch the bullets fly.

The special effects are very well done and the acting good. There are some great stunts. There are even a few laughs (especially with Guan Yin, the swordswoman).

Personally, I enjoy ‘repeat day’ stories. It’s still nice to see new twists on the old formula, and this movie has a few.

If you’re looking for a fun time waster, give this a try.

 

Book Review: Escape Velocity by Victor Manibo

Pros: compelling, fast paced, interesting characters

Cons: abusive dom/sub scene

The Rochford Institute is hosting their class of 2064 reunion on Space Habitat Altaire. As an added bonus, attending will net each participant at least 5 MERIT points, necessary to gain coveted spaces in the new Mars colony. Unlike her classmates, Ava Khan isn’t there to schmooze. She wants to know who really killed her abusive twin brother their last year of school, and she thinks her three oldest friends have the answer. Meanwhile, the station crew have a plan for how to make the world a better place.

The story is told from the alternating perspectives of the four friends and Cielo, chief housekeeper on the Altaire. You learn more about each one, how things went in school, what they’ve been up, and why they’re really on the station. They’ve all got compelling stories, even if - despite what they think - they’re not particularly good people.

The book delves into the kinds of backroom deals that allow the super rich to influence the world and come out on top.

There’s an orgy scene (mildly graphic) and one character acts as Dom to another, in which a lot of minimizing language and swear words are used. The second scene with that pair went past words, and though it wasn’t graphic, it still left me feeling uncomfortable.

The ending hits hard and wasn’t what I was expecting. It’s a fast paced, compelling read.

Out May 16.

Book Review: Cascade Failure by L. M. Sagas

Pros: fun and interesting characters, tight plot, some thought provoking moments, good fight scenes

Cons:

Here’s the back cover blurb, which is simply perfect.

There are only three real powers in the Spiral: the corporate power of the Trust versus the Union's labor's leverage. Between them the Guild tries to keep everyone's hands above the table. It ain't easy.

Branded a Guild deserter, Jal "accidentally" lands a ride on a Guild ship. Helmed by an AI, with a ship's engineer/medic who doesn't see much of a difference between the two jobs, and a "don't make me shoot you" XO, the Guild crew of the Ambit is a little . . . different.

They're also in over their heads. Responding to a distress call from an abandoned planet, they find a mass grave, and a live programmer who knows how it happened. The Trust has plans. This isn't the first dead planet, and it's not going to be the last.

Unless the crew of the Ambit can stop it.

The characters are so much fun. They’re all neurotic in complementary ways. Surly and snipey at times, talkative and playful at others. Eoan’s curiosity about everything was a real joy. Despite their arguments it’s clear Nash and Saint are a tight knit crew. Seeing Jal and Anke dropped into the crew’s dynamic made for some great interactions.

The plot is tight with enough down time to get to know all of the characters between chase scenes and fights. There are some real tense moments.

The politics of this future are suitably complex without taking over the story. There are a few decent questions about morality and whether it’s better to focus on the needs of society at large vs saving your personal friends and family. And who should make the necessary sacrifices.

It’s a book about the choices we make and how we deal with the consequences of the bad decisions of our past. Of working as a team to complete a goal. Of betrayal and redemption.

It’s a delightful story that, though it dealt with heavy issues at times, left me feeling hopeful about the future.

Movie Review: Nine Days

Directed by Edson Oda, 2020
IMDb listing

Set in a realm that monitors people on earth and chooses souls to be sent there, one of the interviewers who had a bad experience on earth sorts through new candidates. But as he deals with the death of his favourite subject and a candidate with ideas different from the others’, he starts to question the criteria upon which he makes his judgement.

This is a strange but thoughtful movie about life and death and what we got out of those experiences. It’s a reminder to be in the moment, to appreciate what you have.

The interviewer, Will, played by Winston Duke, is an interesting character. He’s clearly upset that he has to replace one of his subjects and his experience on earth was apparently negative. It’s unclear what he’s looking for in his new subject, so there’s an interesting mix of souls trying to cater to what they think he wants and being true to themselves.

Emma, played by Zazie Beetz, does a brilliant job of showing how every moment is precious - even minor, otherwise forgettable ones. That if you really LOOK around you, you’ll see the good in the world. She questions the process and gets the most out of the time allotted.

