science fiction Archives

Bioluminescent alien octopus and advanced spacecraft orbiting a vast blue ocean planet, inspired by the science fiction novel Children of Ruin by Adrian Tchaikovsky.

Children of Ruin (Children of Time #2) by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Exploring Alien Intelligence I loved Children of Time so much that picking up the sequel, Children of Ruin, was a no-brainer. This second[…]

A retro-style sci-fi illustration of a massive alien stone fortress floating in unspace, glowing with energy as a lone spacecraft approaches amid a swirling cosmic entity.

Lords of Uncreation (The Final Architecture #3) by Adrian Tchaikovskyv

Clay | January 23

Lords of Uncreation Review: A Fitting End to the Final Architecture? Lords of Uncreation is the final book in Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Final Architecture[…]

Elegant “ClayReads Book Awards” featured image with gold serif lettering on a dark theater backdrop, framed by curtains and subtle confetti, with stacks of books, a small gold trophy statue, reading glasses on an open book, and a Roman helmet beside an hourglass and quill.

2025 in Review: The ClayReads Book Awards

Clay | January 9

2025 in Review: The ClayReads Book Awards I read 72 books in 2025. That is 3 books short of my 2024 total, but[…]

Armored SecUnit “Murderbot” with a glowing red visor stands guard on a rugged alien world during a dangerous planetary survey.

All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries, #1) by Martha Wells

Clay | January 2

All Systems Red Review: I Finally Caved and Read Murderbot My mother has been begging me to read The Murderbot Diaries for years.[…]

A lone figure stands on the jagged lava fields of Criccieth’s Hell, staring up at a blazing eclipse-like Eye burning in the smoke-filled sky.

Eyes of the Void (The Final Architecture #2) by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Clay | December 19

Eyes of the Void Review: The Stakes Get Higher in Tchaikovsky’s Sequel Shards of Earth left me wanting more of Idris Telemmier, Solace,[…]

Astronaut in a bulky spacesuit stands in a blizzard on a dark alien ice planet, facing a glowing domed research habitat as jagged knife-like towers tilt from the snow.

Ghost Station by S.A. Barnes

Clay | December 5

Ghost Station Book Review: The Perfect Sci-Fi Horror for Fall Ghost Station by S. A. Barnes was exactly the book I was looking[…]

A woman stands alone in a dim, teal-lit control room on a decaying space barge, watching flickering monitors that show a crawling human figure, a ghostly boy’s hologram, and a corridor lined with shadowy cryo pods, inspired by the space-horror novel Cold Eternity by S.A. Barnes.

Cold Eternity by S.A. Barnes

Clay | November 21

A Claustrophobic Space Thriller As I stated in my Dead Silence review, I wanted to read a glut of thrillers that verge on[…]

Illustrated open book with scenes of mystery, sci-fi, and growth emerging from its pages, symbolizing September reading wrap-up.

September Reads Wrap Up

Clay | October 3

September Reads Wrap Up September was a huge reading month for me, with ten books finished! I bounced between classic thrillers, sci-fi horror,[…]

Derelict starliner ballroom with bodies; through a cracked window, a starfield and a small salvage ship approach.

Dead Silence by S.A. Barnes

Clay | September 26

Dead Silence by S.A. Barnes It is September, and I am struck by the mood for thrillers that verge on the horror side[…]

A colossal crystalline alien structure looms over an Earth-like planet as fleets of human warships unleash bright laser fire against it in the depths of space.

Shards of Earth by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Clay | August 15

Shards of Earth by Adrian Tchaikovsky Imagine Firefly colliding with a galaxy-sized mystery that could end humanity and that’s the energy of Shards[…]