Category: Reviews

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SciFi and Fantasy Books Reviewed for You

SciFi and Fantasy Books Reviewed for you by me, Andy Zach–and other reviewers.

I love reading and reviewing books–and other people’s reviews as well. This is how I found out about new and exciting scifi and fantasy. How do you find out about new books? Tell me and I’ll send you a free book.

SciFi and Fantasy Books Reviewed – Your first one follows this headline

SciFi and Fantasy Books Reviewed
Howling Stones cover

I enjoy Alan Dean Foster in general and this book impressed me with his writing. His opening chapter reveals his main character Pulickel Tomochelor. (Don’t you love that name? He’s Indonesian.) He’s a diplomatic problem solving being sent far away to a troublesome planet teetering on the border between the Humanx Commonwealth and AAcon Empire, a rival alien species. (Raptor-like).

Mr. Foster carefully builds up the background of the planet and depicts Pulickel interacting with people, revealing his character. Then like any good author, throws in a character completely different from Pulickel, one he has never met before.

Meet Fawn. A six foot tall exo-diplomat who looks like a goddess, in Pulickel’s opinion. Since he’s her direct superior, he can’t tell her this. And she irks him. She’s very casual about diplomatic protocols and dress. She’s wearing a bikini that could fit in one of Pulickel’s pockets when she meets him. Then she saves his life. And the story continues.

Well done Alan Dean Foster! Anyone who likes alien based scifi, go for this book

Andy Zach’s Review on Goodreads

SciFi and Fantasy Books Reviewed – Coming Up Next!

Best Science Stories Zombie Turkeys Gift Fantasy Book Reviews
Get your Zombie Turkeys here. You get a bushel of laughter with each book.

Enjoy this brand new review, fresh off Amazon!

Gobble Gobble!

What a hoot. Who but Andy Zach would come up with such a Zombie story? Be prepared for every style of mayhem and torture that could be wrought against these turkeys because you will find it within the covers of this book. What a mind this author has. Happy reading.

Zoe J September 6, 2021

Would you like this book for free? Click here! Please review it on Amazon or Goodreads.

Are You Ready for More? Here’s Another Review

Fantasy Book Reviews
Fantasy Book Reviews

I listened to this book in my car and chuckled on my 500-mile trip. Genuine Terry Pratchett humor, written long ago when he was a young man and recently updated and edited by Sir Pratchett himself. Why? “Because your imagination gets much bigger as you get older.”

Any lover of Terry Pratchett or humorous fantasy will love this.

Andy Zach’s review on Goodreads

Your Final Review – Don’t Miss the Next Review!

How would you like a copy in exchange for a review? I’ll happily send you a copy if you agree to review it in a month. Click here and enjoy!

New Science Books
Andy Zach’s new scifi detective mystery. Click to get your free copy in exchange for a review.
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New Science Books for You, and Science Fiction

New Science Books for You – let’s begin immediately with my book review.

New Science Book
The story of SpaceX

The dramatic inside story of the historic flights that launched SpaceX—and Elon Musk—from a shaky startup into the world’s leading-edge rocket company.

What a great description of the recent history of SpaceX, built and led by Elon Musk and his incredible team of dedicated engineers and space fanatics! Author Eric Berger interviewed the key leaders within the company, gleaning many wonderful stories around the development of the Falcon 1, the first independent commercial rocket to go into orbit.

Mr. Berger tells the story very well, building the characterization of each major person involved in the company. One of the key lessons for me was how effective Musk is at hiring people with passion and skill.

Given the personal descriptions of the engineers, as a reader you really pull for the team. You hurt as the first three Falcon 1 rockets crash and the team has to debug what went wrong and start over. You feel the urgency for success as Musk’s finances dwindle to just $30 million in cash for both SpaceX and Tesla, which was also strapped for cash.

I highly recommend this for anyone interested in Elon Musk, engineering, or the space program.

From Andy’s Goodreads review.

New Science Fiction, as well as New Science Books

What’s the new science fiction?

New Science Books
Andy Zach’s new scifi detective mystery.

Ace zombie reporter Sam Melvin has been fired–by his wife, Lisa. Their paper, The Midley Beacon, is barely surviving. How will they make ends meet?

Sam decides to give being a detective a try. He advertises his business–but his zombie experience comes with it. All across the country, people bring their zombie problems to Sam. Squirrels? Bulls? Sam’s on the case. But can his experience with zombie turkeys transfer?

Sam finds out in a series of deadly adventures–and so will you when you read this book. See if you can keep from dying from laughter.

Available on Amazon here in paperback or ebook. Or, you can buy it directly from me at a discount, with an autograph. Click here.

Finally, if you want to get free books from me, click here.

More Science Fiction and Fantasy, Right Here

I’ve got a middle-grade and young adult science fiction and fantasy book promotion for you. Collect a bundle of 61 books plus an e-reader. Check out these authors and books in the following image.

