May 2024

Star Maker by Olaf Stapledon

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The novel “Star Maker” by Olaf Stapledon was published for the first time in 1937.

When an Englishman’s consciousness is transported out of his body, a limitless journey into deep space begins. He arrives on a planet inhabited by intelligent humanoids, which he calls the Other Earth, where his consciousness merges with that of one of the natives. This is just the first stage of a much longer journey.

Together with his new traveling companion, to whom he remains attached, the man travels to other planets inhabited by sentient beings. Civilizations with similarities and differences compared to the human one are observed during their technological, social, and spiritual evolution up to a cosmic scale made up of various dimensions.

This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal-El Mohtar and Max Gladstone

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The novella “This is How You Lose the Time War” by Amal-El Mohtar and Max Gladstone was published for the first time in 2019. It won the Hugo, Nebula, and BSFA Awards as the best novella of the year.

When Red, an agent of the Commandant’s team, finds a message from Blue, a rival in the Time War, she gets intrigued despite knowing that it might be hiding a trap. She decides to respond and this leads to an exchange of messages that begins with mutual teasing and challenges and becomes something else.

Red and Blue find a mutual understanding that deepens their bond even though the Agency and the Garden are enemies. This prevents them from meeting in person and actually makes even exchanging messages dangerous, yet this doesn’t stop their feelings.