SF Bookclub

  January's Selection:  Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein.  Reactor Magazine features a review . This one is an old favorite, and for better or worse, has influenced my political beliefs and voting choices. The terrible idea that really stands out to me, though, on this re-read is the defense of capital punishment. Heinlein overlooks so many problems with capital punishment, including, but not limited to the fact that not all murder cases are completely obvious to all who know the victims. Somehow, without a surveillance state, all authorities instantly know who is guilty. And this guilt has nothing to do with accents, race, ethnicity, or religious background.

A good critique of Double Star can be found on Reddit. The AI responses are popping up before I can even go looking for them. This is from Gemini (edited for clarity and accuracy).  For a book club discussing "Double Star" by Robert A. Heinlein, some key questions to consider could be: Character and Identity: How does Lawrence Smith's identity as actor shape his perspective and actions throughout the story? What are your thoughts on the concept of "doubling" and how it relates to Lawrence's role as a substitute for Bonforte? How does the story explore the idea of self-worth and personal agency, particularly through Lawrence's transformation into  Bonforte ? Plot and Themes: What are the key elements of the political intrigue in the story, and how does it influence the plot? How does Heinlein use humor and satire to explore the themes of political manipulation and the power of public perception? How does the nar...

  Absolution by Jeff VanderMeer This prequel is a must read for fans of the Southern Reach trilogy.  It establishes the origin of Area X and fills in the stories of some of the people referenced in the writings found there in the trilogy. This book (or the first 2/3 of it) follows Old Jim as he tries to piece together what happened to an earlier expedition of biologists, while the last third follows a different character in a team of scientists who follow up a year after the first part of the book. The story incorporates (probably) extraterrestrials, science, magic, psychics, mind control and spies, but to explain how would cause spoilers. I don't think this stands alone without being familiar with the Southern Reach trilogy, though. But having read SR, I enjoyed this.

 Let me begin by saying that I *loved* Space Opera , which was the first book in the series. I was eager to learn more about Decibel Jones, Mira Wonderful Star, and Oort Saint Ultraviolet. And, if you enjoyed Space Opera , you might enjoy this direct sequel. It continues the adventures of Decibel Jones, Mira Wonderful Star, and Oort Saint Ultraviolet. In her breezy, clever style Valente fills us in on every species from the Intergalactic Grand Prix. The result is like a cross between Douglas Adams and James Joyce. Sometimes it's brilliant, and sometimes it's a chore. I really enjoyed parts of it and parts of it I just trudged through. I had hoped it would be more about Dess, Mira, and Oort, but most of the book seemed to be about the politics of the universe and the purpose of all this was not clear, even at the end. Only a few of the species/factions were relevant to the plot. I have to wonder what Valente's editor was thinking in approving this for press. I did genuinely ...

Veycosi, a historian and musician in training, is impulsive and prone to making gaffes and mistakes. He is sincere and earnest, but can't quite manage to be successful. He is engaged, but his fiancees are not willing to go through with the marriage until he successfully completes his education. Unfortunately, he pursues a bold idea to solve a problem, and creates more problems as a result, which derails his education and his status in the community. While all this is happening to Veycosi personally, his island is being invaded by a larger, better armed group of people, and Veycosi continues to try to solve problems with clever ideas and shortcuts and keeps causing greater problems.  Hopkinson weaves a complex plot and keeps all the threads going throughout the novel. It's carefully plotted and satisfying.  I will say that the mix of English with the other language used was sometimes confusing. The words could eventually be figured out from context, but to be honest, the mix of...

  For September and October, we're reading Elizabeth Moon's Remnant Population .  I'm enjoying the story, but I couldn't think of questions to ask, so I let the AI, Claude, write questions for me.  I did adapt/correct some of the questions to be more accurate to the text. Here are some book club questions tailored to this specific book: Character: How does Ofelia's character evolve throughout the story? What drives her changes? What do you think about Ofelia's decision to stay behind when the colony leaves? Was it selfish or brave? Themes: How does the book explore themes of aging, independence, and self-discovery? What commentary does the novel offer on colonialism and its impact on indigenous species? Alien encounters: How does Moon portray the indigenous population? What makes their society unique? How does the communication barrier between Ofelia and the indigenes  affect the story? Society and culture: Compare the human colony's culture with that of...

The Mercy of Gods by James S. A. Corey is another winner from the authors who brought us _The Expanse_ series. Dafyd Alkhor is an indifferent scientist, but a skilled politician. He's worked his way into a research group whose work is so important that other groups are trying to steal it (and the credit). Then, the unthinkable happens. (Spoilers ahead). Humans are invaded by aliens more stronger and more powerful than they are, the Carryx. They Carryx pit humanity against other sentient beings in a battle for survival, but they objective that they are given is not the true objective. Dafyd has to use all his political acumen to suss out how to help humanity survive, I loved the Expanse series, and although this story is completely different, it still has the action and intrigue. I couldn't put this down!