Monsters and Baseball: New Sci-Fi and Fantasy


Lincoln Michel’s first novel, BODY SCOUT (Orbit, 356 p., $27), blends noir, cyberpunk and sports with something timeless and original at the same time. In a disturbingly near future, where extreme climate change has made cybernetic limbs and genetic modifications called “upgrades” necessary and commonplace, steep income inequality and dire medical debt are more prevalent than ever before. But the book is not really about them. First of all, it’s about baseball.

Kobo is a scout in a world where baseball teams are mostly owned by giant pharmaceutical companies. In addition to the cast, it seeks out scientists, geneticists, and neurosurgeons who help turn players into proof-of-concept demonstrations of the latest genetic therapies. Kobo’s half-brother JJ Zunz is the star player of the Monsanto Mets who pinned his hopes for the streamer on him. But during the playoffs, Zunz gets on the plate and dies in a horrific, startling, widely televised death. Devastated, Kobo believes it was a murder and is hired by the Mets to investigate. He finds his way through the secret paths of his famous brother’s life, even as he is pursued by medical loan sharks trying to recapture parts of his body.

Kobo’s love and grief for his brother come alive on every page, and the true weight of those feelings is impressive, unlike the glib, corporate dystopia in which he lives. Michel’s pen is also beautiful, bringing sophistication to stock genre genres and illuminating broad story paths with casual wrist-strokes of world-building. “The Body Scout” is a wild, sad and funny, surreal and clever journey.

by Ryka Aoki LIGHT FROM UNCOMMON STARS (Tor, 372 p., $25.99) it also mixes genres, but in a mixed way with results that range from surprisingly enjoyable to frustratingly lacking. In this love letter to music, food and California’s San Gabriel Valley, Christian demons clash with extraterrestrials for the souls of a famous violin teacher and talented student.

Shizuka Satomi trained six brilliant violinists to soaring career heights before hell-bent on fulfilling her own hellish contract; is looking for a seventh and final student to pay off his debt. Katrina Nguyen is a young trans woman who has run away from her abusive family, trying to make a living with a cheap violin and the occasional sex work. Lan Tran is a mother, a starship captain, and the owner of a donut shop, protecting a family of alien refugees from the Galactic Empire by passing as human refugees. Their paths cross and become entangled next to a duck pond in El Molino Park: Shizuka and Lan begin dating, and Katrina agrees to become Shizuka’s student.

There is much to appreciate here. Much of recent science fiction and fantasy has eagerly modeled gender diversity, constructing worlds where transgender and non-binary identities are accepted and expected. Instead, Aoki bases her novel on the real-world hardships trans people endure. Katrina lives with poverty, discontent and suicidal thoughts; he is always ready for abuse and instead begins to relax when faced with kindness. His love of music is a lifeline that brings him to a vibrant Los Angeles of good sounds and rich scents, fusion foods and immigrant ancestry, contrasting with the exclusive, rare environments of the international violin competition.

However, just as Katrina’s big heart and tremendous talent ran against the limitations of her novice technique, so did the making of this book. The dizzying frequency of perspective changes – sometimes every few sentences – makes writing seem like it always cuts off on its own; There is such a cavalry of character and anxiety that many of them come short, some plots and dynamics feel rushed, while others feel tense and repetitive. It’s pacing and technical issues are frustrating – but nonetheless, the book brought me to tears and is bursting with love and understanding of food, music, heritage and transformation.

Cadwell Turnbull NO GOD, NO MONSTER (Blackstone, 387 p., $26.99) It is an intricate sequence of animated, candid character portraits before and after an event called The Fracture, in which a pack of werewolves deliberately reveal themselves to the public. As other so-called monsters emerge from the shadows, fronts arise in a war between secret societies witnessed by a mysterious narrator who shifts from place to place, from life to life in his sleep.

The depth and care that Turnbull experiences in each character is gripping; Despite a large cast spread over a large area, I never felt lost or confused. His attention to location details is thoughtful and clear: The story takes place in St. It crosses into Thomas and Virginia with confident ease, surprisingly punctuated by beautiful conversational prose that reminds us who told the stories and how.

Finishing a book without knowing it’s the first book in a trilogy is like chasing the Roadrunner down a cliff and then looking down. Looking back, I can appreciate how comprehensively a grounded Turnbull delivered this sprawling first act; At that time, I was helpless. I hope I’ve spared you this and you can let your hands turn to piano keys or your teeth to flesh inside this soft, wild book.



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