Reviews

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Falldog’s Sci-Fi Novel Rankings – July 2024 Edition

To wrap up 2018 I wanted to share a something I’ve been working on over the past year, my list of top Sci-Fi novels (slash series where applicable).

First off, let me state that this list is a terrible, awful, no good, bad idea. No matter what order I would put these in there will always be someone who disagrees. That’s totally okay, there are parts of this list that I may disagree with myself depending what lenses I’m looking through. There’s so much going on in the science fiction genre that trying to compare and sort by best is like trying to compare apples and oranges. How do you compare ground breaking works that introduced new concepts well ahead of any real world implementation against enjoyable, albeit unimaginative, military sci-fi serials? What about series with four plus novels that dip and rise in quality depending on what’s going on? Or even works elevated beyond written form by fantastic audio book narration? The short answer is you can’t, not realistically at least. read more

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Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 (Episodes 1-12) Review

SPOILER-FREE SYNOPSIS: In the year 2045, sustainable warfare has made an even wider gap between the haves and the have-nots in certain areas of the world. Motoko Kusanagi, Batou, and other former Section 9 members are now GHOST, a PMC that cleans up messes in the U.S., but have found themselves entangled in a bigger plot. So-called “post-humans” threaten the world order, and Section 9 is revived in Japan, at the behest of the newest Prime Minister. But is the Prime Minister just a puppet for the American government? And is there more to these post-humans than just superhuman monsters? The gang’s all back to brain dive into a brand new series by Kenji Kamiyama and Shinji Aramaki! read more

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Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These Episode 24 Review (SEASON FINALE)

Episode 24, “My Friend”

*****SPOILERS*****

Synopsis: Peace has returned to the Free Planets Alliance. However, Yang Wen-li has his doubts as to the nation he’s saved, and its leader, Job Trunicht. Yang is surprised when he hears Imperial Admiral Merkatz has defected, and plans to take him at his word. Trunicht and his inner circle discuss what to do with a reluctant Yang, but he has no fear and leaves it be for the moment. Reinhard, now recognized as a duke, and de facto in charge of the Empire, visits Siegfried Kircheis’ grave on Odin, while Yang visits the graves of Jean-Robert Lapp and Jessica Edwards on  Heinessen. But meanwhile, on Earth, the cult of Terra waits to see if their machinations pay off. read more

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Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These Episode 23 Review

Episode 23, “Farewell to the Days of Old”

*****SPOILERS*****

Synopsis: Reinhard is presented with the war prisoners at Geiersburg. Farenheit is brought into his fold. Ansbach makes an attempt on Reinhard’s life, but misses, and fatally injures Kircheis in the struggle, then commits suicide. Reinhard is devestated by the loss of his dear friend, seeing and talking to nobody for several days. Oberstein contacts Annerose in an attempt to stir his superior from his seclusion, which works. Meanwhile, Minister of State, Lichtenlade, is taken into custody to prevent his schemes into stopping Reinhard’s rise to power. read more

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Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These Episode 22 Review

Episode 22, “The Fall of Goldenbaum”

*****SPOILERS*****

Synopsis:  Kircheis confronts Reinhard over the Westerland Incident and the latter’s allowing it to happen. This creates a small rift between the two as Lohengramm’s forces close in on the nobles. Said nobles, meanwhile, are dwindling after failures in battle and bad publicity. Flagel is determined to challenge an admiral one-on-one and is rejected by Reinhard’s men. He is ultimately killed by his own subordinates after refusing to listen. Admiral Merkatz’s own subordinate saves him from a suicide attempt and suggests he defect to the Free Planets Alliance instead. And Prince Braunschweig’s assistant, Ansbach, forces him to die by poison to go out with dignity. Geiersburg Fortress is occupied by the new power in the Empire. read more

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Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These Episode 21 Review

Episode 21, “Victory For Who’s Sake?”

*****SPOILERS*****

Synopsis:  The last obstacle between Heinessen and the Yang Fleet are the twelve defense satellites that circle the planet, Artemis’ Necklace. First, Yang has Bagdash announce that the coup on the FPA government was orchestrated by Reinhard von Lohengramm. This astonishes and angers the National Salvation Council, but Real Admiral Lynch admits it’s true. At this point, Yang destroys the satellites with propelled masses of ice that shatter them. Lynch kills Admiral Greenhill and is, in turn, killed by Greenhill’s subordinate. The coup is over. Frederica mourns the loss of her father. Order is restored to Heinessen and Job Trunicht reemerges, in care of the Earth cultists. On Phezzan, Adrian Rubinsky assigns Boris Konev to spy on Yang Wenli.   read more

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Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These Episode 20 Review

Episode 20, “Tragedy”

*****SPOILERS*****

Synopsis: Kircheis, Lutz, and Walen engage the Littenheim Fleet in battle. Littenheim fires at his own supply ships when they block his escape, leading some to defect. One soldier kills Marquis Littenheim and damages Garmisch Fortress, giving Kircheis an easy victory. Reinhard lures Braunschweig and the nobles’ forces into a trap and they are just barely saved by Admiral Merkatz. Following this, Braunschweig, enraged that one of his territories has begun to rebel, orders the bombing of the planet. Reinhard receives word of this ahead of time, but is convinced by Oberstein to allow it in order to show the high nobles’ true colors to the public. After the attack is carried out, Kircheis recieves word of Reinhard’s forknowledge and worries. read more

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Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These Episode 19 Review

Episode 19, “The Battle of the Doria Starzone”

*****SPOILERS*****

Synopsis:  After taking control of the rebel-controlled planet Shamploo, the Yang Fleet engages the 11th Fleet in the Doria Starzone. Yang repeatedly requests their surrender, but Admiral Legrange is stubborn, and their fleet is eventually all but wiped out. Legrange shoots himself instead of surrendering and the battle is over. Yang accepts National Salvation Council spy Bagdash’s genuine offer to work for him now that the 11th Fleet is defeated, but Julian doesn’t trust him. On Heinessen, Jessica Edwards organizes a massive protest against the coup which is violently put down by the military. read more

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Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These Episode 18 Review

Episode 18, “Bloodshed in Space”

*****SPOILERS*****

Synopsis:  The boyar nobles, who have made Geiersburg Fortress their base of operations, launch their forces against Reinhard’s. However, their strategy is flawed, and Wolfgang Mittermeyer is able to chase them off to Retenberg Fortress. From there, Mittermeyer and Oskar von Reuenthal’s forces engage armored troops in a corridor in armed combat. Leading the Lippstadt forces’ armored division is Ovlesser, an enormous brute, who Mittermeyer and von Reuenthal lure into a trap. Reinhard, on the advice of Oberstein, returns Ovlesser to Geiersburg, where he’s executed in suspicion of treason. Oberstein’s plan to throw the nobles into a state of uneasiness is a success. read more

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Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These Episode 17 Review

Episode 17, “The Yang Fleet Mobilizes”

*****SPOILERS*****

Synopsis:  After an assassination attempt on Admiral Cubersly by Andrew Falk, it appears that rogue elements in the FPA military are ready to foment rebellions. Yang is ordered to put down revolts on several FPA planets, but before he can, there’s a coup on Heinessen. The National Salvation Military Council, led by Dwight Greenhill, takes control of the government and military, even taking Admiral Bewcock into custody. Despite her connection to the ringleader, Frederica is surprised to learn that Yang still values her participation. The Yang Fleet disembarks from Iserlohn Fortress to fight the insurrectionists. read more

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