What I’m Reading July 2018

I have three excellent Advanced Reading Copies (ARCs) this month: two science fiction novels and a political analysis. Which one of these looks good to you? Let me know in the comments below.

Temper by Nicky Drayden

I actually just finished Temper and loved it. This book about twins covers a lot of ground in a short time. It reminded me in a way of The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins. I couldn’t easily fit it into a category. Temper was creative, weird, and ended spectacularly. The twist at the end was very well done, surprising yet fitting. Temper captured my attention, and because of this, I plan to check out The Prey of Gods. Temper is a definite recommendation. There is so much to like here; from the characters to the world to the mythology, Temper delivers.

In a land similar to South Africa, twin brothers are beset by powerful forces beyond their understanding or control in this thrilling blend of science fiction, horror, magic, and dark humor—evocative of the works of Lauren Beukes, Ian McDonald, and Nnedi Okorafor—from the author of The Prey of Gods.

Two brothers.
Seven vices.
One demonic possession.
Can this relationship survive?

Auben Mutze has more vices than he can deal with—six to be exact—each branded down his arm for all the world to see. They mark him as a lesser twin in society, as inferior, but there’s no way he’ll let that define him. Intelligent and outgoing, Auben’s spirited antics make him popular among the other students at his underprivileged high school. So what if he’s envious of his twin Kasim, whose single vice brand is a ticket to a better life, one that likely won’t involve Auben.

The twins’ strained relationship threatens to snap when Auben starts hearing voices that speak to his dangerous side—encouraging him to perform evil deeds that go beyond innocent mischief. Lechery, deceit, and vanity run rampant. And then there are the inexplicable blood cravings. . . .

On the southern tip of an African continent that could have been, demons get up to no good during the time of year when temperatures dip and temptations rise. Auben needs to rid himself of these maddening voices before they cause him to lose track of time. To lose his mind. And to lose his . . .

TEMPER

Noumenon Infinity by Marina J. Lostetter

Next up is the sequel to one of my favorite books of last year. Noumenon set high expectatations for this sequel. This follow-up is set in the far future but returns to the star LQ Pyx. I’ve been looking forward to this sequel all year. Noumenon grabbed my attention with the centuries spanning generation ship convoy, and it touched on a mystery at LQ Pyx that Noumenon Infinity is exploring in more depth. The return to this world holds a lot of promise, and it’s time to crack open Noumenon Infinity.

Travel to the remotest reaches of deep space in this wondrous follow-up to the acclaimed Noumenon—a tale of exploration, adventure, science, and humanity with the sweep and intelligence of the works of Arthur C. Clarke, Neal Stephenson, and Octavia Butler.

Generations ago, Convoy Seven and I.C.C. left Earth on a mission that would take them far beyond the solar system. Launched by the Planet United Consortium, a global group formed to pursue cooperative Earth-wide interests in deep space, nine ships headed into the unknown to explore a distant star called LQ Pyx.

Eons later, the convoy has returned to LQ Pyx to begin work on the Web, the alien megastructure that covers the star. Is it a Dyson Sphere, designed to power a civilization as everyone believes—or something far more sinister?

Meanwhile, Planet United’s littlest convoy, long thought to be lost, reemerges in a different sector of deep space. What they discover holds the answers to unlocking the Web’s greater purpose.

Each convoy possesses a piece of the Web’s puzzle . . . but they may not be able to bring those pieces together and uncover the structure’s true nature before it’s too late.

The Constitution Demands It by Ron Fein, John Bonifaz, and Ben Clements

Unsurprisingly, I am not a fan of our current President. Since the 2016 election, I’ve been glued to the disaster that is his administration. With the Helsinki embarrassment fresh in my mind, I saw this ARC and had to request it. Three lawyers from Free Speech for People.org make the case for impeachment now and not based on the special counsel investigation. I look forward to their arguments and to see how they build their case. Any time we are approaching an argument that we agree with on face value, we need to be skeptical. Just because I agree with the title, it doesn’t preclude a skeptical reading. After all, impeachment is a very serious process, and we cannot apply it without just cause. But I am looking forward to learning more about the US Constitution and how it works in the extreme case of impeachment. This intellectual exercise will be interesting, but since there is not a single Republican with a backbone in Congress, this book will remain solely an intellectual exercise.

The reasons Donald Trump must be impeached—as per the Founding Fathers—and what you can do to help make that happen

Three veteran constitutional attorneys say there’s no way around it: The Constitution demands that Donald Trump must be impeached.

And in clear language using compelling logic rooted firmly in the Constitution, they detail why the time to start is now — not in the indefinite future after criminal investigations have ended. In fact, much of Trump’s impeachable conduct lies outside the scope of ongoing federal criminal investigations.

Citing charges such as accepting illegal payments from foreign governments, using government agencies to persecute political enemies, obstructing justice, abusing the pardon power, and undermining freedom of the press, they provide the factual and legal basis for eight articles of impeachment.

In short, they argue, abuses threatening our constitutional democracy should be dealt with by the remedy that the Constitution provides for a lawless, authoritarian president: impeachment. And an informed citizenry should be part of the process.

After all, they say, impeachment is not a constitutional crisis — impeachment is the cure for a constitutional crisis.