Reviews and Comments

A fascinating book involving a Society set up to hide away magical Unknowable Objects to prevent them from being misused. They meet every six months, but it has been years since a magical object has been found: until now. Magda Sparks goes to get it, but she encounters a professional killer who has his own reasons for hunting magical objects. The result is a race between Magda (and her friends) and the killer for the objects.

And then, an unusual person with an affinity for magical objects steps into the story, a twist that reveals that the Society of Unknowable Objects that Magda knows is not what it seems. It also reveals the truth behind the magical objects and the unusual person: and Magda may be the only one who can prevent the world from being destroyed by magic, even if the solution is one that she does not like.

There is a link between this book and the author's previous one, "The Book of Doors", but it is hinted at when the source of the magical objects is revealed.

An average issue, with interesting stories by Michelle Z. Jin, Anne Wilkins and Ferenc Samsa.

• "Tomorrow. Today." by R.T. Ester: on the relationship between a father and his son, when the son has to make a decision about his life that may not be his after all.

• "Imperfect Simulations" by Michelle Z. Jin: on a human colony on another one world, one person hides his skill at predicting how people would behave by internally simulating their behaviours. But when Earth starts to cut off supplies to the colony, his simulations would reveal just what is happening. But what needs to be done may be a surprise, even to him.

• "The Cold Burns" by Anne Wilkins: in a 'Utopian' society where everybody is measured by how much they consume, one person struggles to lower his consumption footprint, which doing his job at moving frozen people to a new colony. Then he learns the truth about what really happens to the frozen people, and learns that his utopia is not one at all.

• "The Hole" by Ferenc Samsa: in an unusual country where 'golems' do most of the work, people indulge in entertainment shows (even peep shows) put up by other people. As two people has a conversation through a peephole, it is revealed that one golem has gone rogue and gained intelligence. One of the persons in the conversation is hunting the golem, but he may be the hunted by assassins sent by the golem, unless he can turn the tables.

• "Between Here and Everywhere" by Robert Reed: an archaic man may be the key to ending a search by a ship in space for a lost prize.

• "This Sepulchral Aegis" by Rob Gillham: a generation ship lost in space discovers a lifeboat harbouring a more advanced human. The human was to return to where it was found, but must convince the lonely captain of the ship to do so. But the way to do that may be via the captain's sleeping sister, and by revealing the secret to the captain's long life.

• "Home Grown" by Madeleine Vigneron: only one of two sisters can travel on a ship heading to another world. During the travel, she imagines the life her sister is having back on earth so vividly that she has a crisis and needs to recover to keep on living.

A fascinating book that gathers together what is known about Spinosaurus, and related species, and presents them in a way that will interest both general readers and specialist (dinosaur and fossil lovers). The author is careful to state what the fossils actually tell us about Spinosaurus, and to provide speculations based on comparisons with other dinosaur families. At various times, the author does say that new fossil discoveries can invalidate what he says, so this should be not be considered an authoritative book with the final word on Spinosaurus.

The book starts out with an introduction to Spinosaurus and why it now in the limelight. Being the main dinosaur 'villain' in the film "Jurassic Park 3" made Spinosaurus well known to the public. Fewer fossils of Spinosaurus are known, especially compared to those for T. rex, and are fragmentary, resulting in media headlines whenever new significant fossils of Spinosaurus are discovered, helping to keep it in the news. But much of the public info on Spinosaurus is incorrect and not based on fossil evidence, which is fragmentary and more prone to reinterpretation.

Next, the author gives a brief history of dinosaurs and the position of Spinosaurus in the family tree, which is somewhat speculative due to a lack of early Spinosaur fossils that would help to place its location and origins.

The anatomy of Spinosaurus is then presented, starting with the head (which has more complete fossils), the neck, body, arms, legs and tail. Despite the lack of a complete skeleton of Spinosaurus, the fossil fragments reveal a very unusual dinosaur: one with a long head, a huge sail that rises above the back (with another sail above the tail) and comparatively short legs. This starts a debate over how Spinosaurus moved (two versus four legs) and whether it could swim. For now, the consensus is that it moved on two legs and can wade in water, but not swim.

