#m. darusha wehm

[aroaessidhe]

2023 ACE & ARO books - part 1

TWO CAN PLAY THAT GAME - Jan 31 - demi MC

HAMLET, PRINCE OF ROBOTS - Jan 31 - aroace, ace MCs

CITY OF EXILE - Feb 22 - many ace & aro characters, sequel

SAILING BY CARINA’S STAR - Mar 7 - aroace MCs, sequel

TELL ME HOW IT ENDS - April 9 - ace MC

YOU DON’T HAVE A SHOT - May 9 - ace MC

THE HUMMINGBIRD KILLER - May 11 - aroace MC , sequel

BLEEDING HEART  - May 11 - ace & aro MCs , sequel

PAINTED DEVILS - May 16 - demi MCs , sequel

part 2 / part 3 / part 4

[caribeandthebooks]

Caribe's Science Fiction TBR - Part 2

[scififr]

Hamlet, Prince of robots, par M. Darusha Wehm (In potentia press, janvier 2023)

C’est la pièce de William Shakespeare, scène par scène et acte par acte, au détail près qu’ici HAM(Let) (pour « Humanoid Artificial Mind (learned emotive type) ») est la version 2 d’un androïde plus qu’humain et que, parmi les personnages originaux, en général les « enfants de » sont des androïdes et les autres des humains.

L’ensemble est tout à fait intéressant et l’auteur.trice suit scrupuleusement la pièce originale tout en rendant totalement vraisemblable la transposition. Iel parvient même à intégrer des fragments de dialogues de l’ouvrage original ! Le seul défaut est la relative froideur des parties descriptives qui sonnent comme des didascalies.

[light-macadamia]

hamlet, prince of robots | books’22

book: hamlet, prince of robots by m.darusha wehm

star rating: ★★★.25

genre: science fiction | speculative fiction

synopsis:

Elsinore Robotics is on the cusp of a breakthrough—the company is poised to create the first humanoid androids powered by true artificial intelligence. Their only rival, Norwegian Technologies, lost a publicly streamed contest between their flagship model, Fortinbras, and Elsinore’s HAM(let) v.1. But when the first Hamlet model is found irreparably deactivated, the apparent victim of wild malware, the field of consumer cybernetics is thrown wide open. However, Hamlet v.1’s memories were not entirely lost in the accident.

The seed of this story is excellent, there should definitely be more cyber-inspired Shakespearen retellings. It’s like gearing a well-oiled machine with new inventive features. The drama takes place among the c-suite of an android company, there is an open embrace of queerness, and the relationships are varied and non-conventional with robots thrown nto the mix.

It is worth reading for the interesting take alone. However, there were a few things in the execution that did not gel with me personally -- one to do with how the story was told. A lot more would have packed a punch if done by showing before telling, but it safely went with the other order. For example, Ophelia is declared to have deep platonic feelings for Hamlet before they even interact on page, and it is confirmed later on in their interaction. It would have kept me more engaged to see them play off of each other first and make that assumption, rather than be guided through character emotions by narration. It dispersed a lot of the character mystery. Second note to make is on the same playing field, which would be dialogue. It is not heavy on delivery, yet, there are times when they exhibit language that comes across more poetic or old-timey than the context allows. It refers to the lines of the initial play, but the transition is not exactly seamless. Granted, there were genuinely sweet moments between characters, and sometimes the heightened language worked into their tandem. Coming from a different end of the spectrum, I found the Lion King scene to be, while a cool nod, quite comical; so that too resisted giving it all a consistent tone. Having said that, I am quite curious to look into more of the author’s works, the ideas and the world are rather fascinating. The power-play withing a futuristic company is quite a premise, and their discussion on the differences between robotic and organic perception on life and relationships is something I would like to read more of!

I have received ARC in exchange for an honest review, courtesy of Netgalley and the publisher. Thank you.

[bladesandstars]

Mid-Year Book Freak Out

Stolen (politely) from @pterawaters - thanks!

Number of books you’ve read so far in 2024: 24! Haha

Best book you’ve read so far in 2024: I have to pick one? Sheesh. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by Victoria Schwab AND Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, tie.

Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2024: Crooked Kingdom, also by Leigh Bardugo. I'm in love with the whole cast, and it continued the story perfectly.

New release you haven’t read yet but want to: Running Close to the Wind by Alexandra Rowland (in progress and it's great).

Most anticipated release for the second half of the year: Heavenly Tyrant by Xiran Jay Zhao.

Biggest surprise favorite new author (debut or new to you): S.T. Gibson, because An Education in Malice delighted me. I wasn't a fan of her first (A Dowry of Blood) - which is definitely down to my being incredibly picky about my vampires in annoying ways rather than anything on Gibson's part, my entire book club loved it - but an author redemption is always such a delight for me and I'm here to grab her next book.

Newest fictional crush: I have to pick one? Yikes yikes yikes. I usually have one per book unless I hated the book 😂 this only counts as "newest" because I just did a reread, but Evemer Hoskadem from A Taste of Gold and Iron is the devoted, competent type with some delightful hidden flavors and that did make my heart flutter.

Book that made you cry: Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah. This book is a masterpiece and also a front-runner for my favorite book of the year so far. It's dystopian and upsetting, and it executes and delivers on multiple levels with such a high level of skill, it's incredible. I was in awe of the prose, the themes, the characterization, and the way it was a scarily believable extension of where we're going in US politics.

Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received): The cover of Seven Devils by L.R. Lam and Elizabeth May is so neat and I always see something new looking at it. Also a beloved read this year.

Book that made you happy: Hamlet, Prince of Robots by M. Darusha Wehm. It's funny and smart and I love a retelling. This one does it perfectly.

What books do you need to read by the end of the year? Seven Mercies by L.R. Lam and Elizabeth May; Curse of the Divine by Kim Smejkal; The Blacksmith Queen by G.A. Aiken; Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake; Jade Fire Gold by June C.L. Tan; The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes by Cat Sebastian; 100 Queer Poems; Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin; Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros; One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston; Fine Print by Stjepan Sejic; The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon; The Power Broker by Robert Caro; and all the Kushiel's sequels I bought when they were on sale! There's more but that's enough for now. Thanks for reading, hope you got some fun new titles or enjoyed remembering good reads yourself!

Next up: periodic fanfic rec post!

[rogerclarkaudiobooks]

"Many Worlds: Or, The Simulacra"

Authors: Rebekah Bergman, Justin C. Key, Darkly Lem, M. Darusha Wehm, Cadwell Turnbull, Josh Eure, various authors Narrators: Various, among them is Roger Clark Audiobook Release Date: May 28, 2024 Length: 5 hours, 29 minutes

Listen to a sample of Roger's contribution to this audiobook 👇

Many Worlds is a collection of stories by different authors, check the table below to see if there's an author that catches your eye. If you are interested in Roger's story in this collection, "Life at Sea" by Craig Lincoln, is the one you are looking for.

Publisher's Summary:

Many Worlds, or The Simulacra is an anthology of reality-bending stories from a one-of-a-kind collective of authors building a shared multiverse. The stories in this anthology range from quietly strange to ambitiously speculative. Humans transform into cosmic energy or sentient algae. A man wakes up in a new body in a world with continents cut out, months absent from the calendar year, and souls misplaced. Students at a high school regularly vanish without a trace. A woman descends into the depths of the ocean and encounters all-knowing creatures who may have the answers to her deepest questions. Mech-suits and parallel selves, conspiracy forums and interstellar telepaths, and a mysterious cosmic force connecting it all; the stories in this collection are revelatory and offer a breathtaking portal into worlds far more mysterious than our own. Subversive, transgressive, and utterly original, this collection compels the listener to believe in the fantastical. Many Worlds features stories by Rebekah Bergman, M. Darusha Wehm, Craig Lincoln, alongside other fascinating voices in speculative fiction. This collection is edited by Cadwell Turnbull, author of The Lesson and No Gods, No Monsters, and Josh Eure, winner of Sundress Publications’ Best of the Net Award. ©2023 by respective contributors. All rights reserved. The story "Shock of Birth" was originally published in Asimov's Science Fiction © 2020 by Cadwell Turnbull (P)2024 Blackstone Publishing

