The Polity is a future civilization run by artificial intelligences. But when the Polity meets an aggressive alien race of massive, crablike carnivores known as the Prador, war ensues. This is Space Opera with plenty of action and a high body count. If you haven’t sampled Neal Asher’s Polity series, this is your best entry point. Then, if you’re like me, you’ll want to read them all:
1. Prador Moon
2. The Shadow of the Scorpion
3. Gridlinked
4. The Line of Polity
5. Brass Man
6. Polity Agent
7. Line War
8. The Skinner
9. The Voyage of the Sable Keech
10. Orbus
11. Hilldiggers

If you’ve ever wondered why so many products are cheaply made and don’t last, Ellen Ruppel Shell has the answer. She explores the Wal-Mart effect of discounting everything and the unintended consequences in terms of destruction of small businesses and impoverishing workers. Shell shows that globalization extracts a high price for all those cheap products. What we’ve been taught about materialism as a “bargain” has some dangerous side-effects. The whole “race-to-the-bottom” issue gets a good airing. I found Cheap a fascinating analysis of our economy and culture. GRADE: A

Christina Courtin is another local artist. She grew up in Amherst, NY just a few miles away from my house. Christina has a clear, bright voice. Her songs vary from the quirky to the upbeat. If you enjoy the music of Neko Case and Regina Spektor, you’ll like Christina Courtin’s tunes. GRADE: B+

“At first we gave it away. Then the addicts will do anything to get more.” That’s how the crank business works. Nick Reding spent four long years researching this book about methamphetamine labs in small rural towns. Reding picks Oelwein, Iowa for his case study. The Mayor, the Police Chief, the meth addicts all tell Reding their stories. As family farms fail, as rural life reached new economic lows, making money from brewing home-made methamphetamine gains a certain logic. Reding tracks the growth of druggie entrepreneurship despite the DEA and fumbling Federal legislation. Any who thinks this addiction issue is just going to go way is kidding themselves. This is an eye-opening book on the growing meth problem. The book’s only fault is the lack of an index. GRADE: B+

 This omnibus edition of Murray Leinster’s “Med Ship” series includes “Med Ship Man,” “Plague on Kryder II,” “The Mutant Weapon” (aka, “Med Service”), “Ribbon in the Sky,” “Tallien Three,” “Quarantine World,” “The Grandfathers’ War,” and “Pariah Planet” (aka, “This World is Taboo”). Murray Leinster is a master story-teller. His work always delivers a compelling plot and fascinating characters. Parts of the Med Ship series were published in ACE Doubles. It’s nice to have this complete package with the entire saga in one place. If you haven’t read these wonderful stories, what are you waiting for?  GRADE: A-

Kate Bush: Hounds of Love, A Classical Album Under Review explores every song on the album. There are live and studio versions of every track. The DVD has journalists Kris Needs and Lucy O’Brien commenting on every song. Musicologist Chris Ingham critiques the Kate Bush compositions from his piano. Also included are archive interviews with Kate Bush from the time the album was released in the 1980’s as well as snippets from the music videos. After watching this DVD, I immediately wanted to listen to Hounds of Love again. If you’re a Kate Bush fan, and I am, you’ll find this documentary DVD well worth the money. GRADE: A-

Jennifer Nettles, with her distinctive voice, and her “straight-man” duo partner, Kristin Bush, have released this rollicking live album which includes a 10-song CD and a 15-song DVD. “Settlin'” is here and so is “Already Gone.” Diane likes “All I Want to Do” and “Stay.” Sugarland is one of those Country-Western groups that have crossed-over into the lucrative pop music mainstream. They performed with Bon Jovi in a memorable CMT CROSSROADS program a few years ago. It’s a nice video if you can find a used copy. Sugarland is one of the few contemporary groups I would pay Real Money to see. They’re touring with Keith Urban and should play a concert in Buffalo in October. Meanwhile we’ll be listening to this CD and occasionally dip into the DVD. Be warned: you can only buy Sugarland: Live on the Inside at Wal-Mart! GRADE: B+

On page 180 of This Is Me, Jack Vance where Vance is talking about the authors he likes you’re going to encounter this line: “Bill Crider, who writes about Sheriff Dan Rhodes in Clearview, Texas, is a pleasure to read.” Congratulations, Bill! My favorite part of the book is pages 178-181. In this brief section, Vance talks about his blindness and how he overcame this disability to still write his books. Then Vance turns to a discussion of writers he likes: M. C. Beaton, Ruth Rendell, P. D. James, Agatha Christie, Patricia Moyes, Dorothy Sayers, Dorothy Simpson, Georgette Heyer, M. M. Kaye, Mary Stewart, Victoria Holt, Donna Leon, Deborah Crombie, Lawrence Sanders, Erle Stanley Gardner, A. B. Cunningham, Jonathan Kellerman, Tony Hillerman, and Philip R. Craig. I wish there were more of this kind of discussion about his science fiction and fantasy writing career. Much of this memoir concerns Vance’s time in the Navy during WWII and his later travels. Reading that kind of stuff is like watching a slide show of somebody else’s vacation. Yawn. Fans of Jack Vance will buy this book regardless of the travelogue portions. GRADE: B

I’m tempted to say: “Local boy does good.” Jason Vieaux grew up in Western New York and comes back to play occasional concerts. Currently, Jason is the head of the Cleveland Institute of Music Guitar Department. Diane and I have seen him perform a number of times. Jason Vieaux is a gifted guitarist. His playing is subtle and nuanced. This recording is a gem. If you love guitar music, Bach, and great sound on a CD just listen to this wonderful music. I can’t wait for Vol. 2! GRADE: A

After The Flash, Green Lantern was my favorite DC comic book character. I liked the galactic federation of Green Lanterns policing the hostile universe. I liked the innovative plots and the ballet-like battle scenes. This animated version of Green Lantern doesn’t take much time to explore Green Lantern’s “Secret Origins” opting instead to get right into the action. There’s more violence than I would have expected in an animated movie, so the target market is for an older crowd. If you’re a Green Lantern fan, you’re going to want to watch this. GRADE: B+