This is a work of near-future speculative fiction set approximately 40 years from now. It‘s strength is the creation of a very believable world (including the moon) from a mainly Chinese perspective. I‘m not an expert in China or it‘s history but the author‘s creation rings true with what I do know. I did find the plot and characters not very compelling however but the background story arc kept me reading.

He writes in the a clear and engaging New Yorker magazine style. The book opens with a series of stories about people he met during his eight years living in China. Then he introduces a theme or idea, adding a new layer to the story, sometimes new people as well. It is followed by another idea and story layer until he completes a non-judgmental view of China, how it got from Deng to Xi, and what it means to the everyday Chinese people.

A selection of well-written short stories, organized chronologically from the early dynasties to modern-ish times. Definitely for the person with an interest in Egyptology and archaeology. As a Greco-Roman classical person myself I found the settings interesting but occasionally repetitive. With that caveat in mind, however I think the collection is still a worthwhile read.

A good read, written in a spare, direct style. The author deftly develops the characters, even making minor ones believable. He is especially good at capturing dialogue. I was hearing in my mind the voices of the characters within the first page or two.

Unlike most of his previous books of contemporary social and political satire, this is a work of historical fiction. It is set in Sixteenth-Century Germany on the eve of the Reformation. It explores the role of religious relics and the oft unsavory trade that developed around them. It is well written with Buckley‘s characteristic dry, understated humor. The characters reflect their era, without being too stereotypical or unsympathetic.

Though known more for his contemporary political statire, this book is actually a work of historical fiction. Set in 1660s Colonial America, specifically New England and New Amsterdam, it is a reasonably accurate portrayal of the period, and its often outsized personalities. It is well written with a dry and often understated humor.

Excellent work of near future science fiction primarily set in the American West. Very intense and very convincing. Disturbingly so. Especially since I‘ve either lived or traveled through some of the areas included in the book‘s setting.

A well written series of near future science fiction stories set in the US. Not as intense as his Water Knife novel but every bit as convincing and memorable. I‘ve even re-read several of the stories.

The author writes some of the best contemporary post- Cold War spy fiction. He is able to capture the essential tension between the ambiguity and uncertainty inherent in the field, and certainty of belief and motivation that drives the characters. Something of a rarity in contemporary spy fiction. Fortunately one doesn‘t have to read the series in sequence to enjoy it. (Though my wife would disagree.)

How an historian sees. “It is a gradation of towns, ... of the very look of forest and riverbank, so that little by little you begin to believe you can read in nature itself the saturation of history.... Later, traveling this route [from Istanbul to Budapest], I would also see it alternately as benign and bathed in blood- this is the other trick of historical sight, to be unrelentingly torn between good and evil, peace and war.” (p. 288).