Sam Tyler

Books reviewed by Sam Tyler (583)

  • The Magnificent NineJames Lovegrove
    The Magnificent Nine
    by James Lovegrove
    Science Fiction

    Any show on the US TV network Fox has to realise that its days could be numbered. Fox have the reputation of axing cult shows before their time from Arrested Development to Family Guy . Despite their cancelation these shows are still being made. Firefly was not so lucky. This was a science fiction/w...

  • The PassengersJohn Marrs
    The Passengers
    by John Marrs
    Science Fiction

    Call me old fashioned, I am a little scared of the future. This is a sentiment that will hit many of us eventually. What is wrong with the way technology works right now? Do I really need to talk to my speakers or plug myself into the Matrix just to order a pizza? The idea of getting behind the whee...

  • Molten HeartUna McCormack
    Molten Heart
    by Una McCormack
    Science Fiction

    Back in the day the Doctor Who spin off novels had a real advantage over the TV show as they had no budget. The limit to what could happen in these books was not down to the pen pushers at the BBC or the naivety of special effects. The only limit to the books was the author’s imagination. Go big or...

  • This Body's Not Big Enough for Both of UsEdgar Cantero
    General Fiction

    The crime genre is very well established and has many shortcuts and tropes that you can use. This allows genre authors to drape their own unique ideas over familiar territory. Want to write a book about a Dinosaur PI – go ahead. Sherlock Holmes actually a Warlock – sorted. You can throw in crazy ide...

  • Captain Marvel: Liberation RunTess Sharpe
    Science Fiction

    It is not hard to see where Marvel Studios get all their ideas from as they sit upon a rich heritage of characters and storylines that will take decades to exhaust. I am somewhat of an old school Marvel fan and know the classic runs. Therefore, the newer creations flummox me. Captain Marvel is more...

  • Wrath of EmpireBrian McClellan
    Wrath of Empire
    by Brian McClellan
    Fantasy

    There is a huge difference between a battle and a war. You can lose one, but still be victorious in the other. Or indeed win a battle, but overall be on the losing side. Brian McClellan’s latest trilogy set in the Powder Mage universe shows that even in a fantasy setting, war is hell. Whilst in Sins...

  • Batman: The Killing JokeChrista Faust
    Batman: The Killing Joke
    by Christa Faust
    Science Fiction

    The Batman Universe comes in all shades as long as they are dark blue, dark grey or black. You have your lighter fare such as LEGO Batman or the 60s incarnation and you also have your darker versions. Tim Burton’s Batman was dark, Christopher Nolan’s was darker still, but both owe homage to the iter...

  • Brothers KeeperDonald E Westlake
    Brothers Keeper
    by Donald E Westlake
    General Fiction

    The world of crime is riddled with the worst vices known to man; murder, kidnapping, estate acquisition. It is also full of the most ruthless people; bank robbers, killers, monks. You may have noticed that a couple of elements snuck in there that are not always synonymous with crime fiction, but you...

  • Star Trek Prometheus: In the Heart of ChaosBernd Perplies
    Science Fiction

    The original USS Enterprise was sent out on a five year mission to explore Space, but even the biggest Star Trek fan would not want to know about every single detail that happened on the voyage. We can forgo the times that they slept or went to the loo. Perhaps even skip a few lengthy sessions betwe...

  • Iron GoldPierce Brown
    Iron Gold
    by Pierce Brown
    Science Fiction

    Being an author there are hard decisions to be made. Do you stick with the same characters or try to be someone who writes about different times and places in each book? After the original  Red Rising  trilogy, author Pierce Brown had the option to stop writing about Darrow’s rise and instead concen...

  • Batman: The Court of OwlsGreg Cox
    Science Fiction

    Batman stalks the villains of Gotham and for many he is their worst nightmare. Bats may be inherently scary to some, but in nature they are not the top of the food chain and several animals like to eat them for a snack. One such animal is the Owl, a natural enemy of the Bat. This being Gotham dressi...

