Book review
Project Hail Mary
Andy Weir sends an isolated scientist into a space engineering puzzle with Earth’s future at stake. Floris enjoys the technical problem-solving, dry humour, and unexpected friendship at the centre of the adventure.
Fiction
What can an imagined world show us?
Science fiction, fantasy, and stories that leave a question behind.
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Book review
Invisible Planets
Ken Liu edits and translates thirteen Chinese science-fiction stories with very different styles and ideas. Floris singles out favourites while recognising that the anthology’s range will not suit every reader equally.
Book review
Saturday
Ian McEwan follows neurosurgeon Henry Perowne through a single Saturday, weaving present events with memories. Floris admires the storytelling and collects passages about work, family, science, and moments of complete absorption.
Book review
My Purple Scented Novel
Ian McEwan’s short story concerns a man who steals the life of a fellow novelist. Floris gives it a brief, positive mention; this is a reading note rather than an extended analysis.
Book review
Ilium
Dan Simmons combines the Trojan War and Greek mythology with science fiction across Mars, Earth, and the Jovian system. Floris finds the novel overlong and reflects on how unfamiliar allusions affected his reading.
Book review
Broken Stars
Ken Liu collects Chinese science-fiction stories with a wide range of concepts and historical references. Floris does not enjoy every story but highlights inventive examples and reflects on his preference for fiction driven by ideas.
Book review
Network Effect
Martha Wells’s fifth Murderbot Diaries installment expands the series into a longer novel. Floris finds it less engaging than earlier entries and acknowledges that his own divided attention may have shaped that response.
Book review
Wall of Storms
Ken Liu’s second Dandelion Dynasty novel continues Kuni Garu’s story in a world of strategy and political conflict. Floris follows the characters’ strengths and flaws and connects parts of the narrative with the hero’s journey.
Book review
The Hidden Girl and Other Stories
A brief recommendation of Ken Liu’s story collection. Floris highlights its emphasis on science fiction, its movement into fantasy, and the characters and stories that made the collection memorable to him.
Book review
All These Worlds
A positive reading note on the conclusion to the original Bobiverse trilogy. Floris enjoys the return and resolution of earlier storylines and looks forward to further stories in the same universe.
Book review
The Grace of Kings
Floris recommends Ken Liu’s epic fantasy for its intricate story, characters, and conflicts involving love, politics, warfare, and betrayal. He appreciates how the narrative treats cooperation as difficult and offers several perspectives on events.
Book review
The Redemption of Time
Floris gives a positive response to Baoshu’s continuation of the Three-Body series. He especially enjoys the return of earlier details and the closing of storylines while noting that readers differ on the telling.
Essay
Futuristic Novels
A reflection on The Martian, Ready Player One, and I, Robot as ways to imagine different futures. Floris connects the stories with human ingenuity, artificial intelligence, and the possibility of shaping what comes next.