Bitsy's Books
Note: I'm uploading my books from Goodreads and since there are like 200+ it's going to take awhile. The uploading seems a bit wonky too, so hang with me as I fix things. Also there may be spoilers until I can make all the appropriate tags.
I'm an ex-English Major who, sick of reading classics after college, decided to read all the trashy books I didn't before because I was too snobby. Since graduating, I've entertained myself with comics, YA, and romance novels, finding out they can not only be decently written, but superbly written. I've since recovered from my classics aversion, but I'm now more open-minded reader willing to read from any genre. If a book has kick-ass heroines and/or witty banter and/or takes place in a different time or place (including fantasy settings), I will most likely fall in love with it. My favorite authors are Jane Austen, Shakespeare, E.M. Forster, Meljean Brook, Sarah Rees Brennan, Rachel Hartman, Catherynne M. Valente, and Aliette de Bodard.
Overall: 3 StarsAccording to the Apex website (and Amazon, B&N, and other retailers), this is actually Issue 5. I have no idea why it is labeled as issue 6 on Goodreads.De Bodard's story is fantastic, but the other two are meh to terrible. These selections do not make me want to pick up the anthology the editor put out. If this is the best world Sci-fi authors have to offer, we are in trouble.Favorite: "After the Fire" by Aliette de BodardWorst: "An Evening in the City Coffeehouse, With Lydia on My Mind" by Alexsander Ziljak“After the Fire” by Aliette de Bodard5 StarsJiaotan is woken from hibernation to convince her sister to fix the ship that contains the last survivors of Earth. I loved how Chinese culture was seamlessly blended into the sci-fi setting. De Bodard is a master of beautiful evocative imagery and has created one of the most unique sci-fi worlds I've read in awhile. Definitely a writer to watch.“Benjamin Schneider’s Little Greys” by Nir Yaniv2.5 StarsThe hypochondriac Benjamin Scheider continually visits Dr. Katz's clinic, until there appears to be some a strange truth behind all his claims. This story had the air of a mysterious, sci-fi mystery at first, but the denouncement left me scratching my head. I'm afraid I just didn't get it. Also, I can't tell if it was the translator or the author, but there was some strange language used, such as a grown man referring to his stomach as his "tummy."“An Evening in the City Coffeehouse, With Lydia on My Mind” by Alexsander Ziljak1.5 StarsA hacker who makes porn by spying and filming people's lives. When he comes across the perfect subject, her dark secret may be his end. Ho hum, so original. Don't let the Simon and Garfunkel-esque title fool you. Jesus, can I please have a story written by a male author that doesn't have someone pissing themselves/an erection/mentioning their penis? How about not using female characters as purely sexual objects? The Lydia of the title, the perfect unknowing porn star specimen prostitutes herself and fucks aliens. Don't worry, we get lots of gory details. *eyeroll* I mean, am I really supposed to feel bad for a guy who spies on people and violates their privacy? And then turns their private moments into porn? Uh...no. Seriously, this story was almost satirical in everything sexist in Sci-fi. It was well written and suspenseful and I did finish it, so that counts for something?Nope.You can read the full magazine for free here! If you like what you read, support the magazine by buying a copy for your e-reader.