IN THE MAIL: John Birmingham’s Without Warning, which comes out Tuesday. It’s not a sequel to his Axis of Time books, but a different story. I read the manuscript last year, and here’s my blurb: “What would happen if America vanished? Some would like to find out, but John Birmingham’s Without Warning suggests that the Pax Americana would soon be sorely missed. It’s a gripping story, for Americans and non-Americans alike.” I liked it a lot. One of my colleagues borrowed the manuscript and agreed that it’s a tremendous page-turner.