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mikibooks's review
2.0
Hay excelentes libros de ciencia ficción.. Obras maestras que establecieron mundos espectaculares en décadas donde a nadie se le pasaba por la cabeza. Hay incluso algunos buenos. Y después está Astounding!. Un completamente absurdo intento por introducir aliens en una historia básicamente novelesca y romántica hasta el empalagamiento. Ridículo. No sé en qué momento mi cabeza falló y tuve la idea de leer este libro. Lo peor es que no sólo no me sacó de mi traba con los libros sino que me ha sumergido más en el abismo.
No le pongo una estrella para que no parezca que estoy troleando.
No le pongo una estrella para que no parezca que estoy troleando.
teresab78's review
4.0
****Reviewed for Prism Book Alliance®****
4 Stars -
I wasn’t quite sure what to expect with Astounding!. I’ve loved previous works by Kim Fielding so knew that I was sure to enjoy it, whatever “it” was. The cover with the RV and the knowledge that Carter worked on a Sci-Fi magazine made me think alien chasers and Roswell. This was not that.
What this was, however, was a journey of self-discovery and finding love. That sounds clichéd, but I found Astounding unique and fun. John is an alien unlike most and so sweet. Carter is a little tarnished and worn down, but John brings out the best in him. Together they are electric.
I really liked Keith and Freddy, they were good and supporting friends. I also liked the cameo of Ery and Karl from Ms Fieldings book Bone Dry. It was nice to check in on them.
I found a few spots in the book dragged, but other than that it was quite engaging. Overall a very enjoyable book.
4 Stars -
I wasn’t quite sure what to expect with Astounding!. I’ve loved previous works by Kim Fielding so knew that I was sure to enjoy it, whatever “it” was. The cover with the RV and the knowledge that Carter worked on a Sci-Fi magazine made me think alien chasers and Roswell. This was not that.
What this was, however, was a journey of self-discovery and finding love. That sounds clichéd, but I found Astounding unique and fun. John is an alien unlike most and so sweet. Carter is a little tarnished and worn down, but John brings out the best in him. Together they are electric.
I really liked Keith and Freddy, they were good and supporting friends. I also liked the cameo of Ery and Karl from Ms Fieldings book Bone Dry. It was nice to check in on them.
I found a few spots in the book dragged, but other than that it was quite engaging. Overall a very enjoyable book.
adammm's review
4.0
I picked this one up at random, choosing it on Libby based on its title and the sorta kinda interesting-sounding plot. I was pleasantly surprised upon beginning the book: Kim Fielding writes a good romance with some interesting takes on traditional Science Fiction conventions. What stands out the most to me from this one is the relationships between the characters: everyone is well-written, worthy of sympathy, and their interactions and reactions are reasonable and understandable. I also rather enjoyed the protagonist's growth throughout the story - the idea of becoming like your loved ones takes on a whole new meaning here. I'd rate this one a solid 4.5, and upon completion I immediately sought out more books by this author.
liza5326's review
4.0
This was a surprisingly good story. Carter is the editor-in-chief of a sci-fi magazine on the verge of going under. Every month, he gets a story from J Harper, always about the same thing, an alien stranded on Earth who just wants to go home, and every month he sends a rejection letter. One night, too much booze leads to a pretty nasty rejection letter he regrets sending.
This leads him to the man behind the stories. John isn't what Carter thinks he is and that is where the story gets fun and sweet. This could have gone so so wrong, and instead the whole story ended up being just wonderful. I loved the glimpses of past characters and how it didn't veer too far into the ridiculous, even for a sci-fi alien story.
This leads him to the man behind the stories. John isn't what Carter thinks he is and that is where the story gets fun and sweet. This could have gone so so wrong, and instead the whole story ended up being just wonderful. I loved the glimpses of past characters and how it didn't veer too far into the ridiculous, even for a sci-fi alien story.
crtsjffrsn's review
4.0
Carter Evans founded the speculative fiction magazine Astounding! because he wanted to have an impact on the genre. And while he did help launch several authors--including his ex-boyfriend--the magazine is on its last leg. He expects he may only be able to publish one more issue. Which is why the stories from J. Harper are a distraction he doesn't need. They're among some of the worst writing he's ever read, they follow the same general format, and they just keep coming. So Carter writes a brutally honest rejection letter on a lark while he's drinking one evening with no intention of ever sending it. But when he wakes up the next morning, he realizes he's done just that. Feeling awful about being so rude, Carter drives from Seattle to Portland to apologize in person. And when he meets John Harper, he discovers that he is a sweet and charming (and attractive!) man, who is a fan of the magazine and graciously invites Carter into his home. There's something else: John also claims to be from another planet. It's a lot for Carter to take in, but as a fan of science fiction, shouldn't it follow that some aspect of those stores might somehow come true? Despite his uncertainties, Carter decides he wants to get to know John better. What could it hurt?