Win over $600 of books and an e-reader! Click here!

I must tell you my tale of disabled teens who become superheroes is also there:

Get Secret Supers! Click here!

Of course, you can always get Secret Supers for free from me. Just smash this link.

Big Science News for You Follows This Headline

First, the British spacesuit–designed in the 40s!

It has a cape and a shooting stick.

Then we have ongoing analysis about the feasibility of a space elevator.

Let’s close with something totally off-the-wall. It’s not fiction, but history, but it’s far more bizarre than anything I’ve ever written. Let me know what you think and I’ll give you a free book. Just click here.

A poisoned marathoner wins the gold medal in 1904
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Science Versus Science Fiction – Can Fiction Stay Ahead?

Science Fiction

Science Versus Science Fiction — Can science fiction authors even stay ahead of our rocketing science advances?

You ask, “Like what? What’s so hard about imagining a futuristic setting?”

How about this development?

In addition to announcing the world’s fastest computer for AI training, Tesla also presented a new self-driving application–autonomous, humanoid robots.

“But this is all just visionary stuff from Elon. It’s not here yet,” you respond.

Yup, not yet, but near. Just like SpaceX was a couple of years ago:

This is straight from 1950s science fiction. A rocket goes up in a plume of fire and lands on a rocket. And this video happened five years ago. This demonstrates Tesla and Elon Musk’s ability to bring his vision to reality.

Science Vs Science Fiction – Science Fiction Weighs In

How well is science fiction keeping ahead? Let’s start with a review I just wrote:

Science Versus Science Fiction book cover of Citizens
SciFi Book ‘Citizens’

I thought the anthology, ‘Citizens’ would be good, since it was military science fiction written by veterans. I also like John Ringo’s writing in general, and he has a story in here. But it exceeded my expectations.

Not only are there crackling good stories in this book, but it’s also a survey of great science fiction writers over the past seven decades. Arthur C. Clarke, Robert Heinlein, are here as well as Murray Leinster, Gene Wolfe, and Keith Laumer. Then there are some newer writers as well, veterans of the Iraq war with their unique takes on military scifi.

If you like military scifi, don’t miss this one.

Goodreads review by Andy Zach

How does this book stack up against current science? The science fiction is pretty well ahead.

Keith Laumer has a self-aware, highly motivated war robot.

Gene Wolfe and John Ringo explore extreme genetic modification for warfare.

David Freer has a light-hearted story about a postman who deflects an alien invasion.

Now, the more uncomfortable question: how am I, Andy Zach doing with my fiction versus the advances in science?

Zombie Detective‘s Science Fiction Versus Science

My next novel is Zombie Detective. Is it keeping ahead of science’s leaps?

Zombie Detective Science Versus Science Fiction
Click to pre-order your autographed copy

Disclaimer: I set this novel in 2016 and I limited myself to science as I knew it then, plus a little more. What little more did I add?

Mostly, genetic engineering. That’s basically the cause of my zombieism, where rogue E Coli bacteria copy any tissue and replace it within minutes. I go into detail about how in my book, Zombie Turkeys.

Click to get your autographed copy

Zombie Detective Excerpt for You

Getting back to Zombie Detective, I’m publishing it in September 2021. It begins like this:

“Sam, you’re fired.” Lisa’s green eyes met his brown ones. 

“What? Lisa, you and I have worked together at the Midley Beacon.  for ten years! And we’ve known each other for fifteen!   And we’ve been married almost two months!”  

“Sorry, Sam. Romance has to take a back seat to finances. Ever since the bottom dropped out of the zombie turkey news market since the first of the year, the Midley Beacon.  hasn’t made enough to pay your salary.”

“But that’s our salary. We share and share alike.”

“We can still live on my salary. And you can apply for unemployment, now that you’re fired.” 

“But what’ll I do all day? I can only play Fortnite for so long.”

“What did you do before I hired you, ten years ago? What did you do while I was in college?” Lisa’s brows furrowed.

“Uh, mow lawns. Handyman repair. Stuff like that. But I’m a grown man now. I want more.”

“Hmm, you are a decent reporter.”

“Thanks, Lisa. That’s high praise coming from you.”

“Well, it’s the truth. You’ve grown from a crappy reporter, like ninety-nine percent of all reporters, to well above average. I did lay off everyone else on the staff before you, you know.”

“Aw, you’re making me feel warm and mushy.”

“That’s part of good management, —emotional manipulation.”

“Uh, you mean you don’t mean it?” Sam looked crestfallen.

“Nah, I mean it. Emotional manipulation is much more effective if you’re sincere.

From Zombie Detective

If you’ve read my books, why don’t you tell me how I’m doing keeping ahead of science? Contact me here or at andyzach@andyzach.net