Falling Free

Lois McMaster Bujold

The start of a space opera known as The Vorkosigan Saga, this book is the first chronologically, but stands alone from the series as having taken place 200 years before anything else. The world allows for wormhole travel, so the setting is a remote system with a planet that is purely a resource mine for, in this case, Galactech Corporation. Engineer Leo Graf arrives to a new job posting on an orbiting habitat in this system, and finds that the habitat is a genetic engineering home for "Quaddies", people who have been "manufactured" with four arms for appendages (instead of 2 arms, 2 legs). They are Galactech's foward thinking solution to space construction and there are now 1000 quaddies on the habitat (all 15 years or younger). Just before they are about to take on their first paying job, political and economic winds shift turning this into a story of independence and revolution. Bujold does a pretty good job with the hard science part of the sci-fi, and keeps the engagement high with the storyline. I'll be giving the rest of the series a try. 

3 stars (out of 4)

Murderbot (series)

Martha Wells

Having watched the season 1 series, I have re-read all the murdebot novellas over the past 3 months. See the original reviews here

All Systems Red

Artificial Condition

Rogue Protocol

Exit Strategy

Network Effect

Fugitive Telemetry

System Collapse

In short, there are lots of details I don't remember so I am having fun reading these anew. I also am happy to report that my initial enthusiasm for Martha Wells and this series is warranted. This is a really fun exploration of humanity.

Still 4 stars (out of 4)

Project Hail Mary

Andy Weir

A recent offering from the author of The Martian. This time there is a strange lifeform?? that is siphoning off the energy of the sun, which will lead to sure collapse of life on earth. Junior High school teacher nee pre-eminent astrobiologist Dr. Ryland Grace is pulled into the project that will, on a short timescale, create an interstellar travel plan to go to the origin star and find out what is up. The story is told half in real time (on the Project Hail Mary ship) and half in flashback (the origin story of the project). Definitely consistent with my memory of the Martian, with lots of engineering and science that is pretty well researched and possible. For example, solving the energy problem of interstellar travel with the energy thief itself. Clever. Absolutely worth the read.

4 stars (out of 4) 

Fallen Empire Series (8-books)

Lindsay Buroker

The Fallen Empire series includes 8 books

Book 1 - Star Nomad

Book 2 - Honor's Flight

Book 3 - Starseers

Book 4 - Relic of Sorrows

Book 5 - Cleon Moon

Book 6 - Arkadian Skies

Book 7 - Perilous Hunt

Book 8 - End Game

plus a bunch of later published interstitials. These are fast reads and this review is for the entire series (1-8) but not the x.5's. 

Sort of a Star Wars-esque space opera, but I appreciate at least a little bit of "scientific reality". The setting is a single solar system (albeit with 3 suns) that was colonized by humans on generational ships long before. The system has 51 planets and moons that are inhabited and communication and travel time between the different planets is realistic. No magic teleporting hyperdrives. In the the world, the Alliance has recently "won" over the Empire - but in effect absolutely controls maybe 3 planets, with most of the system moving toward chaos or local control. In this world, Alliance fighter pilot Alisa Marchenko finds herself stranded on a remote planet and basically forgotten. She and fellow stranded Alliance soldier Mica (primarily a mechanic) go to the junkyard to recover Marchenko's family freighter spaceship, fix it up, and return home to her daughter. At the ship, the two encounter Leonidas, an Imperial cyborg who had the same designs. To get off planet, these "enemies" team up and eventually "team up". 

The series uses Marchenko's kidnapped daughter as the main plot driver throughout, and explores post-war politics, religious freedom, the slippery slope of "practical morality", elitist class systems and personal loyalty. Everything I like in a good space opera. Definitely recommend this for diversionary reading.

4 stars (out of 4)

Who is Government?

Michael Lewis

A set of essays that follows a Washington Post series highlighting individual civil servants in government. The idea is that the U.S. Government is so vast, that we can't really grasp what it does. So these essays each fixate on one hyper-narrow function, and bring it to life. Three of these were particularly interesting/effective for me in understanding government - an essay describing the work of an engineer working on coal mine safety, an essay highlighting the work of the office in charge of national cemeteries, and one illuminating the function of the National Archives. Each of these pulled one person and dug in, but it is amazing to think about the tens --> hundreds of colleagues and supporters in those offices that make the whole machine work. It really does make you appreciate the taxes you pay, and lament the dismantling for the sake of dismantling that we are currently seeing. 

4 stars (out of 4)

What if We Get it Right? Visions of Climate Futures

Ayana Elizabeth Johnson

Johnson is a well known marine biologist, climate activist who brings us an action book on climate. Stipulating in the opening that climate change is causing all kinds of catastrophe, this book is not about being an apologist for "Climate Change is Real" or "Climate Change is Bad". Instead, she spends time interviewing industry leaders across a wide range of influence and expertise. In these interviews, Johnson asks: "In your field, what will the future look like if we make the right decisions and actions right now?". And in the course of these interviews, we of course get to know what those decisions and actions should be. This is largely an inspiring series of discussions. But make no mistake, it is not intended to be motivational treatise. It is a call to action, with actionable ideas. 

Maybe the most disheartening part of the entire book is that is was published midway through Biden/Harris, and is quite positive reflecting on the government commitment to environmental policy and funding. Reading this now, one year into Trump 2, many of the "get it right" actions have been actively reversed or deleted. Even so, highly recommend ... 

4 stars (out of 4)

Assassin's Quest

Robin Hobb

Book 3 of the Farseer Trilogy

The final book of the trilogy opens with a bleak outlook. Regal is in charge and has plundered the Duchies for his own personal gain. Anyone with an inclination to good is either dead, missing or powerless and the Red Raiders control much of the coast. With this backdrop, we are treated to a true fantasy quest. A cohort develops over time, evil pursues, magic pulls and hinders at the same time, prophecies abound and the fate of the Six Duchies is at stake. A true epic. And maybe in fantasy, quest form, sometimes the quest drags on, and the whole thing wraps up remarkably quickly. But let me assure you, Fitz is the reluctant hero (the catalyst) for everything that happens and is able to walk off into the sunset. An admirable conclusion. 

4 stars (out of 4)