This is a fun and entertaining read. It's not necessarily a comedy, but there's a lightness to it that I really appreciated. Carter's in a rut, but he doesn't wallow. And John is just so incredibly endearing that I think it would be impossible for a reader to not be drawn to him. Another great romantic journey from Kim Fielding that I highly recommend!
This is a fun and entertaining read. It's not necessarily a comedy, but there's a lightness to it that I really appreciated. Carter's in a rut, but he doesn't wallow. And John is just so incredibly endearing that I think it would be impossible for a reader to not be drawn to him. Another great romantic journey from Kim Fielding that I highly recommend!
moux's review
5.0
I loved this book so much - I don't know why I took so long to decide to read it.
I went into reading this with very little info and I'm glad I did.
I went into reading this with very little info and I'm glad I did.
hartd's review
5.0
A new favorite for me. I love the slow, gentle pace of the romance, but there is also a lot of focus on Carter finding his place in life. His state of mind in the first few chapters hit very close to home for me, so it was especially nice to read about a character I could relate to earning a happy ending. This is definitely one of the most enjoyable books I've read this year.
Almost everyone in this book is super geeky. Carter has spent his professional life as an editor of speculative fiction magazine, and his best friend Freddy is a GRRM type of guy who is in a relationship with his #1 fan. Because I've always been a sci-fi fan, I really enjoyed all the references in this book, as well as the frequent musings on the importance of sci-fi and fantasy.
It was also great to read a contemporary novel with so many queer characters. Too often in m/m, I find that there's one gay couple in a sea of straight people, which does not seem realistic. I gather that many of the side characters are from Kim Fielding's other books, so I know I'll have to read those too.
Almost everyone in this book is super geeky. Carter has spent his professional life as an editor of speculative fiction magazine, and his best friend Freddy is a GRRM type of guy who is in a relationship with his #1 fan. Because I've always been a sci-fi fan, I really enjoyed all the references in this book, as well as the frequent musings on the importance of sci-fi and fantasy.
It was also great to read a contemporary novel with so many queer characters. Too often in m/m, I find that there's one gay couple in a sea of straight people, which does not seem realistic. I gather that many of the side characters are from Kim Fielding's other books, so I know I'll have to read those too.
stanwj's review
3.0
Another short, breezy read. The elevator pitch might be "Road trip with my secret alien lover."
Astounding! tells the story of Carter Evans, the editor of a high quality but money-losing speculative fiction magazine called Astounding! As he prepares the final issue, he drowns his sorrow in booze and meaningless sex with strangers. As opposed to meaningful sex with strangers, I suppose. While more than a little drunk, he writes a personal rejection letter to John Harper, a guy who sends terrible stories to the magazine every month, pleading that they be published. Carter doesn't intend to send the letter, as it's quite nasty, but being drunk and all that, off it goes.
He impulsively decides to apologize in person by driving from Seattle to Portland, where he finds John living in a small duplex. John looks like Tab Hunter, and all his furniture and belongings have a similarly vintage style. After the apology is accepted, John invites Carter to spend the night--on the couch--because the drive back to Seattle is long and it's late. Carter agrees because he finds John super-hot. When they accidentally bump into each other in the narrow hallway as each prepares for bed the inevitable happens, then happens a few more times after that.
The story kicks into high gear when Carter's friend, Freddie, an author of a Game of Thrones-style bestselling series, convinces Carter to join him and his partner on a RV trip to Yosemite. Carter impulsively gets them to stop in Portland, where they pick up John.
John is very polite and shy and charms everyone and is an alien in disguise. He wanted his stories published to serve as a beacon to his people-electrical beings without bodies--that he was ready to return home after a kind of fact-finding mission.
