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The question of whether Vance was dead or not became more than academic when he found himself in a bathtub up to his chin in ice water like some forgotten cocktail garnish, a demonic woman standing over him, and no memory of how he got there.
Read free chapters of Parallel Visions: City of Angels City of Demons here
The Red Rook, sequel to Dispensing Justice and the second novel of Nova Genesis World is now available for Kindle or as a paperback at Amazon.
Read free chapters of Dispensing Justice here (or get it here).
Read free chapters of The Red Rook here (or get it here). -- Fritz Freiheit

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Fritz's recent reading list 2017 July to December

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  Finished Continued Started Stopped Abandoned
Audiobooks: 100 0 0 0 1
Books: 14 0 0 0 0
Graphic novels: 6 0 0 0 0
  -------- --------- ------- ------- ---------
Total books: 120 0 0 0 1
  Finished Continued Started Stopped Abandoned
Audio short stories: 78 0 0 0 0
Short stories: 14 0 0 0 0
  -------- --------- ------- ------- ---------
Total short stories: 92 0 0 0 0


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2017 Reading[edit]


December 2017[edit]




Mr. Majestyk (cover).jpg
















Drug of Choice (cover).jpg
Drug of Choice (1970)
by Michael Crichton writing as John Lange
search amazon
(finished,audio,book)

The Furthest Station (cover).jpg


James Bond- Felix Leiter (cover).jpg
James Bond: Felix Leiter (2017)
by James Robinson, Aaron Campbell (Illustrator)
James Bond (Dynamite)
search amazon
(started,graphic novel)



November 2017[edit]







Hmmm. Perhaps I've read a bit too many SF novels, but I figured out the plot shtick within the first few pages. -- Sigh. And the ending was rather anti-climatic.  (e)



Aurora (2015 novel) (cover).jpg
There is a big idiot plot point in Aurora (2015) by Kim Stanley Robinson that I am struggling and failing to get over. Namely, that they have fabber's (which are called printers) that are quite capable of producing things such as gun powder, pesticides, and sophisticated drug cocktails, but no one thinks to use them to make food. Which wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't for the major plot driver that crop failures on the generation ship are causing everyone to slowly starve to death. As I approached the end, I realized that many of the plot points hinged on the lack of some technologies that we already have and yet there was no reason given for not using them. Particularly among those was the notion that generation ships are in general impossible and that humans will never expand to reach the stars (which seems to the parable of the book) because of zoo-devolution and genetic drift, and this flies in face of genetic engineering. I also realized that I had never warmed to any of the characters, with the possible exception of Ship, that is, the AI of the ship. I did like a lot of the exposition and technical details despite ignoring facets of science and technology available to us even now (and I have to admit liking Seveneves (2015) by Neal Stephenson much more and how it addressed the same issue of long term survivability of humans in enclosed habitats and narrowly constrained populations). Ultimately, I ended up just wanting to get done with reading the thing. And that's a serious disappointment for 16+ hour long book.
Update: I've been thinking more on this and feel I must add how irritating the main character's anger with her ancestors choosing to go on the generation ship and "condemning their descendants to lingering death" and how this makes me angry with that attitude particularly in the face of not being able to the predict the future. How conceited and self centered that character was to think that her ancestors should have not chosen to go out as colonists because they might be condemning their descendants to an unpleasant death.  (e)



October 2017[edit]









The Wild Storm, Vol. 1 (cover).jpg
The Wild Storm, Vol. 1 (2017)
by Warren Ellis, Jon Davis-Hunt (Illustrator)
The Wild Storm #1
search amazon
(finished,graphic novel)

  • "The Year of the Jackpot"
  • "By His Bootstraps"
  • "Columbus Was a Dope"
  • "The Menace from Earth"
  • "Sky Lift"
  • "Goldfish Bowl"
  • "Project Nightmare"
  • "Water Is for Washing"
Overall, I enjoyed Steal the Sky (2016) by Megan E. O'Keefe. There was a rather bothersome plot hole in which a fairly obvious use of the fundamental mechanic of the "powers" that create basis for most of the plot and the foundation of much of the technology, namely, that the gas 'selium' being mentally manipulated to create various effects, lift airships, etc, could easily be sent into someone's lungs by a "powered" individual and prevent the target from absorbing oxygen, thus disabling or killing them.  (e)


