by John Scalzi
Tor, 2022. 264 pages. Science Fiction
When COVID-19 sweeps through New York City, Jamie Gray is stuck in a dead-end job as a driver for food delivery apps. That is, until Jamie makes a delivery to an old acquaintance, Tom, who works at what he calls "an animal rights organization." Tom's team needs a last-minute grunt to handle things on their next field visit. Jamie, eager to do anything, immediately signs on. What Tom doesn't tell Jamie is that the animals his team cares for are not here on Earth. Not our Earth, at at least. In an alternate dimension, massive dinosaur-like creatures named Kaiju roam a warm and human-free world, and they're in trouble. For it's not just the Kaiju Preservation Society who have found their way to the alternate world. Others have, too. And their carelessness could cause millions back on our Earth to die.
The Kaiju Preservation Society is chock-full of adventure, escapism, and humor. While our world's politics bleed into life on this alternate Earth, the main driver of the story is how Tom learns to navigate his new environment. I had a lot of fun learning about kaiju, and the challenges that caring for them presents.
by Martha Wells
Tom Doherty Associates, 2017. 152 pages. Science Fiction
On a distant planet, a team of scientists are conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied 'droid—a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module, and refers to itself (though never out loud) as "Murderbot." Scornful of humans, all it really wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is. But when a neighboring mission goes dark, it's up to the scientists and their Murderbot to get to the truth. Both KPS and the Murderbot series have a great sense of humor, mixed in with the science fiction.
by Becky Chambers
Harper Voyager, 2016. 443 pages. Science Fiction
Rosemary Harper doesn't expect much when she joins the crew of the aging Wayfarer. While the patched-up ship has seen better days, it offers a bed, a chance to explore the galaxy, and some distance from her past. The ship's crew are offered a job tunneling wormholes through space to a distant planet. It's a lucrative job, but a host of unexpected mishaps force the crew to depend on each other. Both of these books are full of hope for the future.
by Michael Crichton
Ballantine Books, 1991. 399 pages. General Fiction
A wealthy entrepreneur secretly creates a theme park featuring living dinosaurs drawn from prehistoric DNA. Before opening the attraction to the public, he invites some scientists to experience the park and help calm anxious investors; but, during the visit, the security system breaks down and prehistoric creatures break out. Although Jurassic Park and KPS differ widely in tone, they're similar in their discussions of political issues, in the descriptions of the setting, and in the existence of large creatures who have a knack for getting out of the scientists' control.
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