A Memory Called Empire - Arkady Martine

A Memory Called Empire was phenomenal. My favorite genre of sci-fi is cyberpunk, and although this was not that, and was more a traditional Star Trek- or Ursula K. LeGuin-style exploration of cultures intersecting in outer space, this did have my favorite cyberpunk trope, of stacks and sleeves (or wetware and hardware, or whatever you want to call it -- importing one's consciousness into a new vessel). This novel uses a form of this trope I particularly enjoy, a la Jadzia Dax, where the individual's consciousness merges with that of their predecessor, forming a new hybrid individual. In Memory, this technology is called an 'imago line,' which citizens on Lsel Station use to covertly preserve the knowledge, personality, and memories of generations.

In this work, Mahit is the new Lsel Ambassador to the Empire, appointed after her predecessor, Yskandr, dies under suspicious circumstances. Mahit is fitted with Yskandr's imago, which should give her the benefit of his expertise, but it's missing 15 years of his experiences, and then mysteriously stops functioning at all, leaving her entirely alone and unsupported on an alien planet. Mahit must rely upon her own instincts (and some unlikely allies) to navigate the politics of the imperial court, investigate Yskandr's demise, and preserve the independence of Lsel Station -- all against a backdrop of increasing civil unrest in the imperial City.

A brilliant, exciting, authorial debut, written by an author with a passion for poetry and linguistics, which deepen and enrich this political space opera. Highly recommend!!

The City of Brass - S.A. Chakraborty

The City of Brass grew on me as I went along. In the beginning of this story, scrappy polyglot Nahri is living in Cairo, where she uses her street smarts and unique magical healing abilities to swindle wealthy merchants. She dreams of saving enough money to become a legitimate physician, but these plans are turned on their head when she accidentally summons a mysterious djinn warrior. The rest of the novel is an romance/adventure set in the fantastical realm of Daevabad. 

Some of the writing felt a bit clunky to me, particularly the romantic bits, and I found it difficult to keep track of the byzantine djinn tribal histories. However, the Middle Eastern setting was beautifully realized, and a nice change of pace from the Euro-centric fantasy I'm used to reading. The action also heated up as the story progressed, and there were some thrilling fight scenes. Alizayd, the king's spartan and idealistic son, was my favorite character - if I continue with the next books in the trilogy, I hope we see more of him. 

Gideon the Ninth

 Gideon the Ninth was... interesting. In this gory sci-fi/fantasy, necromancers from nine Houses compete to become Lyctors: powerful sorcerers in the service of the necromantic God. With the aid of their loyal sword-wielding partners (cavaliers, or "cavs"), the necromancers must complete a series of brutal challenges. The hero of the story is Gideon Nav, a red-haired, foul-mouthed, ass-kicking lesbian, and reluctant cav to Harrowhark, a sadistic and tight-lipped female necromancer of the Ninth House. Each House has its own flavor; the Ninth has a gothic vibe and is known for its secrecy and bone magic (perhaps the most creative device in the book). 

The concept of this story intrigued me, and the action was very exciting. However, I found it impossible to keep track of the 16+ characters (I missed the character summaries at the end of the book, which would have been really helpful). I was also disconcerted by the author's penchant for inserting modern slang into the mouths of her otherworldly characters. Finally, I was not satisfied with the answer to a central mystery, which struck me as very abrupt and contrived. 

In the final assessment, I enjoyed the read, but would likely not continue with the next books in the series. 

World War Z - Max Brooks

World War Z was excellent. One could be forgiven for thinking it would be pulpy drek (though I personally love zombie stories) -- however, nothing could be farther from the truth! Brooks treats the zombie virus rationally, using it as a thought experiment to explore the ramifications of rampant contagious disease and violence on all levels of society, world-wide, over a span of decades. Truly impressive and far-seeing. The novel is framed as a collection of survivor interviews, and Brooks' ability to compellingly embody many diverse characters and perspectives makes for very enjoyable reading. Some of the stories are very ugly and heartbreaking, but overall I found it uplifting, about the resilience of the human spirit. Would definitely recommend. 

As an aside-- the (very mediocre) disaster flick World War Z bears no resemblance to the book, they basically just copped the title. While the book is genius, the movie's sole virtue is that it features hottie Brad Pitt. Still, I enjoyed both. 

The Double Helix

 This fascinating, gossipy story of how the structure of DNA was discovered is the widely accepted accepted account of the most important biological discovery of the 20th century.  

Watson and Crick are among the few scientists whose names and accomplishment are known to most laypeople.  Also widely acknowledged is Watson's general misogyny and especially his denigration of Rosalind Franklin scientific skills and  his wildly inappropriate portrayal of her as a shrew.  Sadly, Franklin's exceptional x-ray crystallographic data were absolutely essential for Watson and Crick to discover the correct structure of DNA - and they obtained her data in a furtive way and then published their proposed structure without acknowledging her essential contribution. 

Tragically, Franklin died at a very young age and before the Nobel prize was awarded for the discovery of DNA's structure. Because Nobel prizes are not awarded posthumously, Franklin was not included in the award.  Although Watson and Crick could not have gotten the correct structure without Franklin's results, Crick, in an interview, stated that if he and Watson had not announced their proposed structure, Franklin would have gotten the structure on her own "certainly within 3 months".   Crick has also denounced Watson's self-serving account as "a contemptible pack of damn nonsense" Nevertheless, it does provide insight into how biological research is conducted and it is still a mesmerizing read.