El_Commutador

[wonders-of-the-cosmos]

Kepler-16b is an extrasolar planet. It is a Saturn-mass planet consisting of half gas and half rock and ice, and it orbits a binary star, Kepler-16, with a period of 229 days. “It Is the first confirmed, unambiguous example of a circumbinary planet – a planet orbiting not one, but two stars,“ said Josh Carter of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, one of the discovery team.

Kepler-16b was discovered using the space observatory aboard NASA’s Kepler spacecraft. Scientists were able to detect Kepler-16b using the transit method, when they noticed the dimming of one of the system’s stars even when the other was not eclipsing it.

source | video

[elcommutador]

The Warning Vol. 1

While browsing @comiXology app, this book's covers did a great job bringing me into this militarized first contact alien invasion story, being as I am a sucker for covers (be it from books, comics, music, films, video games...).

Unfortunately, though, the story doesn't deliver accordingly to my own hype (that happens, sometimes). But it doesn't mean that it's a bad book. There are some cool sci-fi concepts here, while Brad Simpson colors and Jaymes Reed lettering work well with Laroche's (sometimes a bit static) art.

All in all, it has been an entertaining Sunday morning’s coffee time read. I'll be back for the second volume, eventually.

The Warning Vol. 1

The tones and ambiance of Terrence Malick’s The Thin Red Line meets the sci-fi adventures of BLACK SCIENCE and VS in this military action...

[elcommutador]

The Ghost Fleet. The Whole Goddamned Thing.

I got this book in @comiXology sale because of Space Mullet's DWJ, but thanks to it I’ve also met Donny Cates.

This book is nothing like I thought it was going to be. It gripped me since the first page, thanks to its strong, imaginative and action packed story, drawn with the usual loose but amazing art by DWJ, crafty colored by Lauren Affe.

Books like this one, are the reason why I love publishers such as Image, Dark Horse, IDW, BOOM!, Oni and many others.

Ghost Fleet

For the world’s most valuable, dangerous, or secretive cargo, you don’t call just any trucking service...you call THE GHOST FLEET. When o...

[elcommutador]

La nave negra

¡Primer contacto en Albacete! Aunque parezca mentira, contradiciendo toda la bibliografía y filmografía conocidas, una nave alienígena cae en España, y los personajes típicos de las grandes superproducciones yanquis que han de afrontar este hecho (científicos, militares, policías, héroes anónimos y víctimas a tutiplén), acaban siendo los habituales de las coproducciones de antaño (los más veteranos del lugar me entenderéis).

Y aquí se acaba el humor, porqué lo que empieza como un refrito a la española, con algunos titubeos, de un género ya conocido, va cogiendo ritmo y entidad propia, página a página.

Además, la historia se integra perfectamente en el marco político y económico de la España actual, reflejando nuestra burocracia y particularidades habituales, lo que ayuda a entrar rápidamente en el libro.

La historia en sí, tras un inicio al estilo Trees de Warren Ellis, va ganando interés a medida que avanza la lectura, paralelamente al aumento de la sensación de nervios y claustrofobia, así como a la aparición de las primeras salpicaduras de sangre (y otros fluidos de origen indeterminado), para rematar con un último acto que es la bomba (literalmente), con un crescendo de la tensión muy bien conducido.

Hasta aquí, un libro auto publicado de 4*.

Pero, hay diversos elementos que hacen que el resultado final sean unas agridulces 3*:

• A veces, el autor tiende a alargar en exceso las explicaciones y las justificaciones de los diversos protagonistas, lo que si bien en algunos casos hace los diálogos y razonamientos más realistas, acaba mermando el dinamismo de las situaciones. No obstante, esta tendencia se atenúa a medida que avanza el libro.

• Hay algunos errores gramaticales y faltas de ortografía que me han sacado del libro, con el agravante que en algún caso aparecen en momentos de tensión, por otro lado muy bien conseguidos.

• No me gusta la portada, para nada. Es un problema que muchas veces tienen los títulos auto publicados. Y que a mí, personalmente, me echan atrás a la hora de elegir (o no) un libro.

No obstante, teniendo en cuenta su precio (también lo podéis leer vía Kindle Unlimited), la verdad es que recomiendo leer este libro, porqué sus virtudes exceden en mucho a sus defectos.

Un autor a seguir.

La Nave Negra

Lo imposible ha ocurrido. En un tranquilo día de verano, una astronave de otro mundo se estrella en la provincia de Albacete. Con un tama...

[elcommutador]

City of the Dead

So, after “that” end, there was a direct sequel to The Rising, after all…

This dark book is not your average zombies’ book, despite its powerful George Romero’s vibe.

If you either like the rising, or you like Keene (the author), then you’ll love this one.

If you don’t like Keene (the author), then ignore this book.

If you don’t know Keene (the author), then try The Rising or The Complex.

If you don’t know Keene (the person behind the author), listen to “that” podcast (The Horror Show with Brian Keene). Then, you’ll probably be back to the previous point.

If you don’t like Keene (both the person and the author), then you aren’t reading this.

And what an end! What’s with Brian Keene and the end of his books?

City of the Dead (The Rising #2)

As the world succumbs to a devastating plague that brings its victims back from the dead, eager to destroy all that is living, a group of...

