Bauder sets these nine stories in a variety of wartime settings, from Korea to Afghanistan to imaginary realms, but the core narrative of the collection is born out of what’s referred to here as the Global War on Terror, spanning roughly from 2001 to 2021. “Appealing to emotion or ethics may be a less-than-perfect medium for communicating the nature of an entire era,” he writes. “Even so, it remains a sufficient platform from which to announce a call to action.” The various stories underscore the surrealism of war from the viewpoints of the ordinary people caught up in it—the author states that, among his other reasons for publishing this collection, he intends it to be “an attack on the pious fetishization of sacrifice.” There are SF elements running through the most effective stories in this collection, as in “That It Was Good,” in which a tech developer in Korea is on the brink of implementing an all-encompassing AI called the Ninth Column—it’s prone to creepy AI supervillain pronouncements like “We are best suited to the creation and employment of simulacra, of which we regulate a distinct collection numbering in the billions.” Bauder is present in his own voice throughout, providing endnotes to the stories for which explanations or clarifications can be offered (“It should be noted that veteran status does not confer immunity from a basic tenet of analysis: Consider the source”). These annotations interrupt the flow of the collection, as does the author’s decision to include very rough first-draft material as part of the book’s “journey.” But in his finished work, Bauder’s talent for pacing and ear for sharp twists in dialogue will carry the reader into the weird realities of conflict, particularly the uncertainty, as voiced by a character in “Private Passenger”: “Sometimes I wonder if we send the wrong people to war.”

Issey is an enthusiastic burglar living in an attic apartment in present-day Boston. He’s part of a collective of crooks who rob and fence delicate valuables, priceless heirlooms, and other items from the ritzy neighborhoods and campuses of Boston and Cambridge. Unfortunately for Issey, the group has had enough of him bringing only knickknacks of minor value to the table, and they’re set to kick him out before their mysterious, large-scale “Faneuil Hall job.” Issey pleads for one more chance, but then he receives a call from his brother, to whom he hasn’t spoken in years; he informs him that their mother has remarried and moved away. Issey agrees to return home to Vermont to clear out her collection of fancy vases—which he’d stolen from others. Once there, he meets Rohel’s sharp-tongued wife, Anissa, and finds out that his brother wants to sell their mom’s house. Issey continues his thieving ways in Vermont, and before long, he’s accused of stealing three horses from a local named Avi; he didsteal many things from Avi, but not his horses. His search for the animals strangely makes him a local hero. However, as in other good books about crooks, an associate from Issey’s past lurks in the shadows. Many novels about thieves promise humor, but Grosvenor’s is a rare one that actually delivers: “Issey was getting beaten up a lot these days. More than usual. Was he just terrible at this now?” Readers will easily relate to Issey and the mismatch of his ambitions and abilities—as well as conviction that looking the part of the erudite thief is almost as important as what he steals. The settings, too, are well-rendered, especially when the narrative shifts to Vermont: “The air has a purity that cuts through scavengers and liars.” Overall, it’s a satisfying read, featuring a reluctant hero who’s sure to keep readers chuckling.

At the age of 19, the author took a job as a dental assistant to the man who would become her romantic partner. Robert, or “Tosh”—the name he would take when he became a disciple of Rajneesh—was 27 and married, with a young daughter. Still, the two soon became lovers, until Rudell realized Tosh had no plans to leave his wife. Deciding to move on, she married another man and had a son, Gavin. But that marriage broke up, and four years after first meeting him, Rudell went back to work with Tosh, who was now separated from his wife. She and Tosh were kindred souls, both seeking a higher spirituality. In 1981, when Tosh was invited to be the dentist for a new commune called Rajneeshpuram, established in the Oregon desert, they joined the leader Bhagwan’s followers. They remained for several years, until Bhagwan was arrested and deported to India. In 1988, now married, the couple left the cult and moved to Kauai, where an old sailing vessel, the Elixir, awaited them (“she was the biggest boat in the yard and in far worse shape than the photos we’d seen”). Their goal was to rebuild the boat over a six-month period; the project took five years. Rudell uses the years in Kauai as the geographical anchor for a complex memoir that shifts back and forth through time. As the author works on the boat, she ruminates on the commune, sharing an uncensored, visceral portrait of life within the cult—the good, the bad, and the very ugly. The narrative is also a detailed account of boat restoration, full of minutia about refurbishing every piece of wood, sail, line, and piece of brass; these segments are both compelling and exhausting. Most riveting are the sections recounting the perilous journey across the Pacific as the crew navigated the Elixir through storms and roiling seas, with Tosh deathly seasick throughout the entire voyage.

In a distant-future Australia, Ferren has led the human Residuals in resisting the Humen, powerful artificial beings that have been taking unwitting Residuals into their military service. Now the Humen prepare to face off against the hosts of Heaven, a fight that Ferren and others anticipate will end in the Humen’s defeat. It seems the Humen have a new leader: an “evil angel” who zips across the sky in a flying ship. Hoping to align themselves with God’s messengers, the Residuals turn to Miriael, a warrior angel “shot down” from Heaven who’s now essentially a hybrid, part-spiritual and part-physical. If she can convince Heaven’s forces to join with humans (“What’s stopping Heaven saying yes to an alliance? Why are they taking so long about it?”), then maybe they can take down the Humen once and for all. Harland focuses this final installment of his fantasy series on action. The set pieces are memorable—Miriael, along with Ferren’s sister Shanna, witness angels and Humen clash; myriad Residuals flee their enemy in the midst of an intense hailstorm; and the lengthy, riveting climax is searing. While the text includes occasional recaps covering prior volumes, the appreciation of some character dynamics relies heavily on readers’ knowledge of the earlier books. Plenty of story unfolds in this novel, however, as one character’s demand to oversee the Residuals’ assembly sparks contempt and another’s subdued romantic feelings beget petty jealousy. Tension steadily builds as the Humen work on an “unimaginably huge construction” for a purpose not immediately apparent. The author rounds out this brisk finale with appearances from archangels, Miriael’s “visionary dreams,” and a wholly satisfying wrap-up.

Roberts, an academic and author, draws on insights from the fields of history, archaeology, and genetics to trace the stories of her chosen animals and plants and their effect on our lives. Dogs, wheat, cattle, corn, rice, chickens, horses, potatoes, and apples—she tracks each to their geographical origin and traces how they evolved as they became part of the human world. Evidence from archaeology and genetics is supplemented by lively anecdotes, often from the author’s personal experience. Along the way, she shares fascinating bits of lore from all over the scientific and historical maps. The rapid spread of corn into the Old World after Columbus’ first voyage, the discovery of Neolithic cheese strainers, the presence of a distinctive strain of rice in West Africa, and the possible effect of the last Ice Age on the extinction of horses in the Americas—these are just a few of the stories the book explores. The focus isn’t strictly historical, though—for example, the chapter on rice looks at the impact of genetic modification on food crops and its possible role in feeding the poorest parts of the world. The relationships between these species and the humans who domesticated them, and continue to depend on them, are always at the forefront of the discussion. The final chapter looks at the evolution of Homo sapiens and its spread across the globe, along with some of our adaptations to the different environments we inhabit, such as lighter skin color to enhance vitamin D absorption in high latitudes. Best of all, the book is thoroughly readable, even when exploring the details of genetics. Popular science at its best.