Mystery, health and pets among topics tackled by Southern Arizona authors
"DeadSpace" by R.L. Clayton. R. Clayton International Enterprise, Inc. 415 pages. $16.99 paperback; $4.99 e-book.
Call it "2000-and-Something: A Space Odyssey," if you like. Tucsonan R.L. Clayton has created a formidable contemporary "2001" Hal in this book, the eighth in his "Dead" sci-fi series. Thing is, given the rocket speed of AI development these days, an Earth-controlling artificial intelligence doesn't seem beyond the realm of possibility.
The AI in this book grew out of OPS — the Orbiting Power System — made up of 300 satellites orbiting the Earth to deliver it electricity. It's managed by an artificial intelligence created by a previous president of the United States, and — you guessed it — it's become very smart. OPS's also become very desirable.
The U.S., Russia, China and India already have a presence in space when Ron Carson, OPS creator, ex-POTUS, now Secretary General of the UN, is called upon by the US government to relinquish control of OPS to it. Given the instability of American politics — subject to change every four years, for example — Carson declines. That sets competition and conflict in motion on Earth and in space — including on the moon.
Clayton incorporates remnants of current conflicts like those of Russia and Ukraine, Israel and Gaza, and domestic political tensions in the narrative. He elaborates cyber and technological functions. He foregrounds behaviors and ethics — the AI's and humans' — and shows that international warfare can be interrupted by both a very smart machine and his select cadre of good-guy gal snipers and throat-cutters, and one killer physician interrogator. Plus Clayton's signature contrasting set of metaphysical characters — the fear-fueled "Director" and the peace-promoting Prophet.
"DeadSpace" is the fruit of an amusingly rich imagination ....
— Christine Wald-Hopkins
"Over the Edge" by Kathleen Bryant. Crooked Lane. 294 pages. $30.99 hardback.
Kathleen Bryant honed her wordsmith's skills writing travel, romance and children's books. She honed life skills by hiking, joining archeological digs, leading rock art tours and guiding yoga classes in Sedona's red rocks. All of these explain why her thriller rings as authentic.
Disgraced Boston-raised crime reporter Del Cooper has retreated to a childhood happy place — Sedona — to recuperate from work-related PTSD when we first meet her. No longer in the reporting business, she's beginning to lead jeep tours of the area when she happens upon a body on a cliff ledge in a box canyon. Turns out it's that of an outspoken homeless guy well-known in town. Del is warned not to snoop around, but when a local woman goes missing, her crime investigator instincts kick in and she begins to try to tie events together.
A land development, enviros' and archeological interests, Sedona woo-woo, another missing woman, pictographs and threats complicate the mystery. Add to those, three handsome men with unclear intentions and motivations and a dangerous hike into another creepy canyon, and you have an entertaining read.
— Christine Wald-Hopkins
"Unraveled: A Journey Led by Faith and Hope" by Sylvia R. Merino. Independently published. 296 pages. $15 paperback; available as e-book.
Sylvia R. Merino was one of six siblings, the middle girl in a family that wanted boys, a pupil who needed special help in math and reading, and a child who thought herself ugly. Non-demonstrative parents, relative poverty and brown skin added to young Sylvia's damaged sense of self-worth. This memoir testifies to her determination to overcome childhood obstacles.
Forty years of an indefatigable work ethic facilitated that accomplishment.
Born in Tucson in 1956, the daughter of a stern, Spanish-speaking mother and a joyless American-born father, Merino had her happiest childhood and teenage experiences with summers at her grandparents' in rural Sonora. There, among cousins and aunts and uncles, she played outdoors, rode horseback, and later clambered into the backs of pickups with other teens.
Her Tucson life, however, was less exuberant. She felt bullied in her Catholic schools and suffered economic and educational disparities and racial animus. Although her sisters and brothers went on to university, Merino chose community college. She earned an associate's degree from Pima, but felt educationally hobbled her full professional life.
As a result, Merino suggests, she worked diligently — hard and long — in her career as support staff in the corporate world, which she details in this memoir. As many folks (including her family and this reader) don't understand the roles of support staff in the business world, Merino includes a convenient glossary of terms — from "accounts receivable" to "technical service rep."
— Christine Wald-Hopkins
"Let the Purring Begin: Sapphire's Tale" by Sallie Cochren. Independently published. 261 pages. $18.99; $12.99 paperback; $2.99 Kindle.
With cats and cat ladies dominating the current news cycle, it's appropriate that the feline narrator of "Let the Purring Begin" gets to spin her own story. Author Sallie Cochren indulges in some anthropomorphism in which Sapphire, a formerly stray cat, chronicles her trials and tribulations with an eye for detail, a nose for tuna and a surprising amount of empathy.
