Out There
What promises to be a post-apocalyptic adventure turns out to be a rather dull nature-club field trip. Thin characterization, a depressing ending, and some egregious fatphobia make this one hard to recommend. Worst of all? Not a single raccoon.
Taurus Four
A stranded space explorer encounters a primitive society descended from hippies and falls for a teenage girl. I kept reading in hopes that the protagonist's spectacular sexism was deliberate satire. Instead, the novel celebrates his misogyny and delivers one of the most appalling endings I've encountered.
The Devil You Say
Aubrey Arbuthnot returns for another absurd supernatural adventure in 1920s England. The plot is more ambitious and the humor more outrageous than Strong Spirits, but an increasingly obnoxious protagonist and some unexpectedly cruel stereotypes diminish the fun.