Book Reviews, Opinion and Research
I tend to favor and read science fiction that aims for promise rather than despair. The stories I like have courageous female leads and strong males as supporting actors. Plots that feature conflict between good and evil and with action that takes place in a galaxy-wide world of the future and with uplifting outcomes are attractive. Other types of science fiction, however, draw me at times as well, except dystopian. I also lean toward female authors since they do better describing their gender.
In this section I will review some of the books I have read, liked and recommend. I also comment on favorite authors and some of their best works.
Chindi, by Jack McDevitt
This is an edge-of-your-seat thriller of interstellar exploration and alien culture mystery. Chindi is the third book in the Academy Series. The series features eight books in all and carries through them all the story of Priscilla Hutchins (“Hutch” to her friends), a “transluminal” pilot. Each of the novels is more or less standalone, telling different stories. And Hutch does age throughout the series, going from a beginner starship pilot and progressing to greater and greater positions of influence in the Earth-based Academy of Science and Technology that oversees galactic exploration in the 23rd century.
McDevitt has a great imagination, coming up with the most interesting plots that slowly get their hooks in you. Yes, I said slowly. He takes a long time to lay out the background before getting to the main action. But his conclusions are always uplifting and point to a hopeful future for people.
Besides Hutch, McDevitt has a lot of interesting and different characters, some of whom appear in several books. He also has his characters comment on social and cultural issues that will be very familiar to the 21st century reader. Most or all of the ills we see around us today are still with humanity in the 23rd century — sometimes in spades!
McDevitt’s been writing for decades and is actually older than I am. His people relationships might be considered out of date by Millennials and Z-gen. And romantic relationships in his books are wholesome. But, being of his generation, I could identify and I felt comfortable.
Jack McDevitt is the recipient of several Sci-Fi awards. He is worth reading!
C. J. Cherrhy
I’ve been on a C.J. Cherryh kick for a couple of months now (pronounce her last name with the ‘h’ silent – like the fruit). A multiple Hugo winner, Cherryh is one of the pioneers of science fiction. She started publishing sci-fi in the 1970s and is still writing. Her most important work (IMO) was done in the 1980s, so some might think of her as “old school.” But, old school or not, her works are goldmines of space exploration, interstellar travel, the economics of human colonization of space, gene science and its pros and cons, etc.
Cherryh’s characters are compelling and unforgettable. Research of nearby star systems, where they are, their relative positions and how long it takes to get to them are exhaustive beyond anything I have ever encountered in science fiction. Her stories put forward a very realistic scenario on how humanity may begin to travel to the stars–even without FTL starships and within the lifetime of single individuals. Visionary and well done.
Here are my top three reads by Cherryh (I read them in this order but only the last two need be read in the order given):
- Downbelow Station (Hugo Award in 1981)
- Cyteen (Hugo Award in 1989)
- Regenesis
Research
Tutorial on Superconductivity
On March 22, 2024, I was a guest on the show “Everyday Spacer”. I gave a presentation on “Superconductivity for Laypersons”. The link below will take you to the YouTube recording of the 2-hour show.