Donald Maass Literary Agency

Library Journal: This collection of essays, some original and many revised and updated, represents a wide range of thought and many sterling examples of what makes science fiction and fantasy popular and so appealing for readers, along with what causes some readers not to like it. They also offer insight into where the speculative fiction conversation with itself, its past, and its readership is going in the future. Readers interested in the study of genre and those who have been captivated by SF’s ability to explore the future while commenting on the present will find their TBR piles expanding exponentially. These essays provide a thoroughly researched but highly opinionated exploration of the science fiction and fantasy genres by two award-winning novelists who have, in addition to writing in the genre, spent significant time thinking and writing about their genre and analyzing where speculative fiction has been and where it might be going.

VERDICT Highly recommended for collections of literature studies, particularly but not limited to studies of SF and fantasy, and collections where Walton’s What Makes This Book So Great and An Informal History of the Hugos, as well as both authors’ novels, have been popular.

Booklist: This collaboration between two prominent sf authors blends historical research, anecdotal narratives, and even a few poems. Sf fans might already be familiar with authors Walton (Or What You Will, 2020) and Palmer (Perhaps the Stars, 2021), but this collection of both authors’ nonfiction is an extensive plunge into sf’s deep end. While not having an overarching theme, these articles cover a broad range of topics, including the contract between author and reader, the histories of various genres and mediums that evolved alongside sf, and the writers’ own experiences with writing and living as disabled authors and  instructors, with each piece showcasing a massive amount of depth. These articles, many of them co-written, show off their individual writing strengths, including historian Palmer’s ability to synthesize an encyclopedia’s worth of information and Walton’s skill in deconstructing tropes based on the stories she’s read and watched. While this book is a dense read, it’s also a comprehensive academic tome about what sf is and, perhaps most importantly, what it can be.

Publishers Weekly: Lakshminarayan once again indulges readers with a zany sci-fi plot and delicious descriptions of food…. Lakshminarayan’s meditations on food and culture and the different ways of experiencing both mix smoothly with the politics and intrigue that the main characters find themselves caught up in. Fans of the first book will not want to miss this.

Library Journal: Lakshminarayan’s sequel to Interstellar Megachef is a compelling story of culinary delights, planetary xenophobia, and being true to oneself…. Readers will devour this novel, with its multiple points of view, sharp writing, and a constant pace, plus a slow-burn romance.