SCIENCE FICTION UPDATE: I’ve been reading John Barnes’ new book, The Armies of Memory, which I’m liking a lot. The reader reviews suggest that I’m not alone.

Barnes is also blogging. Among other things, he has this prediction: “In the 21st century, a civilization in which everyone can know everything, dominated by an uneasy American hegemon, is going to the stars. Check back in 2100 to see how it all went …”