Sci-Fi & Scary will stay up long enough for us to sort through and figure out the rest of the content that we want to bring over (we’re going to be very picky here.)

Come visit us now at Leviathan Libraries – the new site for book, movie, and game reviews across a wide range of genres. Indulge us as we cast our net wide and bring your attention to everything from romance to horror and (almost) everything in between.

www.leviathanlibraries.com

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The Captain had called it indigestion, and they’d all shrugged it off at first. KALI was an amazing example of artificial intelligence, housed within an innovative body based on Earth-based cephalopod forms. There were bound to be issues that popped up as they traveled. Bugs that needed to be worked out, crew that needed to be replaced. The ST frowned. That one still bothered him. In a perfect world, they would have kept the original crew throughout the entire voyage, but they’d learned quickly that had not been meant to be. He missed some of them. Especially–

“—Ten minutes?” The voice, the Captain’s, came from over his left shoulder, tearing him from his thoughts.  He turned to look at them, noting the furrow of the brow and the way their lips pressed together. Their eyes were hidden behind tinted glasses they’d started wearing a few years ago.

“Yes, sir. And this is the fifth incident today and the fifteenth in the past 24 hours.” The Captain knew that, of course. He knew they kept an eye on the error logs as much as he did recently. “I…” He hesitated to say it. “I think I know what the problem is, but I…”

“You what, ST?” Their tone told them to stop dawdling, and the line between their brow became more pronounced.

ST sucked in a deep breath, “I think it’s a problem with a portion of their memory core.”

“Then we wipe-“

“The library, Captain.”

The words impacted the Captain almost as strongly as a physical blow would have. The realization had hit him the same way. One common theme amongst the crew—one of the reasons they’d all been selected, given the nature of their mission—was a love of stories, whether they were in written or visual form.

The Captain visibly gathered themselves, then asked, “Specific section, or the whole thing?”

“It started in the horror section. A virus that slipped right through our firewalls, as near I can tell. It’s corrupted most of the media in there, but it’s spreading through the other sections.” He straightened up, squared his shoulders. “KALI was trying to tell us, Captain.”

They inclined their head. “And we didn’t listen. I didn’t listen. And now it’s altered KALI’s personality. Made it lethargic, restless.”

“Grumpy.” The words came from the Second-in-Command. They both turned to look at the slim woman with the long brown hair and big blue eyes. “She’s restless and she’s grumpy. Just like us now.” Her eyes darted to the Captain, lips quirked in a small grin. “I mean, the now really only applies to some of us.”

“Oh, shut up,” the Captain snapped, but clearly struggled to fight back a smile. They turned their attention back to him. “If we wipe the library, can we get the infection out of the ship?”

He didn’t want to answer. Really didn’t want to answer. They had invested so much time and energy into this voyage. Had poured so much love into KALI. But if anyone could fix it, it was him, and he knew he couldn’t. At least not now. Maybe in the future. Maybe he could find a way to restore her to what she was…

His eyes must have told the Captain what he wasn’t willing to say aloud because they visibly deflated, shoulders bowing. “Right, then.”

“I…maybe in the future, Captain.” He hoped this would offer their Captain some small comfort. “For what it’s worth, I don’t think we should initiate self-destruct, or let KALI do it herself. I think if we put her into stasis for now, maybe in the future we’ll find a way to clear her systems. Maybe do a complete AI wipe and re-”

Lights flashed red and a loud hissing noise echoed throughout the room. A hideous stench followed on its heels. 

He pinched his nose, the Captain and SIC a split second behind him. “Sorry, KALI. Sorry! I’ll find another way.”

The lights pulsed menacingly a few more times and then settled back to their normal glow. The air scrubbers activated and the smell left the room. 

All of them looked at each other with wide eyes. That was the strongest response they’d gotten out of the AI in a while. It was good to know she still had some gumption left in her. 

The Captain clapped their SIC on the shoulder. “Alert the rest of the crew that they need to start shut-down procedures for the ship. Leave only essential systems functioning for now. I’m going to go interface with KALI via the holo. She has some decisions to make, and so do I.”

After the SIC nodded and started gathering the skeleton crew present in the bridge together to let them know what was going on, the Captain inclined their head gravely at him and then turned and plodded away with heavy steps.

He stood for a moment, listening to what the crew was saying to the SIC before they dispersed. It surprised him to hear a good bit of acceptance mixed in with the obvious dejection. KALI hadn’t been doing well. They all knew it. And they’d all feared the worst. The idea that they might be able to save her somehow in the future lifted their spirits. She would be cold and lonely, floating in the black, but she’d be asleep and not dead, and that mattered.

