cmdrburton's reviews
58 reviews

The Expert System's Brother by Adrian Tchaikovsky

adventurous mysterious

4.0

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

I really enjoyed this book. It's a lovely story, and the rating says enough. Interesting reading this in 2024, ten years after the book came out... five years after our own global pandemic.

I guess my main consolation is that something like the Georgia Flu—kills 99% of infected with an incubation period of a few hours—likely cannot happen in our world. Our current pandemic has long incubation times and kills far fewer people than it infects, which allows it to spread before people are even aware they're infected—key to its "success." Ebola's spread was limited because it killed half the people infected, despite being more contagious than smallpox. 

So if you were worried about that, fellow readers, I hope this helps.

Finna by Nino Cipri

2.0

I've read better fanfiction. Just read SCP-3008 if the infinite IKEA idea appeals to you. For some reason the author chose to write the main characters having a domestic in the middle of their dimension-hopping adventure, and it got tiresome real fast.

Station Eternity by Mur Lafferty

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

This book has a lot going on at once. Like, a lot. Perhaps too much.

Firewalkers by Adrian Tchaikovsky

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

4.0

The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.5

Rosewater by Tade Thompson

adventurous dark mysterious

• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Autonomous by Annalee Newitz

adventurous challenging dark tense

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A great book with interesting thoughts on property, autonomy, and open technology. I particularly liked the worldbuilding... environmentally conscious hell capitalism. We can have both! xD

The Doors of Eden by Adrian Tchaikovsky

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

This book was such a trip! another absolute banger from Tchaikovsky. loved it. 

extra .5 stars for two queer South Asian POV characters (!!), though I'm being biased (as a queer South Asian)

Tales of Pirx the Pilot by Stanisław Lem

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

4.0

A fun collection of stories! I think I liked the one about Mendeleev Station best. The last one, the story about Terminus, also deserves special mention.