Lock In by John Scalzi (2014)

Scalzi writes a remarkable number of books, and I was pleased to stumble across this series in the library. This first volume is fantastic.

The novel is set in the aftermath of a global pandemic that leaves millions of people fully conscious but unable to move their bodies. Society adapts through advanced robotics, neural interfaces, and new forms of identity and communication. The result is a compelling near-future setting that feels both imaginative and plausible.

One feature I particularly appreciated was the collection of appendices at the end of the book. Those sections provide a rich history of the setting, explain the technology that underpins the story, and describe the political and social changes that led to the novel's present day. Many authors would have buried that material in exposition. Scalzi presents the information separately, allowing the story to move at a brisk pace while still giving interested readers a deeper understanding of the world.

The setting is excellent. The characters are engaging. The mystery is well constructed. Most importantly, the speculative ideas serve the story rather than overwhelming it. I became invested in both the people and the world they inhabit.

I am delighted to have discovered this series. 5/5 stars.

Arsène Lupin, gentleman-cambrioleur par Maurice Leblanc (1907)

My local library had the complete ten-volume series in the foreign-language section. After skimming a few pages, I noticed that the prose was simple enough for my limited French, so I decided to give the books a try. My curiosity was also driven by the excellent Netflix adaptation, Lupin, which my family enjoyed.

This first collection of Lupin stories introduces the famous gentleman thief through a series of clever capers, disguises, and reversals. The plots are light, fast-moving, and often amusing. I particularly liked Lupin himself. He has a mischievous charm and a surprisingly big heart that make him easy to root for despite his criminal profession. The plot twists are also entertaining.

Unfortunately, much of the rest of the book did not work for me. The characters often feel cartoonish, and I found the values, mores, and social customs of the setting unappealing. The constant displays of status and ostentation grew tiresome. I was also frustrated by the way Lupin's henchmen and allies appear whenever the plot requires them and then vanish again without much explanation. The device reminded me of the worst Batman films, where a supervillain somehow commands an army of loyal followers without any believable organization, motivation, or planning behind the scenes.

The book was mildly entertaining, but I never became invested in the setting or the supporting cast. I am glad I tried it in French, yet I do not expect to continue with the rest of the series. 2/5 stars.

 

Sun Eater: The Lesser Devil by Christopher Ruocchio (2020)

I am reading the Sun Eater books in story order rather than publication order, and this novella appears between the first and second novels. The placement immediately suggests what the book is: a side quest rather than a major installment in the central narrative.

The story follows Crispin Marlowe, the brother of Hadrian Marlowe, as he becomes involved in an assassination plot. The novella expands the setting, provides a different perspective on the Sollan Empire, and adds depth to characters who are likely to become more important later in the series.

While reading it, I was reminded of writing exercises that authors sometimes use to discover their characters. Such exercises place a character into a difficult situation and explore how that character thinks, reacts, and changes. I remember completing similar assignments during my own misspent youth writing unpublished fiction. The Lesser Devil often feels like that sort of exercise. The story helps Ruocchio flesh out personalities, motivations, and relationships that exist outside Hadrian's immediate experience.

The novella is enjoyable enough, but its scope is narrow and its connection to the main story arc is limited. Readers invested in the larger series will appreciate the additional context and characterization. Readers looking for major developments in the central narrative may find the book somewhat incidental.

I am glad I read it, but I would not consider it essential. 3/5 stars.

Far Futures edited by Gregory Benford (1995)

I enjoyed several of Benford's earlier novels and loved his award-winning Timescape. I never connected with Great Sky River, however, and after reading that book Benford largely fell off my radar. When I came across a shelf of his books that I had never read, I picked up this anthology and decided to give him another try.

The collection explores the classic science-fiction question of humanity's distant future. The stories range from interstellar civilizations and post-human evolution to cosmic-scale speculation. As with many anthologies, the quality varies considerably from story to story.

Two stories are fantastic and justify reading the collection by themselves. One story is terrible. The remaining stories fall into the broad middle ground of competent but unremarkable science fiction. None of those middle-tier entries are bad, but few left a lasting impression.

The result is an uneven anthology that never becomes boring but rarely achieves greatness. I am glad I read it, mostly because of the strongest stories, but I would not place it among the essential science-fiction collections of the era. 3/5 stars.

Citizen of the Galaxy by Robert A Heinlein (1957)

I read several Heinlein novels in the 1960s and 1970s. Some were great fun. Others felt tedious. I enjoyed this one because it captures Heinlein while he was still refining his voice and honing his craft. Many of the themes that would later define his work are present, but they appear here in a more focused and disciplined form.

The story follows a slave boy named Thorby who is purchased by a beggar on a distant world and gradually discovers that his place in the galaxy is far more complicated than he imagined. The novel combines a classic hero's journey with exploration of commerce, family, citizenship, slavery, and personal responsibility.

The world-building is particularly strong. The economics make sense. The politics and social dynamics feel plausible. I especially enjoyed the influence of Heinlein's World War II naval experience. Many of the merchant-spacecraft crews behave like competent naval professionals, and the resulting social norms, traditions, and hierarchies give the setting a sense of realism that many space operas lack.