He went to his terminal, grabbed his datapad and a hardwire for connection, and went to the library. He wouldn’t be able to save all of their records, but he’d damn well save what he could.

***

He knew from the way his neck and lower back ached that he’d been lost within the file storage of the library for hours, but it was still too soon when the Captain’s voice came over the ship’s intercom, pulling him from his work. “All crew report to the emergency escape module. All crew report to the emergency escape module.”

He disconnected from the server he’d been plugged into after the file finished downloading, then carefully tucked the datapad inside a well-padded small storage locker. None of what he’d pulled was essential knowledge, but it had been responsible for opening people’s eyes to worlds they might not have ever encountered otherwise, and that was its own special brand of importance. As he stepped out of the doorway, he put a hand onto the frame and looked back over his shoulder. The lights in the library slowly dimmed, and an electric tingle pushed through his palm. “I know,” he whispered. “Don’t look back. Just get going.”

The lights went out.

A gust of air pushed through the ventilation system, cinnamon and orange scenting the air. The smell of his favorite tea. His eyes dampened, and he made no move to wipe away the evidence as he walked toward the module that held all of their safety pods. They were within eight-to-twenty-four hours of the nearest inhabitable planets. Well within what the pods’ life support systems could handle. He kept his mind on reviewing the nearby planets that they could go to rather than focusing on the cold and empty feel of the ship’s hallway as he went.

He was the last person to file into the room. The Captain raised their eyebrows at him in silent question. He held up the bright orange storage locker, and their tired eyes widened behind tinted lenses briefly before they gave him a small, thankful smile. 

They cleared their throat and turned their attention back to the group. “I’ll keep this short. I’ve spent the last several hours interfacing with KALI and figuring out a plan. My SIC has told me that the majority of you want to stay with the crew no matter where we go.” 

They paused, and from the back of the room the ST watched several heads nod in agreement. 

“It is also my understanding–and this lines up with the bitch—” 

One of the crew members coughed out a “Language!”

The Captain grinned and snickers spread throughout the room. “With the frustrated murmurings I’ve heard from several of you in the past— that you are discontent with the narrow scope of our current mission’s focus.”

There were more nods than headshakes.

“I confess I’ve gotten a bit bored with the scope myself,” they said. “So, here’s the deal. On the furthest planet from where we are, there is a massive structure that was obviously a library at some point. It’s divided into three separate buildings. The leadership on that planet have been looking for someone to take control of it for some time. They need a crew that are willing to fill the shelves with so much more than what we’ve collected over the years, though. In the past, they had patrons from all walks of life going through their halls, and if we take the job, we’re obligated to return it to what it could have been.” Their eyes sparkled as they said, “even if that means reading romance.”

“KALI on a cracker,” the SIC spat in surprise. 

The Captain cracked up, the rest of the crew following them shortly thereafter. The laughter was a little too loud and long, but they needed it. They let it die down naturally before continuing. “We want to save KALI. I know we all do. And—” their eyes met his, “I don’t know if it’s possible, or how long it will take if it is, but my vote is we take the job. Open Leviathan Libraries to the public, catalogue all sorts of media and bring it to the patrons’ eyes. Learn to enjoy again what we all loved in the beginning.”

“Except for romance,” the SIC grumbled.

The Captain turned to her. “I won’t make you read the romance.”

That seemed to pacify the Second-in-Command, and the Captain turned their attention back to the crew. “What do you think? Nod if yes.”

Some nods were immediate, some took a while longer, and there were a couple  that were so tentative he wouldn’t be surprised if they changed their mind and decided to do something else once they landed on firm ground for the first time in several years. He, himself, found he couldn’t move his head. He loved the crew, but the ship had always been his first love. The idea of leaving her to drift in the black while he worked in warmth and light and life below was physically painful. He couldn’t do it. Couldn’t leave her.

He waited until the Captain’s eyes found his again. They frowned. He mouthed the words, “I’m staying.”

They pressed their lips together, but then inclined their head. 

Relief filled him. The Captain had made it a practice to always respect people’s choices. When Crew had left in the past, they’d never tried to convince them to stay. Apparently that still held true.

Their lips moved. It took him a moment to cotton on to what they were saying. “Take care of her.”

