Science Fiction Archives - A Literary Escape

We Burned So Bright by T.J. Klune

Published on August 24, 2026August 25, 2026 by Celeste10 Comments

Today’s review is about WE BURNED SO BRIGHT by T.J. Klune. It’s a standalone novella in which a black hole is about to destroy Earth. The end of the world is the impetus Rodney and Don need to travel cross country to finally do something they put off for years. There are quite a few content warnings for this one, so check them out. That said, I loved this book, as much as one can when it’s about the end of the world.

Author: T.J. Klune
Series: None
Age Category: Adult
Publisher: Tor Books
Publish Date: April 28, 2026
Print Length: 176

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The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances by Glenn Dixon

Published on May 4, 2026May 17, 2026 by Celeste8 Comments

Today’s review is about THE INFINITE SADNESS OF SMALL APPLIANCES by Glenn Dixon. It’s a standalone short novel in which appliances are sentient in the near future. Here, a Roomba embarks on a mission to keep her humans from being kicked out of their house by the omnipresent Grid.

Author: Glenn Dixon
Series: None
Age Category: Adult
Publisher: Atria Books
Publish Date: April 07, 2026
Print Length: 224

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The Stars Too Fondly by Emily Hamilton

Published on April 20, 2026April 19, 2026 by Celeste3 Comments

Today’s review is about THE STARS TOO FONDLY by Emily Hamilton. It’s a standalone sci-fi romance set in the near future of Earth. Cleo and her friends creep onto the abandoned Providence ship and accidentally end up on a space journey. Along the way they figure out what happened to the crew that vanished 20 years prior.

Author: Emily Hamilton
Series: None
Age Category: Adult
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Publish Date: June 11, 2024
Print Length: 336

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SFINCS Review: Once We Flew by Nikky Lee

Published on February 23, 2025February 23, 2025 by Celeste2 Comments

Today’s review is about ONCE WE FLEW by Nikky Lee. It’s a standalone science fiction novella in which humans have crashed on a desert planet with no way back home.

This review is brought to you by my participation in the Speculative Fiction Indie Novella Championship (SFINCS). SFINCS, pronounced “sphinx”, is a yearly competition to recognize, honor, and celebrate the talent and creativity present in the indie community. It’s a sister competition to both SPFBO and SPSFC, and it highlights greatness in the novella format in all areas of speculative fiction (fantasy, science fiction, horror, etc.). I am part of Team Behind the Musings. You can find out more about us here.

Author: Nikky Lee
Series: None
Age Category: Adult
Publisher: Caelestis Books
Publish Date: November 14, 2023
Print Length: 108
Purchase: Amazon

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SFINCS Review: A Princess of Oldir by Bryan Wilson

Published on November 22, 2024November 17, 2024 by Celeste1 Comment

Today’s review is about A PRINCESS OF OLDIR by Bryan Wilson. It’s part of the Power of the Stars series, but easily reads as a standalone. This sci-fi novella is about a ruling family losing power and a neighboring planet taking advantage of the situation. I found this reminiscent of Dune.

Author: Bryan Wilson
Series: Power of the Stars, #2.5
Age Category: Adult
Publisher: Self-Published
Publish Date: July 30, 2024
Print Length: 93
Purchase: Amazon

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