Sci-Fi

The Martian (2015)

the-martian

The Martian (2015)

Director:

Ridley Scott

Starring:

Matt Damon

Jessica Chastain

Kristen Wiig

Plot:

An astronaut becomes stranded on Mars after his team assume him dead, and must rely on his ingenuity to find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive.

Review:

This book has been on my radar for a while but it leans more hard science than I usually like to read so I haven’t really wanted to pick it up. However, I thought the movie would be a nice compromise.

I enjoyed the theme of hope throughout and I loved the fact that with every set back Mark, Matt Damon, didn’t succumb to despair and fought to survive. He never lost his humor and it made what could be a really depressing movie lighter.

There were a few things that I thought probably worked better in a book. Donald Glover’s character seemed kind of shoehorned in and was barely there but he seemed to have an important role. Not sure about Kristin Wiig’s character either, she was just sort of there. I also wasn’t a fan of the ending. It would have been easy to be anti-climactic but it went too far on the other side and was too over the top after a movie that seemed so grounded.

All in all I liked the movie, but it’s not one I need to own or probably even watch again.

3.5/5

Titans By: Edward W. Robertson

titans

 

Titans By: Edward W. Robertson

Plot:

Rob Dunbar is the world’s best history professor. And with good reason: he’s been alive for three thousand years, keeping his existence a secret since before the days of Athens.

But a stranger named Baxter has a better use for Rob’s vast expertise. Baxter’s looking to found a mining company in the Asteroid Belt. In exchange for Rob’s help, he’ll try to unravel the mystery of Rob’s origin.

As they’re getting their outfit off the ground, they come under covert attack by HemiCo, a powerful Mars-based corporation. And Rob learns Baxter has a secret of his own–he’s not human. He’s a highly illegal AI.

Developed by HemiCo in the wilds of Mars, the first AI escaped decades ago. They’ve been fighting a shadow war against their creators ever since. Dragged to Mars, Rob is thrown into the center of the fight–and becomes the unlikely leader of a revolution that will change the course of human history in the stars.

Review:

I picked this book up a while ago for free after listening to a podcast with the author and liking it. After finishing up Dark Matter season two I wanted some more space stuff and decided this would fit the bill.

I don’t normally read Space Opera, though I love to watch it, and I’ve been meaning to get into the genre. Sadly this book wasn’t really what I was looking for. Rob wasn’t very compelling as a main character and Baxter was just angry and stupid. The corporation side of things was interesting though.

The book started out slow and I put it down a few times. The second half things picked up and while the ending was good it didn’t really push me to raise the books ranking. I’m hoping that I can find another book to fill the void at the very least find a subgenre of Space Opera that I like.

3/5

Devoted in Death (In Death #41) By: J.D. Robb

devoted-in-death

Devoted in Death (In Death #41) By: J.D. Robb

Plot:

When Lieutenant Eve Dallas examines a body in a downtown Manhattan alleyway, the victim’s injuries are so extensive that she almost misses the clue. Carved into the skin is the shape of a heart—and initials inside reading E and D . . .

Ella-Loo and her boyfriend, Darryl, had been separated while Darryl was a guest of the state of Oklahoma, and now that his sentence has been served they don’t ever intend to part again. Ella-Loo’s got dreams. And Darryl believes there are better ways to achieve your dreams than working for them. So they hit the road, and when their car breaks down in Arkansas, they make plans to take someone else’s. Then things get messy and they wind up killing someone—an experience that stokes a fierce, wild desire in Ella-Loo. A desire for Darryl. And a desire to kill again.

As they cross state lines on their way to New York to find the life they think they deserve, they will leave a trail of evil behind them. But now they’ve landed in the jurisdiction of Lieutenant Dallas and her team at the New York Police and Security Department. And with her husband, Roarke, at her side, she has every intention of hunting them down and giving them what they truly deserve . . .
Review:

Who doesn’t love a good spree killing story line? The entire book was very fast paced edge of your seat with few breaks. There is enough bad in the In Death universe that I didn’t know who was going to live or die which is a good thing. I did think that because of the nature of the spree killers that whenever Eve and Roarke had sex it was kind of weird. I get why she did it, it’s expected for them to bang like bunnies, and she was trying to show the differences between the good guys and the bad. Still it felt a little weird to me.

