Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

“If I die, you can always make another me.”

Mickey7 (Mickey7, #1) by Edward Ashton

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What a way to start the year—existential crises and smart-assery. Mickey7, aka Mickey Barnes, is our guy. He’s an Expendable on a mission to establish a beachhead colony on a far-flung world. Expendables are just that—they are the people sent on suicide missions, given dangerous tasks, experimented upon medically to develop vaccines and treatments for whatever exciting new ailments await colonists on their new planet. He’s the guy who will die for you, only to have a new copy of himself ready to go 24-hours […]

The hope of space

Arca by Van Jensen, Jesse Lonergan (Illustrator)

All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries, #1) by Martha Wells

Ark (Forward) by Veronica Roth

How It Unfolds (The Far Reaches, #1) by James S.A. Corey

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I often don’t have time for full epic novels, so often turn to science fiction short stories and graphic novels. They can blow my mind with intriguing premises and characters. Unintentionally I kept turning to space stories that explored future possibilities for humanity. I like how novellas and short stories allow dipping my toes into the works of some heavy hitters of sci-fi. Arca is a graphic novel written by Van Jensen and illustrated by Jesse Lonergan. In this story, we meet teenage workers who […]

“I think about the future a lot.”

Kimmie66 by Aaron Alexovich

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A while ago, I deaccessioned a lot of my comics/graphic novels, and now years later am reaccessioning the ones that I realized I really do want. Kimmie66 is one of those. I am a lifelong fan of Aaron Alexovich’s other series, Serenity Rose, and this is in somewhat of the same vein tonally. Kimmie66 is set in a near future where there are immersive VR worlds (“lairs”) that people spend large amounts of their lives in. Telly is 14 and her lair is Elysium, a […]

“I hope you are finding your own words out there in my sky.”

The Deep Sky by Yume Kitasei

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Asuka was the last person chosen to join the crew for humanity’s last hope, eighty elite graduates of a competitive program who will give birth to a generation of children in deep space and one day reach a distant but livable planet. But when a bomb kills three of the crew, investigating it falls to Asuka. I’m trying to get more into science fiction lately, and between the creative world-building and the high-stakes mystery, this book was certainly a good addition to the roster. In […]

Filled my Earth Day square! (Double bingo)

The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Older

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CBR16 Bingo: Earth Day (while this novella is set off-Earth, a lot of the plot involves conservation efforts to try to reintroduce healthy biodiversity on Earth) Mossa is investigating the mysterious disappearance, most likely a suicide, on one of the human colonies on Jupiter. Mossa discovers that the missing man worked at the colony’s university, where conveniently for her and her further investigation, Mossa’s ex-girlfriend is a scholar working with others to try to recreate the ecosystems of Earth before it collapsed. Pleiti is surprised […]

More danger, calamity and heroism in space (Bingo)

Obsidio by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

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CBR16 Sweet Books: Binge CBR16 Bingo: Celestial (set in space. I’m sure the characters observe lots of stars on their epic journeys through space) Spoiler warning: this is the third and final book in the Illuminae Files. A lot of stuff happened in the previous two novels, and it will be impossible to review this book without referring to some significant plot points. Additionally, I don’t see how this book would be a satisfying reading experience taken out of context. So if you aren’t up […]



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