The long head, which resembles alligators, presents a case that Spinosaurus was a fish eater. But this does not mean that Spinosaurus did not feed on other animals, like turtles or reptiles. The location of Spinosaur fossils indicates that it inhabits waterways and coastlines, and probably interacted with other animals (and dinosaurs) in those locations. While there is (yet) little evidence on what the sail on Spinosaurus is used for, the author speculates that it may be used as a social display or a mating display.

In the end, the author does a good job of separating fact from fiction about what is now known about Spinosaurs, making this a good book to read to learn about what it really is, rather than what is presented about it in films or hyperbolic press releases.

An interesting book that looks at how organisms lie and cheat to deceive others and gain an advantage. This lying is not planned; it arises by evolution by natural selection because any organism that gets ahead by lying would pass on its genes to future generations of liars. The author then ties in this lying in nature with the nature of human liars, showing that while people may knowingly cheat, the reasons for human lying are still the same: to get an advantage over another person.

The author first shows that lying and deception occur at all levels in nature and is done by many organisms, whether they may be animals, plants, bacteria, fungi, viruses, or even genes. And this lying is a driver for evolutionary change: if lying did not benefit an organism, it would not be passed on.

Lying naturally arises when animals communicate with other animals to get better access to resources. Cheaters can benefit by communicating false information that give them better access: like sending an alarm call to make others flee while it goes for food. Getting or prevent access to females is a reason for male animals to cheat. Cheaters can also bluff to intimidate rivals. But there is a trade-off: too much cheating might lead others to discount or ignore the cheating signals (like in the story of the boy who cried wolf too many times).

Deception can work because it is exploiting loopholes in the perception or behaviour of others. Acts like playing dead work because some animals prefer live prey. Feigning injury can cause a predator to chase the wrong kind of prey (ones that can later escape). Mimicry is another deception that can be used to either attract prey or to hide from predators. So is camouflage. These deceptions cause evolution to act to counter them, leading to an evolutionary race between deceivers and deception countermeasures.

Despite all these deceptions, it is still possible for honesty to arise. This is possible if the cost of cheating is higher than the cost of sending an honest signal. Animals can regulate behaviour, such that sending a false signal would result in punishment. Differences in males and females requires different kinds of honest signals. Females need access to resources (to produce and raise young), while males want access to females. One result of this is that while most females may be socially monogamous, they may not be sexually monogamous (to get access to a more sexually alluring male). For males, being more sexually alluring may mean sending an honest signal by handicapping themselves to prove their worth: like the tail of peacocks or the antlers of stags. For humans, this can also mean producing new works of art or acquiring items of worth.

One way females can cheat on resources is by making others raise their young. This brood parasitism is practiced by cuckoo birds and other animals, leading to countermeasures to prevent it. This will spur the production of new traits and behaviours, based on the need for cuckoos to continue cheating and for their victims to detect this cheating behaviour.

After showing how cheating works in nature, the author looks at cheating among humans and shows that our cheating behaviour comes about naturally for the same reasons. We cheat to get better access not only to resources, but also to increase our reputation or status. Humans are unique in that cheating can be institutional: people free ride at work to get paid for doing nothing, for example.

Humans can also deceive themselves, as shown in the Dunning-Krueger effect (where many people over-estimate their abilities). This happens because lying requires a larger cognitive load in humans (needed to keep 'the story straight' when lying). Self-deception is a way to reduce this cognitive load: by believing your own self-deceptions and lies, it can make it easier for other to believe your lies. Lying to yourself is also a way that placebos and alternative medicine works, but the benefits here depend on the person. But self-deception can also lead to over-confidence and cognitive bias against information that does not agree with the self-deception. Being humble and self-critical can counteract bias, and lead a person to have a better grasp of reality.

The author then looks at how we can live in a world when lying is normal. It turns out that in a society, honesty is more about social norms. While we should be personally honest, we do need to tell the occasional lie (white lies) for society to keep functioning, and for people to have socially acceptable behaviours. Thus, while lying can never be eliminated from society, it is possible to educate people to detect certain lies (like scams and frauds) that are not socially acceptable.

Another fascinating detective and investigative story involving Ana Dolabra and Dinios Kol. It starts with a locked room murder which is, of course, solved within a few chapters. But the repercussions of the murder would build up as the story progresses, until it would involve an attack on the Shroud, the mysterious and chilling artifact that the Empire uses to extract and process the blood of the Titans, that the Empire depends upon for its survival.

