The Philosopher’s Apprentice, by James Morrow, $25.95).
One argument has it that science fiction began with second-century Greek Lucian of Samosata. A more popular theory traces the field back to Mary Shelley and “Frankenstein.” Lucian created extravagant absurdities to satirize Greek philosophy. The new and improved Lucian is James Morrow.
In his new novel, Morrow, of Pennsylvania, creates a wild version of “Frankenstein” to take on several thousand years of philosophy and religion.
Mason Ambrose walks out on academic philosophy during the defense of his thesis titled “Ethics from the Earth.” The lost degree is no matter when Mason is offered a dream job as a private philosophy tutor on a tropical island.
Londa Sabacthani’s mother tells him Londa injured her head and has forgotten her childhood. Mason’s job is to teach morality to this brilliant teenage girl with no experience of right and wrong.
Between the philosophy theater games he uses to teach Londa, Mason explores more of his tropical home. He finds a younger version of Londa who has also lost her past. She has a pair of tutors, and with their help, Mason finds the secret of the island and the girls’ creator. He almost walks away in outrage but stays to drink mango lager and explain Heidegger.
When Mason leaves the island and Londa, he tries to remake his life running a used-book store. Londa becomes a brilliant biologist and a celebrity with many devoted acolytes. She draws the wrath of the devout who are able to use the technology that created her to make full-grown clones of aborted fetuses who return to confront their nonparents.
Mason enters another stage as a powerless observer when Londa brings a philosophy exercise alive on a rebuilt Titanic.
Morrow’s world is one where ideas matter so much they come lurching to life as intellectual Frankenstein creatures. In “The Philosopher’s Apprentice,” they are wickedly hilarious — and then they can break our hearts and scare us silly.
Spider Star, by Mike Brotherton, $26.95.
University of Wyoming astronomer Mike Brotherton’s second novel uses dark matter as the background for an exciting story of exploration and survival.
Earth has colonized a planet Earthlings name Argo, dubbing the long-dead race that used to be on the planet Argonauts. They have made a number of interesting archaeological finds without a clear idea what happened to this advanced civilization. One thing that has been discovered is the children’s tale of the Spider Star, which is said to contain the secrets of good and evil, mostly evil.
One exploration mission seems to set off a weapon that sends devastating blasts from the interior of the system’s star. The first blasts target a moon, but when they move to the planet, something drastic has to be done.
Frank Kingsolver feels he must abandon his retirement life and go on a mission to the Spider Star of the children’s story. His late addition to the crew is seen as a challenge by commander Manuel Rusk.
When they reach the Spider Star, they are greeted not by the advanced culture that built the star but by unfriendly races that live in the outer spokes of the structure. Kingsolver and Rusk set out on independent paths to find the fabled source of good and evil.
“Spider Star” has a classic sense of wonder with a vivid picture of astronomical marvels.
Rolling Thunder, by John Varley, $24.95.
John Varley’s story of Mars and the fate of Earth is an extended homage to Robert Heinlein.
Podkayne, the teenage girl who narrates the story, takes her name from a Heinlein novel. Podkayne doesn’t come from an ordinary family. Her grandmother was the first president of Mars, and her uncle is an admiral in the navy. In the extended family is Jubal Broussard, who invented the black bubbles that give Mars its advantage over Earth.
After an unpleasant period on Earth, Podkayne gets to finish out her mandatory stint in the Martian navy in the entertainment division. She goes to Jupiter’s moon Europa as a singer. The adventures that befall her there lead to Podkayne being the most adored celebrity in the solar system.
Meanwhile, cataclysmic things are happening to Earth that the best human efforts can’t stop. The effects are also choking Mars and leading to possible war. All Podkayne can do is provide some entertainment to the victims.
By the end of the book, Varley is pulling out all the stops, working a number of Heinlein titles into the last chapter. The wonderful family of super-people is hard to believe, but Varley is more convincing than his master at writing in the voice of a young woman.
Fred Cleaver is a freelancer who writes regularly on new science fiction.