Many Worlds: Or, the Simulacra is available from: Apple Books ✰ Audible ✰ Audiobooks.com ✰ AudiobooksNow.com ✰ AudiobookStore.com ✰ Barnes & Noble ✰ Binge Books ✰ Chirp Books ✰ Downpour ✰ Everand ✰ Google Play ✰ Hoopla ✰ Libro.fm ✰ Overdrive + Libby ✰ Rakuten Kobo ✰

TIP: If you want to find more audiobooks from Roger, you can click on the "Roger's Audiobooks" tag, or you can also check out my pinned post 😉 Happy Listening!

[transbookoftheday]

Trans-Galactic Bike Ride by Lydia Rogue and Elly Blue

What would the future look like if we weren't so hung up on putting people into boxes and instead empowered each other to reach for the stars? Take a ride with us as we explore a future where trans and nonbinary people are the heroes.

In worlds where bicycle rides bring luck, a minotaur needs a bicycle, and werewolves stalk the post-apocalyptic landscape, nobody has time to question gender. Whatever your identity you'll enjoy these stories that are both thought-provoking and fun adventures.

Featuring brand-new stories from Hugo, Nebula, and Lambda Literary Award-winning author Charlie Jane Anders, Ava Kelly, Juliet Kemp, Rafi Kleiman, Tucker Lieberman, Nathan Alling Long, Ether Nepenthes, and Nebula-nominated M. Darusha Wehm. Also featuring debut stories from Diana Lane and Marcus Woodman.

[choiceofgames]

Vampire: The Masquerade-Sins of the Sires is a Nebula Finalist!

We are thrilled to announce that Vampire: The Masquerade—Sins of the Sires, by Natalia Theodoridou, is a finalist for the Nebula Game Writing Award, and it’s on sale, 25% off this week!

https://www.choiceofgames.com/vampire-th…/sins-of-the-sires/

To celebrate Natalia's second time as a finalist, we are also putting every previous Nebula Finalist game on sale: - The Luminous Underground: https://www.choiceofgames.com/luminous-underground/

- The Road to Canterbury: https://www.choiceofgames.com/road-to-canterbury/

- The Magician’s Workshop: https://www.choiceofgames.com/magicians-workshop/

- Rent-A-Vice: https://www.choiceofgames.com/rent-a-vice/

- The Martian Job: https://www.choiceofgames.com/martian-job/

Vampire: The Masquerade—Sins of the Sires is a 300,000-word interactive interactive novel set in the World of Darkness shared story universe. In this elegy of blood, everyone in Athens owes your boss a favor, making you untouchable! Who will you use, who will you help, and who will you prey on?

This is the fifth year that there has been a Nebula award for game writing, and the fourth year that Choice of Games authors have been finalists. Past Choice of Games Nebula finalists are: Phoebe Barton for The Luminous Underground, Kate Heartfield for The Road to Canterbury and The Magician’s Workshop, Natalia Theodoridou for Rent-A-Vice, and M. Darusha Wehm for The Martian Job.

Since 1965, the Nebula Awards have been given annually to the best works of science fiction and fantasy published that year, as voted on by the members of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA). The 58th Annual Nebula Awards ceremony will be streamed live during the 2023 Nebula Conference, May 12-14, 2023.

Stay tuned for more!

[paulsemel]

With "Hamlet, Prince Of Robots," author M. Darusha Wehm is putting their own kind of sci-fi spin on Shakepeare's tragic tale. To learn if you want to be a reader of it (sorry), check out this exclusive interview. 📖🤖👑

[meowmageddon]

Book Review: Trans-Galactic Bike Ride: Feminist Bicycle Science Fiction Stories of Transgender and Nonbinary Adventurers - edited by Lydia Rogue

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Goodreads & StoryGraph reviews

Simple Review:

This was more varied in quality from anthologies I've read recently. I feel that even though it's not YA, a few of the stories felt a little too young for me, as I near middle-age. A few other stories were a bit ham-fisted in their metaphors or very predictable. On the whole, I still had a good time with the anthology, and as someone who is nonbinary myself, I always find trans and nonbinary stories refreshing, especially when they're allowed to be trans-/queer-normative and have fun like this!

