The "House of Secrets" is a superb fantasy that plays on the magical qualities of reading books and will entice readers of all ages, not only those who are pre-teens. Distinguished film director and screenplay writer Chris Columbus and acclaimed Young Adult author Ned Vizzini have crafted a veritable rollercoaster of ride, chronicling the misfortunes of the young Walker family - brother Brendan and sisters Eleanor and Cordelia - as they stumble into a fantasy realm inhabited by the fictional worlds created by the mad late Victorian novelist Denver Kristoff, who reminds me of a deranged version of H. P. Lovecraft blended with Edgar Rice Burroughs. Their misfortune begins almost as soon as they move into Kristoff's old San Francisco home, and encounter their next door neighbor, the mysterious Dahlia Kristoff, Denver's sinister spinster daughter, who emerges as a villainess worthy of comparison with C. S. Lewis' White Witch in his "Narnia" fantasy novels. Assuming her diabolical alter ego, the Wind Witch, Dahlia sends them into a strange fantasy realm replete with World War I pilots, savage Medieval European warriors and pirates, directing them to find a mysterious book, The Book of Doom and Desire, capable of conjuring magical spells and honoring the wishes of anyone who dares to read it. The "House of Secrets" should enchant anyone who has had a love affair with reading, and, to their credit, Columbus and Vizzini have their characters mention frequently, everything from J. R. R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" to the fiction of Jerzy Kosinski. It will also entice anyone who is familiar with J. K. Rowling's "Harry Potter" series of novels; indeed, it is suffice to say that Columbus and Vizzini have conjured a fantasy world as memorable as Rowling's, with the wit and sophistication seen, for example, in Lev Grossman's "Magician" novels. The "House of Secrets" is a terrific start to what promises to be a fantasy series that could be as memorable as those crafted by Rowling and Grossman.

Without a doubt, Neal Stephenson may be the most pensive, most expansive, writer of my generation, and these are traits he shows abundantly in his recent essay collection, "Some Remarks", that also include several terse short stories he has written over the years. Stephenson's writing is expansive in the sense that it covers many topics at once, which is why, for example, his "Baroque Cycle" trilogy is a compelling fictional exploration of the emerging science and personal rivalry of Leibniz and Newton during this period, as well as a most memorable action-adventure yarn whose main protagonists are the ancestors of those in his earlier post-cyberpunk novel "Cryptonomicon". In "Some Remarks" his essay on the construction of FLAG (Fiber Optic Link Around the Globe) "Mother Earth, Mother Board" compares and contrasts its construction with the successful laying of the first trans-Atlantic telegraph cable in the 1860s, but is also discusses the life of William Thomson, Lord Kelvin, especially with regards to his design of the first successful undersea cable, as well as series of travel guide vignettes aimed at the "hacker tourist". His early cyberpunk short story "Spew" anticipates much of the same literary style Stephenson would use in "Cryptonomicon" and the "Baroque Cycle". Other writings discuss the relevance of the films "300" and "Star Wars" to contemporary culture, the still uneasy relationship between science fiction and fantasy with mainstream literary fiction, why scientists are distrusted by those in the far Left and the far Right, and discussing the life and literary career of David Foster Wallace. "Some Remarks" may be the finest collection of short writing by a notable contemporary writer writing in English that I have read in years, not only recently. For those who are long-time admirers of his writing as well as those who are unfamiliar with it, "Some Remarks" should be viewed as essential reading, simply as a guide to a most memorable polymath, one Neal Stephenson.

