Enthusiastically Ambiverted Hopepunk
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Book 38 of 2025: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
A short story in the Murderbot universe, but without Murderbot, instead following one of the other characters. Answers some of the outstanding questions about this character in very interesting ways, but I suspect there is much more coming later in the series.
Book 37 of 2025: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
A very quick read (just a few pages). Chronologically comes before All Systems Red, but I’m glad I found out about it and read it after reading Artificial Condition, as it takes place at a time frequently referenced in that book. Just a tiny little glimpse into Murderbot’s past.
Book 36 of 2025: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
(Collects All Systems Red and Artificial Condition.)
I’d read the first half of this back in 2018, when All Systems Red was nominated for the Philip K. Dick award, but until now, hadn’t gone any further into the series. Having Martha Wells as a Guest of Honor for this year’s Worldcon was a great reason to pick these up and read them all.
Definitely enjoyed All Systems Red as much as I remembered from the first time around, and Artificial Condition is just as fun, picking up almost exactly where ASR ends and exploring more of Murderbot’s past. Murderbot is such a great character.
Book 35 of 2025: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Favorites this issue were “When He Calls Your Name” by Catherynne M. Valente, “The Garden” by Emma Törzs, and “Whalesong” by Daniel H. Wilson.
Book 34 of 2025: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This one didn’t grab me as much as others in the series have so far. Not bad at all, and certainly has its amusing moments, but more of a “sure, this was fine” than a “I can see why so many people are so into this series” entry.
Book 32 of 2025: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
If you know much of anything about Heavy Metal, you know what to expect with this relaunch of the long-running comic anthology series. Sci-fi/fantasy/horror comics and art (often of the “muscle bound men and women wearing a whole lot of not very much no matter how impractical that might be” variety, of course). As the relaunch issue, this also has several short essays about the history of the magazine and some of the artists who have been involved, particularly Greg Hildebrandt, who died between painting the cover (of the edition I have) and when it was published. Though I was never a subscriber, I’d found the occasional issue, and certainly saw the movie (and have had it in my collection for years, even if it’s not a regular watch), and it’s good to know that the magazine is still going, and that it’s still exactly what your inner ’80s adolescent has been looking for.
Book 31 of 2025: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
My favorite this month was “In the Shells of Broken Things” by A. T. Greenblatt.
Book 30 of 2025: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
In a fitting bookend for a series that began with a sci-fi romance between a military officer and a planetary surveyor, it ends with something essentially the same, even to one of the same characters. Much less adventuresome or military than others, this is more of a pleasant, comfortable wrap up for the series, bringing it back to where it started while checking in with many of the remaining characters. While the stories certainly good go on if Bujold chose to write more, this is also a very worthy ending to the series itself.
Book 29 of 2025: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
We haven’t gotten an Ortegas-centric episode of the show yet, so it’s fun to get a bit more of a peek into her and her background through this adventure. A mysterious alien artifact, a dangerous planet, ornery Klingons…all in all, quite the fun Trek adventure.
(Very mild spoilers: The only flaw for me wasn’t actually a flaw with the book, but a happenstance of my reading: I’d just read the TOS ebook novella Miasma, so this made for two Trek stories in a row with a landing party trapped on a rainy, muddy planet being chased by swarms of hungry giant bugs while cut off from all communication with the Enterprise. I had to keep reminding myself it wasn’t quite as derivative as it seemed.)
Book 28 of 2025: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
More good Vorkosigan adventure as Miles heads off to investigate cryogenic companies and ends up in more trouble than he expected. Toss in some cute kids, a menagerie, questionably competent criminals, and diplomats getting their first taste of Miles’s approach to problem solving, and it’s a lot of fun. Though the end took a turn I definitely wasn’t expecting….