  • "Some Fortunate Future Day" (2011) • short story by Cassandra Clare
  • "The Last Ride of the Glory Girls" (2011) • novelette by Libba Bray
  • "Clockwork Fagin" (2011) • novelette by Cory Doctorow
  • "Hand in Glove" [Califa short fiction] • (2011) • novelette by Ysabeau S. Wilce
  • "The Ghost of Cwmlech Manor" (2011) • novelette by Delia Sherman
  • "Gethsemane" (2011) • novelette by Elizabeth Knox
  • "The Summer People" (2011) • novelette by Kelly Link
  • "Peace in Our Time" (2011) • short story by Garth Nix
  • "Nowhere Fast" (2011) • novelette by Christopher Rowe
  • "Steam Girl" (2011) • novelette by Dylan Horrocks
  • "Everything Amiable and Obliging" (2011) • novelette by Holly Black
  • "The Oracle Engine" (2011) • novelette by M. T. Anderson



September 2017[edit]


Ringworld (novel) (cover).png
Ringworld (1970)
by Larry Niven
Ringworld #1
Paperback, Audio
(finished,reread,audio,book)

"With a Poet's Eyes" by John C. Hocking -- (read,short story)



Despite being fairly long, Forging Hephaestus (2017) by Drew Hayes is probably the best supervillain novel I've read since Soon I Will Be Invincible (2007) by Austin Grossman. It is traditional in it's conceptualization of the the superhero world (this is not meant to be a criticism, as I'm still a fan of that) in so far as it allows for superpowers based on magic (fantasy), science (SF), and many in between or unexplained superpowers. The worldbuilding is good, with a nice take on the superhero-supervillain dynamics, and has a firm grasp on the superhero culture and its implications (which I is lacking in soooo many allegedly superhero novels). ...Warning: This is a work in progress. -- Fritz.  (e)
Jane Carver of Waar (2012) by Nathan Long makes no bones about being inspired by A Princess of Mars (1917) by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Starting with an author's note that he received tapes narrating the adventures of Jane Carver (a name not far from John Carter) (tapes being an echo of the Dray Prescot adventures) and moving on to a pursuit leading to our hero taking refuge in a cave that transports her to distant planet and dropping us into a Sword and Planet adventure stocked with two moons, brightly colored humans, and six-limbed savages. I enjoyed it!  (e)
I have mixed feelings about Ninefox Gambit (2016) by Yoon Ha Lee. While I enjoyed the atmosphere and the plot, it failed for me on a number levels. One of these was that the author made no attempt to ground the technology and "science" within the story with the technology and science of today, leaving me no other conclusion than that this was work of fantasy with the verbal trappings of science fiction. Nor was I enamored with the main character. Having said that, I think the worldbuilding was good and there was a distinct feeling of otherworldliness (that is, non-Westerness) to it. ...Warning: This is a work in progress. -- Fritz.  (e)

August 2017[edit]

  • "The Devil in Iron"
  • "The People of the Black Circle"
  • "A Witch Shall be Born"
  • "Jewels of Gwahlur"
  • "Beyond the Black River"
  • "Shadows in Zamboula"

A Plague of Demons (cover).jpg
A Plague of Demons (1964)
by Keith Laumer
search amazon
(finished,reread,audio,book)
I recently (August of 2017) finished rereading A Plague of Demons (1964) by Keith Laumer. While it counts as a memorable novel, I have to say I didn't remember it for it's sly, almost Chandleresque humor and excellent descriptions.  (e)
Kiln People (cover).jpg
Kiln People (2002)
by David Brin
Kindle, Paperback, Audio
(finished,audio,book)
Kiln People (2002) by David Brin was a masterful science fiction novel combining a superb worldbuilding, an innovative multiple first person narrative, prose that integrated with both the world and narrators, and an exploration of the philosophy of conscienceless. ... Warning: This is a work in progress. -- Fritz.  (e)
  • Introduction (essay)
  • "The Shadow Kingdom"
  • "Red Shadows (Solomon Kane)"
  • "Rattle of Bones"
  • "The Hyborian Age" (essay)
  • "The Phoenix on the Sword"
  • "The Scarlet Citadel"
  • "The Tower of the Elephant"
  • "Black Colossus"
  • "The Slithering Shadow"
  • "The Pool of the Black One"
  • "Rogues in the House"
  • "Gods of the North (The Frost Giant’s Daughter)"
  • "Shadows in the Moonlight (Iron Shadows of the Moon)"
  • "Queen of the Black Coast"
  • "Tower of Babylon"
  • "Understand"
  • "Division by Zero"
  • "Story of Your Life"
  • "Seventy-Two Letters"
  • "The Evolution of Human Science"
  • "Hell Is the Absence of God"
  • "Liking What You See: A Documentary"
  • Story Notes
1946- The Making of the Modern World (cover).jpg
1946: The Making of the Modern World (2014)
by Victor Sebestyen
search amazon
(finished,audio,book)


