With summer 2017 officially here, we have six mini-reviews of six books, old and new, classic and recent, science fiction and science fact, offered for seasonal reading: Dandelion Wine (1957), Girlfriend in a Coma (1998), Rocket Boys (1998), A Tale for the Time Being (2013), Hidden Figures (2016), and The Fifth Heart (2015).

Enjoy! And don’t forget your own recommendations.

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“So I might have mentioned there are two kinds of magic.” Patricia handed Laurence a blueberry pastry and a mug of English Breakfast.

“Good and bad, I’m guessing,” said Laurence, not quite having his mouth full. Patricia’s bathrobe was splayed out on the sofa next to him, and he wondered if he could grab the ring while she wasn’t looking. But then he remembered the part about someone getting pulled back in the nightmare dimension.

“No, though that’s a common misconception.”

Charlie Jane Anders’ first major work won the 2016 Nebula Award for Best Novel.

It’s an impressive accolade, no doubt much appreciated by a writer who has long been connected with and written about SF and Fantasy fandom. Does it merit the award?

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