From the Bookshelf

By Alyce Wilson

**** Must Read
*** Good
** Fair
* Save Your Money

Poetry

The Visual Side: A Collection of Poems
Christopher P. Obert
Pear Tree Publishing, 2005: ISBN 0-9749291-2-3
Rating: *

A bewildering pairing of love poems with clip-art photographs of beautiful women. Sadly, the poems are simplistic and often outshadowed by the photos.

 

Fiction

Journey out of Darkness
Jean Darby
Synergy Books, 2006: ISBN 1-933538-41-4
Rating: *

A rambling, implausible story about two young girls facing abuse under their selfish mother, who practices black magic. This novel wallows in depictions of an immoral lifestyle but takes too long to show alternatives.

 

We, Robots
Sue Lange
Aqueduct Press, 2007: ISBN 978-1-933500-11-9
Rating: **

This SF novella about the growth of artificial intelligence in robots concentrates on the texture of the world but lacks a storyline. While the concept offered promise, the book fails to deliver.