Review -The Space Child's Mother Goose by Frederick Winsor

The Space Child's Mother Goose by Frederick Winsor

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Another winning reprint from Purple House Press. Winsor spoofs the classic Mother Goose nursery rhymes with a scientific twist. To the adult scientist, these are a chuckle-inducing, fun collection of rhymes. For the child scientist, they may be a little denser but could provide an easy springboard for all sorts of space-y and science-y discussions. The whimsical illustrations add to the book's charm; I particularly enjoyed the ever-growing pictures in "The Theory Jack Built".

Recommended for scientists of all ages.

Review - Dreamwalker by C. S. Friedman

Dreamwalker by C.S. Friedman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



This was markedly better than some reviews made it out to be. It does help if you start it with the mentality that it's a YA-level book; adults are not the intended audience but are not excluded from enjoying it. It's no where near as dark as Friedman's other fantasy works, although it's certainly not a "light" story and has the potential to grow into something more characteristic of her earlier works.

It does have the "which boy do I like!?!" triangle of YA novels (although, two great choices... can't really argue against either one at this point and I like the reality of lacking an obvious option). My biggest qualm was the obviousness/repetitiveness of parts of the world-building and that some of the references in the plot (Kindles, iPhones, Twilight, etc.) are going to be dated in a very short time. Again though, this reflects the YA nature of the novel; it's just not geared for readers like me who like lasting subtlety and suspension of disbelief.

However, the world-building set up has an interesting premise. There is lots more Friedman can do with this universe. This book lays the groundwork well and I would certainly pick up the next couple of books to find out more. The lead characters are also likeable, their emotions are relatable, their situation compelling. This was a fast read and the pace was steady throughout.

If you like YA fantasy done well, this is your book. If you've sworn off YA entirely, I would still encourage trying it out, although I wouldn't insist; Friedman has lots of amazing adult fantasy and science fiction stories that are ripe for re-reads. I enjoyed this one as a YA read and look forward to the next book.

Review - Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier

Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



A compelling story from start to finish. Chevalier touches on many social issues of the time (class divides, gender expectations, poverty, religious schisms, etc.) but the focus of the story is the relationship between Mary Anning and Elizabeth Philpot. These women are separated by age, income, and religion but their mutual enjoyment of fossil hunting and natural curiosity bring them together while driving the major conflicts of the story.

While I was loosely familiar with Anning's story before reading this novelization, I don't think anyone unfamiliar would have a difficult time. Without info-dumping, Chevalier shows that Anning was more an expert than the "leading" geologists and natural historians of the time; she is equally clear on Anning's persistence, attention to detail, and observational skills as the source of her brilliance, themes which are echoed throughout history in most of the great scientists' lives. Neither does she shy away from the hardships created by Anning's social situation as a poor, unmarried, working class woman. Chevalier subtly juxtaposes the experiences of Anning, who slowly & inconsistently moves up economically, with that of Philpot, who finds herself in reduced circumstances after the marriage of her brother. I enjoyed watching both find greater degrees of freedom and was equally (credibly) frustrated by the barriers they could not overcome. The friendship between them is a well written example of the great good that can come of having even one friend who shares your "weird" interest.

I also wanted to note that Chevalier does a balanced job handling the "religion versus science" conflict of the times. She shows multiple examples of religious people who react in different ways to the fossils and scientists of varying levels of insight. While the story clearly favors the pro-science stance of Philpot, it is not demeaning to religion in general yet still manages to point out the all-too-real detriments of religious oversight on scientific endeavors.

There are plentiful talking points in this story: the nature of friendship, how much class/gender/income matter, what real science looks like, the role of education and reading in social mobility, missing stories in history and science. A great selection for book clubs and readers looking for mostly accurate historical fiction or more information about overlooked female scientists.