Genre: Science Fiction

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I received a request to review Dark Matter from the marketing department of Broadway Books and decided to glance through the first few pages even though it was Science Fiction...not my usual genre.  I literally could not put it down.  The first half was completely captivating and had me lost in a world of  quantum physics.  The second half was a bit outlandish, even in the SciFi world, but The author's strong characterization and interesting bits of scientific theory kept me going until the very last page.

This is a story about choices we make and the consequences of those choices. It is a story that makes us wonder whether we would ever go back and choose the other path.  Quantum Physicist Jason Dessen had that choice made for him fifteen years after he decided to marry his pregnant girlfriend and become a college professor instead of becoming a celebrated genius in his field.  

He is kidnapped and wakes up in a world he does not recognize.  His wife is not his wife, his son is not his son, he is no longer a professor, and he is seemingly a hero to those in his new environs.  It seems that his quantum many-worlds theory has become a reality in this new world in which he has awakened, and his efforts to return to the world he knows are being stymied at every turn. 

Jason is brilliant and discovers how to navigate this "multiverse" and enter different realities while searching for the world he left.  I found the scientific part of this book fascinating even though it was difficult to comprehend at times, but the story was strong enough to carry the reader through any scientific road blocks. I believe this book, while definitely SciFi can cross over to capture many thriller fans who ordinarily pass over this genre.

- Beverly


Publisher - Broadway Books 
Date of Publication - July 26, 2016

Genre: Sci-Fi/Thriller

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Science Fiction is a difficult genre for me.  Sometimes it is so silly that I can't plow through it, and some authors grab me from page one and never let go.  Maybe it is my interest in New York (under and above ground) or maybe I was just swept up in the story, but New York Deep really kept my interest.

It begins with Josh Reed, a tunnel engineer in Manhattan, and his team, excavating the East Side Access of New York's railway service.  The drills unexpectedly hit some sort of crystalline metallic, and upon further investigation Josh comes across a large and seemingly empty room.

If this isn't strange enough, some of his coworkers disappear and the CIA is mysteriously involved in what is clearly an uncomfortable situation.  I won't give any more plot information, because I don't want to reveal anything that will take away from the excitement of this book, but I will say that the author did a great job of mixing researched information with a strong mysterious plot. Like Linda Fairstein, Andrew Morgan uses the mysteries of New York City to enhance his plot.

Morgan also does a very nice job with characterization.  Josh is a likable character who uses his intelligence well as he tries to understand what is going on in this area that he thought he knew so well.  His boss (and friend), Lionel Parker, helps him unravel this mystery, and the reader feels a kinship to both men as they fall deeper into the secret of the underground. Morgan shows his characters' weaknesses as well as their strengths, and the story builds to a great climax.

- Beverly

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​Publisher - Amazon Digital Services LLC
Date of Publication - December 16, 2016

Genre: Sci-Fi

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There is no doubt that Neil Gaiman is one of the amazing authors of our time. There is also no doubt that he is one of the more disturbing writers of our time.  If you have never read his books, you should.  I believe that starting with his short stories might be a good idea, and Trigger Warning is as good a place to start as any.  In his foreword, he talks about warnings of things that might upset us. Books, movies, music...should we be given these "trigger warnings" to protect us from that which might upset us, or do these upsetting moments help us grow?

His foreword gives us a peek into the thoughts of Gaiman.  I found it interesting.  Then he gives a bit of information about how each of the stories came to be.  That was interesting,  too.  Then came the stories.  They were deep. They were disturbing. Most of all, each one told a story that Gaiman wanted to share.  He pulls down the masks that we all wear and shows the truth behind them. This is science fiction and horror stories and fairy tales at their best, written by a man who puts together these stories in the most literary of ways.

It is difficult for me to say anymore about the individual stories without giving away the essence of each, but I will say that his style, his use of figurative language and the truth  beneath his words have all combined to make me a fan of an author who represents a genre that I usually stay away from.

- Beverly


​Publisher - William Morrow  
Date of Publication - February 3, 2015

Genre: Science Fiction 

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Wow!  I am not a fan of most science fiction, but this grabbed me from page one.  It is the story of a flight that took off in 2014, but crashed in a very different place. I downloaded a sample for some reason, thinking that I wouldn't make it past page ten.  I couldn't put it down once I got involved with the characters and immediately downloaded the book in its entirety. Riddle makes each character come alive as we read chapter by chapter in different voices. I want to know Harper Lane's back story as soon as she is introduced. Nick Stone, an American, seems in control from the start. Sabrina Schröder, a German scientist doesn't seem to realize what is happening, and Yul Tan, a Chinese-American computer scientist introduces us to an invention that does more than he ever imagined.

While some of the concepts that Riddle introduces seem difficult, his way of explaining them make us understand more than we imagined we would.  The book makes the reader think, and that is my favorite kind of book.  Should we strive for the future or just enjoy the present?  Should we face possible death in an effort to save others or just be thankful that we survived.

If you are a Science Fiction fan you will love this book, but even if you are not, it is one of those books that bridges the genres.  Like Crichton, Riddle has a way of introducing concepts and characters we want to know more about with each page we read. I think it definitely deserves a place on your bookshelf.

- Beverly


Publisher - Riddle Inc.
Date of Publication - December 4, 2014

Genre: Science Fiction

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Daniel Keyes died this week, and I feel he should be recognized one more time. The science fiction novel Flowers for Algernon came out in 1966 and introduced the world to Charlie Gordon, a mentally retarded man in his thirties.  In this amazing novel scientists have come up with a new procedure to advance the intellect of a person with mental retardation, and Charlie's estranged sister gives the university permission to perform the procedure on Charlie.
 
The reader gets a close perspective of Charlie's life since the book is told through "progris riports" that he writes.  His relationship with Algernon, a laboratory mouse that is undergoing the same experiment is both touching and scary, because Charlie can see the future in the actions of the mouse. Charlie's I.Q. Goes from 68  to 185 in a few short weeks, and suddenly he is facing a reality he is not sure he wants.  His flashbacks and moments of recognition are heart wrenching.  When Algernon starts to lose his intellect we watch Charlie struggle with decisions that must be made.
 
I read this book as a teenager and was deeply moved. I taught it as a teacher and found it an amazing tool to bring up so many life lessons for discussion.  If you have not read it (or your teenage children have not read it) then please honor Daniel Keyes (and yourself) by ordering the book today.  Read it with a box of tissues by your side and use it as a wonderful start to a family discussion.

- Beverly


Publisher - Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (Kindle)
Date of Publication - December 1, 2007