Unlike the first book, where suspects are investigated and then revealed as the story progresses, the identity of the murderer in this book is determined 'off-stage' halfway through the book. Instead, it is more of a CSI-type story, where the methods and motive of the murderer take centre stage. As the investigation progresses, we also get to see more of the author's world-building, as more biological augmentations are revealed, all possible due to the Titan's blood that is being distilled in the Shroud. And one of those augmentations would give the murderer the ability to predict what Ana would do, leading to a cat and mouse game between two masters of logic and deduction.

If not controlled, the Titan's blood can cause biological corruption and disaster. And it doesn't help that the Shroud is at the edge of the Empire, bordering a corrupt, autocratic kingdom that the Empire is negotiating with. And as the investigation continues, Ana discovers yet more corruption in the bureaucracy of the Empire itself. All of these corruptions would come to a head at the climax of the story, leading Dinios to make a decision about his future that he has been reconsidering after months of working with Ana at what he thinks is an unglamorous job.

While the identity of the murderer is given to the reader, the methods and intent of the murderer could still be deduced from the story, if the reader is attentive enough. This reader was able to make a few logical deductions before their revelation in this inventive story.

The cat with an unusual connection with books returns. Here, it teams up with a girl suffering from asthma whose favourite activity is reading books from the library. Her familiarity with the library is what makes her realise that something is wrong: books are disappearing from the library.

One day, she sees an unusual grey man in the library and when she investigates, discovers a number of Arsène Lupin books are missing. Following the man is where she meets up with the cat and discovers the books being guarded in a castle guarded by grey soldiers. Confronting the grey man, she learns that not only has he been with humanity for a long time, but is working to 'free' men from the influence of books.

While rescuing the books from the grey man is a major objective for the girl, it would turn out to be the girl's relationship with books, the cat, her father (and with characters from the previous book) that would point the way to lessen the impact the grey man would have on humanity.

A fascinating book that looks at the history of air-borne diseases, from the people who investigated the possibility that some diseases might be air-borne, to the current day COVID-19 outbreak, which many (including the WHO) initially declared was not an air-borne disease, until the weight of evidence and studies eventually forced authorities to accept that it was air-borne. Hopefully, the lessons to be learned from COVID-19 may be used to blunt the effects of the next air-borne pandemic.

The book starts with the history of diseases, between those who believe diseases were spread by contagion (close contact) and by miasmas ('bad air'). The germ theory of diseases would help settle the matter on the side of contagion. But those who studied the air would find that it was filled with particles (spores, fungi and germs), even high in the stratosphere. While there was evidence that some diseases, like plant rust, could be spread by air, most researches dismiss it, believing that disease causing particles were mainly spread by close contact. As most, some diseases may be spread by droplets (via coughs and sneezes) but the droplets were considered too heavy to be kept air-borne for long.

But some scientists did believe that some diseases, like influenza, tuberculosis or measles, could be air-borne. They ran experiments, using ultraviolet lights to sterilise the air, and equipment to capture air-borne diseases particles, to gather evidence. But such experiments are hard to run and to reproduce properly. It also didn't help that one of the principle scientists advocating for air-borne diseases featured in the book, William Firth Wells, was considered hard to work with and was his own worst enemy at advocating for air-borne diseases.

During the world wars, research into air-borne diseases would turn from prevention to causing diseases, especially in enemy areas. Bioweapons were developed (like rust or anthrax) but never deployed at large scale as the effects were either not great enough or not specific enough (diseases don't discriminate over who gets infected). But accidents do occur, showing the effects bioweapons could have on populations if they were ever used.

Eventually, major health organisations, like the US CDC (Centre for Disease Control) would dismiss most of the work on air-borne diseases. One unfortunate 'fact' that would emerge from this episode was the belief that only particles smaller than 5 microns can be air-borne. This was a mis-statement, as only such tiny particles can penetrate deep into the lungs to cause diseases like tuberculosis: larger particles could still be air-borne and cause diseases if they do not have to penetrate as deeply (like COVID-19).

Moving to the modern era, the book looks at some pandemics and incidents (like bird flu, Ebola, AIDS, anthrax attacks) that would cause panics over whether they could become air-borne diseases. These would divert attention and resources from the few known air-borne diseases, preventing research into methods to make the air safer (like providing proper ventilation and filtration).

