My July 2025 round-up has links to last month's book reviews, all of my final round #SPSFC4 reviews (including the ultimate winner!), and a backlist-heavy short fiction section. Turns out stories still getting recommended years later are disproportionately great! www.tarvolon.com/2025/08/07/j...
So that wraps up the #SPSFC4.
Being a judge has been an honor, and an eye-opening experience.
I'm going to put together my thoughts for a blog post in sometime in the fall.
Till then congrats to the winner and great job to all the finalists.
Everyone who entered should take pride in their work.
Stay tuned for #SPSFC4 news!
Unless I'm wrong, the #spsfc4 announcement is today. After most of a year, we'll finally have a winner!
I'm trying not to get my hopes up. I've seen the reviews and I think I know who's winning (not Bisection). But I still have a chance at second or third 🫣
Team Tar Vol On’s final review of #SPSFC4 is a queer hope/cyberpunk romantic sci-fi: Yours Celestially by Al Hess www.tarvolon.com/2025/08/05/s...
Team Tar Vol On’s penultimate #SPSFC4 review is a post-apocalyptic first contact novel: Saint Elspeth by Wick Welker www.tarvolon.com/2025/08/04/s...
Team Tar Vol On is ready with the first of our final three #SPSFC4 finalist reviews, the female-led space opera Whiskey and Warfare by E.M. Hamill www.tarvolon.com/2025/08/03/s...
My long review of Saint Elspeth by Wick Welker is now at the blog here: garik16.blogspot.com/2025/07/scif...
3/3 📚💙
#SPSFC4
SciFi/Fantasy Book Review: Saint Elspeth by Wick Welker: www.goodreads.com/book/show/19...
Short Review: 6.5 out of 10 - A #SPSFC4 finalist featuring a world where humanity responded to non-responding alien visitors by blowing up the world and the only Doctor in the rebuilding San Fran...
1/3 📚💙
My Long Review of Yours Celestially by Al Hess is now up at the blog here: garik16.blogspot.com/2025/07/scif...
This book is an #SPSFC4 finalist and this review underlines my judging score.
3/3 📚💙
Book 24 Completed: Saint Elspeth by Wick Welker: Another #SPSFC4 finalist, this one a post-apoc story featuring a doctor trying to figure out what dying aliens are trying to say before the world is once again torn apart by men. Decently written, but overly cynical and dark the point of irritation.
SciFi/Fantasy Book Review: Whiskey and Warfare by EM Hamill www.goodreads.com/en/book/show...
Short Review: 7.5/10 -A #SPSFC4 finalist with a terrible title, this book is actually a really fun and well done MilSci novel dealing with middle age and disabled femme heroines as a group of...
1/3
💙📚
Got a review up of the queer hopepunk sci-fi Yours Celestially by Al Hess, a finalist in #SPSFC4 www.tarvolon.com/2025/07/27/s...
Book 22 Completed: Whiskey and Warfare by Em Hamill: A #SPSFC4 Finalist, this novel features a quartet of older femme ex mercs, as they get back together after tragedy and get caught up in stopping a corporate-aided genocide. Enjoyable with strong rep for older and disabled characters.
This is the formula for DNFs I've forged from reading for #SPSFC4 judging. The tough part is when you have to finish those books you'd like to DNF. Reading a bad book is hard work.
Three of my team’s #SPSFC4 semifinalist reviews have been upgraded to finalist reviews!
#SPSFC4 has arrived at our 6 finalists. There's an excellent mix of SF books here & I feel that a number of readers will find at least 1 book they'd enjoy.
waiting 4 a new tablet to arrive so I can write reviews without going blind.
#selfpublished #Sci-fi #booksky💙🪐 #pukapuka 🇳🇿💙🪐
As a judge for #SPSFC4, I was lucky enough to read 3 of these six finalists. All three were solid entries and I'd recommend them to any #SciFi fans. Now I have to read the other three before we choose a winner.
Another #SPSFC4 semifinalist review, Bisection by Sheila Jenné #SPSFC
www.tarvolon.com/2025/06/02/s...
Today’s #SPSFC4 semifinalist review is the space thriller On Impulse by Heather Texle #SPSFC www.tarvolon.com/2025/06/01/s...
My #SPSFC4 team has our first review of the semifinals: Proliferation by Erik A. Otto www.tarvolon.com/2025/05/31/s... #SPSFC
I’ve got another #SPSFC4 review ready to go: Bisection by Sheila Jenné www.tarvolon.com/2025/05/29/s...
Got an #SPSFC4 review up, the noir-styled cyberpunk thriller Accidental Intelligence by Bryan Chaffin www.tarvolon.com/2025/05/27/s...
My review for A Swift and Sudden Exit by Nicola Vicente #SPSFC4 #SPSFC - team Space Girls
www.goodreads.com/book/show/20...
One of the things I've started tracking since being a judge for #SPSFC4 is what keeps me reading. At the halfway point I ask myself, "What is it in this book that makes me want to finish? Anything? Plot points? Mysteries? Characters? Do I need to see how x, y, or z ends?"
God, this is useful!
Reviewed a fun, fast-paced sci-fi thriller that's an #SPSFC4 semifinalist www.tarvolon.com/2025/04/27/s...
My Long Review of Accidental Intelligence by Bryan Chaffin is up at the blog here: garik16.blogspot.com/2025/04/scif...
3/3 💙📚 #SPSFC4
