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Reviews from February 2022 (20)

And We’ll Pray That There’s No God

Fury  (Keeps, volume 2)

By C L Moore & Henry Kuttner  

27 Feb, 2022

Because My Tears Are Delicious To You

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C. L. Moore and Henry Kuttner’s 1950 Fury—often but incorrectly credited to Kuttner alone — is the second in their Keeps science fiction series1.

By the twenty-seventh century, Earth’s atomic death is six centuries in the past. Humanity survived only because Venus was at hand to provide a second life-bearing home. Because the continents teemed with life that 21st century humans were not equipped to survive, let alone dominate, humans are confined to the subsea Keeps, which no Venusian lifeform can penetrate.

Life in the Keeps is tolerable and stagnant. Ruled by Immortal mutants such as the Harkers, society might have been fated to continue its long decline into decadence, save for an act of spite by a grieving father.


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Saints Will Tremble

Fevered Star  (Between Earth and Sky, volume 2)

By Rebecca Roanhorse  

25 Feb, 2022

Doing the WFC's Homework

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2022’s Fevered Star is the second book in Rebecca Roanhorse’s Between Earth and Sky secondary-world fantasy.

It was such a simple plan: train Serapio in fanatical devotion to his Crow God, dispatch him to distant Tova, and have him manifest as the avatar of his deity, whereupon he would slaughter the Watchers, whose ruthless enforcement of law has become oppressive, then die himself. The old guard would be gone, the god-in-flesh would be gone, leaving room for the new order to establish itself. 

Pity it all went so wrong.


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A Wonder to Behold It Was

A Prayer for The Crown-shy  (Monk and Robot, volume 2)

By Becky Chambers  

24 Feb, 2022

Miscellaneous Reviews

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2022’s A Prayer for The Crown-shy is the second volume in Becky Chamber’s Monk and Robot series. 

Until now, no existing robot has personally experienced human society. Mosscap has set out to rectify this omission. While accompanying the monk Sibling Dex on their rural journeys, the robot enthusiastically embraces the chance to witness human behavior in all its peculiar manifestations. The machine’s curiosity is matched only by its unfamiliarity with social conventions. 


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No Prayer Can Remove Him

The Face in the Frost

By John Bellairs  

20 Feb, 2022

Because My Tears Are Delicious To You

3 comments

1969’s The Face in the Frost is the first novel in John Bellairs’ Prospero and Roger Bacon series. The edition I own was illustrated by Marilyn Fitschen.

The wizard Prospero — not the Prospero of whom you are thinking — makes his home in an insignificant island nation. His cozy home is filled with sorcerous paraphernalia, including the obligatory magic mirror. He is visited from time to time by his English friend Roger Bacon — almost certainly the one of whom you are thinking. Prospero enjoys a comfortable life free from petty worries. 

Enter the existential threat.


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Some Other Time

A Psalm for the Wild-Built  (Robot and Monk)

By Becky Chambers  

17 Feb, 2022

Miscellaneous Reviews

1 comment

2021’s A Psalm for the Wild-Built is the first volume of Becky Chambers’ Robot and Monk series.

Although Panga’s only city (named City) is a fine city, it has no crickets. Sibling Dex wants to hear crickets. They leave urban monastic life behind to embrace the way of the tea monk. Learning how to be a proper tea monk will be just one delightful aspect of this new life.

There is, however, the matter of the rogue robots.


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The Cat Survives

The Door into Summer

By Takahiro Miki & Tomoe Kano  

16 Feb, 2022

Translation

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Takahiro Miki and Tomoe Kano’s 2021 film The Door into Summer (夏への扉 キミのいる未来へ) is an adaptation of Robert A. Heinlein’s 1957 novel The Door into Summer. Directed by Miki and written by Kano, it stars Kento Yamazaki, Kaya Kiyohara, Hidekazu Mashima, Natsuna, Naohito Fujiki, and a cat whose name I failed to determine.

Soichiro Takahura (Kento Yamazaki) has experienced tragedy after tragedy. He was orphaned, then taken in by his father’s benevolent colleague Koichi Matsushita. Alas, Koichi and his wife died in a mishap soon after. Koichi’s daughter Riko (Kaya Kiyohara), briefly raised as Soichiro’s sister, was taken in by her uncle Kazuhito (Hidekazu Mashima) and although they are still close, Riko no longer shares a household with Soichiro.

By 1995 Soichiro has three things on which he can depend: his R&D work for the robotics company he co-owns with Kazuhito, the companionship of his cat Pete, and the love of his stunningly beautiful girlfriend Rin Shiraishi (Natsuna).

Probably it’s not significant that Pete hisses whenever he sees Rin.

Light spoilers


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