Science Fiction Books

Reviews and sales of science fiction books and series.

Science Fiction Worth Watching: Independence Daysaster Movie Review

Movie Review, Science Fiction Books, Science Fiction Movie / /

 

A B-Movie That’s Surprisingly Fun

 

Independence Daysaster movieIndependence Daysaster. If this reminds you of a more famous movie title, you’re not mistaken, and you also wouldn’t be wrong in then assuming that the plot is similar. As a B-level movie goes, this one is better than most. The special effects are above average. The acting is decent, though some of it is just average, and the plot is interesting. While it has echoes of its more famous version, it’s also very much its own thing.

What was extra fun for me was it being set in Oregon. I will validate that it looked very much like Oregon. They named the town Moose Ridge, though, and moose don’t live in Oregon. Still, that’s not as egregious as the assumptions in The Crater Lake Monster, where Oregon somehow ended up between LA and Las Vegas.

The explosions weren’t as spectacular as in the more well-known version, but they were well done and there were quite a lot. The alien ships were cool, and the story was fun. Again, better than usual for this grade of movie.

one beer

If you want to sit back and enjoy an alien invasion, this one isn’t at all disappointing. For that reason, I give it a one beer rating. One is enough to enjoy this one. It’s streaming free on YouTube.

Here’s the trailer:

YouTube player

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The Outlaw Who Disappeared…

Character, Fantasy, World Building Spotlight / /

 

Worldbuilding from the Rifters universe…

Earl Black From the Rifters

Earl Blacke in The Rifters has a fascinating real-world inspiration: the legendary outlaw Black Bart, born Charles Boles. Black Bart wasn’t your typical bandit. He lived a life full of twists: a gold miner, a soldier twice promoted in the field during the Civil War, sometimes a farmer, husband, and father. Later, he mingled with San Francisco’s high society, posing as a wealthy gentleman. According to the people who considered him a friend, he was charming, personable, and well mannered.

A posh life needed money. When funds ran low, he turned to the open spaces of California and to the Wells Fargo stage coaches. His methods were original:

  • He wore a flour sack with holes cut for eyes.
  • Carried an unloaded shotgun.
  • Robbed only the mail and Wells Fargo shipments.
  • Left passengers unharmed and untouched.
  • Occasionally left poems at the scene.

A dropped handkerchief during one heist finally led to his capture, and he served time in San Quentin. He confessed to only that one robbery despite suspicions of at least 28. When released in 1888, he vanished, leaving the world to speculate about the “gentleman bandit’s” fate.

I read multiple biographies about Charles Boles and thought long and hard about what kind of man he might have been. I tried to get into his head and imagine his psychology. Here’s what I came up with:

  1. The war really messed him up.
  2. He likely took his failures to find gold as failures of character.
  3. Whatever Wells Fargo did, it surely made him angry.
  4. He was an adventurer at heart.
  5. The death of his son shortly after he returned from the war may have been the last straw

I don’t think he was cold-hearted. I think at that point in his life, he was just incapable of giving more of his heart and needed to cut ties with those he knew, including his wife and children. He was probably in survival mode. His real life disappearance was a mystery I couldn’t resist.

The name I use in the series comes from his real life middle name and his outlaw name. I loved the idea of taking someone so complex and sending him through a rift into another time. In Settler, Earl Blacke arrives forty years younger with a chance to atone. However, the rift has other plans for Earl.

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Book Review: The Enchanted Greenhouse

Book Review, Fantasy / /

 

A cozy fantasy book review.

review of The enchanted greenhouse

The Enchanted Greenhouse delivers the same cozy charm that made The Spellshop so enjoyable. It is warm, gentle, and full of magical wonders. The worldbuilding and setting were my favorite parts. Belde feels inviting in a way that made me wish I could step through the page and wander its gardens.

The book has a consistently pleasant tone, and it succeeds at being a comforting read. It is exactly the kind of cozy fantasy that lets you unwind and drift through a whimsical world.