[70sscifiart]

Paul Alexander

[elcommutador]

Invisible Kingdom, Vol. 1

I love Dark Horse, a publisher that usually takes risks with comic books. Unfortunately, these books don’t always deliver; but when one does deliver (as in this case), it does big way.

Also, the fact that it is a comic book from (former Vertigo editor) Karen Berger's imprint, written by Ms Marvel’s G. Willow Wilson, with art by ODY-C’s Christian Ward, is a plus.

I like solid sci-fi comic books like this one, where cool concepts and good storytelling, meet with solid world building, all tied together with nice art.

Invisible Kingdom, Vol. 1

Hugo and World Fantasy Award-winning author G. Willow Wilson (Ms. Marvel, Wonder Woman) and Eisner winning artist Christian Ward (Black B...

[elcommutador]

The Color of Magic

The first time I read (listened) this book, I was surprised by its powerful world building. But, once finished, it was its sheer sense of humor, amazingly performed by actor Nigel Planer, what I remembered.

So when last weekend I was looking for a fun read, I thought of reading (listening) this book again...

... And this time, from minute one, I’ve been absolutely amazed and mesmerized by the great, wide, mad, rich, imaginative (and so on, and so forth) world that Sir Terry Pratchett created.

Absolutely 5*

A must read (listen) . Period.

And beware of tourists, wizards, heroes, gods, giant intergalactic turtles and magic trunks...

The Color of Magic (Discworld, #1; Rincewind, #1)

Terry Pratchett's profoundly irreverent, bestselling novels have garnered him a revered position in the halls of parody next to the likes...

[elcommutador]

The Deep

This lovely little novella, amazingly well written by Rivers Solomon, has been a pleasant surprise. Highly recommended.

The Deep

Yetu holds the memories for her people—water-dwelling descendants of pregnant African slave women thrown overboard by slave owners—who li...

[elcommutador]

The Nobody People

Despite feeling like there isn't anything in this book, that both Chris Claremont and Grant Morrison didn't explore in their X-Men runs (together with some elements from Howard Mackie's The Brotherhood comic book, as well as some good ideas from the first two X-Men movies), Bob Proehl does a good job using that X-Men lore about being different, an outcast, to take some interesting twists and turns along the way which, in some cases, betters the original elements.

But the stronger point, which brings the book from *** to ****, is that when the dark twists (plural) come, Proehl slaps the reader in the face.

On the negative side, I sometimes felt that there was something missing - what would be the reaction of the rest of the world to what happened in the USA, where are the mutant resonant Tech millionaires (not only those oldies at the beach)?

All in all, I loved this book because it is very well written and action packed, while there’s enough food for the brain, making for a compelling read listening.

The Nobody People

When a group of outcasts with extraordinary abilities comes out of hiding, their clash with a violent society will spark a revolution—or ...

[elcommutador]

"Do you remember?"

"I do"

"Good. That's all we ask."

Rivers Solomon's The Deep

The Deep

Yetu holds the memories for her people—water-dwelling descendants of pregnant African slave women thrown overboard by slave owners—who li...

[elcommutador]

I've never seen the night, nor seen a star; I've seen neither spring, nor fall, nor winter. I was born at the end of the Reining Age, just as the Earth's rotation was coming to a final halt.

Liu Cixin @The Wandering Earth

The Wandering Earth

Cixin Liu is China’s bestselling science fiction author and one of the most important voices in world SF. His novel, The Three-Body Probl...

[elcommutador]

"Where there's a mountain, there will be someone to climb it (...) ”

[elcommutador]

Existen personas que sufren con los que sufren, incapaces de ser felices sabiendo que el dolor ajeno los envuelve, personas para las que las emociones pueden convertirse en una prisión.

Magnus Dagon @Los Guardianes Errantes

Los Guardianes Errantes

En un mundo cada vez más corrupto, cínico y decadente existen cuatro seres de leyenda conocidos como Los Guardianes Errantes. Obligados a...

[elcommutador]

"No se aprende para ser feliz, se aprende para ser sabio. En muchos casos, se aprende para hacer felices a otros."

[elcommutador]

Existen personas que sufren con los que sufren, incapaces de ser felices sabiendo que el dolor ajeno los envuelve, personas para las que las emociones pueden convertirse en una prisión.

Magnus Dagon @Los Guardianes Errantes

Los Guardianes Errantes

En un mundo cada vez más corrupto, cínico y decadente existen cuatro seres de leyenda conocidos como Los Guardianes Errantes. Obligados a...

[this-is-cool]

The superb science fiction and Star Wars inspired paintings and artworks of Félicien Nourry - https://www.scififantasyhorror.co.uk/the-sci-fi-paintings-of-felicien-nourry/

[elcommutador]

I've never seen the night, nor seen a star; I've seen neither spring, nor fall, nor winter. I was born at the end of the Reining Age, just as the Earth's rotation was coming to a final halt.

Liu Cixin @The Wandering Earth

The Wandering Earth

Cixin Liu is China’s bestselling science fiction author and one of the most important voices in world SF. His novel, The Three-Body Probl...

[70sscifiart]

1977 Time Out of Joint cover by Doug Beekman