It’s a thought-provoking film that had me crying in a few scenes.

There are a lot of unexplained aspects of the film, where this takes place for example. Expect to be moved by several scenes and left unsettled by the ending.

Movie Review: Outland

Directed by Peter Hyams, 1981
IMDb listing

After being transferred to be the new head of security on a mining colony on Io, Marshal William O’Niel must decide if he wants to toe the line or bust the drug ring he uncovers.

The special effects are really good. The station looks dirty and lived in, with a claustrophobic mix of large spaces broken down into small cubicles and living quarters. It’s very much a realistic - and rather horrifying - guess at what a company town would look like. Little private space, little regard for the workers, lots of emphasis on productivity and profit for the company.

There’s a realistic 3 day transfer time from the orbiting space station and the planet, which the story uses to good effect. The tech is all so outdated watching them write emails and watch video messages is kind of painful, though it was futuristic stuff for the early 80s.

The extended final fight was entertaining. I question some of the structural integrity of the complex and the mine’s ability to continue operating after some important sections of the base were destroyed though. Oddly the massive damage to the base isn’t commented on by anyone in the film.

While it’s not the best film set in space, it was entertaining and embodies a lot of the themes later 80s films would focus on.

TV Show Review: Severance Season 1

Created by Dan Erikson (2022)

IMDb Listing

Lumen Industries has discovered how to surgically separate the brain. Their workers have no memories of what they do on the job, and their ‘innies’ have no life outside of work.

After a co-worker suddenly leaves, Mark S. is promoted to team lead of data refinement. His first task is to help the team’s replacement, Helly, with her adjustment to severed life.

But Helly doesn’t want to work at Lumen and it’s truly bizarre office culture. And she will do whatever it takes to get out.

This is an absolutely brilliant show on Apple TV. It’s slow moving and takes its time letting you get to know the core characters and their issues. It asks some great questions about memory, work, and work-life balance. Having seen it twice now, it’s also a show that gets better upon rewatch as you can pay attention to smaller details you missed the first time around.

The story is bizarre in all the best ways. There’s so much that’s simply ODD about Lumen and the office. The show has a lot of bright lights and long white corridors. It’s also got some creative photography choices, making good use of reflections and cramped spaces. There’s a sweet office romance between 2 older men (one of whom is played by Christopher Walken). A lot of 60s inspired sets and parties. A new age guru, and more.

The season has an electrifying finale that poses a lot of new questions and deepens the mysteries around the company.

I hope the series gets all the seasons it needs to tell its story as planned.

Movie Review: Soldier

Directed by: Paul W. S. Anderson, 1998
IMDb listing

Todd 3456 is a soldier, trained from birth. When a squad of upgraded solders come of age, the older generation are retired. After a test between the squads ends badly, Todd is presumed dead and dumped on a waste planet. There he finds survivors from a crashed colony ship and discovers what a family is.

This was a surprisingly good film. The story of Todd trying to fit into regular society while he clearly has massive PTSD was unexpectedly sad and touching.

The special effects looked rather cheesy and their grasp of space travel is pure science fiction but those are very minor elements of the film and easily overlooked.

The last third of the film is one massive fight scene with lots of death and explosions.

I really enjoyed this film.

Video: The Warp Zone's A.I. Written sketch

The Warp Zone have done a great sketch, partially written by A.I. (Chat GPT) that really gets to the heart of our fears about artificial intelligence.

Shout-Out: How to Be Remembered by Michael Thompson

A man who can never be remembered.

A journey he'll never forget.

On an ordinary night in an ordinary year, Tommy Llewellyn's doting parents wake in a home without toys and diapers, without photos of their baby scattered about, and without any idea that the small child asleep in his crib is theirs.

That's because Tommy is a boy destined to never be remembered.

On the same day every year, everyone around him forgets he exists, and he grows up enduring his own universal Reset. That is until something extraordinary happens: Tommy Llewellyn falls in love.

Determined to finally carve out a life for himself and land the girl of his dreams, Tommy sets out on a mission to finally trick the Reset and be remembered. But legacies aren't so easily won, and Tommy must figure out what's more important—the things we leave behind or the people we bring along with us.