Cats in Space is a fun little collection for those who love reading about cats. These are cats in science fiction stories, from actual Earth cats of the sort you might find around the house to science fiction alien cats you hope you never meet.

Some of the cats are perfectly normal, such as the kitten rescued by a spaceman recovering from being lost in space in Robert Heinlein's Ordeal in Space. Others are quite exceptional, full partners to humanity in space.

I can't say that I enjoyed every story in this collection, but that's always one of the challenges with an anthology. One or two just really dragged on for me. But on the whole the collection is well worth the read if you love cats. 

Robot Adept, like much of Piers Anthony's work, is probably best for younger readers, say teenage or so. I can enjoy them as an adult, but I liked them better when I was younger.

Proton and Phaze are alternate worlds. Mach (a robot) and Bane (human) are alternates of each other, and an imbalance between the two worlds is building. Phaze is magical, while Proton works on science.

A part of the trouble is because Mach and Bane have each fallen in love with a woman from the other side. They have the ability to trade bodies, but this is a part of the imbalance that threatens to destroy both frames.

But there are also different forces wanting to control the frames. Mach and Bane are forced to compete to decide which side will rule. The competitions are challenging, with control of both worlds, not to mention the fate of their children, riding in the balance.

Dragonseye takes place early in Pernese history. The second Pass of Threadfall is about to begin, and the Weyrleaders have to cope with skeptics as they get ready to meet Thread.

There are a lot of little stories mixed into this one. There's the story of Chalkin, a flat out tyrannical Lord Holder. The romance between the artist Iantine and green rider Debera. The need to change how the children are taught to survive as the last of the ancient technology wears out. The need to build a system to know when the Red Star will pass. The romance between Weyrleaders K'vin and Zulaya. The love between P'tero and M'leng.

It's a lot, but overall it works for me. Some may find it confusing, especially if you aren't overly familiar with Pern.

Some of the characterizations are a little weak, especially P'tero and M'leng. They could have vanished from the story with little or no impact. K'vin and Zulaya didn't precisely thrill me either in the resolution of their relationship.

Overall, a good story but I feel Anne McCaffrey has done much better work. 

James Hogan generally writes harder science fiction than The Legend That Was Earth, but I’d still class this as a pretty good novel. Just be prepared for aliens that are more humanlike than usual and the technology isn’t all that impressive.

But of course, Hogan’s novels tend to be more about the ideas than the technology in any case. But this time it just doesn’t work as well as it has in the past.

The Hyadeans have come to Earth, and have greatly increased the overall standard of living for many. However, some question what it is they really want and people are oppressed in the process. But since things are good for the wealthy and powerful, those who fight against them are called terrorists.

Of course, Roland Cade, the lead character, goes from being a wealthy socialite enjoying the company of many Hyadeans to discovering just how messed up things are, due to his ex-wife, one of the supposed terrorists.

The story is generally good, but not excellent. Not Hogan’s usual quality. In most cases I can cope with his tendency to overdo the utopian society he loves to promote. This doesn’t have much utopia to it, more on oppressive government, and the story just comes out as average.