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  • Laser Books Review 25
    25. Scavenger Hunt by Stephen Goldin If you scroll back far enough on Instagram, I’m sure you could find my posts from 2021 hailing Richard Branson, Jeff Bezos, and Elon Musk as visionaries and applauding the billionaire space race. I’m not being sarcastic; there is–and I shit you not–an Instagram post I wrote where I… Read more: Laser Books Review 25
  • Laser Books Review 24
    24. Ruler of the World by J.T. McIntosh “Everybody wants to rule the world.” — Tears for Fears Another day, another milestone in the Laser Books. With the completion of J.T. McIntosh’s debut entry in the series, we will have finished another dozen books in this series. Good thing, too, because that’ll give me something… Read more: Laser Books Review 24
  • Laser Books Review 23
    23. Birth of Fire by Jerry Pournelle Foreigners often ask, “What’s the difference between Canadians and Americans?” The simplest answer I like to give ’em is this: America was born in a war. Canada was born at a party. Our respective literature reflects this: you can’t throw a rock but that you hit a thousand… Read more: Laser Books Review 23
  • Laser Books Review 22
    22. Keeper by Joan Hunter Holly Don’t you just hate emotions sometimes? Having lived with depression and anxiety, I can tell you there’s been many a time when I’ve wished I didn’t feel anything at all. It can be a terrible burden, being an emotional creature. But it is also the only way to know… Read more: Laser Books Review 22
  • Laser Books Review 21
    21. A Law for the Stars by John Morressy I’m often asked, especially after installments like our last entry from Juanita Coulson, “James, why do you continue to torment yourself reading what is largely a very mediocre series of science fiction books?” And my answer is always the same. “For the memes, of course.” But… Read more: Laser Books Review 21
  • Laser Books Review 20
    20. Space Trap by Juanita Coulson Whoa, 20 came around real fast. Juanita Coulson, the author of Laser Book 11. Unto the Last Generation, brings us a tale of exploration gone awry on a far off planet. Yes folks, this is the third shipwreck story we’ve seen on the Laser Books. But, if you’ll recall… Read more: Laser Books Review 20
  • Laser Books Review 19
    19. The Unknown Shore by Donald Malcolm In the early 2010s, I went on a camping trip to Maritime Canada with my brother and father. It was a great trip. We saw whales, slept in the basement of a dilapidated (and possibly haunted) Red Bay schoolhouse, and discovered a rare species of mooseberry cheesecake. We… Read more: Laser Books Review 19
  • Laser Books Review 18
    18. Legacy by J.F. Bone It’s become a habit of these reviews to choose a theme for each Laser Book motivated by the content of said book. F’rinstance, we had Star Wars for Seeklight, time travel for Serving in Time, and Mad Max: Fury Road for The Black Roads. I was about to do the… Read more: Laser Books Review 18
  • Laser Books Review 17
    17. The Black Roads by J.L. Hensley … when you get to queue up some Mad Max memes for a review. Today we’re gonna be taking a look at Blackrooms. Sorry, The Back Roads. Argh! Sorry. Look, it’s been a phonetically-challenging week. I just watched Backrooms with my girlfriend L. and now my tongue is… Read more: Laser Books Review 17
  • Laser Books Review 16
    16. Kane’s Odyssey by Jeff Clinton TRANSCRIPT of Bradbury v. Bickham Madame Register: Oyez, oyez, oyez! All those having business before the Court of Scientifiction Plagiarism, attend and ye shall be heard. Judge Gernsback: (sighs) Mr. Dick, what is this, the hundred-and-seventieth time? Dick: (stands) Your Honour, my client, Mr. Bradbury, cannot help it if… Read more: Laser Books Review 16
  • Laser Books Review 15
    15. The Star Web by George Zebrowski I’m not crazy, right? You guys see it too? This has been driving me crazy for weeks now. I dodge enough bullets for a living; I don’t need sic semper tyrannis over here adding on his two cents o’ lead. Anyway, you guys check out this review while… Read more: Laser Books Review 15
  • Laser Books Review 14
    14. Birthright by Kathleen Sky “I am an android.” —Data, Star Trek: The Next Generation Ray Nelson kicked in the door of the second round of Laser Books with a piece of historical fanfiction that took us to the past, the future, the afterlife, and all places betwixt. Today, our next author–pardon me, authoress–steps through… Read more: Laser Books Review 14
  • Laser Books Review 13
    13. Blake’s Progress by R.F. Nelson The Story So Far… With 1/5th of the Laser Books behind us, let’s pause for a moment, cast our minds back and look at the 12 (13, really) titles we’ve enjoyed/endured since late December, 2025. Yes, ladies and germs, today we’re doing a brief clip show. Hey, if Star… Read more: Laser Books Review 13
  • Laser Books Review 12