The story is engaging, and the social commentary remains surprisingly relevant. Beneath the adventure lies a thoughtful examination of freedom, obligation, and belonging. The result is a classic Golden Age science-fiction novel that still holds up remarkably well. 5/5 stars.

Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashlee Vance (2015)

I enjoyed the later biography by Walter Isaacson and picked up this earlier book because it was neither edited nor authorized by Elon Musk. I expected a more critical perspective, perhaps closer in spirit to accounts that emphasize Musk's flaws, conflicts, and darker traits. Instead, I found a surprisingly balanced portrait.

The book traces Musk's early life and follows the chaotic beginnings of Tesla, SpaceX, and SolarCity. Much of the core narrative aligns with Isaacson's later account, but Vance benefits from interviews with a broader range of friends, family members, colleagues, and critics. Those perspectives add depth and help illuminate both Musk's strengths and his shortcomings.

I was also surprised to discover that many of the controversies surrounding Musk appeared less severe in context than I had expected. The book does not ignore conflicts, management problems, or personal flaws, but it presents them alongside the extraordinary risks and pressures associated with building multiple companies simultaneously.

The result is a broader and, in some ways, more intimate portrait than I anticipated. Readers familiar with Isaacson's biography will find much familiar territory, but the additional voices and perspectives make the book worthwhile on its own merits. 4/5 stars.

Platform Decay by Martha Wells (2026)

The Murderbot Diaries keep getting better. I laughed out loud repeatedly while reading this eighth installment, which is something few science-fiction series manage after so many volumes. Wells continues to balance humor, action, and character growth with remarkable consistency.

The story expands the relationships and personal arcs that have developed throughout the series. Murderbot remains as entertaining as ever, but the supporting characters also continue to gain depth and complexity. The emotional stakes feel earned because the characters have evolved over multiple books rather than remaining static.

I was also pleased to find a renewed sense of scientific wonder. The novel delivers several moments of genuine science-fiction awe that complement the humor and adventure. Those moments broaden the scope of the story without overwhelming the character-driven narrative that makes the series work.

Wells writes with clarity, wit, and confidence. The result is an engrossing novel that succeeds both as a standalone adventure and as another strong chapter in a long-running series. 5/5 stars.

The Turkish Gambit by Boris Akunin (1998)

I am enjoying the adventures of Erast Fandorin enormously. With each book, the mysteries become more intricate, and the historical backdrop becomes a larger part of the appeal. In this installment, Fandorin finds himself amid the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878, where espionage, military maneuvering, and political intrigue intertwine with the central mystery.

One of the series' greatest strengths is Akunin's ability to weave fiction into real history. The military campaigns, personalities, and political tensions feel grounded in the historical record without slowing the story. As a result, the novel works both as a mystery and as an engaging introduction to a conflict that receives little attention in most Western histories.

My only reservation concerns the antagonist. Much like the villain in the second Fandorin novel, the mastermind occasionally stretches my suspension of disbelief. The character's capabilities sometimes seem too convenient for the plot.

Even so, the story is entertaining from beginning to end. The cast is colorful, the mystery is clever, and the historical setting is fascinating. I finished the book feeling as though I had enjoyed both a mystery novel and a history lesson. 5/5 stars.

The Magician of Lublin by Isaac Bashevis Singer (1961)

This novel echoes many of Singer's familiar themes: temptation, faith, guilt, desire, and the tension between religious obligation and worldly ambition. The story follows Yasha Mazur, a traveling magician whose charm, talent, and appetite for risk gradually draw him into moral and personal crisis. The resulting arc has more than a hint of Crime and Punishment, and that aspect of the novel is compelling.

As in much of Singer's work, the greatest strength is the immersive slice-of-life portrait of Jewish life in nineteenth-century Poland. The setting feels authentic and lived-in. What distinguishes this novel from some of his others is the treatment of the non-Jewish characters. They feel more fully realized and three-dimensional, which broadens the world and makes the social interactions more interesting.

I admired the writing more than I cared about the characters. The emotional struggles and personal dramas never gripped me as strongly as those in more contemporary fiction. Even so, Singer's prose, insight, and historical atmosphere kept me engaged throughout.

I enjoyed the novel, but I admired it more than I loved it. 3/5 stars.

All that we see or seem by Ken Liu (2025)

This book is fantastic. Ken Liu combines believable near-future technology with a thriller that never loses sight of its characters. The novel explores advanced AI, synthetic media, identity, and the evolution of the criminal scam-compound industry that has already emerged in parts of Southeast Asia. Unlike many AI novels, the technology feels grounded in current trends rather than speculative magic.

The setting is vivid. The characters are beautifully crafted. The plot moves quickly without sacrificing emotional depth. Liu captures both the promise and the danger of increasingly capable AI systems while keeping the focus on the human consequences of those technologies.

I was particularly impressed by the treatment of modern AI and the plausible extension of today's scam-farm operations (that already use over 100,000 slaves to fake product reviews, scam people, etc.) into the near future. Those elements felt uncomfortably realistic. The central dream-related premise is more speculative, but it never undermined my enjoyment.

I was also happy that Liu largely avoided the fantasy elements that sometimes appear in his fiction. The result is a focused science-fiction thriller with strong technical foundations, memorable characters, and relentless momentum.

This novel is a genuine page-turner. I was engrossed from beginning to end. 5/5 stars.