“Always,” he said, and then pressed the handle of the orange storage case into one of the crew’s hands. They took it, looking at him in surprise. He shrugged his shoulders, turned, and headed back to the bridge to make sure that the crew launched without problem.

It took a while, and the whole time KALI made her displeasure with his decision clear, but finally the last pod—the Captain’s—launched. KALI displayed the trajectories of each pod on the screen of his station, and then showed him that there were still a few escape pods that could be launched. She made each of them blink in bright red, and kept bringing the screen back up every time he swiped it aside.

Finally, after they’d played this back and forth about five times, foul-smelling air huffed through the vents, and the screen did not pop back up.

He smiled, stretched his arms up and back over his head, revelling in the cracks that echoed in the silence as his back and shoulders popped. Then he placed his fingers on the optical-display keyboard on his desk and said, “Let’s figure this out, ol’ girl.”

There was a moment of stillness, and then the smell of cinnamon and orange seeped into the bridge, as the vent nearest him blew warm air out. He’d work there until he ran out of supplies or until he figured it out. Whatever came first. But either way, he wasn’t leaving his ship.

***

Launching January 2022

Leviathan Libraries

The post System Failure appeared first on Sci-Fi & Scary.

In the midst of everything, Faye is secretly battling debilitating postpartum anxiety that makes her all the more terrified to leave the safe cocoon of her enchanted town.

When everyone turns against her—including her own husband—Faye is forced to flee with her infant son into the forest. She must face whatever lurks there and, perhaps most frightening of all, the dark torments of her own mind.

The Forest is an adult folk horror novel appealing to fans of The Lottery by Shirley Jackson and Bird Box by Josh Malerman, with a hint of The Changeling by Victor LaValle. It is Quigley’s debut novel.

Title: The Forest |  Author: Lisa Quigley | Publisher: Perpetual Motion Machine | Pub. Date: 5 October 2021 | Pages: 244 | ISBN: 9781943720620 | Genre: Horror | Language: English |  Source: Purchased || Starred Review

The Forest Review

Lisa Quigley uses motherhood and folk horror to craft a new tale of a community gone wrong. Faye, despite her recent struggle with postpartum, has been safe and happy within the boundaries of Edgewood. Ready but a little reluctant to step into a leadership role, she soon finds the forest and the people she loves are not what they seem.

A year ago or more, I was lucky enough to read the first bits of this novel in one of its earliest forms. The atmosphere and the little bit of the plot I experienced stuck with me as I waited and hoped that The Forest would find a home. The final form holds all the things I loved in that early preview and so much more. Set up to move from the present to the past, the timeline is well crafted and feels almost as if the reader is in Faye’s head as she does what so many do: thinks back on all the things that led her to where she is at that moment.

To be a parent is to know horror, and Quigley holds nothing back. Parenthood is also one of the more difficult things to incorporate into fiction, especially something as solitary as postpartum, because there is such a wild variety of experiences and parenting choices. From Faye’s inner turmoil to how often (and how long) she breastfeeds her son, every choice makes sense for this character in this situation. There are several moments that reached something in my mom heart and I sat back and thought how stunning it was that a feeling I remembered was laid out right there in plain text. Something intangible that I had never tried to put out into the world, was suddenly there and incorporated into a story I just couldn’t tear myself away from.

Personal experiences aside, The Forest is sure to find fans with readers who love folk horror, character driven choices, and just a really well told story. Because at the end of the day, all we really want is just a great story to get lost in for awhile, and what better place than in an ominous forest and in the hands of an author with a fantastic imagination. The Forest is Quigley’s debut novel, and if it’s any indication of what readers can come to expect from her long form work, then they are surely in for a treat with whatever she comes up with next. Be sure to check this one out.

  You can purchase a copy of this book via your normal retailer, but please consider purchasing it from a local indie bookshop instead. It may be found here at Indiebound or at BookShop.  Please note the Bookshop link is an affiliate link and each purchase you make through it helps to support Sci-Fi & Scary and keep the site running.

The post The Forest by Lisa Quigley #BookReview appeared first on Sci-Fi & Scary.

This review has been ported to our new site, Leviathan Libraries, which launched Jan 2, 2022. Please visit www.leviathanlibraries.com now and come browse our stacks!

This review has been ported to our new site, Leviathan Libraries, which launched Jan 2, 2022. Please visit www.leviathanlibraries.com now and come browse our stacks!

The post Cage Match Round 8 – Pay The Ghost appeared first on Sci-Fi & Scary.

