Homecoming
{5/5} “Small pleasant moments of recognition were everywhere. The smooth oak banister of the staircase was familiar beneath her hand, its satin luster hinting at recent waxing. On the hallstand at the top, an antique washstand jug held another of Nora’s Christmas bush and flowering gum arrangements. The jug was Nora’s favourite, despite the chip […]
How to Live Safely in a Sci Fi Universe
{4.5/5} “I am a certified network technician for T-Class personal-use chronogrammatical vehicles, and an approved independent affiliate contractor for Time Warner Time, which owns and operates this universe as a spatio-temperal structure and entertainment complex zoned for retail, commercial, and residential use. The job is pretty chill for the most part, although right this moment […]
Oona Out of Order
{5/5} “A new resolve and optimism suffused Ooona as she boarded the Cairo-bound plane. There was no need to be trapped by her flawed chronology or supposed destiny. She wouldn’t tiptoe around her life, suffer the frustration that resulted from chasing stability. She would not be defeated by her known future.” Oona Out of Order […]
The Once and Future Witches
{5/5} “‘If the witches of Old Salem had the spell to restore the Way, do you really believe they would have advertised it? Left it listed in the index of a grimoire?’ She shakes her head, abandoning the sewing box for the child’s sampler hanging on the wall, yellow and stained. ‘You’re thinking like a […]
Autonomous
{5/5} “Though the mission was fairly small-scale and routine, it held a special significance for Paladin because it meant he’d crossed over from development to deployment. Today marked the first day of his indenture to the African Federation. International law mandated that his service could last no more than ten years, a period deemed more […]
Under Fortunate Stars
{5/5} “‘That’s the Pathfinder. Professor Eldric Leesongronski, the captain of the great ship Jonah. The Fortunate Five sealed the truce with the Felen at Etraxas and ended the war.’ There was a long, awkward silence. Keeven and Leesongronski looked at each other. And then, Keeven burst out laughing.” Under Fortunate Stars by Ren Hutchings, published […]
The Cityborn
{4.5/5} “Only the Kranzes knew how heroically and selflessly Thomas Kranz had acted when he overthrew the Captain and set himself up as the City’s ruler. It hadn’t been because he sought power but because he sought safety, security, and stability for the City’s then-sleeping citizens. He had allowed them to Awaken into a world […]
Star Trek: Gateways — What Lay Beyond
{4.5/5} “It had felt good to be passionate about something, to want to fight for a cause that was so obviously the right one. The sensation Seven felt inside was an exquisite, heady one. She understood now why revolutionaries were so often willing to give their lives for what they believed in.” (from “In the […]
Star Trek: Gateways — Cold Wars
{4.5/5} “‘No, Admiral. Returning the girl planetside is the option I do not have. Everything else is negotiable.’ ‘This isn’t,’ Jellico said firmly. ‘Commander Burgoyne… arrest Captain Calhoun.’” Star Trek: New Frontier — Gateways: Cold Wars by Peter David, published in 2001 Captain Mackenzie Calhoun of the Excalibur has been ordered into Thallonian space because […]
Star Trek: Gateways — No Man’s Land
{4.5/5} “I had thought that actually traversing No Man’s Land would be the true challenge, but I am now starting to believe that we will encounter more difficulties simply getting along with the rest of this odd caravan. Last night, it was the Todanians. Tonight we have the Hirogen.” Star Trek: Voyager — Gateways: No […]