Reviews and Comments

A fascinating sequel that continues the story of Pax, where a colony of humans, alien Glass Makers, and Svetland, the sentient plant, live together. Add to the mix, a spaceship from Earth that has come to see how the colony is doing.

The story is told in multiple viewpoints: the Earthlings, the human Pax dwellers (Pacifists), a Glass Maker queen and, of course, Svetland. It shows the conflicts and arguments that occur when different groups with different objectives have to live together to achieve common goals.

But thrown into the mix are new elements: a trip to another continent that changes Svetland's perspective about himself, and a new danger that is hinted at early on when communication problems causes problems that turn into a full-blown crisis for the Pax colony that endangers not just human and Glass Makers, but also Svetland himself.

The story continues in the third book of the series, where we will see what Svetland can do with the new abilities that he has discovered about himself and what his plans are for the 'service animals' that he cares for.

A fascinating book that looks at the dragonflies and damselflies (order Odonata) that can be found in the world. Many lovely photos of Odonata (some rarely seen) are featured in the book, showing off the dazzling colours and the variety of body and wing shapes; some of which I also had the pleasure of shooting with a camera.

The book start with a general overview of Odonata, including the differences between the two. Despite these differences, all Odonata share common features: their nymphs live in fresh water, before emerging to become agile aerial predators. Because of this dual life-style, Odonata have become an indicator of the health of water ecosystems. Unlike other insect groups like the bees and butterflies (and moths), Odonata are not plant pollinators, but their predatory lifestyle can help to keep down the population of other insects in the area.

The book then looks at the suborder of dragonflies, starting with the common families of dragonflies, before covering the rarer families. Their various lifestyles (location, ways of hunting, courting, etc.) are briefly covered. An interesting note is made of the Australian Shutwing dragonflies. While dragonflies usually rest with their wings open wide, the Shutwing rests with its wings closed (like a damselfly).

Before moving on to the damselflies, the book covers an interesting suborder known as the Damseldragons. These are Odonata with features from both dragonflies and damselflies (eyes like dragonflies, wings like damselflies) and is usually considered an ancient, "primitive" offshoot of the dragonflies.

The book then looks at the suborder of damselflies, from the common families of damselflies, then moving on to the rarer families. I personally found the damselflies featured in the book more fascinating than the dragonflies, with a larger variety of body shapes, wings and colouration featured.

The book is, of course, not the final word on the Odonata. Many species have yet to be named, and the relationships between different families of dragonflies and damselflies is yet to be firmly established. As a general guide to Odonata, this book excels by providing an overall picture of how and where Odonata can be found and what they look like via excellent photos in the book.

An average issue of Interzone, with interesting stories by Val Nolan, Dominic Green, Jennifer Jeanne McArdle and Simon Guerrier.

• "County Colours" by Val Nolan: an interesting story set in a world where parts of Ireland had been 'scattered' to random locations on the earth. The story follows one former Irish postal worker caught in the event who becomes the primary investigator charged with finding out how the Scattering happened. With her partner, they discover the original reason for the Scattering. But what happens next would take scattering to a whole new level, driven by the desire to remake the world

• "BODYSWAP.GOV" by R.T. Ester: a 'techbro' introduces a way for people to swap bodies, starting with some Special Forces soldiers with (huh?) porn actors. The story comes to a conclusion, driven by the need for the techbro to cover his problems by changing the uses of the technology.

• "Reboot the Sky" by Dominic Green: a colony ship on its way to a new planet gets attacked by another colony ship. And it would need some native South American people to come to a solution that technology cannot provide and, in the process, revive an ancient way of living.

• "The Island Without Spice" by Jennifer Jeanne McArdle: set during the Dutch colonial period in South-east Asian, a mixed woman on an island becomes a guide to a strange Dutch person who leads an expedition to the island, hoping to find something exotic to help him cure a disease that is infecting him. But things turn violent when the island itself has a savage effect on the Dutch person and his crew.

• "NKATA" by Simon Guerrier: a person receives mail for the previous resident of a house and returns it. But when subsequence mails arrive marked "URGENT", he eventually opens one and finds himself involved in the affairs of a company that repossesses body parts as payment, a state of affairs that is somehow legal.

