SPSFC 3 Books I've Sampled

As you know, I mostly read and write epic fantasy, but I have a bit of a soft spot for science fiction as well. And I'm always on the lookout for good indie hidden gems. So when the amazing Athena @ OneReadingNurse gave me a chance to join her SPSFC3 judging team, I decided to give it a try! 

As a part of Team 4: Peripheral Prospectors, I've already sampled many amazing Sci-Fi books. We had a lot of great books assigned to our team and deciding which ones to put forward in the competition was no easy task! So before I dive into reading some of the Quarterfinalists in full, I wanted to introduce you to some of these great books I sampled so you can check them out too. 

Some of these books I enjoyed and will continue reading, whether they made it to the Quarterfinalists list or not, and others weren't my style, but they might be yours!

The Books I've Sampled So Far: 

 

After Moses by Michael F. Kane 

This book starts off like a space-Western that takes place between various planets in a sort of post-apocalyptic setting where the tech is failing and life is more dystopian. 

It's well-written and reminded me of both Star Wars and Firefly in a lot of ways. 

 

Duck by Pamela Zero 

A young girl is pulled forward into a frightening and incomprehensible future. This book has all kinds of aliens, multiple societies, some of them with seemingly magical powers, and time-travel. 

Kenai by Dave Dobson

A military sci-fi book on a strange planet. The beginning of the story goes back and forth between the main character's current job a security guard for some archeologists on this strange planet and flashbacks to her days as a Marine. 

Lume by TM Ghent 

The beginning of this book read a lot like a fantasy. With multiple POVs, a prince, and an outlaw city, it reminded me a lot of my favourite type of book to read: epic fantasy. There are some mysterious hints of advanced tech and more going on in that outlaw city, so I'm sure more elements of sci-fi will slowly emerge as the book goes on. The outlaw city has a vibe that kind of reminds me of Arcane. 

Minimum Safe Distance by X. Ho Yen 

This book features both human characters and strange space-faring characters that have powers and intellects far beyond our own. As these creatures travel through space, escaping from some kind of cosmic threat, they encounter Earth and begin to study it. What will happen when they decide to do more than just study from afar? 

Mission of the Ro'Arck by Ericka Evren 

This book follows the story of a young soldier of a huge empire spanning multiple planets as he attempts to prove himself and secure enough money for his mother's medication. He's sent to a planet where the strength of the empire might actually be put to the test. Military SF with a strong grounding in the main character's perspective and motivations. 

Tailspin by Dawn Chapman 

This book takes place in a world where, if you have enough credits, you can enter a much cleaner, fancier simulated version of the world. Kind of like a Virtual Reality internet. The main character is struggling to survive and find any way to pay his rent before his family gets evicted, but he dreams of being able to get some type of implant that will enable him to become a pilot. Solid start to this cyberpunk LitRPG. 

Replacement by Jordan Rivet 

This book follows the adventures of a leftover clone struggling to find out why she was cloned and connect with her identity. The protagonist is young, but the book doesn't shy away from exploring the moral and ethical dimensions that come with cloning humans. Enjoyable, well-written read that reminds me vaguely of Never Let Me Go, but it's much less depressing (so far). 

The Dying Breed: Hunters by TJ Lombardi 

This book starts right off with a quest, creepy ghost-like monsters, and mentions of elves and legends that reminded me more of a fantasy book or a DnD adventure. 

My Thoughts on the Judging Process: 

This foray into contest judging has not only introduced me to many interesting books, but it's also given me a greater appreciation for the hard work of bloggers and contest judges who pour their time into finding and sharing great books! I don't know if I'll have time to continue judging for SPSFC3 beyond this year, but I've found some great books so far and I hope that you can find some great reads among them as well! I'll post full review of the ones I end up reading to completion, but for now, I hope that these little spotlights have helped introduce you to some new books to check out. 

I'm part of a 6-person judging team and a bit slower than some of the other judges, so I only managed to sample a little less than half the team's assigned books in this first phase, but you can check out my fellow judge Nicole @ BookWyrmKnits' Notes on the Slushpile to find out about the other half of the team's assigned books. 

Also, keep an eye on our team's updates page for more posts, reviews, and news as the contest progresses.