"The Islanders" is a remarkable realistic speculative fiction tale about a murder, artistic rivalry and literary deception written by one of the finest writers writing now in any genre in the English language; eminent Briton Christopher Priest. This is a Rubik's Cube of a novel, recounting the main plot points in a literary style reminiscent, in places, of Akira Kurosawa's "Rashomon", and one that evokes early Ursula Le Guin (e. g. "Earthsea" and early "Ekumen" novels such as "The Left Hand of Darkness") and Italo Calvino ("Invisible Cities") in its expressive, descriptive, usage of language. Priest's prose may also remind readers of Thomas Bernhard's, especially with regards to its emphasis on visual art and art history. Pretending to be a "travel guide" to the Dream Archipelago, what Priest has wrought instead is a short story collection, with each tale merely a chapter in his intricately detailed novel, with a rather deceptive introduction to this "travel guide" from one of the protagonists, who may have a secret history pertaining to the murder itself. Readers will encounter scenes replete with unspeakable horror and memorable romance during their "visits" to each of the Dream Archipelago islands, in literary styles ranging from first person to almost impersonal third person narrative. Without a doubt, "The Islanders" demonstrates why Priest is one of the most elegant literary stylists writing today in the English language, and reaffirms his status as among the most noteworthy contributors to contemporary Anglo-American fiction irrespective of genre.

To say that Iain M. Banks opted to forsake modern literary fiction merely to write epic space opera science fiction novels within his acclaimed "Culture" universe, would be making light of him as a writer and criticizing his rationale for abandoning mainstream literary fiction. In plain English, to borrow William Gibson's phrase, Banks felt science fiction had a much better "tool kit" to tell epic tales rooted in morality and philosophy than contemporary mainstream literary fiction. He didn't abandon mainstream literary fiction merely to write genre fiction that would displease many hard-nosed literary critics and writers who remain dismissive of science fiction and fantasy. Instead, he effortlessly combined the convention and style of literary mainstream fiction with the toolkit of science fiction, producing a memorable body of work that will be hailed and remembered as the finest literary space opera science fiction ever written, and demonstrating that, at the time of his death from inoperable cancer on June 9, 2013, he was still among the most important voices in contemporary Anglo-American literature irrespective of genre.

"Surface Detail", one of Banks's last "Culture" novels, is definitely among his best, memorable as a riveting epic tale of revenge and murder played out in the far reaches of Culture-dominated space, replete with ample digressions into faith, philosophy and politics. Banks gives readers a most riveting meditation on the natures of reality and individuality, cloaked in a fast-paced thriller-tinged space opera. Condemned as one of the Intagliated, as someone bearing a physical mark for a family transgression, a young woman, Lededje Y'breq, seeks revenge for her murder, committed by the man who has dominated her life, Joiler Veppers, who, through his vast fortune, literally owns much of their planet. She finds an unlikely ally in a deranged Culture battleship, finding herself heading toward an interstellar war in which she isn't sure which side the Culture represents. Meanwhile there is already a war in the digital realm of Hells, possessing the souls of the dead, that threatens to spread into the realm of the Real; a war that includes as one of its participants, an individual who plays a central role in several other Culture novels. Replete with titanic space battles and memorable hand-to-hand fighting within the digital realm, Banks demonstrates here the excellent literary possibilities inherent in science fiction, especially within space opera, and a tale that is literally literary light years ahead of virtually anything else published recently in space opera science fiction.

RIP Iain M. Banks. You will be missed by many and your words will continue touching the hearts of minds of countless readers, including the generations yet to come.

In a setting that is almost as vivid as those conjured by John Shirley ("A Splendid Chaos") and Paolo Bacigalupi ("The Wind-Up Girl"), William Rosencrans's "The Epiphanist" is a remarkable debut novel that takes readers on a memorable quest undertaken by Vladimir as he seeks potential salvation in the Holy City, across a perilous landscape that is threatened by war between two vast military powers sometime in the not too distant future. Accompanied by an unusual band of allies, especially a nanotech-enhanced talking fly, Vladimir treks across the savage jungle landscape of Abbadon, undertaking a journey that is as much one of spiritual renewal as well as one driven by a need to find refuge from the war that rages fiercely within Abbadon's jungle. Rosencrans displays ample confidence in his fine writing, daring to make his novel, especially towards the end, a philosophical fictional exploration of religious worship. "The Epiphanist" may be the best example of self-published fiction I've come across in any genre; a novel that should have been published by one of the major publishers in the Anglo-American literary world, and one that is far more compelling a tale than virtually any other recently published novel set within a dystopian near future. Let us hope that this isn't the only time we will see a fine novel written by William Rosencrans since his is definitely a most memorable new voice in literary science fiction.