• "Cops and Robbers #1: The Bridge" by Rachael Cupp: part of the author's series on the aftermath of a nuclear apocalypse, this one is a story told as a description of comic panels that show a group of drug pushers and users surviving the initial nuclear holocaust.

An interesting issue that starts off with three post-apocalyptic stories. Stories that I found good were by Rajeev Prasad, K. J. Khan and Malena Salazar Maciá.

• "Macaroni Art in the Age of Filtration" by Ryan Cole: a girl struggles to find a replacement mask for her brother, in a world wracked by volcanic eruptions and toxic gases. With the help of a friend, she may be able to find one, but time is running out for her own mask.

• "D0G" by Tania Fordwalker: in a post nuclear-war world, cybernetic D0Gs run rampant, searching for prey. One person, with a damaged D0G that does not kill until triggered, is searching for a way to stop them. But like another story about monsters, there may be not much that can be done about the D0Gs.

• "The Trajectory of Memory is Forward" by Rajeev Prasad: an interesting story set in a future where a member of humans known as the Have-Nots steals a device from a colony of Haves. As the story progresses, we discover that various humans groups have been genetically modified to survive an ecological disaster, and now a Have-Not and a Have travel together to a city in an attempt to gather more knowledge and survive a falling birth rate. But what they discover would be more about their past troubles and maybe a way to change things for the better.

• "Eternity in Their Hearts" by K. J. Khan: an android becomes a companion to a dying person, a task it has also been doing for other people. During a discussion with the person's sister, who disagrees with the choice of the companion, we discover that the android can remember all the deaths, and has its own hopes for the future. But is the future a delusion from the android's company or a real one?

• "Shelter" by Nadia W. Aldsen: an alien enters a shelter run by a human and promptly disintegrates. That is just the start of a sequence of events that would involve the human taking care of the remains that would become an intimate part of the shelter.

• "The Forgetting Code" by Malena Salazar Maciá: an old man in a workshop helps others forget their anguish by taking away their memories. He remains puzzled by the disappearance of his daughter which he has never erased: until one day, he encounters the person who last saw his daughter and finds a way to bring her back, but at the cost of his own memories of her.

• "Human Studies 401" by Abby Nicole Yee: as part of the studies on humanity, an alien manufactures a humanoid to have a relationship with a human. From this comes the downfall of humanity, but it wins the alien a prize for best thesis.

An interesting near-future thriller told from multiple viewpoints. In one, we see the Federation, ruled by a man who has downloaded his brain from one body to another to maintain his grip on power, while fellow citizens struggle to keep their social credits up (making a wrong move or saying the wrong thing make you lose points). In the West, AI Prime Ministers have 'rationalised' decision-making, turning parliaments into rubber-stamp institutions.

Yet, the cracks are showing. The AI Prime Minister in one country causes an uprising, and it starts to spread to other countries as their Prime Ministers malfunction. In the Federation, a plot is underway to replace the president, by using an unusual device that can influence thoughts from a distance.

All of these happen together, causing world-wide chaos that the characters in the book have to live through, trying to save themselves of the people around them. But what comes out at the other end may be a world that is technologically diminished, but with people able to come together to make their own decisions about how to live their lives.

An exciting conclusion to the tale about Miss Cassidy. This book follows-on directly from events in the previous book, where a malign spirit has been confined to an island, while Miss Cassidy finds herself in the realm of the gods.

But not is not well for Miss Cassidy, for she is being pursued by the Queen on the Faeries who wants her back. Miss Cassidy has little choice but to be bind herself to an unusual goddess, who wants her help to solve the mystery of the murder of an Asian princess in a boarding house in England.

Into this steps Mister Kay from Singapore (Miss Cassidy's former employer), who is also trying to find Miss Cassidy. Since he has the Third Eye, which enables him to see and speak to spirits, he discovers her whereabouts. But to get to her, he has to turn himself into a travelling mystic which turns out to be a blessing and a curse: England is full of ghosts (due to all the witch burnings) which clamour for his attention.

The murder of the Princess appears to involve a fashion house run by an unusual person who always manages to produce the required dresses for his clients, despite the tight deadlines. Miss Cassidy's reaction upon sensing him reveals that he may not be quite human. When Mister Kay arrives, she has to work to protect him, and the household, from that person while she works to find out who he really is: and the answer may involve the spirit which she encountered in the previous book.