Then, COVID-19 appears, causing a global pandemic. While vaccines would eventually help end it, the death toll might have been lower if COVID-19 had been recognised as an air-borne disease earlier, leading to better prevention methods like better ventilation, instead of promoting less effective methods like social distancing or constant handwashing.

Today, there is now more research into air-borne diseases and to particles in the air in general. Fast DNA sequencing and other methods have now shown that air-borne particles can travel high in the air and for thousands of miles. Better ventilation and methods to sterilise and filter the air are being advocated for better health.

Hopefully, we are now better prepared when the next air-borne pandemic appears.

An interesting satirical fantasy story about archaeologists looking at fragments of a story about an abandoned city called Bovadium, which turns out to be Oxford, and how it fell due to the devilish motorcars that gradually enslave the inhabitants of the city, eventually causing its downfall.

J. R. R. Tolkien initially intended to publish the story but put it aside when comments by friends indicated that the language used and satire might go over the head of readers. It was finally published by his son, along with notes and background information that lead to the writing of the story.

It was written at a time when Tolkien was at Oxford, and Oxford itself became a centre of car manufacturing for Morris cars. As the car population at Oxford grew, congestion became a fact of life. One solution was to build a road across a green area in Oxford, a controversial solution which became a battle between those advocating and opposed to the idea, which Tolkien was aware of.

The story itself has the feel of a fable, one that people who own and drive cars in congested areas will be familiar with. Whether we will all end up as Bovadium in the end is up to the reader to decide.

A fascinating book looking at life that can be found deep underground and in extreme places, from the cold arctic to active volcanoes. Partially based on the author's own research and fieldwork, it shows that life can be found almost anywhere, if you look hard and long enough and questions what could be considered living: a question that would loom large as we search for extraterrestrial life.

The book start by with how to find such lifeforms. While some are 'easy' to find, by digging deeper on the surface, some can only be found in deep mines and by examining core samples from land and marine based sediments. Others can be sampled from areas like volcanoes or permafrost. With the advent of DNA sampling, amplification and sequencing, scientists began to get an idea of just how many microbes can be found from such samples.

While they may look the same as the microbes we are familiar with, many of these intraterrestrial microbes are actually very different. We are all descended from microbes that breath oxygen to get energy. But these intraterrestrial micros have the ability to use methane and other chemicals to get energy, and can live in extreme environments like high temperature or pressure or in highly acidic or alkaline environments. This has opened up other branches of life, of which multicellular life is just one branch.

The author then shows that we can get an understanding of how these microbes live by looking at their 'thermodynamic landscape', or the amount of energy provided by chemical reactions. Using oxygen produces a large burst of energy. Other chemical processes also produce energy (but less than oxygen) but in environments without oxygen, such processes are more than enough to power life. These chemical processes can alter the microbe's environment, which can then affect the kinds of microbes that can live in it, in a feedback loop. This leads to different kinds of microbes inhabiting the different layers of sediment, depending on their depth or distance from the source of food. Sometimes, volcanic lakes may have different microbe populations after eruptions, depending on which microbes gain an advantage.

For microbes living deep in marine sediments or under rocks, the amount of energy available can be quite low. This makes them long-lived and slow growing, which makes it harder (and longer) to run experiments to determine if the microbes are alive. The evidence shows that some of these microbes possibly take thousands of years to divide. With such long life spans, the question of evolution comes into the picture. Here, the author speculates that evolution has driven such microbes to be long-lived and wait from geological events to push them into places where they can begin to grow and multiply. Similarly, some microbes living in the arctic permafrost may be waiting for changes in the climate (warming events) before they become more active.

In closing, the book shows that life can be found almost anywhere in the earth, and it is very different from the life that we used to on the surface.

The second book in the author's The Rising World series, this one immediately follows-on from events in the first book. Like in the first book, this book has two threads: one is in the past and one in the present, covering events in the war against the Hierarchs and what happens after the war has been ended. But danger still lurks for the world, even with the disappearance of the Hierarchs.

In the present, Kai, a prince of the underworld who is on earth in a mortal form, and his friends learn of details of an expedition to the south to try to find the homeland of the Hierarchs. They learn about the discovery of artifacts that may indicate that not only the Hierarchs may still be around, but that a possible source of their power, a Well created from the pain of victims, may also be present. It soon becomes a race to learn the truth before others try to claim it for their own uses. And it doesn't help when one of Kai's companions, a scholar of the Hierarchs, acts strangely as if hiding a secret: a secret that could endanger the new world order.