(EDITORIAL NOTE 6/5/13: Those who have written self-published works of fiction and nonfiction should not contact me for potential Amazon reviews of their books. I have reviewed Rosencrans's novel because he was mentored by the late, great George Alec Effinger and demonstrates here that he was indeed a most worthy student.)

What if modern science had discovered that the world was no more than 6,000 years old based on radiocarbon dating? What if ancient hominoid bones were discovered in a remote Indonesian island that contradicts this dating, strongly implying a much older age for humanity, other life on Earth and the Earth itself? These are the premises behind Ted Kosmatka's second novel "Prophet of Bones" and though he deserves ample praise for his very good prose and for crafting a good alternate history science fiction thriller, they're not sufficient to warrant more than a lukewarm positive review from this reviewer, who was trained in invertebrate paleobiology, related aspects of evolutionary biology, and geology. Much of the science which Kosmatka describes in the book, relying upon excellent science writing from the likes of geneticist and anthropologist John Hawks and eminent science journalist Carl Zimmer among others, requires sophisticated scientific knowledge and technology more consistent with a much older age for the Earth than what he is claiming for his present-day alternate history. To his credit, he doesn't delve deeper into the Young Earth Creationist theme behind his novel, making casual references to it and the so-called "Design Theory" practiced by notorious Intelligent Design creationists Michael Behe, William Dembski, Stephen Meyer and Jonathan Wells of the Seattle, WA-based Discovery Institute. More successful is his sympathetic portrayal of his protagonist Paul Carlsson as Carlsson becomes caught up in a vast decades-old biological engineering conspiracy replete with secrecy, deceit and murder. While Kosmatka has written, in places, a thriller as memorable as anything written by the likes of Dan Brown and Clive Cussler, the intense pacing, realism, and writing falls short of what I have seen recently from Neal Stephenson ( "Reamde"), China Mieville ("The City and The City", "Kraken") and Lev Grossman ("The Magicians"). Potential readers who either share or understand my concerns with the novel's Young Earth Creationist scenario, may be best advised to check their brains somewhere and treat this novel as one suitable only for a fast-paced leisurely read. (EDITORIAL NOTE: As an aside, I had to follow my own advice while working again this year as a volunteer at the World Science Festival, reading this novel during breaks and subway trips to and from World Science Festival venues.)

Today we view the year 1913 as the final year of peace and prosperity before the horrendous calamity that was World War I, as the last vestige of a bygone era lost forever. In "1913: In Search of the World Before the Great War", Charles Emmerson shows instead a time that was far more cosmopolitan and far more modern, than most would dare to admit; a time when much of Europe and even, the Americas, viewed itself as full partners in a global civilization whose intellectual and cultural roots originated in Western and Central Europe. A time when even the middle class populations of North America and Europe could undertake grand tours that would span across Europe, from London and Paris to Saint Petersburg, Moscow, and even, Constantinople (Istanbul). A global civilization in which the educated elites of India, Africa and East Asia (most notably Japan) viewed themselves as participants, even if they didn't subscribe to all of its cultural values. Divided into four sections, Emmerson shows us the capitals of Europe, from London to Rome and Saint Petersburg (Part I The Centre of the Universe), the most vibrant cities of North America, including New York, Washington, DC, Los Angeles and Mexico City (Part II The Old New World), other cities that were all too often major outposts of the great empires, from Winnipeg and Melbourne to Bombay and Durban, Algiers, Buenos Aires, Tehran and Jerusalem (Part III The World Beyond) and the state of affairs within the Ottoman, Japanese and British empires, and the newly established Republic of China, as seen from the perspective of their most important cities (Part IV Twilight Powers). Combining backgrounds in history, international relations and international public law, Emmerson has written a book worthy of comparison with those from the likes of Niall Ferguson and Paul Kennedy, especially with regards to discussing relevant economic and political history, even if, as he confesses, his account of the year 1913 is one that is an "impressionistic endeavour", which he notes in the Afterword. Much to his credit, Emmerson has written a compelling history of the year 1913 that should challenge existing misconceptions of it, and suggest potentially bold new avenues of scholarship that may reinforce its themes.

