Showing posts with label alien stuff. Show all posts
Showing posts with label alien stuff. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 8, 2020

Network Effect

Network Effect by Martha Wells, 350 pages.
The first full-length Murderbot novel from Wells. Murderbot finds itself and several of its human friends kidnapped by some odd alien -type beings. Being Murderbot, mayhem ensues.
For those not in the know (you should definitly be "in the know" many of my colleagues and the wonderful Ann Leckie have convinced me of this) Murderbot, formerly a SecUnit, a lethal security robot under control of a profit-driven, unscrupulous company, but now, thanks to its ability to disable its governor module, and with the help of ART and some decent humans, an independent sort of lethal robot / human who (which?) often finds itself in mayhem-rich environments. Network Effect is a bit looser and more rambly than the novellas which precede it, but it is still an excellent, excellent book. And, am I the only one who feels that Murderbot and the Expanse operate in the same universe? Very similar universes? Okay, just me. Cool.
Thanks to a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, administered by the Missouri State Library, The MLC, of which UCPL is proudly a member, was able to purchase a downloadable audio version of this book. I read it the old-fashioned way, because I could not wait, but downloadable audio brings an enormous amount of joy to my life and you should give it a try.

Monday, August 1, 2016

Sleeping Giants

Sleeping Giants, by Sylvan Neuval, 304 pages.

The story of the discovery and examination of a large metal hand, and the subsequent search for the rest of the related metal body parts is told through documented conversations and reports between and to assorted scientists, helicopter pilots, lingusts, Presidential aides, and one super-secret, unamed agent. As the characters discover more about this massive piece of alien technology, the reader tries to figure out which of the very interesting characters is really pulling the strings. Intricate, engaging, and a joy to read or to listen to.