Bewilderment by Richard Powers: this is the most recent novel by the guy who wrote The Overstory. It concerns an astrobiologist — he studied extremophiles as a biologist, and now scans the spectra of newly-discovered planets for signs of anything that can be called life — and recent widower with a difficult child who may be somewhere on the spectrum. He and the boy struggle with the mom’s death, and the imminent death of the planet (the mom was a heroic environmental activist); he tells his son tales of other planets as bedtime stories; and — this where I am so far — he enrolls the son in an experimental brainwave/biofeedback program rather than let school put the kid on drugs. It’s interesting, but it’s also a bit of an anxiety attack; I don’t read much of it at any one time. Stay tuned…
Excession by Iain M. Banks: Another Culture novel, and a Christmas present from my parents. Pure “bubblegum for the mind” as Anne calls her detective novels, and I happily put Bewilderment aside to scarf this book up in about three days.
PostGIS in Action by Regina O. Obe and Leon S. Hsu: Another Christmas present, this one is nonfiction, bordering on reference, and something I’ve been meaning to pick up for a long time. I read the first few chapters in one sitting, and am now working through it a little more slowly, with my laptop open and QGIS running. Lots of good stuff, a bit dense but the learning curve is pretty forgiving.
The Hydrogen Sonata by Iain M. Banks: another Christmas present and another fast-paced Culture novel, more bubblegum and I am about halfway through.
