Fantasy often deals with sprawling, epic narratives, stories about quests and magic and daring acts of heroism. Travis Baldree’s Legends & Lattes is not that. Despite being set in a Lord of the Rings/Dungeons and Dragons-style fantasy-verse, it’s deliberately small scale, with much lower stakes than the works that inspired it. It’s the story of an orc barbarian who decides to hang up her sword and open a coffee shop, and remarkably, that is quite literally that.
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Sid Smith has so far written three novels about China, despite never having been there. A House by the River is his second, and the world it evokes is so convincing that by the end, it feels like you've taken a trip there yourself. A literary adventure story with touches of magical realism, A House by the River encompasses theology, linguistics, and history, in a lyrical and strange journey through an antique land.
Sayaka Murata’s Earthlings is a wild ride. Her previous novel, Convenience Store Woman, catapulted her to international success, but fans of that book will be surprised by her follow-up. It delves into fears about pregnancy, marriage, and sex, refusing to shy away from ugly and often violent truths. Some readers may be put off by the graphic content and themes of trauma and abuse, but anyone brave enough to venture into the mind of Sayaka Murata will be taken on a fascinating and compelling journey, with twists and turns you’d never expect in a million years.
The Unlimited Dream Company is unusual for a J.G. Ballard novel in its sense of optimism. Rather than detailing social collapse, it is an exploration of possibility: what we as human beings could achieve without limitations. It delves fully into the fantastical, without any semblance of scientific justification, though this is contrasted with the setting of Shepperton, the village outside London famous for its film studios. In this urban environment, nature becomes a powerful force, transforming the place and the people into something new.
Our Friends from Frolix 8 is semi-unusual for a Philip K. Dick novel in that’s it’s a relatively straightforward science fiction story. There are none of his trademark interrogations of the nature of reality, or philosophical digressions. However, there is still much food for thought: government control, social inequality, and alien intervention in human affairs. While not a masterpiece, it’s nevertheless a fascinating and enjoyable look into his unique mind.
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Atticus Book ReviewsBook reviews and reading recommendations written by volunteers and friends of the shop! |
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