  • Star Trek Prometheus: The Root of all RageBernd Perplies
    Science Fiction

    What makes a great trilogy? Three stories that combine to make one, but are themselves also valid. Each book should have a start, middle and end that combine together to make a longer narrative. There are not many things worse for a fantasy or science fiction reader than getting their hands on a ‘fi...

  • Our Child of the StarsStephen Cox
    Our Child of the Stars
    by Stephen Cox
    Science Fiction

    I read a lot of science fiction and one element I am not duly bothered about is feelings. I prefer the imagery of cold steel roaring through space over the relationship between two characters, but without emotions what is the point of a story at all? Our Child of the Stars by Stephen Cox is a depart...

  • Police at the Station and They Don't Look FriendlyAdrian McKinty
    General Fiction

    There are times in history that don’t seem very funny and if you lived through them you would find it hard to laugh. The 1970/80s in Northern Ireland may just be one such era as sectarian violence means that you are always wary of your surroundings. This is exemplified for Detective Inspector Sean D...

  • Star Trek Prometheus: Fire with FireBernd Perplies
    Science Fiction

    It is feels increasingly complex to be a Star Trek fan. Things started off being about Kirk and co, then Picard, then Sisko etc. By now there are various TV shows that have been and gone, but also films that are set in parallel universes and I have no idea what is happening in Discovery half the tim...

  • Across the VoidS. K. Vaughn
    Across the Void
    by S. K. Vaughn
    Science Fiction

    On our first trip to Mars I hope that they send the best equipped, those with the skills and temperament to handle any situation that may occur. If disaster struck I would hope that these men and women would tackle the challenge dispassionately in an attempt to survive the oncoming end with as littl...

  • Sherlock Holmes and the Sussex Sea-DevilsJames Lovegrove
    Fantasy

    Sherlock Holmes and his creator may be long dead, but this has not stopped the master detective living on in the works of others. James Lovegrove has written several stories that have expanded on Arthur Conan Doyle’s legacy, but The Cthulhu Casebooks offer something very different by blending in the...

  • Academ's FuryJim Butcher
    Academ's Fury
    by Jim Butcher
    Fantasy

    There is a surprising amount of Fantasy that is essentially an epic game of magical rock, paper, scissors. Various mages, witches and Gods all fighting each other with differing powers. They are strong against one power, but weak against another. The balance of the world rests on all these powers ca...

  • A Blade so BlackL.L. McKinney
    A Blade so Black
    by L.L. McKinney
    Fantasy

    Popstars of the 60s dread their back catalogue going into the public domain. Their retirement fund has now been opened to everyone to listen to for free. If you think that is sad, please spare a moment for the poor authors who have long died and whose work is open to all. The likes of Shakespeare, D...

  • The Mouth of the DarkTim Waggoner
    The Mouth of the Dark
    by Tim Waggoner
    Horror

    The very nature of horror means that it should not always be a pleasant read. You should be unsettled, scared and perhaps even disgusted at times, but a balance must be struck. If an author is failing to get genuine scares into their book they may resort to cheap tricks such as writing things so gro...

  • This Book is Full of SpidersDavid Wong
    Horror

    Spiders seem to tap into a primeval fear inside humans. Perhaps in the days of cavemen there were 20 foot spiders that ate those that travelled at night? What I do know is that the average domestic spider in the UK is unlikely to spring off the wall and eat through your skull. This set of events is...

  • The Grey BastardsJonathan French
    The Grey Bastards
    by Jonathan French
    Fantasy

    The clue to what makes the Fantasy genre so great is staring you straight in the face; it is fantastical. It gives author the chance to transport their readers to a different time and place. Lands full of wonder, populated by creatures only seen in your dreams. So, it is sometimes a little sad to se...

  • SnapshotBrandon Sanderson
    Snapshot
    by Brandon Sanderson
    Science Fiction

    We are told to live in the moment; don’t worry about the past or the future, it is now that you should care about, but how many of us really do? We spend endless hours checking our phones or having meaningless arguments online. If someone walked in on you right now and said that you are not actually...