Author Archives: Barbara Howe

A Memory Called Empire

Posted on 24 July 2020 by Barbara Howe

Lsel Station is a mining colony tucked into a Lagrange point near a metal-rich planet—a tiny, independent entity on the edge of the interstellar Teixcalaanli Empire. When a warship arrives at Lsel Station requesting—er, demanding—a new ambassador, without giving any … Continue reading →

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Provenance

Posted on 11 July 2020 by Barbara Howe

Ingray Aughskold is an insecure, needy kid. Well, not a kid, exactly. She’s in her twenties, with a good job on her home planet Hwae, but her politically powerful mother has encouraged competition between her foster children: Danach, the son … Continue reading →

Posted in Space Opera | Leave a comment

Moo

Posted on 26 June 2020 by Barbara Howe

I first read Jane Smiley’s Moo years ago, but on randomly picking it off my shelf recently, found it still an enjoyable story. Moo is a humorous look at life in an agricultural university in the American Midwest, part soap … Continue reading →

Posted in Modern literary fiction | Leave a comment

Longitude

Posted on 14 June 2020 by Barbara Howe

On a ship at sea, out of sight of land, how do you know where you are? These days it’s easy: check your GPS device and it will tell you, to within a few meters. But before the technological leaps … Continue reading →

Posted in History (non-fiction), Science (non-fiction) | Leave a comment

Taking Care of My Extended Family

Posted on 31 May 2020 by Barbara Howe

When I started this blog, I meant for it to be non-political. Advice I’ve read said don’t antagonise potential readers. That seems like good sense, and I’m not by nature confrontational. But now… Some things are just too important to … Continue reading →

Posted in A Writer's Life | Leave a comment

The Essex Serpent

Posted on 23 May 2020 by Barbara Howe

Early in 1893, new widow Cora Seaborne escapes from London for a quieter life on the Essex shore. She isn’t grieving; her marriage was not a happy one. She is instead enjoying her new freedom to do as she pleases, … Continue reading →

Posted in Historical Fiction | Leave a comment

Short Takes on a Trio by New Zealand Authors

Posted on 8 May 2020 by Barbara Howe

Aftershocks (Earthcore Book 3) by Grace Bridges Aftershocks is a fine addition to the Earthcore series, with a more interesting conflict than the earlier books (RotoVegas and Volcano City). Anira Fraser—the leader of the Earthcore team, when her mind isn’t … Continue reading →

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NZ Writers Read

Posted on 28 April 2020 by Barbara Howe

Did you know that the New Zealand Society of Authors has its own youtube channel featuring New Zealand writers reading excerpts from their works? What a great way to sample a variety of styles and voices in a time when … Continue reading →

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Deltora Quest

Posted on 25 April 2020 by Barbara Howe

Most of the children’s books I’ve blogged about are ones I read to my daughter. The Deltora Quest series, by Australian author Emily Rodda, is an outlier. My daughter discovered it for herself and read the entire series as a … Continue reading →

Posted in Children's Fiction, Epic Fantasy, Noblebright Fantasy | 2 Comments

Temeraire

Posted on 11 April 2020 by Barbara Howe

A British ship has just captured a French vessel after an unusually hard-fought battle. Captain Will Laurence is at first contemptuous of the French captain for risking men’s lives by refusing to surrender long after it becomes obvious they are … Continue reading →

Posted in Fantasy | 1 Comment