Deborah J. Ross's Blog, page 12

Very Short Book Review: Penric and Desdemona in "The Corpse Isn't Dead"

Knot of Shadows (A Penric& Desdemona Novella in the World of the Five Gods) by Lois McMaster Bujold (Subterranean)

Knot of Shadows (A Penric& Desdemona Novella in the World of the Five Gods) by LoisMcMaster Bujold is not your ordinary murder mystery, but anything involving Templesorcerer Penric and his chaos demon, Desdemona, is bound to be anything butordinary. In this case, they’re called in to investigate when a drowning victimturns out to be not quite dead. The animated corpse houses two souls, sunderedfrom the care of their gods, the result of vile and highly illegal death magic.But is the corpse the victim or the perpetrator, a person so desperate toavenge a wrong that they are willing to sacrifice their own soul?

As usual for these novellas, the story is intricatelycrafted, and full of snappy dialog, vivid characters, and profound emotions. Ihope we’ll see many more of them.

[archives] Is Darkover Space Opera?

This post from a couple of years ago still gets viewers, so in case you missed it, I'm giving it another day of blog-glory. With the recent publication of The Children of Kings, which takes place entirely on Darkover, but does involve things going 'splody in space, it seems appropriate.


My husband, sf writer Dave Trowbridge, and I were discussing the appeal of space opera at breakfast, what it is and why it appeals. Basically, space opera is a type of science fiction set on a large scale, highly dramatic and sometimes melodramatic. It tends to have military elements -- huge battles upon which hinge the fate of galactic empires, that sort of thing. Although wikipedia says it has nothing to do with the musical form, I think that reflects their own ignorance. What space opera and musical opera have in common is being larger than life, or rather brighter and more intense than life. Opera was, after all, the epitome high-tech special-effects knock-your-socks-off entertainment for centuries. Music, lyrics, sets, and costumes, not to mention trap doors and wire harnesses, exotic animals and fireworks, all enhanced one another. But that's another topic.

We agreed that we love the grand scope of such tales, but that it needs to be balanced by emotionally intimate moments. The same is true, for me at least, in epic fantasy. Monstrous dark forces are threatening the entire world, volcanoes exploding by the thousands, rivers of fire and poison...and then a detail in the characters that's so human, it touches my heart, not just my things-go-boom adrenalin endorphins.

Which brings me to Darkover.
Technically, the series is science fiction, and if you read the very early books, this is more clear. As Marion developed the world and explored its history, fewer of the stories actually involved events in space and the clash of cultures, and more were focused on conflict within the Seven Domains. For me, that iconic first experience remains, "Character comes to Darkover and discovers...adventure, danger... himself and his past," and I discover these things along with him.

Somewhere along the line, the romantic sensibilities of the early Darkover novels took on the feeling of fantasy. After all, people were riding horses and thwacking each other with swords. Laran took on the aspect of semi-magic, even the terminology ("spells"). But there is something grand and opera-like about many of the stories. Think of Stormqueen! or The Heritage of Hastur, landscapes rent with supernaturally-charged storms, space ships bursting into flame, mental powers concentrated in crystals and then bursting out, wild and uncontrolled...characters faced with terrible choices and even more painful sacrifices. One of the joys of working with Marion on the "Clingfire" trilogy was creating a big, overarching story that spanned generations and came to a resounding climax with the adoption of the Compact. Verdi would have adored it. Not to mention Mozart! (I can't help wondering what the man who composed The Magic Flute would have done with Darkover.)

Marion was a life-long opera enthusiast.As a young woman, she'd wanted to be an opera singer, and she never lost her love of it. One of my favorite memories of her was going together to hear Puccini's Manon Lescaut at the San Francisco Opera. I wonder how much of that love of opera -- music, words, color and movement coming together to make a whole greater than the parts -- helped shape the world of the Bloody Sun.

Darkover may be only one planet, and hence the term "space" may be subject to question, but is it space opera? What do you think?

Short Book Reviews: Tarot untangles a murder mystery

 Play the Fool, by Lina Chern (Bantam)

Play the Fool, by Lina Chern is a murder mysterywith more than one delicious twist. Katie True, whose ability to read tarotcards verges on (and plunges headlong into) the supernatural, is the classicunderachiever in an upwardly mobile, hyperconventional middle-class family. Herworld of one dead-end job after another takes a surprising turn with a newfriendship. Marley is free-wheeling, mysterious, and absolutely comfortable inher own skin. Their burgeoning relationship gives Katie hope that she, too, canone day live an authentic, irreverent, and joyous life.

