James Nicoll Reviews

C. L. Moore and Henry Kuttner’s 1950 Fury—often but incorrectly credited to Kuttner alone — is the second in their Keeps science fiction series¹.

By the twenty-seventh century, Earth’s atomic death is six centuries in the past. Humanity survived only because Venus was at hand to provide a second life-bearing home. Because the continents teemed with life that 21^st century humans were not equipped to survive, let alone dominate, humans are confined to the subsea Keeps, which no Venusian lifeform can penetrate.

Life in the Keeps is tolerable and stagnant. Ruled by Immortal mutants such as the Harkers, society might have been fated to continue its long decline into decadence, save for an act of spite by a grieving father.

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2022’s Fevered Star is the second book in Rebecca Roanhorse’s Between Earth and Sky secondary-world fantasy.

It was such a simple plan: train Serapio in fanatical devotion to his Crow God, dispatch him to distant Tova, and have him manifest as the avatar of his deity, whereupon he would slaughter the Watchers, whose ruthless enforcement of law has become oppressive, then die himself. The old guard would be gone, the god-in-flesh would be gone, leaving room for the new order to establish itself. 

Pity it all went so wrong.

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2022’s A Prayer for The Crown-shy is the second volume in Becky Chamber’s Monk and Robot series. 

Until now, no existing robot has personally experienced human society. Mosscap has set out to rectify this omission. While accompanying the monk Sibling Dex on their rural journeys, the robot enthusiastically embraces the chance to witness human behavior in all its peculiar manifestations. The machine’s curiosity is matched only by its unfamiliarity with social conventions. 

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Deserter is a collection of Junji Ito horror stories, told in manga form. Both art and writing are by Ito. Originally published in 2011 as Ito Junji Kessakushu 5: Dassouhei no iru ie. The 2021 English translation is by Jocelyn Allen. 

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Orbit 19 is the 19^th volume in Damon Knight’s Orbit series of original science fiction.

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1969’s The Face in the Frost is the first novel in John Bellairs’ Prospero and Roger Bacon series. The edition I own was illustrated by Marilyn Fitschen.

The wizard Prospero — not the Prospero of whom you are thinking — makes his home in an insignificant island nation. His cozy home is filled with sorcerous paraphernalia, including the obligatory magic mirror. He is visited from time to time by his English friend Roger Bacon — almost certainly the one of whom you are thinking. Prospero enjoys a comfortable life free from petty worries. 

Enter the existential threat.

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Marjorie Liu’s 2021 The Tangleroot Palace is a collection of short stories.

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2021’s A Psalm for the Wild-Built is the first volume of Becky Chambers’ Robot and Monk series.

Although Panga’s only city (named City) is a fine city, it has no crickets. Sibling Dex wants to hear crickets. They leave urban monastic life behind to embrace the way of the tea monk. Learning how to be a proper tea monk will be just one delightful aspect of this new life.

There is, however, the matter of the rogue robots.

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Takahiro Miki and Tomoe Kano’s 2021 film The Door into Summer (夏への扉 キミのいる未来へ) is an adaptation of Robert A. Heinlein’s 1957 novel The Door into Summer. Directed by Miki and written by Kano, it stars Kento Yamazaki, Kaya Kiyohara, Hidekazu Mashima, Natsuna, Naohito Fujiki, and a cat whose name I failed to determine.

Soichiro Takahura (Kento Yamazaki) has experienced tragedy after tragedy. He was orphaned, then taken in by his father’s benevolent colleague Koichi Matsushita. Alas, Koichi and his wife died in a mishap soon after. Koichi’s daughter Riko (Kaya Kiyohara), briefly raised as Soichiro’s sister, was taken in by her uncle Kazuhito (Hidekazu Mashima) and although they are still close, Riko no longer shares a household with Soichiro.

By 1995 Soichiro has three things on which he can depend: his R&D work for the robotics company he co-owns with Kazuhito, the companionship of his cat Pete, and the love of his stunningly beautiful girlfriend Rin Shiraishi (Natsuna).

Probably it’s not significant that Pete hisses whenever he sees Rin.

Light spoilers

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1985’s Phoenix in the Ashes is a collection of Joan D. Vinge short works. It follows two other collections, Fireship and Eyes of Amber. Phoenix in the Ashes is the third and latest such collection.

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