• The Harlequin, copyright 2007 by Laurell K. Hamilton; Jove Books/The Berkely Publishing Group/The Pengiun Group, May 2008; ISBN 978-0-515-14461-1.

  Another entry in Hamilton's “Anita Blake” series. Still worth reading.

• Bad Dreams, by Kim Newman, copyright 1990, Carroll & Graf Publishers, Inc; 1995.

  An interesting take on vampires, and an interesting relfection of London at a certain time.

I recently decided that I need to read Heinlein's juvenile novels. I'd read some of them in my youth (thanks to the Weston and Clarksburg public libraries), but not all, and I wondered how they would stand up in the 21st century to my middle-aged eyes, and how interesting they might be to younger eyes as well. (I'll have to wait a bit to see the later, though.)

Luckily, inexpensive compilations published by the Science Fiction Bookclub are easily available from online sellers, and I got four volumes that include all the juveniles, as well as Starship Troopers. Four Frontiers is the first of them.

• Four Frontiers, by Robert A. Heinlein; First Science Fiction Book Club printing: June 2005. Published by arrangement with “The Robert A. & Virginia Heinlein Prize Trust” and “The Robert A. & Virginia Heinlein Library Foundation”, and Tor Books, and The Berkley Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. ISBN 0-7394-5345-9.

  • Rocket Ship Galileo, copyright 1947 by Robert A. Heinlein, copyright renewed 1974 by Robert A. Heinlein, Copyright 1988 by the Robert A. & Virginia Heinlein Library Foundation.

    I had never read this one. As you might expect, the earliest is the roughest, and probably the least interesting to current crop of juveniles. It's still a fun adventure story, though current social mores would have made it impossible.

  • Space Cadet, copyright 1948 by Robert A. Heinlein, copyright renewed 1975 by Robert A. Heinlein, Copyright 1988 by the Robert A. & Virginia Heinlein Library Foundation.

    I can't remember reading this one, but may have. It's interesting how much of this is about learning to deal with others, which moves from dealing with other cadets to, eventually, dealing with aliens. Knowledge, brains, and morals win out over brains, money, and greed.

  • Red Planet, copyright 1949 by Robert A. Heinlein, copyright renewed 1976 by Robert A. Heinlein, Copyright 2003 by the Robert A. & Virginia Heinlein Library Foundation.

    I'm almost positive that I'd read this one, but if so I'd forgotten how subversive it was. And I love the skating, for some reason. (I don't skate myself.)

  • Farmer in the Sky, copyright 1950 by Robert A. Heinlein, copyright renewed 1977 by Robert A. Heinlein, Copyright 2003 by the Robert A. & Virginia Heinlein Library Foundation.

    This situation on earth in this one, sadly, looks more and more likely.

There's a fair amount of discussion of the actual technology of space travel and related planetary science in these first four books, and that's probably what has aged the worst. The adventures are still fun, and I think an open-minded juvenile could still enjoy them.

• Schismatrix Plus, Bruce Sterling

  I figured out part way through this that I actually read this before. (Or rather, the Schismatrix part of it, since it's a collection of a novel and some related short stories.) Looking back at my log, I'd actually read it recently, just 3½ years ago. Worth rereading, though. I found them thought provoking.

• Powers of Two, copyright 2004 by Tim Powers, NESFA Press, 2004; ISBN: 1-886778-51-5.

  • The Skies Discrowned, copyright 1976 by Tim Powers, published by Laser Books; republished in slightly different form as Forsake the Sky by Tor Books, 1986.

  • Epitaph in Rust, copyright 1976 by Tim Powers, published by

    Laser Books; republished in corrected form as An Epitaph in Rust by NESFA Press, 1989.

These early novels by Tim Powers show little of the reality twisting genius of his later novels, but were still enjoyable.

• Planetary: Archaeologists of the Impossible, Book 1: All over the World and Other Stories; writer: Warren Ellis, Artist: John Cassaday, Colorist: Laura Depuy with David Baron and WildStorm FX; copyright 2000 Wildstorm Productions; originally published in magazine format as Planetary #1–6 and Planetary Preview, copyright 1998, 1999 Wildstorm Productions, an imprint of DC Comics; ISBN 1-56389-648-6.

  It's been quite a while since I've read anything approaching a superhero comic with any regularity. This is probably as close as I've come. Very good. I'll probably have to find and read the rest of the compilations.

• The Bible Repairman, copyright 2005 by Tim Powers; Subterranean Press, 2nd printing; ISBN 1-59606-046-8.

  A slim pamphlet, containing one of Tim Powers' typically weird stories.

• A Soul in a Bottle, copyright 2006 by Tim Powers; Subterranean Press, 1st edition, 2006; ISBN 987-1-59606-075-3.

  A slim book with another of Tim Powers' typically weird stories.

• The Secret Files of the Diogenes Club, copyright 2007 by Kim Newman; MonkeyBrains Books; ISBN 1-932265-27-9.

  A delightful collection of alternative reality tales from Kim Newman. I wish the predecessor was available for a reasonable price.

• Jerico Moon, copyright 1998 by Matthew Woodring Stover; ROC/The Penguin Group, April 1998; ISBN 0-451-45678-5.

  An excellent historical fantasy.

• Strange Itineraries, copyright 2005 by Tim Powers; Tachyon Publications, 1st edition 2005, 3rd printing; ISBN 1-892391-23-6.

  The back proclaims “The Complete Short Stories of Tim Powers”; I rather hope they're wrong, as I'd love to read more short stories by Powers.

• Iron Dawn, copyright 1997 by Matthew Woodring Stover; ROC/The

  Penguin Group/, May 1997; ISBN 0-451-45590-8.

  There isn't nearly enough fantasy set in the history of the real world being written in the current era. I actually like this better than his more recent SF.

• The Hob's Bargain, by Patricia Briggs, copyright 2001 by Hurog, Inc.; Ace Books/The Berkley Publishing Group/The Pengiun Group, March 2001; 7th printing; ISBN 978-0-441-00813-1.

  I enjoy fantasy tales that revolve around regular people, rather than the high and mighty, and tend to sympathize (for perhaps entirely obvious reasons) more with farmers and blacksmiths than nobles and rich merchants. In any case, I thoroughly enjoyed this tale of magical post-apocalypse.

• When Demons Walk, by Patricia Briggs, copyright 1998 by Hurog, Inc; Ace Books/The Berkley Publishing Group/The Penguin Group, June 1998; 18th printing; ISBN 978-0-441-00534-5.

  A light but enjoyable fantasy/mystery/romance.

• Steal the Dragon, by Patricia Briggs, copyright 1995 by Hurog,

  Inc; Ace Books/The Berkley Publishing Group/The Pengiun Group; November 1995; ISBN 978-0-441-00273-3.

• The Quarters Novels, Volume One, copyright 2007 by Tanya Huff; DAW Books, September 2007; DAW Book Collectors No. 1415, ISBN 978-0-7564-0450-5. Consisting of Sing the Four Quarters, copyright 1994 by Tanya Huff, and Fifth Quarter, copyright 1995 by Tanya Huff.

  I particularly liked Fifth Quarter.