Then a hapless young man stumbles into the shop where Katieworks, claiming to be the boyfriend Marley intends to break up with. Katietakes pity on his evident distress and agrees to do a tarot reading for him.She discovers a photo on his phone. It’s of Marley, murdered by a gunshot woundto her head.

Shocked and grief-stricken, Katie determines to findMarley’s killer. Even if it means taking reckless chances and ignoring theadvice of the gorgeous, emotionally bottled-up cop to stay out of it.

Throughout the thriller whodunit that follows, Katie’s first-personvoice shines through. In her quest to discover Marley’s killer, she must cometo terms with her own lack of purpose, fend off her well-meaning butdomineering family, and stay alive through one dark, dangerous plot twist afteranother.

Katie’s luminous voice elevates a well-written mystery tosomething more. I didn’t care whether or not she possesses supernaturalclairvoyance or an exceptional ability to read people. What matters is herbrilliant insight coupled with all-too-human vulnerability. The fact that sheis both kind and hilariously funny adds to the delicious tone.

And I did not see the ending coming at all.

Short Book Reviews: A Wild West Thriller with a Black Heroine

 Lone Women, by Victor LaValle (One World)

In the early 20th Century, a Black woman namedAdelaide Henry sets out from California to the wilds of Montana. Like manyothers, she dreams of homesteading a much-hyped paradise. Everywhere she goes,she lugs an enormous steamer trunk…which she sings to as it makes ominousthumping sounds.

Montana turns out to be anything but a paradise. The weatheris unimaginably brutal, and the physical labor of setting up a homestead isunrelenting. Worst of all is the crushing loneliness. From practically themoment she sets foot in the shack that came with her deed, neighbors appear--womendesperate for a friend, and men equally desperate for female company andpossible courtship.

Not all the visitors are benign and they all harbor secrets.There’s a family of grifters, thieves, and murderers, whose innocent-appearingblind children are the most vicious of the lot. A single woman schoolteacher witha clouded past and a child shunned inexplicably by everyone. A lesbian couple,one Black, one Chinese. Adelaide, with her work ethic and essential decency,soon settles into the community. She’s ever anxious to protect her own secret:

What’s in the trunk? And what havoc will it wreak if itgets out?

Gorgeously written, the book alternates between passages ofemotional depth and suspense horror. Everyone hides something, and some secretsare more deadly than others. The layered unveiling of those secrets, and thecompassion of the central character are handled with exceptional skill.

Highly recommended.

[promotion brag] Readers Love The Laran Gambit!

 More praise for The Laran Gambit, this from an Amazon reviewer:

"A compelling and excellent return to Darkover…such a great conflict and resolution…"

Book Review: When a poet writes queer historical romance…

Solomon's Crown, by Natasha Siegel (Dell)

When a poet writes queer historical romance…

The relationship between Richard I (“Lionheart”) of Englandand Philip II (“Dieudonné”) of France has been the subject of much debate, particularlywhether it was of a romantic and sexual nature, as a number of medieval andmodern scholars attest, or an intense friendship at a time when sharing a bed wasa common expression of trust. Historically, the relationship turned bitter andended only with Richard’s death in 1199.

Historical fiction, especially romantic historical fantasy, takessuch questions as these as a starting place. It goes beyond the dry facts anddates to the juicy question of, “What If?’ What if Richard (then Duke ofAquitaine), larger-than-life action hero, and introverted, cautious Philip fellin love the first time they met? Richard was not then heir to the throne andhad a contentious relationship with his father, Henry II. Philip, newlyascended, had to contend with repairing the damage to France caused by theweakness of his late father. But what if they each found solace, completion,and joy in one another?

In the hands (or rather, the pen) of a brilliant poet, theanswer is a heartbreakingly beautiful story whose words sing on every page. Theauthor relates how she used history as a starting point and then followed wherethe story lead her. This is the “romantic fantasy” aspect of Solomon’s Crown.This love story shaped Western Europe perhaps never happened but should have.It is not altogether accurate regarding the social attitudes of 12thCentury C.E. England and France. I agree with most of Siegel’s choices and withher commitment to make the story emotionally true.

