Science Fiction | Book Chatter

So Late In The Day: Stories of Women and Men
By Claire Keegan
Grove Press, 9780802160850, Nov 2023, 128 pp.

The Short of It:

There is something untapped when I read a Keegan book and it’s a tad exhilarating.

The Rest of It:

I recently read and reviewed Small Things Like These. It was a short novel that packed quite a punch but as soon as I was done reading it, I eagerly picked up another book by Keegan. Sue over at The Cue Card recommended this one to me and so I quickly found a copy and settled in.

This collection of stories is again, very brief. Only 128 pages. The three stories all deal with men and women and have a hint of something that sits just a little off kilter. You know what I mean? There is an uneasiness to the storytelling but it’s also just so compelling. There’s a little hint of danger, especially with the last story, Antarctica. The nuances of men interacting with women and the sharing of their internal thoughts, is riveting.

If you need a short, powerful, really well-written book to add to your end-of-the-year totals, make sure to add this one.

Source: Borrowed
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

Extinction
By Douglas Preston
Forge, 9780765317704, April 2024, 384 pp.

The Short of It:

Gripping and impossible to put down.

The Rest of It:

The Erebus Resort is a “real deal” experience to behold. Millions have been poured into de-extincting woolly mammoths, giant ground sloths and more and those with some money to spare, can enter the park and experience these beautiful, amazing creatures. Creatures that have been modified to exclude their violent tendencies.

BUT, big but, in the opening pages two guests go missing and the evidence left behind hints at a very alarming type of kill. One of these guests happens to be the son of a billionaire so once word gets out, the resort is overrun with the media and yes, the father of the missing man with all his overblown bluster to hinder the search.

Agent Frances Cash partners with county sheriff James Colcord to track down the perpetrators and it’s non-stop action from page one. It’s clear very early on that something is strange about Erebus and that the staff might be hiding something. As Cash and Colcord getting closer and closer to the truth, things really ramp up and it’s survival of the fittest. Literally. Surviving in those Colorado Rockies requires a certain kind of physique and many are not up for the task.

Think The Island of Dr. Moreau. There is a lot of science. Science which is terrifyingly realistic. I am a long-time fan of Preston and Child books such as Relic and The Cabinet of Curiosities but I was curious to read Preston’s latest even without the inclusion of his writing partner, Child. Let me tell you, it holds up.

The camaraderie between Agent Cash and Colcord is admirable and enjoyable as they solve the case. The description of Erebus and the creatures living within it put you right there on the valley floor. It’s NOT for the faint of heart. There are some pretty graphic descriptions of what goes on. That said, get ready for a wild ride because once you pick it up, you will read it straight through.

Highly recommend.

Source: Borrowed
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

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