Sapphire's narrative begins when she's adopted away from her mother and litter mates. Things swiftly go south when her new owner's cat-hating husband dumps Sapphire in the desert. Her survival skills are sorely tested, but it's a learning experience. When she gets a second shot at a cozy home and loving owner, Sapphire is open to learning about trust, adapting to change, and behaving sympathetically towards other cats on hard times.
In all it's a satisfying cat tale, inspired by the experiences of Cochren's own beloved felines. A prolific writer, Cochren has authored several books in genres that include horror, science fiction and thrillers. A retired teacher, she lives in Tucson.
– Helene Woodhams
"The Power of Pets: Stories from the Writers and Poets of Quail Creek" by Linda Ann Beal, editor. Independently published. 225 pages. $7; $.99 Kindle.
Twenty-five miles south of Tucson in the community of Quail Creek, the members of a writing collective pursue their literary art. They come from a variety of backgrounds, but they recently collaborated on a commonly-shared experience — living with domestic and occasionally not-so domestic animals — and the result is this self-published book.
Perhaps not surprisingly, pet dogs and cats get the most ink in this entertaining collection of poetry and prose. But the authors are open-minded about the form a pet can take — mice, gerbils, rabbits and tropical fish come into play, as do fruit flies (one contributor's memory from medical school), an Eastern Hog-Nosed Snake (which wasn't officially a pet, but not for want of trying) and a baby alligator (a temporary pet, until the author's mother discovered it in the bathtub).
There's delight and humor in these essays, occasionally frustration, and sometimes out-and-out adventure — as in the story of the ocean-going chihuahua who helped its owner evade a menacing ship. What stands out, though, is how much the authors reveal about themselves when describing their interactions with the animal kingdom. Jump in anywhere — your heart will be warmed.
— Helene Woodhams
"Skin Deep: A Consumer's Guide to Skin Health" by Dr. Norman Levine. Professional Writers Help. 237 pages. $21.99; $13.99 paperback; $8.99 Kindle.
It's the body's largest organ, and with this comprehensive guide Tucson dermatologist Dr. Norman Levine provides a no-nonsense approach to understanding and caring for the skin you're in.
Written for laymen and mercifully free of jargon, "Skin Deep" covers topics ranging from the anatomical function of skin and basic skin care — including hair and nails — to skin disorders, diseases and problems. He also addresses more vanity-centric topics like the search for a safe tan and cosmetic surgery. His revealing reality check on skin care products and advertising hype promising miracles that are physically impossible to achieve is itself worth the price of admission.
Levine, who spent 28 years in academic dermatology and 14 years in private practice, also offers his well-informed perspective on the current state of the profession (why is it so hard to get an appointment with a dermatologist?), as well as helpful consumer tips for office visits. A self-described iconoclast, he's unafraid of questioning conventional wisdom, and his candid observations are as refreshing as they are empowering. With color photographs and a useful index, it's well-worth your time.
— Helene Woodhams
"Until Italy: A Traveler's Memoir" by Debra VanDeventer. Independently published. 220 pages. $11.99; $3.99 Kindle.
You could do worse than getting lost in Venice without your cell phone. In fact, it might just help you find yourself, as retired educator and intrepid traveler Debra VanDeventer reveals in this charming memoir.
"Intrepid" is not a descriptor she would have applied to herself. "Complacent" might have been more accurate, comfortable in her placid Oro Valley retirement until a landmark birthday made her rethink her position on life's timeline. She needed to pop the protective bubble that surrounded her and stop floating through life.
A European trip would shake things up, she decided. Her account of her journey is a love letter to Italy: who doesn't love limoncello, Neapolitan pizza and as much gelato as you can hold? But the way she ditched complacency — "I don't want to be myself" — and immersed herself in her surroundings, even when it scared her, is the joyous message at the heart of this book. "Italy is speaking to me," she noted; "I'm learning its language."
She dared to wear dresses, learned to travel light and laughed so hard it nearly knocked her off her feet. The suffocating bubble popped. VanDeventer, who describes her writing style as creative nonfiction, is also the author of " Out of the Crayon Box: Thoughts on Teaching, Retirement and Life."
— Helene Woodhams
Christine Wald-Hopkins, a former high school and college English teacher and occasional essayist, has long been a book critic for national, regional and local newspapers.
Helene Woodhams is retired from Pima County Public Library, where she was the literary arts librarian.
If you are a Southern Arizona author and would like your book to be considered for this column, send a copy to: Elaine Encinas, P.O. Box 26887, Tucson, AZ, 85726-6887. Give the price and contact name. Books must have been published within a year. Authors may submit no more than one book per calendar year.
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