My favorite character was neither Richard nor Philip, butPhilip’s wife, Isabella of Hainaut. In Siegel’s version, by the time Philip wasforced into marriage, he had had enough lustful encounters with Richard to havefigured out his sexuality, to the point of severe doubts he can perform on hiswedding night. She’s very young (only eleven years old) and terrified ofpregnancy (the desired result of said wedding night) and its high mortalityrate. When she summons the courage to beg Philip to postpone intercourse, he’srelieved. But he’s a kind person, so when she lies beside him, unable to sleep,he soothes her by reciting her favorite poem (in Latin). The next day, shememorizes the following part to recite to him. With such a beginning, theybecome friends. She turns out to be a perceptive, resourceful person who has noissues with Philip’s relationship with Richard, not just the sex but the love.Like Richard’s mother, the redoubtable Eleanor of Aquitaine, Isabella maturesinto a force in her own right. While Philip and Richard wrestle with innerdemons and family power struggles, Isabella’s character growth and essentialdecency stand out.

 

I loved every page of this book, even though I knew theromance would eventually fizzle and Richard would die. Those sad events remainin the future, and perhaps in Siegel’s world, the lovers will remain joyouslydevoted and grow old together.

Reprint: Covid Vaccines Essential for Elders

 

COVID-19 vaccines: CDC says people ages 65 and up should get a shot this spring – a geriatrician explains why it’s vitally important Even if you got a COVID-19 shot last fall, the spring shot is still essential for the 65 and up age group. whyframestudio/iStock via Getty Images Plus Laurie Archbald-Pannone, University of Virginia

In my mind, the spring season will always be associated with COVID-19.

In spring 2020, the federal government declared a nationwide emergency, and life drastically changed. Schools and businesses closed, and masks and social distancing were mandated across much of the nation.

In spring 2021, after the vaccine rollout, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said those who were fully vaccinated against COVID-19 could safely gather with others who were vaccinated without masks or social distancing.

In spring 2022, with the increased rates of vaccination across the U.S., the universal indoor mask mandate came to an end.

In spring 2023, the federal declaration of COVID-19 as a public health emergency ended.

Now, as spring 2024 fast approaches, the CDC reminds Americans that even though the public health emergency is over, the risks associated with COVID-19 are not. But those risks are higher in some groups than others. Therefore, the agency recommends that adults age 65 and older receive an additional COVID-19 vaccine, which is updated to protect against a recently dominant variant and is effective against the current dominant strain.

You have a 54% less chance of being hospitalized with severe COVID-19 if you’ve had the vaccine. Increased age means increased risk

The shot is covered by Medicare. But do you really need yet another COVID-19 shot?

As a geriatrician who exclusively cares for people over 65 years of age, this is a question I’ve been asked many times over the past few years.

In early 2024, the short answer is yes.

Compared with other age groups, older adults have the worst outcomes with a COVID-19 infection. Increased age is, simply put, a major risk factor.

In January 2024, the average death rate from COVID-19 for all ages was just under 3 in 100,000 people. But for those ages 65 to 74, it was higher – about 5 for every 100,000. And for people 75 and older, the rate jumped to nearly 30 in 100,000.

Even now, four years after the start of the pandemic, people 65 years old and up are about twice as likely to die from COVID-19 than the rest of the population. People 75 years old and up are 10 times more likely to die from COVID-19.

Vaccination is still essential

These numbers are scary. But the No. 1 action people can take to decrease their risk is to get vaccinated and keep up to date on vaccinations to ensure top immune response. Being appropriately vaccinated is as critical in 2024 as it was in 2021 to help prevent infection, hospitalization and death from COVID-19.

The updated COVID-19 vaccine has been shown to be safe and effective, with the benefits of vaccination continuing to outweigh the potential risks of infection.

The CDC has been observing side effects on the more than 230 million Americans who are considered fully vaccinated with what it calls the “most intense safety monitoring in U.S. history.” Common side effects soon after receiving the vaccine include discomfort at the injection site, transient muscle or joint aches, and fever.

These symptoms can be alleviated with over-the-counter pain medicines or a cold compress to the site after receiving the vaccine. Side effects are less likely if you are well hydrated when you get your vaccine.

Getting vaccinated is at the top of the list of the new recommendations from the CDC. Long COVID and your immune system

Repeat infections carry increased risk, not just from the infection itself, but also for developing long COVID as well as other illnesses. Recent evidence shows that even mild to moderate COVID-19 infection can negatively affect cognition, with changes similar to seven years of brain aging. But being up to date with COVID-19 immunization has a fourfold decrease in risk of developing long COVID symptoms if you do get infected.

Known as immunosenescence, this puts people at higher risk of infection, including severe infection, and decreased ability to maintain immune response to vaccination as they get older. The older one gets – over 75, or over 65 with other medical conditions – the more immunosenescence takes effect.

All this is why, if you’re in this age group, even if you received your last COVID-19 vaccine in fall 2023, the spring 2024 shot is still essential to boost your immune system so it can act quickly if you are exposed to the virus.