Individual Story Reviews:

"Per Rotas Ad Astra" by Ether Nepenthes: 3 stars - A brief vignette about a disabled queer bicyclist setting off on her space bike on a solo trip to the moon. I have come to realize that I don't care for banter with inside jokes; at this point in my life, it feels as awkward as when someone tells inside jokes you're not in on around you in reality. It may appeal to younger readers who yearn to be part of this sort of banter.

"Riding for Luck" by Juliet Kemp: 4.5 stars - Four bicyclists discover they can build up a sort of lucky power by perfectly timing their bike rides and decide to see if they can use it for a greater good. This was a neat idea and charming in execution!

"The Edge of the Abyss" by M. Darusha Wehm: 2.5 stars - A couple outcast smugglers—one who deals in goods, the other in information—stop for a rest at a remote outpost, only to find that the grand conflict between two big powers is about to escalate and engulf everything. Perhaps where the anthology publisher's declaration of "politically moderate, centrist" leanings comes into play. The two galactic factions in the story are modeled after the modern conservative vs. liberal divide common in the West. The main character's centrist position claims nuance, but really is a milquetoast position that lacks nuance in its assumption that both sides come from equal footing, rather than examining how the long cultural histories of colonization, racism, capitalism, etc. actually shaped these ideas and this divide. It also very briefly touches on the "Stay and Fight" vs. "Flee for Personal Survival" decision without providing any real depth there either (and I feel very strongly about this due to my own family history of loss and personal experience). I don't think it's impossible for a short story to properly handle something like this, but this story's execution was not there. A shame, because I did enjoy the characters and setting at first.

“Unexpectedly Trans-Parent” by Lydia Rogue: 5 stars - A space cyclist's fetch and return trip through a designated spacetime rip takes an unusual turn when they find their payload is something alive. Fun, charming, and a nifty setting.

“Rovers” by Marcus Woodman: 5 stars - A courier in a post-apocalyptic US encounters an unusual loner requesting a ride. Another one that was fun and charming, and looking back at the title afterward? I'm tickled.

“The Visitmothers” by Charlie Jane Anders: 3 stars - A trans person summons mysterious beings to ask for her heart’s desire, only to have them take her bike instead. A little underwhelming to me, and I felt the conclusion sets up a codependent situation...?

“A Sudden Displacement of Matter” by Ava Kelly: 4 stars - A bounty hunter follows a hunch in looking for the thief who somehow stole a valuable monument from a prominent space station. Frustrating in the way a bounty hunter who is supposedly clever makes obvious mistakes, but otherwise fun.

“Briar Patch” by Lane Fox: 5 stars - A brief vignette about a member of a colony of exiled gender-nonconforming (and other queer?) folks, reflecting on their circumstances. Full of love and mindfulness.

“Clashing/Complementary” by Rafi Kleiman: 4 stars - A kid who dedicates herself to enchanting paint and using it to tag, as inspired by her recently deceased mother, finds out who's been tagging in her territory recently. Thought the characters are young, I still enjoyed this romp.

“Lucy Doesn’t Get Angry” by Tucker Lieberman: 3.5 stars - A child is set to be sacrificed to the Minotaur in its Labyrinth, and must figure out how to escape this fate. Perhaps a little ham-fisted in the metaphor.

“Beyond” by Nathan Alling Long: 3.5 stars - Ninety-nine riders make the trek from Earth to Pluto to see how the journey changes them, with unexpected results. At least, for the folks in the story. I personally found it predictable, but it wasn't a bad time.

Thanks for reading! 💕

[nzbookwyrm]

Highly recommend Light of Uncommon Stars.

And for me, these combine fun and comfort, and are quality reads as well!

