SF Bookclub

 I love M.R. Carey's writing, but this one kind of misses the mark for me. It is a retelling of the fairy tale "The Tinder Box." Mag, a soldier whose wounds have sent him home, goes to work for a widow, Jannae Mirchella. Mag discovers that Jannae is no ordinary widow when a demon falls from the sky and she badgers him to empty the demon's pockets. As directed, Mag hands over MOST of the artifacts from the body of the demon, but he keeps one item for himself-- a magical tinderbox that grants wishes. Jannae, as one might imagine, is most distressed by Mag's duplicity.   

 Each chapter in Jo Walton's Everybody's Perfect is told from a different perspective. Some of the events overlap and some are unique to the teller.  The setting is Venice, but not the Venice we know. Instead, this Venice is connected to the Serenissima, which serves as a way station and a connector between worlds. Here, we meet Tiry, a laborer who has an incurable skin condition that is treated (but not cured) via magic that is dispensed at a support group. The action begins when Tiry dreams that Serenissima will soon have an administrator (called a doge) who will marry the sea. Each teller encounters this information and does something different with it. The way Walton tells the story forces the reader to think about what "truth" means and how that truth varies according to who holds it. 

Set in the Imperial Radch universe, Radiant Star by Ann Leckie does not disappoint. The Imperial Radch have sent a new governor to  Aaa. And right after that, trade was cut off due to other conflicts. So we begin with a society in disarray. And in this society, there are two major religious factions that overlap, but each thinks they have the correct way of viewing the world. The conflict between the religious factions and the Radch and the residents of Ooioiaa, the capital of Aaa are the driving forces of the novel. But set against this backdrop, we have Jonr, the son of one of the important persons in one of the factions. Jonr was supposed to have been sent to a far off world to work, but was instead placed into suspended animation. In the time the novel is set, Jonr has been in suspended animation for 30 years, but is now awakened. I know this sounds complex, and it is, but the threads all end up working together and this novel is top-notch.   

The Dragon has some Complaints by John Wiswell Garradigh, a formerly 4 headed dragon (now reduced to 3), doesn’t get on well with his fellow wild dragons, so he hitches a ride to a new, floating city. There, he meets Raina who rehabilitates his injuries and gets permission to be his rider. Turns out, he doesn't get along with tame dragons very well, either. But with Raina, Garradigh, and specifically Centerhead, learn about kindness and the importance of belonging. Oh, and they must, together, defend their new city. The Dragon has Some Complaints is and adventure story with some romance. It is very different from Someone to Build a Nest In. There are still deaths, but no half digested body parts walking around on their own. Y'all, this book is so fun! It will certainly be on my Hugo nomination ballot next year.

 Jo Walton and Ada Palmer are experts in the field of science fiction and fantasy. Both have been nominated for multiple awards and both lean into the academic side of writing as well as the practice. Trace Elements explains history of SF, the role of publishers, and why so many SF novels were capped at around 80,000 words. This book is fascinating for anyone who likes to read SF as well as anyone who is interested in popular fiction or genre fiction as some of the same forces shaped those books as well. At 368 pages, this is not an exhaustive history of all things sf, but it provides enough context to enhance any fan's enjoyment of works published as SF.  What we think of as Science Fiction began to be published in the United States in the 1920s in pulp magazines, and books soon followed. Walton and Palmer call this "Imprint Science Fiction" to distinguish it from other genres, including dystopia written by authors of other genres (such as Atwood's Handmaid's Ta...

 Green City Wars is the story of Scotch, a genetically engineered racoon who has left the corporation that made him so he can go freelance as an investigator,. The story has a noir feel, but Scotch is more Jim Rockford than Sam Spade. The twists, turns, shifting alliances and double crosses are on par with _The Sting_. Along the way, we meet a saint, a technology adept turtle, a vengeful possum, and a pigeon who craves stories, Green City Wars doesn't take itself too seriously; it is a lot of fun to read. I loved this book and would read a sequel if Tchaikovsky wrote one.