Issue #897 (September 15, 2006) of Entertainment Weekly offers some brief reviews of science fiction and fantasy books. Here’s a snippet…

Variable Star by Robert A. Heinlein and Spider Robinson

For Fans of: The late master’s Future History stories.

Lowdown: An enjoyable read. Star incorporates plenty of Heinlein’s liberal social theories, but not enough of his sharp moral edge.

Grade: B

Mappa Mundi by Justina Robson

For Fans of: Brave New World or Neal Stephenson’s Snow Crash, if they met Thomas Pynchon in a cybercafe.

Lowdown: A lyrical, attentively-written anti-utopia.

Grade: A-

Stamping Butterflies by Jon Courtenay Grimwood

For Fans of: The Matrix.

Lowdown: Grimwood’s hard-boiled prose reels you in like a velvet rope (smiles twist “lips without ever reaching your eyes”). Too bad about reality being an illusion, though.

Grade: B+

A Meeting at Corvallis by S.M. Stirling

For Fans of: Forget Tolkien – does the Society for Creative Anachronism ring a bell?

Lowdown: Diehards will find this richly realized story or swordplay and intrigue immensely satisfying.

Grade: B

Related posts:

  1. EW Reviews SF
  2. EW Reviews SF
  3. EW Reviews SF/F
  4. EW Reviews Fantasy
  5. EW Reviews SF/F

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