I enjoyed watching J. J. Abrams' first take on "Star Trek", and, in many respects, "Star Trek Into Darkness" is a much better film. It is a much better film simply for the excellent acting exhibited by Chris Pine (Kirk), Zachary Quinto (Spock), Karl Urban (McCoy), Simon Pegg (Scotty) and especialy, Benedict Cumberbatch (John Harrison/Khan Noonian Singh); Cumberbatch offers a far more cerebral, far more calculating, Khan than Ricardo Montalban's in the original series television episode "Space Speed" and in the film "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" and for no other reason, Cumberbatch's portrayal is the best reason to see this film not just once, but even twice. However, I fault screenwriters Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci for stealing lines and scenes from Nicholas Meyer's brilliant "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan", especially the pivotal scene at the end of "The Wrath of Khan" between Kirk and Spock that is a bittersweet, poignant, and emotionally riveting reaffirmation of their decades-old friendship. I also fault them for having too many scenes of exploding ship bulkheads exposed to vacuum and bodies being sucked into space, and a rather pedestrian chase between Spock and Khan high above the streets of San Francisco. What results is a visually watchable, quite compelling action-oriented space opera science fiction film, but still one that isn't quite true to the vision of a hopeful future stated repeatedly by "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry as his rationale for creating "Star Trek". But Abrams's version isn't the "Star Trek" that I recall fondly and I say good riddance to him, and hopefully, Kurtzman and Orci too.

Directed by Shane Black, "Iron Man Three" is a worthy sequel in the ongoing Marvel cinematic franchise, and one intelligent enough to raise the question as to whether the character of Iron Man will return in the future, or will he be replaced by the Iron Patriot, the superhero alter ego of Colonel James Rhodes (Don Cheadle). This is a fast-paced, action-packed film that will remain one of the Summer of 2013's biggest hits, not only due to the special effects and Robert Downey Jr.'s emotionally complex portrayal of playboy billionaire inventor Tony Stark, but also from Gwyneth Paltrow's Pepper Potts - who has a lot more screen time in this sequel than in the prior "Iron Man" films - and Guy Pearce's diabolical nanotechnology entrepreneur Aldrich Killian, with Ben Kingsley's character stealing almost every scene he appears. Haunted by the recent alien invasion of Earth and the climactic battle in the streets of - and the sky above - New York City ("The Avengers") Tony Stark opts to confront the mysterious terrorist "The Mandarin" (Ben Kingsley) with disastrous results for himself and Pepper Potts, forcing him to go on a personal manhunt - without relying on his "Iron Man" suits for most of the film - for "The Mandarin" and Aldrich Killian, whom he encountered - and snubbed - during a 1999 New Year's Eve party in Switzerland. This time Killian is seeking much more than obtaining Stark's financial help in his then start-up nanotechnology firm; he's going after the President of the United States (William Sadler). Black does a fine job paying homage to Jon Favreau's directing of the two previous "Iron Man" films - with Favreau himself returning in a memorable cameo role - but it would be a stretch to say that this is the best "Iron Man" film so far. However, as I have noted, it is a worthy sequel and a thrilling action-packed film that should captivate huge audiences for most of this summer.

Written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, "The Master" is a compelling fictionalized look at a troubled young man's search for salvation in a new religious movement. Inspired by the early history of Scientology and its founder, the writer L. Ron Hubbard, "The Master" introduces us to World War II naval veteran Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix) who returns home emotionally scarred, remaining a drifter until he encounters the charismatic Lancaster Dodds (Philip Seymour Hoffman) - "The Master" - the founder and leader of the religious movement known as "The Cause" and Dodds' wife Peggy (Amy Adams). Will Quell find salvation as a devoted follower of The Master and The Cause, or will he fall prey to his innermost demons, yielding a most grim destiny for his future. Nominated for three Academy Awards for in the categories of Best Actor (Phoenix), Best Supporting Actor (Hoffman) and Best Supporting Actress (Adams) and recipient of numerous awards bestowed by film critics in several major American cities, "The Master" was one of 2012's best films and represents yet another notable cinematic achievement from director Paul Thomas Anderson.