Endless Blue by Wen Spencer

The Best of All Possible Worlds by Karen Lord

Finder by Suzanne Palmer

Stars Uncharted by S K Dunstall

The Qubit Zirconium by M Darusha Wehm

A Pale Light in the Black by K B Wagers

The AI Who Loved Me by Alyssa Cole

Hoping you find some awesome books!

Anyone got fun sci-fi recs? Emphasis on Fun.

Murderbot are my comfort books and I loved The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet. That’s really the ideal vein that I’m looking for. I’ve read some Scalzi books and enjoyed them and same with the Martian, but beyond that I’m still pretty fresh to sci fi. I’m a big fantasy person, so I’d appreciate any and all ideas of what I can explore next. Thanks!!!

[lgbtqreads]

Exclusive Cover Reveal: Trans-Galactic Bike Ride: Feminist Bicycle Science Fiction Stories of Transgender and Nonbinary Adventurers ed. by Lydia Rogue

Exclusive Cover Reveal: Trans-Galactic Bike Ride: Feminist Bicycle Science Fiction Stories of Transgender and Nonbinary Adventurers ed. by Lydia Rogue

I don’t really know how to come up with a cooler name for a collection than Trans-Galactic Bike Ride: Feminist Bicycle Science Fiction Stories of Transgender and Nonbinary Adventurers, but then again, I don’t have to, because someone else did and I get to reveal the cover today! Trans-Galactic Bike Ride: Feminist Bicycle Science Fiction Stories of Transgender and Nonbinary Adventurersis edited by…

[caribeandthebooks]

September 2024 Reading Wrap Up

I read 2 books and got 4 kindle challenge achievements this month!

Now let's look at the breakdown :)

Reading Challenge Progress: I committed to reading 30 books in 2024 so currently I'm ahead by 2 books!

Top Genre read as at September 2024: Fantasy

My first read for September and Book #23 was Hamlet, Prince of Robots by M. Darusha Wehm Rating: 1.5/5

The drama in this is quite entertaining when I don't take the IT/cybernetics phrases seriously. I feel as if the ending crept up on the author and their team because it all suddenly got wonky but I guess that happens sometimes with short books.

Hamlet Price of Robots helped me obtain the Gold Reader achievement in the 2024 Kindle Summer Challenge.

Book #24 was Emergency Skin by N.K. Jemisin Rating: 3.5/5

I needed a really short book to complete the Quartet Reader achievement because my time has not been my own this month. The Forward series has been on my radar for a while and I love me some N.K. Jemisin so I did the right thing and picked it up. This book does what it says on the tin. I liked that this was a different kind of first person POV than I normally see. Got the job done so it's a win for me

Emergency Skin helped me obtain the National eBook Day & Quartet Reader achievements in the 2024 Kindle Summer Challenge.

I have 4 more books to complete to get to my goal of 30 books this year and a whole quarter left. Time to get into those samples and prepare for next year.

On the topic samples; I earned (while reading samples) the 15th achievement of 15, aptly named Last Chapter, in the 2024 Kindle Summer Challenge.

....

And that's it!

See you next month but in the meantime, what have you been reading?

[ktliterary]

Happy Book Birthday to THE QUBIT ZIRCONIUM by M. Darusha Wehm!

Please join us in congratulating M. Darusha Wehm on the release of THE QUBIT ZIRCONIUM, this fun science/fantasy mystery following odd couple Wibble and Plimplz of the Keyforge universe.

About the book:

Alien detectives stumble across a mystery that could tear apart their patchwork planet, the Crucible, in this riotous science fantasy novel from the smash hit game, KeyForge.

Wibble & Pplimz, the Crucible’s most unusual private investigators, must set off from their office in Hub City to clear the name of a former client. Along the way, their investigation broadens from a simple accusation of theft to include a missing person, a potential murder, and a highly unusual gem. Four interlinking incidents take them across the Crucible, as they attempt to solve the case. But there’s something more sinister lurking underneath: evidence of a secret society that aims to discover the power of the Architects, and forever change the nature of the Crucible itself.

Purchase from Bookshop here. 

And see more from Darusha on their website.

Say hi and congratulate Darusha on Twitter @darusha.

