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!

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

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