Neutron. Photon. Hydrogen. Helium. Gravity. Strong forces. Dark matter. Black hole. These are some of the major players in our universal theater, and yes, there’s a fair bit of complexity to the system. Even so, shouldn’t we spend... Read More

Undeniably, America had a banner run in the twentieth century. No country came anywhere close to achieving such power and prosperity for those one hundred years. You killed it, US of A! But should we venture back to the centuries... Read More

Centering on an excruciatingly passionate love story, Louise Beech’s "The Lion Tamer Who Lost" is a rich literary text that includes family tragedies, unexpected discoveries, and second chances, all considered against the vibrant... Read More

Holly Ringland’s piquant debut, "The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart", is alternately airy and precise. It occupies a space somewhere between a fairy tale and a modern tragedy. Alice is born by the seaside. She drinks salt air and spends... Read More

Even a surveillance state can’t see everything. M. T. Hill’s "Zero Bomb" is set in a near-future England. Industries have been automated for ease, non-Christian religions have been abolished, people are digitally tracked, and many... Read More

Someday, Todd Milstead is going to be a great writer. Never mind that he’s in his forties with nothing to indicate this, save the flattery of a local bookseller and the regular gatherings he hosts with other self-proclaimed writers. In... Read More

Discussing their multi-parent, polyamorous family and childhood, Koe Creation’s memoir "This Heart Holds Many" is about growing up and becoming an adult in a non-standard family situation. The narration follows two parallel threads.... Read More

“Metaphors get compromised. Get eroded and need updating. Rerouting. Reconstituting,” writes Lia Purpura. This is just one of the luminous themes mined in her glittering new essay collection "All the Fierce Tethers". In prose that is... Read More