Books: Last Of 2012

Vortex by Robert Charles Wilson

Last of the Spin trilogy, in this volume events in near-future Texas are closely linked to far-distant events on an alien world, eventually explained with a bit of deus ex astra. Wilson's resolutions are not usually satisfying, but the ride is okay. Mildly recommended.

Red Hood's Revenge by Jim C. Hines

Third of the Princess Novels, in this volume Sleeping Beauty returns home to deal with the power structure that banished her, aided by the psychotic Red Riding Hood. This continues to be a solid series, and definitely one I will recommend to my daughter.

The Moon Maze Game by Niven and Barnes

Fourth in the Dream Park series, this volume is set on the moon, when a H.G, Wells-ian LARP goes horribly awry. This one feels lighter than its predecessors, but I wasn't bored, and I gotta like a series where gamers are heroes because they're gamers. (Though the GM needed to be threated more. When actual lives are at stake, being a little tin tyrant is not just obstructionist, it's illegal and evil.) Recommended.

Millennium Women, edited by Virginia Kidd

I wanted to like this 1970s all-women SF anthology more, but it suffers from the sins of the '70s, not to mention the particular tenor of '70s feminism. I'm certainly going to keep it on hand, but it's not exactly my cuppa.

Heartless by Gail Carriger

On the other hand, this vampires-n-steampunk series continues to entertain, though this may be the weakest of the series thus far. Our heroine investigates various conspiracies against the queen, but seems to dither around in the wrong directions quite a bit. Still, I loved the climactic battle, and the latest addition to the cast seems cute. Recommended.

Where Did You Go? Out. What Did You Do? Nothing. by Robert Paul Smith

I read this book when young, and in my head merged it with its companion volume, How To Do Nothing With Nobody All Alone By Yourself, which I now also need to pick up. This is a 1957 book lamenting the modern state of childhood, as compared to the author's childhood in the 1920s. "We made our own fun, dammit." It's hard to say whether the book has much to say for the next generation, but it's short, and entertainingly written.

The Maker Of Universes by Philip José Farmer

Ah, Farmer, you think big. Our 60-something hero gets called into an alternate world, built like a big wedding cake, and makes his way to the top to have a little chat with God. Along the way, he turns into Conan. A fun cross-culture adventure, mildly recommended.