A book that has sentient dogs... after reading the blurb about the book, my first two thoughts were, look's good and sentient dogs, ah, that reminds me of the Tines from Vernor Vinge's A Fire Upon the Deep . The Tines are the dog-like species who live on the planet the main storyline is set, they are a medieval culture and as individual dogs not sentient but when in a pack they are a single sentient being, I wonder if Wagner will take this route? It's very interesting premises and a book I highly recommend you read,  A Fire Upon the Deep . However back to, An Oath of Dogs , the plot looks good and it's reminiscent of Vinge and Cameron's Avatar . Looking through the editorial reviews it looks like Wagner has written a book that is not only a good read but also one which will make you think, and to me that's good science fiction . Have you read it yet? I'd love to know what you thought.

I've been wanting to continue on with my video series which I started last year, but so much has happened this year that I've lost momentum.  It's taking some time to get this going again. As the old adage goes, ' Content is King ' so here's a little teaser of what is to come on the channel, along with some fun.  I spent a weekend in a rain forest and met a few of the locals.

Welcome, this weekend reading focuses on writing, we look at strategies from prolific writers, we consider whether a fantasy trilogy is worth writing and more. When it's time to relax this weekend, grab your favourite beverage and enjoy reading of the following articles.

When I was growing up in the 1980's I thought that I'd be living on the moon by now, or actually to have been living on the moon for at least 15 years or more.  I never really thought beyond the year 2000, but alas this hasn't happened,  althought if you are a frustrated moon colonist this story may be the closest as you will ever get. This is hard science fiction , so if you loved The Martian you'll appreciate the technical struggles these couples face in order to set up the moon colony which is started as a private venture.

Welcome! When it's time to relax this weekend, grab your favourite beverage and have a read of the following articles. Start your weekend reads off with this article about Science Fiction and Literature.  Too Deep for A Single Read | Hyperion Cantos Enjoy!

A book about first contact with an interesting premise, and a beautiful cover. It's almost as if the aliens aren't interested in us.   What? How can that be?  Well, we'll both need to read the book to find out. Firefall is the omnibus edition of the novels  Blindsight  and  Echopraxia,  have you read these books? If so let me know what you thought about them.

In Hyperion  the story follows seven travellers on a pilgrimage to the Valley of the Time Tombs and along the way each tell their story, about why they're on the Planet Hyperion and what they hope to gain at the end of the pilgrimage. What we get is six short stories which vary in genre ranging from horror to military to poetry to  bildungsroman in reverse to detective mystery and finally a spy tale. Each story is well written and compelling, I didn't want to put the book down until the tale was complete.  This was well done and in doing it this way we were able to explore the amazing universe that the author, Dan Simmons , created. I love a story with detailed world building and Hyperion has it in spades.

This week we find out why the new Star Trek Discovery Klingons are bald, check out the dismal future of interstellar travel and how natural gas is related to jellyfish blooms plus more. So when you have so time to relax this weekend, grab your favourite beverage and have a read of the following articles.

Minecraft: The Island by Max Brooks , bestselling author of World War Z , is the first official Minecraft novel. All my kids love Minecraft, the video game, in fact I fell in love with it when I tested it to see if it was suitable for the kids, and we've been playing Minecraft together for many years building monument and monoliths, fighting zombies and skeletons and seeking out diamonds and other precious ores deep in the heart of the earth. So when I saw this book I was very interested. I'm really happy my children have a love of reading and so this book will probably end up under the Christmas tree, or as a birthday present if I can't wait until then.

This week we look at book covers, flying cars, how smart phones are making us stupid plus more. So when it's time to relax this weekend, grab your favourite beverage and have a read of the following articles.

This book caught my attention due to one write up which said it's in the tradition of The Fall of Hyperion and Dune . I am a fan of Dune and have read Hyperion (the prequel to The Fall of Hyperion ) and loved it so I'm hoping The Stars Are Legion will live up to that reputation. Both  Dune   and  Hyperion  not only provide a great story but also make you think, so let's see how this goes. Kameron is a Hugo award winner and the acclaimed author of God's War and The Mirror Empire . This standalone space opera about a woman who awakes with no memory amid a war between world-ships travelling the darkest regions of the universe, is described as badass by John Scalzi. In this desperate setting, our protagonist Zan realises she may hold the key to salvation — but at what cost? This dark and brutal space opera is apparently not for the faint of heart. It's a mix of thriller, sci-fi and horror and while ' not an easy read ' is completely enthralling. He...