Whatever, I’m taking a break from the series for a little bit before finally catching up on the series.

4/5

Obsession in Death (In Death #40) J.D. Robb

obsession-in-death

Obsession in Death (In Death #40) J.D. Robb

Plot:

Eve Dallas has solved a lot of high-profile murders for the NYPSD and gotten a lot of media. She — and her billionaire husband — are getting accustomed to being objects of attention, of gossip, of speculation.

But now Eve has become the object of one person’s obsession. Someone who finds her extraordinary, and thinks about her every hour of every day. Who believes the two of them have a special relationship. Who would kill for her — again and again…

With a murderer reading meanings into her every move, handling this case will be a delicate — and dangerous — psychological dance. And Eve knows that underneath the worship and admiration, a terrible threat lies in wait. Because the beautiful lieutenant is not at all grateful for these bloody offerings from her “true and loyal friend.” And in time, idols always fall…

Review:

Sometimes you want a nice normal futuristic sci-fi mystery, other times you want something a bit more dramatic. Now this wasn’t clones or off planet stuff, but it was certainly dramatic with a great conclusion.

There weren’t a multitude of red herrings, in fact for most of the book the suspect was an almost complete unknown. It was exciting and kept me wondering just how many people would have to die to get to an answer.

5/5

Timebound (The Chronos Files #1) By: Rysa Walker

timebound

Timebound (The Chronos Files #1) By: Rysa Walker

Plot:

When Kate Pierce-Keller’s grandmother gives her a strange blue medallion and speaks of time travel, sixteen-year-old Kate assumes the old woman is delusional. But it all becomes horrifyingly real when a murder in the past destroys the foundation of Kate’s present-day life. Suddenly, that medallion is the only thing protecting Kate from blinking out of existence.

Kate learns that the 1893 killing is part of something much more sinister, and Kate’s genetic ability to time-travel makes her the only one who can stop him. Risking everything, she travels to the Chicago World’s Fair to try to prevent the killing and the chain of events that follows.

Changing the timeline comes with a personal cost, however—if Kate succeeds, the boy she loves will have no memory of her existence. And regardless of her motives, does she have the right to manipulate the fate of the entire world?

Review:

I almost forgot to write this review. I actually had the title of the book wrong in my mind as well. Neither of those things are glowing indorsements, but I didn’t hate the book. I didn’t even dislike it, it just wasn’t my thing.

Timebound is a YA book, I know, I know, I need to stop doing this to myself, but the plot sounded interesting and I love time travel. Except, this book only had time travel until the very end and when they talked about time travel before that it got confusing and convoluted in places.

Most of the book was teen angst and stupid hormonal teenage decisions, which is not something I enjoy reading as a thirty year old woman. Honestly, it’s not something I would have enjoyed reading as a teenager either, but I was/am weird.

There was the makings of a love triangle, which I dislike. There was a weird family dynamic, but not in a kooky sort of way, in a why can’t these people just sit down and talk to each other and clear this shit up sort of way.

The thing I liked the best in the book was the way the villain is going about trying to take over the world. The villain himself isn’t very remarkable and it isn’t clear yet if he’s the main villain or if someone is pulling his strings, but that doesn’t really matter. His chosen world domination method is intriguing and made me think and I really wished there’d been more put into it. It didn’t even come to light until about the halfway point I think.

***SPOILERS***

The villain is using time travelers to go back in time and create a religion with him at the center. He’s using the tech to make people think he’s a god so that he gains more and more power in the future he’s in. It’s super interesting and if anyone knows of another book with that I’d be interested in hearing about it.

***END OF SPOILERS***

Even though I didn’t dislike the book there are just too many negatives for me to push forward in this series.

3/5