In the past, Kai and an army of former prisoners of the Hierarchs is on a desperate journey to, hopefully, save a city by conquering a Hierarch fortress before it can be used to destroy the city. But their journey may be prevented by the presence of 'dust witches' who initially ambush Kai. But they could be an asset in the war against the Hierarchs if he can convince them to join.

Event in the first book span a period of time, but in the second book, events happen over a few days in both the past and present. Both will challenge Kai as he has to decide what needs to be done to save as many people as possible, while possibly sacrificing others. The book also ends with a cliffhanger, indicating a possible big change in the relationship between Kai and his friends and enemies.

An above average issue, with interesting stories by R.H. Wesley, D.A. Xiaolin Spires and a striking Philip K. Dick type tale of altered reality by Tade Thompson.

• "The Stone Played at Tengen" by R.H. Wesley: an interesting story about a Go board made up of stars that suddenly appear in the sky. In Japan, a Go master and a group of intellectuals believe somebody in space is challenging them to a game. The Go game starts with an unusual position that the Go master is familiar with. As the game proceeds, the group eventually realise they are dealing with a true Go master in space.

• "Jade Fighter" by D.A. Xiaolin Spires: a person enters a VR world to do taichi exercises, only to discover that one of the NPCs (non-player characters) inhabiting the world has more agency than expected. She strikes up a friendship with the NPC and together, they will discover more of themselves and the possibilities of inhabiting other virtual and the real world.

• "The Apologists" by Tade Thompson: a striking Philip K. Dick like story that starts with a cold-blooded murder of a mother and child, which is investigated by a detective. As we follow the detective's investigation, it becomes clear that something is off with the London she inhabits, with people unconsciously avoiding the Underground, and periodically plugging their ears against strange sounds. It is only when a violent confrontation between the detective and the murderer occurs do the pieces fall into place about this world that is not what it seems, and who the Apologist in the title may be.

• "Trees at Night" by Ramiro Sanchiz, translated by Sue Burke: a person arrives at a sanitorium on another planet for therapy to become who he used to be.

• "Prerequisites for the Creation of a Possible Predicted World" by Chisom Umeh: a company that recreates historial periods of earth prepares to reveal one based on a World's Fair. But something apparently goes wrong during the recreation, and it would require the imagination of a person to help convince visitors to keep 'alive' the recreation.

• "Ratlines" by Brent Baldwin: a 'brain in a box' controls a spaceship that carries criminals, flees from pursuit. But when they are caught, the brain has to decide whether it wants to carry out one final order.

• "The Fire Burns Anyway" by Kemi Ashing-Giwa: a person who creates imaginary worlds for sale contemplates whether to give it up for a better paying job or not.

An interesting story of the usual parent who has to handle a kindergartener, while navigating the politics of being an accepted member of a new school and its Parent Teacher Association. Only here, the kindergartener got turned into a werewolf, and the other kids and parents are magical beings or can use magic, making the 'mundane' parent even more stressed out. And it doesn't help when, of course, there is a prophecy hanging over the town and signs point to the kindergartener being involved in it. And as with any school, it would also involve parents who are overbearing, anxious, and might do anything to ensure their child succeeds.

Humour runs through the situation but for the first half of the book, it doesn't overcome the stressful situation the parent finds herself in: handing both wolf and human form of her child (who also suffers from bullying), trying to 'fit in' the new school and her role in the Parent Teacher Association, and getting sideline by parents who look down at her.

It is only in the second half of the book, when she eventually breaks out and seeks new friendships, and accepts help and guidance from them and her partner, does the situation lighten up, and the book really begins to shine. She also starts to take charge of finding out more about the prophecy, and discovers how it might have been manipulated to discredit her and the discoveries she makes about goings-on in the school from her role in the Association.

Unlike another series of fantasy books featuring a boy-wizard at a wizarding school (which also gets a brief mention here), the magical world here is more in-tune with the modern world. Wizards use smartphones and organise activities via WhatsApp. I got a laugh when they discover the location of a magical person by doing a Google image lookup on a picture obtained by magical means.

In the end, the parent and her kid discover that they can make a difference, and prophecies may not be as important as some people make them out to be.