The Head from Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung

The Head is the opening story in the collection and it reads like a mission statement filled with gonzo, feminist, surreal ideas. A woman is about to flush the toilet when a head pops out and calls her Mother. The head is made up of all the woman’s discarded solids, fluids, and waste. No matter what, the head won’t go away for the rest of her life. This is an evocative story open to many interpretations and a hell of an opening story.

Red-Eye by Tabatha Wood from Seeds

To tell you who the narrator of the story is would be to ruin the surprise that comes part way through. When the time comes, as it must for us all, you’ll want a charming and beguiling version of the character as found here to greet you. Or do you? Read it and decide for yourself.

Mujina by Lafcadio Hearn

I have only just recently discovered the work of Lafcadio Hearn and I’m really looking forward to taking a deep dive. Hearn was well known for bringing Japanese stories and folklore to the West. Mujina is such a wonderful story. My only regret is that I wish I had known about it when my children were young. It’s a short length and lends itself well to reading out loud and I readily imagine doing various voices and changing the pitch and volume of my voice for maximum effect. First step on what I’m sure will be a wonderful reading journey

The post Short Thoughts on Short Fiction: November 2021 appeared first on Sci-Fi & Scary.

Title: Nothing But Blackened Teeth | Author: Cassandra Khaw | Publisher: Nightfire | Pub. Date: 2021-Oct-19 | Pages: 128 | ISBN13: 9781250759412 | Source: Publisher | Unstarred Review

Nothing But Blackened Teeth Review

After reading Cassandra Khaw’s Hammers on Bone, I knew I wanted to read more from this author. So, when Nothing But Blackened Teeth hit Netgalley, I snatched it up. The gorgeous cover (I want a copy for my wall) and description had me all aquiver. The fact that it was a short book (only a hundred and a quarter pages) was a lovely find as well. Not all books need to be doorstops.

Anyways, I dived in, and at first I absolutely adored it. Khaw has an amazing way with words and her turns of phrase in Nothing But Blackened Teeth were some of the best I’d ever read. But… then, slowly, my attraction to the book started to die as I realized how excessive the prose was (to me.) It was violently, unapologetically purple in fact.

While I am sure this will thrill some readers, it did not thrill me. I also found as the story progressed that it began to take me a bit longer to process some of the stranger ones, which took me out of the story. Also, when you add that to the fact that I really couldn’t bring myself to like any of the characters, the book began to nosedive. Luckily, because of the low number of pages and Khaw’s base story skill, it never became a read that I did not enjoy on at least some level.

Overall, I really do think some readers will absolutely love this book and my general disenchantment was much more a personal preference problem than a book problem.

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Title: The Man Who Fell to Earth | Author: Walter Tevis | Publisher: Gollancz | Pub. Date: February 1963 | Pages: 192 | ISBN: 9781473213111 | Genre: Science Fiction | Language: English | Starred Review: Yes | Source: Purchased

The Man Who Fell to Earth Review

Walter Tevis is an author you’ve probably never heard of, but at least some of whose book titles you almost certainly know. His first novel, back in 1959, was ‘The Hustler’, which was famously filmed with Paul Newman, as was the follow up ‘The Color of Money’, which added Tom Cruise to Newman. Tevis’s excellent ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ was recently adapted by Netflix and of course ‘The Man Who Fell to Earth’ was made into a film by Nicolas Roeg in the 1970s, with David Bowie brilliantly cast as the alien protagonist. It looks like there is a new TV adaptation in the works as well, from ‘Star Trek’ producer Alex Kurtzman.

Like ‘The Queen’s Gambit’, which I had the pleasure of reading a few months ago, ‘The Man Who Fell to Earth’ is a deceptively simple book. It’s linear, describing the experience of a humanoid extra-terrestrial from the planet Anthea who has landed on Earth and is impersonating a human. He uses his advanced scientific knowledge to introduce new technologies to the world and to amass a fortune for himself in the process. 

In some ways it’s a very traditional book, the kind of rags to riches tale that authors like Harold Robbins were churning out around the same time. In others its incredibly subversive. Tevis casts a critical eye over post-war American capitalism and government. He dissects the kind of abuses of civil liberties that were common in the 1950s and 60s, as well as the immorality of  big business.

‘I’m with Futures Unlimited. Chemical warfare mostly, although we do some work with plastics- containers and such’.