And back home in Singapore, Mister Kay's family is preparing to welcome a new baby by one of Mister Kay's friends. But all may not be well, for the mother-to-be has visions of a spirit that may come to claim her baby for itself. And the only thing that could protect the baby is an unusual veil that Miss Cassidy had a hand in creating.

All the plot threads rush together towards the end, as the mystery of the murder is resolved, and the mortal, spirit and realm of the gods clash. Miss Cassidy may have saved the day, but at the cost of being reclaimed by her Queen: or is she? Perhaps the answer may lie on a small island near Singapore that Mister Kay visits upon his return to Singapore.

Unlike the first two books which mainly feature Miss Cassidy, the main character in this book is Mister Kay. His motives for looking for Miss Cassidy are probably obvious from the first two books, but it would need this one for both Miss Cassidy and Mister Kay to admit to it and to resolve their relationship.

There are plenty of books and programmes that introduce birdwatching, but few (or none) on bugwatching, and this books helps to fill that gap. An introduction to bugwatching, or observing insects (or arthropods, in general), it aims to introduce the reader to the various bugs that can be found and how to learn to appreciate them.

The book starts with how to watch bugs safely; most bugs are harmless to people, but some (like wasps and caterpillars) can inflict pain for defence, so the usual rule is to observe (or listen), but not to touch or disturb bugs too much. The ethics of bugwatch is also covered, like being respectful of people and property. Field guides and equipment for bugwatching is also covered, followed by ways to record observations.

Finding bugs is covered next, covering seasons and the time when various insects can be found and are active. Areas for observing insects are also covered, including urban areas and even indoors. Ways of attracting insects, from putting out bait, employing traps to putting up lights are also presented, which should be done in an ethical manner.

Identifying insects is covered next, showing various ways to distinguish between different insects and the various life stages of insects. But the author stresses that proper identification can be difficult, even for experts.

Besides observing bugs, their behaviour can also be observed: courtship, mating, parental care, grooming, sleeping, mass emergence, defenses and so on can be fascinating to see. Bugwatching can also be a social activity, either on-line or in actual groups that form for workshops or nature festivals.

Advanced bugwatching is then provided, for those who wish to contribute to research by help to collect and identify insects. Other ways, like volunteering for projects and donations are also covered.

In summary, the book provides a guide to observing more the nature around you. The book is mainly aimed at a North American audience, but some of the guidelines and proposals are general enough to apply to other parts of the world.

A funny, horror urban fantasy story set in Singapore, in a world where supernatural beings are real, but mortals still basically try to ignore they exist. In this world works Benjamin Toh, a manager in the Singapore Division for Engagement of Unusual Stakeholders (DEUS) and his team of Others (magical folk) who manage and integrate the Others into modern-day Singapore.

But things get serious when an investigation of a Singapore housing block shows it to be sinking into another World. The cause of this sinking, and stopping it before it causes the rest of Singapore to also sink is the main task of Benjamin and his team in this book.

Along the way, Benjamin would encounter wyverns and minor gods, negotiate wth djinns, discover an 'evil' private corporation, and learn something secret about his close partner. But he would also learn more about himself, for he is an unusual Other: a Gardener, a person who can grow and cultivate his inner mental forest which can grant him extraordinary strength and agility. He would need all his Gardening skills as he navigates crises and discover what is causing the housing block to sink and what must be done to stop it.

The book also gives a satirical account of a government department, with a boss that is anxious that internal reports shed a good light on the minister and the department, and that the department does well in interdepartmental games (with humorous asides on how much magic Benjamin and his team can use in the games).

But it's not all fun and games: Benjamin has a cautious streak and strives to keep his team (and partner) safe from the supernatural goings-on that could turn deadly. He will have to learn to let go and allow his team to do what they do best as a team, if they are to save the day.

A good start to what may become a series, and I look forward to what else the team has to handle in supernatural Singapore.

An average issue, with interesting stories by Thomas Ha, Wanxiang Fengnian and Thoraiya Dyer.

• "Bend Like the Palm" by David D. Levine: an island is threatened by a storm and its inhabitants have to decide what to save and what to sacrifice. But as tension mounts at the discussion, one person reminds them of the principles their island is based on.

• "First Human Ghost on Mars" by R.L. Meza: a human ghost is transported to Mars. But upon arrival, it gets involved in a life and death situation.

