Even if you’re a fan of espionage fiction, you may not yet be familiar with the name Paul Vidich. You should be. Vidich writes great spy novels in the grand tradition of Eric Ambler, Graham Greene, and John le Carré. His historical espionage tales rank with those of his better-known...
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Octavia Butler was the author of three cycles of science fiction novels—two Parable books, the Xenogenesis trilogy, and five books in the Patternmaster series—as well as two standalone novels. She is also credited with seven graphic novels (including Black Panther) produced in collaboration with...
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Fair warning: although the headline promises the “best books of 2022,” what follows is not a list of the best books published during the past year. Instead, I’ve chosen not to challenge the New York Times and every other mainstream publication that each year publishes its own best books list. With...
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First Contact has been in the science fiction lexicon since 1935. According to the Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction, Murray Leinster first employed the term in his story “Proxima” that appeared in Astounding Stories in March 1935. In the following decades, Clifford Simak,...
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Few of us in the 21st century think much about the medieval era. Nor are we likely to believe that life in that time bears any meaningful relationship to the world around us today. Yet that would be a mistake. Much of what we take for granted traces its origins to the Middle Ages. The banking...
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The first espionage novels appeared early in the 19th century with the publication of James Fenimore Cooper’s The Spy in 1821 and The Bravo in 1831. A few other notable titles were published in the ensuing decades, and Sherlock Holmes got into the act around the turn of the century in three...
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To date, I’ve read and reviewed some 300 detective novels. Most of those involve police investigators. After all, there are 800,000 police officers working in the United States and only about 32,000 private detectives, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. The conceit of crime writers...
Read MoreMost literary awards celebrate a mixed bag of fiction that runs the gamut from pretentious and unreadable to spellbinding. But that tends not to be the case with science fiction. The Hugo Award, conferred annually by members of the World Science Fiction Convention (“Worldcon”),...
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Over the past decade, I’ve read and reviewed more than 150 espionage novels (not counting a great many more I never finished). My 15 favorites are listed immediately below. Though my preliminary list included multiple titles by several of the authors included here, I’ve arbitrarily limited myself...
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Writers from India have garnered a large share of critical attention for their work in recent years, and no wonder. The country has a rich literary tradition, which has animated a new generation of writers to publish in English. And there is no lack of English-speakers on the subcontinent. At a...
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The 10 books highlighted here may not be the very best novels written about World War II. But they are the best ones I’ve read and reviewed since January 2010. I’ve given every one of them a rating of ★★★★★. There’s a second below that includes some four dozen runners-up. All are novels...
Read MoreFollowing is a list of the science fiction novels reviewed here in 2022: Maelstrom (First Contact #11) by Peter Cawdron—Worlds collide with Earth in an entertaining First Contact story Generation of Vipers (First Contact #19) by Peter Cawdron—A compelling new alien invasion novel Clowns...
Read MoreThe War Girls by V. S. Alexander—Life in wartime Warsaw before the Ghetto Uprising The Long Ships by Frans B. Bengtsson—A Viking saga reminiscent of myth and legend People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks—The strange story of the Sarajevo Hagadah Year of Wonders by Geraldine...
Read MoreThe Return of Faraz Ali by Aamina Ahmad—A murder and a cover-up in 1960s Pakistan Poppy Redfern and the Midnight Murders by Tessa Arlen—A charming cozy mystery set during the Blitz April in Spain (Quirke #8) by John Banville—Quirke is back in a new historical murder mystery The...
Read MoreThe Nazi Seizure of Power: The Experience of a Single German Town, 1922-1945, Revised Edition by William Sheridan Allen—Explaining the Nazi seizure of power The Metaverse: And How It Will Revolutionize Everything by Matthew Ball—A primer on the Metaverse that raises many questions...
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Most of the books about World War II that are widely read by Americans concern the war in Europe. My own reading reflects that imbalance. Still, I’ve managed to find, read, and review 11 that fit my definition of “good books” that cast light on the titanic, eight-year-long war unleashed by the...
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The editors of the New York Times have been publishing an annual list of the year’s best books since 1896. I have no idea whether theirs was the first to see print in the United States, much less in Great Britain, where people read more books. Suffice it to say that the practice has...
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One of the deepest veins mined by science fiction authors and futurists alike is the field of biological science. After all, the white-coated folks in biological labs and the physicians and surgeons who tend to our health have no doubt had the greatest impact on our lives. Together with the...
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World War I French statesman Georges Clemenceau is said to have proclaimed that “War is too important to be left to the generals.” He never said exactly that, but close enough. Well, I’m convinced that money is too important to leave to bankers and economists. I recognize that...
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Time travel is one of the most familiar tropes in science fiction. Many scholars trace the idea to Charles Dickens in A Christmas Carol (1843) and Mark Twain in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (1889). (Others differ, finding antecedents as early as 1733 in...
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The Weekly includes summaries and links to all the previous week’s three to five book reviews, including some that don’t appear in any of the other newsletters.
Science Fiction Monday includes my latest SF book review, with links to other science fiction content.
Mysteries & Thrillers Tuesday includes my latest mystery and thriller book review, with links to other science fiction content.
Nonfiction Wednesday includes my latest nonfiction book review, with links to other nonfiction content.
The Weekly includes summaries and links to all the previous week’s three to five book reviews, including some that don’t appear in any of the other newsletters.
Science Fiction Monday includes my latest SF book review, with links to other science fiction content.
Mysteries & Thrillers Tuesday includes my latest mystery and thriller book review, with links to other science fiction content.
Nonfiction Wednesday includes my latest nonfiction book review, with links to other nonfiction content.
The Weekly includes summaries and links to all the previous week’s three to five book reviews, including some that don’t appear in any of the other newsletters.