M.A. Kropp: Writer, Blogger, GeekGirl. My Life. My Words. My Way.
I have been able to get some steady work done on writing this week. That's a nice improvement from all of last year, where I got very little done. I have gotten through a first read-through and revision on all twenty-four of the short short stories. That was one of the big goals for this … Continue reading More Writing Getting Done
My rating: 4 of 5 starsJohn Perry just turned 75, so he did what any self-respecting 75-year-old would: he visited his wife's grave, and joined the army. Technically, he joined the Colonial Defense Force (CDF). In this Earth future universe, the CDF doesn't want young, inexperienced recruits. They want those with the knowledge, experience, and … Continue reading Friday Review: Old Man’s War (Old Man’s War #1) by John Scalzi
Well, not "done" as in finished and ready to go. But as of today, the first drafts of all the stories for my very short story collection are written. Of course, first drafts means there is still a lot of work to be done, but this first phase is always a relief to have behind … Continue reading And Done
My rating: 4 of 5 starsFive independent hackers are given a choice by the government: serve as white hat hackers completing assignments given them or face prison for their past cyber crimes. Faced with that choice, they decide to take the offer. They are sent to an isolated compound where they and the other teams … Continue reading Friday Review: Zer0es by Chuck Wendig
One of the trending discussions that cropped up among the genre social media feeds during the past month revolved around the idea of canon. Specifically, the perceived loss of reverence for what the complaining folks considered the classics of science fiction literature. They complain that "these kids today" have no idea what great scifi is … Continue reading Canon? Or Cannon?
My rating: 3 of 5 starsShe was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted.Those three sentences have become a sort of battle cry for women who are standing up in the face of outdated and demeaning attitudes from some segments of society. In this collection of flash fiction, a number of the most … Continue reading Nevertheless, She Persisted: Flash Fiction Project by Various Authors
My rating: 3 of 5 starsIn this first of four novellas, we are introduced to Murderbot (its own name for itself) a part-organic, part-android Security Unit. The unit managed to hack its own governor unit and become autonomous, although no one knows about that. It has a shady past involving the killing of 57 people … Continue reading Friday Review: All Systems Red (Murderbot Diaries 1) by Martha Wells
My rating: 3 of 5 stars This alternate history story starts when a meteorite strikes the ocean off the southern coast of the United States and immediately causes wide-scale destruction of much of the eastern part of the country, including Washington, DC. The aftereffects of the meteor will cause global climate change on a disastrous … Continue reading Friday Review: The Calculating Stars (Lady Astronaut #1) by Mary Robinette Kowal
My rating: 4 of 5 starsThe Vorkosigan books are another of the iconic series in science fiction that I somehow never got around to reading. I have been trying to discover some of those books and to catch up with them a little. When I looked at the Vorkosigan series, it was a bit daunting … Continue reading Friday Review: The Warrior’s Apprentice (Vorkosigan Saga #2) by Lois McMaster Bujold (Audiobook)
My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is the third and final book in Scalzi's Interdependency trilogy. The affiliated planets and habitats of the Interdependency are just that- interdependent on each other for trade, goods, and survival. Key to the continued existence of it all is the Flow, the lanes flowing through space that make … Continue reading Friday Review: The Last Emperox (Interdependency #3) by John Scalzi
