SF | Los Angeles Review of Books

SF

"The function of science fiction is not always to predict the future but sometimes to prevent it." — Frank Herbert

Bodies Without Bodies
Martín Felipe Castagnet’s absorbing debut novel explores the unexpected consequences of technological immortality.
Geoff ShullenbergerSep 14, 2018
- Around the World
- SF
An Ode to New-Metal Man: David R. Bunch’s “Moderan”
Rob Latham sings the praises of “Moderan,” a neglected classic about a false utopia by David R. Bunch.
Rob LathamSep 11, 2018
- SF
It’s Our Time: The Women of Wakanda
“Black Panther” is not only about projecting African diaspora people and cultures into the future; it’s also about recovering the past.
Andrea HairstonSep 8, 2018
Russian Cosmism Versus Interstellar Bosses: Reclaiming Full-Throttle Luxury Space Communism
Aaron Winslow reviews the collection "Russian Cosmism," edited by Boris Groys.
Aaron WinslowAug 18, 2018
Frankenstein Turns 200 and Becomes Required Reading for Scientists
"Frankenstein: Annotated for Scientists, Engineers, and Creators of All Kinds" can remind scientists and engineers to proceed with caution.
Sidney PerkowitzJul 9, 2018
The Cost of War: Parts and Labor
Ahmed Saadawi’s novel “Frankenstein in Baghdad” continues to win prizes for good reason: it is one of the best fictional accounts of the Iraq War yet.
Roger LuckhurstJun 16, 2018
The Earth Strikes Back! Post-Thatcherite Neoliberalism in Ian McDonald’s “Luna: Wolf Moon”
“Luna: Wolf Moon” reminds us that space-utopianism based on imperial or neoliberal ideals will not escape the gravity well of such dystopian foundations.
Hugh Charles O’ConnellJun 9, 2018
- SF
Noir Turned on Its Side
Robert Allen Papinchak reviews “Noir” by Christopher Moore.
Robert Allen PapinchakJun 8, 2018
- Noir
- SF
The Art and Activism of the Anthropocene, Part II: A Conversation with Jeff VanderMeer, Zaria Forman, and Gleb Raygorodetsky
Amy Brady of “Guernica” magazine presents the second conversation in the series “The Art and Activism of the Anthropocene.”
Amy BradyJun 6, 2018
Weird Ways of Seeing: Patrick Nagatani’s Nuclear Vision
Twenty-seven years after its publication, Patrick Nagatani’s “Nuclear Enchantment” still sees the lurking violence of the American nuclear project.
Jeffrey MoroJun 2, 2018
The Void Behind the Face of Order: Robert Aickman’s Strange Stories
A new collection of rare ghost stories by a British master of the form.
Gregory MorrisonMay 29, 2018
- SF
Recruitment, Ridicule, and Revolution in “The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O.”
Electrifying and entertaining, "The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O." uses rich characters and a gripping plot to make a well-researched, time-traveling adventure.
David ShipkoMay 26, 2018
- SF