BBC Radio 4's Adaptation of Isaac Asimov's I, Robot

BBC Radio 4 has some truly brilliant adaptations of Isaac Asimov's I, Robot. The five dramatised stories chronicle the rise of robotics in the 21st century, told through the eyes of the enigmatic lawyer Stevie Byerley.

The episodes are:
Robbie - As a child, Stevie Byerley is raised by Robbie, a robotic childminder, because her parents are too busy working. The powerful bond she forms with the robot is unbreakable. Their relationship will change the course of Stevie's life.
Reason - After two years recovering from a devastating car crash, Stevie returns to work as a Legal Psychologist. Her first case is to try and reason with a robot that has developed religious delusions and a Messiah complex
Little Lost Robot - The Three Laws of Robotics are sacred because they define the limits of artificial intelligence, tamper with them at your peril. But Stevie finds that's exactly what's happened on a space station where a rogue robot has been reprogrammed and is now AWOL.
Liar - Stevie is urgently summoned to an advanced research lab in Siberia, where a robot has developed the ability to read human minds.
The Evitable Conflict - Stevie enjoys a meteoric rise to political power. Then in a final showdown with her oldest friend Quinn, she reveals the secret that has shaped her life and changed the course of civilisation forever.

They manage to bring the world of Asimov's short stories to vibrant life and at 15 minutes each, they fit into even the busiest schedule. The episodes are available for a limited time, so be sure to listen to them while you can. Trust me you definitely don't want to miss this!

New Arrivals: The Bulk Edition

Over the last month I've purchased loads of books. Buying books has become like comfort eating, only with glorious bookish packages arriving every other day.  I live for that excitement, which is perhaps not the best thing especially for someone who has already run out of shelf space...

Behold. Books, glorious books!

Now to find the time to read them all...

Cover Reveal: All Systems Red & Killing Gravity

I recently stumbled across the covers for two Tor.com novellas coming out in May and they immediately caught my eye. These are definitely going to be titles worth checking out.

ALL SYSTEMS RED by Martha Wells
Release date: 2 May 2017
ISBN: ISBN: 9780765397522

A murderous android discovers itself in All Systems Red, a tense science fiction adventure by Martha Wells that blends HBO's Westworld with Iain M. Banks' Culture books

In a corporate-dominated spacefaring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. Exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids, for their own safety.

But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn’t a primary concern.

On a distant planet, a team of scientists are conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied ‘droid — a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module, and refers to itself (though never out loud) as “Murderbot.” Scornful of humans, all it really wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is.

But when a neighboring mission goes dark, it's up to the scientists and their Murderbot to get to the truth.

KILLING GRAVITY by Corey J. White
Release date: 9 May 2017
ISBN: ISBN: 9780765395085

Mars Xi can kill you with her mind, but she'll need more than psychic powers to save her in Killing Gravity, the thrilling science fiction space adventure debut by Corey J. White.

Before she escaped in a bloody coup, MEPHISTO transformed Mariam Xi into a deadly voidwitch. Their training left her with terrifying capabilities, a fierce sense of independence, a deficit of trust, and an experimental pet named Seven. She’s spent her life on the run, but the boogeymen from her past are catching up with her. An encounter with a bounty hunter has left her hanging helpless in a dying spaceship, dependent on the mercy of strangers.

Penned in on all sides, Mariam chases rumors to find the one who sold her out. To discover the truth and defeat her pursuers, she’ll have to stare into the abyss and find the secrets of her past, her future, and her terrifying potential.