Book Review: The Science Fiction Fanzine Reader: Focal Points 1930–1960 edited by Luis Ortiz

Cover of the book The Science Fiction Fanzine Reader: Focal Points 1930–1960 edited by Luis Ortiz — *The Science Fiction Fanzine Reader: Focal Points 1930–1960*
edited by Luis Ortiz
IPG/Nonstop, 2019

This review was first published by Booklist on March 15, 2019.

The Science Fiction Fanzine Reader offers a fascinating look into the culture of early science fiction fandom during its first three decades. Given the cheap and ephemeral nature of these fanzines, this book is the culmination of a remarkable research project by Ortiz (Emshwiller, 2007). He collects dozens of articles, editorials, letters, and commentary written by sf fans between 1930 and 1960, as well as a handful of pieces where fans reflect back on their early days in fandom. It’s an engrossing glimpse into the mindset of sf readers in the middle of the twentieth century. This isn’t a straight history—readers need to have a solid knowledge of the history of science fiction and fandom in order to get the most out of it. The selections don’t seem to be in any order—they’re not grouped by theme or chronologically, which obscures broader patterns within the history of fanzines. Still, this book is for committed historians of the sf genre.

Book Review: Reader, Come Home: The Reading Brain in a Digital World by Maryanne Wolf

I picked up this book expecting an exploration of the neuroscience and physiology of the effects of reading on the brain, and how reading in print and digital formats differ. I got that, and so much more.

Wolf presents a balanced account of the different effects of different mediums, both negative and positive, and how we might use this knowledge to do better for our children and ourselves. It’s a welcome perspective.

It’s also a deeply humanist and moral meditation of the capacities of the human mind and the importance of storytelling. It’s a clarion call to fulfill the responsibility we all bear toward our fellow human beings and to the future. This is a work of tremendous empathy and passion.

It may well be one of the most important works of our age.

Continue reading “Book Review: Reader, Come Home: The Reading Brain in a Digital World by Maryanne Wolf” →

Book Review: We Are Mayhem by Michael Moreci

Cover of the book We Are Mayhem by Michael Moreci — *We Are Mayhem*
by Michael Moreci
St. Martin’s, 2019

This review was first published by Booklist on March 1, 2019.

Moreci’s second novel in his Black Star Renegades series (Black Star Renegades, 2018) is even more compelling than its predecessor: action packed and funny, with more emotional resonance. We Are Mayhem deepens established characters’ relationships and explores how they inhabit their world. The narrative follows two alternating story lines—Cade, searching for answers to help him control the Rokura, and Kira, leading the rebellion against Praxis. Each chapter ends with a cliff-hanger, and there are several surprise reveals and an unexpected ending. Though occasionally the novelty of Moreci’s characters and ideas outpace his unsophisticated writing style, readers who are hooked will be eager for the next installment.

Book Review: Titanshade by Dan Stout

Cover of the book Titanshade by Dan Stout — *Titanshade*
by Dan Stout
DAW, 2019

This review was first published by Booklist on March 1, 2019.

**STARRED REVIEW** Titanshade is a city running out of oil, and there’s a scramble to find alternative energy sources. When a delegate central to delicate negotiations is brutally murdered, it threatens to upend the future of the city. But no one knows who wanted the delegate dead or why, and a disgraced cop must descend into a complex underbelly of crime and political machinations to uncover the truth. What he discovers could cost him what he holds most dear. Titanshade is entirely unique: it’s a gritty noir murder mystery on an alien world with multiple species, a strange form of sorcery, a powerful religion, and large-scale political intrigue. And it’s set in the 1970s, with pay phones, 8-track tapes, racial tensions, and arguments about disco music. What’s amazing is how good it is at being all of these: the genuinely compelling mystery lives in a hugely original sf world and an immersive historical milieu. Moreover, debut novelist Stout is smart enough to let his characters live in this world without trying too hard to show it off. The setting just is, without effort, and that makes it eminently believable. This book should appeal equally to both sf fans and noir aficionados.

Book Review: Terminal Uprising by Jim C. Hines

Cover of the book Terminal Uprising by Jim C. Hines — *Terminal Uprising*
by Jim C. Hines
DAW, 2019

This review was first published by Booklist on January 18, 2019.

Terminal Uprising cements the reputation of the Janitors of the Post-Apocalypse as an exciting and rewarding series. The second entry (after Terminal Alliance, 2017) picks up four months after the end of the first. This time, Mops and crew are headed to Earth, the world of feral humans, and they’re accompanied by an unexpected ally. What they discover upends much of what they thought they knew about humanity’s downfall and could tip the balance in the war between Krakau and Prodryans. As always, their expertise in the custodial arts serves them well in unexpected ways. (Even better: librarians help save the day.) This book is plenty funny but less overtly jokey than the first one. The story is more interesting, and the character development is more multifaceted. Hines has grown confident in this world, and he continues to expand it in fascinating directions. The narrative takes a bit to establish momentum, but the latter half is quick and exciting. Overall, a strong edition to an excellent series that will appeal to fans of Becky Chambers.

This title has been recommended for young adult readers:

YA/General Interest: Humor and Hitchhiker’s Guide sensibilities make this series a good fit for sf-loving teens who aren’t put off by salty language.

2018: My Year in Reading

All of the data that follows was collected by me throughout the year using a combination of Google Sheets and Google Calendar. All seasonal and monthly calculations are based on the date each title was begun. Average days to read titles are based on the number of days actually spent reading each title, and not necessarily the full span from begun date to completed date.