The bottom line: If you’re 65 or older, it’s time for another COVID-19 shot.

Laurie Archbald-Pannone, Associate Professor of Medicine and Geriatrics, University of Virginia

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

More Praise for The Laran Gambit

Praise for The Laran Gambit, my latest #Darkover novel. 

"A compelling and excellent return to Darkover…such a great conflict and resolution… " --Amazon review

Amazon: https://buff.ly/3Pf03r4 Barnes and Noble: https://buff.ly/4a5GjOy and other vendors. Also in hardcover and trade paperback

Science Fiction Worldbuilding: Orbiting a White Dwarf

I'm always on the lookout for great information about world-building, especially fascinating astronomy discoveries. This is an excerpt from an article in Universe Today  by Evan Gough. Check it out for the full story. (I find this image evocative and beautiful -- do you?)



Stars end their lives in different ways. Some meet their end as supernovae, cataclysmic explosions that destroy any orbiting planets and even sterilize planets light-years away. Our Sun is not massive enough to explode as a supernova. Instead, it’ll spend time as a red giant. The red giant phase occurs when a star runs out of hydrogen to feed fusion. It’s a complicated process that astronomers are still working hard to understand. But red giants shed layers of material into space that light up as planetary nebulae. Eventually, the red giant is no more, and only a tiny, yet extraordinarily dense, white dwarf resides in the middle of all the expelled material.

Can some planets can survive as stars transition from the main sequence to red giant to white dwarf?  Researchers at the Space Telescope Science Institute, Goddard Space Flight Center, and other institutions have found what seem to be two giant planets orbiting two white dwarfs in two different systems.

If the researchers are correct, and the planets formed at the same time as the stars, this is an important leap in our understanding of exoplanets and the stars they orbit. It may also have implications for life on any moons that might be orbiting these planets.

Some white dwarfs appear to be polluted with metals, elements heavier than hydrogen and helium. Astronomers think that these metals come from asteroids in the asteroid belt, perturbed and sent into the white dwarf by giant planets. “Confirmation of these two planet candidates with future MIRI imaging would provide evidence that directly links giant planets to metal pollution in white dwarf stars,” the authors write.

Astronomers have found that up to 50% of isolated white dwarfs with hydrogen atmospheres have metals in their photospheres, the stars’ surface layer. These white dwarfs must be actively accreting metals from their surroundings. The favoured source for these metals is asteroids and comets.

This artist’s illustration shows rocky debris being drawn toward a white dwarf. Astronomers think that giant planets perturb smaller objects like asteroids and comets inside the WD’s Roche limit. They’re destroyed, and the debris is drawn onto the star’s surface. Image Credit: NASA, ESA, Joseph Olmsted (STScI)

 JANUARY 30, 2024 BY EVAN GOUGH

Short Book Reviews: A Murder Magnet Takes on a Sentient Spaceship

 Station Eternity by Mur Lafferty (Ace)

Poor Mallory! Ever since she can remember, she’s been amagnet for murders. To make matters worse, only she has the intuition andinsight to solve them. This hasn’t put her in favor with law enforcement, oncethey figure out she isn’t the killer, she’s just bad luck. As a social pariah,she’s tried to fly under the radar. Then aliens contact Earth and agree toaccept a human ambassador to their space station (Eternity). For some reason,the sentient station allows Mallory to come onboard, too. For Mallory, gettingas far away from other humans as possible seems like the solution to murders alwayshappening near her.

Until word comes that a shuttle filled with humans is on itsway to Eternity, perfect fodder for the next round of killings. What a greatset-up!

There’s more, of course. It turns out that Mallory and thequintessentially nasty ambassador are not the only humans onboard Eternity.There’s a third, Xan, AWOL from the military after all evidence points to himas the perpetrator of the last murder Mallory found herself involved in.Actually, he was the target, but it takes the two of them overcoming theirextreme reluctance to interact to figure it out.

In the midst of all this, Eternity’s hostile-to-the-point-of-rudenesssymbiote who is her link to organic beings is killed and the station goes berserk.

Lafferty shifts from the focus on two people, Mallory andLan, to a widening cast of characters in a manner that reminds me strongly ofher brilliant science fiction murder-mystery-on-a-spaceship, Six Wakes.The characters all have ties to one another, and such a pattern of interactionsand relationships precipitates a murder, or so Mallory believes. If she doesn’tfigure out what’s happening, the list of victims is sure to skyrocket. Whatseems at first to be a series of side-tracks is really a spiral network ofconnections that all come together in a most satisfying manner.