John and Carter (get it?) fall head over tentacles in love (kidding, there are no tentacles, though they get a mention), and this is complicated by John's inevitable return home when that last issue of Astounding! hits the newsstands and his alien cohorts arrive to fetch him.
From here there are shenanigans, most of them occurring on the trip in the RV. The heart of the story feels almost like the travelogue of a good friend, recounting activities and meals, doing touristy things, braving the great outdoors where cellphones lose reception, all minus the boring slides (or posts to social media) you are forced to endure.
The arc of the story is predictable, but it's presented so pleasantly and with such warmth that it feels like snuggling up with whatever favorite thing it is that comforts you. Most of the conflict is of the "breaking hearts" variety, Carter grows as a person, John grows as an alien-inside-a-fake-person and it's all just kind of sweet.
I did find the ending a bit odd. Without going into spoilers, Carter recalls how he and Freddie define a "pancake part" in a story. It's a scene that comes after the climax and denouement, being both unnecessary and making the story too long. And the final scene of Astounding! feels exactly like that. Still, it doesn't detract much from what precedes it.
As expected in a story like this, the science is not exactly rigorous, bending to the needs of the plot, but there is a simple joy in watching a couple fall in love and remain smitten, affected only by external forces that seek to separate them. This is essentially light, romantic fluff with a science fiction twist, so if you're up for that (with the requisite sex scenes, presented in semi-explicit detail), Astounding! may charm.
Astounding! tells the story of Carter Evans, the editor of a high quality but money-losing speculative fiction magazine called Astounding! As he prepares the final issue, he drowns his sorrow in booze and meaningless sex with strangers. As opposed to meaningful sex with strangers, I suppose. While more than a little drunk, he writes a personal rejection letter to John Harper, a guy who sends terrible stories to the magazine every month, pleading that they be published. Carter doesn't intend to send the letter, as it's quite nasty, but being drunk and all that, off it goes.
He impulsively decides to apologize in person by driving from Seattle to Portland, where he finds John living in a small duplex. John looks like Tab Hunter, and all his furniture and belongings have a similarly vintage style. After the apology is accepted, John invites Carter to spend the night--on the couch--because the drive back to Seattle is long and it's late. Carter agrees because he finds John super-hot. When they accidentally bump into each other in the narrow hallway as each prepares for bed the inevitable happens, then happens a few more times after that.
The story kicks into high gear when Carter's friend, Freddie, an author of a Game of Thrones-style bestselling series, convinces Carter to join him and his partner on a RV trip to Yosemite. Carter impulsively gets them to stop in Portland, where they pick up John.
John is very polite and shy and charms everyone and is an alien in disguise. He wanted his stories published to serve as a beacon to his people-electrical beings without bodies--that he was ready to return home after a kind of fact-finding mission.
John and Carter (get it?) fall head over tentacles in love (kidding, there are no tentacles, though they get a mention), and this is complicated by John's inevitable return home when that last issue of Astounding! hits the newsstands and his alien cohorts arrive to fetch him.
From here there are shenanigans, most of them occurring on the trip in the RV. The heart of the story feels almost like the travelogue of a good friend, recounting activities and meals, doing touristy things, braving the great outdoors where cellphones lose reception, all minus the boring slides (or posts to social media) you are forced to endure.
The arc of the story is predictable, but it's presented so pleasantly and with such warmth that it feels like snuggling up with whatever favorite thing it is that comforts you. Most of the conflict is of the "breaking hearts" variety, Carter grows as a person, John grows as an alien-inside-a-fake-person and it's all just kind of sweet.
I did find the ending a bit odd. Without going into spoilers, Carter recalls how he and Freddie define a "pancake part" in a story. It's a scene that comes after the climax and denouement, being both unnecessary and making the story too long. And the final scene of Astounding! feels exactly like that. Still, it doesn't detract much from what precedes it.
As expected in a story like this, the science is not exactly rigorous, bending to the needs of the plot, but there is a simple joy in watching a couple fall in love and remain smitten, affected only by external forces that seek to separate them. This is essentially light, romantic fluff with a science fiction twist, so if you're up for that (with the requisite sex scenes, presented in semi-explicit detail), Astounding! may charm.