#SciFi Worth Reading: A Memory Called Empire #BookReview
Book Review, Science Fiction Books, Space Opera / By M Pax / January 27, 2021 December 8, 2020
A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine was a rich and wonderful read. The galaxy it's set in is awe-inspiring and full of novelty, yet it is also very familiar, which makes it an easy read.
The plot follows a young diplomat from a small mining station, Mahit Dzmare, on her assignment to the sprawling, consuming empire.
The empire has conquered and 'civilized' many worlds and Mahit fell in love with their culture as a child. She's thrilled to get to experience it and dreams of becoming part of the empire.
Her mining colony uses technology that records memories. The technology embedded into her brain allowing her to share the experiences of the former ambassador malfunctions. Not only that, the former ambassador is dead under mysterious circumstances.
This novel has political intrigue, mystery, and a simmering tension about to break out into civil war.
The impression of the empire is beautiful and also not something I'd want to become a part of. There was aching longing intertwined with ugly reality. I eagerly returned to this novel every day, and would read more by this author. I recommend it.
Winner of the 2020 Hugo Award for Best Novel
Ambassador Mahit Dzmare arrives in the center of the multi-system Teixcalaanli Empire only to discover that her predecessor, the previous ambassador from their small but fiercely independent mining Station, has died. But no one will admit that his death wasn't an accident―or that Mahit might be next to die, during a time of political instability in the highest echelons of the imperial court.
Now, Mahit must discover who is behind the murder, rescue herself, and save her Station from Teixcalaan's unceasing expansion―all while navigating an alien culture that is all too seductive, engaging in intrigues of her own, and hiding a deadly technological secret―one that might spell the end of her Station and her way of life―or rescue it from annihilation.
Mascall Overlook: Wonderful and Weird Oregon
Oregon, Photography, Weird and Wonderful / By M Pax / January 20, 2021 December 8, 2020
Oregon is full of volcanic landscapes from different periods in Earth's history. The Mascall Overlook near John Day, OR, is stunning.
15 million years ago, this was a receding forest being replaced by grasslands. It was populated by horses, camels, and giraffe-deer. Then, as so often happens in Oregon history, a volcano exploded. The upheaval filled the valley with lava and ash and pushed up the plains, creating this unique landscape and capturing the denizens in fossils who weren't fortunate enough to escape .
Glad we ran across this gem in our wanderings about the state.
January Science Fiction and Fantasy Bargains and Freebies #scifi #99c #free
Fantasy, Sale, Science Fiction Books, Space Opera, Speculative Fiction / By M Pax / January 13, 2021 December 24, 2020
Get your read on in 2021 with these out of this world selections:
Fantasy books available at APPLE!
Start the Year on Another World! Stopover at the Backwrolds Edge is on Sale for #99c #scifi
Sale, Science Fiction Books, Space Opera / By M Pax / January 6, 2021 December 26, 2020
Escape this crazy world in the Backworlds! Stopover at the Backworlds' Edge is on sale all of January!
Available at all etailers
Paperback: Amazon / B&N
In the far future, humanity settles the stars, bioengineering its descendants to survive in a harsh universe. This is the second book in the science fiction series, The Backworlds. A space opera adventure.
Revenge is on Craze's mind. He chews on it every day along with the relentless dust on Pardeep Station. He dreams of grander wealth, enough to make his father choke.
That's the dream consuming him when the interstellar portal opens, spitting out a ship that should no longer exist. A battleship spoiling for a fight. Yet the war with the Foreworlds ended two generations ago.
One wrong move and the shaky truce will end. So will Craze and his friends.
#SciFi Worth Reading: The Sol Majestic #BookReview It's Inevitable!
Book Review, Science Fiction Books, Space Opera / By M Pax / December 30, 2020 December 26, 2020
What an enjoyable feast of a read! The Sol Majestic by Ferrett Steinmetz was a treat I came back for every night with a voracious appetite for more.
Wonderful characters, a fascinating setting, and an original plot that had me wondering about my own place in the fate of my fellow humans. I love quirky characters, and The Sol Majestic had a good number. Not only were they full of character, they were also endearing.
The world on which the story unfolded, a space station, was rich, exotic, and yet familiar. The main character, a sixteen-year-old boy named Kenna, is struggling to survive, and then struggles to save himself and the restaurant that took him in like family.
It was a satisfying story with a beautiful ending that became inevitable. Yes, I highly recommend this book. I've got another book on order from this author, which I'm looking forward to.
Kenna, an aspirational teen guru, wanders destitute across the stars as he tries to achieve his parents' ambition to advise the celestial elite.
Everything changes when Kenna wins a free dinner at The Sol Majestic, the galaxy's most renowned restaurant, giving him access to the cosmos's one-percent. His dream is jeopardized, however, when he learns his highly-publicized "free meal" risks putting The Sol Majestic into financial ruin. Kenna and a motley gang of newfound friends—including a teleporting celebrity chef, a trust-fund adrenaline junkie, an inept apprentice, and a brilliant mistress of disguise—must concoct an extravagant scheme to save everything they cherish. In doing so, Kenna may sacrifice his ideals—or learn even greater lessons about wisdom, friendship, and love.
Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn #Astronomy #conjunctionjupitersaturn #ChristmasStar
Astronomy, Oregon / By M Pax / December 23, 2020 December 22, 2020
I'm sharing a video I took of a rare event.
The great conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn was at its pinnacle on Monday night (12/21/2020). I was able to get out my trusty telescope, Orson Bradbury, and do some stargazing.
The forecast had us cloudy, but it turned out to be a beautiful day. It was almost 60 and the sky was clear. 60 isn't normal for these parts in December. However, the wind was roaring. You can probably hear it whistle through the telescope in the video.
This is a once in 400 years event, so I was glad to see it. The video was taken through my 11mm Nagler. That translates into high magnification for those of you not well versed in telescope-speak. To see both in that eyepiece was stunning and something that will never happen again. At least, not while I'm alive.
So, I hope you enjoy the video. It's not the best, but you get to see something really special. Merry Christmas!
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