Day: May 10, 2007

Spider Robinson wrote a very solid Robert Heinlein book in Variable Star. I didn’t realize it was so new (Sept, 2006) when I picked it up at the library a few weeks ago. I’m rarely so up to date. 😉

Variable Star weaves in some faithful sci-fi themes: space colonies, not-so-friendly aliens, faster-than-light travel, and telepathy as the answer to faster-than-light communication. What was new to me was the label “Fermi’s Paradox” for the lack of intelligent life we’ve observed so far around the universe. “Where is everybody?” is the apocryphal question. This book, in the background, points out that you may not want to know the answer to the question.

These teasers aren’t doing it justice. It’s not a great book, but it was fun to read.

The Chronicles of Prydain were one of my favorite series of books growing up. I just re-read all five because the boy dove in a couple of weeks ago. He’s now read them all and is re-reading them. The books sit in a stack on the floor, and he returns to Taran and Eilonwy and all the rest again and again. This weekend, we’ll take them back to the library, and pick up the last few of the Narnia series. I didn’t jump in to re-read those, after my The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe experience ~18 months ago. But Taran and the rest of this Lord of the Rings “lite” saga haven’t worn out their welcome yet.