John Culp's "A Gem for Venus" is one of the best science fiction/adventure novels I've read this year. I especially liked the character development and smooth dialogue that moves the story along, including philosophical musings that I found inspiring. The plot introduces new information without becoming so complex you have to take notes. Also, I like a writing style that includes visualizations that make the scenes come alive and this book is filled with them, for example: "As it happens on the plains in early summer evenings, the winds come and go playfully, sometimes dancing like small cyclonic sprites" - to explain the disappearance of a note tucked in an ancient porcelain door knob. Finally, I'd say that the author's subtle sense of humor had me smiling more than I expected. 5 stars, for sure!

Great read. Fast moving and appears well researched. Left one hoping that further inventions of Robert Deems will be written about.

A fun read where a fantastic tunneling machine runs amok in the Colorado countryside, pursued by its creator with interference from a mysterious secret agency called Scimitar. Questions of "who" is controlling "what" help to move the story along. A bit quirky and old-fashioned in some ways, but entertaining as characters react to situations they helped to create. More to think about after a first impression, from environmental impacts to governmental support of space exploration to the power of data collection.