Review:: 2312, by Kim Stanley Robinson

Title: 2312

Author: Kim Stanley Robinson

Format: Hardcover

Rating: ★★★☆☆

As I read 2312, I went, "Huh, I can see why this won the Nebula and was a Tiptree nominee." Unfortunately, while there was a lot I did like about it, there was also quite a bit that just didn't work for me. The ideas and worldbuilding was fabulous, but I never felt a connection to any of the characters, the plot was slow and clunky, and the writing just didn't hold my interest.

Review:: Transhumanism, by Ben Bova

Title: Transhuman

Author: Ben Bova

Format: Hardback

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

When you're writing fiction, especially realistic science fiction, it's important to maintain your reader's suspension of disbelief. Unfortunately, Transhuman ruins it almost immediately out of the gates, having characters continually make implausible choices to make the mediocre plot continue forward.

Review:: Broken, by Susan Jane Bigelow

Title: Broken

Author: Susan Jane Bigelow

Format: Paperbook

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

Annoying, eye-rolling dialogue paired with cardboard cut-out characters, Broken really fails to hold its own. Then the book tries to deal with issues like trauma, polyamory, and anarchism, but does so in a way that just makes the author uniformed. Oh, and the book is padded. Huge margins and text, so the publisher could make it to 300 pages.

Review:: Amped, by Daniel H. Wilson

Title: Amped

Author: Daniel H. Wilson

Format: eBook

Rating: ★★★☆☆

 I thought I'd like Amped better than Robopocalypse. I was right. Unfortunately, though, there's very little substance in Amped, and little that hasn't been worked before.