Fly through John Varley’s future-flung universe

It occurred to me as I read through John Varley’s various visions of the future in his short stories that the best new voices are the old voices. All 18 stories in The John Varley Reader: Thirty Years of Short Fiction brilliantly look forward into worlds of possibilities in science and technology that are only […]

You’ll fall for Venice in John Berendt’s decadent “The City of Falling Angels”

The City of Falling Angels. I mused at the title and turned the book over in my hands several times. It was an intriguing title, and then I noticed the author, John Berendt, who had written the lovely and enticing, wicked and clever Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. With that, I went […]

“Number Devil” and “Unknown Quantity” present mathematics as flight of fantasy

When does mathematics become a flight of imagination where a prime number is called prima donna, a square root transforms to rutabaga and Pascal’s Triangle becomes a number triangle? It all happens in the Number Devil: A Mathematical Adventure, cleverly and lightly penned by Hans Magnus Enzensberger. The author writes simply and provides exquisite examples […]

“Why Aren’t More Women in Science?” explores fairness and the fairer sex

Why Aren’t More Women in Science?: Top Researchers Debate the Evidence—it’s a really great question and a really great title for a book in which “top researchers debate the evidence.” Two editors, Stephen J. Ceci and Wendy M. Williams, compiled 15 very different essays, wherein authors attempted to sort fact from fiction in discussing just […]

“Tamar” depicts life in World War II’s grim shadow

Set in England and Holland, and shifting between the close of World War II and the present day, Tamar: A Novel of Espionage, Passion, and Betrayal is a careful, restrained, young-adult novel of the resistance and Nazi occupation, framed by a connected subplot of discovery in modern England. Mal Peet’s writing is crisp and distinctive; […]

“The Ghost Map” leads readers through London’s cholera epidemic

In a well-integrated blend of history, biography, and scientific discussion, author Steven Johnson recounts the search for the causes and cure of a specific disease: cholera. His book, The Ghost Map: The Story of London’s Most Terrifying Epidemic—and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World, clearly presents the impacts of disease upon society, […]

“Old Man’s War” packs one hard punch

In Old Man’s War, author John Scalzi uses forceful, direct, blunt, and exceedingly clear voice to introduce a refreshing view of intergalatic conflict and a cast of lively, aging, intelligent, and distinctive recruited foot soldiers. The elderly and exceedingly practical natural leader, John Perry—who narrates in first person—signs on for the Colonial Defense Forces on […]

Journey to imagined worlds in classic science fiction series

I’ve been reading science fiction since about the age of 13, and in 40 years have seen no reason to cease. There are the classics and the neoclassics, and despite the moaning of purists that the golden age is behind us, there are still many works of merit. For this review, I’ve included a classic […]

Track down classic, time-tested mystery stories

There are some mystery authors who withstand the test of time: Their works remain ageless despite the modern technical inventions of cell phones, boom boxes, and personal computers. The mysteries I feature below are short story collections, although at least two of the authors are known for their full-length tales. I prefer the short […]

Weather the winter with books … and coffee

In keeping with my winter hibernate-and-read plan, I have more books stacked everywhere that require my immediate attention. Some were purchased last year, some this year—some on whim, some after much deliberation—but all are appealing in their ability to convey information of interest. They entice and whisper “come hither, come hither, my child.” And I […]