By the end I found myself completely invested in the story, the characters and the message. Despite its simple prose and straightforward storytelling it’s a book with a great depth and an emotional core that makes it deeply moving. Tevis uses a tried and tested sci fi plot to question what it means to be human. It’s a short book, but one that’s filled with insight and compassion. I can’t recommend it highly enough. 

You can purchase a copy of this book via your normal retailer, but please consider purchasing it from a local indie bookshop instead. It can be found here at Indiebound or at Bookshop. Please note the Bookshop link is an affiliate link and each purchase you make through it helps to support Sci-Fi & Scary and keep the site running.

The post The Man Who Fell to Earth by Walter Tevis #BookReview appeared first on Sci-Fi & Scary.

Release Date: 2021 | Runtime: 1hr 26min | Genre: Horror | Source: Streaming

No One Gets Out Alive Review

This review has been ported to our new site, Leviathan Libraries, which launched Jan 2, 2022. Please visit www.leviathanlibraries.com now and come browse our stacks!

The post No One Gets Out Alive #MovieReview appeared first on Sci-Fi & Scary.

In Troy you will find heroism and hatred, love and loss, revenge and regret, desire and despair. It is these human passions, written bloodily in the sands of a distant shore, that still speak to us today.

Title: Troy | Author: Stephen Fry| Publisher: Michael Joseph| Pub. Date: 29 October 2020 | Pages: 432 | ISBN: 9780241424582| Genre: Fantasy| Language: English | Starred Review: No | Source: libro.fm

Troy Review

I’ll start this review off by saying how much I adore Greek mythology and retellings. With Madeline Miller easily being one of my favourite authors for this genre. I must admit, this is my first of the Greek retellings that I have read by Fry. I attempted to read Mythos previously but had found myself repeatedly drifting off, so it was a bit of a risk me trying again with Troy! That being said, I am really glad that I did.

Having read Miller’s The Song of Achilles, I found it especially interesting to hear accounts of what happened on the lead up to the War from a different perspective. Snippets from all characters felt as if you were given a really well rounded portrayal of the time as if it is almost exactly what happened. Romantic birds eye view segways to transition between characters and times and areas were beautifully told, as if you are really looking down from above on what is happening. I loved all of that, but the thing most missing for me when telling this broad story that really works its way through everyone is the intimacy. The chance to bond well with any one character and feel a sense of connection. It’s definitely more of a tale for learning than it is for anything else.

Troy is written incredibly well, Fry throws in his own humour and nods to us as we go along which is totally new to me in style and was enjoyable to listen too. Fry’s narration was also fantastic, but did have the ability to send me off at times! Oops.

Oh, P.S. I really need to read the copy of The Iliad I have had sitting on my shelves for forever now.

Super enjoyable, and I will definitely get around to reading the rest of the series now I really know what I am in for!

3 trojan horses from me!

You can purchase a copy of this book via your normal retailer, but please consider purchasing it from a local indie bookshop instead. It can be found here at Indiebound or at Bookshop. Please note the Bookshop link is an affiliate link and each purchase you make through it helps to support Sci-Fi & Scary and keep the site running.

The post Troy by Stephen Fry #BookReview appeared first on Sci-Fi & Scary.

Three years later, Cas wants only to return to his home in the mountains and forget past horrors. But home is not what he remembers. His castle has become a refuge for the royal court. And they have brought their enemies with them.

When an assassin targets those closest to the queen, Cas is drawn into a search for a killer…one that leads him to form an unexpected bond with a brilliant young historian named Lena. Cas and Lena soon realize that who is behind the attacks is far less important than why. They must look to the past, following the trail of a terrible secret—one that could threaten the kingdom’s newfound peace and plunge it back into war.

Title: Year of the Reaper | Author: Makiia Lucier | Publisher: Clarion | Pub Date: 9/11/2021 | Pages: 336 | ISBN13: 978-0358272090 | Genre: YA Fantasy/Supernatural Thriller | Language: English | Source: NetGalley | Starred Review

Year of the Reaper Review

This review has been ported to our new site, Leviathan Libraries, which launched Jan 2, 2022. Please visit www.leviathanlibraries.com now and come browse our stacks!

You can purchase a copy of this book via your normal retailer, but please consider purchasing it from a local indie bookshop instead. It can be found here at Indiebound or at Bookshop. Please note the Bookshop link is an affiliate link and each purchase you make through it helps to support Sci-Fi & Scary and keep the site running.

CONTENT WARNINGS:

The post Year of the Reaper by Makiia Lucier #BookReview appeared first on Sci-Fi & Scary.