9 Jun, 2024
Because My Tears Are Delicious To You
Brian W. Aldiss’ 1967 Report on Probability A is a stand-alone New Wave science fiction novel.
“Novel” might raise inappropriate expectations. Say rather, “a novel-length narrative.”
26 Aug, 2021
Big Hair, Big Guns!
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1985’s Helliconia Winter is the third and final volume in Brian W. Aldiss’ Helliconia trilogy.
General Luterin Shokerandit wins the battle of Isturiacha, crushing the forces of Campannlat. He returns to the capital to deliver news of his victory to the Oligarch of Sibornal, expecting a wondrous reward for his service.
His reward? Death.
11 May, 2021
Big Hair, Big Guns!
1983’s Helliconia Summer is the middle volume in Brian Aldiss’ Helliconia trilogy.
Helliconia’s climate is driven by the proximity of Helliconia to the giant star Freyr, about which Helliconia and its sun Batalix orbit. Currently Batalix and Helliconia are approaching periapsis and temperatures are soaring. Many devout people in the tropical continent Campannlat fear Freyr will consume them all.
Unbeknownst to Helliconia’s natives, their activities are monitored from above by the space station Avernus. Certain curious practices on Avernus will greatly complicate the already fraught politics of the kingdom of Borlien.
7 Jul, 2020
Big Hair, Big Guns!
Brian W. Aldiss’ 1982 Helliconia Spring is the first volume in his hard SF1 Helliconia trilogy, which, curiously contrary to publishing tradition, appears to consist of three, and only three, books.
In many respects — age, mass, density, insolation, the presence of complex organic life, even the presence of a humanoid native species — the distant world Helliconia is much like Earth. In one very significant respect Helliconia is very different from Earth. That difference has driven the course of civilization on Helliconia for longer than its sentient inhabitants can remember.
27 Aug, 2017
Because My Tears Are Delicious To You
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1962’s Hugo-winning Hothouse is a standalone SF novel by Brian Aldiss.
In a distant future, the Earth is tide-locked to the Sun, while the Moon has retreated to one of the Earth-Sun Lagrange points.On the illuminated side of Earth, a vast banyan tree dominates the land. In this overheated world, voracious plants dominate. Only four groups of insects still exist on the banyan-dominated land: wasps, bees, ants and termites. All other animals are extinct.
All, save for the stunted, degenerate descendants of humanity.