Red Mars is the first in a trilogy that I haven’t finished reading yet, but I certainly intend to. I’d imagine you’ve read these already, but if you haven’t, I highly recommend that you do. I’ve never read a planetary colonization story that is quite so realistic as this one is–and I’ve certainly never read anything so comprehensive! You name it, it’s in here. The whole range of the sciences, social problem, and especially personality types. It is, I must say, a very dense book, but well worth losing yourself in. I admit that I could not always follow the minutia of the science, but never in such a way as to leave me confused or lost. I did end up feeling smarter not only after I’d finished it, but while in the midst of the story as well. Of course, it also left me feeling depressed/inspired to go save the world…and very, very sad that we are not already seriously heading off into space. Verdict: words fail to encompass it.

Blacksad, the most beautiful comic I’ve ever read, I think. Dark Horse just published a lovely new hardcover translation of the first three albums (it’s from European publisher Darguard) and really, everyone should go get it. It’s a noir-ish detective story set in America in the 1950s and the main character is a private eye named John Blacksad who is, incidentally, a cat. Everyone is an animal, and you’ve never seen anthropomorphism as brilliant as this. (Well, there’s Lackadaisy…but they’re really not comparable. Maybe as two disparate sides of the same coin of awesomeness.) The facial expressions are incredible. Did I mention it’s fully painted and absolutely beautiful? Verdict: ooooh!