Happy Book Birthday to THE QUBIT ZIRCONIUM by M. Darusha Wehm! was originally published on kt literary

[therogerclarkfanclub]

★ Roger's Audiobooks (M—P) ★

UPDATED: May 28, 2024

If Audible isn't your thing, Roger's audiobooks can also be found at these other sites but selection varies from site to site:

Apple Books ☆ Audible ☆ Audiobooks.com ☆ AudioBooksNow.com ☆ AudiobookStore.com ☆ Barnes & Noble ☆ Binge Books ☆ Books-a-Million ☆ Chirp Books ☆ Downpour ☆ Everand ☆ Google Play ☆ Hoopla ☆ Libro.fm ☆ Overdrive + Libby ☆ Rakuten Kobo ☆

Links to more of Roger's Audiobooks:

A-D ☆ E-H ☆ I-L ☆ M-P ☆ Q-T ☆ U-Z

--------------------⋆⋅⋆⋅☆⋅⋆⋅⋆--------------------

• Magic of the Celtic Otherworld: Irish History, Lore & Rituals by Steve Blamires

• Many Worlds: Or, the Simulacra by Rebekah Bergman, Justin C. Key, Darkly Lem, M. Darusha Wehm, and others

• Master of the Day of Judgment: A Novel by Leo Perutz

• Meeting the Other Crowd: The Fairy Stories of Hidden Ireland by Eddie Lenihan, Carolyn Eve Green

• Mindfulness in Action: Making Friends with Yourself through Meditation and Everyday Awareness by Chögyam Trungpa

• The Mist-Filled Path: Celtic Wisdom for Exiles, Wanderers, and Seekers by Frank MacEowen, Tom Cowan (foreword)

• The Myth of Freedom and the Way of Meditation by Chögyam Trungpa, Marvin Casper, John Baker (Editor), Pema Chödrön (Foreword)

• A New Ireland: How Europe's Most Conservative Country Became Its Most Liberal by Niall O'Dowd

• The Nine Lives of Pakistan: Dispatches from a Precarious State by Declan Walsh

• No Greater Ally: The Untold Story of Poland’s Forces in World War II by Kenneth K. Koskodan

• Northern Ireland: A Very Short Introduction, 2nd Edition by Marc Mulholland

• Northern Ireland: The Fragile Peace by Feargal Cochrane

• On a Knife’s Edge: The Ukraine, November 1942–March 1943 by Prit Buttar

• One-Armed Beast Hunter by E.M. Hardy

• One-Armed Beast Hunter 2 by E.M. Hardy

• Peace, Love, and Petrol Bombs by D.D. Johnston

• Philosophical Method: A Very Short Introduction by Timothy Williamson

··································⋆⋅⋆⋅☆⋅⋆⋅⋆··································

BOOK SERIES: "The Pirate Wolves" by Marsha Canham • Across a Moonlit Sea (Vol. #1) • The Iron Rose (Vol. #2) • The Following Sea (Vol. #3) • The Far Horizon (Vol. #4)

··································⋆⋅���⋅☆⋅⋆⋅⋆··································

• Poetry: A Very Short Introduction by Bernard O'Donoghue

• Present at a Hanging and Other Ghost Stories by Ambrose Bierce [ A special Halloween project done in October 2021 with several other actors in the gaming industry to benefit St Jude Children's Hospital. Currently off the market. ]

[paperbookteacat-blog]

Quick Bite: The Voyage of the White Cloud by M. Darusha Wehm

#amreading The Voyage of the White Cloud by @darusha. An amazing story. I felt so much and felt so seen! 😍 #booklove #bookblogging #bookbloggers #diversebooks #diversebookblogging

Hi all! Welcome to this Quick Bite, this will be a short review of the novel The Voyage of the White Cloud by M. Darusha Wehm.

Cover: The Voyage of the White Cloud by M. Darusha Wehm – A spaceship flies among the stars.

Can home be a place you’ve never been, a place no one has ever been?

The White Cloud is the most audacious experiment the human species has ever undertaken—to search for a new…