Book Review: Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal
Kowal won a Hugo for this novel, and it was well deserved. When I read the blurb, I thought of Hidden Figures – the true story of women who worked, unseen, in the space program. Unseen because of both their race and their sex. There are similarities, but Kowal’s work is original and unique, and…Read More
Book Review: Consilience (and the Latest SPARK News)
A couple weeks ago, Tim Ferriss had Michael Mauboussin on his show. Among many other topics, they discussed the concept of consilience. When Mauboussin mentioned E.O. Wilson’s book as a great place to learn more, I bought it. This is a book that explores the idea of bringing together knowledge from different fields of study…Read More
Book Review: Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie
Another strong book from the Hugo Awards list. The concept: In the distant future, AIs run space stations and ships. They also get their grimy little electronic mitts into people by way of implants. The Radch are essentially a human empire, run by the Lord of the Radch. She has many clones, but with the…Read More
Book Review: Rainbows End by Vernor Vine
I picked up Vinge’s book because it won a Hugo. It was time well spent. Rainbows End tells a compelling story in a world filled with advanced technology. It is a story about a man who lost everything due to Alzheimer’s disease, and he gets a chance to reclaim his life in a world where…Read More
Book Review: Blackout by Connie Willis
Bottom line up front: If you like strong characters and science in your science fiction, you can safely skip this one. Details: I picked up Blackout because it, along with its duology partner, All Clear, somehow won a Hugo Award. I really wanted it to be good. That hope kept me turning pages. In the…Read More
Book Review: Live Forever?
In “Lifespan: Why We Age and Why We Don’t Have To,” David A. Sinclair presents a fascinating and thought-provoking look into the latest scientific research on aging and longevity. Sinclair is the real deal. He’s got his own lab at Harvard Med School and is a leading researcher in the field of aging, presents a…Read More
Book Review: The Yochni’s Eye by Abigail Morrison
Six hundred years is a long time. Longer if you’re not the winners of the most recent blink of the Yochni’s Eye. Imagine a world where, once every six hundred years, a super-being blinks, and in doing so, grants the wish of the champion who made it there in time for the blink. What could…Read More
Book Review: The Yiddish Policeman’s Union by Michael Chabon
Chabon is a master. His descriptions give you a sense of setting and characters so well that I feel I would recognize the book’s primary cast if I met them on the street. He makes you care deeply about them even when you disagree with their actions and life choices. The first Chabon I read…Read More
Book Review: A Door into Evermore by Kent Wayne
I don’t remember how A Door into Evermore found its way into my reading stack. It sat there, electronically neglected, for quite some time. That’s one of the issues I have with eBooks – they are far too patient and easy to forget. An actual print book sits on your nightstand, silently condemning you every…Read More
Book Review: The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson
Kim Stanley Robinson can write. No doubt about it. So, when I picked up the Hugo Award Winning, The Years of Rice and Salt, I knew I was in for a treat. Robinson’s tale is of history reimagined. The characters are interesting, and the perspectives are fun at times. It’s just that the book gets,…Read More