yendi

16. Mappa Mundi, by Justina Robson (who has joined LJ as

justinar as of, well, today). I grabbed this one at the library last weekend, and I'm damned impressed. It's essentially a spy story set in the near future, focusing on the bad things that happen when futurist chocolate (nanotechnology) gets into futurist peanut butter (the titular mapping of the human mind). The results are much worse than any peanut butter cup, as government agencies recognize that the potential to help humanity with this technology is more than outweighed by the potential to use it as a weapon or for "peacekeeping." Although the tech is the driving force behind the book, it's the four main characters -- a psychiatrist, two government agents (with differing goals), and a visionary scientist with a shady background -- who drive the story. Highly recommended.

17. The Sagan Diary by John Scalzi. This is a short follow-up to Scalzi's two previous books in the Old Man's War universe. I don't think this one's very accessible to folks who haven't read the previous works, but I also can't imagine someone dropping hardcover money for a novella unless they were already sold on the author. This novella is a nice examination of the mind of Jane Sagan, and if it doesn't add much in terms of outright plot to the universe, it fleshes out her character greatly, offering the first real glimpse into her mind. Recommended for fans of Old Man's War and The Ghost Brigades (which should be all of you -- excluding

lokilokust -- so if you're not a fan, go check out those books).

18. Idlewild, by Nick Sagan. As with Robson, I'd heard great things about Sagan's writing for years, but hadn't gotten around to reading his stuff until last week. For some reason, this was in the Middle School section of our local library (presumably because of the high-school setting?). Don't be fooled. This is a damned fine novel for adults (or any mature sci-fi reader), with great characters and some nifty plot twists. The few predictable elements -- I can't imagine any reader being fooled by the "whodunit" subplot -- are more than offset by a great exploration of VR, and some really nice plot elements. Sagan's also got a natural ear for dialogue (not suprising, given his television background), and uses it wisely to bring his characters to life. Highly recommended.