Author Archives: Stefan (Far Beyond Reality)

Meanwhile at the Discussion Group: December 2013

Posted on December 1, 2013 by Stefan (Far Beyond Reality)

The name of this website was inspired by the Beyond Reality discussion group, which has been around for almost two decades in various forms and which I’ve been managing for more than half of that time. Because this site’s name took … Continue reading →

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Master of Whitestorm by Janny Wurts

Posted on November 25, 2013 by Stefan (Far Beyond Reality)

As Master of Whitestorm starts off, Haldeth, a blacksmith turned galley slave, gets involved in an escape attempt by his mysterious and silent bench mate—a man who quickly proves to have surprising skills and hidden depths. The two companions strike … Continue reading →

Posted in Fantasy, Reviews | Tagged | 5 Comments

Round-tabled and Mind-melded

Posted on November 20, 2013 by Stefan (Far Beyond Reality)

Today you can find me as a participant in two fascinating discussions on other websites: Over at Tor.com, Liz Bourke asked me to participate in a roundtable discussion following up on her recent Reading, Writing, Radicalization post. This ended up … Continue reading →

Posted in News and Other SFF-Related Ramblings | 1 Comment

In the Company of Thieves by Kage Baker

Posted on November 19, 2013 by Stefan (Far Beyond Reality)

Kage Baker had many different audiences. After all, she wrote in many genres and formats: fantasy, science fiction, horror, novels, novellas, short stories, series, standalones. (Oh, and:Tor.com blog posts!) It occurred to me recently that, because of this range and … Continue reading →

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Hild by Nicola Griffith

Posted on November 15, 2013 by Stefan (Far Beyond Reality)

Many other reviews of Nicola Griffith’s stunning new novel Hild will be written by people who have a much deeper understanding of its historical period, its main character, and the author’s previous works. Sadly, I am a blank slate when … Continue reading →

Posted in Historical Fiction, Reviews | Tagged , | 6 Comments

Guest Post by Ann Leckie: Skiing Downhill, or Agency in C.J. Cherryh’s Foreigner

Posted on November 14, 2013 by Stefan (Far Beyond Reality)

My recent review of Foreigner by C.J. Cherryh led to a seriously in-depth discussion with author Ann Leckie about the agency or lack thereof in the novel’s main character Bren. We started off in the review’s comments section and then … Continue reading →

Posted in Guest post | Tagged , | 19 Comments

Lookin’ Good: The Book of Apex: Volume 4 of Apex Magazine (ed. Lynne M. Thomas)

Posted on November 13, 2013 by Stefan (Far Beyond Reality)

It is, it seems, the season for anthologies. In the past few weeks, I have come across a stack of gorgeous-looking anthologies, from the impressive tome Twenty-First Century Science Fiction to not one but two gorgeous-looking Jurassic London collections (The Book … Continue reading →

Posted in News and Other SFF-Related Ramblings | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Foreigner by C.J. Cherryh

Posted on November 12, 2013 by Stefan (Far Beyond Reality)

Foreigner is the opening volume of what has turned out to be C.J. Cherryh’s longest series. When I first read it, some time in the early 2000’s when the series only consisted of six books, I had no idea that … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, Science Fiction | Tagged , | 28 Comments

The Gaslight Dogs by Karin Lowachee

Posted on November 7, 2013 by Stefan (Far Beyond Reality)

My first entry in the new Under the Radar column at Tor.com went up this morning, focusing on the excellent novel The Gaslight Dogs by Karin Lowachee. An excerpt: The Gaslight Dogs packs an enormous amount of depth into barely 340 … Continue reading →

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Cryoburn by Lois McMaster Bujold

Posted on November 4, 2013 by Stefan (Far Beyond Reality)

At the time of its release in 2010, Cryoburn by Lois McMaster Bujold was, to put it mildly, a highly anticipated novel. It had been about eight years since Diplomatic Immunity, the previous full-length installment in the author’s excellent Miles Vorkosigan Saga. … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, Science Fiction | Tagged , | 3 Comments