These are sci-fi stories, of course, but a number of them have the characteristics of other genres too. The title story, for example, is a classic detective yarn. An alien delegation goes to a convent, a neutral place, in order to negotiate peace with Earth (we are at war).
The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope
The Way We Live Now is drenched in considerations of money and Trollope carries it off beautifully. For once what people will do for money and how their desires can defeat, disgrace, and humiliate them escapes the boredom that money as a subject commonly invokes. The connections are intricate, admirably stage managed, and have an impetus that some of Trollope lacks.
Interview with Leigh Russell, author of Cut Short
The author of Cut Short talks about her debut novel, her ambitions, her schedule, her titles, her upcoming second novel, her ideal reader, and lots more.
A review of I’m Not Broken: I’m Just Different by Linda Brooks
Above all this book is the story of a journey – both for Bronson, and perhaps more powerfully, his mother, and their transition from disabled victims trying to get by, to super-abled victors changing the system and creating art and meaning in ways that open doors for others.
A review of The Well-Fed Writer: Financial Self-Sufficiency as a Commercial Freelancer in Six Months or Less by Peter Bowerman
The book is pitched in such a way that it can be used by those who are just starting out, people who will want to follow it’s step-by-step approach from cover to cover, or those more experienced, who can gain ideas and inspiration from what is working well for Bowerman and his colleagues.
A review of The City & The City by China Miéville
China does a terrifically moving job of making the two detectives distrust then come to admire each other, in their own way. Brilliant. Generally, an author has his work cut out to describe one unique city so that the reader believes they are there, but here two cities are created in the same spot. Excellent and original.
A review of the moon, the snow by Nan Weizenbaum
At this point I really must comment on Weizenbaum’s prose: it’s excellent. So, too, is the parallel drawn between the frigid landscape and Aurora’s emotional white-out. Despite the fact that Weizenbaum must have spent hours agonising over every sentence the narrative is seamless. Almost every page has a gem.
A review of Take the Monkeys and Run by Karen Cantwell
A semi-finalist in the 2009 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award content, Take the Monkeys and Run obviously pleased a few readers. While this is no literary masterpiece, it is essentially well-written with engaging, often larger that life characters, and most importantly is laugh out loud funny.
A review of The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann
In refusing to take Time for granted, but continually analyzing it in its different manifestations, the way it seems to pass, I think The Magic Mountain is indeed in the modern category. In this connection, I can’t help thinking of Einstein, who — also early in the 20th century — was making us look at Time in a whole new way.
A review of Parrot and Olivier in America by Peter Carey
Parrot and Olivier in America is full of Carey’s humanism, coupled with an examination of the compelling power of Art that featured strongly in My Life As a Fake, coupled with deep seated explorations of identity, truth, friendship, and democracy. Above all, this is a wonderful, ribald, and satisfyingly powerful tale that takes the reader through many journeys.