Issue 2

It's Blurbomatic Time

Looking for your perfect next book to read? Do you want something that you can finish over the weekend. A sprawling story that you can dig into? Selections this month include John Scalzi's Starter Villain, a review by noted children's author Rick Riordan of the climate lit classic The Windup Girl, and my review of The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa.

One of my favorite things in the world is the sound of an author reading their own work, or an actor breathing life into a text. I have a few selections this month, starting with Matt Gemmell reading a short story that he wrote.

Book Reviews

The Memory Police, reviewed by Lee Schneider

Yoko Ogawa's The Memory Police (published in 1994) occupies a spot between fantasy and science fiction.

It’s unusual for both genres, because Ogawa has the courage not to explain. The plot turns in mysterious ways.

Read more of my review at the Goodreads link.

Rebecca Roanhorse’s review of Starter Villain

Scalzi's latest is a light-hearted story with a likeable fish-out-of-water protagonist and a lot of very smart cats. There's also a dolphin labor dispute, some truly awful techbros ("consider your testicles"), and a volcano island lair, among other things. Some laugh out loud lines and a few double-double twists make this a fun read. Scalzi also has a bit to say about the state of who's running the world and what makes someone villainous and not so villainous. Easy to read in a day, and with that cover, who could resist? I received a free ARC which in no way impacted my honest review.

Rick Riordan’s review of The Windup Girl

This was an adult sci fi novel, but like Leviathan, it presented a completely believable alternate reality. In this dystopian future, oil is depleted, and the world’s food supply has been devastated by biological plagues released by rival genetics companies. The new world currency is calories. Food is power. The action unfolds in Bangkok, Thailand, where a calorie man from the Midwest tries to gain access to the Thai seed bank, which might hold new DNA strands to develop disease-resistance foods. Meanwhile, a New Person (genetically modified human) Emiko, discarded by her former Japanese ma...

Readings

Once Upon A Time, story 1: Nine Mile Burn

Matt Gemmell writes a mini-story every week. You can receive it when you subscribe to his newsletter. He's also started reading them aloud. It's always special to hear an author read their own work. Here he is on YouTube, reading the first short story in the series.

The Raven read by James Earl Jones

Not Edgar Allen Poe reading it. But this is better. RIP James Earl Jones.

See You Next Time ✌️

Blurbomatic is a monthly publication of FutureX Studio. If you like what you're reading, why not subscribe? You'll get an email when the next issue comes out.