That said, a few elements kept it from reaching its full potential.

The plot holds no surprises. Nothing unfolds in an unexpected way, which weakens the sense of discovery. Cozy fantasy is my favorite branch of the genre, but even a quiet story can offer a moment or two that catches the reader off guard. This one does not.

I also found the emotions, worries, and internal thoughts of the main character to be extremely repetitive. At times, I skipped through large sections because the character circled the same ideas and emotions again and again. And again!

The characters themselves did not go as deep as I hoped. Their reactions and emotional beats often felt predictable, and sometimes I had trouble relating to the main character. I actually found her counterpart and the magical plants more compelling.

Even so, the book remains light, cute, and pleasantly low stress. Despite its flaws, it succeeds as a gentle comfort read. If you want something charming, imaginative, and easy to settle into, The Enchanted Greenhouse provides exactly that.

 

 

 

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On the Wings of a Word by C. M. Sinner

Book Review, Fantasy / /

 

A lyrical, Norse-myth infused fantasy where poetry has power and words can change the world.

On the wings of a word

It’s rare for a novel to make me this curious, but On the Wings of a Word sent me down a rabbit hole researching Norse mythology long after I turned the last page.

While I’m familiar with some of the myths, C. M. Sinner explores corners of the lore I hadn’t encountered before, weaving them into a story that feels both fantastical and fresh. The worldbuilding has depth without ever slowing the momentum, and every new reveal made me want to learn more.

The main character especially stood out. They have a gift with language and poetry that I honestly wish existed in real life. The idea of bringing words to life—of language itself holding tangible power—is such a cool, imaginative concept, and it’s used in clever, meaningful ways throughout the story.

What I loved most were the solutions to the dilemmas the characters faced. Instead of predictable outcomes, the story consistently surprised me with smart, unexpected turns that felt earned. Add in a cast of lovable characters and an engaging plot, and this became one of those books I didn’t want to leave.

Engaging, imaginative, and full of heart, On the Wings of a Word is a fantastic read for anyone who loves mythology-infused fantasy and the magic of language.

I’ll definitely be picking up the next book.

Hurry up and write it, C. M. Sinner.

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Staplers, Sisters, and Settling

Character, World Building Spotlight / /

 

A worldbuilding post from the Rifters universe…

Daelin Long from the Rifters

Daelin doesn’t plan on her life unraveling on a Tuesday morning, but there she is: laid off from her publishing job in New York City, her office and severance pay packed into a cardboard box. To heap insult on top of ground-zero damage, she’s held up at gunpoint in the subway. The thief even takes her stapler. The universe has a wicked sense of humor.

She doesn’t want to need help. It has always been her responsibility to look after others. Despite her bruised pride, her rattled nerves and shattered psyche have her calling her younger sister in Oregon. Hearing the voice of someone who loves her unwinds Daelin the rest of the way, and she confesses her dilemma.

Charming Moon Knight, as devoted to Daelin as Daelin is to her, sends some cash and an offer she can’t refuse: move in with her, figure out her life, and take the open librarian job in town.

Begrudgingly, Daelin accepts. She doesn’t want to burden Charming. She has always been the responsible one, cleaning up the messes left by their whimsical, whirlwind mother. The switch in roles unsettles her, and the move from the biggest metropolis to a dinky town in Oregon no one has ever heard of is daunting.

Daelin never has big dreams beyond establishing a stable life in a big city that offers every indulgence and opportunity. Books and writing have always been her escape, and she has dabbled with writing. She has no plan to stay in Settler long, but the town and its peculiar residents have other plans.

Trust doesn’t come easy, and people rarely get past her walls. But her brother and sister? They’re everything. She would move mountains for them.

Daelin is tall and athletic, definitely built to protect, endure, and take on the improbable. And maybe she will discover there’s more to life than a prestigious job in a big city.

 

 

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