Norse Mythology (2017 anthology) (cover).jpg
  • "Before the Beginning, and After"
  • "Yggdrasil and the Nine Worlds"
  • "Mimir's Head and Odin's Eye"
  • "The Treasures of the Gods"
  • "The Master Builder
  • "The Children of Loki"
  • "Freya's Unusual Wedding"
  • "The Mead of Poets"
  • "Thor's Journey to the Land of the Giants"
  • "The Apples of Immortality"
  • "The Story of Gerd and Frey"
  • "Hymir and Thor's Fishing Expedition"
  • "The Death of Baldur"
  • "The Last Days of Loki"
  • "Ragnarok: The Final Destiny of the Gods"
Seveneves (cover).jpg
 I rather enjoyed Seveneves (2015) by Neal Stephenson, despite it's dark, apocalyptic nature. Among it's attractions were a number expositional bits describing technology and problem solving.
I'm afraid I was rather disappointed with the ending of Seven Surrenders (2017) by Ada Palmer. The one outstanding question I had, namely, is this a science fiction novel or a fantasy novel was not resolved. Which is to say, were Bridger's powers purely miraculous, or did they have a scientific underpinning was never answered. Nor did it help that one of the obvious solutions to the political crisis was never undertaken, made particularly egregious by the fact one of the characters was a self-professed assassin (who even went by the name Sniper). One would have really expected someone to have taken matters to their natural conclusion and simply assassinated Madame / Julia (making this an idiot plot to some degree). Amidst the disappointment, I continued to admire Ada Palmer's worldbuilding and plotting.


July 2017[edit]


The Delirium Brief (2017) by Charles Stross was a fun addition to the Laundry Files series. Charles Stross continues to "twist the dagger" on Bob Howard and the rest of the Laundry as Horrors from Beyond continue to insinuate their tentacles intent on devouring humanity.  (e)
Odds On (cover).jpg
Odds On (1966)
by Michael Crichton writing as John Lange
search amazon
(finished,audio,book)



Odds On (cover).jpg
Odds On (1966)
by Michael Crichton writing as John Lange
search amazon
(started,audio,book)

Snow Crash (cover).jpg
Snow Crash (1992)
by Neal Stephenson
Kindle, Paperback, Audio
(finished,reread,audio,book)

The Secrets of Story (cover).jpg
The Secrets of Story (2016)
editor Matt Bird
search amazon
(finished,audio,book)


Rivers of London- Body Work (cover).jpg
Rivers of London: Body Work (2016)
by Ben Aaronovitch, Andrew Cartmel, Lee Sullivan (Artist), Luis Guerrero (Colorist)
Rivers of London (graphic novels) #1
search amazon
(finished,graphic novel)

Red (2003 graphic novel) (cover).jpg
Red (2003)
by Warren Ellis, Cully Hamner (Illustrator)
search amazon
(finished,graphic novel)

The Secrets of Story (cover).jpg

James Bond Vol. 3- Hammerhead (cover).jpg
James Bond Vol. 3: Hammerhead (2017)
by Andy Diggle, Luca Casalanguida (Illustrator)
search amazon
(finished,graphic novel)


Outriders (2016 novel) (cover).jpg
Outriders (2016)
by Jay Posey
search amazon
(finished,audio,book)




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