    12. The King of Eolim by Raymond F. Jones *sigh* I was having such a good fortnight. First, my publisher told me they liked my first round of revisions on Seekers of the Fallen Stars, were adding the novel to their editorial pipeline, and wanted a proposal for Book 2 pronto. Sent that over, and… Read more: Laser Books Review 12
  • Laser Books Review 11
    11. Unto the Last Generation by Juanita Coulson Last review, I made a crack about women writing sci-fi, and got a crack on the head for my political incorrectness. To anyone who might’ve been offended: I apologize. I don’t know how I’ll ever forgive myself. I’ve already booked myself into rehab. And next week I’ll… Read more: Laser Books Review 11
  • Laser Books Review 10
    10. Falling Toward Forever by Gordon Eklund *Screeeech!* Whew! I made it just in time! I couldn’t possibly miss this week’s review of Gordon Eklund’s second entry in the Laser Books! That’s right, lads and lasses, he’s back with another romp across the spacetime continuum with Falling Toward Forever. It’s hard to believe it’s only… Read more: Laser Books Review 10
  • Laser Books Review 9
    9. Invasion by Aaron Wolfe (Dean Koontz) Stay tuned at the end of this review for an important public service announcement regarding the Laser Books upload schedule! At 4:30p.m., June 19th, 1999, a man named Bryan Edwin Smith struck Stephen King with his van and put him in the hospital. While he was recuperating, he… Read more: Laser Books Review 9
  • Laser Books Review 8
    8. Caravan by Stephen Goldin We’ve had one, yes, but what about second Goldin? Yes, dear readers, I am delighted to say that the author of the fantastic Columbo-style howcatchem Herds has returned with a new yarn, this time the tale of a nightmare road trip across doomsday America. If you haven’t read my review… Read more: Laser Books Review 8
  • Laser Books Review 7
    7. Seeklight by K.W. Jeter Jeter, Jeter, pumpkin-eater. Now we’re on to a book from an author of Star Wars tie-in stories whose name sounds like the callsign of a TIE/In starfighter. As mentioned in my review of Gordon Eklund‘s Serving in Time, K.W. Jeter came up through the ranks with James P. Blaylock and… Read more: Laser Books Review 7
  • Laser Books Review 6
    6. Serving in Time by Gordon Eklund Fire up the DeLorean and cue the Huey Lewis, we’re goin’ back in time! And forward in time! To utopian futures and altered histories. To villains triumphant and heroes betrayed. To elections lost and wars won. Ladies and gentlemen, Earthlings and Vulcans, androids and temporal agents, I give… Read more: Laser Books Review 6
  • Laser Books Review 5
    5. Walls Within Walls by Arthur Tofte Listen carefully. I don’t know how much time I have. I had to leave my house–drop everything, cut through the back field, cross the neighbour’s vineyard, and run ten kilometres toward town. From there I hitched a ride on a maple syrup truck south through Codrington to the… Read more: Laser Books Review 5
  • Laser Books Review 4
    4. Gates of the Universe by Robert Coulson and Gene DeWeese Our first pair of cowriters materializes in the Laser Books in the personages of R. Coulson and G. DeWeese. Behold what they have wrought! Considering the restrictions Harlequin placed on the Laser Books I’m keen to see if two heads are better than one.… Read more: Laser Books Review 4
  • Laser Books Review 3
    This book is where the problem in “bringing back Golden Age sci-fi” shows itself: people think they want to go back, but they really, really don’t.
  • Laser Books Review 2
    2. Herds by Stephen Goldin They’re moving in herds. They do move in herds. — Dr. Alan Grant, Jurassic Park With Raymond F. Jones‘s Renegades of Time behind us, it’s time to ring in the New Year with Stephen Goldin’s first Laser Books entry. This will not be the last tale we get from Goldin… Read more: Laser Books Review 2
  • Laser Books Review 1
    1. Renegades of Time by Raymond F. Jones Now, for the actual first title in the Laser Books… In case you missed my review of Thomas F. Monteleone‘s Seeds of Change, this is where the Laser Books officially start. Time is of the essence, so let’s jump right in. Cover *Dial tone… ringing… ringing…* Yes,… Read more: Laser Books Review 1
  • Laser Books Review 0
    0. Seeds of Change by Thomas F. Monteleone My odyssey to review every single Laser Book begins with the one that started it all. Sort of. As mentioned in my post announcing this review project, Seeds of Change is not a numbered entry in the Laser Books. According to Wikipedia: This book was not numbered,… Read more: Laser Books Review 0
  • The Laser Books
    My odyssey to read and review every single one of the 58 Harlequin Laser Books. On August 30th, 2024, my dad gave me an extraordinary birthday gift: a banker’s box containing old trade paperback novels by James P. Blaylock, Tim Powers, Allen Steele… and most of the 58 Laser Books published by Harlequin. As Dad… Read more: The Laser Books