• "Crosstalk, Elysium" by Carolyn Zhao: a story set in a system where spaceships need to be 'encouraged' to operate.

• "Scion" by Thomas Ha: the scion of a family wakes in his family house, and discovers things are not right. As he struggles to get to the heart of the house, from where his father is controlling the house, he discovers some truths about the 'servants' in the house, his relationship with them, and what must be done to bring things back to normal; or perhaps to move on to a new way of living.

• "Scion: Afterword" by Thomas Ha: a series of journal entries set long after the previous story, which reveals more about the world that "Scion" is set in.

• "Those Who Left History" by Wanxiang Fengnian, translated by Stella Jiayue Zhu: pocket universes have been invented, and those who enter them are forever 'gone' from our universe, although those inside can still see what is happening outside. The story is a series of journal entries over ever-increasing time spans showing the effect the discovery has on the world, and whether the people in the universes should be forgotten or not.

• "You Are Invited to Our SPRING CELEBRATION" by Thoraiya Dyer: on another world, its lifeform, which apparently live on internal radioactivity make contact with a human ship that arrives, but is damaged. While waiting many years for a rescue ship to arrive, they interact and learn about each other, with the humans showing off a spring celebration. But the celebration is tinged with regret with the alien lifeform discover that rescue may never come.

• "Person, Place, Thing" by Marissa Lingen: an alien, which is a colony organism makes contact with humanity, although humanity is not aware of its colonial nature. When the alien's human contacts are replaced with other that make different demands on it, the alien colony decide to take matters into its own hands to regain contact with the original humans.

A fascinating book that looks at the engineering that goes into the infrastructure that you can see around you. It should give the reader an appreciation of the planning, design, construction and management that goes into making the infrastructure 'just work' and fade into the background of daily life: until a breakdown makes it clear how vital the infrastructure is.

The book starts with the electrical grid, covering how electricity is generated and distributed. Next, the book looks at communication systems, from landlines and mobile phones, to how messages are sent to distant countries.

Roads are covered in the next section, covering the various kinds of roads and road traffic, traffic signals, the design of roads, road shoulders and embankments. Highways and interchanges are also covered. Bridges and tunnels are then covered, showing how they are designed, constructed, and maintained. Trains and railways are then featured in the next section.

Dams, levees and coastal structures are then covered, showing how they contain or hold back bodies of water. Municipal water and wastewater systems are then featured, showing how water is cleaned and moved to users and how wastewater is treated so that is can be discharged safely back into the environment.

The final section covers construction, showing how a construction site that looks 'chaotic' to outsiders is well-orchestrated to ensure the construction is executed efficiently but with safety in mind.

Readers should get a better appreciation of how the infrastructure they see around them works, and what some structures that appear here and there in urban areas may be for. They would get an appreciation of just how much thought and engineering goes into some of the infrastructure to ensure they are safe for people to use in their daily lives.

A lovely graphic novel adaptation of Tolkien's book about the adventures of the Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, as he joins a group of dwarves led by Thorin Oakenshield on a journey to reclaim their kingdom from the dragon Smaug. Gandalf, the wizard, helps them in their adventures while they are aided and hindered by trolls, elves, goblins, wargs, a shape-shifter and men. But it is one meeting that Bilbo has with the creature, Gollum, deep in the heart of the mountains, that will have world changing consequences.

This is a revised version of the original graphic novel by the artist. Since I do not have the original graphic novel, I am unable to compare them to see what changes have been done. The artist states the revision was done to make the flow of the content better now that publication restrictions that applied to the original version have been removed.

Included at the end of this edition is some background on how the artist came to create the novel, and the kind of artwork he decided to use, and some details on how he created the characters of Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf, and the dwarves.

Apart from a minor glitch, the graphic novel closely follows the book. The glitch occurs when the dwarves are captured by the spiders and are hanging from trees imprisoned in webs. Bilbo finds them and proceeds to rescue them. Missing at this point is the actual rescue, with Bilbo distracting the spiders, then cutting the dwarves free of their webs. In the book, Bilbo finds the dwarves and in the next scene, they are free and trying to escape from the spiders. A strange ommission in the book.

Otherwise, a good adaptation of the novel, with artwork that enhances the story and helps put the reader into the story.