A complete list of all the books I read in 2018 is at the bottom of this post.

For a list of my favorite books I read this year, go here >

For a list of my least favorite books of the year, go here >

I participated in #LibFaves18 on Twitter. See my selections here >

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Book Review: Midnight in Chernobyl: The Untold Story of the World’s Greatest Nuclear Disaster by Adam Higginbotham

Cover of the book Midnight in Chernobyl: The Untold Story of the World's Greatest Nuclear Disaster by Adam Higginbotham — *Midnight in Chernobyl: The Untold Story of the World’s Greatest Nuclear Disaster*
by Adam Higginbotham
Simon & Schuster, 2019

This review was first published by Booklist on January 1, 2019.

**STARRED REVIEW** Midnight in Chernobyl is a top-notch historical narrative: a tense, fast-paced, engrossing, and revelatory product of more than a decade of research. Higginbotham interviewed most of the surviving central participants in the disaster, examined volumes of newly declassified Soviet documents, and surveyed previous research and reportage. The result is a stunningly detailed account of the explosion of Reactor Four at the Chernobyl nuclear-power plant on April 26, 1986. It offers a brief history of the development of the Soviet nuclear-power program leading up to the construction of the plant at Chernobyl, a second-by-second account of the night of the accident, the confluence of causes, the evacuation of the surrounding countryside, the containment and cleanup efforts, and a deep dive into the aftermath: the medical and environmental consequences, the political machinations and missteps, the role Chernobyl played in the downfall of the USSR, and the effect it had on the pursuit of nuclear power worldwide. For all its wealth of information, the work never becomes overwhelming or difficult to follow. Higginbotham humanizes the tale, maintaining a focus on the people involved and the choices, both heroic and not, they made in unimaginable circumstances. This is an essential human tale with global consequences.

Book Review: Arkad’s World by James L. Cambias

Cover of the book Arkad's World by James L. Cambias — *Arkad’s World*
by James L. Cambias
Baen, 2019

This review was first published by Booklist on December 15, 2018.

Arkad is the only human on a world populated by aliens, his past a mystery. When other humans arrive, he seeks them out, determined to find a way off the planet to rejoin his own kind. Cambias (A Darkling Sea, 2014) has achieved a feat of world building: an expansive, believable setting with fascinating aliens, compelling mysteries, and a rich sense of history. The novel is a classic quest story, a well-paced series of encounters with different folk along the way, building momentum toward a final confrontation with Arkad’s past. Though the book is not without flaws, it does boast a rare instance of a deus ex machina that actually works, adding a delicious twist to the end.

This title has been recommended for young adult readers:

YA/Mature Readers: With a young adult protagonist, this will appeal to older teen readers who can handle the explicit references to sexual anatomy.

Book Review: Spacecraft: 100 Iconic Rockets, Shuttles, and Satellites That Put Us in Space by Michael H. Gorn

Cover of the book Spacecraft: 100 Iconic Rockets, Shuttles, and Satellites That Put Us in Space by Michael H. Gorn — *Spacecraft: 100 Iconic Rockets, Shuttles, and Satellites That Put Us in Space*
by Michael H. Gorn
Quarto/Voyageur, 2018

This review was first published by Booklist on December 1, 2018.

Spacecraft profiles 100 craft that are significant in the history of space exploration: rockets, orbiters, spaceplanes, landers, space stations, satellites, and exploratory craft from the U.S., Russia, Europe, China, and more recent private, corporate ventures into space flight. The articles offer thorough physical and technical descriptions of each craft, along with a history of its development and use. The book is organized into 3 main sections, each covering a 20-year span from 1957 through 2017. Articles are further organized by the type of craft, with each country’s being grouped together. It’s not a strictly chronological narrative, but it provides an overall understanding of the history of the development and deployment of spacecraft. Readers can also use the table of contents to flip to any specific article that interests them. The articles are accompanied by numerous full-color drawings by illustrator Giuseppe De Chiara that show the details even better than the photographs do. This work is high quality; an effective hybrid of reference volume and coffee-table book. A solid choice for any public library.

Book Review: Nighttime Is My Time by Mary Higgins Clark

I got really into the TV show American Chopper some years back. I don’t have any interest in motorcycles and I couldn’t care less about the family drama between the stars of that show. But I loved watching it. I loved watching genuinely skilled people create their visions.

I love watching master craftspeople at work.

There’s joy in witnessing that level of skill. This is why I love shows about carpentry, home renovation, car mods, tattooing. It’s one of the many reasons why I love music, dance, theater, and athletics. It doesn’t matter if any of these interest me personally, I’m fascinated watching people who love doing them. Any human endeavor which requires skill to do well, is worth witnessing.

Reading Nighttime Is My Time by Mary Higgins Clark reminds me of watching American Chopper. She crafts her stories. Her control of plot and pacing and structure, how she manipulates the reader to place suspicion on different characters at different times, her myriad misdirections, how she builds the tension. She shows her work and gives us a ring-side seat to her creative process.

I enjoy witnessing her craft.

That being said, Nighttime Is My Time isn’t a very good book. I listened to the audiobook and the narration by Jan Maxwell is excellent. But the book itself drove me a bit nuts.

Continue reading “Book Review: Nighttime Is My Time by Mary Higgins Clark” →